The Primal Hunter

Mushrooms were evil existences created only to bring suffering to everything and everyone. No one liked them, and they only created misery and sadness for anyone unfortunate enough to interact with them too much.

This innate evil gave them only two valid functions: to be destroyed or be used to destroy others.

Jake refused to see them have any other purposes. Hence why he had decided their purpose would be the latter. He would extract their vital essence and use it to bring down others in the form of poisons. He would allow the mushrooms only this one honor in their entire miserable existence, at least allowing them to display at least a smidgen of goodness by killing Jake’s foes and-

“Lord Thayne? Izil said she would gladly visit later today. I finally got through to her,” he suddenly heard Meira’s voice from outside his lab, throwing him out of his incredibly productive thoughts.

“Great! Can you call me shortly before she is here so I can finish up and get ready?” Jake yelled back as he kept working on his current concoction, still not wanting to give the mushrooms any reprieve from their righteous suffering.

“Alright,” Meira said, bowing outside the lab door where Jake couldn’t even see her.

Shaking his head, Jake refocused his attention on the only proper use of mushrooms as he worked on creating some more poison for his stock.

It had been about two weeks since he returned from his final shopping trip, and Jake had only left his lab twice during this time. Once was to check up on Vesperia and ask how she was doing, and the other was to talk to Meira about seeing Izil concerning the upcoming ceremony and a potential ring upgrade.

During this time, he also cleared it with the King, Sylphie, and Sword Saint that they would all attend the ceremony. Miranda would naturally also attend, and the agreement was that Jake would go fetch them in Haven the day of, with Miranda handling everything with who from Earth would come. Jake just stayed out of it and let her take charge while she coordinated with the Verdant Witches on the Order side of things.

He had also called Draskil to inform him about the upcoming ceremony, but the dragonkin had already known as the news had gone viral through all the news streams across the multiverse. Merchants traded in not only items but information, and with news like this, they gladly spread it for free, as it only made them look good that a Primordial-level faction trusted them to communicate it.

The reason she had not come before now was that Izil had apparently been busy, meaning Meira could not get in contact with her. Where or what she had been doing, Jake didn’t know, but he assumed he would find out later when she came by to visit.

When it came to his alchemy, Jake had been quite productive if he said so himself. It took over a week to get back into the groove of things as he had to adapt to his improved mana and the C-grade ingredients that also had energy of a higher level. His time making potions helped tremendously here, but it wasn’t enough.

If Jake just wanted to make weak poisons, it would have been fine, but he wanted to make the good shit. He wanted rare C-grade poisons. Hemotoxins, necrotic poison, and his Sleeping Night Toxin, more specifically. Those were the three he focused on crafting rare variants of, and so far, he had succeeded with the first two, while the Sleeping Night was still a bit more challenging. It was also the most situational poison, but Jake felt like it could come in handy.

It had to be noted that, unlike skill rarities, items did not deteriorate in rarity between grades but were more set from the beginning. That was why something like potions had hard requirements for what they could restore, and the rarities of poison were pretty much solely dependent on the skill of the crafter and the materials used. Two rare poisons could also vary widely in potency based on who crafted it and who used it, with the rarity honestly meaning little in a wide context but only held meaning if you took the one using it into consideration. This was true even more so for Jake and all his passive skills related to using poison.

Jake kept working on his alchemy for a bit longer before Meira returned and prompted him that Izil would arrive soon. Finishing up what he was doing, Jake quickly cleaned himself up before heading out of the lab and towards the living room.

He saw Izil arrive as he walked over, and the two elves hugged after not meeting for a while. Jake stopped in the hallway and waited for a few minutes as he saw the two of them talking, not wanting to interrupt their small reunion. After they moved from the entrance area, Jake also resumed his walk and soon joined them.

As he entered the living room, Meira was bringing in some tea with Izil and her talking. They both became silent when they saw him and bowed in tandem after Meira put down the tea set.

“It has been a while, Lord Thayne,” Izil said while bowing in a respectful tone.

“That it has,” Jake nodded as he motioned for them to sit as he also dropped himself into the sofa across from them. “I hear you’ve been busy recently? I hope I didn’t take too much time out of your day.”

needed a break anyway, and this was a great excuse to also catch up with Meira,” Izil shook

more for her to vent, and

“As a member of the Altmar Empire, I need to try and figure out a bunch of stuff regarding this secret Chosen, but the problem is that so is everyone else, yet no one knows anything. Even when I am not tasked with that, I need to meet up with contact persons and other factions. Oh yeah, and then there is also some grand gift I am supposed to come with input for, but

did all he could to hold his poker face as she ranted, cringing back a bit at the second and third-to-last sentence. He also saw Meira stoically resisting saying anything. She was

too, as someone blessed by the Malefic One, right?” Izil then asked Jake, just turning the entire situation even more

meet you,” Jake said, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed at the trouble he had unintentionally brought

I doubt I can help with anything; I am already overworked as is,” Izil said with a sigh. “But I will try in any

what I meant. What I meant is…” Jake began before just shaking his head. “The thing is, I am the Chosen of the Malefic

laughing. “You do have some talent in bringing up people’s moods, but I would be careful with such jokes. You may be branded a heretic even if it is done purely in jest. Thank you for the

wasn’t a joke,” Jake

seconds with a confused look, clearly not quite sure what he

you, it isn’t one. I have the True Blessing of the Malefic Viper, thus making him

manipulated Shroud as his full aura as a Chosen was unleashed upon the living room. Izil looked confused for several more seconds before her eyes opened wide. She barely managed to turn her gaze to Meira, who just nodded,

“How is that…”

short story is that I met the Viper through rather unique circumstances, we got talking, and I ended up walking away with a True Blessing, and now here we are. I wanted to keep it a secret for personal reasons, as I am not a fan of being treated like some semi-divine being just because of

realize something then. “That bee egg ritual in

in the True Royal,”

you’re

is what it is,”

am sorry, Izil, I couldn’t tell you because of the contract, and Lord Thayne wanted

with Nella?” Izil asked, all the puzzle pieces

“With the help of the higher-ups from the Order, who knew my identity,

as she kneeled. “I sincerely beg for forgiveness from the Chosen of the Malefic One; I meant no disrespect with any of my prior actions or words. My senseless ranting just now did not in any way reflect the views of the Altmar Empire but was solely my own, and I take

not even needing to say anything as she comforted Izil. “It’s fine. Lord Thayne doesn’t get angry about that

so don’t worry. I am the one feeling

thank the Chosen for his forgiveness,” Izil

also acceptable,” Jake said. While he respected others’ ways of calling him, he still wanted it to at

desperately trying to comprehend everything that had

it like this: you were tasked with finding out things about the Chosen of

nodded without

In addition to that, you are friends with Meira, who has worked here ever since the day I arrived at the Order of the Malefic Viper and is considered a friend of mine, too,” Jake smiled as he leaned

a lot of doubt. “I am a

happen to also be a member of the

of his gloves. He hadn’t really looked at the description of the ring for a long time and used

in it. This signet is proof of your performance and contains an identifying script designed to only be readable by the Altmar Empire. Yet even if this ring is primarily a display of status, it is far from just a showpiece. For with great status comes great power.