The Primal Hunter

Jake got quite varied reactions from the different people in the room upon joking with Minaga. Casper smirked slightly, Carmen gave the Unique Lifefrom a friendly wave, Caleb looked a bit worried, Maria was still not entirely over the guy just popping into the room, and Jacob looked more confused than anything. Eron and the Sword Saint both looked relaxed, with Eron bowing his head slightly, making Jake more sure than ever that the guy knew something they didn’t about Minaga.

”A good joke begets repetition,” Minaga answered, still standing on the ceiling. ”Plus, it works every time, so why not keep doing it? Just because you are never surprised doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy the experience.”

Throwing the startled people in the room a glance, Jake smirked. ”They sure look to be enjoying your presence.”

”Who doesn’t feel happiness at my presence? Look at me, I am always in my own presence, and that has turned me into a very joyful and positive person,” the Unique Lifeform joked as he stopped sticking to the ceiling and did a flip before landing on the floor.

”For the record, Casper and Jake are both correct when it comes to their assessments of me. I monitor how people do my labyrinth to see places I can improve, but also to get a feeling for the general power level of the generation. It’s good research and valuable data,” Minaga explained. ”As for engaging with you while doing it… well, that is purely for entertainment purposes, of course! To add a unique flair of me to the experience, making my part of Nevermore truly stand out.”

”Does it not hurt the competitive integrity of Nevermore that you so openly interfere and engage with the individuals doing the dungeon? Especially as you take a subjective disposition toward each party, either becoming a helpful or detrimental force?” Jacob asked, looking to have gathered some courage with all of them present. He still did look pretty damn nervous just asking that question.

”Eh, nothing is ever perfect,” Minaga waved him off. ”With how varied the multiverse is, creating a truly balanced playing field is utterly impossible, and adding myself and my mostly meaningless commentary is such a small factor it isn’t worth mentioning. I have said it before, but if my talking and commenting are enough to throw you off your game and make you fail, then you have bigger problems. In other words, stop being so damn punctilious with how you think a dungeon is supposed to be run. The multiverse isn’t fair, and neither is Nevermore. What it does give is mostly equal opportunities, and so do I.”

”How is it mostly equal when some Paths are downright handicapped while others are assisted?” Jacob argued.

”How is it mostly equal when someone with a Bloodline or a Transcendent can walk in and ignore ninety percent of the challenges?” Minaga pointed out as he threw Jake a glance.

”How is it fair when some are not only immune but can use the fire energy of the Demon Lord to empower themselves?” he continued as he pointed at Maria.

”When others are borderline invincible, no enemy capable of breaking through their sheer level of durability or seemingly infinite health pool?” Minaga said, referring to both Carmen and Eron.

”Or… when someone is able to continuously resurrect a party member of theirs, allowing that party member to repeatedly burn their very life away to release suicide attacks over and over again?” Minaga finished, looking straight at Jacob.

”My point is that you can cry about equality or fairness from now till the end of the multiverse, and you will sound like an idiot all the way,” Minaga smirked. ”So embrace the unfairness and overcome it. That is how you become strong. I should know, seeing as I am a Unique Lifeform. I was born only being awesome and managed to overcome that fate to become amazingly awesome.”

”I, for one, commend assisting dungeon engineers,” Casper raised his hand.

”See, I have the crowd on my side,” Minaga smiled confidently at Jacob.

The Augur seemed to consider the Unique Lifeform’s words as he just sighed and nodded. ”Very well… it is ultimately your creation.”

”Exactly. But if you do have any grievances, you can file a written complaint after you have completed Nevermore, and I will be sure to read it. I am not saying I will do anything, but I do read every written complaint we get.”

”How many written complaints do you even get a year?” Jake questioned.

”Well, we don’t really count them by the year… but at least one every million years or so,” Minaga nodded. ”People just can’t be arsed to go through proper procedures to submit them, you know?”

”Pray tell, what are these totally reasonable procedures,” Jake smirked.

”Well, first of all, you need a written letter, right?”

”Right,” Jake nodded.

”And you need to go to Nevermore,” Minaga continued.

”Reasonable.”

final stop of handing the letter to the Wyrmgod or myself,” he finished. ”See?

am sure

with all gods that come by within the very reasonable waiting time

again you are actually

I never did,” Minaga outright

you just implied it very

is not solid proof of anything, and I deny all such accusations.

were the one who said it,” Casper jumped

I thought we were on the same team here,” Minaga

Casper nodded as he smiled before looking at Jake. ”He is clearly not a god, and if you keep making such unfounded

stood up and bowed. ”I apologize on account of my client – myself – and wish to

we could reach a settlement,” Minaga smiled wide as he clearly had fun. Still smiling, he looked around the room. ”Anyway, are there more questions? If not,

began as

the

began. ”That one was quite

Consort, and that was it. I am not saying that wasn’t allowed, just that it was thoroughly uninspired,” Minaga said with disappointment, making Jacob smirk a bit

Caleb sighed. ”I guess ours was also pretty

with any living being

glad you

than trying to make

because she tried to flirt with you,” Minaga said with

she tried

to hug

constituted as an attack,” Carmen smirked.

going first. They had made the Second Mistress into the new Prime Consort and gained access to all the Secret Scrolls through that. Maria’s team turned out to have a demon on

this demon hadn’t, and the guy had been damn close to dying. Luckily they managed to save him in time and kill the Prime Summoner. All of the Mistresses and even the Guard Captain had witnessed the Prime Summoner try to sacrifice him, and the group managed to spin a tale where they had taken down the corrupt Prime Consort who wanted to replace the Demon Lord. From there, they

some allies and enemies on the thirty-fourth, initiated a vote, and started an internal conflict that ended up creating enough chaos for them

had a hard time holding himself back as the Sword Saint gladly narrated their tale. The Unique Lifeform jumped into the conversation to confirm all the stupid stuff that had happened and even praised the Sword Saint for properly understanding the assignment when the floor was called a harem. They also all had a good laugh when Minaga took over and narrated Jake’s ”flirting” with the Prime Consort. Jake had to threaten Minaga to stop the Unique Lifeform from sharing a recording of the entire scene, much to the disappointment

turned to the last person in the room. Eron had

you and your party take

seemed powerless as he sighed before speaking. ”Well… the rules of the floor said you

a single entity on that floor,”

head. ”But is there truly that big of a difference between what you did

Their sparks still burn… and do not try to convince me that the original dull flames of their souls had any more meaning than what they do now. They

here is done, and I guess I

was just gone. Seeing as the Unique Lifeform had left, the others also soon began taking their leave, with Jacob leaving first. The Sword Saint followed soon after, with the others trickling out one by one until two

left, and he knew that was no coincidence. Jake felt the gaze of Minaga still on them, but he threw a brief look toward the ceiling as he frowned, making the god back off.

gazes of all those curious are now dispelled,” Eron said

Jake asked as he nodded to confirm. ”You were less than interested in the actual meeting, and I don’t believe you

reason for attending was not to learn of Earth or those we share a home planet with. I came to seek you out, and I would prefer for it to have been done under less suspicious circumstances than a one-on-one