The Primal Hunter

Meira had experienced a lot of surprising and frightening things throughout the last few years. From the fall of the Brimstone Hegemon and her becoming a slave to recently being freed and having Teacher privately teach her all the time.

Yet today was more frightening than any other. Because she was called for a private meeting by the Hall Master herself, but not with the S-grade. No, someone else had asked – or probably demanded – to meet her.

The Lord Protector. Boundless Hydra. One of the most fearsome beasts in the entire multiverse, second to only the Malefic Viper within the Order of the Malefic Viper, as far as she knew.

Every other time she had met frightening existences, like that one time her Teacher brought her to buy herbs from a dragon god; she was always with someone and never the person in focus. Always just a tag-along. But this time, there was no Lord Thayne, no Teacher… not even Izil. Just herself and a god who had lived for nearly the entire lifespan of the multiverse.

Viridia, the Hall Master, had teleported her part of the way there, but on the final stretch to the domain of the Lord Protector, they had to walk. As they walked, Meira felt incredibly nervous and built up courage as she asked the Hall Master.

“Uhm… Mistress, I-“

“Call me Viridia,” the Hall Master smiled. “You should get used to not being so… meek. That simply won’t do.”

“Oh… okay,” Meira nodded, getting a disapproving look from the Hall Master. Still, Meira felt too curious not to ask. “If I may… why does the Lord Protector want to speak to me?”

“I do not know for sure, but I have my suspicions,” Viridia answered. “And if I am correct, I believe it is high time you drop those social-conduct lessons you are currently doing and for us to set up some proper conduct classes.”

Meira froze when she heard the mention of conduct classes. A shiver ran down her spine as she tried to control herself, but images flashed in her head of the “classes” she had when she first arrived at the Order. Clenching her fists, she continued walking as the Hall Master noticed her actions.

“You have reached the cap of D-grade for your profession, with your class soon to follow, correct?” she asked.

Meira just nodded.

“And the Grand Elder has discussed his plans of properly Blessing you soon, right? It is already known that you are his disciple… but from what I was told by the Verdant Witches, he is considering making you his Chosen,” Viridia said.

“I… maybe…” Meira said. She had to be honest; she wasn’t exactly sure what it meant to become the Chosen of someone like Duskleaf. The thought just seemed so foreign to her. Even now, it felt incredibly odd that many approached her, not just because of the people she knew but because they assumed she herself was also worth their time.

“In either case, but especially if that is true, you will have to adapt your demeanor to the situation, not only for yourself but the Grand Elder. You will be his representative, and your words will hold authority, so to speak confidently and assuredly is a must,” the Hall Master continued.

Meira nodded once more. It made sense…

“If such is the case, I would gladly help you in this process,” Viridia smiled. “And do know that my first free lesson is that people will want to form a relationship with you primarily for selfish reasons. Which is exactly what I am trying to do by offering you these lessons.”

“Yeah,” Meira nodded. “I know.”

That didn’t really surprise her. In her meetings with Izil and the others, that was an often-discussed topic, as they always had people approach them with ulterior motives.

The two of them kept walking for a good while, only exchanging a few words in a rather casual conversation. It was only when they reached the gateway leading into the domain of the Lord Protector that Viridia left, and Meira realized she had just casually been talking to the Hall Master of the Order of the Malefic Viper for nearly twenty minutes.

It felt odd.

But not as odd as what happened next.

of the gate, while in the very next, she found herself standing on a stone platform. Before she could even orient herself, a presence swept over her that made her want to kneel… but she resisted. As best as she could anyway. Her knees

She looked up with wide eyes as she saw what looked like the giant head of a snake staring down at her. Mixed with the danger and the black stone platform surrounded by nearly pure darkness as far as the eye

was definitely the most

voice of the Lord Protector echoing

she was supposed to act. Normally, one would kneel or something, but Teacher had told her that as his disciple, she shouldn’t kneel to anyone that isn’t the

classified. While I am still uncertain if I agree with the actions of Master and Duskleaf when it comes to choosing Chosen like this, I am beginning to see the novelty. It is different than prior blessed I have had, in that there is less blind worship,” the god explained. “The mere fact that even you, someone that was merely a former slave of Master’s Chosen,

the Lord Protector have something against Teacher?

imagined doing, it’s better to just get it out of the way now to avoid annoyance in

was not the only disciple the Malefic One ever

understood the gravity of him helping the Malefic Viper. For someone to be of actual assistance in any kind of project, their skills had to at least somewhat match that of the one they assist, which meant that the Malefic One recognized Duskleaf as an equal peer, at least in some aspects of alchemy. She knew that Teacher didn’t really do toxins that much,

that somewhat, but do you truly

about Teacher?” Meira asked, curious and confused, forgetting herself

Sure, some still feared the Viper was around and would appear if the existence of the Order was threatened… but most of the older factions knew that the Order was never something Master cared overly much about,” the Lord Protector

didn’t fit. She was about to speak when a third Hydra

Lord Protector’s new head said, making Meira confused by the next words spoken by the central head. “And one of the most fearsome

not simple, and Duskleaf much less so. You may believe him a pacifist alchemist…

answered, not having to really think

even should you somehow attain immortality? Secrets you may never be able to disclose to anyone, not even the Chosen of the Malefic One?” the

wants, yes,” Meira nodded once more

embrace your new role and Path. And know that should you stray or break the vow you made today, I shall carry out my

the realm and back

Meira shuddered as she looked down the

Viper echoed through the realm of the Boundless Hydra just as the elf girl disappeared. “Watching out

getting a bit needlessly emotional, but this is the first time Duskleaf has taken on an official disciple, and I do not wish to

all?” the Viper said, a

been many changes recently, and more are coming. Yip of Yore, your Chosen, and his ability to manipulate Origins, rumors of the

is always coming,” the Viper said in a cheerful tone. “But yes, more things do seem to be changing

fundamental level. However, they did

Path, new was nearly always good, as

meeting with the Lord Protector as Meira toiled away, leveling her class through a variety of means. She would have never thought that something like a C-grade Perfect Evolution would ever

factoring in the fact she was a student of Duskleaf. Even if she admittedly sucked at fighting, she still managed to get through all the dungeons she did, partly because her party members were far stronger than

of her levels came not from healing people. No, it came from something else entirely. Healing was a school of magic that included many concepts and affinities. Light and life affinity were the two most famous ones for healing, but nature affinity was also a very popular

form of life than usual. Rather than mend wounds, she would instead focus on truly helping people heal themselves through an odd healing concept Meira

it was more

changed from simply healing other people to being able to mend

system was rather rigid when it dictated classes were for combat and professions for non-combat, but there were ways to make both work together. The Legacy of the Malefic Viper and the entire Alchemist of the Malefic Viper Path was a testament to that. As Teacher’s Master, it was natural that Duskleaf had taken inspiration and also

and all kinds of natural treasures were in a constant struggle for energy and survival. They were in an endless battle to ascend and become more powerful, walking their own Paths. True, this was not a fight against a monster but the world itself, but there was conceptual overlap, which had made Duskleaf

the injured, even when they did not get injured in combat. That was how Meira had initially leveled her class, after all. She had healed people who got hurt in the mines back with her clan

Augur class was proof of this, and Meira hoped to do something similar. To have both, with a class that was not truly combat-reliant but one