The Primal Hunter

It was inarguable that the main portion of Nevermore was the many floors that seemed to continue endlessly. One had to remember the primary function of the mega-dungeon was to be a great leveling spot, and the entire Leaderboards part was just a fun extra event for an extremely small portion of those who attempted the C-grade version of the World Wonder.

If Jake didn’t care about the Leaderboards, he could have entered Nevermore alone and probably done quite a few floors in fifty years. Shit, due to how his Path worked, he would potentially even have gained more experience faster that way, though it would have meant missing out on any exclusive rewards from getting a good record on the Leaderboards.

Other versions than C-grade Nevermore – as a general rule - didn’t even have any Leaderboards, but it was just a bunch of floors that people tried to either solo or do in parties. It was even considered pretty normal for people to do as many floors as they could solo before then joining up with others to progress further.

However, in the C-grade of Nevermore, they had one more essential thing than just city floors and regular floors.

They had Challenge Dungeons.

Apparently, one could also find Challenge Dungeons sometimes in later grades, but they naturally wouldn’t be part of some Leaderboards evaluations. Instead, they just existed to test the people doing them. To challenge themselves and allow them to improve in some way.

Then there was one more type of Challenge Dungeons that the Wyrmgod had temporarily closed off access to due to the Leaderboards competition. Legacy Challenge Dungeons. Ones like the one Jake had entered to get his profession and put him on a collision course with the Malefic Viper.

Some gods would enter agreements with the Wyrmgod and be allowed to place a Legacy Challenge Dungeon on a city floor that people could attempt. The god could then use that as a recruitment tool or even as a way to find students worth personally tutoring.

Dina mentioned that a god had once even placed a Challenge Dungeon in the S-grade portion that was just a glorified dating show for her to find a partner. Apparently, the Wyrmgod got more involved in controlling what Challenge Dungeons would and would not get accepted after that.

Jake’s money was on Minaga having been the one to approve the dating dungeon.

Anyway. Challenge Dungeons were considered the solo portion of Nevermore, as one could only do those alone. It was also an important aspect of raking up points, and it had long been said that the final positions on the Leaderboards would ultimately be decided by who did best in the Challenge Dungeons.

Right now, Jake and everyone in his party had the exact same number of Nevermore Points. After the Challenge Dungeons, that would naturally change, and they all knew that. Which, to the surprise of no one, only ignited their competitive spirits.

Sitting in the house, discussing their plans, it pretty fast became clear what they wanted to do.

“So we are all in agreement that we are tired of seeing each other’s faces and need time apart?” the Sword Saint asked in a teasing voice.

“I wouldn’t say that…” Dina muttered. “But… taking some time to focus on individual improvement will likely be a good idea.”

“These Challenge Dungeons should add apt opportunities for self-improvement in a relatively safe environment,” the Fallen King agreed.

Oh yeah, that was another important aspect of Challenge Dungeons. You couldn’t die inside of them. If you died, you would just be reset to the last “checkpoint” and have one less life. Once you ran out of lives, you would be thrown out, and your Challenge Dungeon time was over.

This meant one could do far more risky things. For example, one thing Jake planned on doing was to be more reckless if he ever found himself facing an opponent too powerful to beat and push Arcane Awakening further than before. Doing that anywhere outside of a Challenge Dungeon was just too damn risky.

Sure, you could make it safe by doing it under the protection of someone powerful enough to save you should you fuck up, or maybe even in some specially prepared formation, but none of those things could compare to a true life and death battle – even if death wouldn’t be permanent.

“True, true. I do have a few things I wanna test,” the Sword Saint smiled. “Sadly, I have been informed the system will not allow me to go all out as death will not reset the repercussions from a Transcendence. I guess that also counts as a warning to you.”

He said the last part talking to the Fallen King, who nodded in acknowledgment. The unique special abilities of Unique Lifeforms were borderline considered Transcendent skills and would not be reset either. There was even a chance something like Jake’s Eternal Shadow wouldn’t be fully reset due to the mental drain. Alas, he would find out.

“Do you all know which Challenge Dungeons you will be going for first?” Dina questioned.

Jake looked at the painting from the Sword Saint that looked a lot like a whiteboard, as he considered. There were five Challenge Dungeons in total. Each of them had their own themes and, as far as he knew, an endless number of “levels” until you became unable to continue and gave up or lost all your lives. This endlessness only became a thing after they reached floor seventy, mind you, which made this a great time to do it.

“Ree,” Sylphie answered as she also joined Jake in staring at the list.

Challenge Dungeon available:

1. Colosseum of Mortals

2. Neverending Journey.

Test of

4. Endless Minaga Labyrinth

House of the

wasn’t a social type. In fact, there were no profession-focused Challenge Dungeons. One had to remember these were not just for enlightened but beasts too, so all were combat-related in some ways, or at least concerned skills not about crafting or professions. That would

Minaga Labyrinth was self-explanatory. Jake just wondered if

was he kidding? Of

House of the Architect which could be many things but probably was related to energy control or something like that. Honestly, who

the Challenge Dungeons knew, but they couldn’t tell due to Nevermore and its love of not allowing the sharing of information. Again, probably an

do them in order,” Jake said after

“Ree?” Sylphie asked.

point,”

Endless Labyrinth do strike me as similar in nature. Considering it is a Challenge Dungeon, perhaps

factor in the constant mental attacks from the live commentary during the Minaga Labyrinth,

shall concede trying to get

nodded. “I just hope I

least did have some solid offensive options. She was also damn durable and probably had the largest survivability

fine,” the Sword Saint smiled to comfort her. “But what timescale are we looking

lives, with elites usually taking longer,”

“Ree?” Sylphie questioned.

stay longer but hopefully still leave once they reach a checkpoint to at least inform us of what

out a way to properly organize their meeting time after

bothered trying to find out either. All he knew was that, based on his estimates, they would probably not even spend three years in Nevermore from the outside world’s perspective. Which was honestly a pretty good level

internal clocks, right?” Jake asked

inside the dungeon, infuse mana into the picture. The paint used to paint it will fade in exactly ten years

prepared, huh?” Jake raised

to make myself useful while you were

others whatever they wanted. Intelligence for Sylphie, Willpower-increasing for the Fallen King, and finally Vitality-increasing

thing did bother Jake a bit, though, as he asked the old man. “Did you already know we would dedicate ten

the

few dozen variations while

alright. Yeah, that makes sense…” Jake

the Fallen King questioned. “If we dedicate ten years now, we will still have

Jake smiled as he stood up and stretched. “Or does anyone have

said, a bit

ago with the help of Stormild had slowly been weakening for a long time, and while it didn’t seem to go faster just

it dispersed while they were both in their own Challenge Dungeons. The bond had become second nature and was something they didn’t really think or talk about. It only really materialized by allowing them to sense each other’s locations, while the rest of its effect

don’t think it will hurt you or me,

“Ree.”

when we are inside Nevermore…” Jake muttered as he looked up. “Hey, Wyrmgod, can you or Minaga, who I am sure is also around somewhere, ask the Viper if he knows if anything

few seconds passed as Dina looked at

“I don’t think that-“

as an aura fell over the room as the

recommend that you wait until after Nevermore. In fact, if it expires while inside a Challenge Dungeon, you will barely feel it considering you are already separated. Also, I have seen what the Challenge Dungeons are about and… yeah, I know I can’t tell him, but… just a little… no, I

their party of five just stared as it suddenly returned,

own that place; I made a bet that you would at

collapsed as the entire