The Primal Hunter

”So, you’re not angry I had one of your employees act like a test dummy for several weeks? Imagine how many perfectly pristine statues he could have looked like he was cleaning during that time!” Jake joked as he stood in front of the Bound God after having presented his second Creation.

“Calling them my employees is not entirely accurate, now is it? They are merely summoned creatures, created to serve a simple function and give ambiance to the House of the Architect,” the Architect answered as she was already done putting away Jake’s poison.

“Can I, you know, get a little hint of how good this Creation was? I know it isn’t as unique as the first one, but just a tiny bit of direction would be great,” Jake said with a smile.

“No,” the Architect outright denied him. “Now, be on your way before you try to glean any more information than you should.”

“No thoughts on any of my current projects? Anything to say regarding my little student? He’s an interesting lad, don’t you thi-“

Jake still had his mouth open when he appeared standing in front of the entrance to the Architect’s room, the door shut. He stood there for a moment before shaking his head. The Bound God was really stingy when it came to giving out tips or even allowing Jake to be in her presence. It sucked a bit, as Jake would have loved to have “gleaned some things he shouldn’t,” as she said.

Returning back to the alchemy lab, Jake wondered what his next project should be. He had worked on poisons for a good while now and considered if he should go in an entirely different direction. Referring back to his list, Jake put on his thinking cap.

He considered looking into making an elixir or perhaps a ritual. He also had the skill improvements to think about… so much to do and so much time if he was fine fucking over his party members by spending several years within this Challenge Dungeon. Something Jake obviously wouldn’t do, which was part of the reason he had submitted a rare poison and not tried to make something more impressive.

Considering Temlat should also soon be back – assuming he survived – Jake went with just reading some books on something he knew he would want to craft no matter what. So, walking to the stacks of books he had left so Temlat could take what he wanted, he began to go through them. He had noticed how Temlat had brought a few books with him, but Jake didn’t really care. Jake would get them back at some point anyway, and even if his student died, he could just go retrieve them himself.

After looking through the stacks a bit, Jake finally found one that looked promising as a starter: Grimoire Creation: To Forge a Legacy.

It was a bloody huge tome that Jake picked up and began to slowly go through. Even if he had a skill that gave him some instinctive knowledge, it never hurt to also study a bit on the subject. He also saw a few more books on the subject when he picked this one up, so he definitely had plenty of reading material for a good while.

Five or so days went by before an attendant walked into the alchemy room, giving Jake a big smile on his lips. Putting the book away and getting up from the bed he had been lying in, Jake walked out of the lab and toward the portal room, where he knew a certain someone had just arrived. He had asked the attendants to inform him when someone arrived through one of the portals, and it appeared someone just had.

Entering the portal room, Jake saw a young man lying on the ground, breathing heavily. Blood colored the otherwise pristine white floor as it dropped from several wounds, both new and old. Temlat was looking bloody exhausted, and a dense air hung around him, infused with his cursed energy, and without even having to check, Jake knew the young half-elf had made quite some progress.

[Half-elf – lvl 194]

from leveling his class. Ten or so class levels, it appeared, all in the span of two and a half months

said, smiling beneath his

groaned as he sat up and looked at Jake. “I

found endearing. What’s more, Jake detected a minor hint of hatred that stemmed not just from the fact he was surrounded by the curse energy but a small grudge against Jake for having put him through this kind of hellish training. At least Jake assumed

stood over the sitting Telmat. “Do you think this method was too harsh? Too risky? Do you despise me because you nearly died more than a

good enough of a response. “Articulate

a while before he finally answered. “You just threw

am perfectly aware of that,” Jake said

did you even do? How are you even teaching me? I… if I died, everything up

a student. You want me to make you strong, and that is exactly what I am doing. Do you think power comes without risk? Do you think anyone truly powerful hasn’t risked their life innumerable times throughout their Path? What exactly did you expect when you accepted my offer? That we would sit in a lab for a few years, and you would emerge an expert capable of fulfilling all your desires without

if I died,

“You always have the choice of going back to your old life. Your former owner didn’t look like she would ever risk your life if you could even call what you had back then a life. Besides, wasn’t it you who said it? That you would rather die than go back? You may have just said it in the heat

usage: if you spot this story

just stared back at Jake with a mixed expression on his face. Jake got the feeling he wasn’t sure what to say, taking

you stick to your promise of doing whatever you can to do just that. I am not interested in seeing you die, but I will expect you to take risks that could result in your death if

nodded, making Jake smile. “Now go on back to your room and rest up. Come find me when you are back in peak condition and feel ready to continue. Ah, but don’t dally too much; you

slowly back toward the alchemy lab. The hatred in his eyes had lessened, and his anger

Jake have given him a health potion? Sure. The young man had clearly run out, but Jake purposefully chose not to. He wasn’t just being harsh to be an asshole either but relied on the only person whose teaching style he did know, and the half-elf being in some

the jungle that both Jake and the Viper subscribed to, making Temlat understand that he shouldn’t just feel like he wanted to get stronger.

Besides, if he taught like the Viper

at the portal to the world with the centaurs in, Jake entered to take a look at the carnage Temlat had left behind. Appearing on the other side, Jake’s Sphere of Perception instantly spread out, making Jake frown and turn around as a

a halberd filled with blood. A faint curse energy could be felt from the centaur himself, but way more came from his weapon.

Warlord –

it was filled with corpses and had a dark aura hanging all over it, while the survivors mourned or were filled with hateful looks. What’s more, nearly all of the centaurs looked like they hadn’t been killed by Temlat but by each other. From the many who were cleaved cleanly in two, the Centaurian Warlord in front of him had clearly done his fair share of killing

the centaur said in an angry voice. “Where did the half-human