The Primal Hunter

After recovering from using Arcane Awakening, Jake didn’t continue his journey right away. Instead, he took a small break inside the miniature forest to prepare some things. During the House of the Architect, he had learned to craft both a better poison and to make acid, but after exiting, he had made neither.

Both of those would honestly have been useful in the last fight, especially the acid. If Jake had a good amount, he could have tossed it on the cube or even put some of it into the Protean Arrow he created to more efficiently destroy the scalekin mage’s defenses. If he would have used the Heartrot Poison or not was a bit more of a toss-up as the Sleeping Night Toxin was still damn effective, though.

Either way, Jake wanted to at least have the option. Besides, he had improved his general crafting skills and wanted to make a new batch of Sleeping Night Toxin to ensure he had the best poison he could make to prepare for what was to come. There was no doubt in his mind this wouldn’t be his only combat encounter with a powerful foe in this Challenge Dungeon.

With regard to the decision Jake had to make regarding where to make his delivery, he didn’t really see it as a real choice. In Jake’s mind, he had been hired to do a job, and he was going to do that job. It wasn’t really about doing what was right or wrong in his head or choosing what was most beneficial to him. Jake just felt like one should stick to an agreement already made, and he wasn’t the kind of person to be bought off by someone else.

That isn’t to say there was nothing that could make Jake change his mind. If he arrived in this mid-sized city and found out that the Infernal Baron was some psycho who liked to roast and eat children or some other fucked up shit like that, he could totally see himself going to this other organization merely out of spite. Not that he thought the organization was much better, considering they had a propensity to kill everyone Jake had seen them working with so far. Not to mention that they also used slaves based on what Jake heard about this Silenced Order, making him less than positive toward them.

When Jake was done crafting all his poison and two full barrels of acid, he continued his journey. Jake also decided that for the rest of the trip, he would keep his stealth skill active. Due to the main cost coming from activating it, he could have it up pretty much indefinitely. Doing so should also help him appear more mysterious, as the organization wouldn’t know how he had gotten to the city in case they had scouts placed on the path. Assuming none of those scouts were high-tier Perception-focused C-grades or B-grades, that is.

The entire encounter with the scalekin mage, projection, and his crafting session had put him back ten or so hours, but Jake believed it would be worth it down the line. He did hope that he wouldn’t have any more interruptions for the rest of the way, and hopefully, the stealth skill would help with that.

Days passed uneventfully as Jake got in some good practice with regards to using his stealth skill while also moving quickly and using both One Step and his wings. The system assistance did most of the job for sure, but in just a few days, Jake did manage to remove some very minor clues as to his presence when using One Step. It was mainly that there were some very minor ripples due to space effectively compressing around him whenever he used the skill, but with some slight tweaks, he also hid those far better. A talented space mage would probably be able to feel them, but the average person definitely wouldn’t. At least they couldn’t, based on how the beasts didn't react at all despite Jake stepping down practically right next to them.

After a bit over three days of total travel, the mid-sized city appeared in the distance as a small blip. It still took him another seven hours to actually reach it – one of the downsides of extremely high Perception and flying high up in the air – meaning he had used a bit less than half of his allotted time when he finally arrived.

This city was a lot bigger than the small-sized Hillspring, and Jake doubted there were only a few million living there. At least not if one counted the thousands of farmsteads and buzzing villages surrounding the large city itself.

Checking his compass, Jake saw it was pointing toward the very center of the city. From a distance, Jake could see a castle atop what looked like it had once been a volcano, with buildings constructed up its cliffside. While it was a bit on the nose, it definitely looked like the kind of place someone known as the Infernal Baron would live.

However, Jake didn’t go there immediately. He stopped a bit outside the city and landed close to the gate entrance so as to not fly inside. If this organization had powerful scouts waiting, flying into the city was a lot more suspicious than using the gates, as only influential and powerful figures could fly into the city according to the laws. Well, them, and of course, Couriers.

That didn’t mean Jake would enter officially, though. He kept his stealth skill up as he went through the checkpoint, easily spoofing the magic circle of detection covering the entire city with Shroud of the Primordial. The guards at the gate were all around level 250, which was another decent step up, but none of them looked particularly strong. Jake did sense a far more powerful C-grade inside one of the offices close to the official entrance, though.

When inside the city, Jake considered if he should go to the Infernal Baron immediately or check out the Guild first. Both things seemed risky, though. If the organization had placed people capable of detecting him, it would definitely be at either of those places. Ultimately, he settled on going to the Baron directly.

I need to enter the Baron’s place without raising suspicion… Jake thought to himself as he walked casually through the city streets. Just going there directly would definitely be suspicious. As it was on a mountain, he could easily watch from down on the streets how many took the winding path up to the castle gates, and so far, he had seen no one go. As for those flying to the castle, he also only saw a single beast do it.

Jake was considering for a while what to do until he got an idea. The problem wasn’t anyone knowing he entered the Baron’s castle… it was that they knew it was him entering it. As of this moment, the organization only knew a few things about Jake. They knew how he generally looked, and they knew he was a human, so Jake was thinking… what if he just changed both of those things?

Shroud of the Primordial was a borderline cheat, and with it, he could easily change how he was Identified. As for his looks, while simply wearing a mask would hide any skin, Jake decided that he would be far more suspicious if he tried to fully conceal his identity. So, he had a far better plan.

followed as he dipped in and got to work. First, he changed his race and level to display him as a level 270 Scalekin. The level was chosen to show off he was pretty strong but probably not strong enough to have

Jake switched his clothes to something a bit more casual he shamelessly stole from whoever lived where he had broken in. Once he was fully clothed, he activated the final part of his disguise as dark green scales covered his body, courtesy of Scales of the Malefic

has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found

were many scalekin who just looked like humans with scales covering them, primarily those who were children of a

Before, he had told himself he wouldn’t just fly to the castle as that

the air, Jake did not summon his wings as he just flew using regular energy manipulation. The instant he went into the air and began to make his way toward the castle, dozens of eyes were upon him. Most disappeared a few seconds later, but a good few remained. Some of them even felt pretty damn powerful, but even so, they didn’t stand

him from within the castle. Jake was ready for someone to fly out and greet him, especially when he entered

Jake began to slowly solidify as space

his head. Through the mana and the presence in the voice, Jake felt pretty darn certain

for an audience with the Infernal Baron,” Jake answered, kind of hoping he wouldn’t have to say more. While he doubted that is how it worked, the job explicitly stated Jake had to deliver the Sealed Elemental

the voice answered, making Jake curse internally. Saying he was a Courier could give the gig away, especially if the mage demanded to see the delivery. Ultimately, Jake decided that

I can swear

and no matter what tricks the space mage believed Jake could have up his sleeve,

seconds passed while Jake really hoped he would be allowed through before he finally got an answer. “The Baron has agreed to meet you, with the condition that should you be wasting his

answered in the affirmative. A bit childish with the death threat if Jake was just a fanboy trying to waste the man’s time, but alas. He was the client, and as the saying goes, the customer is

space around Jake loosened as a portal appeared right in front of him. Jake took the cue and entered, finding himself standing in what looked a bit like the throne room soon after. There was no throne, though, but a cozy-looking set of armchairs with a small table between them. On one of these chairs sat a woman who still gave off some space mana, making him certain she had been the

red hair, and just being in the room as him, Jake felt

man said, leaning back and raising an eyebrow. “I sincerely hope for you

looked at the man and woman as he answered. “I believe it

and turned to the woman. “Heard that?

respond, Jake sent a telepathic

I believe

as the Baron kept looking at the space mage, who answered with a small scoff. “Quite

pointed out. “Look, let’s play along, eh? I will be sure to

at the man a bit perplexed, but eventually nodded. “As

waved his hand right after as a barrier encased the entire room, hiding their conversation from any curious listeners. At least,

“So, what do you-“

party capable of hearing us,” Jake warned

mid-sentence and stared at Jake before asking out

Jake had to assume the man was trying to be unsubtle on purpose, as he just answered normally. “I have

stared deeply at Jake. “I know who is listening, and it