The Primal Hunter

Chapter 995: A Grand Scheme The conflict between the Viper and Yip of Yore was beginning to enter its later phases, pushed forward by recent happenings, and as any good schemer, the Viper had adapted to the situation.

In truth, Jake really didn’t want to do more schemes to get one over Ell’Hakan, but he was caught between a rock and a hard place. While he didn’t want to be a schemer, the Viper sure did, and it was a good thing Jake had talked to Villy because if he had just gone with his plan of attacking Ell’Hakan, it could have messed with Villy significantly. Especially if Jake succeeded.

Jake didn’t really want to do anything that could mess with the Viper… especially not when he felt shitty about the entire situation with Palate, and he felt like he owed the god a massive favor. So, despite not being a fan of not just taking the simplified approach of putting an arrow in Ell’Hakan’s skull, he would go along with whatever the Viper wanted. Assuming the plan didn’t suck, that is.

”I’m not sure I’ll like whatever you’re about to suggest, but sure. Shoot,” Jake said.

”Alright, this is going to be a long one, so strap in. I have been thinking how to really leverage this entire angle of you being unsatisfied with me as your Patron, and everything does really seem to be lining up well for us to tell a little story. Your display of catering to Valhal in front of Ell’Hakan’s men was a nice touch, and for a while now, many have been expecting something to happen with you. So let’s make it happen,” the Viper said before he continued.

”Let me also clarify one more thing. While it’s common knowledge by now I used my Transcendent Skill to do some form of interference in the ninety-third universe, no one truly knows what I did there. Not anyone who would rat me out anyway. If we want, we can even spin it to me having done something to you as part of my efforts of making you unable to be freed from me even if you wanted to. Honestly, me doing something like that would also fit my personality and reputation, wouldn’t you agree?”

”No, not really,” Jake shrugged. ”You don’t seem like the kind who would bother forcing someone into servitude that way. Seems inefficient, and I doubt anyone like me would ever take that lying down, making it seem childishly evil.”

”Duh, of course you wouldn’t, which is why you are really fucking angry I did it to you,” the Viper said. ”And looking evil isn’t a problem, as I am evil, right? Evil and arrogant.”

”One question,” Jake said, skipping back a bit in the conversation. ”How do people even know you used your Transcendent Skill? It happened inside my Soulspace, right? Through your Records and whatnot? No one should have seen any of that.”

”It did indeed happen in your Soulspace, but I did have to pierce the veil between worlds to get there. Not fully, but I had to do something the system didn’t like for me to assist you. Doing something like that is bound to send echoes out, and many felt I did something,” the Viper explained. ”Eversmile then confirmed it afterward, being the go-to kind of guy to notice stuff like that with his constant karmic tracking of most notable figures in the entire multiverse.”

”And he then told Yip of Yore?”

”Not sure he even had to, but yes, he did help Yip reach the conclusion that now was a great moment to strike,”

Villy confirmed.

”At this point, I’m still not sure if that guy is a friend or foe…” Jake muttered.

the world isn’t black and

all of this scheming incredibly tiring. He wanted to ask more about if the Viper would really be fine, but held himself back as he returned to the topic before. ”Anyway, you want

aim higher than merely being a heretic… I want you to aim to be a Usurper of my Path,” Villy said, Jake knowing he was grinning evilly on the other side before really laying out his

his Chosen with a conditional poison that will activate should he move too close to the line of being a heretic. This ends up happening during the system event, forcing the Viper to activate the poison, but due to the barrier, he ends up having to use his Transcendence to break through, and even then, he only ends up injuring his Chosen. Perhaps as a warning, or perhaps because he wasn’t able to entrap him outright due to the system… it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the Malefic Viper knows his Chosen is rebelling and isn’t

looking for any obvious plot holes as he did point one

waste and uselessly piss off other factions who want to use him. Nah, better to make it impossible for him to escape while skirting the rules set by the Bloodline Accords. You underestimate your own value, Jake. You’re like a precious natural treasure, and would the avaricious Malefic Viper really give that

to continue to spin his story, gladly

But you are also greedy. Ambitious. You have begun to read the currents of change and believe you finally found a way to escape my clutches without missing out on anything: becoming a Usurper of my Path. It makes a lot of sense. As my Chosen, you are in a prime position to do it, and it isn’t like there’s no precedent for Chosen ending up turning on their Patrons and trying to consume their Path. That’s also why you won’t outright denounce my Blessing, but you will show tendencies of a heretic, forcing me to either retract my Blessing and suffer another backlash or simply accept that’s happening. You usurping me would allow you to not lose anything and keep your Path as an alchemist and all my skills without any restrictions. Of course, it would be hard for you to do as a mere C-grade, but with the help of Valhal? Yeah, it could totally happen. Naturally, for you to usurp me, having me be dead first is highly preferable, making you more than happy

the Viper had clearly been thinking about this a lot, or maybe he was just making stuff up on the spot, but Jake found himself nodding along as he imagined what he would have done if Villy turned out to be an utter dickhead. He didn’t want to hurt his own Path, so renouncing the Viper entirely and joining Valhal didn’t seem that appealing, but making the Viper’s Path his own by usurping it? That would result in

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interests just temporarily allign, so it makes sense you remain cautious of the other Chosen, especially seeing as you are still competing. You switching to wanting to be all buddy-buddy with him wouldn’t make any sense, but showing a bit of restraint until your Patron is dealt with? That you can do. Afterward, you will leave with Valhal, who also only has a temporary alliance with Yip of Yore. In other words, you’re not allying or forming any positive relations with your opponents; you’re just selfishly using them to fulfill your own goal of being free of me and usurping my Path. What’s more, none of your emotions should you encounter Ell’Hakan would be wrong. He is no mind reader, and your feeling of dislike is only

other Chosen. None of them truly understood Ell’Hakan’s Bloodline, and while Jake didn’t think it was some perfect sniffer of schemes that could instantly determine Jake was up to something, he didn’t

all on board so far… why the hell would they believe this tall tale? Also, you said I would be a heretic, but it doesn’t sound like I’ll actually reveal my identity as

I’m truly pushed into a corner, and in my pure anger at fully discovering your betrayal and the fact you’re helping my enemies, I

you would

he seemed to be enjoying how his scheme

they would believe everything if I don’t even reveal myself as a heretic,” Jake once more

at least some element of truth. The fact you aren’t a real believer and have that inner heretic is just one part that you can show off, you just need to keep the actual heretic aura hidden. You can shit-talk me all you want to sell the lie,

I could shit-talk you at all times already,” Jake joked

mixing some lies with truth, how about we do one better? Physical evidence that I poisoned you to keep you under my control,” Villy definitely smirked on the other

about fifty-fifty on if you actually did poison me or you are referring to something else,”

your Tutorial, I made you undertake the Trial of Myriad Poisons, upgrading your Palate and Blood skills in the process,” Villy reminded him. ”Of course, this is where the version of what happened may differ a bit. But honestly, my version is way more probably, as who would believe that some weak E-grade

smile as

inside out at my command. Oh, the horror of living with this, with me having lied about it, saying it was there to benefit you, but as your doubt about me has grown, the truth was revealed, which was what led to all this and me using my Transcendent Skill. Only Valhal can keep you safe now, and only my death can fully ensure your safety. Oh, and the drop will surely function as an excellent jumping-off