The Primal Hunter

Chapter 1016: The Wall Minaga was working on some ideas for the labyrinth in the next era, trying to find a balance between familiar challenges and adding just enough of a difference that it wouldn’t be too similar. He definitely had a few new great inventions to test and a lot of additional safety measures he had to work on implementing after a certain someone had dominated the floors and Challenge Dungeon both.

However, recently, even someone like him who had quite a heads available to take his mind off things found himself distracted. Seeing as wasting a few months wasn’t a big deal. He’d paused most things as he watched with interest the happenings in the first universe, spending a lot of time with the Wyrmgod, who, while interested, clearly wasn’t as into it as Minaga.

Which, let’s be honest, was really weird as the Viper was his fellow Primordial, and they were clearly on friendly terms based on what happened when Jake did Nevermore. Alas, perhaps the Wyrmgod was just trying to play it cool... at least Minaga thought this until the Wyrmgod barely blinked when Yip of Yore unleashed the Void Sphere and sealed the two within their own separate Void Dimension for the final showdown.

Before that, all the other stuff with Jake that had gone down seemed to have interested the Wyrmgod far more, but now that the finale was there, he began to turn his gaze to other matters... at which point Minaga couldn’t help but question his long-term colleague and friend.

“Hey... shouldn’t you, you know, care a little?” Minaga asked. “Your old pal is fighting the top rising star to ever reach godhood, and stuff really isn’t looking good for the Malefic Viper right now... he’s strong, yes, but...”

The Wyrmgod seemed almost surprised at the question as he thought for a moment. “How well do you know Vilas?”

“Admittedly, not very well,” Minaga shrugged. “Tended to stay out of his way most of the time. Still, neither of us really knows Yip of Yore either. In fact, what we do know makes him a lot more dangerous than others believe he is. We saw Altius beat him back then until one day, they switched places on the Leaderboards with no one finding it weird or questioning it at all... that level of reality and perception manipulation is of a Transcendent nature, yet he doesn’t have the aura of a Transcendent. He has a lot of hidden cards is what I’m saying.”

“I acknowledge Yip of Yore’s powers and prowess,” the Wyrmgod nodded. “But I also know Vilas.”

Minaga remained skeptical as he sighed. “I’m just saying that things don’t always go according to plan, not even for the Viper.”

The Wyrmgod seemed in thought for a moment before he asked. “Do you believe you could beat Yip of Yore?”

“Me as in me, or me as in many mes?” Minaga asked.

“You, as in all of you,” the Wyrmgod clarified.

“Probably? It wouldn’t be easy to kill him, and if he is the one coming after me, it will definitely be annoying, but I also don’t see any realistic scenario where he is capable of defeating me. Well, alright, he can defeat me a lot of times, but not enough times for it to matter if you get my drift,” Minaga shrugged with a cheeky smile.

“Vilas is the same,” the Wyrmgod said in a tone of certainty. “I also see no realistic scenario where Yip of Yore defeats him, for no matter how long passes, he is still the Malefic Viper.”

Sylphie looked at Jake sitting within his big magic circle, clearly super nervous. Sylphie knew why he was nervous, as Big Snake Man was fighting a bad guy, and because Uncle was nervous, she felt nervous.

Suddenly, Sylphie got a super smart idea, as she closed her eyes on focused mega hard. Valhal – the Brawny Warrior Club – had done so they knew if anyone contacted gods in other places, but they didn’t outright block it, so Sylphie thought it was fine to reach out to Big Bird and ask stuff.

It was a little bit harder than usual, but soon enough, Big Bird responded. Sylphie was only really good enough at talking to Big Bird to ask a few small things, so with that in mind, she asked the most important part first:

“Ree?” she asked ifBig Snake Man would be okay or if Uncle would be sad

“Why you asking?”

Primordial – so she knew Big Snake Man

Stormild without doing a

Let me check... yep, they’re inside the Void Sphere now, so no need to be all secretive, I guess,” Stormild answered, unconcerned. “Anyway, yeah, I’m sure he’s

concerned as she pointed out that Yip was supposed to be

nah, being strong just isn’t enough there. You need to be super strong! Because Vilas is definitely super

and calmed down instantly as she chirped a bit happily to herself. If Big Snake Man was super strong, there was no need to be nervous. Though, looking at Uncle inside his ritual thing, she did feel bad for

the top brass of the factions were carefully

were never any signs of nervousness after Yip of Yore sealed himself with the Malefic Viper using the Void Sphere. One would expect that the Primordials would watch

laissez-faire attitude about the entire thing, but once asked, their answers as to why they seemed so assured things would go according to their expectations tended to boil down to the

He’s the Malefic Viper.

--

on him, and before he had time to react or properly comprehend what was happening, the empty husk below him began to change. He still had his hand inside it as it wrapped around his arm, the rest of

it's taken without permission from

pressed him down as he fell to his knees, his eyes opening wide in disbelief as he stared toward the sky and saw what looked like a green sun dawn... at least it looked like that until

the voice of the Malefic One echoed, every word vibrating Yip’s body as the skin from the molt began to tear into and merge

is hard. Endless. Yet you are a genius. You walk forward with steady steps, always progressing, always growing stronger, leaving your peers in the dust. As for those who do manage to stand up

the sky only seemed to grow larger, and Yip knew he wasn’t truly looking at the Malefic Viper... merely

To a genius, it comes later, but no matter who you are, it’s inevitable,” the Malefic Viper continued, as

crushing Altius, the one person who could rival you. You reached S-grade, where many thought you would meet the same fate as other geniuses, falling short of godhood... but in no time, you ascended, breaking more and more records in

wrapped around his entire body, leaving only his head free. In his

you were a genius, as not even

entire body as it mixed with whatever he had absorbed using his own Transcendent skill earlier,

and more powerful, leaving more and more gods who once looked down on you in the dust. Perhaps you even thought this would go on forever. That you could endlessly ascend and constantly

and appeared in front of Yip as

horrible. It makes you question where you went wrong and if perhaps your Path was flawed from the very beginning. Many gods resign themselves to their fates when this happens; others accept it and move on with the hope that they can progress once more again in the future. But you... you grew desperate. You couldn’t meet a wall. You’re

prey. A has-been Primordial, merely coasting along on his old legends... legends worthy of reaping and making your own. I was your ticket to breaking down the wall before you had to truly accept

the emotion in

now... now we’re here. Your recklessness has led you to your current predicament. So tell me, oh hero of

even fighting the molt that had pretty much fully merged with his body by now. “Since

isn’t quite the right word, but to answer... it’s bold of you to assume you ever fought anything else,” the Viper said in a casual voice as he paused for a moment. “Tell me, Yip, do you know why snakes

of something that has

Yip of Yore muttered before he looked up, a glimpse of clarity as a faint smile appeared. “Theory one

lessened the pressure around himself as he simply nodded, not even infusing his voice