The Primal Hunter

Jake sat in the chair as he tried really fucking hard to ignore the eyes drilling into the back of his neck from the fanatic sculptor. The man was relentless, and it took Jake several minutes to convince the guy that sitting in a chair with a Chosen in his presence was acceptable conduct. Could he have just let the guy continue kneeling or kowtowing throughout their entire meeting? Yes, he could have done that, but he reckoned that would be far more awkward.

After the ordeal with Felix, they moved inside and took their seats for Miranda to brief them on how the event would function. Sandy had also been convinced to shrink down and was now lounging on the floor, looking to not have a single care in the world.

Miranda was the one in charge of this briefing as she had been one of the people helping organize it. Well, at least that is what it said on paper, but in reality, Miranda had not been that involved. She had just been in the room as the decisions were made, making her the most knowledgeable on what would happen.

”The announcement will consist of a few different parts. Firstly we will have the opening where the Order of the Malefic Viper Hall Master, Viridia, will welcome everyone. This first part will be broadcast throughout much of the multiverse and be recorded, so make sure to be on your best behavior here. During this opening, Viridia will introduce Jake and Sandy to the world,” Miranda explained as she continued.

”After Viridia is done, the Malefic Viper himself will take the stage and speak a few words. This is also where the True Royal is brought up, and… Vesperia was it?”

Jake nodded.

”- Vesperia will reveal herself to the multiverse and allow all to see she is indeed a True Royal. Mind you, this entire opening announcement is primarily designed for mortals and is a public display by both the Order and all factions who participate. There will be seating for invited guests, but expect no gods to show themselves, only mortal representatives. Gods will also be there, but they will remain hidden. If they didn’t, the mortals would be unable to function in their presence. You know, that is how it works for everyone else – the presences of gods utterly suppress them,” Miranda said, throwing glances around the room.

Jake, the Fallen King, Sylphie, Caleb, and Sandy were all borderline immune to presences due to Jake’s Bloodline having influenced them all, either through their link to him or, in his brother’s case, being exposed to Jake’s presence growing up. Thinking about it, Jake did find this a bit funny, and Jake considered how the Sword Saint dealt with gods.

”You will all be at the front during this part of the ceremony. Your roles are pretty much just to flare out your Divine Blessings to communicate the close relationship between your Patrons and the Malefic One. In other words, it is all politics, and none of you will be expected to speak or do anything. Not even you, Jake. Your role will also just be to stand there and look menacing,” Miranda said. ”Something that should come naturally to you. We even discussed that flaring a bit of your presence from your Bloodline may be a good idea. Even if you don’t, then the fact that you can remain standing when the Malefic One descends should leave quite the impression.”

”Why should I participate in this pointless ritual?”the Fallen King asked with a disinterested voice. ”This seems entirely meaningless from my poi-”

”Have some patience; that is the next part,” Miranda said politely yet sternly, giving the King a disapproving stare that actually made the Unique Lifeform back down.

”As I was getting to, then the next portion will pertain to Jake heading off to Nevermore and announcing your party members. This also gives us the excuse to have Jake sitting with the Fallen King, Sylphie, and Lord Noboru, which will, in turn, also communicate the close relationship between Jake and two individuals with Divine Blessings from other Primordials. As for you, Fallen King, I hope I don’t have to mention that your presence will give credence to Jake’s power since you are willing to go do Nevermore with him?” Miranda asked the Unique Lifeform.

The Fallen King nodded without further debating the issue.

”Great. After the announcement, we will have the after-party. This is a far more limited space where pretty much only VIPs will be able to enter and where most of the actual politics will be going on. No recording will be happening here, and while Jake is still the main character, it is as much a diplomatic event as it is a celebration of him. Gifts will be handed to Jake during this part, too, though most presents will not be given to him directly as that would just be too time-consuming. Only larger factions or pre-curated items will be shown here. Do note that some gods may appear, but they will likely only do so briefly before leaving in order to not squash everyone present with their auras.”

Everyone nodded along to her explanation. Besides Sylphie and Sandy, that is. Both looked to be snoozing.

”Following the after-party, we have the after-after-party. I say we, but in all honesty, I expect only Jake to participate in this portion while the rest of us will remain at the other party. This will effectively just be a meeting of gods discussing everything related to the True Royal and the importance of her emergence. I would recommend for everyone else to just enjoy this time and maybe make some connections with other major factions as representatives will be present,” Miranda said with a smile.

”Excuse me, fellow servant of the Chosen One, would it not be best to deliver the Primordial Church’s magnificent present to the Malefic One and his honored Chosen when most people are here to see its splendor?” Felix asked Miranda.

”It is not by my will or decision when or where presents will be accepted, but solely decided by the Malefic One,” Miranda masterfully deflected. Felix did not even try to comment but just nodded enthusiastically, not daring to argue when the Malefic One had decided how things would proceed.

”Are there any other questions? I hope that everything which happens will be rather self-explanatory and you won’t have to actively participate much,” Miranda asked the room.

”Is it during this after-party we can expect potential candidates for the Nevermore team to appear?” the Sword Saint asked.

”Ah, yes, that is where I would assume they would show up. Doing it like that is certainly better than allowing any-and-all to approach you, as only those with some level of status will be able to participate,” Miranda nodded.

”Ree?” Sylphie also inquired, only semi-awake.

Miranda just stared at the bird for a few seconds before Jake translated. ”She asks if there will be snacks.”

Sandy also finally roused from their sleep, practically vibrating from the mention of food.

”Yes, there will be food provided at the after-party,” Miranda nodded.

”Lots of snacks?” Sandy followed up.

”I doubt the Order would be willing to let their guests leave unsatisfied, so there should be plenty, even if a few gluttons take part.”

Sandy seemed satisfied with the answer and rolled onto their back again for another quick nap. Sylphie was also happy and made herself more comfortable in Jake’s arms before also taking a rest.

Miranda had nothing more to share about what would happen, so the topic shifted to the kind of party member they sought.

”Some kind of support-type member would surely be the most beneficial? It will allow us to recover faster after every bout, and if we find one powerful enough, their enhancements should assist us and heighten our combat power. This is not mentioning the safety a healer will bring to the group,” the Sword Saint voiced his thoughts.

”Hm, that actually got me thinking; who will take the role of tank for our party? Our current setup doesn’t feel very balanced,” Jake asked.

They all looked confused at him for a moment before the Sword Saint spoke. ”I… am uncertain why you would want anyone to take the role of mechanized infantry, but would you not fulfill the role closest to a tank considering your powerful ranged firepower?”

Miranda failed to hold back a giggle as Caleb face-palmed off to the side. Maria also gave Jake an amused grin.

”It is the lingo of us young folk,” Caleb explained. ”A tank is usually the one who absorbs the most damage and protects the other party members from harm by keeping the attention of the opponents on them, allowing everyone else to attack more safely.”

”What a foolish question, then,” the Fallen King commented. ”While we can attempt to limit the movement of our opponents, none of us are specialized guardians with supportive skills allowing us to defend others. Without these, why would an opponent with even a modicum of intelligence attack the most durable individual of a group?”

”Wow, geez, sorry for asking who would take the frontline,” Jake muttered.

”Whoever our opponent identifies as its primary target will be the frontline. What we can discuss is if some of us should take more supportive roles. My barriers and defensive means are potent, and I can disrupt a foe at the cost of dealing damage, but that strikes me as something decided on a pure case-by-case basis,” the Fallen King argued.

”I think a better question is who the target won’t be,” the Sword Saint added. ”From what I remember, you are quite the elusive target, Jake, and the Sylphian Hawk also strikes me as a difficult one to pin down. So, by process of elimination, most will likely go for the Fallen King or me. Well, it will be us… or our final member. What I ultimately mean is that this final member will need to be someone that can handle the pressure exerted on them without a lot of outside assistance. We must recognize that while our individual prowess is high, we are all ultimately individual fighters, and our Paths are not balanced around fighting in groups.”

”Only partly so, but we can discuss more once we know our final member,” the King said, insinuating he maybe did have some kind of supportive skills or buffs to hand out. Which would make sense, considering his name.

”Will the everyday life affinity healing work on you?” Jake asked the Fallen King something that had been bothering him for a while, considering the rather unique circumstances of the Unique Lifeform.

”Yes, partially. It will be able to restore the body I have created, which will result in me not having to waste mana doing so,” the Fallen King answered. ”If you are asking if I have any Vitality, then the answer is no. I am a wholly magical being.”

Jake nodded as he looked down at the bird he was holding. Considering her existence as a semi-elemental, he wondered how things worked for her. He shook her a bit, making her look annoyed as she also answered.

”Ree, ree, ree, ree,” Sylphie explained articulately.

”How peculiar, the Sword Saint’s assessment of you as an elusive foe truly proves correct. Such a minuscule health pool compared to mana, made useless as your body is but one state of being… truly interesting. I must admit, I had questioned your inclusion in our group, but it appears there is more to you than your immediate appearance reveals,” the King nodded.

”Ree!”

”That was a compliment,” the King waved her off.

Miranda stared at the two for a few seconds as she sighed. ”You seriously understand what Sylphie says?”

”Naturally,” the King said.

”Duh, even if the bird is a bit dumb, she is perfectly understandable,” Sandy also chimed in.

This got another angry screech from Sylphie and a worm tauntingly wiggling in response.

”If it helps calm you, then I, too, do not understand the Sylphian Hawk,” the Sword Saint said as he smiled at Miranda.

”Me neither,” Caleb shrugged.

”I shall pray that I will gain comprehension of her divine teachings,” Felix said as he bowed toward the half-asleep bird.

”Humans usually don’t understand beasts. It’s just this freak that does,” Maria said, motioning towards Jake.

”Hurtful,” Jake said, faking emotional damage.

Miranda shook her head and changed the topic again. ”Anyway, rather than sit around more, how about we move our venue from this lodge to Jake’s other home?”

”Probably should,” Jake said. ”Let’s be off, then. We will have to go there from the Grand Mangrove River, as my personal magic circle isn’t really suited for groups.”

He got nods all around, and after kicking Sandy to get them moving, he had everyone follow him to the teleporter in Haven. A few teleports later, they arrived in the Grand Mangrove River town and quickly made their way down to the magic circle hidden beneath the ground, all while making small talk.

”Hey there,” Jake greeted the massive old snake that came to greet them at the entrance.

”Welcome, Chosen of the Malefic One, Chosen of the Lord Protector, and their entourage,” the old snake said in a respectful tone. ”The teleporter is prepared for all of you, and I wish you all a swift and pleasant journey. Though, if I may ask… how is the young mistress doing?”

”Scarlett is doing fine,” Jake smiled. ”I had a meeting with her recently, and she seems to be fitting in nicely with the Order. Even made a few friends.”

There was no need to mention the part about the Azure Dragonkin. That would only make Old Grumpy nervous.

”That is good to hear,” the old snake said with relief. ”I shall take my leave, then. I wish all of you fortune.”

Jake and the others thanked the snake as he led them toward the center circle. Soon, they reached it, and Jake saw no need to delay. But before going…

”Ah, but just one tip,” Jake said as he stood in the center of the teleportation circle and motioned for the others to join him. ”Keep your eyes closed and senses limited during the entire teleportation process.”

”You think I will be disorientated from a simple teleportation to another universe?” the King asked, offended as he floated onto the circle.

”No, not really, it isn’t the teleport I am warning you about,” Jake shook his head. ”It’s just that the first time I left the ninety-third universe, I ended up bumping into an ancient eldritch Void God with a body made of endless eyes and power rivaling that of a Primordial. All I am saying is that seeing a creature outside the realm of mortal understanding kinda fucked with my head for a bit and was a thoroughly unrecommended experience.”

The King was silent for a bit before simply nodding. ”Very well, I shall take your advice into consideration.”

”Good choice,” Jake said, doing all he could to not reveal he was just fucking with all of them. Oras probably wasn’t gonna sweep them up, and even if he wanted to, Jake had a feeling Villy would make sure nothing happened. He also wasn’t clear on if everyone would survive the encounter with Oras, as he had felt his soul be in less than stellar condition after just seeing that fucked-up being for a few seconds.

Now slightly more afraid of what lurks within the void, everyone else followed after the King, their level of nervousness significantly higher than it had been only a few minutes ago. Jake threw the old space snake a nod of acknowledgment as he activated the teleporter, and the group disappeared from the ninety-third universe.