The Primal Hunter

The King had indeed asked a very pertinent question. Why the hell was Jake even wasting a second of his time on William? The little psycho was not an ally, a friend, or even an acquaintance. Shit, he was worse than a stranger in that he was a former enemy.

However, Jake’s curiosity had won out. Eversmile was someone who had fucked with Jake before, and Jake had assumed that William was his favored little disciple, but now it turned out that he, too, was just another guinea pig to be fucked with and discarded.

Or was he? That was the big question. Was all of this a part of Eversmile’s plan? Maybe the plan was that Jake should kill William and somehow form a karmic connection between Eversmile and Jake? Maybe it was for William to try and kill Jake or something?

Maybe Jake had no fucking idea and should probably stop guessing what a Primordial that had lived for trillions of years was thinking? Even Villy said he didn’t truly understand Eversmile and found him perhaps the most unpredictable of all the Primordials.

Now, what would Jake then do? He still had the option of just killing William, but that just seemed too damn meaningless. He did not give Jake the impression he would even fight, meaning he would likely just run away if Jake tried anything. Could Jake catch him? Maybe, but what would he get out of that? Jake didn’t even think it would give a single level.

What the future threat level of William represented was also something to assess. Jake could, for obvious reasons, not accurately predict this, but his gut told him it was low-to-nonexistent. William was still scared of Jake, and Jake was totally okay with that. He had also not really done anything to harm Jake or those around him since returning to Earth, and the ambiguous things he had done, like messing with Jake’s parents, had not resulted in any harm and were done under the pretense of Eversmile ordering it.

Jake waited a bit around with the King as William seemed to consider what Jake had said about finding his own Path. It took a bit, but Jake didn’t feel like he was in a rush considering he was still recuperating from using Arcane Awakening. Was meditating a better use of his time? Probably, but it was also infinitely less entertaining.

”I…” William finally began. ”I just fuck everything up…”

”Not going to argue with that one. You do have a pertinacity to fuck things up,” Jake agreed snarkily.

”Every time I decide what to do, it just ends up fucked,” William began muttering. ”The Tutorial was… horrible.”

”To be fair,” Jake said. ”If not for me, you would have probably succeeded. I heard a bit from the Viper about what would have happened if not for me, and things would have turned out infinitely better for you. Not better in the sense that you would have killed the final boss like I did, but way better than getting bitch-slapped into ground paste within your tin can armor.

”Oh, though, I can’t say what would have happened after. No one could besides maybe Eversmile, and who knows if he even has a clue? I don’t wanna try to figure out what he is trying to do. Trying to understand crazy sounds like an excellent way to waste your time,” Jake shrugged.

”Everything in the Tutorial was me…” William said, having registered but clearly not digested Jake’s words. ”I killed people for barely anything…”

”Why does this human take such issue with ending the lives of his own species?” the King asked Jake but spoke out loud so both could hear it. ”Is it not natural to want to establish dominance over your own kin? To kill them is the ultimate sign of supremacy.”

”Eh, humans aren’t as ultra-individualistic as you Unique Lifeforms. We are flock animals, and probably due to evolutionary reasons, we are inherently resistant to killing or seeing those of our own species killed. Establishing dominance over others was usually done in ways that did not cause too great harm. Didn’t want your gatherer to have broken hands or be unable to work and all that. Not that humans don’t also love killing each other, but we usually do it for greater reasons than simply to prove we are better than someone else. Greater reasons that often end up just being bullshit, but if the flock decides it is acceptable, it becomes acceptable. Those who did kill people for what others would view as trivial reasons were very much ostracized as they posed a danger to the stability of the flock,” Jake explained.

Probably not entirely scientifically accurate, but that was at least how Jake had understood things from his social studies and biology classes.

”From my understanding, William here was what we called a psychopath. An inherently broken human without the ability to feel empathy and thus unable to properly integrate and operate within the flock. He could wear a mask and act like a flock member, but it was all an act. When the Tutorial hit, he could finally unleash crazy, and as he didn’t feel anything when killing other humans, he could do so easily. In retrospect, being at least a bit of a psycho is probably an advantage in this new world,” Jake continued.

Again, Jake was not a psychologist or psychiatrist. The fact he didn’t really know the difference between the two should be a dead giveaway of that. The last part was mostly what he understood from his talk with that Ms. Kim lady during the World Congress.

”He then evolved, and with evolution got this little imbalance fixed, making him able to feel empathy and emotions and all that again,” Jake finished explaining to the King.

”The more I learn of you humans, the more I realize how flawed of a species you are,” the King just scoffed.

”Flawed enough to have kicked your ass,” Jake smirked.

”You speak as if you are not also a fundamentally broken human based on your own description. You, too, slaughter your own kin without mercy and dominate them unhesitantly. Does that not make you as flawed as he was?” the King jabbed at Jake.

”Did I ever argue I wasn’t a bit out of the ordinary?” Jake answered, not really caring about the King’s judgment in that area. Was Jake a perfectly stable and healthy person mentally? Fuck no, but he also didn’t see why he should be. If he wanted to reach abnormal levels of power, being a bit abnormal was only to be expected.

Also, there was this little minor detail of his Bloodline being a thing. If Jake becoming more stable and considered ”mentally sound” would result in him hampering his true nature, then what the hell was the point of that? He remembered surpressing himself and it sucked.

Returning to the topic at hand, Jake regarded William.

”Sure, you used to fuck everything up, so just stop doing that,” Jake easily advised. ”If you don’t know how to not fuck shit up, then don’t you have some less crazy people around you by now like that Ms. Kim lady? Use her; she seems interested in helping you, so let her. But cut off that asshole Eversmile like the tumor he is.”

”What if… Master must have a reason to-”

”Sure he fucking does, but his reason is entirely selfish and clearly not for your good,” Jake said, getting a bit tired of how dense William was. Then again, he had undergone years of indoctrination, so maybe it was only natural.

”I can’t just…” William muttered again.

”Yes, you can. Take some god damn agency. Look, how about this. Join the next World Congress, no matter what anyone says or does. See if that changes anything,” Jake said. ”Or, you can just stop chickening out and get rid of it now. Find your own Path. If your Master truly cares, he will reach out when you evolve to C-grade. Shit, shouldn’t he be happy if you figure out how to evolve, even if that evolution comes from cutting him off? Sounds like a win-win.”

Alright, that logic was a bit flawed, but Jake didn’t bother trying to come up with something better. Why would he? His stakes in William ”getting better” were low as hell. He still wasn’t even sure why he was helping the kid. I blame that damn psychologist… or was she a psychiatrist?

William actually seemed to be considering his words. After thinking a bit, he frowned as if he had detected something. He looked to the side and sighed.

”Ell’Hakan just left the planet,” William said.

”How do you even know tha-”

*You have successfully defeated and pushed a higher-leveled enemy Chosen off your planet – A new feat has been accomplished. Bonus experience earned*

*’DING!’ Profession: [Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper] has reached level 193 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

…

*’DING!’ Profession: [Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper] has reached level 197 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (D)] has reached level 194 - Stat points allocated, +15 Free Points*

…

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (D)] has reached level 196 - Stat points allocated, +15 Free Points*

Jake didn’t continue what he was about to say as he stared at the notifications. What the hell?

Five damn levels had just randomly landed on his lap, and Jake was confused about what had just happened. Okay, the system explained what had happened, but five levels? Really? Jake hadn’t even fought the guy himself.

Shaking his head, Jake knew he would have a conversation with Villy after he was dealing with a certain former psychopath.

”It appears he has,” Jake recognized. ”But how do you know?”

”Karma,” William just said. ”Everyone of his subordinates he brought with him are also gone besides the one lying right here and two that managed to hide shortly after coming to Earth. They may also be gone, I don’t know.”

”How sure are you?” Jake asked with a frown.

”Ell’Hakan does not have the ability to obscure himself from karma like you do…” William muttered.

That is when Jake did realize something. Had Eversmile fucked William in incredibly many ways? Yes… but he had taught him karmic magic in a genuine fashion. Sensing someone powerful, especially someone with a Bloodline like Ell’Hakan, was not easy, but from the sounds of it, William could do so rather effortlessly. Jake also didn’t feel like it was just something William was deceived into thinking, considering the system had just confirmed the Chosen was indeed gone. Jake knew Karma was in no way simple either... it was some weird shit.

What is your goal, Eversmile? Jake asked himself once more.

”Well, that is one issue fixed, but it also means I have to get going. The World Congress is in…” Jake trailed off towards the end as he wasn’t actually sure.

”Twenty-eight days, four hours, and eighteen minutes, soon to be seventeen,” the King spoke.

Jake just looked at the King and shook his head. What a nerd.

”Yeah, in a bit under a month. Go there and see how it feels to not have a god living rent-free in your head,” Jake said. ”Or better yet, evict that god here and now and renounce your Blessing. I am not going to tell you what to do, but I will give you one warning. I don’t care if Eversmile or the entire fucking collective of Primordials ask you to do it: if you mess with my family or friends again, we will have a repeat of the Tutorial. We clear?”

William just nodded a bit meekly, building up the confidence to ask: ”What about the nahoom?”

Jake looked at the unconscious alien. ”Not like torture has ever worked for shit, and I am not a fan of it anyway. Do with him what you may.”

He turned to leave as William spoke again, as much to himself as Jake. ”Is this really it?”

Jake turned his head. ”What did you expect? I am not your friend, but I don’t bother seeing you as an enemy, either. Figure your shit out, and if you want to come after me for revenge after that, then you are more than welcome. Just don’t be like that alien fuck and come at me straight.”

William did not say anything but just stood silently. He looked up to the sky as Jake summoned his wings again. The King made his intent to follow Jake known as the two of them headed off, leaving William alone with the knocked-out nahoom.

As he flew away, he faintly felt the aura of William change behind him. Jake smiled as he got his second weird notification of the day.

*You have successfully turned a disciple of a Primordial away from their Master, leading them towards the Path of a heretic – A new feat has been accomplished. Bonus experience earned*

*’DING!’ Profession: [Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper] has reached level 198 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

One more thing also became clear. Jake had really underestimated the weird ways he could level his profession. It turned out doing stuff one would expect of a Heretic-Chosen actually counted. Who would have thought?

Anyway, Jake had the King follow him as they began flying upwards. Jake had wondered if the King didn’t need to stay, but he said there was no reason to. Soon the word that the Ashen Phantom Devourer was dead would spread, and as long as it was known he lived, nothing else mattered. The beasts that held doubt would be turn towards the King.

The King also said that sticking around Jake was probably safer during his period of weakness. Which was a good point, as Jake had a feeling that defeating the King here and now would be incredibly easy. His aura was still scary, but it was clearly a front. One that would fool most, but Jake saw right through it.

As for why they were flying upwards? Well, it hadn’t been that long, but Jake needed to get back to Haven, and considering the lack of teleporters available, he went for something nearly equally as good. On second thought, something many would consider superior.

A giant space worm.

Within a house floating through the endless space of an empty part of an unknown universe, a single figure sat and stared out into the nothingness.

Eversmile’s smile grew as he felt the Blessing be denounced, and he felt the karmic link change. Several more threads in the tapestry also underwent subtle changes as a cascade effect began. Some of these changes were not as he had predicted, but that was the beauty of an experiment like that. The unpredictability of it all.

The Malefic’s Chosen and his dear, now former, disciple were sure to bring him many surprises in the future. Seeing as everything was going as it should, he contacted his mortal associate to let the person know that they were moving on to the next phase of the experiment.

Back in Haven, the entire situation had turned quite lively. The nahoom stationed there had promptly left, and those from the United City Alliance were perplexed. They knew a battle had occurred, but not why it had happened or who was fighting.

So when Miyamoto walked into Haven, they were more than a little taken aback. When only an hour later, a group of people teleported into the plains outside of Haven, things changed even more. This group naturally consisted of Miranda, Neil, Hank, Lillian, and all the others who had gone to the Grand Mangrove River.

That day, it became clear to everyone.

Ell’Hakan had lost, and with that, the United Cities Alliance was about to have a very bad time, and the winds of change were blowing directly against them