The Primal Hunter

“While we cannot tell you what to do, sister, we can at the very least advise you… and I cannot help but question your decision,” the Dragonfly True Royal said as she looked at Vesperia. “You still have time to reconsider.”

Vesperia looked at her sister and sighed. “I feel like this would be best for me.”

Odonestra also sighed as she shook her head. “It is a risk you do not need to take. The Endless Empire can provide you all the protection you need. Our resources surpass what any other factions would possibly be able or willing to provide. Our unique treasures can only be found here… are you truly willing to forsake all that, even if it is only temporary?”

“I appreciate your concern; I truly do. And as you said, sister, I will stay here for at least a little longer,” Vesperia answered as she smiled. “But I can’t remain forever.”

This was far from the first time they had this discussion, as Vesperia had dropped a bombshell shortly after she had fully absorbed all the energies of the old artifacts of the former Vespernat True Royal. She declared that within five years, she would leave the heartlands of the Endless Empire once more and go somewhere the other True Royals truly didn’t want her to go. Somewhere, they couldn’t go.

The ninety-third universe.

Some had questioned if Vesperia could even go, but she knew instinctively she could. Despite being a True Royal, born in the first universe in a ritual deep within the Order of the Malefic Viper’s headquarters, she was a native of the new universe. At least, she kind of was.

She knew the egg she had hatched from was originally from a system event her Sire called a Treasure Hunt. Anything taken from there was naturally considered native to the new universe, even if the world of Yalsten in which it took place was technically from a far earlier universe.

Vesperia also had to admit that she liked the implications of her origin. That she was a treasure her Sire had brought back. It was an odd thought she didn’t share openly but one she very much cherished.

“Alas, I still do not understand why you find it so imperative to leave,” Odonestra said. “Especially to somewhere we cannot help protect you.”

“You not being able to go also means many other threats can’t. And I will be at the side of the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, as well as many other powerful figures of this new universe. I will be far from defenseless, and besides… I believe I can take care of myself against most threats I will face in a nascent universe. As long as I don’t decide to venture somewhere unwise,” Vesperia answered, trying to put her fellow True Royal’s mind at ease.

It didn’t work as well as she had hoped.

“The risk is still far too high… Vesperia… sister… you are the only True Royal of your Lineage. Even if there is only a minuscule chance you could die, it isn’t worth the risk. You represent all of the Vespernat. Their entire future. Even if you wish to go, can’t it be after you have matured into your powers more? Until you can leave some insurance behind? There are many potential partners out there who are already interested, too, so maybe go after you have left a possible successor? I know it may be a few more decades, but-“

“But nothing,” Vesperia cut her off as she got a bit more serious. “While I perfectly understand your concern, I also know that staying here is not my Path. While this is my Hive… it’s only one of them, and I have to return to the other. I have to get some level of independence. Even as I am saying it, I know how odd of a notion this is for a True Royal, but perhaps it is one of the things I inherited from my Sire.”

Odonestra looked like she wanted to argue more as a figure popped into existence in the middle of the conversation. Instinctively, the other True Royal placed a barrier around Vesperia as this new figure attacked… with a barrel filled with confetti.

“Celebration time!” the Unique Lifeform turned divine menace said with a big grin. “Here with your unscheduled and unrequested update on Jake in Nevermore.”

“We are having an important discussion,” Odonestra said, looking at the All-God Legion without even trying to hide her annoyance.

“I know, I know. I was trying to listen in. It’s pretty rude to make isolation barriers like that, but seeing as I am in a good mood, I’ll let bygones be bygones. Say, does the Endless Empire have anyone at Nevermore right now? I am sure you know what’s happening.”

“We have allies from the United Tribes who are relaying information to us, and they have sent a representative that is on their way there right now,” Odonestra answered. “And, yes, we are aware that there have recently been movements that include several Primordials.”

“Do you know the cause of these movements?” Minaga asked hintingly.

“I would assume it is my Sire due to your excitement,” Vesperia chimed in.

“Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Yep, Jake is once more the catalyst of chaos as he has initiated an impromptu Primordial reunion by being himself. As for how he did it…”

Minaga purposefully had a long dramatic pause as he stared at the two of them, Odonestra far less interested than Vesperia.

“No drumroll? Disappointing, should have brought my own. Anywho, Jake did a Challenge Dungeon and ended up beating up a low-level image of Valdemar within, making Valdemar curious and head over. Then Jake also had some interactions with another god’s image from the Pantheon of Life, making Nature’s Attendant and this god he interacted with also headed over. Considering the Viper was already there, others also decided that maybe something cool was going on and went to attend what is effectively just a watch party for Vilastromoz’ Chosen,” Minaga shared with a big grin on his face.

Odonstra frowned at the explanation as Vesperia just smiled. “It seems like my Sire is having an enjoyable time in Nevermore.”

“Oh, no, not at all. He just entered another Challenge Dungeon he really hates and is having a miserable experience, as far as I can tell. Like, he’s doing okay but definitely not having a good time.”

Vesperia was a bit worried hearing that but just nodded. She hoped he would find enjoyment somehow anyway, as she knew her Sire did better at things he enjoyed.

“Anyway! That’s what I came to share with the group! Oh, and also, I can kind of guess what you were arguing about, and I would advise you to just allow your little sister to follow her instincts or at least Jake’s instincts. Things somehow tend to work out well when that happens,” Minaga said as he looked at Odonestra before he did an exaggerated wave. “Toodaloo!”

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With that, he disappeared again, leaving Vesperia with her sister. They looked at each other for a moment before Odonestra sighed. “Let us talk about this another time, alright? I never questioned the capabilities of your Sire… but he is ultimately still just a C-grade, no matter how much potential he shows.”

Vesperia nodded, unable to argue against that point. She continued her practice and nurturing of her nascent hive for several weeks until Minaga popped back in, having dragged Odonestra along again. At least Vesperia thought so for a moment, but it quickly became clear they had just arrived at the same time due to recent happenings.

“Update time! Jake finished the Challenge Dungeon he really didn’t like, and guess what happened next?” Minaga said with excitement.

“The sheer audacity of a mortal to do something like that, it’s-” Odonestra muttered.

“Shh, let her guess,” Minaga interrupted the True Royal as he looked expectantly at Vesperia.

“I would guess he did something unexpected again? Seeing as he didn’t enjoy the Challenge Dungeon, I doubt it is due to his performance in there, and my sister’s comment makes me believe it involves gods… so did he say something to the observing gods or otherwise end up interacting directly with them? Wait, was he perhaps summoned into the same place as several gods and acted as he usually acts?” Vesperia answered, having put together the limited clues provided and her knowledge of Jake and how she had seen him interact with the Malefic Viper.

“That’s… incredibly accurate. Huh,” Minaga muttered. “Well, glad to hear you skipped out on inheriting any of his intelligence! But yeah, that is exactly accurate. Not just that, he…“

Minaga continued to explain everything that had happened, Odonestra even engaging a bit in the conversation as she had been relayed what had happened from the United Tribes and even given a recording.

After she and Minaga left, Odonestra seemed a bit more positive and said she would have a meeting with the other True Royals to discuss things.

More time passed, and once more, the two gods decided to visit. Minaga was in a mixed mood this time around, and Odonestra looked a bit happier than usual.

“So, he did another Challenge Dungeon,” Minaga muttered. “My Challenge Dungeon… and, well, he did as expected, I guess. Man, I doubt anyone is going to beat his record in my dungeon in this era unless some other monstrous bastard appears. Or he has any kids who get even more annoying variants of his Bloodline… no, I don’t even wanna think about it.”

He shuddered a bit at the end, clearly not keen on the thought.

“Also, your… wait, what is that Sylphian Hawk even to you? I know she refers to Jake as her uncle, and since he is your Sire… I guess half-sister, maybe? Maybe cousin? No idea. Anyway, it’s not like she is much better, but at least she doesn’t have a damn broken Bloodline and is a little disrupted still,” Minaga continued talking, sounding a bit miffed.

Vesperia smiled, happy to hear that her Sire continued to do well. It was also fortunate that the Sylphian Hawk was doing well. She knew that the hawk called Sylphie was Jake’s first creation using his unique abilities, and it was not at all surprising she also excelled. Based on what Vesperia had heard here and there, his second creation, Sandy, was also doing well as the Chosen of the Boundless Hydra.

“Vesperia, I also had a meeting with the other True Royals,” Odonestra said. “And we agree that it would be beneficial for you and the Endless Empire to continue strengthening the bond with your Sire, so perhaps going to the new universe is a wise idea. We also have to factor in the fact that many special events and titles are available to those from the newly initiated universe, and it would truly be a waste for you not to also take part in these and reap the benefits.”

She had done a complete one-eighty, making Vesperia look at her surprised as Minaga teleported over and leaned in.

“Psst. I think they got a recording of when Jake beat Valdemar…. I can’t really blame them for getting a bit excited at that,” the Unique Lifeform said.

Vesperia shook her head, not sure what to say. It wasn’t as if the approval of her fellow True Royals was a requirement for her to go to the ninety-third universe, but their approval did take a weight off her shoulders.

“Also… when you go, would it be possible to bring along some items for us?” Odonestra asked. “We can discuss details at a later date, but we thought that-“

Still smiling, Vesperia just nodded along, not at all surprised and having entirely expected this. While the chances were low, why wouldn’t they give her Sire a bunch of eggs he could potentially end up turning into True Royals if he one day got the inspiration to play around with his special abilities?

Picking dungeons wasn’t an easy endeavor. Especially as Jake didn’t know which one to go with. He only had two dungeons to go and, quite frankly, way more time than he needed. Minaga’s Labyrinth had only taken a bit over a year despite Jake passing so many damn sections.

The primary reason for this was his speed simply being too high. Many of the earlier floors had far more time than Jake needed, and even when he had two weeks, he didn’t even take more than a day. When he did begin to have a hard time, the amount of time he had to do the section was also lowered, as if Minaga just wanted him out of there. Which, in fairness, he probably did.

Now, with Minaga’s Labyrinth completed, Jake no longer had an easy option. He didn’t know anything about the two other Challenge Dungeons, and while he had some guesses, it was ultimately still just guesswork. Yet, despite not knowing what he was walking into, Jake was confident in gaining a high evaluation and going for that overall +100% boost from all the Challenge Dungeons combined. Where did his confidence come from?

Well, primarily an overly inflated ego and pure arrogance.

Anyway, as Jake didn’t know if he wanted to do the Endless Journey or the House of the Architect Challenge Dungeon, he decided to leave it up to chance. Standing back at the place where everyone entered the Challenge Dungeons, Jake counted how many entered which dungeon for the next ten minutes flat and would go with the one most people picked.

And that’s how Jake ended up going to the House of the Architect as his second-to-last Challenge Dungeon. As usual, he went up to the door and placed his hand on it before accepting the prompt and getting whisked away.

In the very next second, he opened his eyes again and found himself standing in the middle of a large area. His sphere instantly spread out, and Jake instinctively released a Pulse of Perception as the inside of the Challenge Dungeon was laid bare.

Jake found himself inside a massive building, currently in the central hall. The entire thing was built like an atrium, and looking up, Jake could see the ceiling several kilometers above. As he was still standing there looking, a system message popped up.

Nevermore Challenge Dungeon Entered!

You have entered the House of the Architect. A place for creators, inventors, researchers, artists, and all those who progress both their own Path and the Paths of others. It is somewhere you can let your creative spirit loose and design whatever your heart desires.

Your task is to create something that will impress the Architect. What you create is entirely up to you, and all materials required in your process and can be purchased using Merit Points. Merit Points can be earned by performing tasks within the House of the Architect or turning in creations you do not deem good enough to submit to the Architect herself.

Creations can include anything. Be they a crafted product, displaying an upgraded or newly created skill, a student you help improve, or even a simple book written with your thoughts. Anything can be submitted, and anything can be evaluated. As long as it is of your design. Should you find yourself doubting, simply ask one of the many attendants if your idea is acceptable.

Due to the nature of the House of the Architect, unique creations are evaluated incredibly highly. Submitting several Creations too similar to one another will result in a worse evaluation and leave the Arhitect unimpressed. Diversity is thus key if you wish to stand out and earn the highest overall evaluation possible. During this Challenge Dungeon, some items will be limited. WARNING: entire living beings with Truesouls cannot be submitted as Creations. Other restrictions may also apply. Ask an attendant if you are unsure if your creations can be submitted.

Good luck, and may your Creations inspire awe.

Objective: Submit 10 Creations and submit them to the Architect for evaluation.

Current objective: Make a Creation and present it to the Architect.

Creation-submissions remaining: 10

Jake stared at the message for a while as a thought popped into his head.

I really bloody hope you can gain levels in this Challenge Dungeon…