The Primal Hunter

Jake could admit he had not been looking forward to this part. He had already talked a bit with Nevermore about his feelings of inadequacy as a teacher, but they had never really discussed the outcome of Jake’s teachings. Never talked about how “good” of a submission Temlat’s Path was… and, by extension, how well what Jake had taught was viewed. Assuming one could even call what Jake had done teaching.

“We have discussed your feelings on the matter before, but be aware that your thoughts on everything are not in any way deciding factors in the evaluation of the submission. The Path of your student is judged instead from my point of view, and his growth in Records, power, and the overall outcome of your teachings are what truly matters.”

“Which is why I’m surprised it’s rated so highly, considering the outcome was his death.”

The Architect sighed. “The outcome of nearly all Paths is death, and it has to be compared to what else your student would have accomplished. Temlat, the young man you picked up, would have died at level 199, never succeeding in reaching C-grade. His death would occur in an attempt to attack a major conference approximately nineteen years from the time you picked him up as a student, killed by a casual attack from a C-grade security captain.”

Jake remained silent, which the Architect took as a prompt to continue.

“He would never have accomplished any of his goals, and his Path would end there. Instead, you changed his Path entirely the day you took him in. You helped him gain power far above anything he should have ever been capable of reaching. You nurtured his curse to the level it could evolve into a Sin Curse, you made him refine his mindset through your resistance training, and last but not least, you made him realize the true power he held and the limit of his potential. The true power of curses. At the same time, you gave him confidence in pursuing what he would have otherwise thought impossible, and you even opened his eyes to the concept of plagues.”

“Temlat did nearly all of those things by himself,” Jake protested. “I was just around, and he put in all the work. He taught himself.”

“It is rare that people argue their evaluations should be worse,” the Architect sighed. “Alas, that isn’t how this works. Whether you want to accept it or not, you changed the outcome of Temlat’s Path from being someone who died a meaningless death to someone who evolved into an incredibly rare variant creature wielding the power of cursed plagues. Perhaps you can argue this was all him and his own innate talents, which allowed him to reach the power he did. However, you cannot argue your influence in the most outstanding part of your student’s evolution.”

“What do you mean?” Jake asked, unsure what she meant.

“Cursed Plague Remnants are not beings who retain sentience. Not truly. They are nothing more than a jumbled mixture of thoughts and desires focused on whatever the curse is about. There is no ego. What Temlat became wasn’t that. Through your training and the influence you had on him, Temlat managed to remain himself not only through the evolution process, but until the very end. He was allowed to determine how his own Path ended after he accomplished all he had set out to do. In other words, you allowed him to choose not only the direction of his Path but even its endpoint. Something that is incredibly rare in its own right.”

Jake simply listened, frowning a bit.

“What he became and what his goals were also doesn’t matter from a moral perspective in this evaluation. With that in mind, the fact you managed to uplift someone from being incapable of ever killing a C-grade to being able to wipe out a planet filled with them within a week is a great achievement. All accomplished in such a short time span. And, once more, it has to be reiterated how impressive it is that he remained himself even after he was done with his slaughter and could resist his very nature and choose to die.

“In conclusion… you uplifted Temlat from a nobody to what he became, allowed him to redefine his Path to one far more ambitious, and then stood alongside him as he carried out all his goals. Once completed, he then chose his own ending, his Records now living on through you. That is a fate I think you fail to understand how many would envy.”

The room went silent for a few moments as Jake still just stood there, thinking. After five or so seconds, he finally sighed. “I still can’t help but feel like shit for how things went down.”

“And that is fine. Just don’t feel sorry for your student, for he never had a single regret and only held gratitude toward you for allowing him to accomplish his goals. More than anything, do not feel pity, for nothing would be more disrespectful toward someone who decided their Path and fate.”

By now, the topic had been beaten like a dead horse, but Jake still couldn’t help how he felt towards things. He didn’t feel pity, though. It was more that he felt annoyed at himself for not having done things properly, and despite Nevermore’s words, he remained adamant that he wouldn’t take on any students in the near future, if ever. And if he did, he would make it very clear he was at most a sparring partner for questions and in no way a real teacher.

“I get the feeling you don’t have more questions regarding your final Creation,” the Architect said after Jake didn’t say anything for a good while.

“Right,” Jake nodded. “I guess, if nothing else, I can be happy that despite how much I believe I suck as a teacher, at least others value what Temlat managed to accomplish highly.”

The Architect didn’t comment on what Jake said but simply waved her hand as ten projections appeared floating in the air, depicting all of his Creations.

“Then let us wrap this up with the final overall conclusion of this evaluation,” she said. “This is also the only part where I will actually compare you to others, as the Grand Achievements given are ultimately relative, comparing your performance to that of others.”

“Moment of truth,” Jake smiled as the Architect continued.

“While some of your Creations were classified as mediocre in our earlier discussion, they are certainly not seen as such from a more general viewpoint. If compared to the average Nevermore Attendee who has completed the House of the Architect, they would all have been considered high-tier Creations that even the average genius would be proud of. Your Path as the Heretic-Chosen of the Malefic Viper and a hunter is not only unique but both your class and profession are high-tier variants, which naturally lends itself to better final products. What’s more, the fact you have crafted a mythical item before, giving you the Myth Originator title has been a tremendous boost to all your Creations,” the Architect began, with Jake feeling pretty good about all the praise and what it would mean for the Grand Achievement. Also, Jake had totally forgotten he even had that Myth Originator title from back when he made Eternal Hunger. It was one of those passive things he never thought about.

“But…”

There is always a damn but…

“Your entire Path, and thus Creations, in turn, all have the same root: Your Bloodline. While it is normal for those with Bloodlines to have said Bloodline color most of what they do, for you, the case is almost too extreme. Everything you touch carries traces of your Bloodline… which almost makes this evaluation one of your Bloodline and your ability to utilize it rather than merely your skills as a Creator. Luckily for you, your Bloodline is… well, I don’t think I have to evaluate that, now do I?” the Architect finished as she looked at Jake. “Any questions?”

“Eh… just… regarding that last part, how would you rate my Bloodline compared to others?” Jake asked a bit cheekily.

“I would not rate it,” the Architect answered in a deadpan tone.

“But if you had to.”

“I don’t.”

“Hypothetically speaking-“

“We are not dealing with hypotheticals here. Now, do you have any other questions?” the Architect shut down Jake hard.

Jake felt a bit defeated as he just sighed. “No, not really.”

“Very well, then,” the Architect nodded. “Then this officially concludes the evaluation.”

Congratulations! You have completed the House of the Architect Challenge Dungeon!

“Congratulations on your exemplary performance indeed,” the Architect added to the system message as a Grand Achievement popped up in front of Jake. He quickly skimmed it, hoping to see what kind of percentage amplifier he had hit.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Grand Achievement earned: Successfully completed House of the Architect, showing both great skill and diversity in your Path. Through a mixture of innovation and improvement of your existing skills, you have created ten worthwhile Creations, with a few outstanding among them. In the realm of uniqueness, few can match you, and even in a competition of pure crafting ability, with your Bloodline guiding your hand, you have difficulty meeting an equal. Be proud of your creative mind. 86.109 Nevermore Points earned. Due to completing a Grand Achievement, you will receive a 20% multiplier of all Nevermore Points at the final calculation.

“20%,” Jake muttered to himself as a smile crept onto his lips. 20% was good. Even if he had gotten two times 25%, it wasn’t lost on him that getting such a score was far from average. He was still curious, though.

“To be clear, I am not complaining, but what would it have required for me to get a 25% amplifier?” Jake asked, genuinely not expecting an answer.

“For each of your Creations to have been considered top-tier according to the standards you already set,” the Architect surprisingly answered. “That is to say, ten Creations on-par with at least the legendary skill upgrade, Grimoire, your student, or the Arcane Marble while naturally maintaining the same level of diversity and uniqueness with all ten of them.”

“That sounds borderline impossible,” Jake muttered. He couldn’t even get on anything else he could have created…

“Accomplishing what is borderline impossible and perhaps even a bit across that line is exactly what the 25% achievement is for,” the Architect said with a smile. “You should know that, considering your prior performances. From what I hear, Minaga is still complaining.”

“I guess,” Jake shrugged, glad to hear Minaga still suffered from Jake’s labyrinth trip.

“Now, onto the item reward,” the Architect said as what looked like a coin appeared in her hand. With a fluid motion, she flicked it toward Jake. “Catch.”

Jake caught the coin and quickly looked down at it and used Identify.

[Mark of the Architect (Legendary)] – the Mark of the Architect, also known as the Bound God of Nevermore. This Mark will allow you to claim a personal domain within the World Wonder of Nevermore. This domain can be accessed on any of the city floors and will remain persistent throughout all grades. With the legendary token, you will gain access to a more exclusive domain with more privileges, customization options, and Attendants. Only you can enter your personal domain. This personal domain will last for the remainder of the ninety-third era.

Requirements: Soulbound.

“I see a trace of disappointment on your face,” Nevermore said as Jake looked at her Mark.

“Eh, sorry… it’s just that I’m not sure exactly what I will need this for,” Jake muttered. “A personal domain sounds all fine and good, but it isn’t like I spend much time in the cities anyway, and since only I can enter the domain, it isn’t like I can even use it as a secret meeting spot or anything. Also, my time in Nevermore is limited, right? I’m not sure I wanna spend it chilling in my own little space. Well, maybe outside sometimes doing a bit of alchemy in there… but the Order already got quite a few spots secured in the cities for that anyway.”

“You seem to be missing the primary benefit of this personal domain,” the Architect said, shaking her head. “This domain will exist within Nevermore. That means it will be under the influence of the time dilation inherent to the World Wonder. So, now imagine you want to grow something in your personal domain or nurture certain treasures…”

Jake fell silent for a moment as he considered her words. “So what you’re saying is that I get my own personal garden with super time dilation built-in that comes without any downsides or upkeep?”

“That is an adequately accurate assessment, yes. If that is how you wish to design it, that is.”

“Damn, in that case, it may be worth looking into,” Jake said. “If I have the time. Doesn’t sound like the best way to spend my limited time in C-grade when I want to compete on the Leaderboards. Say, how do I turn in this Mark and claim the domain? I just wanna at least pop by and check it out real quick.”

“You turn it in right here,” the Architect said with a smile. “This is the second part of your reward… the help of an architect to prepare your domain. Do note I only do this for those who get a 20% multiplier or above. Others will have to make the Attendants provided do everything or do it themselves.”

“Well, sounds like I may as well get it done now, then… wait, Attendants? Do Attendants come along with this personal domain?”

“Yes, they do… it even said it in the description of the Mark you’re holding. Ah, but to note, they cannot leave the domain for what I hope are obvious reasons,” she said.

Jake nodded, understanding what she meant. If his guess was right, then each personal domain was pretty much just a small pseudo-dungeon within the larger mega-dungeon known as Nevermore. That likely meant many dungeon rules still applied.

“And you said you would help me design this domain?” Jake asked.

“Yes,” Nevermore nodded. “According to set templates, that is. I am not going to personally customize everything, but I can take some minor input if you want some modifications.”

“Exactly how will this work?” Jake asked.

“Do you wish to claim your domain now?” she asked.

“Yes?” Jake asked, a bit confused.

“Then please turn in the coin to me.”

“But you just gave it to me…”

Nevermore just looked back at him for a few seconds before Jake sighed and flicked the coin back to her. It didn’t even reach her but just disappeared mid-air.

“Personal domain claimed,” she smiled and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the entire chamber around Jake disappeared, replaced with an entirely white void. Then, in the center of the void between Jake and the Architect, a very detailed three-dimensional projection of what looked like a large floating landmass appeared.

“This is a projection of a domain template that I assume would interest you. It includes a star and is primarily nature affinity, thus a good environment for plants to grow within. Underground, there are vast cave systems, with some caves having their own more unique affinities for you to grow other alchemical ingredients such as mushrooms and whatnot. By the way, I choose this template assuming you wish to use this domain to grow herbs,” Nevermore explained.

Jake looked at it as he got an idea.

“How long do we have for this customization part?”

“I will offer two hours at most.”

“Then, can you bring me there in person? Or make a replica?” Jake asked.

Nevermore raised an eyebrow but quickly did as he asked.

The environment shifted once more as Jake suddenly felt the world around him expand. From a white room, he appeared standing on soft grass, surrounded by greenery. Instinctively, he released a Pulse of Perception that revealed the entire floating island of sorts they were standing on, including the underground environment. It was about a hundred kilometers across with a depth of forty or so.

“Thank you,” Jake said. “Do I need to bring my own herbs and such to plant?”

“A certain amount will be provided based on your performance in the House of the Architect. It’s part of the reward,” Nevermore answered.

“Got it,” Jake smiled. “Be right back.”

Jake instantly used One Step to teleport toward one of the holes leading underground. Going as fast as he could, Jake scouted the underground tunnels, went up above ground again, and went around as much of the island as he could while scanning everything. About forty-five minutes later, he was back at Nevermore.

“Aight, got some ideas.”

What Jake had done was take a quick trip with Sense of the Malefic Viper in full effect. He rarely used that part of the skill, but a part of it included the ability to sense environments that were good for cultivating herbs and whatnot. With this trip, Jake had a good idea of where he wanted to plant stuff and, what’s more, the places he wanted Nevermore to modify a bit to make it better.

The next hour was spent with Jake and Nevermore quickly fixing all the things Jake wanted fixed. When it came to herbs, Jake had Nevermore just throw in all the hemotoxic and necrotic toxins she could in the underground. This did mean Jake also now had a lake of blood deep underground in this personal space, so it was probably good it wasn’t a place visitors could go to.

Above ground, it was primarily just flowers and then a whole lot of trees and herbs Jake had no idea about. When it came to any excess “reward” energy or whatever he had been given, Jake just allowed Nevermore to give him whatever she thought was good.

Finally, Jake went to the Attendants in this special little realm. There were ten of them total, and they all simply copied Jake’s level. They also apparently had some weird dungeon-specific skills to take care of the place, and Jake only had to give them basic commands to ensure the herbs grew well.

With everything done, Jake stood proudly alongside Nevermore. “Thanks for the help.”

“Just in time, too,” Nevermore said. “I hope what is cultivated here can bring you benefits in the future. I say this knowing full well you will likely not step foot in this space before you arrive at Nevermore in B-grade... but by the time you do, this will likely be a treasure trove. Ah, and should you die, I shall happily reclaim everything.”

“I wouldn’t count on it… me dying and stepping foot in here for a good while both,” Jake grinned. “Once again, thanks for everything. This Challenge Dungeon is definitely in the top five of the ones I’ve done so far.”

“And with that little quip, I believe it is time to say our goodbyes. I look forward to seeing how your last years in here will play out and the ultimate outcome on the Leaderboards,” Nevermore said as she raised her hand to teleport him out.

Jake was ready to be teleported as one final question popped into his head. “One final thing! There was a meta-achievement for getting an overall 100% amplifier from all the Challenge Dungeons, right?”

Nevermore stopped her hand for a fraction of a second as she just smiled. “I guess you’ll have to find out after the Endless Journey.”

“So that’s a ye-“

He was teleported out and appeared in front of the Challenge Dungeon before he could finish his sentence, but he definitely took her non-answer as a confirmation.

Finding himself at the entrance to the five Challenge Dungeons once more, Jake quickly went a bit away to avoid being surrounded by people. He got a few weird looks as he had been teleported out mid-sentence and had let out a sound, but he quickly slipped away with everyone too busy doing their own stuff. Honestly, Jake was kind of lucky his usual get-up was a cloak and mask, as that wasn’t exactly a unique outfit.

Standing away from the crowd, Jake took quick status as he checked his Nevermore Points.

Nevermore Points: 1,141,916

He had built up quite a lot of points over all these Challenge Dungeons, and that was without even factoring in the ever-increasing percentage amplifiers that would come in at the end of Nevermore. Looking toward the many entrances to the Challenge Dungeons, Jake considered if he should wait a bit and see if he could contact his party members. However, after briefly checking the timer-painting the Sword Saint had given him when they split up and seeing there were over two and a half years left to do dungeons, Jake assumed chances were low anyone would be out and done by now.

With that in mind, there really was no need to delay as Jake quickly went straight from one Challenge Dungeon into another as it was time to finally take on the final one: the Neverending Journey.