The Primal Hunter Chapter 1228 - Rushed By The Accomplishments of Others

“I recall mentioning that the first era lacked any sort of Tutorials,” Villy remarked, leaning back into his seat. “However, I don't believe I ever detailed the specifics of how that initial integration functioned, did I?”

“I’ll venture a guess and say it wasn't too different from what the monsters on Earth experienced,” Jake replied.

The snake god glanced at Jake and started laughing, shaking his head in amusement. “Man, I suppose they were the same on a fundamental level? But in reality, things were nowhere near that smooth back then.”

Villy appeared genuinely entertained as he described the dawn of the first integration. “Picture a whole universe being swamped by the system in a heartbeat. Laws of reality shift instantly, mana replaces almost every known energy source, and the entire world is terraformed to suit the system's needs. In your world, this transition lasted the entire Tutorial… in mine, the bulk of it happened in just a few hours.”

Jake found it difficult to even comprehend such a scale as the snake god went on.

“As space expanded, cities were demolished; some were literally ripped in half as new landmasses surged up between them. Lethal energy sources manifested, transforming territories into instant death zones. If you were caught in one during the integration, you had to pray that the first surge of energy granted you the power to survive that new environment. Spoiler: that didn't happen for most people. It was an absolute shitshow of universal natural disasters. You should be grateful the system learned its lesson from those early days.”

“Alright, I get it,” Jake muttered, his mind returning to his first thought. “It must have been even more chaotic for the Neurotar, then?”

“Yes and no,” Villy answered after a brief pause. “Yes, they were in trouble because they were a massive race spread across entire galaxies, numbering in the quadrillions. But they were also a race the system seemed to favor. Something that might shock you is that the Neurotar weren't strictly a single race, even if that’s how they saw themselves. For instance, the individual you saw me talking to was actually categorized as a monster by the system.”

“But he looked pretty humanoid,” Jake noted.

“He did, but he wasn't classified as enlightened,” the snake god explained with a shake of his head. “To be clear, the Neurotar were technically an enlightened race; however, many members didn't fit that description when the integration arrived. Their technological prowess was profound, and they had moved far beyond their natural biological forms. They pushed body modification so far that the system viewed many of them as closer to golems or elementals than enlightened beings.”

Jake frowned at the explanation. “Is that just because their modifications were insane, or is that a rule the system dropped? I heard that humans with prosthetics or medical implants were usually either healed by the system or left alone, depending on their self-perception.”

“The system usually goes with that, but you’re underestimating the Neurotar. The one I was working with lacked even a trace of his original biology. He’d swapped his internals for a strange liquid metal he called picomachines; he had no brain, and his entire existence truly resembled a golem or elemental. Because the system aimed to keep him alive during the initiation, it had to pump him full of energy, which instantly pushed him to C-grade. And trust me, he wasn't an isolated case.”

“I thought the system hated technology?” Jake asked, thinking of how Earth’s tech had failed.

“It was more lenient then, but that doesn't mean the old tech functioned after the integration,” the Viper said. “And it wasn't just the system sabotaging it. Technology requires energy. What happens when the nature of energy itself changes? When the laws of energy creation warp? The system doesn't have a grudge against technology; it’s just that its rules still apply. Even if Neurotar weapons still worked, they would require users who were too powerful to actually need them.”

“But the system let their internal technology stay,” Jake pointed out.

“Because they still possessed souls, and that tech had become part of their being,” Villy said. “Even if they were synthetic, their souls remained. The system facilitated their survival by adapting their altered bodies to function within its framework as seamlessly as possible, which accidentally made them incredibly strong from the start.”

“Weren't they still in a bad spot, though?” Jake wondered. “Their travel and communication must have been destroyed.”

“Oh, absolutely. That was their biggest problem. The Neurotar relied on a super-charged version of your internet that linked them across the stars through means I never cared to understand. Being severed from that created total chaos. Their warp gates failed, leaving every planet isolated. However, this only delayed their rise to power. Despite losing their tech, their massive numbers and genius-level intellect allowed them to rebuild and reconnect with nearby worlds. The rest is history; they reestablished themselves and became more dominant than ever, eventually becoming the strongest faction in the first universe. By the time of the vision you saw, they had members reaching the peak of S-grade and occupied the entire universe.”

“Hearing all that makes me wonder why they aren't still around,” Jake remarked. “If they were that powerful and had such a head start, how did they fail to produce a god? And how did they get wiped out? I assume Rigoria was involved, but it’s hard to imagine one god wiping out a race that spanned a universe.”

“You’re right that Rigoria was the cause of their end, but the truth is they never had a future,” the Viper sighed. “Their ultimate strength was their fatal flaw. Their power was built on one thing: unity.”

The Viper took a sip of beer before continuing. “The Neurotar shared everything. They used telepathic links and their own version of the internet to share every discovery. It made them powerful and unified, but can you guess what it did to them?”

“It ruined their Records,” Jake muttered.

“Precisely,” the Malefic Viper smiled. “Not enough to stop their Paths entirely, but it was why they could never produce a god. They lacked individuality. They didn’t view their Paths as something that belonged to them personally, but as just another brick used to build the strength of their faction.”

“So they tried to create Rigoria,” Jake said, remembering the history.

“Indeed,” the Viper nodded. “Partially because of me. Even after ascending, I was a bit of a problem, taking revenge on people and groups I disliked before I became a god. I wasn't the only one. As more Primordials appeared, the Neurotar realized they were falling behind. Our success highlighted their weakness, and they panicked. Rigoria was their attempt to build a god for protection. While I can't say they succeeded exactly, their actions caused Rigoria’s ascension. You can ask Rigoria for the details one day. It’s not my story to tell.”

Jake went quiet, thinking over the Viper’s words. He didn't push for more, knowing the god wouldn't budge. “So, their unity made them strong enough to rule, but doomed them to stall? They traded the individual spark needed to break through for collective power.”

Villy nodded solemnly. “Exactly. By chasing collective strength, they threw away what makes true Cultivation and ascension possible.”

“I guess that was a lesson for everyone else,” Jake sighed. “I wonder if the Holy Church faces the same risk.”

“No, they are careful. they let people find their own Paths and encourage individuality in those with potential for godhood,” the Viper shook his head. “But they certainly learned from the Neurotar. So did the system. It’s no accident that no faction has reached that level of technological dominance since the first universe. The system is much more wary of pre-system tech now. That said, as your void-prowling friend shows, tech-based Paths are still viable. If you doubt it, you should visit the Automata or the Altmar Empire sometime.”

“Right,” Jake nodded as another question surfaced. “By the way, why were you working with the Neurotar back then?”

“That… is a secret for another time,” the Viper chuckled. “Let’s just say it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. However, the Neurotar were beings of pure logic who saw every interaction as a transaction. If something helped their faction, they did it, no matter the cost. I won't claim I wasn't ruthless, but the Neurotar enslaved and conquered countless worlds just for resources. They would mine out entire planets in days, killing everyone there without a second thought because caring didn't benefit their race.”

“Maybe it’s not so bad that Rigoria finished them off,” Jake joked weakly.

“Not many people missed them,” the Viper shrugged. “Anyway, was that all you wanted to know?”

“I think so,” Jake said, before remembering one more thing. “Wait, about my dragon hunt… did you find a target?”

The Viper grinned. “Oh, I found one. And trust me, she’s quite remarkable…”

--

Miyamoto’s eyes snapped open. He was standing in a void that seemed empty until he noticed something far off in the distance.

It appeared to be a small cluster of trees, a hill with a cave, and various objects that felt out of place. With no other options, he began walking toward the strange landmark.

With his first step, the scene shifted. A tree began to tilt, and after a few more strides, it crashed down. As he continued, every tree fell in sequence, and the landscape transformed around him.

The cave in the hill expanded, revealing ore veins that were pulled out and stacked. Once the ore was gone, the cave crumbled, and the hill sank into the earth until it vanished.

Miyamoto kept a steady pace, watching the evolution. He realized that time moved in sync with his steps. As he walked, the fallen trees were stripped of their bark and the wood was carved into pieces. Some were thrown away, while others were joined together, forming a table where the hill once stood. Two chairs soon followed.

The ore was smelted into bars and then shaped into metal tools resting on the table. Clay and sand were pulled from the ground, heated, and turned into mugs.

The Sword Saint couldn't track every simultaneous change, but he understood the final result. As he neared the end of his walk, he approached a table set with two mugs and several unfinished clocks.

Just as he arrived, a figure appeared. The Sword Saint stopped and bowed his head. “I greet my Patron.”

Aeon was completely unmoved by the shifting environment. He walked to the table carrying a metal pot that smelled of coffee. “Yes, yes, come here and sit down.”

The Sword Saint nodded and obeyed. As he sat, cushions appeared on the chairs. Aeon poured two mugs of coffee and took his seat.

Sitting across from the Primordial, the Sword Saint waited for the god to speak. Aeon took a long sip of coffee, let out a satisfied sigh, and finally looked at Miyamoto.

“Do not let the progress of others make you feel rushed,” Aeon said softly. “That is not the nature of your Path.”

The Sword Saint remained silent, nodding slowly. He knew he shouldn't force his growth due to outside pressure, but it was difficult to ignore.

Sylphie had grown even stronger after the Vortex Pinnacle incident. The Forest King's power was increasing daily without limit. He’d heard Carmen was nearing B-grade at an incredible speed. And then there was Jake—someone he barely wanted to contemplate. He knew Jake held secrets of immense power, especially after seeing him defend them in the void. It all made the Sword Saint feel inadequate. Unworthy of his title.

Aeon sighed, reading his thoughts. “You aren't yet capable of forcing the seasons to change. For now, simply live through them.”

The Sword Saint nodded again. “I will remember your words.”

“You will do more than remember,” Aeon said, finishing his coffee and letting the silence hang for a moment. “Commit yourself fully to your Path. Remember your identity. You are a Transcendent. Master what you already possess… and even the Chosen of the Malefic Viper will be within your reach.”

Miyamoto’s eyes sharpened. “Without Springtime Advent…”

“Look at the bigger picture,” Aeon said calmly. “The Viper’s Chosen is formidable, but do not undervalue yourself. Remember: throughout history, the natural counter to extraordinary Bloodlines has always been Transcendent Skills. It depends on the skill's nature and power, of course. While the Viper’s Chosen has one of the greatest Bloodlines, the same applies to your Transcendent Skill. You simply need to realize its true potential.”

The Sword Saint was silent. Before he could respond, Aeon waved a hand. “Now, go back and keep training. Assuming you don't fail me, contact me before you reach B-grade. I will make you my Chosen.”

Miyamoto’s eyes went wide. He tried to speak, but the world shifted, and he was back in his courtyard on Earth. He sat in silence, thinking over the encouragement from his Patron, before finally shaking his head with a small smile.