The Primal Hunter Chapter 1229 - Hunting Profile: True Dragon

“Oh, I have, and let me tell you, she’s quite something,” Villy remarked, appearing nearly giddy as he prepared to inform Jake about the dragon he had selected for his Chosen to hunt. This impression only grew stronger as the snake god cleared his throat, standing up to meet Jake’s eyes with a look of intense gravity.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes?” Jake replied, his voice laced with confusion.

“Then let the briefing begin,” the Viper smirked. He teleported behind the sofa toward a nearby wall, where an image suddenly manifested on the white surface. It read:

Dragon Hunting 101: Choosing the Right Prey

Jake watched in disbelief as the Viper started his presentation. With a snap of the fingers, the title vanished, replaced by a series of bullet points and a photograph.

“Are you seriously doing a slideshow?” Jake couldn't help but ask.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” the Primordial declared, looking immensely satisfied with himself. “Now, let’s begin.”

“Do we really need a slideshow?” Jake tried to protest once more.

“Yes, now be quiet and let’s get started already,” Villy dismissed him with a wave. He cleared his throat again, even going as far as to emit a thin beam of green light from his fingertip to serve as a makeshift laser pointer.

“Let us start with the basics. Dragons are monsters with scales that—”

“Villy,” Jake interrupted, shooting the god a flat stare.

“Ugh, fine,” the snake god groaned, beginning to cycle rapidly through the slides. After bypassing about three dozen of them, he finally arrived at the section that was actually relevant.

“Here we go—your target. After extensive research and scouting, I settled on her because I truly believe she’s an opponent you’d find sufficiently challenging and someone who actually deserves to be hunted,” the Viper explained, displaying an image of a draconic woman.

“Her name is Yrelstromoz, formerly of the Lumenflight. She is several centuries old, having reached full maturity and becoming a True Dragon roughly thirty years ago. However, since her evolution into a True Dragon, she has been nothing but a plague upon everyone she encounters.”

Moving to the next slide, Villy went on.

“As the offspring of two peak A-grade dragons, she was raised in significant wealth, even by the standards of the Dragonflight. She never lacked for anything, and because her parents were overprotective, she led a sheltered life with very little real-world experience.”

Jake raised his hand instinctively. The Viper nodded in his direction, granting him the floor.

“If she was raised that way, doesn’t it mean she lacks actual combat experience?” Jake inquired. He knew dragons were naturally terrifying, but if she had never learned to fight properly, he worried the hunt wouldn't be very fulfilling.

“Let me address that quickly,” the Viper said, skipping forward a few more pages before clearing his throat. “As a member of the Lumenflight born to be a True Dragon, she underwent their strict education from a young age. This included the mastery of magic, combat, and various other essential skills. So, while she lacks life-and-death experience, she is still highly capable. From what I’ve gathered, she was considered quite talented during her upbringing, and her parents even paid for private tutoring. In short, she knows how to utilize her innate power. At least on paper.”

Jake nodded, feeling slightly more reassured. Once the Viper saw Jake was satisfied, he continued.

“Now, let’s get to the part that justifies you killing her,” Villy said bluntly. “First, the tragic backstory. Less than ten years before she evolved into a B-grade True Dragon, her parents were killed inside a dungeon. They were attempting to break through their bottleneck to reach S-grade, but they failed and perished. This left Yrelstromoz quite miserable, particularly once she discovered the reason her parents had pushed themselves so hard to evolve.”

After clicking through a few more slides, the Viper displayed a picture of two dragons; one appeared mournful while the other looked boastful.

“The Lumenflight provides excellent schooling for young dragons, but once they hit B-grade, their progress is largely their own responsibility. However, powerful parents can use their status to help their children. In a desperate bid to evolve and gain more influence for her sake, her parents tried to force a breakthrough they weren't ready for.”

Jake nodded slowly, still struggling to see why he should hunt down a grieving daughter whose parents had sacrificed everything for her.

“Question for the class! If this happened to you, and your parents died trying to secure your future, how would you react?” the Viper asked.

The room fell silent. Jake assumed the question was rhetorical, but the Viper simply stared at him until Jake eventually raised his hand with a sigh.

“Yes, you in the front, how would you respond?” the snake god asked, pointing his green laser at Jake.

“I’d obviously be devastated. Then I’d probably want to honor their sacrifice by showing the world how strong I could become, hoping to eventually surpass them,” Jake answered, unsure if that was the intended response.

“Interesting,” the Viper nodded. “Well, would it shock you to learn that was not Yrelstromoz’s reaction? In fact, her behavior was the complete opposite. After they died, her first priority was throwing a fit over her inheritance. Her second move was squandering most of that wealth on vanity. As for training to get stronger… yeah, not a chance.”

Jake was starting to see that she wasn't a likable person, though he hadn't heard anything truly monstrous yet.

“After she reached B-grade—a feat she achieved simply by existing—she quit trying to grow altogether. The power surge from becoming a True Dragon went straight to her head, and she clearly had no interest in further progression. To be fair, even a fresh True Dragon is a formidable force in the multiverse. She could have lived a very easy life if she wanted. I won’t even bother asking if you think she chose a peaceful path.”

Jake nodded, sensing the justification was coming. The following slide confirmed it, showing a massive crater riddled with deep cracks and holes.

“Deciding to use her riches to travel, she roamed her universe acting like a spoiled brat. Gambling became one of her favorite hobbies. The problem is, you can’t win at gambling forever, and the house always wins… unless the loser is a True Dragon who can't control her temper. At that point, the losing dragon might get angry enough to vaporize a city, murdering at least tens of millions.”

Switching to another slide, Jake saw a massive, scorched scar running through a city, where everything had been melted into a bottomless pit.

“The Lumenflight excused the first incident, and the local minor faction didn't dare complain since they couldn't risk war with True Dragons. While Yrelstromoz isn't a genius, she isn't completely stupid either. She learned to only throw her tantrums in territories not controlled by major powers, or in places where she could hide the evidence. This is another example where she leveled a residential district. The reason? Apparently, someone told her to ‘blow me’ during a fight, and she took it literally by blowing them up, completely ignoring the collateral damage.”

By this point, Jake was fully realizing that Yrelstromoz was a genuine menace.

“Next instance of her carnage… actually, let’s just do a lightning round,” Villy said, flipping through the slides at high speed so Jake could just scan the text. There were dozens of entries. Jake’s expression darkened with every new example. By the time they reached the end, one question stood out:

“Why did nobody stop her?” Jake asked. “Specifically the Lumenflight. You mentioned she was a former member. Don't they police their own?”

“They tried,” the Viper replied, shaking his head. “Not very aggressively, though, because she only targeted people too weak for anyone to care about. Only a few of her remaining relatives really tried to intervene, but it was useless. She received plenty of warnings, but they only seemed to enrage her further.”

“What finally got her expelled?” Jake asked.

“She killed the wrong person,” the Viper said, moving to a slide showing a young beastkin. “A group of talented C-grade youths from the United Tribes were exploring the multiverse and visited a neutral planet known for its dungeons. She slaughtered the entire group, and for the first time, she did it specifically to spite the Lumenflight. The beastkin in this picture was the son of a demigod and held a Divine Blessing. The United Tribes were furious, and the Lumenflight, having reached their limit, finally kicked her out.”

“Sounds like it was long overdue,” Jake spat. “They should have done more, and much sooner.”

“Perhaps, but they didn't, and now she's on her own,” the Viper shrugged. “As I’ve mentioned, the Dragonflight hates killing their own kind, but now that she’s an outcast, they won't interfere if someone like you decides to end her.”

Jake nodded, having essentially decided she was a worthy target. In fact, she almost seemed too perfect. One thing still nagged at him, though.

“I don’t understand why she acts like this. It seems almost cartoonishly evil and self-destructive,” Jake remarked.

“Look, having been an asshole in my own past, I can understand why she doesn't feel guilty,” the Viper said. “As a True Dragon, she honestly views herself as a superior lifeform that doesn't need to follow the morals of those she considers beneath her. In her mind, killing millions of F, E, or D-grades is no different than stepping on ants. Now, in my defense, there is a major difference between us. Unlike her, she actually enjoys killing the weak because it makes her feel powerful. I enjoyed outsmarting and killing the strong; the weak dying was just collateral damage. It was never the point.”

“You’re telling me she kills random people just to feel strong?” Jake asked, finding the concept pathetic. To him, true power was found in overcoming a powerful opponent.

“And to feel like she’s in control,” the Viper shrugged. “It’s likely why she’s been intentionally causing trouble and ignoring her family. I’m no therapist, but I suspect she grew up feeling like her life was planned out for her. Now that she’s free, she wants to live without limits. It just so happens that her idea of fun is being a total disaster.”

“I think I get it,” Jake sighed. “The multiverse would definitely be better off without her. Her motives are nonsense to me, but I guess some people are just rotten.”

“Exactly,” the Viper smiled, skipping to the final slide. “Anyway, that concludes my pitch for your ideal True Dragon target. She’s in the sweet spot of difficulty—not too weak, but not invincible. She’s unaffiliated now, and so detestable that I wouldn't blame you for wanting to put an arrow through her head. All that’s left is to wish you luck. Remember to go in fully prepared, because she won't be an easy kill.”

Jake nodded, then noticed something. “Hey, there’s a reason you didn't give me any specifics on her abilities or her training, right?”

“Of course. I wouldn't want to give you an unfair edge,” Villy smirked. “If you want that info, you can find it yourself, though I have a feeling you’d rather go in blind.”

“I can’t deny that,” Jake shrugged. “Even if she’s a terrible person, I want a fair fight. It wouldn't feel right to have a complete dossier on her while she knows nothing about me.”

“Actually, she might have a basic idea of what you can do if she’s seen the news lately,” the Viper noted. “You’re somewhat of a celebrity, you know. Then again, she isn't exactly the studious type, so she might not have a clue. You’ll find out if she recognizes you.”

“I guess so,” Jake muttered, looking at the final image of Yrelstromoz. She appeared mostly human, aside from her reptilian eyes and the two curved horns on her head.

Jake didn't expect her to stay in that form for long. As Villy’s visions had shown, dragons were at their peak in their true forms. Given her Lumenflight background, he also prepared himself for light magic, which presented a bit of a double-edged sword for him.

His scales were resistant to light, but his dark affinity made him naturally vulnerable to it, as he had learned from the Great White Stag in the Tutorial. He was immune to blinding effects, but light magic was often used to counter high-speed fighters, so he wasn't sure if he could evade everything she threw.

Ultimately, it seemed like a balanced matchup. He figured he might have had an advantage against a dark-magic dragon, but most other types would be a neutral challenge.

The more he contemplated the fight, the more his excitement grew. Combined with his recent power-up from his sacred skill and new title, Jake felt ready.

Villy noticed the growing anticipation and smiled. “I’ll leave you to it. Get your gear ready. Your prey thinks she’s hiding right now, but don't take too long. Someone else might take her out, or she might get herself killed by offending the wrong person. I’d hate to have to make another slideshow.”

“I don’t need much time,” Jake said, standing up and glancing toward his lab.

“Then get moving,” Villy said before vanishing.

Jake nodded. He telekinetically grabbed his forgotten beer, finished it in a single gulp, and set the bottle down with purpose. It was time to brew a fresh batch of poisons and potions. Once they were finished…

It was time to hunt a dragon.