The Primal Hunter Chapter 1242 - Bee-Grade Preparations

Vesperia awakened from her rest, rising within a pool of viscous fluid that clung to her skin. Although she could still feel the essence permeating her form, she had reached her current limit of saturation, gaining little further benefit from the soak.

Stepping away from the pool, she triggered a soft pulse of power to cleanse herself and restore her composure before exiting the reinforced vault. A quick glance at her status screen revealed that this month-long session had granted her eleven levels. It was a respectable gain, particularly given the short duration of her stay.

She was now in the final stretch toward B-grade, with only four levels remaining. While she had secretly hoped to hit the peak of C-grade to uncover her evolution quest, she recognized that such an expectation was probably wishful thinking. Furthermore, several tasks required her attention before she could undergo her evolution.

“Your advancement never ceases to astonish me,” a familiar voice rang out ahead. A fellow True Royal had just teleported into the area. “I had my doubts about the wisdom of your journey to Nevermore, but after seeing these results, I can only admit I was wrong.”

“I appreciate that. However, Odonestra, I must ask why you are the only sister who ever comes to see me?” Vesperia questioned the Grand Hive Queen of the Endless Empire.

“Does my presence alone dissatisfy you?” Odonestra replied with a playful smile. “If it did, I am certain the others would be more than happy to arrive shortly. In truth, they ask about you frequently and are quite interested in the progress you are making.”

“It was only a joke,” Vesperia said, dismissively shaking her head. Even if Odonestra was the sole Grand Hive Queen to visit regularly, Vesperia maintained frequent contact with many other Hive Queens, particularly those under her Vespernat Lineage.

“Be careful with your humor, or I might actually take you seriously one day,” Odonestra grinned back. “But if there was any real worry behind your words, let me soothe it. As gods, our sense of time is naturally skewed. We all believe you will eventually ascend in power to stand among us, and at that point, time will no longer matter to any of us.”

“That is quite a vote of confidence,” Vesperia remarked, though she shared the sentiment. To an outsider, discussing the path to godhood might sound like the delusions of a madman, but Vesperia viewed it differently. To her, it was an obligation—a duty. If she failed, she would be forced to leave behind True Royal descendants capable of achieving that divinity.

In such a scenario, her offspring would inherit much of her memory, just as she had inherited the memories of the Vesperia who perished eons ago. Linked through their Records and Lineage, they ensured that even if this incarnation failed, the next would triumph. Not that she intended to fail this time.

“We have total faith in you,” Odonestra affirmed. “However, that isn't the reason for my visit today. You requested that I monitor any news regarding the Chosen of the Malefic Viper. While this report is slightly old, I think it will please you to hear it. He has successfully hunted a True Dragon—a member of the Lumenflight who was recently cast out from the Dragonflight.”

Vesperia’s eyebrow arched, though she wasn't truly shocked. “Sire continues to be impressive. It certainly adds pressure if I wish to keep pace with him and remain a valuable presence in his life.”

She knew Jake didn't demand anything from his creations, but that didn't stop Vesperia and the others from wanting to be useful. She suspected that the Records inherited from Jake played a role in their innate drive for power and growth. Then again, most high-ranking races possessed a natural instinct to improve, so it might just be their nature.

“Speaking of being useful, we finally have a clear picture of the Administrator Candidates for the Seat of the Exalted Prima in this new universe. I can confidently say the Endless Empire is perfectly positioned to be a major player in the coming conflict,” Odonestra stated, earning a nod from Vesperia.

Numerous planets had been seized by native ectognamorph populations following the system’s arrival, as they were the only monster groups with true cohesion. The Endless Empire’s aggressive strategy of finding and blessing those of their Lineages had proven highly successful.

Furthermore, while most Administrator Candidates were originally from the enlightened races, monsters were also eligible. Several Hive Queens had secured qualifications, and entire galaxies were already under the Empire’s control following the Prima Guardian event.

“Based on what you're saying, I assume my proposal was approved?” Vesperia inquired.

“There was some resistance, yes, but ultimately we decided to proceed with your plan,” Odonestra confirmed. “The specifics still need to be hammered out, and we aren't certain if the Order of the Malefic Viper will agree.”

“Don't bother negotiating with the Order; deal only with the Malefic One himself. Or at least someone who can speak on his behalf,” Vesperia advised, shaking her head.

Odonestra looked puzzled. “Bypass the Order entirely? What would that achieve? If the Chosen is successful—”

“He will be the one making the claim, in a personal capacity,” Vesperia said firmly. “While he is tied to the Order, do not mistake them for a single entity. The Malefic Viper and my sire are two distinct beings collaborating for mutual gain, but they do so as equals. If my sire claims the World Wonder, it belongs to him, not the Order. The Order will benefit from the association, certainly, but the true ownership shouldn't be confused.”

“If you are sure, then so be it,” Odonestra agreed. “Though it does make things slightly more complicated.”

“I think keeping things simple is the best path. Finalizing every minor detail isn't critical yet. As long as we trust them to make us whole, there is nothing to fear... and I have complete trust in my sire,” Vesperia said.

“Fine,” the other True Royal sighed. “I will pass on your words, and if the terms are met, we will make it official.”

“I wish you the best of luck. I know I am asking a lot of you,” Vesperia said with an apologetic tone.

“And yet we all agree this is likely the best course of action,” Odonestra replied, shaking her head. “While the Endless Empire could hold its own, competing for the power of the Exalted Prima would eventually force us into a confrontation with your sire. Even if we managed an unlikely victory, the long-term damage to us would be too great.”

Vesperia nodded. For the Endless Empire, the relationship with her sire was paramount, even if it meant making compromises over a World Wonder. This was why she suggested that instead of fighting for it alone, they should align themselves with her sire and, by extension, the Order of the Malefic Viper.

It was an unprecedented move for a faction that rarely formed alliances, but in this specific case, it seemed the most logical way to handle the upcoming struggle for the power of the Exalted Prima.

While the actual battle had not yet begun and the current generation of B-grades was only just starting to emerge, every faction in the universe was already deep into the planning and strategizing phase for the World Wonder, unwilling to enter the fray unprepared.

The massive construct of living armor finally collapsed, its knees eaten away by corrosion. It made one last attempt to rise, venting a final surge of power, but an arrow infused with devastating arcane mana slammed into its chest. The impact tore a new hole in the metal, draining the last of its energy and sealing its fate.

Jake touched down in front of the two-hundred-meter-tall behemoth and let out a heavy sigh. He had escaped with only minor wounds, but the sheer length of the encounter had pushed his resource pools to the limit.

This giant suit of armor had only manifested after Jake destroyed all the smaller armor sets, which then fused into this final B-grade guardian. The concept was a bit cliché, but at least the dungeon was quick; Jake had cleared the entire place in a single week.

Reviewing his logs, Jake noted that the dungeon boss had barely qualified as B-grade, which made sense. Its only real strength was its massive durability.

Still, for a B-grade opponent, it wasn't a total waste, though it certainly wasn't a True Dragon. Dungeon bosses often possessed unique traits not found in the wild, most notably their ridiculous toughness. This made them harder to kill for their level, but it also resulted in more experience.

The subsequent notifications confirmed this, as he had gained another level. That made six levels across the last eight dungeons.

It was a significant amount of progress, but given that Jake had been relentlessly grinding dungeons for a year and a half, it wasn't shocking. He had to give Villy credit; the snake god had done an excellent job picking the locations.

None of them were overly gimmicky or light on action; most simply required Jake to eliminate everything in his path. This did make them somewhat repetitive, as they usually involved slaughtering waves of weak C-grades for weeks before reaching the B-grade boss.

The standout was a dungeon featuring ten bosses, each accompanied by only two peak C-grades. There wasn't even a final boss; instead, killing one B-grade alerted the others, causing the nearest one to hunt him down. Naturally, Jake was long gone before they could converge. That dungeon alone had nearly provided two levels on its own.

On the other hand, the worst experience was—predictably—an underwater dungeon. Did Jake believe the malicious snake god had chosen an underwater setting just to mess with him? No, he was absolutely certain of it.

Villy had definitely picked it to be a jerk.

The annoying part was that Jake couldn't stay mad, as he really did need the practice fighting in liquid environments. He also discovered that his Unblemished Arrows skill was incredibly potent underwater, allowing his projectiles to travel almost as efficiently as they did through the air.

The battle against the B-grade giant octopus had been grueling, but luckily, the creature had a low resistance to poison. Jake was able to saturate its system with toxins while staying at a distance and peppering it with arrows.

Another benefit of these dungeons was the variety of landscapes he encountered. In that regard, it felt like a mini-Nevermore, likely because Nevermore’s floors were basically just a series of interconnected, themed dungeons.

However, Nevermore floors were massive and felt like actual worlds, whereas these eight dungeons felt very much like traditional instances.

Shaking off his thoughts, Jake stopped his reflecting and searched the armored guardian for loot. He discovered an ancient-tier core, and upon fully clearing the dungeon, he was rewarded with an epic-tier plate helmet along with a pile of ore.

Jake had noticed a pattern: equipment drops in these dungeons were usually lackluster. From what he gathered, actual gear would become increasingly rare, replaced by materials for craftsmen. Sometimes, only raw materials dropped at all. It was a disappointing trend.

Finished with the area, Jake exited through a massive iron gate. A moment later, he was standing before a matching gate in the center of a ruined, ancient city. He was at a mountain-top fortress, overlooking a sprawling metropolis teeming with D- and C-grade undead.

If he were a lower level, it would have been a fantastic grinding spot, but with the dungeon done, Jake had no reason to stay. He checked that his Pioneer title had updated before departing.

[Dungeon Pioneer XIV]: Be the first to clear a dungeon suitable for your level. +168 all stats.

With a satisfied nod, Jake sent a telepathic message to the snake god.

“Done with that one,” Jake said, knowing the god was waiting.

“How was the experience?” the snake god inquired.

“A bit dull, but the experience gain was solid,” Jake answered honestly.

“I see,” Villy replied.

“Should I head to the next one on the list?” Jake asked.

“Actually, let's hold off on the list for now,” the Viper said. Jake assumed he was making notes. All the dungeons Jake had cleared were located within the expanding territory of the Order of the Malefic Viper. Since C-grade dungeons with B-grade bosses were rare, they were treated as vital strategic assets.

“So, what’s the plan then?” Jake asked, stretching his neck.

“I have one final dungeon for you, and I believe you'll find it more engaging than the others,” the Viper said.

Jake’s interest was piqued. “Is it a special one?”

“You could say that. It’s a very unique location,” the Viper answered.

“Alright,” Jake nodded. Shortly after, he returned to the Order of the Malefic Viper. Within a minute of his arrival, the snake god appeared at his home.

“Are you ready for your last dungeon?” Villy asked as they walked out onto the grass, where the god had already etched a magical circle.

“I’m telling you, if this is another underwater level, I’m going straight to Valdemar to see if he needs a Chosen,” Jake joked, though only partially.

“It isn't,” the Primordial laughed, though Jake suspected he took the threat slightly seriously. “I should warn you that my intel on this place is limited, but I’m confident you'll figure it out once you're inside.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jake said, waving him off. “Just send me down, Villy.”

“Very well,” the Primordial said, raising his hand as the circle began to pulse with light. “I hope you find it enjoyable... and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.”

Before Jake could ask for clarification, he was pulled through the void and sent back to his own universe. He wasn't just going anywhere in the universe, though; he was headed to a very familiar place where a familiar face was already waiting...