The Primal Hunter Chapter 1243 - Too Easily Distracted

Jake wasn't particularly shocked when the Viper brought up a dungeon located within his own universe. It seemed only logical that a newly integrated reality would be brimming with fresh dungeons waiting to be explored.

However, he harbored a sliver of doubt. This wasn't because of the location or the circumstances, but rather the individual who had pointed him toward it. The Viper took great pleasure in messing with Jake, and he suspected this final dungeon was, at least in part, the snake god playing a prank on him. Even though the Viper had utilized a brand-new teleportation circle to send him here, Jake remained wary.

This skepticism explains why Jake wasn't stunned to find himself back in his own universe, specifically on his home planet. Just as the Viper had mentioned, he was greeted by a familiar face that immediately confirmed the snake god was a total liar—this wasn't a natural dungeon, but one carefully crafted by a hyper-enthusiastic dungeon designer.

Opening his eyes, Jake found himself facing a wooden stage draped in curtains. With no one else in sight, it was clear that the upcoming performance was strictly for his benefit.

Triggered by Jake’s arrival, the curtains parted. Instead of the Unique Lifeform he expected, a different figure stood there—one Jake hadn't anticipated seeing.

“Casper?” Jake remarked, stunned to see his former coworker who had become a Risen.

“Yo,” the undead man replied, waving with zero flair or theatricality.

“No, no, no! Follow the script!” the person Jake had actually expected to see suddenly screamed. “Ahem, let’s try that again.”

The curtains snapped shut instantly. Jake stood there for a moment and let out a soft sigh. Five seconds later, the drapes opened again to reveal Casper still standing there as before.

“Welcome to the magnificent, brilliant, and incredibly exclusive pre-launch event for the respected and illustrious Minaga’s newest-“

“Do you have to deliver it in the most boring, monotone voice possible?” Minaga cut off the disinterested Casper. “Inject some life into the show! Give me some energy!”

“I can’t,” Casper argued in his own defense. “I’m dead. I don’t possess any life energy.”

“Actually, that was pretty insensitive of you,” Jake chimed in, shaking his head. “Is this how you run things? Workplace bullying is serious, and I’m tempted to call for an immediate probe into this toxic culture you’ve built.”

“You really should,” Casper agreed with a nod. “Did you know he banned unions? I’m fairly certain that’s against the law.”

“You’re the only other person here… why on earth would you need a union?”

“Save your excuses for the judge,” Jake said, looking profoundly disappointed. “Now, since I’m already here, why don’t you show me the facilities and let me perform an unscheduled inspection of your project?”

“The play was supposed to be the walkthrough,” Minaga’s voice boomed, sounding deeply dejected.

“Then go ahead with your play,” Jake nodded, glancing at Casper. “But obviously, I can’t let this guy participate after witnessing the terrible work environment he’s been forced to endure.”

“Fair point, that would be unethical,” Casper said. Without hesitation, he teleported up to the raised platform where Jake stood overlooking the stage.

Jake and his old friend exchanged a knowing look before turning their attention back to the stage. “Alright, we’re ready.”

“It’s funny that you think I won’t proceed anyway,” Minaga declared, and his words manifested immediately. A projection of the Unique Lifeform appeared on the stage. He cleared his throat and spoke loudly. “Welcome, welcome, welcome! To the grand pre-launch of the-“

“Aren’t those the wrong lines?” Jake asked Casper.

“They definitely aren't the ones I was given,” the Risen replied with a shake of his head.

“It’s called improv, and if Casper had actually studied the script, he’d know it was allowed,” Minaga stated, crossing his arms.

“And he’s back to the bullying,” Jake sighed, shaking his head.

“Don't forget how he initially refused to let me improvise and tried to micromanage my artistic expression by making me follow the script,” Casper pointed out brilliantly.

“True, very true,” Jake nodded solemnly.

“As I was saying, welcome to the debut of my latest masterpiece,” Minaga continued, choosing to ignore his two critics. “This event serves as a minor preview for the massive mega-dungeon, to be known as Minaga’s Glorious Labyrinth of Engaging Exploration.”

“We aren't calling it that,” Jake whispered.

“Miranda already rejected it,” Casper added with a nod.

“In another brilliant show of creativity, this dungeon utilizes multiple cores, which allowed me to create something truly spectacular,” Minaga went on. “Connected Dungeons.”

Jake nodded slowly, deciding to pause the jokes for a moment since the Unique Lifeform was finally providing actual information instead of just showmanship.

“While it’s not a brand-new concept, I believe this is its finest iteration. The Labyrinth features a single main entrance, but from there, various dungeons can be accessed. Each varies in size and complexity, yet they all share a common theme and—most importantly—a consistent narrative that links them all together!”

There was still plenty of fluff in the speech, but Jake remained quiet, mostly because Casper wasn't saying anything either.

“Let me set the scene. First, you arrive at the outskirts of the Great Labyrinth. It is surrounded by early C-grade monsters, and the closer you get, the more powerful they become. After fighting through these hordes spawned by the Labyrinth, you reach the entrance, exhausted but eager to explore. Upon entering and looking around, you see it: a second dungeon entrance.”

It didn't sound bad so far, if a bit basic. Jake hadn't heard much of a story yet, just some world-building, and he sincerely hoped he wouldn't be subjected to a massive lore dump from Minaga.

“However, as you continue to look around, you realize there are even more entrances… that’s right, the Great Labyrinth is comprised of multiple dungeons! Three, to be exact, with each increasing in difficulty! The first contains early to mid-tier C-grades, the second has mid to late-tier C-grades, and the final one is exclusively late to peak-tier C-grades.”

Jake nodded, waiting for the Unique Lifeform to reach the interesting part. He didn’t need C-grade dungeons anymore, but based on his previous discussions with Minaga about this project, Jake expected there to be more.

“Each of the three Labyrinth sections is vast, offering many paths that lead to a final boss. These bosses drop key fragments. Once all three are collected, a special magic circle at the main entrance can be triggered, opening the way to the fifth dungeon.”

Casper leaned in and whispered to Jake: “You won't actually have to clear the other three to enter the fifth. There’s a hub at the start that grants access to any dungeon, provided you meet certain requirements or have special permission.”

Minaga, pretending he hadn't heard Casper, continued:

“Now, this requires some narrative context. There is an overarching mystery regarding who constructed the Grand Labyrinth. The fifth dungeon lets you explore that, because upon entering, you are transported to the past when the Labyrinth was still under construction.”

“So, reused assets,” Jake muttered.

“There are absolutely no reused assets. This fifth dungeon encompasses the entire Labyrinth and the surrounding lands. Furthermore, you’ll find that the past was much richer in energy, and the civilization that built this place was far more powerful than the current inhabitants… because this is a dungeon where only B-grades reside.”

Jake’s interest was finally piqued. Setting aside the lore, he was thrilled to hear that it wouldn't just be a few B-grades; the entire fifth dungeon would be filled with B-grade targets for him to hunt.

“This is the dungeon we want you to test today. It’s technically finished, though it might feel a bit hollow without the proper story context for your actions, and some dialogue might seem odd since it assumes you’ve completed the previous sections,” Minaga explained, his voice tinged with a bit of shame.

Deciding to engage, Jake raised his hand. The Unique Lifeform grinned and pointed at him.

“Yes, you.”

“Is this fifth dungeon the final one?” Jake inquired. He doubted the Unique Lifeform would have another one ready right now even if he planned it, but it was good to know what to expect for his B-grade journey.

“No spoilers,” Minaga said, shaking his head. “But I can say the Grand Labyrinth was built for a purpose greater than you might think… a purpose revealed only after finishing the fifth dungeon! Though I’m not sure if you’re up to it, as the final boss is quite formidable.”

“Sounds like a challenge,” Jake said with a smile. He didn't dismiss the possibility that the Unique Lifeform was wrong about his capabilities, but he fully intended to clear it. He was aiming for the Dungeon Pioneer title upgrade, and failing to finish would mean starting over elsewhere.

“It will definitely be a challenge!” Minaga declared proudly before turning serious. “The whole complex is nearing completion, but I still have a few things to finalize. If everything goes as planned, we’ll be ready for a grand opening in about a year!”

Casper glanced at Jake, who gave a nod. “Just let Miranda know. I’m sure she’ll be happy to handle the marketing and preparations. If this place is as good as you say, you’ll have no shortage of visitors.”

Thinking of visitors… Jake realized he hadn't noticed until now: where was everyone? He had been sent to the center of Labyrinth City, yet the area around the city's main attraction was deserted. When he used a Pulse, he detected people inside buildings around the city, but far fewer than expected, and none were near the dungeon.

“I will definitely ask her for everything needed to make it the biggest celebration the planet has ever seen!” Minaga said enthusiastically. Noticing Jake looking around, the Unique Lifeform addressed his thoughts. “The city is a bit empty right now, but it will be packed once we open! For now, there isn't much to do here, and other cities—especially the new settlements popping up—are aggressively recruiting.”

“Miranda has been pushing hard to expand across the planet lately,” Casper explained. “Spreading the Pylons gives her better control and more data on what’s happening globally. She also wants to utilize all the new space Earth has. In case you didn't notice, the planet got incredibly huge thanks to the system.”

“Yeah,” Jake nodded, lost in thought. As he grew stronger, the world often felt smaller, especially after seeing Great Planets or Yggdrasil. Earth might seem small in comparison to those, but compared to the pre-system era, it was now roughly the size of the sun—a massive world with enough room for trillions of inhabitants.

“Speaking of expansion, I heard the Risen received their own territory?” Jake asked.

“We did,” Casper confirmed. “Both sides are still a bit uneasy about it, which makes sense since we’re undead. But I think it’s a win for everyone. Having a presence here while the Holy Church got booted is a huge insult to them, which makes our higher-ups very happy.”

“I bet,” Jake laughed, shaking his head. He found the faction war a bit silly. According to Villy, it was partly manufactured by gods to drive growth through conflict, but for the average person, the animosity was very real.

“You should come by sometime,” Casper suggested casually. “They’ve been pestering me to invite you. Just fair warning: you’ll be swarmed by annoying sycophants trying to win your favor.”

“So, just another Tuesday?” Jake joked, having grown accustomed to such things.

“Right, I forgot. How could the honored Chosen of the Malefic Viper not be used to having people kiss his ass?” Casper replied sarcastically. “But hey, if you’re into that, I’m sure the Risen have plenty of people who would be happy to lick whatever you want.”

“No thanks,” Jake dismissed the idea. “Besides, I have a girlfriend now.”

“Oh, I see… wait, what?” Casper froze, staring at Jake in shock.

“I need details,” a voice came from behind Jake as the Unique Lifeform teleported his projection over.

“I thought we were talking about the dungeon?” Jake said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah, that can wait,” Minaga dismissed, staring intently at Jake.

“I agree,” Casper said, still looking surprised. “Wait, just to be clear, when you say girlfriend, you don't just mean a friend who is a girl? You mean an actual girlfriend?”

Jake nodded slowly, wondering if he should have brought it up. His relationship with Artemis wasn't public, and he usually kept quiet about it, but he had just let it slip without thinking.

In his defense, Casper was one of the few people he considered a friend from before the system, and part of him wanted to share the news. He hadn't really accounted for Minaga being there, though.

“I want to be clear: this stays between us. You two aren't telling anyone, got it?” Jake said, looking at them both seriously.

Casper nodded in understanding. As for Minaga…

“My lips are absolutely sealed,” he said with total sincerity.

“That doesn't mean much, considering you could just have another version of yourself named Minaga leak it and claim he had nothing to do with you,” Jake sighed.

Minaga looked offended for a second before sighing. “Fine… I promise on behalf of myself and every other version of me in the multiverse—past, present, and future, in every reality. If I lie or violate the spirit of this oath, may I be cursed to design nothing but underwater dungeons for all eternity.”

“That… was way more intense than I expected,” Jake muttered. He thought Minaga would keep joking, but it seemed the Unique Lifeform had been completely derailed by his curiosity about Jake’s personal life.

“I am dead serious,” Minaga said, without a trace of humor. “Now, stop stalling and give us the tea!”