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

“I recall mentioning that the first era lacked Tutorials and similar structures,” Villy remarked, settling back into his seat. “However, I don’t believe I ever detailed the specifics of how that initial integration unfolded, did I?”

“I’ll take a guess and say it wasn’t much different from what the monsters on Earth experienced,” Jake countered.

The snake god shifted his gaze toward Jake, let out a laugh, and shook his head. “Man, I suppose at their core, they were similar? But in reality, things didn’t go nearly that smoothly back then.”

Villy appeared deeply entertained as he began describing the first integration. “Picture an entire universe being overwhelmed by the system in a single heartbeat. From one second to the next, the fundamental laws of reality shift, mana displaces almost every other form of energy, and the world is terraformed to align with the system’s requirements. For your universe, this was a process that lasted the entire Tutorial… but in my era, the bulk of it occurred in just a few hours.”

Jake struggled to even visualize such a catastrophe as the snake god pressed on.

“As space expanded, cities were demolished; some were literally split in half as new landmasses surged up between them. Exotic energy sources manifested, transforming various regions into zones of certain death. If you were unlucky enough to be in one of those spots during the integration, you’d better hope that the first surge of energy granted you the power to survive your new surroundings. Spoiler: for most, it didn’t. It was an absolute shitshow that triggered world-ending natural disasters across the cosmos. You should be grateful the system learned its lesson from those early days.”

“Point taken,” Jake replied quietly, his mind returning to his initial inquiry. “So things were even more chaotic for the Neurotar, then?”

“Yes and no,” Villy answered, pausing to reflect. “Yes, they were in a bad spot because they were an incredibly widespread race, spanning whole galaxies with a population in the quadrillions. However, they were also a race that the system looked upon with favor. Something that might shock you is that the Neurotar weren’t strictly a single species, even if they identified as one. For instance, the individual you saw me talking to was actually categorized as a monster by the system.”

“But that guy looked pretty humanoid,” Jake noted.

“He did, but he wasn’t considered enlightened,” the snake god clarified with a shake of his head. “To be specific, the Neurotar were technically an enlightened race, but many of their members didn’t qualify as such by the time the system integration hit. Their technological prowess had reached such profound heights that they had long ago abandoned their natural forms. They had pushed body modification and physical alterations to such an extreme that the system viewed many Neurotar as being closer to golems or elementals than the enlightened beings they started as.”

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

“The system usually goes with that solution now, but you’re truly underestimating the Neurotar. The one I was working with lacked even a single trace of biological matter—at least, nothing he was born with. He’d swapped his organs for a strange liquid metal he called picomachines; he didn't have a brain, and his entire existence was essentially that of a golem or elemental. Furthermore, because the system aimed to keep him functional during the initiation, it had to flood him with energy, causing him to instantly hit C-grade. And just so we’re clear, he wasn't some unique outlier.”

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

“It was more lenient in those days, but that doesn’t mean the old tech functioned after the integration,” the Viper explained. “And it wasn't just because of intentional sabotage by the system. All technology requires energy, so what happens when the nature of that energy shifts? When the laws governing energy production are warped? The system doesn't hate technology; it’s just that its rules still apply. Even if the Neurotar’s weapons still worked, they wouldn't be very useful, as they’d require users who were already too powerful to need them.”

“But the system still permitted the Neurotar’s internal tech to function,” Jake pointed out.

“Because they still possessed souls, and that technology had become an integral part of them,” Villy said. “Even if they were completely synthetic, their souls remained. Thus, the system supported their continued life by adapting their modified bodies to function within its framework as seamlessly as possible. It just so happened that this adaptation made them incredibly powerful right from the start.”

“Weren’t they still in a lot of trouble, though?” Jake mused. “Their travel and communication networks must have been destroyed.”

“Oh, absolutely. That was their biggest problem. The Neurotar relied heavily on a super-advanced version of your internet that linked them across the stars using methods I never cared to understand. Being severed from that network caused total chaos. All their warp gates and travel methods failed, leaving every planet isolated. Still, this only briefly delayed their rise to power in the new world. Despite losing most of their tech, their massive population and immense intelligence allowed them to quickly reconstruct their empire and reach out to neighboring worlds. The rest is history; they reestablished themselves and became stronger than ever, eventually being recognized as the dominant faction of the first universe. By the time of the vision you saw, they already had members at or near the peak of S-grade and had expanded across the cosmos.”

“Hearing all this makes me wonder how they aren't still around,” Jake remarked. “If they had such a massive lead and were that strong, how did they fail to produce a god? And even without a god, how did they get wiped out? I assume Rigoria was responsible, but it’s hard to imagine one god erasing a race that spanned an entire universe so easily.”

“You’re right that Rigoria was the source of their downfall, but the truth is they never had a future to begin with,” the Viper sighed. “Their greatest asset was also their fatal flaw. Their immense power could be boiled down to one word: unity.”

The Viper took a sip of his beer before continuing. “The Neurotar shared everything. They utilized telepathic links to exchange discoveries and maintained a collective network. This allowed every member to grow stronger and fostered incredible cooperation, but can you guess the downside?”

“It ruined their Records,” Jake muttered.

“Exactly,” the Malefic Viper smiled. “It wasn't enough to completely halt their Paths, but I believe it was the primary reason they could never produce a god. They lacked individuality. They didn’t view their Paths as something that belonged to them personally; instead, they saw them as just another brick laid to strengthen their faction.”

“So they attempted to create Rigoria,” Jake said, familiar with that piece of lore.

“Indeed,” the Viper nodded. “Partially because of me, actually. Even after ascending to godhood, I was a bit of a terror, taking vengeance on plenty of people and groups I’d clashed with before my ascension. I wasn't the only one. As more Primordials rose, the Neurotar realized they were falling behind. They panicked as our feats highlighted their own relative weakness. Rigoria was their attempt to manufacture a god for protection. I can't say they succeeded in the way they intended, but their efforts led to Rigoria’s ascension. You can ask Rigoria for the specific details one day. Not every story is mine to tell.”

Jake went quiet, weighing the Viper's words. He decided not to push for more, knowing the snake god had shared his limit. “So, their unity gave them the strength to rule, but it also guaranteed their stagnation? They traded the individual spark needed for true ascension for collective power.”

Villy nodded, a somber expression crossing his features. “Precisely. In chasing collective might, they discarded the very thing that makes true ascension possible.”

“I guess that was a valuable lesson for the factions that followed,” Jake sighed. “Though I wonder if the Holy Church is heading toward the same trap.”

“No, they are quite careful. They encourage people to find their own Paths and foster individuality in those with the potential for godhood,” the Viper said, shaking his head. “But yes, they certainly learned from the Neurotar. So did the system. It’s no accident that no faction since the first universe has achieved that level of technological dominance. The system has become much more wary of pre-system tech. However, as your void-walking friend can confirm, technology-based Paths are still very much 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 even working with the Neurotar back then?”

“That... is another secret for another time,” the Viper chuckled. “Let’s just say our collaboration was mutually beneficial for a while. However, the Neurotar were beings of pure logic who saw every interaction as a transaction. If it helped their faction, they did it, regardless of the cost. I won’t claim I wasn’t ruthless, but the Neurotar enslaved and conquered countless worlds just to harvest resources for expansion. When they were in a hurry, they’d strip-mine entire planets, killing everyone on them as collateral damage without a second thought. Caring about other races didn't serve the Neurotar’s interests.”

“Maybe it’s for the best that Rigoria wiped them out,” Jake said, only half-joking.

“Not many people complained,” the Viper shrugged. “Anyway, was there anything else you wanted to know?”

“I think that’s it,” Jake said, before remembering: “Wait, actually, about my dragon hunt... did you find a target?”

The Viper grinned. “Oh, I found one. And let me tell you, she’s quite a handful...”

--

Miyamoto’s eyes snapped open as he surveyed his surroundings. He was standing in a vast, empty void, or so it seemed until he noticed something far off in the distance.

It appeared to be a small cluster of trees and plants, a tiny hill with a cave, and various other objects that seemed out of place. With nothing else to explore, he began walking toward the anomaly.

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

The hill's cave expanded, revealing veins of ore that were promptly mined and stacked outside. Once the ore was gone, the cave crumbled, and the entire hill sank into the earth until it vanished.

Miyamoto maintained his pace, watching the transformation. He realized that the passage of time was tied to his own movement; he could accelerate or slow the process by changing his tempo. Keeping a steady walk, he watched as the trees were debarked, the timber sliced into planks, cured, and refined. Most of the wood was discarded, but the choice pieces were assembled into a table where the hill had once been, followed by two chairs.

The ore was smelted into bars and forged into various metal implements that were set upon the table. Clay and sand were pulled from the ground where the hill had stood, then fired into mugs.

Countless scenes unfolded simultaneously, too many for the Sword Saint to track, but he understood the final result. As he reached the destination, he stood before a table set with two mugs and several partially finished clocks scattered nearby.

When he was only a few feet away, a figure materialized. The Sword Saint stopped and bowed with cupped hands. “I greet my Patron.”

Aeon, unaffected by the shifting reality, walked to the table carrying a metal carafe that smelled of fresh coffee. “Yes, yes. Come, sit down.”

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

Facing his Patron, the Sword Saint waited for the Primordial to speak. He waited as Aeon took a long sip of coffee and breathed a sigh of satisfaction before finally looking at Miyamoto.

“You shouldn’t let the progress of others make you feel rushed,” Aeon said softly. “That isn’t your Path.”

The Sword Saint remained silent, offering only a nod. He knew he shouldn't force his growth due to outside pressure, yet it remained a challenge.

Sylphie had grown significantly stronger after her time at the Vortex Pinnacle offshoot. The Forest King was gaining power daily, seemingly without limit. He’d heard that even Carmen was nearing B-grade. And then there was Jake—someone he preferred not to dwell on. He only knew that Jake possessed terrifying secrets, which were made clear when he protected them in the void. It all left the Sword Saint feeling… inadequate. He felt unworthy of the title he claimed.

Aeon sighed, seemingly reading his blessed’s thoughts. “You aren't yet capable of forcing the seasons to change. For now, simply experience them.”

The Sword Saint bowed his head again. “I will take your words to heart.”

“You will do more than that,” Aeon said, pausing dramatically to finish his coffee. “Strive to be truly one with your Path. Remember your nature. 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…”

“Broaden your perspective,” Aeon said calmly. “The Viper’s Chosen is formidable, but do not sell yourself short. And remember: throughout history, Transcendent Skills have always been the natural counters to extraordinary Bloodlines. This depends on the skill’s power and nature, of course. While I admit the Viper’s Chosen has one of the finest Bloodlines in existence, the same can be said for your Transcendent Skill. You simply need to realize its full potential.”

The Sword Saint was silent. Before he could respond, Aeon dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Now, go back and keep working. And, assuming you don’t fail me, contact me before you evolve to B-grade. I intend to make you my Chosen.”

Miyamoto’s eyes went wide. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come before he found himself back in his courtyard on Earth. He sat there for a long time, reflecting on the encouragement from his Patron, before finally smiling and shaking his head.