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. After all, it stood to reason that a newly integrated universe would be overflowing with fresh dungeons waiting to be unearthed.

However, he harbored a bit of skepticism. This wasn't necessarily due to the location or the circumstances, but rather the individual pointing him toward it. The Viper took great pleasure in messing with Jake, and he had a nagging suspicion that this final dungeon was partially the snake god’s way of pulling his leg. Even though the Viper had utilized a brand-new teleportation circle to send him on his way, Jake couldn't shake that gut feeling.

That was precisely why Jake didn’t find it too surprising when he materialized not just in his home universe, but specifically on his home planet. Just as the Viper had hinted, he was greeted by a familiar face that immediately confirmed the snake god was a total liar—the dungeon he was about to tackle wasn't a natural occurrence, but a project meticulously crafted by a hyper-active dungeon designer.

Opening his eyes, Jake found himself staring straight at a wooden stage draped in curtains. There wasn't another soul in sight, which clearly indicated that whatever performance was about to happen was intended solely for him.

Sensing Jake’s arrival, the curtains parted. To his surprise, it wasn't the Unique Lifeform he expected, but someone else entirely.

“Casper?” Jake blurted out, stunned to see his former colleague who had since become a Risen.

“Yo,” the undead man replied, offering a lazy wave with zero flair for drama.

“No, no, no! Stick to the script!” the person Jake had actually expected to see suddenly screamed. “Ahem, let’s take it from the top.”

The drapes snapped shut instantly. Jake stood there for a few moments, letting out a soft sigh. Five seconds later, the curtains opened again, revealing Casper still standing there with the same flat expression.

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

“Must you deliver it in the most monotonous, deadpan voice possible?” Minaga barked, interrupting the visibly bored Casper. “Inject some life into the role! Give me some energy!”

“I can’t,” Casper argued. “I’m dead. Life energy isn't exactly something I have.”

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

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

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

“Tell it to the judge,” Jake said, looking on with profound disappointment. “Now, since I’m already here, why don't you show me the facilities and let me perform an unscheduled inspection of your project?”

“That was literally the point of the play,” Minaga’s voice boomed, sounding genuinely dejected.

“Then carry on with your show,” Jake said, nodding toward Casper. “Though, I obviously can’t allow this man to participate after witnessing the atrocious work environment he’s been forced to endure.”

“True, that would be highly unethical,” Casper agreed. Without hesitation, he teleported up to the slightly elevated platform where Jake stood overlooking the stage.

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

“It’s amusing that you think I won’t follow through,” Minaga remarked. In the next breath, his words took form as a projection of the Unique Lifeform appeared on the stage below. He cleared his throat and spoke with a booming voice. “Welcome, welcome, welcome! To the spectacular pre-launch of the-“

“Aren’t those lines different?” Jake whispered to Casper.

“Definitely not what was on my script,” the Risen replied with a shake of his head.

“It’s called improv, and if Casper had actually bothered to read the script, he would know it was encouraged,” Minaga said, crossing his arms defiantly.

“And he’s right 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 vision by forcing me to follow the text,” Casper pointed out brilliantly.

“Very true,” Jake nodded solemnly.

“As I was trying to say, welcome to the pre-launch of my latest masterpiece,” Minaga continued, making a conscious effort to ignore his critics. “This event is merely a small taste of the larger mega-dungeon, which shall be titled Minaga’s Glorious Labyrinth of Engaging Exploration.”

“We are definitely not calling it that,” Jake whispered.

“Miranda already vetoed it,” Casper whispered back.

“In another brilliant display of ingenuity, this dungeon utilizes the fact that it is comprised of multiple cores, allowing me to create something truly magnificent,” 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 isn't a brand-new concept, I believe this is its finest iteration. The Labyrinth features a single main entrance, but from there, multiple dungeons can be accessed internally. Each varies in size and complexity, but they all share a central theme and, most importantly, a consistent narrative thread that binds them together!”

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

“Allow me to paint the picture. First, one arrives at the outskirts of the Great Labyrinth itself. The area is swarming with 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 stepping inside and glancing to the side, you see it: a second dungeon entrance.”

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

“However, as you investigate further, you realize there isn't just one other entrance… that’s right, the Great Labyrinth is actually composed of several dungeons! Three, in fact, with each increasing in difficulty. The first features early and mid-tier C-grades, the second contains mid and some late-tier C-grades, and the final one is populated exclusively by late to peak-tier C-grades.”

Jake nodded along, waiting for the Unique Lifeform to reach the interesting part. Jake didn't have much use for C-grade enemies anymore, but based on his prior discussions with Minaga about this project, he expected something more.

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

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

Minaga, pretending he hadn't heard Casper, pushed forward:

“Now, this is where the narrative context comes in. There is a whole theme centered around discovering the architects of the Grand Labyrinth. This fifth dungeon explores that mystery because, upon entering the magic circle, one is transported back to the past—to a time when the Grand Labyrinth was still under construction.”

“So, you’re just reusing assets,” Jake muttered.

“There are absolutely no reused assets. This fifth dungeon covers the entirety of the Grand Labyrinth and the surrounding lands. Furthermore, you’ll find that in the past, the world was saturated with far more energy, and the civilization building the Labyrinth was significantly more powerful than the current inhabitants… because this is a dungeon where only B-grades reside.”

Jake’s interest was finally piqued. This was the part he actually cared about. Setting aside the story context, Jake was thrilled to hear it wasn't just a few B-grades, but an entire dungeon of them for him to hunt.

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

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

“Yes, you there.”

“Is this fifth dungeon the final one?” Jake inquired. He doubted the Unique Lifeform would stop there if he had more ideas, but he wanted to know if there was more to look forward to in the B-grade tier.

“No spoilers,” Minaga said, shaking his head. “But I can say that the Grand Labyrinth might have been constructed for a purpose far greater than initially suspected… a purpose that can only be revealed by clearing the fifth dungeon! Though, I’m not entirely sure you’ll be able to manage it, as the final boss is quite formidable.”

“Sounds like a challenge,” Jake said with a smile. He didn't rule out the possibility that the Unique Lifeform was underestimating him, but he fully intended to clear it. He needed that Dungeon Pioneer title upgrade, and failing to finish this would just mean he'd have to find another dungeon elsewhere.

“It will definitely be a challenge!” Minaga declared proudly before turning serious. “The entire complex is nearing completion, but there are still final touches I need to handle. If everything stays on track, we should be ready for a grand opening in about a year!”

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

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

“I’ll certainly reach out to her for everything needed to make this the biggest celebration the planet has ever seen!” Minaga said enthusiastically. Noticing Jake’s wandering gaze, the Unique Lifeform addressed his thoughts. “The city is a bit quiet right now, but it will be bustling once we open! For now, there isn't much to do here, and other cities—especially the new settlements appearing across the globe—have been recruiting heavily to expand.”

“Miranda has been pushing expansion across the planet very hard lately,” Casper explained. “Spreading out the Pylons gives her more control and better insight into global events, and she wants to utilize all the new space Earth has. If you haven't noticed, the planet has become massive thanks to the system.”

“Yeah,” Jake nodded, lost in thought. As he grew more powerful, the world seemed smaller, especially after seeing Great Planets and Yggdrasil. Earth felt tiny by comparison. However, compared to its pre-system state, Earth was now roughly the size of the sun—a staggeringly large world with enough surface area for trillions of people.

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

“We did,” Casper confirmed. “Both sides are still a bit uneasy about it, which makes sense. We are undead, after all. But I think it’s a win-win, and the fact that we have a foothold here while the Holy Church was kicked out is a huge middle finger to them. The higher-ups are quite pleased.”

“I bet,” Jake chuckled. He still thought the feud between the factions was a bit ridiculous. According to Villy, it was a manufactured conflict designed to drive growth, but that only mattered to the gods. For regular people, the animosity was very real.

“You should drop by,” Casper said casually. “They’ve been pestering me to invite you. Just a heads-up, though: you’ll be swarmed by annoying sycophants looking to get on your good side.”

“So, business as usual then?” Jake laughed, already accustomed to that treatment.

“Right, I forgot. How could the honored Chosen of the Malefic Viper not be used to people kissing his ass?” Casper said sarcastically. “But seriously, if you’re into that, I’m sure the Risen have plenty of people who would be thrilled to lick you wherever you want.”

“No thanks,” Jake dismissed the idea. “Besides, I’ve got a girlfriend now.”

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

“Details, please!” a voice suddenly came from behind Jake as Minaga’s projection teleported over.

“I thought we were discussing the new dungeon?” Jake said, arching an eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah, that can wait,” Minaga said, waving him off while staring intently at him.

“Agreed,” Casper added, still looking surprised. “Wait, just to be clear, when you say 'girlfriend,' you don't just mean a friend who is a girl, right? You mean a romantic girlfriend?”

Jake nodded slowly, wondering if he’d made a mistake by bringing it up. His relationship with Artemis wasn't public, and he usually kept it quiet, but he’d let it slip without much thought.

In his defense, Casper was one of the few people Jake had considered a friend since before the system, and he’d felt like sharing the news. He hadn't really accounted for Minaga being right there, though.

“Look, this needs to stay between us. You two aren't telling anyone, understood?” Jake said, giving them a serious look.

Casper nodded in understanding. As for Minaga…

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

“See, that doesn't mean much, because you could just have another version of yourself named Minaga leak the news and then claim he had nothing to do with you,” Jake sighed.

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

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

“I am dead serious,” Minaga said, his voice devoid of any humor. “Now, stop stalling and give us the gossip!”