The Primal Hunter Chapter 1259 - An Unpleasant Path

The multiverse held countless enigmas that remained unsolved. World Wonders lingered unexplored after dozens of eras, dungeons posed challenges too tough even for the mightiest gods to conquer, and regions in various universes brimmed with perils that only the boldest—or most foolish—creatures dared to venture into. This barely scratched the surface of the larger riddles, like whether any concept could ever be truly grasped or the reason behind the system's existence and the world's laws. And naturally, all matters tied to Records could fill a whole separate catalog on their own.

Yet the puzzle that baffled Jake right now appeared straightforward at first glance, though he suspected its solution would always slip away. He harbored some ideas, sure, but regardless of whom he questioned or what he accepted, nobody ever offered a clear response to this single query:

Why did Minaga act this way?

“... but you see, the minister of technology failed to get the funding due to the lobbying from the Elemental Mage Union, making many from the pro-technology faction get an unfavorable view of mages in general. With the national budget shrinking due to the failed war with the Southern Kingdoms, the Ministry of Technology becomes underfunded, sparking many protests. Many from the pro-technology faction believed the Aginian Empire should lean more into its affinity for technology and embrace Paths that merged the biological with the mechanical. Of course, this was not popular with certain political groups, especially considering how this message impacted the already dropping birth rates, leading to...”

Did Minaga strike Jake as improvising the whole tale right there? Not at all, and that fact only heightened the worry, since this Unique Lifeform had somehow kept rambling for over fourteen hours straight, spouting the most irrelevant backstory about an imaginary group.

Did hints of actual factions and occurrences pop up? Absolutely, yet Jake couldn't distinguish truth from invention, and frankly, fatigue had drained him too much to bother attempting it.

He'd aimed to simply meditate and restore his energy, but Minaga had embedded a basic awareness into the illusory head, allowing it to detect if they paid attention. The moment Jake tried slipping into meditation, Minaga politely noted he'd “wait for him” and then resumed without pause.

Consequently, Jake settled for passive recovery sans meditation, planted on the floor, genuinely absorbing every word from Minaga. Casper still appeared rough around the edges, yet signs of mending showed as the wounds across his form sealed up. Jake had already trickled a potion down the Risen's throat, enabling Casper to dive into meditation—a state he'd maintained for the past twelve hours.

Time dragged on with Jake offering nods to the endless narrative Minaga wove unnecessarily, and one he had no need to share with Jake. Still, Jake held back any gripes, recognizing it bought Casper precious recovery moments.

Once over a day had elapsed, Casper's eyes fluttered open at last. Grimacing from the ache, he tugged the wooden spike free from his torso, his face twisting in obvious agony throughout the process.

“How are you feeling?” Jake inquired of the Risen, managing to converse with Casper all while tuning into Minaga. Luckily for them both, the hovering Minaga head showed no issue with his listeners chatting among themselves.

“Like shit,” Casper replied honestly, glancing at the extracted stake before pulverizing it into fragments that scattered through the air.

“And Lyra?” Jake pressed. He realized that Casper's desperate move carried repercussions not only for him but for his spectral ally too. Indeed, from all Jake observed, Lyra stood to endure the worst of it.

“She’s... recovering,” Casper responded with a heavy exhale. “I told you before that I had a trump card that I really didn’t want to use. My Domain Skill is that trump card.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Jake agreed with a nod, pondering whether diverting brainpower to Minaga's lecture on how the revised tax laws in the Aginian Empire widened the wealth divide and fueled inflation, driving folks toward non-fighting roles to support their kin, was truly worthwhile.

“In some ways, I’m a bit envious of your Path,” Casper admitted, easing his eyelids shut. “I originally gained by embracing curses. I had a strong natural affinity to them, but the thing is, using curses isn’t exactly pleasant when you try to truly push yourself beyond your limits. To better understand the power of curses, the best thing I can do is to suffer from them myself, and I don’t exactly have positive memories associated with the power of my curses... with my misery only making the curse stronger. It’s a vicious cycle, forcing me to walk a tightrope between mental collapse and getting stronger.”

Jake stayed quiet while the Risen pressed on.

“Because Lyra has become one with me, she also suffers from the curses, and she is in the exact same situation as I am, with the two of us helping to balance each other out. What eventually became my Domain Skill was my attempt to create a small personal space for Lyra and me to practice in, where we could better control how the curse affected our psyches. A place where we could suffer together while supporting one another. Unfortunately, I failed and also ended up creating a skill even my teacher – an S-grade lich – told me I should avoid using before entering B-grade.”

“That... does sound like it sucks,” Jake murmured. He recognized his grasp on curses paled beside Casper's, remaining basic at most. The sole potent curse Jake commanded stemmed from Eternal Hunger. Moreover, empowering his curse simply involved nourishing it, achieved effortlessly through slaying foes.

In contrast, Casper needed to delve into and refine his curses independently. He drew forth curse energy from his core, rendering himself both host and container for the malediction. Jake enjoyed a buffer with Eternal Hunger keeping things apart.

“I’m not going to say it doesn’t suck at times, yet I also acknowledge that without it, I wouldn’t be able to fight for shit,” Casper said with a shrug, the gesture evidently hurting. “Curses are risky, and with risk comes power. What’s more, even the very powerful don’t truly understand curses, making them susceptible.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Jake affirmed with a nod. “Though there are also people who would be borderline immune to your curses.”

Casper eyed Jake and arched a brow. “Thanks for proving my point that people lack understanding of curses. You are far from immune; in fact, your cursed weapon would barely afford any defense if I attacked. It’s true that if I don’t actively try to circumvent your Sin Curse, it would help defend you, but unless you learn to actively control the curse at a level similar to mine, getting around it would be easy. In the same vein, if I want to target your weapon and amplify its curse, that’s also simple for me, as shown during plenty of our fights.”

“Huh,” Jake uttered. Indeed, upon reflection, Casper had demonstrated the ability to deliberately rouse Eternal Hunger's curse. Jake had never attempted resisting it, and now contemplating it, he doubted his success.

“Anyway... as I said, I would have preferred not to use that skill, but that fucking golem single-mindedly went only for me,” Casper grumbled, glaring at the suspended Minaga head still dissecting the tax code's repercussions.

“How long do you think it will take Lyra to recover?” Jake wondered aloud, wishing for a swift turnaround.

“I don’t know,” Casper replied, shaking his head while clutching the locket. “It’s not just me who has a natural affinity for curses. Lyra is the same... but her curse energy awakened right at the moment of her death. So, the best way to stimulate it is for her to experience death once more. I know she will return, but I’ve never used the Domain Skill before today, outside of the day when I unlocked it, so there are still some uncertainties.”

Jake gave a slow nod. “If it’s any consolation... your Domain Skill seemed pretty damn powerful.”

“Oh?” Casper responded with a faint grin. “Perhaps even powerful enough to take down the Chosen of the Malefic Viper?”

“Now you’re pushing it,” Jake laughed, shaking his head. Nor was it mere boasting.

The domain proved incredibly potent, no doubt, but Jake had begun spotting its vulnerabilities, and should he ever get ensnared within, he trusted his escape. Versus foes with lesser Perception unable to pierce its defects or brainless constructs like the golem, it rendered Casper nearly unbeatable—especially if they were dumb enough to strike his ethereal shape.

“Yeah, wouldn’t have expected it to,” Casper admitted, shaking his head. “But at least it got the job done. Lyra and I will need a lot of time to recover, though, and I’ll also need to re-craft a lot of materials I used to summon the domain in the first place. Again, it really wasn’t a skill I should have used while still a C-grade.”

Jake offered no words, merely sitting in quiet as Casper downed another spirit potion to ease his discomfort. The Risen's debilitated condition eclipsed typical backlash from overextending a boost skill. It fell short of the Sword Saint’s transcendence in severity, and with ample rest, Casper would pull through unscathed, but the ordeal clearly stung.

Casper settled in alongside Jake to endure Minaga's nonstop monologue. Jake braced for at least another full day of the chatter before Minaga wrapped up, yet mercifully, just a few more hours passed before the vital detail emerged.

“... so despite the economic challenges, the construction of the Grand Labyrinth Project was approved. Of course, the true purpose was hidden from the masses, and from the very beginning, it was all a plot by the Ministry of Technology and the Aginian Formations Guild to create a complex that could hide and empower the ancient artifact they had discovered. From their research, they knew this artifact would take a lot of energy to fully awaken, so they wanted to seal it in a hidden dimension here at the center of the Grand Labyrinth. There, it would be allowed to slowly accumulate energy with the help of the labyrinth itself. How, you might ask? Well, quite easily. Because this is not truly a labyrinth... It’s actually one giant magic circle!”

Excitement laced Minaga's shout as he delivered this bombshell, halting for long moments while Casper and Jake gawked silently at the projected visage of the Unique Lifeform overhead.

“I know, I know, it must be hard to contain your shock at this absolutely bonkers plot twist, but it’s true,” Minaga boasted, brimming with self-satisfaction. “Now, seeing as this entire speech – which I do plan on turning into an audiobook that will be rewarded to anyone who completes the dungeon – will only play if you actually complete the dungeon, I have a minor confession.”

A touch of sheepishness crossed the Unique Lifeform's features as he drew a deep breath. “I kind of didn’t get around to making this last part, where the entire Grand Labyrinth Formation would activate and the entrance to the final dungeon, where you’ll enter the hidden complex of the Aginian Empire. Oh, but trust me, it’ll be super awesome and really impressive, so take that into consideration when you give the final rating, okay?”

Jake and Casper exchanged glances before synchronized headshakes.

“I’ll just assume you agreed that holding such a minor lack of content over my head wouldn’t be fair. Anyway, where was I... alright, yeah, congratulations on doing the dungeon! No rewards! Woo, you two really impressed me. I totally didn’t believe you could do it! Oh, and I really hope that you both survived, because if not, this would be incredibly awkward...”

“Did he say no rewards?” Casper queried.

“But I’m sure you’re both fine and dandy, and you’ll both walk out of here with massive smiles on your faces from having had the best dungeon experience since Nevermore! Wait, that reminds me... now, where was it again... dungeon finish trigger, finish trigger... ah! There it was! See you soon!”

Those final words triggered a system alert before Jake and Casper, confirming their dungeon completion. As the notice appeared, Minaga's aerial projection vanished too, marking the true closure of the challenge.

Uncover the true purpose of the Grand Labyrinth’s construction

“Only ten minutes to leave?” Jake wondered.

“No, until it shuts down,” Casper corrected.

“Isn’t that too... wait,” Jake cut himself off, scanning the surroundings. “Minaga didn’t put in an exit, did he?”

“Doesn’t look like it,” Casper replied with a shrug, instantly wincing from the strain.

“So we’ll just have to wait ten minutes, and then we’re thrown out?” Jake mused. “I guess that works.”

“Yeah,” Casper agreed with a nod. “I’ll just take these few minutes to ensure I don’t totally embarrass myself when we get out of here.”

“Alright,” Jake acknowledged. “I also have something I would like to check.”

Casper inclined his head and shut his eyes as Jake mirrored him. Jake had largely bounced back from the boss encounter, though remnants of Arcane Awakening's drain persisted. Meditation would speed his renewal, but presently, two priorities outranked it. Primarily, Jake verified the dungeon's core goal was met, and yes, it shone there.

[Dungeon Pioneer XV] – Be the first to clear a dungeon suitable for your level. +195 all stats.

Jake had at last capped his Dungeon Pioneer title for C-grade. The stat boost wasn't overwhelming, but finishing it brought satisfaction. Given the tripling per evolution, B-grade would yield +81 to all stats each title level. His Nevermore title's 50% uplift would push it to 121 per level, and across five levels, the gains would stack impressively.

On the flip side, delaying dungeons would trap him earning D and C-tier title levels later. Upgraded titles' extra Records appealed, yet Jake truly figured they meant little to him. Beside heavy-hitters like his Nevermore titles or Sacred Prodigy, these Pioneer ones seemed trivial.

Even so, each increment mattered, and Jake craved optimal edges for his B-grade evolution. On that note...

Hitting level 349 in his class delivered another long-awaited perk. An element that could trip up evolution seekers or simply validate their Path's progress.

He referred, of course, to the Class Evolution Quest... and unlike before, this one transcended basic slaughter.