The Primal Hunter Chapter 995: A Grand Scheme

The conflict between the Viper and Yip of Yore was beginning to enter its later phases, pushed forward by recent happenings, and as any good schemer, the Viper had adapted to the situation.

In truth, Jake really didn’t want to do more schemes to get one over Ell’Hakan, but he was caught between a rock and a hard place. While he didn’t want to be a schemer, the Viper sure did, and it was a good thing Jake had talked to Villy because if he had just gone with his plan of attacking Ell’Hakan, it could have messed with Villy significantly. Especially if Jake succeeded.

Jake didn’t really want to do anything that could mess with the Viper… especially not when he felt shitty about the entire situation with Palate, and he felt like he owed the god a massive favor. So, despite not being a fan of not just taking the simplified approach of putting an arrow in Ell’Hakan’s skull, he would go along with whatever the Viper wanted. Assuming the plan didn’t suck, that is.

”I’m not sure I’ll like whatever you’re about to suggest, but sure. Shoot,” Jake said.

the Viper said before he continued.

”No, not really,” Jake shrugged. ”You don’t seem like the kind who would bother forcing someone into servitude that way. Seems inefficient, and I doubt anyone like me would ever take that lying down, making it seem childishly evil.”

the Viper said.

the Viper explained.

”And he then told Yip of Yore?”

Villy confirmed.

”At this point, I’m still not sure if that guy is a friend or foe…” Jake muttered.

”I would prefer if it was,” Jake sighed, finding all of this scheming incredibly tiring. He wanted to ask more about if the Viper would really be fine, but held himself back as he returned to the topic before. ”Anyway, you want me to come out as a heretic or what?”

Villy said, Jake knowing he was grinning evilly on the other side before really laying out his plan:

Jake listened, looking for any obvious plot holes as he did point one out: ”Why wouldn’t you just retract your Blessing or outright kill me?”

”Fair enough,” Jake muttered, motioning for the Viper to continue to spin his story, gladly accepting the compliment.

Jake had to admit the Viper had clearly been thinking about this a lot, or maybe he was just making stuff up on the spot, but Jake found himself nodding along as he imagined what he would have done if Villy turned out to be an utter dickhead. He didn’t want to hurt his own Path, so renouncing the Viper entirely and joining Valhal didn’t seem that appealing, but making the Viper’s Path his own by usurping it? That would result in Jake losing pretty much nothing outside the powerful backing of a Primordial, something he would instantly replace with Valhal.

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”Of course, being an aspiring Usurper doesn’t directly make you an ally of Yip of Yore or Ell’Hakan. Your interests just temporarily allign, so it makes sense you remain cautious of the other Chosen, especially seeing as you are still competing. You switching to wanting to be all buddy-buddy with him wouldn’t make any sense, but showing a bit of restraint until your Patron is dealt with? That you can do. Afterward, you will leave with Valhal, who also only has a temporary alliance with Yip of Yore. In other words, you’re not allying or forming any positive relations with your opponents; you’re just selfishly using them to fulfill your own goal of being free of me and usurping my Path. What’s more, none of your emotions should you encounter Ell’Hakan would be wrong. He is no mind reader, and your feeling of dislike is only to be expected. You clearly don’t like him, and this won’t change that, and you will continue to restrain yourself until the situation between Yip and I is dealt with.”

Again, Jake didn’t find any obvious flaws in what the Viper planned, though he would still be very cautious around the other Chosen. None of them truly understood Ell’Hakan’s Bloodline, and while Jake didn’t think it was some perfect sniffer of schemes that could instantly determine Jake was up to something, he didn’t see the need to risk meeting the guy if he could avoid it.

”Alright, let’s just say I’m all on board so far… why the hell would they believe this tall tale? Also, you said I would be a heretic, but it doesn’t sound like I’ll actually reveal my identity as a heretic. Thought a part of your plan was to have this entire shocking reveal where I suddenly switched to fully unleashing my inner heretic aura,” Jake pointed out.

the Viper said, enjoying this far more than someone who was currently in a deathly conflict with another pinnacle god.

”I assume you would let me know?”

Villy said in a cheerful tone, as he seemed to be enjoying how his scheme was coming together.

”Still haven’t touched on why they would believe everything if I don’t even reveal myself as a heretic,” Jake once more pointed out.

the Viper said, continuing to explain his dastardly plan.

”Oh, I thought I could shit-talk you at all times already,” Jake joked with a smile.

Villy definitely smirked on the other end.

”You know, I’m about fifty-fifty on if you actually did poison me or you are referring to something else,” Jake muttered.

Villy reminded him.

Jake had a wry smile as the god kept going.

”Man, all this is actually starting to sound pretty solid,” Jake said, nodding thoughtfully. ”Maybe you’re onto something with this entire betraying you thing. Becoming a Usurper does sound kind of fun. I should ask Carmen if we can make this thing with Valhal official and unite to take down the evil snake god and his cult.”

Villy said jokingly before turning a bit more serious.

”When you say shit like that, it makes it really fucking hard not to ask if you really got this handled,” Jake said with a sigh as he prompted the Viper to continue. ”What’s the big final twist, then? How are we going to reveal that we bamboozled Yip of Yore and Ell’Hakan all along before crushing them both with their power weakened from breaking their narrative?”

the Viper said.

”… isn’t that the point of all this?” Jake asked, now genuinely confused. ”To make Ell’Hakan and Yip of Yore believe in some false narrative that we can then show has been manufactured by us, making them look like complete and utter morons while weakening them in the process as their story falls apart?”

Villy answered.

”You want Yip to grow stronger?” Jake asked. Sure, he was all for making opponents harder to beat to get a good challenge out of it, but the Viper hadn’t struck him as that kind of person…

Villy confirmed.

”But getting stronger is easy or what?” Jake questioned, feeling like that bullshitter’s abilities were really way too damn overpowered.

the Viper continued explaining.

”You know, I’m beginning to wonder… what exactly are getting out of all this?” Jake asked, having wondered this for a while. ”Why do you want him to grow stronger?”