The Primal Hunter

Jake ran through the city toward the same formation circle they’d used to communicate with Ell’Hakan. He knew the message would soon arrive, and on the way there, he got word that the other Chosen had been in contact while Carmen was on her way to fetch Jake.

It really was time… and Jake would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous as fuck. Not just for if he did a good job, but if everything would work out.

Primordial-4 was the final stronghold of the Order of the Malefic Viper, and it was time for Jake to help land the final blow to the Viper’s reputation and fully exalt Yip of Yore as the hero and living legend he was… at least, that’s what it was supposed to look like. Yip of Yore would for sure roll with Jake’s words even if he performed terribly, welcoming the power boost.

Arriving at the mountain with the magic circle, Bobby was waiting there already, pacing back and forth making it evident he was as nervous as Jake. Jake saw that a few shamans were busy doing modifications to the circle for what was to come, giving Bobby some time to go over their plan once more the moment Jake and Carmen got to him.

“Alright, you’re here, good,” Bobby said with relief. “I have been in contact with Ell’Hakan and my Patron, and everything is ready on their end. You’ve probably noticed my fellow Valhal members at work, but don’t worry, they’ll be done shortly. The current modifications to the magic circle are to properly project you to the first universe using it but also to add a little something else. Before, it would entirely hide your aura and anything to do with it, but now, your aura should be on full display and even amplified on the other end of things. Identify should also work on you once you are projected. Naturally, other aspects, such as the volume of your voice, are also amplified so all can hear your words. I wouldn’t say I have stage fright… but admittedly, I would be pretty nervous if I had to stand on the stage you’re about to enter.”

Jake nodded, not really needing that last part to make him even more nervous. Alas, everything sounded like it was as it should be. “When do you think it’s go-time?”

“Once Gudrun initiates things on her end,” Bobby answered. “And that will be based on Yip of Yore and his actions. If nothing else, I’ll assume it will be at the most dramatic moment to get the greatest impact. A time where the highest number of influential figures are observing.”

Nodding once more, Jake took a deep breath. Spinning a story in front of Ell’Hakan had been hard enough, and now he had to do something similar in front of what was effectively the entire multiverse. At least for this one, he wouldn’t have to sell a lot of lies… in fact, the plan was to be nearly entirely truthful throughout, spreading the words of all the terrible things Villy had done to him while making it absolutely clear he held no faith toward the Viper.

It did feel a bit frightening to come out as a heretic in front of everyone, but he assumed the Viper had plans to handle the backlash once everything was over… of course, that also relied on the assumption that everything went according to plan.

Primordial-4. A planet that was simply given that name because it was a Great Planet in the first universe, the number holding no real meaning, as all Great Planets had been around from the very beginning of the system. The numbers were just there to distinguish them, with the name partly a homage to the Primordials and partly because Primordials tended to be in charge of the Great Planets in the first universe. At least they tended to control the majority of these individual planets, but with their sheer size, it was hard for a single faction to keep track of and rule everything.

Great Planets were simply so big it made no logical sense. Oceans the size of galaxies, deserts spanning tens if not hundreds of thousands of lightyears, mountains with more mass than the entire Milky Way Galaxy, trees taller than a dozen of Earth’s suns stacked atop one another… it was a scale not meant to be comprehended by mortal minds.

Because it was not a world made for mortals. It was a world made to be ruled by the gods. Somewhere where they could walk within the real universe, and with the appearance of god-level monsters – mostly mindless entities confined to certain areas and naturally spawned by the Great Planet – they were somewhere one could even see gods fight at times.

To really sell how impactful Great Planets were, barely any of their Planetary Cores had ever been turned into Planetary Pylons and claimed across the entire multiverse. It had happened, yes, but it was so rare only the real pinnacle factions had a chance to even attempt to claim one.

Primordial-4 was one such Great Planet that had an unclaimed Planetary Core. No one had been able to take it for all these eras, and for the longest time, it looked like no one ever would. The only ones who even had a chance to was the Order of the Malefic Viper, but they never made any moves, as quite frankly, they weren’t strong enough without their Primordial Leader to rule the entire Great Planet. Plus, the actual gains of claiming the Planetary Core weren’t that huge, and the investment required to do it would be utterly massive, enough to bankrupt all but a handful of factions.

However, there were some reasons to claim a Planetary Core and turn it into a Pylon, with the biggest being for protection. The Order had powerful barriers to defend its areas, yes, but compared to what a Planetary Pylon of a Great Planet would have offered, it was nothing. Plus, not truly owning the planet also made keeping track of everything more difficult, especially in a time of crisis where an attacking faction would run interference and disrupt communication.

The day Yip of Yore arrived with his forces on Primordial-4, many of the Order’s allies were attacked. Several were wiped out instantly as enemy gods descended. Others surrendered if given the chance; some were left alone as they were viewed as too risky to attack, and others were left alone because they simply weren’t worth attacking. It was viewed to be in bad taste to slaughter those significantly weaker, so the attackers didn’t bother with factions who didn’t even have gods among them, and even when they did attack, it wasn’t with the intention of wiping out everyone.

They just destroyed the buildings, symbolizing the faction’s power, as well as the leaders who ruled it, while instilling fear in every person who saw their actions. Meira’s clan was lucky that it didn’t have any powerful people in it and was placed rather isolated, resulting in no one laying a hand on them… but even if they had been a target, chances were they would have been left alone to try and keep Jake happy.

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This was not the first time the Order of the Malefic Viper had come under attack during the dozens of eras the Malefic Viper had been MIA. Far from it. Yet there was no doubt this was the largest and most powerful threat they had ever faced.

Branches could fall – and had fallen in the past. Allies could be wiped out. Gods could die. The entire Order could be under siege from all directions… yet the core had never fallen. The main base of the Order of the Malefic Viper had never let a single enemy lay a hand on the main structures. The vast underground cities were defended by barriers few gods had a chance to penetrate.

For ninety-two full eras, the Order of the Malefic Viper had their main base on Primordial-4, but today, Yip of Yore had arrived to challenge that. He had come for the Malefic Viper to kill a Primordial, but before that, he had to get through the final defenses of the Order and the powers that dwelled within… and the Lord Protector, who had been the end of all invaders who had dared to attempt to make history before.

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Dark clouds gathered over the Great Planet as over a thousand figures exited the void in unison. The vast Great Planet spread out beneath them as far as the eye could see, even with the Perception of gods. Below them lay a grand city that also marked the entrance to the underground complex, which was the true core of the Order of the Malefic Viper.

It was a city with a longer history than any of the gods there had been alive… well, any of them besides one.

Yip of Yore was naturally among this army of gods as he looked down at the Order. He had not come with the intention of destroying mortal’s homes or even getting rid of the city at all. Yip of Yore was a great fan of history, and he knew the Records such a city possessed. To destroy it would simply be a waste while claiming it as his own would be a boon.

“This seems like a good place to set roots once everything is over, doesn’t it?” Yip of Yore asked the inconspicuous god to his right.

“A good a place as any, if you’re fine with living somewhere with such messy karma,” the god responded, getting a few glares from the others around at his uncaring and seemingly disrespectful words, but Yip didn’t care.

“Not that long since we were here last either,” Yip continued, the other god shrugging as his form began to morph. The only thing that stayed unchanged was the eternal smile on his lips as he took the shape of an older man, all the other gods staring at the transformation now backing, many even bowing or cupping their hands in respect, with a few looking scared after having scowled earlier.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It was not,” Eversmile responded. “But I want you to remember, I am merely here as an observer this time around. A scribe to record all that happens and make sure the multiverse knows what happened here today.”

“That’s all I ask of you,” Yip responded, having mellowed down a lot before he spoke loudly. “No matter what happens, this will be the birth of a legendary tale for the multiversal history books. Aren’t we all lucky to be part of it?”

Cheers echoed throughout the sky, more than loud enough for those below to hear. It was all very much on purpose. A show for the audience that Yip of Yore felt observing them from all around. All eyes were on them – him – and he was more than willing to give them the performance of a lifetime… but it was yet to be his turn on stage quite yet.

Below, protected by the barrier, a few hundred gods stood. The so-called Hidden Ones who were no longer very hidden. Most of them were outcasts or those who didn’t fit in anywhere. Many of them were even individuals deemed enemies of too many major factions and used the Order as a form of refuge. The fact these were the gods who stood at the Malefic Viper’s side only made Yip of Yore’s job easier. No one else was stupid enough to protect vampires like that, knowing the enemies such an action would create.

Staring down at these gods no one would miss once gone, Yip smiled. “Then, my friends, let us not wait any longer. Let today mark the beginning of what shall define this new era. Let our actions become the founding legend of a future no longer solely ruled by the powers of old but one where the next generation can stand by their side as equals. Prove yourselves. Prove you have power that does not falter before the ancient ones.”

Energy surged all around him as the gods released it into the atmosphere. Their auras melded together and put pressure on the barrier below, making it shimmer. No one directly attacked yet, as the first blow would be the spark that started a slaughter, and Yip had yet to give that signal. Moreover, as mentioned, no one wanted to ruin the city. It was spoils of war, after all.

The fighting would come, but Yip knew most of the gods with him had already done their fair share. So had the gods below. Both sides had lost many, and now, their battle would be useless. It didn’t matter if they fought because the victor would be decided between Yip of Yore and the Malefic Viper no matter what happened.

Sure, there were Godqueens and Godkings aplenty among the Hidden Ones, but none of them were any threat to Yip of Yore. He had long surpassed the Circles of Divinity and gone beyond… and after this, he would reach an even higher level.

“Even now, your Primordial hides away. Cowering within his Divine Realm,” Yip spoke in a disappointed tone after a few minutes passed with nothing of substance happening as he was still waiting for all those who observed to have proper time to tune in. He was also waiting for another surprise for the Order that he would love to only show off at the right time.

“It’s a shame… but if you do not come out, we shall come in,” Yip said as he raised a hand. He still didn’t want to destroy the city… but breaking the barrier?

Power gathered within his palm as he pointed it downward. Reality itself compressed as a wave of massive force slammed into the barrier, making cracks form all over it.

“The next one is stronger,” he spoke again, as power gathered and-

Finally.

Half a dozen attacks arrived, sending nearly a hundred gods flying back, as below, what looked like a flower of flesh bloomed. Yip of Yore looked on as over a hundred hydra heads erupted toward the many gods in the air, seeking not to kill but push them back as the most powerful person in the Order – at least the most powerful for a good while – had shown himself.

The aura of the many gods was instantly washed out as Yip of Yore felt the power of another entity that had surpassed the Circles of Divinity. The Boundless Hydra, Lord Protector of the Order of the Malefic Viper, and the reason they had managed to survive for this long despite the absence of their true Patron.

As Yip watched, the protective barrier that defended the city was replaced with a wall of flesh as the Boundless Hydra wrapped around the entire city. He couldn’t see where the heads of the hydra originated from; all he knew was that there had to be hundreds of them in total and that they offered far better protection than some magical barrier.

“Aren’t you going to release that?” Eversmile asked, looking at Yip of Yore’s still glowing palm.

Yip of Yore simply returned the smile of the god as the light faded. “No, it would do much anyway.”

He had confidence in defeating the Lord Protector – naturally, he had – but he knew it wouldn’t be anything fast. He was not the target of Yip’s conquest and was incredibly powerful in his own right. Yip of Yore would win, yes, but he would waste a lot of energy in the process, and without using his preparations for the Viper, he wouldn’t be able to ensure the Boundless Hydra wouldn’t simply escape. The name Boundless also wasn’t for nothing… because Yip was genuinely unsure how one would end the life of a creature with seemingly infinite heads. Alas, it wasn’t something he needed to bother with.

“Then what will you do?” Eversmile asked.

“Nothing,” Yip of Yore smiled. “Because I’m not the one who’s gonna remove the Boundless Hydra as a factor.”

As if on cue… everyone stopped. The many heads of the hydra that attacked the gods in the sky and even the gods flying froze as the sound of a horn could be heard throughout this entire section of the Great Planet. With it, a wave of golden light exploded in the sky as a massive, equally golden gate appeared.

The gate slowly began to open as one would expect an entire army to walk through… but only a single man exited, a simple axe hoisted over his shoulder. No one could move as his utterly overwhelming aura washed over the Great Planet, announcing to all the arrival of Valdemar, the God of War.