The Primal Hunter

The Lord Protector observed the sky as the aura of the human recognized as the War God bore down on him. The pressure was intense, but he did not submit despite the evident power difference. He was the final vanguard of the Order of the Malefic Viper, and as long as his master had yet to make his appearance, the Boundless Hydra was responsible for ensuring none would cause their members harm.

Dealing with Yip of Yore was already a matter the Lord Protector wasn’t confident in, but now, even as it looked even more hopeless, he decided to go on the offensive. Hundreds of heads emerged from the living barrier and flew toward the many gods and Valdemar himself. Yip of Yore simply looked down as Valdemar smiled as he lifted his axe.

“This is not your fight, Guardian,” his words echoed as he lowered his weapon slowly. The hundreds of heads were instantly crushed as the Lord Protector felt the shockwave from the impact permeating through his entire body. It hadn’t done any real damage, as losing a few hundred heads meant nothing… however…

I shall-

“You’ve done enough, Snappy,” a voice suddenly echoed in the Lord Protector’s mind. The comforting words of his master. As these words were spoken, a lone figure appeared in the air between the Boundless Hydra and the attackers, emanating an aura surpassing that of the Lord Protector by a fair margin.

“Quite rude to come knocking without a proper invitation,” the Malefic VIper spoke in a confident tone as Valdemar retracted his own aura. The Viper’s words were addressed at not just Yip of Yore, but Valdemar and everyone else present.noveldrama

The Lord Protector observed his master as he sighed internally, trying to squash the insecurities in his heart. For so many eras, he had trusted the Malefic Viper to handle things… what was one more time?

The Malefic Viper basked in the auras of the many gods who looked down upon him. He saw Eversmile stand next to Yip of Yore, aware the god would not interfere personally. He was the kind to prefer indirect involvement, after all.

No, as the Viper said, the Lord Protector had done enough, and from here on out, it was all on the Malefic Viper.

“To think you’d come out on your own… I’ll admit, I’d assumed we’d have to drag you out of your little hole by causing a bit of damage first,” Yip of Yore spoke as the Viper felt himself be measured up. “Almost admirable for you to come out and save your pet hydra.”

“Or perhaps I’m just tired of dealing with this annoying rat that’s been gnawing at my ankles for a few years now,” the Viper shot back as he shook his head. “You’re far from the first who’s come here, trying to make themselves a Primordial Slayer, and I wonder where you got this much confidence from… but I guess arrogance is a trait of the young.”

Truthfully, the Viper saw little meaning in all this grandstanding and bantering, but he knew it was important for the story being told. What good villain wouldn’t act a bit like an asshole when confronted? And it was for certain that Villy was the villain of this story, a role he embraced wholeheartedly as it quite frankly fit him far better than that of the hero.

“It’s also a common trait for them to be daring,” Yip of Yore responded as he launched into yet another annoying speech. “For them to be willing to do what none has truly dared to do before. To go where none have gone before. Look beyond the status quo and what the older generation believes is impossible. For too long has it been an assumption that the Primordials are infallible beings, unreachable by all. The Truth? All you have is age. For the Primordials who’ve continued to struggle and continued to reach for more power, I understand why they maintain respect… but you? You’re just a relic of old, coasting on the reputation of those who were once your peers.”

There was nothing new in his words, yet they still bore repeating due to the expanded audience this time around. The Viper could vividly see the conceptual energy gathering all around Yip of Yore. The many skills were working in concert, empowering him to act his role as the hero.

Even now, he had reached a level few gods ever could… and he was only growing stronger as his momentum would soon peak.

“Don’t get me wrong, if you had been a force for good and used your reputation to make the multiverse a better place, things would be different. But what did you do? What have you done since your return? The moment you stopped hiding away, you became a tyrant. You killed weaker gods and had your faction expand, crushing anyone indiscriminately who dared stand in your way. For so many eras, the Order of the Malefic Viper had been a mostly peaceful organization that kept to itself, and only with your return did they return to being the force for evil they were back then and have become once. To me, it seems like the Order of the Malefic Viper was better without the Malefic Viper.”

“I am the Order of the Malefic Viper,” Vilastromoz shot back. “Yet you are coming here, spouting nonsense to justify making a move on me just to prove that you are a strong boy in front of all your little pals. Pals that will only end up dying alongside you once you realize how big of a mistake you’ve made.”

“Mistake, huh? Let me ask you, what is the meaning of having power in the first place? Why have a faction?” Yip of Yore asked, clearly not looking for an answer as he answered it himself. “For the longest time, I saw no meaning in having a faction. I didn’t need one because I didn’t have a good reason to have one… but you inspired me. I knew you were a negative influence in the multiverse from the very beginning, a being of death and destruction that should be put in the same camp as Plague Spirits and cursed creatures. When such a fundamentally evil creature controls a faction, the faction becomes a force for evil, so I asked myself why I couldn’t make a faction that was the exact opposite. A force for good in the multiverse.”

The Viper kept quiet, allowing the guy to keep ranting with his long masturbatory speech.

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“I asked you what the meaning of getting more power was. For you, it seems to be able to continue getting away with evil. I found my answer, too. It’s to make sure beings like you cannot roam free and keep destroying everything in their Path. You’ve done so many horrible things I cannot even begin to cover them all. Today, that will all end. If no one else is willing, I’ll become the force for good that counteracts your evil, and if need be, show the Order that there is another way than following someone like you.”

“Such confidence for someone hiding behind two other Primordials while claiming he is here to prove he’s equal to a Primordial,” Vilastromoz scoffed, playing into his role. “Or is this your definition of good? To have others do your dirty work while you take all the credit?”

“I’m not here to fight you,” Valdemar spoke, his words almost having a physical weight to them. “I’m here to ensure the duel between you two happens and that no one else interferes. That’s the term of my promises.”

These words were clearly directed at Snappy, telling him not to get involved. Vilastromoz did feel a bit bad about leaving Snappy in the dark, but it was truly for the best. The Viper knew his Lord Protector would act accordingly even if he weren’t told what to do.

“And Eversmile?” the Viper continued.

“Just here to observe and document,” the Primordial of Karma said in a calm tone. “This is not my battle. Instead, view it as a chance to prove you are still worthy of the title of Primordial… or if twelve shall become eleven.”

“A chance indeed,” Yip of Yore followed up to reclaim the flow of conversation. Or maybe because he really liked to hear himself talk? Either way, it didn’t matter much. “How does it feel? Knowing that even your fellow Primordials are doubtful if you’re truly one of them?”

“Funny, I don’t remember the title of Primordial being dependent on others recognizing you as one,” Vilastromoz scowled. “It does sadden me that they are willing to side with a new upstart, and it makes me question their judgment… but alas, that’s something we can settle later. Once I’ve dealt with you, we have an eternity for them to make up for their failure in properly assessing the situation, after all.”

“What I find funny is that you believe anyone is willing to put up with you anymore. Nearly as funny as you thinking you are walking away from this. Actually, tell me, how many of your so-called loyal Hidden Ones have abandoned you the moment things got tough? How many allies have turned their back? From what I see, the only ones who remain are those with no choice or other evil entities who share your wicked worldview,” Yip of Yore continued as he paced back and forth.

“Face it, everyone is abandoning you. They can feel the winds of change blowing through the multiverse. They can see that you are a withered husk of what you once were. Your isolation has only made you more bitter and cruel… you are so pathetic you can’t even keep your own Chosen loyal.”

This was it. The thing the Viper and so many others had been waiting for. The trump card Yip of Yore had prepared to truly show how far the Malefic Viper had fallen. Rumors had always made their rounds in the multiverse that the Chosen of the Malefic Viper and Valhal had entered some kind of agreement in the mostly closed-off ninety-third universe. No one knew the exact details of this deal, but the fact that Valhal clearly opposed the Malefic Viper as his Chosen made a deal made the situation very confusing and ripe for speculation about what exactly was going on behind the scenes.

Now, the time had come for the truth to be revealed. Never once had there been a scenario where a Chosen of a Primordial had renounced their Blessing, much less turned into a heretic, so the mere thought it could happen still didn’t seem believable to many. Yet… the Chosen of the Malefic Viper was a rather unique case for a Chosen.

He had been given the Blessing at a very low grade, and he’d displayed a level of talent that was near-unprecedented. This wasn’t just about his Nevermore performance, but his title of Harbinger of Primeval Origins. The C-grade human held genuine power and influence, and his existence had helped the Malefic Viper greatly when staging his comeback.

It was all a great story. The Malefic Viper returning to the multiverse with a one-of-a-kind Chosen able to stand atop his generation as the Malefic Viper – a god who once stood at the top as one of the first gods – would reclaim his position. The Chosen Ceremony was still fresh in people’s minds and had been a major boost to the Viper’s reputation among the many gods who had only ever read about the Primordial in history books. That ceremony had shown a Chosen and Patron united as the Order was on track to become a true pinnacle faction once more.

This was the story most people had come to believe. This was what the majority of all those who looked on at this confrontation believed. Innumerable people were watching this entire thing unfold, from all factions spread across the multiverse, all the way from low-ranking mortals to gods who ruled the peak factions.

To some, it was merely entertainment. To others, it was research, a third group, an event that would define their futures. They all had their reasons for watching, and all had their own theories and thoughts, but all of them knew that no matter what, they were witnessing history in the making.

The first clue that something unexpected was about to happen was the frown the Malefic Viper showed the moment his Chosen was mentioned. Usually, one would expect a god to show some pride or even to gloat when their outstanding Chosen was mentioned… yet he frowned. He was unhappy at his mention.

Then, as if on cue, the golden gate behind Valdemar began to glow once more. Five figures walked out, all five of them releasing auras that had surpassed the Circles of Divinity. Yet, it was the one who seemed the weakest who led them as she walked in front and took her place beside Valdemar, the other top-level fighters of Valhal staying behind the two of them.

It was Gudrun, the First Valkyrie and if Valdemar was the emperor that ruled Valhal, she would be the empress actually handling all the day-to-day politics.

“You brought your wife? Seriously?” Vilastromoz asked with a scoff as he ignored Yip of Yore and looked at Valdemar. “I thought you said you weren’t getting involved?”

“I’m not getting involved,” the bearded man shrugged with a smile. “Never said the missus wouldn’t.”

“Don’t mind his words; none of us will take part in any fighting today unless we are forced into it,” Gudrun said, clearly leaving an opening for Valhal to take a more offensive position based on what happened next. “No, we are merely here to deliver a message. One that I believe is long overdue yet has found its perfect time to be delivered. A message not just to you but to the rest of the multiverse. I would ask everyone to be quiet and just listen.”

Gudrun lifted her hand as a giant formation appeared. The runes on it lit up as it connected to something far away, through the void between the universes, and unto the newest one integrated. An image slowly took form as a familiar figure appeared, projected as a lifelike illusion into the sky.

It was a familiar figure. It was someone most had seen pictures or even recordings of prior. It was naturally the all-time top scorer of the Nevermore Leaderboards, Harbinger of Primeval Origins, and last but not least, the Chosen of the Malefic Viper… which was why many were shocked that Gudrun would be the one bringing his message.

Confusion would be an understatement as the projection slowly fully took form. Once it did, the aura of the Chosen also began to slowly be released… which only caused more confusion as it seemed off. However, not as off as his first words.

The projection clearly looked down at the Malefic Viper, the god frowning as his Chosen spoke.

“Didn’t expect to see me here, now did you? Why not? Did you think I would just lie down and submit despite everything, you manipulative, insane piece of shit excuse of a god?”

So, yeah, not the way most would expect a Chosen to greet their Patron.