The Primal Hunter

Bright light entered his eyes as he stepped through the portal. Jake instantly felt several powerful auras all around him, recognizing most of them. They came through their own portals that rapidly appeared and disappeared all around him within what he found to be a large spherical room.

Metal plates covered the walls and floor, with nothing of note visible anywhere besides the people. That is until Jake noticed that the room was split in two by a large, fully transparent plane of glass. All of the humans were on one side, along with Sylphie and the Fallen King, but on the other side, Jake saw other beings appear. All of them were beasts or monsters of various forms, with there being no rhyme or reason to what appeared. One was a large elemental crackling with lightning, and another a rabbit-like creature only a bit larger than Sylphie.

Speaking of Sylphie. The little murder hawk flew over to him once she located him, and Jake quickly found Miranda and Arnold, who both stood together. Sultan also walked over as they all met up.

”Been a while,” Jake said with a smile as they gathered and had some small-talk to quickly catch up. All around them, other factions also found each other. Jake did notice how a lot of people he would expect to be there were noticeably absent. Jacob was nowhere to be found, and neither was Eron. The Sword Saint and a few people from the Noboru clan were there, but one thing quickly became clear: this was no factional event.

No faction had more than a few people each. Casper and Priscilla were the only Risen, the Sword Saint was with three other people, his brother had come with two from the Court, and the King had appeared alone. Carmen and Sven were also the only people from Valhal. Most powerful people from independent factions had appeared alone, and the only faction with more than ten people was the Holy Church. They just had so many people it was possible. Overall, around one-fifty people had entered this event from the looks of it, meaning close to five hundred Primas had been killed.

”Lord Thayne,” Sultan greeted Jake as he regarded him. ”I take it you came straight from a battle?”

”Yeah,” Jake just said, not wanting to elaborate further. Too many people around. ”Good job getting keys, everyone. Anyone figured out more about this event?”

Nobody answered or didn’t have time to as something finally happened. A fluctuation in space caught his attention, and Jake whipped around as a new figure appeared. A floating orb of metal had teleported into the room, getting the attention of everyone.

The orb looked like it was made out of polished aluminum and had no noticeable traits except for a glowing blue eye-like fixture. Jake felt nothing but a bit of energy coming out of it as he used Identify.

[Prima Watcher of Earth - ?]

It only had a single question mark as level. Jake did not think this was because its level was in the single digits, but quite the opposite. It was strong, yet Jake felt no danger. As he thought this, he suddenly got a quest notification.

Quest Completed: The Call of the Exalted Prima.

Reward Received: Key of the Exalted Prima has been upgraded and become Soulbound. One entry into the Path of Myriad Choices event granted.

He quickly skimmed it, something it looked like everyone did, considering they all stared blankly for a moment. A few kept their attention on the floating orb, clearly ready for a fight. Yet it just floated there for a solid ten seconds before addressing them.

”Welcome to the Seat of the Exalted Prima located within the Milky Way Galaxy. To both the Prima Slayers and surviving Primas. All Prima Slayers have been awarded a single entry into the system-tier Path of Myriad Choices event. Following will be some basic information pertaining to the Seat of the Exalted Prima and your stay.

“All violence is strictly forbidden while within the Seat of the Exalted Prima. Breaking this rule will lead to instant expulsion and a temporary ban from the Seat, along with the deactivation of your key. All Seats are managed by the Exalted Prima, and events can only be entered if the user has permission and meet the requirements. The Seat of the Exalted Prima will only remain open for one week in this initial trial phase.”

The orb spoke in a very mechanical voice that was neither male nor female. Jake looked at the thing as he saw many frowns all around him. The orb attracted way more attention than the bloody and savage-looking Jake, so in some ways, that was lucky.

When it stopped speaking, Jake also got a new quest. Something he once more assumed everyone did.

Quest Received: Seat of the Exalted Prima

Entering the Seat of the Exalted Prima, you find yourself with opportunities before you. For collecting a key, you have been granted a semi-permanent key able to conjure a portal and enter the Seat. Additionally, an opportunity to enter the Path of Myriad Choices event has been granted. But hurry, for the Seat is not available to visitors forever.

Objective: Participate in the Path of Myriad Choices event. Time limit: Until the Seat closes.

The quest once more cemented that this entire thing was different than any event prior. It was clear that Jake could enter and leave this Seat of the Exalted Prima if he wanted to and return once more. The portals made by the key went both ways and only seemed to have a short cooldown time between uses. There was also the fact that the quests and general information so far were lacking. He got way more information from prior quests, and something like the Treasure Hunt had a whole slew of rules.

Meanwhile, this Seat of the Exalted Prima seemed not to be a system event but rather a place that simply housed one.

“Excuse me,” someone Jake did not recognize asked. The orb turned towards him with the glowing eye focusing on the poor dude, clearly intimidating the man a bit, but he still went through with his question:

“What kind of opportunities does this Seat of the Exalted Prima offer, and can we be given any more information regarding the Path of Myriad Choices event?”

It was a question many no-doubt wondered about, but no one had asked.

The orb more or less instantly answered with the same mechanical voice as before.

“The Seat of the Exalted Prima is a satellite station established with a direct connection to the Exalted Prima. All opportunities offered by the Seat will take place within simulations of reality performed by the Exalted Prima. Opportunities vary depending on their nature, and a singular fulfilling answer cannot be given. The Path of Myriad Choices offered is a simulation of reality wherein a different Path resulting from a choice not made earlier in life is shown. More detail will follow upon engaging in the event. Additionally, for safety and privacy concerns, all outside communication is limited or entirely cut off both ways while within the Seat,” the orb answered.

Everyone listened, with Jake being a bit surprised. Simulation? A station? Looking around at the walls and the glass panel and the weird orb itself, he kind of understood. This was some kind of high-tech facility created by the system, or at least brought there by the system, right? At least that was his first guess.

“What is this Exalted Prima?” someone else asked.

“The Exalted Prima is the core directive consciousness of all Seats of the Exalted Prima spread throughout the universe,” the orb said without offering further details.

“If I may ask, what are those monsters doing here?” a third person also inquired. He referred to the many beasts behind the glass panel, all of which were acting relatively calmly. Weren’t they Primas? Jake asked himself before the orb answered.

“Two ways of entry to the Seat of the Exalted Prima were provided. One method was through the integration of a Prima Fragment by a monster found compatible with the core directives, and the other collecting three fragments and forming a key. Those creatures are Primas, and all Primas shall be offered a unique opportunity separate from those who obtained keys.”

Jake nodded along. It seemed like the Primas had effectively been given a quest to survive long enough with their fragments to enter this place. It was a trade-off, a classic case of risk and reward. On the one hand, they got a target on their backs, and on the other offered an opportunity.

Before anyone else could ask any more questions, the Watcher was clearly done as it spoke.

“Introduction has been completed, and the facility shall now open up. Once more, violence is not allowed within the Seat of the Exalted Prima. More information can be found within the facility where deemed a necessity.”

With those words, the orb disappeared. Jake barely felt the fluctuations of space as it teleported. He turned to the others around him. Most of them were taking in the information, with Miranda looking deep in thought. However, the one he took most notice of was Arnold, who had his tablet out while nodding.

“Did you discover anything?” Jake asked the man.

Arnold looked up after looking through a few more things and nodded. “We remain within the ninety-third universe but have still been cut off from the outside world. System-imposed, I would presume, even if the Watcher claims it is caused by the Exalted Prima. Indicating this Exalted Prima is a conjuration of the system.

“Are you sure?” Jake asked with a frown.

He could not feel Villy at all; that was true, but so had it been during all events. But all those events had taken place in a seperate space that none could truly locate, not just somewhere in their universe.

“My conclusion is within a critically significant margin of error, making me certain, yes. I cannot say where we are, but I would assume, based on information provided, it is within the Milky Way Galaxy,” the scientist answered.

Jake nodded in response.

He began to have some idea what this entire place was more and more. If he was right, this whole Exalted Prima thing was bound to be significant not just for Earth but the entire ninety-third universe. Not just for one system event either, but for a long time to come. Perhaps this place would even hold significance for the multiverse as a whole.

A few moments passed as everyone discussed. A few began to get impatient as a segment of the wall began opening up, leading into an even larger area. On the other side of the glass panel, the Primas were led somewhere else too. Jake had spotted a few of them out the corner of his eye that got into conflict, and he noticed how the moment any one of them tried to attack another, they instantly just disappeared. He hoped for their sakes that they had the same rules as those with keys and weren’t just vaporized.

People began walking towards the opening, and Jake followed with the others. Carmen threw him a glance from across the room, and he gave one back. Silently, all the humans and the two monsters – Sylphie and the Fallen King – exited the large dome-shaped room.

Jake had expected a portal leading into some other room where these simulations would happen or something in that vein but instead found himself in a large lounge that looked incredibly casual. However, more than anything, he stared at what truly lay before him – and above him.

The lounge had no roof. All Jake saw when he looked up was a sky full of stars, planets, and an endless world spreading out before him. Others also stopped and gawked at the expanse above. Jake stared for several seconds before looking to the side and saw several similar hemispheres to the one they were currently inside in the distance. Looking behind him, he saw they had exited a small box with an opening in it, the entire thing no larger than a large elevator. Spatially expanded for sure.

Each of the hemispheres surrounding their own was at least a kilometer in diameter and all of equal size. The inside was filled with furniture and several screens that no one seemed to know how to control or what they were even for.

Nothing immediately caught Jake’s attention as he got a feel for the place. It was clearly just a meeting area of sorts. Likely a place for those who came from Earth to meet up and enter through. Looking at another hemisphere, he saw what looked like a wire hanging from it. Their own also had a wire, he was sure. All of them did.

Jake walked forward with the others and went to the edge of the hemisphere, where it felt like he stood at a cliff leading down into the infinite vacuum of space. Only a thin barrier, barely a few millimeters thick, blocked him from being in space. Not that Jake feared such a thing. First of all, he felt relatively certain he could survive there, and secondly, that no one present could destroy that barrier. Or if anything could, for that matter.

“This is quite something,” Sultan said as he stared out.

“Yeah,” Jake agreed. Others had also joined them and looked out. Even after all the progress Jake and others had made, all their levels and all their power, there was a feeling of powerlessness in standing there. There were stars and planets in the distance so far away that Jake was certain he would die of age before even getting halfway to one if he decided to fly. It was such an impossibly large scope it was hard to imagine. Yet he knew that to gods, all of this was nothing. With a thought, anything within his field of view could be reduced to ashes. It was power out of this world. It was hard to picture Villy being that powerful, even if Jake knew he was.

Yet it was also exciting. To see such a vast world of possibilities. An infinite world. And this was just part of one universe… no, part of one small galaxy out of billions of planets. The multiverse was so vast and filled with things to explore that Jake couldn’t help smiling. He caught himself and dispelled the thoughts.

You got a long way to go, Jake. You barely beat a damn cat just a few hours ago, he reminded himself.

Turning his head to the side, he also finally got a look at what these wires from the hemispheres connected to. It was a cylinder-shaped structure that floated with wires coming out of it. Jake saw nearly a thousand wires connecting hemispheres and the cylinder that he assumed was the actual Seat of the Exalted Prima. This entire setup was a massive structure in its own right.

He then saw some people go over to what looked like a metal disc with complicated scripts on it. Jake didn’t recognize them and didn’t have time to use Identify before the group disappeared. Guess I found the teleporter to the actual Seat.

Seeing no reason to wait, he began leading his group towards it. Tossing a final look at the endless expanse, he stepped onto the platform and was teleported into the true Seat of the Exalted Prima.