The Primal Hunter

The entire rest of the epic item auction went pretty uneventfully. Jake sat on his ass and kept watching the bracers the whole time, even though barely anyone bid on them. Well, he did also spend a majority of his time playing with Sylphie – his arcane conjurations clearly better boxers than Sylphie’s.

The cursed bracers ended up only costing him a bit below two hundred thousand Credits, which honestly wasn’t that bad. A difference between the rare auction and the epic auction was that everything was available until the very end. Jake did feel like it was a bit unfair, as some items were only up for around an hour, while others were up for several hours, but, hey, what can you do about it?

The moment the auction ended, he just had the bracers directly deposited into his inventory without any fanfare, and at the same time, he also saw his total Credits jump more than two hundred million as every single item he had put up was sold off.

Credits Available: 498,870,214

With around forty items for sale total, he quickly calculated they had sold for about five million each on average. He wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, but it sure as hell was a lot better than the rare items by a huge margin. Jake also truly began to realize he had wasted his money-making potential before this event. While he had earned a lot of money by selling, he had also bought a lot, but if he just sold off things like materials or elixirs or potions at a steady pace, he could have probably made a few hundred million.

Then again, what would the fun in that be? Jake didn’t really like just grinding out the same mass-produced potions over and over.

Looking at the prices, he saw that the cheapest epic rarity item had gone for only thirty thousand and was some nugget of metal apparently super hard to work with. The most expensive was that god damn Focusing Iris from earlier, which went for over fifty million.

If this entire auction event had taught Jake one thing so far, it was that rarity really wasn’t everything. Equipment with many potential users had a somewhat predictable price of between two and eight million for epic items, but those specialty items could go for either insanely high prices or barely anything.

He had also been told that epic rarity equipment was kind of in a weird spot currently on Earth. On the one hand, they were rare and powerful, but on the other hand, not rare or powerful enough to not give out and actively use. This meant that most epic-rarity items were actively used by their factions, leading to fewer on the market. According to Sultan, they would still see a way better ratio of epic to ancient items, despite the incredibly low rare-to-epic item ratio.

System Announce-

Jake quickly skimmed it and saw it was pretty much the same as last time, telling him of a one-hour intermission between this phase and the next. Jake considered having some fun with his new bracers but decided not to. Instead, he should probably go talk to Casper to figure out future plans with that entire Root of Eternal Resentment business.

Sylphie communicated with him she was going to chat with Carmen, and Miranda passed by and said she had a meeting with some independent cities about something. Others also quickly left, with Sultan only spending a bit of time putting the altars and coffins up for sale.

With no reason to stay, Jake quickly teleported out of his booth and appeared on the ground below it. He scouted the chamber and spotted the booth housing the undead faction, with Casper and Priscilla both appearing below it.

On a side note, Jake came to learn that not all of the booths were actually being used. Reika and the Sword Saint had both earned a booth as an example, but they used the same, leaving one empty. The undead faction might have been the same as Casper for sure had earned one, and maybe Priscilla too. Either way, it was good they were together as that made things simple.

With a few steps, Jake appeared close to them. It was easy enough to find and approach them, especially with how humans still tended to avoid the Risen. Jake honestly didn’t get it, but then again, he wasn’t racist.

Casper spotted him when he got close and just waved for him to come over. Jake walked over and greeted them both, and after exchanging pleasantries, they began walking towards a side chamber to discuss things.

Once inside, the door shut behind them. The ones who had gone were Jake, Priscilla, Casper, and four other people. Two whom Jake recognized as members of Priscilla’s party, and two that looked and felt more like administrative personnel or traders.

“So, gotten anything good?” Jake asked Casper first thing.

“Eh, a few things here and there, but nothing massive. Saving my Credits for the ancient rarity auction coming up. How about you?” his undead pal asked.

“A bit of the same. I got some cursed epic bracers but haven’t bought anything else, though I have buy-orders out for all-things alchemy,” Jake shrugged.

“Speaking of cursed things,” Casper said, smiling. “Isn’t that why we are here? You still got the Root of Eternal Resentment?”

“Sure do,” Jake confirmed, seeing all of the Risen present perk up. “Now, what is this Root? And don’t give me any bullshit.”

“The item is a conduit of curses that-“ one of the businessmen began as Casper cut in.

“It’s the cursed Root of the tree that is the cause of the special mist within Yalsten and was a natural treasure of immense power before the curse corrupted and eroded the entire tree till only a single Root remained,” Casper said.

The other Risen did not hold back their slightly annoyed looks directed at Casper, as Jake ignored them. “So, what exactly do you need it for?”

Priscilla clearly decided to also come clean as she explained. “The Root of Eternal Resentment has all of the curse energy from within Yalsten and is naturally a treasure of immense value. Yalsten had unique energy, improving and sometimes even creating items and natural treasures due to it, making it an incredible land of treasures and one of the reasons why A-grades and even an S-grade cared so much about it. Some even say the world itself was a natural treasure.

“We already have the albeit slightly damaged World Core of Yalsten, and if we combine it with the Root, we may be able to create a world similar to it. We Risen are inherently in a risky position, and it will allow us to potentially flee or relocate off the planet entirely in a worst-case scenario. In a best-case scenario, we can make a land especially suited for our kind and even transform the natural environment to be more suitable for us and the treasures we need. We need far more death-affinity treasures and materials than anyone else, and I doubt the other inhabitants of Earth are fine with us creating fields of death just for farming.”

“Huh,” Jake said as he considered it. He looked at Casper, who nodded in confirmation. “Not to come off as a dick, but I had honestly assumed something far more nefarious considering it is a Root filled with immense curse energy.”

“Actually kinda hard now after Yalsten is gone for good. The resentment of the curse has no clear-cut target and is thus aimless and undirected. It is only under rare circumstances where directionless curse energy does not simply disperse but remains sealed and accessible,” Casper explained.

“True, I don’t get any particular desire to do anything while holding it,” Jake recognized. “But I am still not sure what you need the curse energy for and not just the properties of the Root itself. From what I can assume, the World Core holds all the required energy to create the world itself and is one part of the puzzle, so isn’t the Root just a source that will allow for the mist-like energy to be created?”

Casper and Priscilla both looked at him, a bit surprised. “What? I know stuff! This is just like alchemy, but with a world instead of herbs,” Jake muttered, slightly offended.

“I’m just surprised; you’re usually amazingly ignorant for someone with one of the most knowledgeable gods in the multiverse on speed-dial,” Casper said, taking an obvious jab. “But yeah, you’re right. The curse energy itself is not needed, but we can transform a part of it and use it for other purposes. That Root holds enough pure curse energy to corrupt several planets if it had direction.”

“For real?”

“Yeah, though obviously none of us can properly use it. If we go by pure energy, the divine item left by Sanguine could turn our entire solar system to dust if extracted and turned into a weapon. It is a bit of a moot point, though, as anyone actually capable of doing that would be able to do so anyway,” Casper said, shaking his head.

“Do you plan on planting the Root somehow?” Jake asked. He saw the officials behind Casper shift a bit as they no doubt didn’t like Casper and Priscilla sharing so much, but Casper looked like he honestly didn’t give a damn.

“Yep, that is precisely what we plan on doing. For it to work, we actually need to purge the Root of curse energy first, but as I mentioned, there are several ways to do that. All we need the Root and tree itself for is the properties that allowed it to contain the curse in the first place.”

Jake nodded along. “Won’t it take a long time to suck out all the curse energy? As you said, there is a shitload.”

“True,” Casper acknowledged. “But it is also highly condensed. I believe it could be great fuel for one of my existing curse weapons, or maybe I will use it to create something else. Again, many possibilities for anyone familiar with curses.”

Jake once more nodded as he got an idea: “Speaking of which, got any idea what exactly is up with this sword?”

He fished out his Scimitar of Cursed Hunger. He had been wondering about the blade for a while, especially the fact that it kept getting stronger. Growth items were damn rare as far as he knew, and to him, it seemed like the damn scimitar just kept getting sharper and more durable the stronger the curse got. Considered that he had a curse-expert right in front of him, it seemed silly not to ask.

Casper looked at the weapon in Jake’s hand. “Sure, I guess. Is it Soulbound?”

“Kind of?” Jake confirmed. It was quasi-Soulbound due to Jake using his arcane affinity and Touch to bind it, so it was somewhat.

“But also cursed,” Casper added on.

“Yep.”

“What were the requirements when you got it first?” he then asked.

“Just Humanoid race,” Jake explained, not really seeing the need to hide anything. He briefly summarized the weapon, how he got it, how he changed it, and how it now grew from absorbing vital energy. Casper seemed very interested throughout as he asked some follow-up questions like if it wanted to compel him to do stuff – big yes on that one – and some other stuff.

Casper looked more and more confused as Jake answered, especially when he said he had used it from the time he was mid-tier E-grade to now. He also explained that not once had he repaired it. However, it was when he explained it mentioned it had absorbed souls Casper looked really bewildered, but his expression was also grave.

“You say the description says it was made of steel soaked in blood… indicating some ritual… and then you destroyed the souls it had absorbed… yet the curse remained and is still growing more powerful…” Casper commented thoughtfully.

“The thing is, normally curses stop working once they fulfill their purpose. The curse on the Root was all about exterminating vampires, and with the total destruction of Yalsten, the resentment has been satisfied. Even if the goal of the resentment is impossible to reach, then the curse won’t get stronger. The Records and curse energy are constant unless it absorbs curse energy, an exact replica of itself. That is how curse-users like myself function. We are the source of the curse. However, what your scimitar does is different… it doesn’t have a goal nor a true source. If my guesses are correct, then you have what is classified as a Sin weapon,” Casper explained.

“Sin weapon?” Jake asked, confused at the term he had never seen before.

“A type of cursed weapon based on sin. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that it is a weapon created based on a concept rather than a cursed weapon created to fulfill a specific goal. In your case, it went from the concept of Debauchery to the concept of Hunger. Also, you mentioned that the scimitar can wane in power if it does not fulfill its purpose, adding further to the legitimacy of this theory.”

Jake considered his words as he tried to summarize them. “So, I got a growth weapon of sorts based on fulfilling a concept?”

“Yes and no,” Casper answered. “You got a growth curse, not a weapon per-se. The weapon itself is merely the medium in which it is stored, and if the medium breaks, the curse itself will merely disperse as it is part of a larger concept. Well, that or you can transfer it to a new medium. And to call it a growth curse should kind of set off some red flags… Sin weapons are fucking dangerous. One does not normally use Sin curses in weapons due to it having a user but rather infused in items like altars or other ritualistic items. Sometimes maybe sacrificial daggers… but not something you use on the daily. It’s just too dangerous.”

“They’re that bad?” Jake asked, and this time Priscilla jumped in.

“Any cursed weapon affects the user, but Sin weapons even more so as you are more connected to them. You make them grow and infuse them with new Records, meaning you are an instrument of the curse, and the Records of the curse also begin to affect you. That is why it is generally fine if you only use them sparingly, like during a ritual. The man you took the blade from had gained his class merely due to the blade and had undoubtedly been affected mentally too as time went on due to continued exposure. That is why they are dangerous… the curse will slowly begin to affect you more and more, and a blade based on Hunger holds a very vast concept. It can be the Hunger for anything,” she said, Jake hearing some genuine concern. Probably not because she cared about Jake, but because she had learned one of the most powerful people on Earth was using a presumably dangerous weapon.

“Sure, it can get a bit noisy, but I just ignore it,” Jake shook his head. He remembered when he picked it up after it had properly digested all the vital energy from Eron. It was a bit grumpy and hungry, but not really an issue, in his opinion.

“I assume you have some skill offering mental resistance, and while that certainly helps, then the influence can slowly creep up on you. It will affect your Records, and it will slowly begin to affect who you are if it hasn’t already. You may think you control the curse, but often it ends up being the curse controlling you,” Priscilla tried to warn.

Jake just snickered as he looked at Casper. “You mentioned before that curses are rooted in emotions?”

“Yeah,” Casper confirmed. “Which is why they can influence you. Often you don’t even notice it before it is too late. I must second Priscilla’s warning… using a Sin weapon is risky, and unless you have skills specifically designed to deal with them like me, it will be a bad time. I myself had to go through a pretty shitty time during the tutorial to really get curses, and without guidance from more powerful undead, I may have become a lunatic by now. Even now, I regularly use skills to purge myself of influence and maintain control.”

“Yeah… I heard shit was fucked up in the tutorial… it sounds rough…” Jake said, shaking his head as he tried not to dwell on the past. “But I have a feeling it won’t be a problem.”

“Jake, you don’t know what you’re dealing with,” Casper warned again.

“I am not new to having invasive emotions that try to control me,” Jake said, looking Casper in the eyes.

“… alright.”

“Anyway,” Jake said, wanting to change the mood to something more pleasant. “You say the curse is transferable?”

“Technically,” Casper said. “Currently, it is just embedded in a steel weapon. From what I can see, it is even a pre-system steel weapon, making it kind of shitty. No doubt it is an item from the old world… maybe it was used by some insane noble once upon a time. But know that if you want to attempt to transfer it to something, it needs to be a weapon aligned with the curse… additionally… if you do transfer it, the curse can never get a chance to disperse. Meaning you will have to use your own body as an intermediary medium. That is not a good idea, Jake. Not at fucking all.”

“And you said that the curse energy in the Root of Eternal Resentment is directionless right now…” Jake said, Casper instantly getting his point.

“Jake… empowering a Sin curse with the curse energy from Yalsten would be utter lunacy… and you need a powerful weapon to embed it in… a weapon especially suited to it too. It needs to be a weapon as Sin curses are rather specific… but seriously, man.”

“Like this one?” Jake snickered as he whipped out the ancient-rarity Chimeric weapon from fusing the nine Count weapons.

Casper looked at it. “Jake, that would be batshit insane. The Sin curse will become even stronger than the curse on the Root originally was, and as it is already partly integrated with your body, its influence will be all-encompassing… you may lose yourself entirely. Maybe even to the level of evolving into a monster. Even if you succeed, you won’t be able to utilize the full power of the weapon for a long time. Rethink it.”

“I will take your words into consideration,” Jake said. “But for now, I’ll hold onto the Root. Ah, but we can still figure something out, as I don’t necessarily need the item itself…”

As for if he would actually try to merge three items of considerable power to try and create a cursed weapon of absurd power, potentially threatening the entire planet if it was to fall into the wrong hands? To try and smash them all together and create a weapon using two different curses, all infused into an ancient-rarity weapon, likely creating something more powerful than the sum of its parts?

Well… from what he gathered, everyone in the room thought it was an absolutely insane idea and was heavily against it. Yet, all Jake heard was a challenge.

Ah, but he was still going to be careful.

He would ask Villy first.

Knowing full well his scaly friend would find the idea hilarious.