Jake always liked coming home for a nice session of alchemy. Having such an enjoyable pastime certainly helped him not be annoyed when matters he deemed more important or urgent had to be temporarily put on the back burner.
He especially didn’t mind it this time around, as his next level would be quite the impactful one. Jake was level 299 in his profession currently, meaning that with one more level, he would finally reach high-tier C-grade with his profession, but more than that, he would get another charge for the Path of the Heretic-Chosen skill.
The final charge that would allow him to have his long-awaited encounter with the First Sage. At least, that’s what he assumed was going to happen once he used the skill while focusing on the enigmatic master of the Malefic Viper.
Jake still had a lot of questions regarding the entire thing. First of all, five charges were a lot of charges to use on the skill, considering he only got one every 20 levels in C-grade. Each charge was often enough to give a skill upgrade for one of his Legacy skills, so he really hoped spending five at once would be worth it.
Thinking about it more, the fact Jake had been told it was five charges was even more confusing. Clearly, the First Sage, who Jake had pretty much concluded was the person who left the message on his boots, somehow knew about Jake and his skill. Which was super weird, considering, oh yeah, the Malefic Viper had personally confirmed he’d killed the First Sage while in C-grade all the way back in the first era.
It quite frankly didn’t make any logical sense whatsoever. Then again, the First Sage’s existence didn’t make any sense according to the Viper either, as the man had been simply too powerful and talented for what should be possible. His abilities in bending the rules of the system were simply on another level.
Based on how he could even talk to Jake through time and space from beyond the grave and imprinted a message on Jake’s boots, he had likely reached a level of circumventing and manipulating the system far beyond what even the Viper had assumed. It was already impressive enough the man had discovered Jake during his use of Path of the Heretic Chosen, but communicating directly like this somehow felt more impressive.
On a side note, Jake did feel bad about not having talked to Villy in-depth about the fact he believed a meeting with the First Sage was soon upon him. However, he didn’t regret his decision to keep Villy in the dark for a variety of reasons.
First of all, what if Jake was wrong? What if he gave the Viper false hope that Jake could ask some important question or something similar to that? Jake would feel like a royal asshole if that was the case. Even if he did end up having a vision revolving around the First Sage, who was to say Jake would actually interact with the man? No, there were just too many unknowns.
Secondly, Jake just didn’t want anyone to know in case the meeting did happen and Jake learned something he really shouldn’t have. Perhaps even something the Viper wouldn’t like for him to know. The chances of that happening were low, but they still existed.Third and finally, the Viper was just weird when it came to matters regarding the First Sage. He clearly respected the man beyond anyone else Jake had ever seen the god talk about. Villy was, for all intents and purposes, a narcissistic asshole who believed he stood at the apex of the world, never acknowledging anyone as superior to himself.
A trait Jake shared, which was why they got along so well. The biggest difference just was that Villy had the actual power to back up his arrogance, while Jake still had a while before getting there.
Yet, despite the Viper’s ego, he still called the First Sage his master. He still spoke as if the old man Jake had seen teach the mortal Viper alchemy was a being beyond him that he didn’t dare claim himself superior to.
That in itself spoke volumes to what kind of man the First Sage had been, and Jake couldn’t wait to meet him assuming that was what would happen.
Also, if Jake did ultimately decide to tell the Viper after his meeting with the First Sage, he had a feeling the snake god would forgive Jake for not having shared anything beforehand. Shit, Jake could probably just make the excuse that the First Sage had been the one reaching out to Jake first, and Jake wasn’t sure if the Viper’s former master wanted Villy to know. Jake could say he just hadn’t said anything before he’d actually confirmed he was being reached out to by the First Sage and gotten permission to share details of their interactions. Always easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission and all that.
Anyway, before Jake would even know for sure if he would meet the First Sage, he had to get a level in his profession, and the best way to do that was with some good old poison concocting.
Heading down to the lab beneath his lodge, Jake instantly felt at home as he went over to his favorite spot on the floor he liked to sit within the big glass bubble. It was just like any other spot on the floor, but this one was still the best.
He felt excited, as with quite a few levels gained recently and improved Willpower from Presence upgrading, Jake was looking forward to seeing how much better he could make his Heartrot Poison.
Ah, but before he got crafting, Jake did something extremely important as he took out his void lollipop and gave it a good lick, instantly feeling the energy enter his body as his Perception increased.
Preparations done, Jake smiled as he took out his cauldron and ingredients, humming to himself while slitting his own wrist to pour blood into the cauldron, his Alchemical Flame heating it up for some good old alchemy time!
--
Days passed as the war in the Milky Way rapidly progressed.
Alright, despite calling it a war, there was only one place where actual armies were facing off against one another. In most cases, the fighting happened between a few hundred people to a thousand people at most, as while numbers could be beneficial, most C-grade forces, like those in the Milky Way, simply didn’t have the means to utilize large formations or rituals.
Throwing weak C-grades or even D-grades at trained C-grade fighters was just needlessly tossing lives away. Even the most delusional World Leaders didn’t try to simply kill those they ruled, as doing so would lose them all the support they had left and get them readily ousted.
Now, despite most fighting happening with smaller forces, there was still that one planet that had actual armies battling it out. The planet in question was King Iludar’s homeworld that Earth had directly invaded at the onset of the galactic war. There, they had sent a few thousand C-grades initially, followed by far more from the many allied planets Earth had gathered.
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The response from the other side was to do the same as fighters flooded in from all across the galaxy, ready to face off against Earth and its allies. This was the battlefield Miranda talked about when she spoke about one where the fighting could be beneficial to even the weaker participants. Many who took part had already plateaued on their Paths, and this war could be a chance for them to break through once more. That, or they would die... which, as harsh as it sounds, wouldn’t really be a loss to Earth as a whole.
This planet ended up being by far the one with the most people fighting, with there being nearly a hundred thousand on each side. Earth did have superior numbers with all their allies, and after the Holy Church backed off and stopped supporting the Ell’Hakan loyalists, the other faction simply didn’t have that many competent fighters left.
However, the Earth faction purposefully withheld forces to make it seem as if the other side had a chance and could maintain morale somewhat. To the general, the Sword Saint, this was not a battle in which he questioned whether they could win, only how many benefits they could gain from the fight.
The Sword Saint obviously didn’t take to the field himself, seeing as doing so would turn the battle into a slaughter. Singular, powerful individuals were simply too impactful in large battles, and seeing as the other side didn’t have anyone to match the Sword Saint, it would just be him flying around cutting people down until he got tired or he was out of opponents.
As the battle progressed there, he, too, wondered where the elites were, and part of the reason for this war on Iludar’s homeworld was to try and lure him there with the opportunity to fight with a home advantage. Granted, the swordsman had been spotted a few times on the planet, which could be why Iludar and the rest of those who remained loyal to him didn’t want to fight.
As the days slowly passed by, the battle was far from constant, as there were many lulls and small breaks for attempted diplomacy. Eventually, the Sword Saint didn’t even show himself any more; everything instead being handled by other members of the Noboru clan. No one knew what he was thinking about, but during the last few hours before he stopped appearing, he had looked quite deep in thought as if he'd just realized something.
--
While many planets were embroiled in battle during this time, others in the Milky Way took the opportunity to stabilize themselves internally. This privilege was primarily offered to the planets that had managed to stay entirely neutral—be it through belonging to a multiversal divine faction or simply talented leadership—or those that had allied with Earth.
Sure, they perhaps had to send some fighters to prove they were still loyal, but the World Leaders themselves and the skilled politicians and officials they commanded were free to handle internal matters.
It was evident to anyone with any insight that once the fighting stopped, the battle would simply shift from vast plains and deserts to the political arena. There were already rumors that some kind of system would be set up that recognized each individual World Leader and allowed them to remain primarily autonomous once everything was said and done.
Even so, in this union or council that they would all become part of, there was bound to be a hierarchy. If not officially – besides recognizing the supremacy of Earth – then unofficially. Even if they knew who would be at the top, the positions directly beneath Earth still looked up for grabs, many World Leaders now trying to make themselves and their planets look as good as possible to try and claim as much future influence as possible.
One of the planets that were busy preparing for this transitional process was the one ruled by the supreme Voice of the One. Everyone already knew that this was one of the planets bound to have influence, seeing as it held the record as the most populated planet in the galaxy. Moreover, their World Leader, Kindroth, had allied himself with Earth very early on and been a very involved figure, making everyone assume he would get a high position with a lot of authority and influence.
Of course, he did face some major challenges at home, primarily related to the theocracy he’d created to unite the planet as one. Trying to convince everyone that the Order of the Malefic Viper was now in charge wouldn’t be an easy matter and a task no one envied Kindroth of. Yet the elf seemed convinced he could do it, and from the looks of it, he didn’t seem wrong.
He had always been a crafty individual, after all, and he’d managed to unite his planet for a good reason. So had he made good decisions during the entire conflict with Ell’Hakan, having a strong, heavy dislike toward the Chosen from their very first meeting.
Yet perhaps he had been a bit too crafty and had made some decisions that soon would come back to haunt him. As he was busy trying to change the doctrine of the world’s religion to accept the Order of the Malefic Viper, his decisions came back to haunt him. Something that was perhaps long overdue.
While in his personal residence on top of the mountain, he heard the noises as the structure was forcefully broken into. Kindroth instantly reacted as he got up, preparing to make his escape as an aura fell over the chamber.
“My comrades are spread throughout the city, ready to act should you run,” a familiar voice echoed, making Kindroth stop in his steps as he turned toward the entrance of the chamber as a figure walked in.
Kindroth looked toward this man as he frowned. “Resorting to threats of massacring innocent civilians seems beneath you, Iludar.”
“Times have changed,” the man responded as he continued walking into the room. “Sometimes we have to use methods we would prefer to do without, but desperate situations call for desperate measures.”
Cutting through the bullshit, Kindroth looked directly at Iludar. “What exactly do you want? Because I have a hard time seeing how it would benefit you even if you had me killed or slaughtered innocents on my homeworld.”
“Fine,” Iludar didn’t delay as he looked serious. “Put me in contact with the Holy Church and the Augur... I have an offer for him.”
Jake smiled, satisfied as he took in a good whiff of the toxic fumes that filled the glass bubble. Palate, while still damaged, and the internal stomach remaining off-limits and barely working, still did work with its regular passive effect, instantly confirming to Jake even before he bottled up his poison that it was a good one.
It was poison powerful enough for the fumes to instantly kill any D-grade that accidentally inhaled them, and even weaker C-grades wouldn’t feel good breathing it in. And that was just the fumes... even someone around the start of mid-tier C-grade would see their lives end if they accidentally touched the blackish liquid in Jake’s cauldron, much less drank it or had it injected through a bit of stabbing.
“A really good one,” Jake said as he stuck his finger into the mixture and had a taste. Far from his first time, but this one tasted a bit sweeter than normal, and that was saying a lot, considering the mixture was always quite sweet. As for why pure death liquid was sweet? Hell if Jake knew.
All he knew was that his efforts had not just been blessed with the best concoction of Heartrot poison he’d ever made but the all-important level he’d been waiting for.
’DING!’ Profession: [Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper] has reached level 300 - Stat points allocated, +35 Free Points
’DING!’ Race: [Human (C)] has reached level 301 - Stat points allocated, +45 Free Points
It had ended up taking far less time to level up than Jake had expected, meaning he had probably been close to a level in the first place. It was good it hadn’t ended up taking him too long, though, and after Jake hurridly bottled up the concoction, Jake turned his attention to what he was the most excited about.
Focusing on Path of the Heretic-Chosen, he visualized who he wanted to meet. Closing his eyes, the image of the First Sage appeared in his mind, yet as the seconds passed... nothing.
Frowning, Jake tried to briefly imagine wanting to upgrade Fangs of the Malefic Viper, which he already had some good ideas on how to upgrade at this point, getting an instant response.
Requirements met.
Do you wish to experience the forming of a Record Fragment related to the Path of the Malefic Viper? Uses remaining: 5
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Jake’s frown only deepened as he tried to focus on the First Sage again. Several seconds passed, the skill remaining silent... until suddenly, Jake felt something weird. He got several notifications at once, but before he could even see them, only one remained before him.
Requirements met.
Do you wish to experience the forming of an [Unknown]-Record Fragment related to the Path of the Malefic Viper? Uses remaining: 5
Warning, experiencing an [Unknown]-Record Fragment will consume 5 charges.
Jake breathed a sigh of relief before smiling, not having to be asked twice. Let’s fucking go.