The Primal Hunter's
Meet Old Friends 1

Waking up, Jake finds himself sweating as he suddenly sits down. The damp cave and the high humidity of the forest outside did not help either. He could still remember parts of the dream, but all that remained was a feeling.

Solitariness.

He had spent so long without any real interaction with others, his only reprieve was his encounter with the Malefic Viper. He could not precisely calculate the encounter with William and the group he had fought against earlier. The first meeting was with someone who was clearly plotting, and the other 'conversation' had a few words that were not a curse thrown at him.

Maybe he was in a hurry, but he felt the need to clear up the misunderstanding. At least have the possibility to reunite with his colleagues. Although they were not very close, they were still the closest to the friend he had.

Especially Jacob, Casper, and Caroline. Especially the first two. Over a month had allowed him to rethink the ridiculous crush he had on her in the past. He realized now that it was just wishful thinking, that he had idealized and romanticized the thought of having a relationship once again. While he was physically attractive, he didn't even know him well, in fact.

He just wished they all managed to survive. Based on the importance Richard seems to place in the healer, Caroline should be fine. With Caroline's feelings for Jacob, she will most likely do everything in her power to keep him safe.

If he has to go with competence, the bet on the survivors is that Ahmed and Bertram are also still kicking, with Casper also having a good shot. As he thought about it, he could not help but realize how lightly he took life .. how he was 'fine' by expecting the person he called a colleague a month ago to die.

Then again, did he really have the right to mourn the death of his friends? He had taken many friends from others by himself .. his murder count was in double digits now.

Shaking his head, he got off the bed and kept it on his spatial necklace once more. After which, he took out a barrel of water to clear his sweating body quickly. Although it was a bit of a waste of pure water, it did not mean that he could not purify ordinary water later.

Feeling clean, he threw everything useful into his storage and exited the cave. The artificial sun had already risen, and the ferocious beasts were once again wandering around, making a faint sound that he could hear in the distance.

After deciding to try to make contact with his former colleagues, he started heading inside towards the center of the tutorial area.

It only took him a moment with his speed to head inside. He aimed at the area with the least amount of animal crying.

Continuing on, he saw something in the distance between the trees. It looked like a curtain of water stretching towards the sky. Behind the curtains, he could not see anything properly, yet at the same time, it looked extremely transparent.

Getting closer, he immediately found himself standing right in front of the barrier. The first thing he noticed was how his Sphere of Perception was actually thrown by the barrier. It was not that it blocked him; everything just felt distorted. It was a strange feeling that he honestly could not describe.

Stretching his hands in that direction, he felt nothing of his danger. Identification also did not produce results. Deciding to take the risk, he tried to put his hand on the barrier, only to pass through it.

Quickly withdrawing his hand, he retreated from the barrier once more. If his guess was accurate, this barrier was some kind of entrance to the inner area. Although he definitely wanted to leave, for now, he had already decided to contact his friends.

Not knowing if the barrier was one-way, he decided to postpone it.

Instead, he started walking around the edge of the barrier in search of Richard's camp. If his friends were anywhere, it would be with him.

Fortunately it didn't take long for him to find a camp. Or a small village would be more accurate. It was several kilometers away from the barrier, but it was not difficult to find because of all the smoke it emitted.

It looks relatively simple, with a small wall and several wooden cabins inside. Climbing a tree, Jake gets a better viewpoint as he starts staking around the place.

Dozens of people were walking around, mostly busy working on various things. Some were forging in small makeshift workshops, including a large bearded man who seemed to be in charge. Others worked surrounded by dozens of ferocious beasts as they skinned their skins and turned the raw materials into different products.

The last group he saw was a group of women and some men sitting together, working on something that looked like thread and needles. Where did they get it? thought to himself.

But what was more surprising to him was the woman in the middle. Joanna. Jake could only smile happily when he saw a familiar face after a long time. He even had his legs back and seemed to be in a pretty good mood, given the circumstances.

His presence also confirms to Jake that more of his former colleagues should be there. It took a while, but finally, he saw two people walking out of one of the cabins. One of them, a blond man who even at this distance, Jake can identify as Jacob. The other was a woman wearing a white dress that was quite complicated. Caroline.

Jake's smile expands when he sees them. At least three of them are still alive. He decided to stay hidden in the treetops for a while as he observed the happenings at the base. Jacob was walking around, talking to people, and from the reception, he seemed to be well-liked even here in this post-system world.

Still smiling, he summoned a piece of paper and pen from his spatial storage; the item he had brought from the challenge dungeon. He decides to write a note, as walking to the base doesn't seem to be the brightest idea considering they all believe him to be a mad killer.

He just wrote a simple request for a meeting. Saving the pen once more, he took out an arrow and some ropes he had made from a rare herb rod. It was futile of course, but his trunk was stronger than any rope he could make with limited materials around it.

Binding the message to the arrow, he took out his bow and waited. After only a few minutes, Jacob and Caroline entered a clear area as Jake aimed for the ground in front of them. It was hundreds of meters away, but Jake was very confident in shooting even without using any skill.

Releasing her arrow, the arrow flew and landed only about a meter in front of Jacob and Caroline, who both leapt back in fear, with Caroline even summoning some sort of magic shield. Jake, however, does not hold on as he jumps back, letting gravity do his job as he falls to the ground.

Landing gently from a height of 30 meters, he began to sneak away in case anyone came to investigate where the arrow came from. The ball is on their court now, and he is very hopeful that they will be open to dialogue to clear up this stupid misunderstanding.

Back at the camp, a small commotion had occurred because everyone thought they were being attacked. Jacob quickly managed to calm them down, but not before Richard walked over to see the commotion.

An arrow sticking out of the ground with a piece of paper tied to it. Taking it, Jacob let it go but did not have time to read it because he was surrounded.

"What's going on here?" Richard said as he walked over to see Jacob holding an arrow and paper in his hand.

“Someone decided to send a message with an arrow; apparently,” Jacob replied, while starting to untie the paper.

"Who?"

Stretching the paper, Jacob quickly scanned it and saw the name on the bottom as he became serious.

"Jaka," he answered. “He wants to meet. Said there was a misunderstanding.”

Richard's eyes turned sharp as he looked at the paper. "Give it here" he said as he nearly snatched it from Jacob's hand.

The message was a short request to meet. Some words, just say that Jake wants to meet and explain himself with the promise that he is not looking for a fight, along with a location not too far away.

“Where did he get that paper? And this is clearly written with some kind of pen.”

This question baffled Jacob and Caroline as well as the entire audience. Where exactly did he get it?

Caroline quickly assures him that she did not follow the tutorial with them. The paper was also not an ordinary type, but a more gray and rougher version. The pen used is also an old type of ink, not a modern one either.

However, this was still a very confusing matter for everyone. Did Jake somehow make it all himself? If so, why did he make it? And how exactly?

Jake naturally never thought that the simple act of using paper and pen taken from a challenge dungeon would cause much debate and confusion in Richard's camp. Nobody in Richard and Hayden's camp ever did a dungeon. At least no one came back from one.

That is if the inventors have reported it. The basement is hidden, and if found, many will keep it a secret. Maybe to come in later or to make sure no one else can.

This means that all items used by survivors other than Jake are homemade either through pure human skill or ingenuity. The diverse collection of people has allowed them to gain access to more modern convenience items, albeit in a rather simple form.

A lively discussion begins in the middle of the camp, with some even advocating capturing Jake to find out his secret. Especially the people involved in the discussion. Strongly encouraged by Joanna, who had been accelerated by Jacob. He also doesn't want to see Jake get hurt.

However, Richard quickly dispelled that sentiment as he dragged Caroline and Jacob into his own cabin to sit down. While the mystery of the paper and pen was interesting, Richard already had other plans.

That damn dog, just when you needed him, he was acting like a lost man, Richard cursed inwardly. William had spoken to Richard before, and they agreed he was gone for a while. But not after telling him all the details about his assailant…

Someone Richard quickly identified as a troublesome archer.

“We have to give him a chance. This note clearly indicated that he wanted to open a communication channel. This can still be resolved diplomatically, ” Jacob said, as he became a little hot as Richard insisted not to meet him.

“Or it could be a trap to keep you and your friends alone to get easy results. Our best healers included, as I doubt I can persuade him not to follow you, ” Richard said with a sigh.

"I can meet him alone, I-"

"No."

"How, I'm sure it's best if I-"

“I said no, Jacob. Either you don't go, or we both go. Bertram too, ” Caroline said, leaving no room for further discussion.

“And there you have it. Are you seriously telling me to let you go into the forest with just you and the other two people? You can't fight for crap, Jacob, and Caroline is a healer. Bertram might be able to give you time, but in the end, how will you handle someone who can beat an entire team by yourself?” Richard asked rhetorically.

“I trust Jake enough to at least give it a try. He asked to meet so close to the base that I was sure we could make it back even if it turned sour. Bertram and Caroline could at least; you knew they could handle themselves,” Jacob argued, refusing to back down.

The discussion goes back and forth a little longer, the hotter it gets. Finally, Caroline interrupted and calmed the two of them while whispering to Jacob.

“How about you come back now, and I try to convince her? It's not heading anywhere.”

With a snort, Jacob agreed, leaving Richard and Caroline alone in the room.

Richard naturally heard the whisper. It was a useless thing to do with the increase in perception that everyone had.

Outside the cabin, Jacob waited patiently as he watched Caroline put up a barrier, blocking the sound.

Jacob planned to go to the meeting, but it would be best if Richard went along. As she stood there, Joanna walked over.

"Jake is alive" he said. “How do you think he got out of there? With all that going on, I can't imagine what she had to go through..”.

"Jake's a lot of sense" she smiled. “He must have found something special out there. Maybe he even managed to avoid this stupid war.”

Bertram, who had appeared behind Jacob at some point, interjected. “Although I hate to admit it, I have to partially agree with Richard. I don't like to imagine going to the forest to meet him.”

“We've known Jake for years. Do you really think he'll be-“

“Jacob, how well do we really know him? We all saw that he was capable on that first night. After that, he deliberately provoked and ended up killing six of Richard's men. I agree that Jake in my mind from two months ago can't do that, but Jake from the first night it definitely can.”

Jacob looked at his old friend. "Do you believe me?"

"Always" she answered quickly.

“Then trust me when I say that this is not Jake. My judgment may not always be perfect, but I am sure of this. Besides, we both know the real culprit.”

"Yes ..." Bertram agreed after a bit of hesitation. Joanna looked a bit confused but read the atmosphere.

“I'll be back. Be careful out there, ” said Joanna, giving them both a quick hug.

Jacob and Bertram stay, waiting for Caroline. Now is the best time because William has left less than an hour ago. He tends to leave for a long time, which means they should have at least eight or ten hours.

Please let me be right, Jacob thought as he watched Caroline walk out of Richard's cabin.