The Primal Hunter's
The Alchemy Dungeon

Now, it's officially confirmed. The system likes long, annoying tunnels, there is no point in forcing you to walk much longer than normal.

He had been walking for thirty minutes now. The light behind him was no longer visible, while he also saw nothing in front of him. It was smooth, but the tunnel was slightly curved, making it quite natural that he could not see both ends.

The large cave where he fought Alpha was relatively bright by the crystals covering the ceiling, but for some reason, the system did not interfere with the tunnel lighting in any way.

Then again, the tunnel was made to look like a ferret had dug it up. Or maybe they have really been dug up by them. Jake is highly doubtful of that with the rest of the basement clearly pre-designed, but who knows.

Fortunately, Jake has his own source of light. His Alchemy Flame, while transparent flame, did give off a hint of light.

He doesn't need the light to know where to go because he has the ball, but because of what Jake does when he walks. A book was in one of his hands, illuminated by the twinkling flames. The title reads: Blood & Poison: Intermediate Hemotoxins I. Not a bestseller, but Jake still finds it very interesting.

While the hemotoxic poison proved to be very useful against Alpha, he still felt his flaws, which is why he decided to make a better version for his fight with Den Mother.

The Dungeon had no time limit, so he saw no reason to rush through it carelessly. Then again, he wouldn't mess around for no reason. Leveling his alchemy, in Jake's opinion, is as important as his class, and making hemotoxic poisons is another valuable challenge. He was also getting closer to the next skill of his profession, and he felt the next one would be interesting.

A life-and-death fight is not necessary to scratch his competitive itch and his instinct to challenge himself. The complicated potion technique and the high requirement for proper control of mana also did that.

So far, Jake has only ever made two poisons above the low class. One was his necrotic poison, while the other was a rare mixture that he used to pass through the challenge dungeon.

The necrotic poison he could make was mainly due to his Palate of the Malefic Viper, combined with him eating more blue mushrooms than he had ever admitted. As eating them gave him insight into their nature, he quickly became very familiar with them. And even with that, it still took quite a while before he made the first one.

Merging poison could not be considered a proper potion. It was unstable and would lose its effectiveness within a short time after it was made, and even then, its effects were questionable. In addition, Jake has used ten rare mushrooms for that one creation, not really sparing on the material expenditure. Needless to say, it was not a feat he could easily replicate.

That left him with his current challenge to create the hemotoxin he was currently aiming for. He already had the ingredients, still keeping them in his necklace.

He was used to spatial storage now, but sometimes he was reminded how impressive it really was. The plants remain fresh inside the necklace, as they have in the garden found in the basement of the challenge. It was like taking a walk with a portable greenhouse frozen in temporary suspension.

Inside that metaphorical greenhouse, he had also found the plants he wanted to use.

[Bloodthorn Stalk (General)] – Relatively common herbs found in areas with many vitality-based creatures. It has a sweet smell, often attracting animals unnoticed. A large amount of polluted vital energy was found inside, stirring the blood of every living thing it touched.

This stalk, as described in the description, is not very rare. It grew by absorbing the blood of the living beings that touched it. This was mainly done on animals who thought it was a beneficial herb and then tried to eat it, only to have its stalk remain firmly rooted in the ground, scratching the inside of the beast's mouth and absorbing its blood.

The soil under this plant is often red, leading many to believe that the herb grows in blood-soaked soil. However, it was later discovered that the earth became red as the Bloodthorn Stalk concentrated vital energy into it to attract more prey.

It was an extremely dangerous plant that had killed and injured countless living beings. Jake even notices the rods start to wither a little while after being plucked, forcing him to sprint back and retrieve some badger corpses to feed the poor killer's trunk.

When he returned there, he also considered whether he could use anything from a corpse beast to make poison. Unfortunately, his Sense of the Malefic Viper explains that their venom stops working after their death. If Jake had to guess, it was due to a lack of internal energy. So he only needed to use their corpses to feed his trunk.

Alongside the important notes, they really do taste pretty good. The potion had a beautiful smell, with a lot of liquid in it. The thorns were peeled off before he started his party, of course.

He ate a lot of them, as he familiarized himself with the potion before he began his training. Interestingly enough, his stalk did not restore mana when he ate it but instead released a small amount of vital energy.

Thinking back, he hadn't really eaten anything valuable for a very long time. It was not that he no longer needed substances, but that he managed to keep himself fed only through plants. He has a habit of eating some that he finds while he is wandering around.

Wait... Am I a vegan now? he suddenly thought randomly. Well, a pretty annoying vegan, considering he kills animals all the time. Even though he really should. To be honest, one can only blame the badgers for not looking appetizing.

As his mind wandered away from the book in his hand, he finally saw the other end of the long tunnel with his ball. Taking a little step, he found himself in another cave, about the same size as before.

Scanning the cave with his gaze, there were far fewer badgers, he only saw five in total. The problem is the badger type, however. Four of them were the same big ferret, with strange pointed hair.

[Alpha Venomfang Badger – lvl ??]

The only thing that calmed him down a bit was the fact that they were all scattered. They all seemed very territorial, only living within a designated area.

At the end of the room was a hill with another ferret lying on it. This one is very different from the others.

It had no nails, but all of its fur seemed smooth and smooth. It had white stripes running across its sides in an intricate pattern, looking very beautiful, really. It is slightly larger than Alpha. But more importantly, it gave off a feeling that made Jake instantly aware that this savage beast was the true leader of this group.

[Den Mom – lvl ??]

The beast was clearly stronger .. but it still hadn't evolved. It was a great relief, because he was afraid of the D-class creature, something that Jake could not face at all.

All Alpha also felt only slightly stronger than the one that had been killed. It was very small, but it existed.

Was he expelled from the main cave or something? Jake wonders. After all, it is very important to know the intricate knowledge of badger caves.

He has defeated one Alpha, and he has the confidence to do so with this one. Sure, they were a little stronger, but he also gained quite a lot.

No, the problem is his current condition. The robes were torn, the bracelets were punctured, and all resources were relatively low.

His first business order was to set it up, with the second practicing alchemy and killing the alpha. He knew it wasn't a 1-day project to complete the hemotoxin poison, so he decided to switch between alchemy and battle, choosing ferrets one by one. If things go well, the poison should be ready for a clash with Mother Den.

With no reason to sit around, he started working to recover his equipment and finished his preparations for his first craft experiment. He read recipes, ate potions, and refined his items for the next few hours.

With everything ready, he began the difficult process of making an entirely new poison. The difference between low scarcity and general scarcity is not great, but they are far from insignificant. The complexity required in mana control and handling of materials is at another level.

Pure Water, Dark Green Moss, Bloodthorn Stalks, as well as the smell of his own blood were empowered with the Blood of the Malefic Viper, and he was ready to do so. The first part went as expected, as he extracted the energy from the moss and integrated it with his water and blood.

This part was the same as the necrotic poison, making him already experienced in it, thus resolving that part without any problems. Next, he began to smear the sweet nectar found within the Bloodthorn Stalks. You do not need the stalk itself, but only the juice found in it.

A very concentrated liquid entered the mixing bowl without anything unexpected happening. The juice and the rest of the mixture act like a magnet with the same poles, pushing the other party away. But of course, Jake needs them to mix, and not only mix, but combine and bring synergistic effects.

He managed to close his eyes and avoid anything into it, but his newly restored robe was not that lucky. The acidic nature of his blood was still left in the drink, making his robe once again filled with holes as its small parts had been eroded.

It went well, Jake thought to himself as he began to return his robe once more. He was also exposed to his skin, but his high resistance and toughness made him no more than a few red marks.

What Jake had just experienced was a good example of why alchemists who specialized in poison had such high vitality and toughness. The mixing process is much more dangerous than a regular concoction, and even if the same thing happens during brewing, an eruption will only leave Jake covered in a harmless liquid.

Of course, this does not mean that many alchemists who make poisons sometimes have to test and experiment with their poisons. And the best way to learn the effects of poison is to experience it yourself. Jake hasn't done this yet, but then again, he hasn't actually made a wide variety of poisons. Although one of his original creations had almost killed him.

After his initial failure, he made a few more attempts, finding little progress but steady. No level was given for his efforts, still putting him at 47, but he was not discouraged. He drank one last health potion, augmenting his health as he entered meditation to restore stamina and mana.

Both are relatively easy to restore. Mana continued to regenerate, while stamina was restored whenever he meditated or slept. Health is another story. It did regenerate naturally, but at a much slower rate than the other two. He had lost quite a bit of health against Alpha Venomfang Badger, and if he wanted to regenerate it naturally, it would likely take days. He doubted even a week would be able to fill it.

That was why he used a health herb to complete it. Without it, his progress would be much slower as he would be forced to rest for too long. This is also the reason why healers are so important to have when leveling up.

Out of meditation a few hours later, he checked his status menu, putting all his free points into perception. He had already done that with quite a number of them before he obtained the Ambitious Hunter Mark, but now that he had it, it only confirmed his choice.

Seeing his status, he was very satisfied.

Status

Name: Jake Thayne

Race: [Human (E) – lvl 43]

Class: [Ambicious Hunters – lvl 40]

Profession: [Excellent Alchemist of Malefic Viper – lvl 47]

Health Points (HP): 3540/3540

Which Points (MP): 3427/4210

Endurance body: 1501/1890

Statisticians

Power: 231

Agility: 284

Durability: 189

Vitality: 354

Toughness: 190

Wisdom: 421

Intelligence: 150

Perception: 493

Willingness: 224

Free points: 0

Title: [New World Predecessor], [Bloodline Patriarch], [Primordial True Blessing Holder], [Dungeoner I], [Dungeon Pioneer I]

Skill Class: [Basic One-handed Weapon (Inferior], [Basic Demon (Inferior)], [Advanced Land (General)], [Hunter's Vision (Rare)], [Basic Twin-Taring Power (Rare)], [Rare)], [Big Game Hunter (Rare)], [Splitting Arrow (Rarely)] [Big Game Hunter (Rare)], [Infused Powershot (Rare)], [Sign Ambitious Hunter (Rare)]

Professional Skills: [Herbology (General)], [Brew Potion (General)], [Toxic Poison (General)], [Alchemist Purification (General)], [Achemical Flame (General)], [Toxicology (Rare)], [Rare)], [Achemical Flame, [Plant Poison (Rare)], [Malefic (Rare) Poison], [Palate of the Malefic Viper (Rare)], [Frequent Malefic Viper (Rare) Touch], [Malefic Viper (Frame)], [Feature)], [Malefic Viper Blood (Epic)]

Blessings: [True Blessing of the Malefic Viper (Gift - True)]

Race Skills: [Undless Tongue of the Myriad Race (Unique)], [Identification (General)], [Meditation (General)], [Primordial Shroud Cloth (Divine)]

Bloodline: [Primal Hunter Bloodline (Blood Line Capability - Unique)]

The most significant growth is in his perception. He had earned nearly 150 points since he entered the dungeon with all his levels and free investment points. In reality, he had only invested 120 points or so, but a bonus of 25% of his lineage and title resulted in a considerable increase.

And he could feel its increase. It's in small things, like when he's focused on an object, he can more easily see small details, and when he's focused on his hearing, he can hear even the smallest things. It is not like perception that instantly improves one's senses, because it would be very annoying if you have to listen to your own inner voice constantly. He has to focus on that, which means that it doesn't help much if he's distracted.

Where he could easily see that growth with his ball. With each point invested, it increases slightly in the area of effect and clarity. It's not much, but it exists.

As for his sense of danger and the other things related to his bloodline.he did not know if they had even interacted with the stat from the very beginning. Then again, his bloodline was an intrinsic part of him. Will he notice if they improve? Or does it not feel very natural to him? Because, in a sense, it's natural.

Closing his status menu once again, he briefly considered checking out the tutorial panel but decided against it. Distraction would be of no use to him. In this dungeon, just him and a bunch of badgers who grew too big, the rest of the survivors would be damned.

He identifies the first prey, takes out his bow, as he prepares the arrow with his old weak hemotoxic poison. He had been sitting still for quite a while, and it was time to do some light training with a bit of mortal combat.