Ascension of the Primalist [A Tamer Class, LitRPG]

Early the next morning, Seth returned to Sunatown and bought another stickleback trap along with a few dozen arrows from a traveling merchant at the market in exchange for some games he had slain a few days ago.

Normally, he would have bought them for a better price from Renwal, the town's blacksmith, but chances were the man would try talking about the tax collector auctioning his house—plus, there was the risk of running into Mael there. And Seth wasn’t in the mood for convincing his friend that sheltering him and putting himself at risk of being fined wasn't worth it.

As he wrapped up his purchases, his mind drifted back to the events of the previous night. Even though he had survived the creation of the core, the whole damn fight against the Cerberus had somehow given him no attributes at all. And on top of that Link was pretty much useless until he found a partner.

Partner. Why that word?

It didn’t sit right with him. The instructions were clear: forming the bond required consent. So why not just say 'person'? It wasn’t like an object, a weapon, or even a beast could agree to something like this. Consent implied intelligence and awareness—qualities only a human could possess. Maybe the author of the instructions was trying to be poetic, like saying 'enter the eternal sleep' instead of just dying.

Then why did my father insist on telling no one? I can’t make the bond without informing the other person. It doesn’t add up.

As Seth rubbed his face, he noticed a hooded man with a messy black beard standing between the market's central fountain and one of the few already open homemade stands. His outfit was quite eye-catching—a wrinkled red tunic stained with dirt, boots so worn out that two toes stuck out, and a sheathed sword at his belt adorned with a gleaming blue gem.

Only one group of people would wear such ragged clothes while wielding such a magnificent weapon: Wandering Merchants—those who had awakened the Merchant class and decided to travel the world to make the best of it.

The man pulled back his hood, revealing long black hair badly in need of a cut.

Sericar.

The grin on the Merchant’s face and his enthusiastic wave made it obvious he didn’t know about what had happened to Seth’s house, which was a relief—but there was something else behind that joy. The way his eyes roamed over Seth, the wider-than-usual smile stretching his face. He knows about my awakening.

"Hey, Seth! When did you—" the man began before stopping abruptly when he saw Seth's threatening glare.

"Hey, Sericar! How are you doing?" Seth said. Then, leaning toward the man's ear, he continued, "Nobody knows, so please keep it a secret for now."

It wasn’t that Seth wanted no one in Sunatown to know. But there were a few people who would certainly not react well—those who viewed Primalists as cursed, who believed they brought nothing but misfortune.

It was absurd, of course, but fear didn’t listen to reason. Seth didn’t have the time or patience to break those false beliefs, nor did he want to deal with the inevitable panic. All that drama would only be a distraction he couldn’t afford. Not until he had the strength to truly change his life—and the lives of the people here.

The Merchant smiled then put a finger onto his mouth. "My lips are sealed, lad!"

Seth let out a heavy sigh, reassured. Sericar was a man of his word. Even after nearly ten years of visiting Sunatown for Marcus' potions, the Merchant had always honored his promises. On top of that, he never failed to spare half an hour to answer some of Seth’s questions. For a man whose time was worth many coins, that meant a lot.

After glancing around, Seth lowered his voice and asked the question running through his mind. "Why didn't I feel it when you Identified me?”

Sericar chuckled and patted Seth's back. "Lad, I'm a Merchant—that’s the spell I use the most. You didn't think I’d use the basic version, did you?"

"The basic… version?" Seth asked, frowning.

"I don't use Identify, but Advanced Identify," Sericar answered as he took a purplish jewel out of his pocket. "With the basic one, I’d never be able to see through stuff like this."

Seth filled Identify’s grooves and examined the small gem.