Ascension of the Primalist [A Tamer Class, LitRPG]

Seth took several deep breaths, forcing himself to focus. Nightmare might have been injured by that gut-twisting force—or worse, driven outside and back toward the Inferno Bear. I need to find a way out, and fast.

The runes etched on the cave’s walls around Seth pulsed with a soft, rhythmic light, brightening and dimming as if the cave itself were alive and breathing. He reached out, only for his fingers to meet an invisible barrier of aether that kept him from touching the stone itself. Frustration bubbled in his chest and he pulled back, ready to kick the wall in anger, when a faint sound echoed from deeper within the cave.

I’m not alone.

Dropping into a crouch, Seth instinctively drew out his bow and nocked an arrow. As he inched forward through the twisting tunnel, the muffled noise became more distinct, turning into clear clinks and soft thuds of footsteps. Reaching a turn, he peeked around the corner.

A vast stone hall loomed ahead, and inside, something was lurking in the shadows, staying away from the glowing runes. Seth squinted and examined the… man—no, that thing was definitely not a man.

The creature had a bulbous belly, lanky arms and legs, with the gray skin of a putrid corpse. An overly large head stood above its skeletal frame, grotesquely contorted with two bulging bloodshot eyes, cropped ears, and a huge mouth filled with razor-sharp black teeth.

It crept around on all fours, clawed feet and hands clattering their way through the scattered bones; its spine jutted through its curved back, stretching its pallid skin as if it hadn't had a decent meal in years. The only shred of clothing it wore was a ragged leather loincloth over its crotch.

What in the fucking hell is that? Seth thought, spinning back behind the cave's wall, his throat tightening.

He glanced at the dead end and shut his eyes for a moment, trying to think. Fighting that monstrous thing was his only option to find a way out. Unless...I wait for Nightmare to find me—absolutely not, he snapped to himself.

How could he even consider that? The direwolf could be hurt or in danger at this very second, and here he was, cowering like some frightened little kid, waiting to be saved.

No wonder the gap between me and Nightmare is growing every day, Seth thought, clenching his fists. I’ve been relying on him too much.

When they’d first met, Seth had been the one doing most of the work, fighting beasts head-to-head, putting himself in danger and letting his core’s instinct drive his every move. And now, he was about to hide like a coward and wait to be rescued, without even knowing his enemy’s goddamn Rank.

Being so cautious had made him weak, turning him into someone overly scared of mistakes and injuries. Had he forgotten his goals? Getting strong enough to make Lucius pay, crush the Faertis House, free Sunatown from their oppression, heal Renwal's arm, and never having to bow again to anyone.

The current Path he was following wouldn’t lead him there.

Primalists needed to thrive through the dangers of the wild and embrace its challenges, battling like beasts to grow stronger. He wasn't supposed to stay at a safe distance and cast spells like a freaking Elementalist. Risks were supposed to be part of his life—and part of his Path.

Seth’s core stirred in his chest, sending waves of fierce energy surging through him as he readied his bow and peered at the ugly creature. His bowstring bent under the steady pull of his fingers, and tiny lightning arcs began dancing around the enchanted arrow.

I’m the predator. And that's my prey.

The world narrowed around him as Seth took aim. His breathing stopped and his heartbeat slowed, preparing for the moment. Then, with a sharp snap, he released his arrow.

The projectile flew and soared like death itself straight toward the beast—the monstrosity jerked its head up, likely sensing something amiss, which caused the arrow to plunge into its shoulder rather than its head. Lightning surged through the creature's body, and it screeched in pain before crooking its oversized head toward Seth, fixing him with a red-eyed gaze. With a fierce growl, it then charged on all fours, its black teeth bared and ready to tear him apart.

Seth quickly fired another arrow, sending it straight at the creature’s snarling face, but the thing easily sidestepped and pounced at him with terrifying speed.

Almost instantly, Seth's core burst open, flooded him with its mysterious energy, and allowed him to leap out of the way, dodging the creature's claws by mere inches. Mid-air, he threw aside his bow and yanked his dagger out, casting Shocking Strike once more. The moment his feet touched the ground, he charged, pushing aether into Quick Step’s grooves and thrust the electrified blade toward the creature's throat.

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The hideous beast reacted quickly, meeting the dagger with a claw swipe that sent sparks flying. Letting out a guttural snarl, it drew back as teal aether spread around its inky-black claws—then pounced again.

Seth dodged and rolled to the side. Springing back to his feet a second later, he lunged forward, his dagger leading the way. But the creature was ready and spun to dodge, its razor-sharp claws whipping through the air and ripping through Seth’s shoulder. An intense pain seared through his arm and he stumbled back, clutching the bleeding wound with a wince.

The monstrosity then leapt back and crawled into the shadows, its deep growl reverberating through the room like the laughter of a madman pleased by the sight of its victim's blood.

"Hiding yourself, bastard?" Seth bellowed, gritting his teeth through the throbbing pain while his eyes tracked the creature.