Progression Time

Before You Read

The Primal Hunter

Prep Primer for Book 17 · Recaps Book 16· Released

TL;DR

Book 16 closes Jake's diplomatic mission to the Pantheon of Life. He becomes an official couple with the goddess Artemis, gets a new Mythical bow and a Mythical profession skill, and brings home a new friend. The trip back to the Order goes badly in the void, with an ambush by gods whose motives are still unexplained, and the book ends with Jake back at the Order, training.

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I · The Main Plot

Where We Start

Jake is the Order of the Malefic Viper's envoy to the Pantheon of Life, partway through a mission that mostly consists of hunting, archery and time with a goddess. He has just returned from a hunting trip with one assassination attempt by a major multiversal faction, and he has a new friend with him (Book 16 blurb).

Major Plot Points & Spoilers

  1. Jake and the goddess Artemis agree to be a couple at Book 16, ch. 26 ('Relationship'). The mission is then declared 'A Successful Diplomatic Mission' (ch. 27), and the wiki says the Pantheon and Order issue a Declaration of Friendship.
  2. A Level 320 profession skill pick produces Heretic-Chosen's Invocation of the Malefic Viper (Mythical). A new bow, the Mythical Apex Hunter's Bow of the World Tree, is formed by Nature's Attendant (ch. 34 to 35).
  3. A Nevermore reunion party gathers Jake's old party (ch. 14 to 16), and Jake brings Jasper, a Shimmerfur Warpsnatcher, home with him. Jasper is the new friend per the wiki only.
  4. Trouble in the void (ch. 58 to 62): the party is ambushed on the way back to the Order. Per the wiki, Artemis holds off gods far stronger than herself and a plan from Jake leads to a rescue. The chapter titles call the culprits and motives 'unexplainable'.
  5. Back at the Order (ch. 63 to 77): a conversation with the Malefic Viper ('The Older & Wiser Friend', 'A Long-awaited Conversation'), then lessons and mental-fortitude training, ending on 'Light'.

Where the Book Leaves Off

Jake is back at the Order of the Malefic Viper after the void ambush, in a stretch of lessons and training. We could not verify a specific final-chapter cliffhanger for Book 16. Book 17 starts at overall chapter 1216 per the wiki.

II · Characters & Personal Progression

Romantic & Personal Status

Jake and Artemis are an official couple as of Book 16, and she is not expected to be exclusive to him in the multiversal sense, though she asks to bear his firstborn (wiki). They live in different factions: she is the Pantheon of Life's goddess of hunting and archery. Carmen is still listed as a friend-with-benefits.

Inner Circle Check-In

  • The Malefic Viper (Villy): Jake's Primordial patron. He talks with Jake after the void ambush and, per the wiki, gifted Artemis an elixir that helped her break through to Godqueen.
  • Artemis: Jake's partner, who held off stronger gods during the void ambush (wiki). She is the Pantheon of Life's liaison to the Order.
  • Jasper: The Shimmerfur Warpsnatcher Jake brings home. He received help reaching B-grade and a Divine Blessing from the Seeker (wiki).
  • Jake's Nevermore party: Reunited for a party in Book 16. Individual members' current status is unverified from our sources.

Key New Faces & Factions

Pantheon of Lifeally

Peak faction led by Yggdrasil and run by Nature's Attendant. It issued a Declaration of Friendship with the Order, and its goddess Artemis is now Jake's partner.

The void ambushersenemy

Gods far stronger than Artemis, per the wiki. Their identity and motives are unresolved in our sources.

The assassin factionunknown

A major multiversal faction tried to assassinate Jake on a Pantheon hunting trip, per the Book 16 blurb. It is not named.

III · End-of-Book Stats & Power Gains

Current Rank / Grade

C-grade. The wiki's ch. 1195 sheet (Book 16, ch. 57) reads Race Level 329, Class Level 332 and Profession Level 327. Final end-of-book levels were not captured. The directory's Cosmic tier is a Progression Time power rating, not an in-book grade.

Dao / Path / Class Evolution

Class is Arcane Hunter of Horizon's Edge and profession is Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper, with the Bloodline of the Primal Hunter and the Malefic Viper's True Blessing. No grade, class or profession evolution is recorded within Book 16's chapter range.

Major Skill & Body Gains

  • Heretic-Chosen's Invocation of the Malefic Viper (Mythical profession skill, ch. 1167) and Event Horizon (Mythical class skill, from Book 15).
  • Apex Hunter's Bow of the World Tree (Mythical) replaces the bow that broke.
  • Mask of the Golden Forest King (Unique) and the Umbral Cloak (Legendary) as late-book gear.

IV · Extras: Empire, Gear & World State

Territory & Faction Upgrades

The Order and the Pantheon of Life are now on friendly terms, and Jake's home base is the Order of the Malefic Viper. The Milky Way was settled in Book 14, and nothing in Book 16 changes Earth's position.

Signature Gear & Vessels

  • Apex Hunter's Bow of the World Tree (Mythical, soulbound)
  • Mask of the Golden Forest King (Unique)
  • Umbral Cloak (Legendary) and Voidblade Katar (Legendary)

Ticking Clocks

  • Who ambushed Jake's group in the void and why. The chapter titles describe the motives as 'unexplainable', and our sources name no culprit.
  • The unnamed multiversal faction behind the assassination attempt during the Pantheon hunting trip.
  • Jake's next grade evolution. Class 332 and profession 327 at ch. 1195 leave him near the top of C-grade, and the wiki says the Seat of the Exalted Prima event is slated for when the top denizens of the 93rd universe reach B-grade. This clock is an inference from those two facts, not something Book 16 states.