The Primal Hunter

Chapter im5: Intermission 5 - Meira

Meira wiped the sweat off her forehead as she sat down to take a rest. Her sweat not only due to the strenuous task she was performing but because of the heat it was done in. Drinking from the water bottle, she thanked her parents for emphasizing the importance of investing free points into physical stats despite being an elf.

Looking to her side, she saw her father and mother both still working to fill the cart and get the shipment ready for their supervisor. It was hard work, but her family knew that their small clan was lucky to have it. To even still exist.

A few thousand years ago, their clan had been rather prevalent, their matriarch even being a mighty B-grade powerhouse. While it wasn’t much on a Great Planet like Primordial-4 as a whole, it was quite something for this fringe area.

That is until the mine was discovered. One day a party of explorers from their clan found a hidden pocket dimension with a great mine. One where materials worth more than their clan’s collective wealth many times over could be found.

But instead of informing the clan, they sold it to an outside source - the Brimstone Conglomerate. A few days later, their enforcer descended, slew their matriarch and half of the elders, and enslaved their entire clan to work for them. Those who opposed died, and those who obeyed lived.

Meira’s father had been the child of one of the elders who submitted. Today, he was a powerful pinnacle D-grade expert already, yet all he could do was slave away for his clan’s survival.

“Meira, we are leaving for the station now,” she heard her father call. With a sigh, she got up and went over to him as he deposited the last ores into his spatial storage and called for their mount.

A giant bird descended soon after with a small wooden structure on its back - housing for the long trip.

Getting on board, they soon took flight as she waved goodbye to her mother and her siblings, who were still working below. When they were far away from the camp, her father turned to her, a severe look on his face.

“Go rest, so you are ready for when we arrive,” he said somewhat dismissively as she nodded and went to her room, where she collapsed on the padded floor. She was already near the peak of E-grade, yet she still felt exhausted enough to fall asleep.

Three weeks quickly passed as she prepared herself in her room. The dress that her parents had prepared was a beautiful white one-piece. She spent nearly an hour making sure she was entirely clean from all the grime and dirt before putting it on and arranging her hair.

She knew how important it was that the young master of the branch took a liking to her. She had no positive feeling towards the lascivious man, but his liking or dislike of her person could determine her entire family’s fate and impact the clan as a whole. Maybe even lead them to a better future if all went well.

After landing at one of the transit platforms, the father and daughter pair were greeted by the handler and directed towards one of the meeting rooms, along with a small comment about the young master already waiting for them.

Entering the room, the two found themselves face-to-face with a handsome young human and an older-looking gentleman behind him. One she instantly recognized as the branch leader and his son.

The room itself was meticulously designed with expensive-looking wood that she recognized as some of the spirit trees from their forest. Trees they used to honor as guardians of the forest, now reduced to mere furniture.

The centerpiece in the room was a grand statue of a humanoid sitting on a throne. The mighty Brimstone Hegemon. A true god. And an accompanying aura that made her aware they were in his divine dominion.

“Meira, my beautiful, it’s good to see you once again,” the young man greeted with a lustful smile on his lips. His gaze was licking her from top to toe, stopping on every curve to admire them a little longer. Meira had to hold herself back from frowning in disgust as she bowed.

“I am honored to meet your excellency once more,” she said as she gave him a big faux smile. He either didn’t care or didn’t notice her disgust as he just laughed it off and turned to his father.

“She is quite good, isn’t she?”