Zogarth
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Chapter 1226 - The Curiosity of a Primordial
🕑 Added 2025-10-09 11:14:02 +0000 UTCJake finally exited his Soulspace and opened his eyes to the two gods. Both of them were looking at him as if they were trying to evaluate his state of mind or to see if he’d taken any soul damage, making Jake smile slightly.
“What a welcome party for someone who didn’t even go anywhere,” Jake said jokingly.
As he spoke, he visibly saw the relief wash over Artemis’ face while Villy just flashed a grin of his own.
“I would argue you went on quite a spiritual journey,” the snake god said as he walked over. “Such trips can make one lose oneself and never fully return. However, looking at you, this entire journey clearly didn’t seem to have led to much personal development.”
“Hey, I would argue that the growth my stat page underwent gets as personal as growth can be,” Jake shot back jokingly as he decided to stand up, only to find his legs wobbly as the world started spinning for a moment.
Before he even had time to catch himself, Artemis was upon him, supporting his shoulder as she was back to looking worried. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I think so,” Jake said, also finding his state a little weird. Trying to get a proper grasp of what was going on, Jake noticed that when he tried to move energy through his body faster, it seemed to get obstructed, and he could barely mobilize any power. “Actually, scratch that. I’m definitely not in peak condition right now.”
“I’m not surprised; you just gave your own soul quite the beating there,” the Malefic Viper chuckled. “Sure, you may have stabilized your mind using that unique skill of yours, but your soul was still ravaged and damaged by the broken Records of Palate. Even if the skill is fixed now, that doesn’t mean your soul is fully recovered.”
“I kinda felt like it was, though,” Jake muttered as he managed to stand by himself. “At least it doesn’t feel damaged anymore.”
“Oh no, it’s not really damaged,” the Viper said with another big smile. “Say, Jake, you used to work out a little before the system arrived in your universe, right? Remember how your lower body felt after a good leg day? Yeah, it’s a bit like that. You’ve strained yourself too much, and your soul is just tired and needs some proper rest.”
“I don’t entirely get the reference, but that does seem the most likely explanation,” Artemis nodded. “Even gods can feel an odd sense of exhaustion if they spend too long trying to comprehend concepts.”
“Speaking of concepts, I just want to clarify something,” Villy added as he looked at Jake. “Did you see the Gate of Enlightenment?”
Jake looked confused at the Viper for a second before answering. “Yes? I thought that was pretty obvious…”
“That’s why I said I wanted to confirm,” the Viper shook his head with a low chuckle. “I’ve mentioned it before, after all.”
“No? You haven’t?” Jake questioned, now even more confused.
“Exactly,” the snake god nodded as if Jake had just fully confirmed his words.
“Wait, you mean that it was considered Forbidden Knowledge before?” Jake finally got it.
“See, even if he’s a bit slow on the uptake sometimes, he does tend to figure things out in the end,” Villy spoke to Artemis before turning back to Jake. “And you’re right on the money. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but most things like that are considered Forbidden Knowledge. A lot will become clearer the closer you get to godhood. Most don’t learn about the Gate of Enlightenment before S-grade.”
“Ignoring the underhanded compliment that I’m not even sure was a compliment at all, when you say that you can’t share any details in that vein, do you mean requirements for divine ascension?” Jake asked.
“Look at him go; sometimes he can even surprise us with how smart he is!” Villy spoke to Artemis once more before he answered Jake. “And yes, that’s more or less what I mean. I guess I can share that one of the requirements for godhood is indeed to open one’s Gate of Enlightenment; something you’ve already taken the first step towards. Of course, you still need to also…”
Jake felt as if he had zoned out for a moment as he frowned. “Also what? Wait, never mind…”
The Viper just grinned after having spoken what was clearly Forbidden Knowledge, making Artemis shake her head before she spoke. “I also have something I want to confirm. We’re right to assume that you gained a sacred rarity skill, correct?”
Jake was about to answer as the Viper cut in quickly. “The mere fact that he’s about to answer means he succeeded. Because yes, the mere existence of the sacred rarity is also considered Forbidden Knowledge. Not really sure why the system cares about hiding rarities, but oh well.”
Now it was Jake’s time to ignore what the Viper said as he also chose to answer Artemis. “Yes, I did get a sacred rarity skill.”
Artemis smiled and nodded. “With that, I assume a title also followed?”
“Title upgrade, and yes,” Jake said, feeling at least a little proud of himself. “Not a minor one either.”
“It would be disappointing if it were,” Artemis said before she asked the Viper a question. “I’m curious, how many C-grades are you aware of that managed to get a sacred rarity skill? I know I sure didn’t have one. I found it hard enough to upgrade a few skills to mythical already.”
“Off the top of my head? Not sure, actually. Most don’t publicly advertise when they get a skill like that, and I would also recommend that Jake restrain himself from bragging too much. I do know of a couple who had one, though. From what I remember, a few of the Daolords managed to, and I also wouldn’t be surprised if a few choice Chosen who later became extraordinary gods also had one, though again, hard to tell,” the Malefic Viper shrugged. “How about the Pantheon of Life? Do you know of any there, or perhaps some gods I wasn’t very up-to-date on?”
“I am aware of only one from the Pantheon of Life, and that upgrade came primarily as the result of her success in a massive system event and a lot of very fortuitous circumstances coming together,” Artemis said. “Besides that, the only recent and public one I’m aware of was the late Yip of Yore.”
“Oh yeah, not very surprising either,” the Viper nodded slowly. “That guy should really have learned some self-control and just allowed himself to fully grow into his potential and not try to bite off more than he could chew. A few more eras and he would have been a real handful.”
“While now, he’s just a mouthful,” Jake added, getting a small chuckle out of the Viper.
“A tasty one, I might add,” the snake god said before another thought seemed to strike him. “I take it that you managed to reach the Gate of Enlightenment through the assistance of the First Sage, right? Also, if you did, does that mean the Records and Legacy he left with you has been used up, or is there more you’ve yet to explore?”
“I did indeed manage with the help of the First Sage, and no, parts of his Legacy remain. I’m just not capable of accessing it quite yet, and likely won’t be able to before at least B-grade,” Jake answered.
“I see,” the Viper slowly nodded in understanding, though a flash of relief seemed to cross his face for a moment, likely just happy that some of the Legacy of his Master still remained somewhere.
“You two… You just discussed Forbidden Knowledge, didn’t you?” Artemis cut in, which also reminded Jake that she wasn’t even able to take part in that conversation.
“Yeah, sorry,” Jake apologized.
“No need for an apology, I’m just surprised about the existence of such Forbidden Knowledge that the two of you seem aware of but that I don’t,” Artemis explained, indeed not seeming the least offended.
“Just a little secret between the two of us,” the snake god joked. “Now, with the confirmation that Jake’s mind still works – well, works as well as before, I guess – I believe it’s time for me to take my leave and allow my dear Chosen to recover. I could volunteer to play nurse, but I have a very strong feeling someone else here is willing to do the job instead.”
As usual, the Viper teleported away before anyone could say anything, always keen on getting in the last word. In fact, he managed to get in the last word twice, as he also made sure to leave Jake with a quick telepathic message.
“We can discuss the vision you had this time around when it’s more convenient and you’re fully recovered.”
Without any ability to respond, Jake could only accept the Viper’s proposition. When it came to the vision, Jake certainly had a few questions he wanted to ask, though he didn’t want to do so in front of Artemis.
With the snake god gone and the immediate talk surrounding Jake’s upgrade done, Jake shook away all thoughts of the snake god and turned to Artemis with a smile. “He does have a point; this patient would do well with some rest.”
“Then allow me to assist you,” Artemis said as she flashed a smirk of her own before kneeling down and scooping Jake off his feet. Before he even knew it, the goddess held him in a princess carry as she walked out of the laboratory Jake had decided to meditate in and towards the bedroom he… they… usually used.
Jake didn’t resist or protest but just commented on the situation. “I would reckon teleportation was easier than walking.”
“Most definitely,” Artemis didn’t disagree as she continued walking with him as if he were entirely disabled.
“Would be cool if someone here was capable of teleporting,” Jake continued his passive commentary.
“Sure would,” Artemis continued teasing him. At this point, Jake just accepted his fate and snuggled up to Artemis. Soon enough, they reached the bedroom, where Artemis proceeded very ungently to throw Jake on the bed.
Jake was ready for something more to happen as Artemis threw a blanket at him, covering his entire body. He quickly pulled it off himself and saw Artemis standing there looking at him.
“What? You need to recover right now, and the best way to recover is either to meditate or sleep, and both of those can comfortably be done in a bed, so go right ahead,” she said, clearly enjoying teasing Jake.
“I’m not that worn out, just a little tired,” Jake protested.
“Right,” Artemis slowly nodded.
Jake stared at her for a moment before surrendering once again. “Alright, fine.”
With resignation, Jake lay down on the bed normally as he let out a sigh. Sure, he was a little tired, but it really wasn’t that bad. Surely, all he would need was a couple of hours of sleep, and he would perk right up. With that in mind, Jake closed his eyes, and not even three seconds later, it was lights out.
He didn’t wake up for another three days, at which point two things had become very clear. First of all, Jake was perhaps more than a little tired after confronting a gate that usually only gods could interact with, and second of all, Jake’s upgraded meditation skill definitely worked at least partly even while sleeping.
--
“He opened the Gate of Enlightenment? No, that would be impossible. It does seem like he managed to get a peek at the other side, though,” the Primordial muttered mostly to himself.
“If he’d fully opened the gate, it wouldn’t be my Chosen having a little nap right now, but something entirely different,” the Viper said, shaking his head. “But to sate at least a morsel of your curiosity, yes, I guess you could say he managed to get a peek at the other side.”
“Which only raises more questions,” Eversmile said, looking deep in thought. “That Chosen of yours isn’t exactly someone with the kind of mindset and mental state I would expect to see from someone seeking enlightenment. He is no monk, no philosopher, yet he’s surpassed all of them in the aspect that’s meant to be their speciality. At first, I theorized his Bloodline was the cause, and while I don’t doubt it’s involved somehow, I do not see it being the main factor.”
Vilas remained silent as the Primordial of Karma kept speaking his thoughts out loud, perhaps with the hope of having the Viper confirm or reject some of what he said.
“No, there must be something else behind it. It doesn’t strike me as your work either. Perhaps it’s related to the Void Gods, as they seem to have an interest in Jake? No… no, that doesn’t fit either. I see; it’s something else entirely. Something I’m not aware of. A unique opportunity he’s been given outside of currently known system events or individuals,” Eversmile continued, showing that he was indeed pretty good at deduction.
The Viper considered trying to stop his train of thought, but decided to see where Eversmile would end up.
“Something powerful. Undetectable… unknown. Perhaps even something unable to be known in the first place,” Eversmile said as he seemed to have a realization as he looked at the Malefic Viper. “This is related to the entity tied to his boots, isn’t it? The individual whose entire existence is considered Forbidden Knowledge, yet you two seem to be aware. As the only ones, it appears.”
“That’s a wild theory based on very limited information,” Vilas chimed in, seeing no reason to confirm that Eversmile was more or less right on the money.
“You’re unaware?” Eversmile asked rhetorically, his creepy smile growing slightly wider than usual.
“Unaware of what?” the Viper asked, raising an eyebrow. He had an idea of what the other Primordial was hinting at, but again, better to give nothing away if he could avoid it.
“The karmic resonance that took place during his journey. Through my own bond with the very concept of karma, I managed to glean a little. Your Chosen was not alone when he appeared at the Gate of Enlightenment. Not truly. There was something else there, or perhaps just remnants of something else. Something carrying that very familiar karmic signature I’m apparently not allowed to know the owner of,” the God of Karma said, truly living up to that title of his.
“In other words, you already knew, and all of that theorizing was just bullshit?” Vilas asked, shaking his head. “Man, you’re really just bored sometimes, aren’t you?”
“Oh no, quite the opposite,” Eversmile chuckled. “I find this entire situation extremely interesting. With so many unpredictable developments and so much I don’t know… how can I not be intrigued?”
The Viper turned a bit more serious as he looked at the other Primordial. “My previous words still stand. Don’t fuck with Jake just to sate your own curiosity.”
“I see no need to be anything but an observer for now. Your Chosen is fully capable of piquing my interest all on his own. Besides, it’s not him I’m most curious about right now.”
“Another poor sod caught your attention?” the Viper asked a very leading question that he also highly suspected the answer to.
“I wouldn’t say you’re poor,” Eversmile chuckled, shaking his head.
“Eh, have you seen how many resources Jake has gone through during his bane poison experimentation?” Vilas said with an exaggerated sigh. “But fine, I’ll bite. What suddenly makes me so much more interesting today than I was yesterday?”
Eversmile leaned forward as he looked at the snake god. “You’re always good at hiding your true thoughts. At revealing nothing, neither through words nor your expression. You can even hide your deceit from my senses… yet today you slipped up. I felt it. When I said your Chosen wasn’t alone, and when I mentioned that mutual Forbidden Knowledge subject you and your Chosen share, there was something there. A faint shiver. An emotion you couldn’t hide.”
The Viper looked as neutral as he could while Eversmile continued.
“It wasn’t your Chosen who originally met this individual… it was you. Jake got to know this entity through you. I don’t know how, but I suspect it’s related to that odd ability of his to experience your Records. Ah, yes, I’m aware of it, but that’s neither here nor there. Through this skill, he somehow made contact with something or someone from your Records. Something that’s now Forbidden Knowledge.”
Eversmile seemed to get even more excited as he leaned even further forward.
“Someone you have an extremely strong karmic and emotional connection to… and knowing that such an entity existed without me knowing about it, how can I not be intrigued? How can’t I be curious? Especially knowing that this entity seems to have influence echoing through history and even shares a karmic connection with me.”
Vilas could only try to remain neutral as he definitely had to admit once more… Eversmile was scarily good at figuring things out that he really shouldn’t be able to, and once he was obsessed with something, there was nothing in the multiverse that could stop him from scouring all of existence to satisfy that obsession.
Which, maybe, wasn’t the worst, because the Viper did have some curiosity himself about just how much of a mark his Master had truly left on the multiverse, and if there was someone he would trust to uncover anything and everything, it would definitely be Eversmile. For better a worse.
Assuming Eversmile continued down this path of obsession, there was even a chance he could one day learn about the First Sage himself and thus no longer have him be considered Forbidden Knowledge. The thought gave the Viper mixed feelings, but again, Eversmile could prove an asset in uncovering some of the secrets his Master left behind. The Viper had realized by now that, despite how much time he’d spent with the First Sage and how much he’d come to believe he’d at least partly understood the man, Vilas had barely scraped the surface of his Master’s existence.
Comments
Lo-Fi
"For better a worse" -> For better and/or for worse.
Chase Burleson
Tftc!
Chloe
Tyftc
Michael Click
❤️❤️❤️
Wren Redwood
I’m surprised to see that so many people seem to vehemently dislike Eversmile. Honestly, im kinda fond of the creepy fuck
Tyler Engelke
No, because in order to become a god you have to learn about the gate on your own merit. That's forbidden. Restricted is another S grade being able to tell you about the gate.
Imox
"POCKET FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE"
alaric
A thought just occurred to me. Can't discussing forbidden knowledge be used offensively? It seems to make people zone out a bit when they hear it, so couldn't you just start screaming about the first sage over and over and backstabbing people in their addled state?
Alexandre bergeron
Is the gate forbidden or restricted knowledge ? Seem restricted like for nevermore
Matthew Carter
I was wondering about that myself.
Mat
It’s interesting that with how Yip’s transcendent worked, he might have stolen the archviement when is killed Altius or some other poor sob
NovaZero
"For better a worse." ??
Titaniumtac
For better a worse --> or worse
Michael Ferguson
What a ride! I'd take a nap after that too.
That one, right there.
Jake needs to find away to share his references to Artimis. Get her to binge some classics, I get the feeling she would be a fan of the predator movies.
Jessy D
The one thing I like about Eversmile is that nothing is personal and everything is about seeing what happens. He’s a jerk to William for it but is relatively kind to Jake given the “sass” Jake throws back at him (from a multi-universe perspective. From my perspective Jake is 100% justified).
WESTON FRENCH
Jake tends to think of himself as an exception. He might have thought he was immune to the restrictions of forbidden knowledge.
brjenness
nah...valdemar is more interesting. the way he spends milliseconds in deep contemplation of how he should solve any problem with a swing of his axe is truly inspiring.
bioticisbasic
Tyftc!
Alex
It will be interesting to see Jake’s profession options at B grade. I’m also deeply curious about what the First Sage’s Class and Profession were. He could apparently do everything at a very high level, which is odd because Classes and Professions aren’t supposed to be that broad. Perhaps he got some really broken ones in the early days of The System before it got a handle on balancing things.
Gabe Stankiewicz
I used to hate Eversmile, st the beginning of the series, same as everyone else with a normal functioning brain. Then I started to think “eh, he’s a creep but maybe not entirely a villain.” But now? Now that he’s going down the path of obsessively trying to discover the First Sage? I can’t help but get a really bad feeling about that. Eversmile would be the worst god to ever come across something First Sage related honestly. Also, I hope Sylphie is doing good 💜💜
M C
I see Jake becoming the first primordial slayer and it being Eversmile. Way down the road…
Andrew P
Seems odd Jake would be surprised by it being forbidden knowledge all things considered
John Durrett
Tyftc
Alexandre8901
Good chapter thanks!!
Lemonsqueezy
Where Jake was intended to be killed in his first encounter with those assassins that attacked the camp that first night, or was it from that first monster they encountered. The level 10 beast was supposed to kill Jake I believe, but Jake's bloodline warned him of the danger which completely changed the timeline.
Lemonsqueezy
Great hypothesis. Depending on what perspective the story was told in at the point where Villy is thinking. Sometimes this story is told in 1st person and sometimes in 3rd person. Makes me start thinking back to times where something like this has happened. Maybe Villy actually tried to help Jake with an issue or question he had. Villy would try to explain but realized it was forbidden knowledge so he just had to tell Jake it was best if he figured it out himself.
Lemonsqueezy
I disliked Eversmile at the begging of the story, but as it has progressed I have started to like the character. He is a god of curiosity and intrigue. He has to solve the riddle, has to know why something is happening and I can appreciate that. He is still an asshole that shouldn't be unquestionably trusted, but as a person with a mindset of needing to solve an unknown I get it. Eversmile just takes his curiosity and solves the problem like a psychopath. He has no regard to what happens to others in his quest to answer a question or lack of knowledge he has. Take William for instance, Jake's bloodline messed up Eversmile's plan during the integration. William was supposed to be the success story that Jake ended up being. After Eversmile's plan was ruined, he completely messed up that kid just to see what would happen.
Xien
Anyone else hoping Eversmile catches a good drubbing on this expedition to the first sage? No?! Just me?! I really dislike his ass!
Apollo Greed
Tyftc!
Apollo Greed
You may be right OR it’s the meditate skill that every god has
Weebeedee
Lets be real. He's still just annoyed that Jake constantly spots him while hiding his form.
kaimen jones
I feel like any time it says that villy takes a long moment to “think” he was mentioning forbidden knowledge in the past
AetherBoye
I wonder if the First Sage possibly helped EVERY primordial in their ascent back in the day, and Villy is simply the only one who remembers
Biggy smalls
Nah, Eversmile’s just a mad scientist. Right now I don’t think Jake’s going to kill any of the primordials. He’s not a murder hobo. He only kills when he has cause to.
DirePants
I’m always reminded of Jake and Villy’s first meeting. Where Villy talked about how the tutorial was “supposed” to go. With William being the only survivor and Jake having not existed at all. Yes I know Jake was supposed to be killed. We all read the same story.
Kt-x
Thanks for the chapter!
Mat
Maybe all this will give Jake a B-grade profession option centred around being Villy’s fellow disciple of FS.
Mat
Snappy forgot too
A Flashy BR
Very interesting and FUN ! Tyftc
Eric Shivak
TFTC
BumAssBumAss
Jake's instincts can be insane. It got past restricted knowledge during nevermore and let him know about the all time leader boards before completing nevermore. Personally I'd like to see Jake delve more into this instinctive divination even though I know Jake doesn't like the divination crap.
Drexnaw
OR if he takes enough soul damage like in the next system event it starts cracking more
InfernoDroid
That feels..... unlikely
Tom C
I notice that Villy and the other gods are assuming that Jake somehow “opened” the Gate and got a peek to the other side. NOT that he damaged the gate, allowing concepts to seep out. With this in mind, I reckon something will occur in the future either cos his Gate is now damaged and therefore weakened, or because he isn’t gonna open the gate, he’s just gonna smash through it TFTC!
Drexnaw
I like the seed idea but Villy stated that everyone sees something different in the system. I think its more a mental state thing. Yes FS prolly messes with Villys but others it could be a mentor or loved one they see just whoever you would trust the most i reckon to put you at ease
Lemonsqueezy
At the very beginning of this story I wasn't a fan of Eversmile, but as the story has progressed I have begun to really understand and appreciate the character. He is kind of like Coeus (Greek god of the inquisitive mind) or Apollo (Roman god of knowledge and enlightenment).
Carl Never
Yes i think eversmiles the only one who forgot
Kevin Watson
The First Sage is probably the most interesting part of the story so far imo, it’s really fun when we get to hear more about him. tftc
Devillelouch
Eversmile. Superman would then win because he is a deus ex machina and gets whatever power is needed to win. Eversmile has restrictions.
Jayce Sul
I wonder if every Primordial had their own version of FS as their master. Then, Eversmile 'destroyed' FS using his ultimate whatever and everyone forgot? I wonder how Jake would fit into that scenario.
tigerfishie
TYFTC!
Devillelouch
It wouldn't show up on the book. It cannot appear in the multiverse. Speech, written, or telepathy.
Carl Never
I think the other primordials know the fs eversmile made himself forget. Storm mild knows
ABTelford
Love this chapter! Author has sure gotten his mojo back in these recent chapters! 😎
GeneticSloth
Tftc!
mucky 12
Best theory I've read so far, well done!
Psyck0
Is Villy wrote down forbidden knowledge could jake use his sphere to to learn it? Bloodline loophole for forgetting the knowledge.
Ty Cooper
Plot thickens! I love all the FS stuff and having Smiley sniffing stuff out i so happy that the FS going to be an even bigger part than first teased. These two weeks have been great with almost every chapter having some cliffs what will tomorrow bring. Lol I love how obsessed everyone is and no matter how Zog ends the chapter we just crave more. How will tomorrow's chapter leave us.
Lynderyn
I have a feeling TFS filled them at C grade and chose to ‘die’
MarineDebris
How crazy would it be if Jake was the person that helped Villy with the barrier in the Vision, or part of that person's faction And due to whatever happened between them, Jake used his Origin Energy to turn himself back fully human in this era, so that he can get revenge on Villy? Or the opposite, and he wanted to help him with something?? Man, I love this story!!
Kaladin
He needs to introduce his girlfriend to his parents. How long is their expected lifespan? They capped at d rank not to advance beyond that?
Ender419
Wonderful chapter! Thank you!! The real question is who is a better detective Eversmile or Batman?
Shadovvnight
The first sage was probably a seed of knowledge from the system, somewhat like the boundgods. For the first era, and there were many of him spread around the universe. Even guiding those who would become the first gods to guide the rest. He is only forbidden knowledge because the system doesn't want them knowing how much it is pulling the strings. Also explains why the first sage appears for villy in system events.
Spencer Miller
I have a theory I’m fairly confident in. First, I think Eversmile’s experiment with William is about seeing a variation on his own Path. This would explain why he made sure William was a Heretic of Eversmile; it’s the best way to make sure William follows the same professional Path without being too directly influenced after that point. It might also explain why he kept William out of System events that provide titles- Eversmile doesn’t have Nevermore titles, so the experiment is purer if William doesn’t, either. Naturally, this control only made sense before William became a heretic. It would explain why he needed a Savant. It doesn’t matter if he follows the right professional Path if he’s unskilled enough with his class that it slows him too much below Eversmile’s pace. Finally, it would explain why it had to be William. We don’t know if Eversmile was in the integration of the first Universe, but if he was, maybe he is/was a sociopath, like William. They don’t appear with the System, I think. His goal, then, would be to see the effect that the user having emotions, or emotions that they have the experience to analyze semi-objectively, has on his own Path of Karma. Such a unique individual, with the right mental illness, enough martial talent to thrive, and with a tutorial that might cause them to evolve out of their illness, would be extraordinarily rare. Maybe rare enough to owe the Malefic Viper and spend a Leaf of Yggdrasil on.
Corvid
You're not supposed to peak behind the curtain like that
Rewdan
Thanks Zogarth for a great chapter
Arieh Sochaczevski
Thanks for the chapter!
Rewdan
Same I don’t trust him either
Zogarth
Fixed stuff.
J W
I think its much more simple. The first sage isnt just one individual. All the primordials have a master or teacher but not having the transcendent skill to remember everything like villy they cant recall it.
Spencer Miller
If most eventual gods do each of the “Ascension Requirements” at S-grade, the question is whether doing one early enough for a Divine Prodigy title involves doing it at A-grade or B-grade. Given the special strain/difficulty of the task, it could be a single grade early, but in order to be harder than a Sacred skill at C-grade? It honestly might require fully meeting one of the ascension requirements in B-grade. The main problem with that theory, though, is that it would leave completely unclear what an A-grade Prodigy title might involve. The only thing I can think of would be fulfilling all non-level ascension requirements before even reaching S-rank, but that seems unlikely, even for Jake.
Xander
TFTC :) Suggested edits: "can lead one not to be entirely themselves *anywhere* when they return. " this seems odd phrasing here. Perhaps I am just misplacing the emphasis. "the growth *on* my stat page underwent is as" should be "that" "how many *C-grades* are you aware of that managed to get a sacred rarity skill * in C-grade*?" This is redundant because when else would a C-grade get a skill? Either ditch the second C -Grade or change the first to "beings" "fully grow into his potential before trying to *bite off more than he could chew.*" If you bite off more than you can chew it is beyond your capability to deal with by definition so this sentence doesnt make sense. Perhaps "before taking a shot at the title" using villys partial omniscience to supply him with a human idiom. "But to sate at least a *mortal* of your curiosity" should be "morsel" "that’s meant to be their *specialty*. " should be "speciality"
Mikesch
So I guess Divine rarity is forbidden knowledge too. Wonder why the System did that. Surely not because the author did not want to have all raritys set in stone from the start, and Jake simply wanting to learn about them as he goes on started to feel a bit.... eeeeeh. Surely not! 😉
Riptorius
Not in the world of primordials. To them a mortal is smaller than a morsel.
Mohammed Sheekh
"I see no need to be anything but an observer for now" eversmile is gonna bite off more than he can chew one day and find an arrow in his skull
Tie
I think he's just happy to be included. Literally. Hence the smile.
Blake N.
Yes. This is a story. Kinda weird for an author to suggest an idea then never give a payout
Bobo
Fantastic chapter! Thanks much!
C0bra$
Thank u for the story
Kurai Kami Sedrick
It's funny I feel like the FS not only met all the Primordials and Influenced/Taught them in someway that encounter is the reason the could all reach Godhood in the first place. And because he became Forbidden knowledge I assume most of if not all Primordials forgot about him. Which Is really funny, it's almost like all the Primordials could thank the FS for their Ascension in someway and now our Boy Jake is getting Direct mentorship from that Transcendental being, our boy might as well be Confirmed to ascend huh? Unless some unfortunate outside factor appears I'd say Jake is a shoe in for Godhood now more so than before.
Takoda Heitz
I really like Eversmile Zog. I think he’s probably my favorite character of yours. Where ever he is at you know some crazy shits going down.
ThatGuy
I can’t wait for Jake to kill eversmile.
NovaZero
That Karmic erasure, for a librarian, is a spankable offense.
NovaZero
Who?
SuperAzureReader
Tyftc. The princess carry had me snorting
Fyrtue
I really want Jake to go have a visit with his family soonish, but we're probably in for an alchemy push to cap C grade then hunting up until the dragon fight. The things we sacrifice for growth...
Mikesch
Yupp, he got us all I guess
Fyrtue
My guess would be that he realized it. It's just that having confirmation and talking about it is nice.
Cory S.
TFTC
Colin
Amazing chapter. Love the banter.
Benjamin Davis-Lorton
"But to sate at least a mortal of your curiosity" should be morsel, not mortal
RnR_ RnR
Eversmile is just bored with being immortal and now just live vicariously through karmic connections. I wonder how his path works?
JW Saxby
Tyftc! 🍻
Alexis Cassaigne
Remember the First Sage! It was his only wish, to be remembered.
Michele Della Mea
CINEMA
Shadowind
Tftc
khielira
This chapter just proved my thoughts that you can't be told about something that later becomes forbidden knowledge but you can still learn about forbidden knowledge if you stumble across it. And now the million credits question what will Eversmile learn once he knows about the First Sage
Jared Bell
Tftc
Ben Cox
Eversmile is like Jake's direct opposite, where Eversmile works things out step by step like some karmic Sherlock Holmes, Jake just gets a gut feeling and decides that is the unequivocal truth which is a funny concept to see when Jake does not want to think or deal with eversmile because I imagine they'd work well as a detective pair. Also “Now, with the confirmation that Jake’s mind still works – well, works as well as before, I guess" is easily one of my favorite lines for ages. Tyftc
Beemoss
Tftc
Bjarne Hansen
great chapter
djthomp
If the Sacred rarity is Forbidden Knowledge then maybe it actually is the last one before Divine. I guess Jake won't be flexing it on the Sword Saint, the Forest King, etc. I'm a little surprised that Jake hadn't explicitly realized that the Gate of Enlightenment is Forbidden Knowledge, with that speculation of his a few chapters back about why the gods never say why they meditate i would have assumed he already knew. Eversmile being on the case of the Mystery of the First Sage sounds like the beginnings of the explanation for why the boots have a karmic bond with every Primordial.
Andromeda Adams
Interesting, will Eversmile ever find the information he is looking for?
joel southard
Thank you for the chapter
IntenseSushi
Tftc
Matthias
Tftc
Ra
I actually enjoyed this chapter just as much as the last one. Eversmile was originally portrayed as the bad guy, but he wasn't really, because at the scale that Gods act, it doesn't truly matter. Remember William? Before the multiverse opened up, his acts were considered horrific. But after knowing about the multiverse, that doesn't seem quite as bad in comparison to others like Villy who just devoured worlds. Do you consider Villy a bad guy? No, because you can be antagonistic to some while remaining neutral or nice to others.
Naotsugu97
Good chapter. The day after leg day is always super fun!
brjenness
"The prmordial...damn zog had me going for two paragraphs before he said "eversmile"...wait ...had to check to see if they were the only two in the room.
StarWolf
Maaaan! Talk about missed opportunity! Jake on waking should have put a crazy look on his face and yelled “Brains!” lol
Alex Vlad
Karmaggeddon
Mateo Lopez
Honestly I think it works in this context. Wouldn’t a mortal be a morsel to a primordial. Well probably a crumb. But I think it could still work.
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Fdrugc
Tftc
Oliver Knight
Thanks
Ed Soto
Tftc
BumAssBumAss
Pretty uneventful which is fair considering the last chapter. Honestly don't know how I feel about Eversmile getting closer to learning about the first sage. But I guess it makes sense considering who we are dealing with.
Stoney
TFTC! > But to sate at least a mortal of your curiosity, Should this be - But to sate at least a Morsel of your curiosity ?
Theo
Did prefect evolution not give like a % increase to all stats as well? It was like 5-10% I thought or was it just raw stats it gave?
NicN
Tftc
Meir Banon
Tftc
Borbino the great
I still don’t trust ever smile at all he’s got some weird thing planned
Alexander C Hyde
“But to sate at least a (morsel)mortal of your curiosity, yes, I guess you could say he managed to get a peek at the other side.”
Unwillingmainer
Eversmile is a smart guy and all the more dangerous for it. I do believe he will enjoy the Jake live stream as much or more than Villy.
Fyrtue
A handful of people were questioning this yesterday and I had this in a comment thread. Reposting here for visibility. To the best of my knowledge, this is Jakes % stat boosts. Not every stat hits the 100% mark but the average increase is 101.67%. ALL: 85% +10% Holder of a Primordial's True blessing +10% Prodigious Slayer of the Mighty +15% Progenitor of the 93rd Universe +5% Nevermore All-Star Challenger +15% Peerless Conqueror of Nevermore +30% Sacred Prodigy STR: 90% +5% Myriad Paths AGI: 110% +10% Treasure Hunter +5% Myriad Paths +10% C-Grade Path END: 95% +10% C-Grade Path VIT: 105% +10% Blessing +10% Bloodline Patriarch TGH: 95% +10% Blessing WIS: 100% +10% Blessing +5% Treasure Hunter INT: 95% +10% Blessing PER: 130% +25% C-Grade Bloodline +10% Treasure Hunter +10% C-Grade Path WIL: 95% +10% Blessing
Connor
Thanks for the chapter
Sylphie
REE!!
DaMule
Yea
Island Relics
Many mahalo
BumAssBumAss
Thanks for the chapter
Jon Hanson
Woot
Jason
Thanks!!
Damascus
Woo
