Ascension of the Primalist [A Tamer Class, LitRPG]

Seth, Henry, and Eddin moved through the busy paths of the base until they reached the healing station—a rough section separated by crates, bedrolls, and hastily cleared space. Two Priests stood there, both dressed in worn brown robes that felt a world apart from the pristine, almost radiant garments of Krystel from the Champions of Chaos.

Seth dropped onto a wooden crate, the movement sending a sharp jolt through his shoulder. He exhaled slowly as Henry stepped forward and explained the situation.

The Priest on the left didn't waste time. He raised his hands and began casting a spell over Seth's arm. Seth recognized the pattern of light immediately: he'd seen Vandric, the previous Priest of Sunatown, use something similar on Renwal's shattered arms so he could discern the extent of the injuries.

Threads of faint light sank into Seth's shoulder as his mind turned to people from his hometown.

I should go see Mael and Renwal… or at least send word, Seth thought, watching the glow spread beneath his skin. With how bad this war is going, they might think I'm dead.

The light faded.

The Priest stepped back with a tensed expression.

"Some ligaments and tendons are torn and cut," he said, glancing toward Henry. "With his Iron constitution and a few healing spells—or a potion—those should recover easily." He paused for an instant. "But it might take a couple of days to fully heal."

"A couple of days?" Eddin repeated.

Seth had expected as much, but hearing it still made him feel like shit. His earlier hope of returning to the frontline quickly was gone.

He pressed his lips together, weighing the options. Sitting out while his squad died in those woods felt wrong—and unacceptable. But forcing himself to fight through the injury for days could turn a temporary setback into something permanent. Worse, it could lead to his own death… and ultimately result in more lives being lost because he wasn't there to protect them.

"You should stay in the fort with Nightmare and Colossus," Eddin said. "Let that shoulder heal."

Henry frowned. "Why with Nightmare and Colossus?"

Eddin shrugged. "Because it'd be stupid to lose one of them while he's not even there. Sure, they could save a few people on their own—but it's not worth the risk. Together, the three of them can save a lot more."

Seth found himself agreeing with Henry's right hand. Not just for the logic of it, but because a part of him refused to risk losing either of his companions while he remained in the stronghold.

'That will give me time to absorb the Seeds,' Nightmare said through Link.

Seth had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Of course that was where the wolf's mind went—but he couldn't deny it wasn't a bad idea.

'Not both,' he replied inwardly. 'Start with the Copper one. We'll see how long it takes. I might be back on my feet sooner than we think.'

Nightmare let out a huff. 'If you insist.'

Seth then glanced at Henry and Eddin.

A smile spread across Henry's lips. "Don't make that face, Seth. We'll do fine even without the three of you." The squad leader then raised Morsh's Endless Pouch into the air and gave it a shake. "With the amount of Instant-Spell scrolls in there, plus the stronghold and the escape routes we've built, I'm sure we'll be able to hold them for a few days—even if they try to force an all-out clash."

Eddin crossed his arms. "Even if things go badly, I don't think you should jump back in," he added, glancing at Seth's arm. "Use an Escape Scroll. Someone like you shouldn't be fighting at half strength."

Seth didn't answer right away. He knew what his name meant. If word spread that he was alive—and that Morsh was dead—morale across every Kastal squad would spike. It could make the difference in more battles than just this one.

Still, the idea of retreating while others remained grated on him.

"Let's see how fast they reach us," Seth said at last. "And how things play out. I'll decide when it comes to that."

Henry and Eddin exchanged a glance, then nodded.

The three of them leaned in, quietly mapping out their plan: how to handle the Empire's advance, when to pull back, and how to make the most of the escape routes if the pressure became too much.

Seth might not be able to fight on the front line, but he had no intention of sitting idle.

A few minutes later, the Priests stepped away from the healing station, moving to join the others as Henry began calling the squad together to lay out his plan.

Seth used the opportunity to reach into his Endless Pouch and pull out the glass jar holding the Seeds. Focusing on his necklace, he directed his aether toward Nightmare's dark teardrop, then diverted it to the Copper Seed.

The black crystal vanished from the jar.

The next instant, it reappeared within the shadow-shrouded den of the direwolf's domain. Nightmare wasted no time and sat before the hovering Seed, crimson eyes reflecting the pulsing glow. Lowering his head, he nudged it once—then began drawing aether from it.

Thin ribbons of smoky darkness peeled away from the crystal and streamed to his chest before sinking deep inside him.

Seth watched through Link for a moment. The process was steady... and faster than back in the Cave of Elements.

Nightmare had been right.

'Do you think we could find one for me too?' Colossus asked through Link, his voice carrying a rare note of jealousy. 'I don’t feel strong enough to protect everyone.'

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'I’ll do my best to find you one,' Seth promised.

Given the sheer strength displayed by the Empire's soldiers during the exhibition skirmishes back in Oskon, the odds were that many of them were carrying Seeds.

Seth leaned back against the wooden crate, letting his thoughts drift to the names he’d seen on the contribution rankings just below Morsh’s: Jaz of Ryswell and Celess of Solaria. Since Morsh had been carrying Epic and Legendary Seeds, the two of them likely did as well.

Seth's eyes narrowed as the name of the Empress of the Bridan Empire suddenly surfaced in his memory. Freydis of Solaria.

Are those two closely related? he wondered. If Celess shares a bloodline with the Empress, her strength—and her gear—are probably going to be on an entirely different level.

Before he could delve deeper into it, Selena approached him, her footsteps quiet against the forest's dirt floor.

“Henry told about the Priests' conclusion,” she said as she reached him, lips pressed thin. “Having you being sidelined like this… it's terrible.”

“Yeah,” Seth replied before rubbing his face with his good hand. “But I won’t just sit here. I can still guide the scouts, help coordinate defenses.” He exhaled slowly. “I just hope things don’t fall apart before I can go all out again.”

Selena shook her head. Her gaze lingered on the cloth binding Seth's arm. “You’ve already taken more risks than anyone here. You brought down the Empire’s top soldiers and wiped out more than two dozen soldiers on your own.” Her voice softened. “If things go bad and you have to use an Escape Scroll… no one’s going to blame you.”

Seth’s jaw tightened. “More people will die if I leave.”

“Maybe, but we don’t have your potential and impact, Seth. What you bring to this war is worth more than a handful of lives in one single battle.”

Seth held her gaze for a moment, then his eyes dropped to the metallic band around her wrist. He tilted his head. "With that Silver Cub growing in there, you will also be able to make a big difference later on.”

Selena looked down at the Beastholder, then her mouth twisted into a thin line. "I'd prefer if my strength came from me, not from external things."

“I get that,” Seth said, leaning forward. “But things like that are meant to keep you alive long enough to reach that strength.” He reached into his Endless Pouch, fingers brushing cold steel. “Speaking of which… are you ready for your gift?”

Selena blinked, then a faint flush crept across her cheeks. “What is it? Is it for the cub?”

“No,” he answered, pulling out Morsh’s twin blades. The violet-tinted steel seemed to swallow part of the dim light of the healing station. “I don’t use daggers anymore. Figured they’d be better in the hands of someone I trust.”

Selena went still. Her gaze traced the curve of the blades, the etched runes, the subtle vibration humming through the metal.

“Are those—” She stopped, breath catching. “On the gods' name, Seth. Legendary?!”

Her voice failed her as she seemingly read and reread the descriptions of the weapons.

A crooked smile spread on Seth's face. “You’ll owe me for those.”

Selena tore her eyes away from the blades, meeting his gaze. “I can’t take them,” she said, her voice tight. “They’re certainly worth a fortune.”

“Five lives,” Seth retorted. “Save at least five of ours with them, and we’ll call it even.”

She hesitated, then slowly raised her hands—only to push the daggers back toward him. "People will say I don't deserve weapons this powerful."

"I won't take no as an answer," Seth insisted, his voice leaving no place to argue. "If anyone has a problem with it, tell them I'm the one who gave them to you. And if someone jokes about trying to steal them, let them know Nightmare will rip their throat out."

"Or tell them I'll sit on their skull," Colossus added, his voice echoing out of the necklace.

Selena let out a sudden, genuine laugh. Seth found himself smiling in return, noticing how the usually stoic Rogue was slowly becoming less guarded—at least when she was around him.

The Rogue looked down at the daggers one more time, then slowly reached out and took them. Her grip tightened around the hilts.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Seth nodded. “Use them well.”

She held his gaze for a moment, then turned and walked away to join the others, the twin blades clutched close to her chest.

Silence settled in her wake, so Seth leaned back against the crate, eyes drifting to the shifting shadows along the distant tree.

The trust people like Selena and Henry placed in him was exactly why he had to fight. He exhaled slowly, gaze hardening.

He needed to find a way to maximize his impact on the coming battle, even if it was only with one arm.

Because no one here deserved to die for King Theron.

The Bridan Empire remained cautious over the following day, their advance slowing even further after the death of Morsh. Their officers likely feared more traps and ambushes, unaware that Seth was currently nursing an injury and couldn't roam through the forest as he had done before.

Seth, Henry, Eddin, and the other squad leaders utilized this reprieve to coordinate a series of aggressive ambushes. They integrated the high-quality Instant-Spell scrolls from Morsh’s Endless Pouch with their own limited reserves to strike at the advancing lines. However, the clashes quickly lost their one-sided nature as the Empire adjusted its formations.

Kastal soldiers began to fall in increasing numbers. The Rogues that launched the ambushes lacked a concealment spell as effective as Seth’s Illusionary Emptiness, on top of possessing no spells powerful enough to deliver the same instant kills Seth could. What should have been swift and deadly strikes devolved into prolonged, bloody skirmishes.

Seth stood at the edge of the stronghold alongside Henry, Eddin, and the three other squad leaders. His arm remained strapped to his chest, but the dull ache had begun to subside under the constant care of the Priests and his own natural healing.

"We killed fifteen of theirs in twenty-four hours, but we lost ten of our own," Henry stated, tone serious. "This isn't working."

"We should pull everyone back and wait for them here," a squad leader named Jarson suggested. "The fortifications will help."

Eddin crossed his arms, brow furrowed. "I'm not sure that’s the right move."

"I agree with Eddin," Seth said. "They are ready for a stationary defense. They know about our Arcane Cannons from our previous battle, so they will have brought an answer for them."

"That’d still be better than losing all our Rogues," Jarson retorted. "They are the key to our plan of ambushing the Empire on the routes between our strongholds. We can't keep letting them die in the woods."

Henry grimaced, looking between his commanders. "That's true."

Seth pressed his lips together, and his mind raced through their options. He needed a way to buy more time.

His shoulder would require at least one or two more days before he could reliably use it, and Nightmare was currently deep in the process of absorbing the second Seed. The direwolf had consumed the Copper Seed in a single day, emboldening Seth to gamble on giving the Iron one despite his initial reservations.

He knew the process would take longer, but a more powerful Nightmare could help turn the tide of the entire battle. And the odds were he would finish that other Seed in the two days they had.

"We should try to slow them even more. Win one or two—"

Seth’s sentence was cut short as Selena surged out from the treeline, her face pale and her breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps.

"Henry! Seth!" she shouted. "Prepare the cannons and brace for a clash! They are coming, and they brought beasts!"

Seth’s eyes snapped wide as a distortion rippled through the air, warping the space around the stronghold.

That's why she sprinted and was so out of breath, he thought. She couldn't use her communication orb.

Movement erupted at the edge of the forest. More Kastal Rogues burst from the undergrowth, running for the barricades with panic etched across their faces.

Then the ground began to shake, and the beasts arrived.

Half a dozen rock-plated bears smashed through the tree line first, their hulking bodies layered in jagged stone armor and maws frothing. They charged, each thunderous step tearing roots from the earth and cracking the ground beneath them.

Behind them, tigers and panthers surged forward—leaner, faster—muscles rippling beneath striped, shadow-dark hides. They wove between the larger beasts with deadly grace, fangs bared, eyes locked on the stronghold.

And finally, a wall of running soldiers appeared at the rear. The men and women poured into the clearing at a full run, weapons raised, armor flashing through the broken light of the canopy.

It was the Empire's turn to take the offensive.

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