Venus

Pre-system, Venus was a hot, gaseous, uninhabited planet. Post-system, its atmosphere has become incredibly toxic, requiring even Jake to use Scales of the Malefic Viper to comfortably navigate in the environment.^[1] It is also frigid, well below freezing. Venus has massive islands seated in immense bodies of water that stretch as far as the eye can see and so toxic that merely being near them trigger Jake's Sense of the Malefic Viper, making it inadvisable to enter the water unless one has a strong poison resistance.

The population of the Venusian Minor World is largely unaware that they live with in an isolated world. However, they are aware of the System and have received messages indicating that they will soon be able to access a world outside of their known world. When Jake introduces himself to the Venusians, they admit they have never heard of a race called "human",^[3] marking the Minor World as very different from the multiverse where humans are the most populace race in existence. Additionally, because of System restrictions, no creature has ever evolved beyond A-grade.^[4] They have no awareness of gods or the concept of a Chosen, a knowledge deficit that ultimately causes Jake a great deal of trouble.

Jake later notes that as a population that is exclusively monsters, they don't have professions such as bowyers and alchemist so they are awed by Jake's bow and later that he casually consumes health potions^[5] which they only get directly from the System and consider extremely valuable natural treasures.^[6] Jake does not reveal his ability to conduct alchemy and creations potions for fear of being forcibly confined.^[7]

With no understanding of the multiverse, no reverence for Primordials or Chosen, and a strong belief that might makes right, the Venusians and the Arachnec eventually collude to attempt to force Jake into signing a Soul Contract that would make him little more than a slave dedicated to their progression and helping them through the boundary.^[8] Jake is saved from his slavery-or-death choice by intervention from the Viper who sends the Great Sea Serpent to rescue his beleaguered Chosen.^[9] In gratitude, Jake requests permission to grant a blessing the Serpent. Villy agrees and the Serpent is granted a brief audience with the Viper and a Divine Blessing. ^[10]He then allows Jake to recover in his cave and to transport out at Jake's leisure.

After Jake's departure, the Viper continues to use the Great Serpent to spread his influence on Venus. He issues blessings to Nomad tribal leaders who came to pay tribute to the Great Serpent. When Jake later needs more combatants for the World of the Exalted Prima event, he and the Viper concoct a plan to convince the natives of the Minor World to work with Jake and the rest of the Milky Way Galaxy. With the time constraints they have, the duo decide a ritual to invoke the presence of the Malefic Viper would be the best way to convince the dubious natives of the existence of gods and convince them to join the Order of the Malefic Viper, after which, their first order would be to help Jake secure the Exalted Prima's World Wonder for the Order.

When Jake returns, he is escorted to Nomad Island, a domain of the Great Serpent, where a site has been prepared with magic circles. During the ceremony, Jake introduces the existence of the Malefic Viper to the entire audience. While he speaks, the Great Serpent and the tribal chieftains serve as both Jake's protection and proof of his claim. The Great Serpent even flares his aura, proving how much stronger he has grown, despite already being at the apex of the populace. He also allows identifications which show anyone who checks that he has a Divine Blessing from the Viper, a clear explanation for the otherwise inexplicable growth.^[11]

The ceremony continues with the unveiling of a statue of the Malefic Viper. Made of polished obsidian and dark green metal, the artifact depicts the Viper as a colossal serpent coiled around a jagged pillar of black stone, its mouth wide and intimidating with fangs nearly as tall as a man. Faint green mists seep from the fangs and drip down the pillar before dissolving into nothing. The eyes of the viper are narrow slits made of crystals that glow with an inner light that make them appear to be fixed on every person all at once. Shadows between the meticulously crafted scales shift make the body appear to shift and tighten around the stone and make the head of the snake appear to lean forward, as if its tongue might dart out to taste the air at any moment. Even Jake admits is "cool as fuck."^[12] The Viper counters that the statue represents how most people see the Primordial.

Aided by runes crafted into the statue, Jake uses Invocation of the Malefic Viper and Pride of the Malefic Viper to embody the presence of the Viper. Jake then supplied Lesser Primeval Origin Energy which the Viper then combines with faith energy to manifest his aura over Venus, displayed as his signature massive green eye filling the skies of the minor world.^[12] The high-tier A-grades are stunned and horrified by the aura that affected them so fundamentally diferently than Jake's pale imitation. Jake mentally notes that the aura only contains traces of the Viper's actual power, nothing compared what Jake had felt in real life, but more than enough for natives of a planet who had never even encountered an S-grade.^[13] The natives immediately begin to show signs of the tyranny of rank, many falling to their knees in apparent prayer.

Once the statue is properly established as a faith object, connecting Venus to the Malefic Viper, Jake invites the leaders of the non-committed factions to lay hands on the statue and pray, with a possibility of connecting personally with the Viper. The Venusian Oracle, GrandWeaver, and Horned Warlord reluctantly agree. Upon touching the statue, they are pulled into the Divine Realm of the Viper.^[14]

Immediately, the trio find themselves in a barrier, protected from mist more powerful than any toxin they'd ever encountered on their home world. They instinctively understand that they are grossly underpowered for the environment and that contact with the mist would mean death, instant and permanent, no defense, no countermeasures. As they are discussing this, the Viper emerges. They are immediately overwhelmed by his presence, driven to their knees, unable to even lift their heads under a level of power tens of thousands of times stronger than what they'd experienced during the ceremony. At this time, they realize how badly they'd messed up.

They had doubted the claims of the so-called Chosen during his first visit to Venus, believing them to be mostly bluster. While certain there were more powerful people outside of the boundary, they had been equally certain the gap couldn't be that immense. The integration was the perfect time to strike, to go out and establish themselves, even if they made enemies. They had come to the ceremony with a tentative plan to either capture Jake or at least gather information that would allow them to do so later. Now, they were faced with Jake's patron, a power as far above themselves as they were above a newborn F-grade.^[14]

The Malefic Viper made it painfully clear that gods were real and they had offended one. But the Viper also presented hope of a reprieve, explaining that he would not destroy their planet because his Chosen had need its people. The trio were then warned to prove themselves worthy and summarily ejected from the Viper's realm. Once back in their bodies, they shakily bowed their heads and uttered the long-destined words: "We greet the Chosen of the Malefic Viper."^[14]

The first creature Jake encounters during his exploration is a level 411 Elder Boglord Titan.^[1] The Boglord is a massive creature that looked to be made out of water, leaves, plant matter, and pure toxic sludge. It's bipedal with two giant, stumpy legs and two equally stumpy arms that separate into dozens of vines at their ends. Jake estimated the creature to be at least fourteen or fifteen kilometers tall.

Jake's initial instinct is to slay the Boglord, but he later learns that Boglords are highly beneficial to the land. The water sources they reside in are constantly infused with energy, resulting in many plants and similar life-affinity growths in their vicinity. Having a Boglord nearby is considered a blessing. The Venusians only confronted the Boglord because it is mindlessly destructive when it is awake and they want to tire it out so it will go back to sleep.^[15] Additionally, the Boglords are the spawn of a greater being that is one of the five strongest creatures in the world. Slaying a Boglord would make this being aware and risk attracting its ire.

Much of Jake's time on Venus is spent with the Venusians, a humanoid frog-like species. Jake described the Venusians as showing many traits of an enlightened race while still being monsters.^[3] The Venusians Jake met generally ranged from mid-B Grade to Peak A-Grade, far too advanced for Jake to reasonably fight, forcing him to lean on his seldomly used diplomatic skills.

During his visit, Jake met several archetypes within Venusian society, including:

• Venusian Warrior
• Venusian Virumancer
• Venusian Shaman
• Venusian Artisan
• Venusian Mistcaller
• Venusian Oracle
• Horned Venusian Slayer
• Venusian Turtle Trooper
  • Venomshell Turtle Snapper
• Venusian Turtle Trooper Captain
  • Venomshell Turtle Guardian
• Venusian Rotmire Hag
• Venusian Spearsage

The Venusians live in a group of villages, each led by an Oracle who is supported by the Village Chief and the Head Shaman. The Venusian Oracle is an A-Grade and is the first being Jake encounters who is aware that Jake is an outworlder and that an existence outside of their world.^[16]

A nomadic people, the Nomads travel from island to island, with no true place they call home. They are powerful enough to permanently claim a territory, but they have a preference for not being tied to any particular place.^[2] The Nomads are stunned to meet Jake. Although they don't initially understand what they are feeling, they can sense Jake's connection to the Malefic Viper.

• Deathscale Miresnake
• Great Sea Serpent
• Chromatic Miresnake Chieftain
• Miresnake Chronofang

Jake is eventually pointed towards the Arachnec by the Venusians when he asks for something to hunt. The Arachnec are hyper intelligent, fully undead, spider-like creatures. They hunt in packs, live in massive nests underground, and gain experience by creating undead miasma which is antithetical to the life energy the Venusians need to thrive.

The Venusian Shaman acknowledges that the Venuisans are enemies with the Arachnec "not necessarily due to hostile intent, but literally due to their natures requiring them to constantly seek new resources or claim new territory. Their existences are incompatible with that of others, making us enemies by necessity.”^[15] Jake mentally compares it to the eternal feuds between the Holy Church and the Risen and the Endless Empire and Rigoria.

Much like the Venusians, Jake encounters a number of different types of Arachnec, including:

• Arachnec Deathstalker
• Arachnec Corpsemender
• Arachnec Monitor
• Arachnec Rotspreader
• Arachnec Archweaver
• Arachnec Lord
• Arachnec Nestmother
• Lich
• Arachnec Archstalker
• Arachnec Nightweaver

The Arachnec Archweaver is also aware that Jake is from beyond the boundary and strong arms Jake into coming to the Arachnec Nest so Jake can learn more about the Arachnec and they can learn more about him.