The Primal Hunter 8: A LitRPG Adventure, page 28
"There is. Maybe not this time, but the Chosen of Yip of Yore is not one to be taken lightly. Yip of Yore isn’t either. He is a very unknown character to many, and what many do not know is that he showed up to Valhal and challenged Valdemar to a duel not that long ago. The mere fact that he still lives today should be proof that he is not the jester many believe him to be, but can represent a genuine problem even to gods who stand at the pinnacle.”
Carmen wanted to argue more, but her head was pounding. Gudrun also knew this and retracted her presence, leaving Carmen alone. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she turned to a worried Sylphie.
"Change of plans… Fuck those cities and let’s just go slaughter something else," Carmen said with much annoyance. She was pissed off and really felt like getting her frustrations out on some unsuspecting beasts. Besides, she and Sylphie should be able to handle a few weaker C-grades by now.
Someone else was also finally contacting his Patron after quite a while of no talking. After having a lot of long conversations, Jake finally initiated contact with a certain god.
"So, got another vision," Jake said as he reached out to Villy.
"Related to Wings, I see," Villy answered.
"Yep."
"Are you busy or something?" Jake asked, feeling like Villy was far less talkative than usual. He had not reached out, even after Jake got his Wings upgrade, which he usually did. Nor had he commented when Jake had helped "make" Sandy.
"I am just waiting for you to address… you know," Villy said.
"Oh. That. Yeah, alright. So, it is quite clear to me that this Ell’Hakan guy had prepared for a long-ass time, and clearly did not hold back when it came to divine guidance. I am going to guess that this Yip of Yore had blessed people on Earth that helped to act as mouthpieces and relay messages for a while.”
"That is precisely what they did," Villy answered with relief. "I will admit, I had expected you to be a bit angrier. You were taken by surprise, and someone died, with Earth being thrown into quite a situation. All something we both know I was aware of and could have warned you about."
"Well, yeah," Jake said with a shrug. "And you kind of did by telling me to stop slacking off, didn’t you? Also, we decided before that this falls into mortal affairs. The one thing I am wondering is, why does this Yip not care and help his Chosen so much?"
"His goals for his Chosen are different from mine, and his Path is also very different. I cannot give you the exact reason, as I don’t know it, but he is up to something.”
"I see," Jake answered.
"There is also the fact that you two are not equal. You are the Chosen of a Primordial. My Chosen. This was never a fair fight to begin with, and he was just trying to even the playing field, expecting me not to do the same out of pride. I also trusted you to handle it yourself. Even if you suffer temporary setbacks, you should be able to overcome them. People may die, but as harsh as it may sound, that is something I am fully willing to see happen as long as you keep moving forward. And about Yip himself, I will have him handled. I can feel he is cooking up something, but he is not the only one skilled in the kitchen."
Jake considered the Viper’s words for a moment. "Is that also why no one else was warned? Aeon should have seen it coming. Or Stormild, if that damn elemental was paying attention. Shit, didn’t you say Oras is the master of seeing stuff? Did none of them really warn their own people on Earth?"
"Nope, not a single warning was given to anyone. Mind you, the Witches of the Verdant Lagoon also noticed it would happen but said nothing. And I hadn’t told them not to, either. You just must understand that giving warnings like that isn’t really a thing and is even frowned upon by the system. Not even for the Holy Church. It goes against convention, and if a settlement falls and a few billion members of a faction die, so what? It is a minor loss of no consequence, and in the eyes of many, just a healthy culling of the masses.”
"I get it, jeez," Jake said with a sigh. "Let’s move on to a happier topic. Thoughts on my new ride?"
"I will admit, it is not actually a race I am familiar with," Villy confessed. "Mind you, Cosmic Worms are nothing new and only semi-rare across the multiverse, but a Cosmic Genesis Worm is a first for me."
"Any idea how I made it happen?" Jake asked.
"A few, but nothing concrete. Ultimately, we both know it is related to that monstrous Bloodline of yours as well as your arcane affinity. Rather than me trying to come up with theories, I find it better you just figure out the truth and then tell me.”
"That I can do.” Smiling, Jake continued, “Oh, well, back to killing stuff and flying with my wormy friend until it is time to kick Ell’Hakan’s ass and boot him off the planet.”
"Sounds like a plan. But I will give you one warning, as Yip clearly doesn’t care about conventions. People like Yip and Ell’Hakan are annoying fucks. They are planners, through and through, and a head-on approach never tends to work out well. Their victory conditions also tend to vary widely. If his goal is just to institute a World Leader, then why would he ever fight you? There is no need to. So think about why he does what he does far more. Think about what his plan may be. I am not telling you to try and be a planner yourself, as quite frankly, you would suck at it, but I am telling you to broaden your field of view. You killing Ell’Hakan would be your best victory condition, and he knows that. Thus, he will act and plan according to that. Additionally, this kind of planner tends to have strategies with multiple win conditions, some better than others, but all acceptable, with more fail-safes than you can imagine. Chances are the final confrontation with him will not happen on your terms, and I am not sure you can do much to change that besides making sure that even if it is on his terms, it is also on yours and you are not taken by surprise. Anyway, that is all I am gonna say, and good luck.”
"Thanks, and good luck to you too," Jake said in return, having a feeling Villy was also up to something behind the scenes. He did say he would handle Yip of Yore, after all.
Their connection faded, and Jake reflected on how Villy had actually been relieved at Jake not blaming him. Jake did not see why he would. Villy had not been the one who told Ell’Hakan to come to Earth, he had not been the one who made the United Cities Alliance morons, and he had not sent Jake to the other side of the planet. True, Jake was targeted because he was the Viper’s Chosen, but that too was something Jake had picked to be. He could have renounced the Blessing at any time before reaching D-grade, and now as a Heretic-Chosen, he had already embraced the Path and whatever issues it could bring to be a Chosen. Sure, he still wanted to avoid the responsibilities, but that was only to be expected, as who likes responsibilities?
No, the only ones Jake blamed were the United Cities Alliance and Ell’Hakan. They were the ones who had started shit, and Jake would gladly throw that shit right back in their faces. He just had a bit of a distance to go, and some progress to make.
"Hey, Sandy, be a bit less picky for hunting spots," Jake said.
"Hm? Why?"
"I need one level for something good," Jake said with a smile. He had killed one weak C-grade without getting a level and knew the next one would give him that level-up. Which would mean it was finally time to get his last class skill from Avaricious Arcane Hunter.
Chapter 32
Hunter Level 180 Skill Selection & Being Hunted
It had only taken Sandy about a day to find good prey for Jake, and it wasn’t even guarding that good of a natural treasure according to the worm, heavily insinuating he should feel thankful.
His opponent had been this weird, wooly thing that he couldn’t quite figure out, but it had bled and suffered from necrosis the same as everything else, and with it only being level 201, Jake had quickly taken it down. Quickly being a relative term, as the damn ball of wool had still been damn tanky. Anyway, with it finally dead, the last level came.
*’DING!’ Class: [Avaricious Arcane Hunter] has reached level 180 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*
And it was skill-selection time.
*Avaricious Arcane Hunter class skills available*
Jake was naturally excited. These last skill selections always felt special, and this profession skill had not disappointed with his freakish soul mutation skill. Jake did not necessarily want a similar skill for his class, but something more directly related to combat. Maybe an upgrade to Arrow of the Ambitious Hunter? Oh, how about a skill, any skill, that scaled with Perception? He would very much like that. He had some Free Points saved up, and if he happened to get a skill that scaled with Perception… well, he had an excuse.
So, without further ado, he dove in and saw five options. It was as expected, and true to tradition, he went through them.
[Minor Arcane Seal (Rare)] – Through the concept of stability, none shall find a path of escape. Allows the Hunter to create a seal by infusing stable arcane mana into a chosen target or area around the Hunter. Consumption of mana is dependent on the object or area the Hunter tries to seal. The durability of the seal is dependent on Wisdom and mana expenditure. Adds a minor bonus to the effects of Minor Arcane Seal based on Wisdom and Willpower.
And the first one was a solid dud that Jake quickly skipped over. He already knew how to infuse stable mana into stuff.
[Hunter’s Blade-Fang Style (Epic)] – To you, your weapons are your fangs, and your fangs are your ultimate shield. A defensive combat skill that revolves around countering and dodging your foe to keep distance and minimize damage taken. Unlocks intermediate proficiency in the Hunter’s Blade-Fang Style and adds a small bonus to the effects of Agility, Strength, and Perception when using a bladed weapon.
The first interesting option. It was an actual melee fighting technique skill. It had a slight overlap with Fang of Man, with the stat effect increasing while wearing a weapon. In cases like that, the strongest skill would take priority, and while you would gain a small bonus from the other one, it was minor. As for if he wanted to pick the skill? No. There was a chance Jake could upgrade it to the style he had made with sim-Jake, but there was also a risk the innate knowledge from this skill could lead him astray. One had to remember that Jake’s fighting style was dependent on his Bloodline, so no normal skill would ever be offered that truly fit him. Unless it actually referred to Jake directly in the description, he wouldn’t even consider it. Hence, he moved on.
[Grand Arcane Explosion (Epic)] – Through sheer power and an abundance of resources, you can overwhelm your foes. Overload your surroundings with unstable arcane mana and detonate it all to create a massive explosion. This attack is especially effective against the environment but also causes significant damage to anything else caught in the blast. Adds a bonus to the effects of Intelligence and Wisdom when using Arcane Explosion.
Skill makes Jake go big boom. Jake no need; Jake already know how to go big boom.
[Arcane-Shadow Vault of the Avaricious Arcane Hunter (Ancient)] – Your prey believes it can escape your avarice—a foolish assumption, as your pursuit is endless. Through practice and sheer power, the Avaricious Arcane Hunter can turn into an Arcane Shadow to either attack or defend. Allows you to vault forward a short distance between you and your destination. Phasing through physical or magical obstacles will result in either destroying the obstacle or impeding you entirely. Your methods are crude and destructive, allowing you to create an arcane explosion at your target destination based on the distance traveled. Adds a bonus to the effects of Agility, Endurance, and Intelligence when using Arcane-Shadow Vault of the Avaricious Hunter.
WARNING: This skill is unlocked by, and will serve as an upgrade to, your existing Basic Shadow Vault of Umbra, resulting in the loss of the skill.
And there it was. Jake had expected to see this kind of skill offered, and it came as expected. This was the reward for sim-Jake’s work so far, but it was clearly not good enough. He knew that sim-Jake would not accept his Legacy merely being some ancient-rarity skill. In fact, he was pretty sure his simulacrum would want to beat him senseless if he picked it. Hence, he moved on just as everyone would expect. Because, as always, the best was saved for last.
[Relentless Hunt of the Avaricious Arcane Hunter (Legendary)] – The Avaricious Arcane Hunter is relentless in his pursuit of a stronger foe, and it only ends when he so desires. Once a target is found, the hunt shall only end in death. When hunting prey, you only grow in deadliness. Allows the Avaricious Arcane Hunter to accumulate momentum during a hunt by slowly finding an opportunity to strike. This momentum can then be turned into a tangible weapon. Successfully landing blows while not taking damage yourself hastens the accumulation of hunting momentum. Can consume all hunting momentum to significantly empower a single attack to deal devastating damage. Momentum can carry over if a new hunt begins shortly after another one ends. All skill effects increase as your foe’s level grows higher. The base speed at which hunting momentum is accumulated, as well as the maximum amount of momentum possible, is determined by Perception.
Jake read the skill over carefully.
If one asked Jake what his biggest problem was, it would be huge finisher attacks. Arcane Powershot was damn strong, but not some massive finisher, and while Arrow of the Ambitious Hunter had filled that role for a good while, it wasn’t at the level of some other attacks he had seen. Carmen had her Fist of Ragnarok, his brother had that huge lighting attack, and many beasts also had supremely powerful attacks they could only release as a final gamble. Shit, that weird space-tunnel attack by the Panther had been insane, even for its level. Jake had kind of wanted something like that, and while he realized this skill would not give him some massively powerful blow, it was still good. Depending on how effective it actually was, of course.
There was only one huge plus. It was a skill that scaled purely with Perception and allowed Jake to translate that Perception into actual damage. Some of his class skills and his archery skill already did this, but this added another layer. Moreover, nothing said it required one to use a ranged weapon, so Jake could also land a far more powerful melee blow using this Hunting Momentum. Yes, that was now the official name of the momentum Jake accumulated during the fight.
Needless to say, Jake picked the skill because why the hell wouldn’t he? It was a no-brainer and clearly the best. The moment he did so, he felt the instinctual knowledge enter his head. Honestly, there wasn’t much to it, and he knew that to truly get a feel for the skill and how good it was, he would need some actual combat. What he was sure of was that his overall damage output had just increased a lot.
After his talk with Villy, Jake had also changed his mind about just charging back. It seemed like Ell’Hakan and Arthur did have lines they refused to cross, and he had to trust other people in his life to be able to fend for themselves. Caleb should protect Jake’s family, and Miranda could handle herself, especially if she managed to get to the Grand Mangrove River. In there, she should be absolutely safe. He also wondered why, even now, no one had tried to take the Pylon in Haven yet. As long as he wasn’t put on that thirty-day timer, he truly wasn’t in that much of a rush. And if it was taken, he could just get it right back.
Speaking of Miranda… Jake had already reached out for her to contact him once available. If Ell’Hakan was making some plans, so would Jake. Ell’Hakan had clearly done a lot of research into Jake and even had his Patron help, but his research was limited. There were things not even the gods knew or could find out.
So why not make use of that? Of course, for him to truly figure out a method of approach, he would need to speak and strategize with Miranda. He just hoped she had gotten to the Grand Mangrove River safely.
Miranda regretted not forcing Sultan along. Not to have his companionship or fighting power, but solely to use that flying ship of his. Neil had managed to teleport them far, and they were making good distance with him teleporting them a few more times, but outside of these teleports, they were slow.
The problem was with Mark and Louise—Hank’s son and daughter, respectively. Neither of them had reached D-grade, making them far slower than everyone else and forcing Hank to carry one, with the other handled by Christen, one of Neil’s party members. Miranda was not at all a physically proficient fighter, but even she outclassed the two of them several times over.
Now, being slow would be fine if not for the fact they were being chased. It was clear that the United Cities Alliance wanted her dead, just as Ell’Hakan had warned, and a group was in hot pursuit. Clearly, the United Cities Alliance had some teleporters still around somewhere, or at least some way to teleport around, as they quickly gave chase despite teleporting so far from Haven.
This meant that despite their head start, they were slowly getting caught up with. It was unsure if they could fight this group, but Miranda doubted it. Neil and his party were good fighters, but not at all at the level of true elites, and information on them was also abundant, making her sure Arthur had factored them in. Miranda herself also wasn’t a good fighter in a straight-on battle like this.
Luckily for them, they reached the Grand Mangrove River before they were overtaken by the other group.
"Shit," Neil cursed the moment they entered the mangroves. "I felt a teleport about… more than a kilometer, less than ten, right behind us."
"Can you teleport us further in?" Miranda asked with concern, looking at Hank and the others.
Neil shook his head. "No, this place is messing with my space magic quite badly, I can use it locally, but it is like the entire area is warped slightly."
During this time, they’d never stopped running, just diving further and further in. Far enough in for monsters to appear and hassle them, but fortunately, Neil and his party were there to handle it. Eleanor, Levi, Silas, and Neil handled most everything, with Lillian also offering some support, but she was limited in what she could do.
The water below them stirred as Miranda felt movement behind them through it. It was lucky that the area was swamp-like, giving her some benefits as a Verdant Witch—but far from enough to fight without proper preparation. Thinking quickly, Miranda took out some bottles she had gotten from Jake a long time ago for experiments. They all contained his blood infused with Blood of the Malefic Viper, and she had nearly forgotten she even had them after she discovered how useless they were if anyone other than Jake used the blood.
