The Primal Hunter Chapter 1232 - Dragon Hunter (1)

Jake observed as the ritual hummed to life. Upon activation, the unmistakable presence of a True Dragon surged through the cavern and spilled out into the open air, saturating the mountainous landscape and terrifying the few elementals and creatures residing nearby.

This simple ritual served primarily to magnify the aura of any object placed within it. Jake had implemented only minor tweaks before situating the Dragon’s Heart at the center, powered by several Cores to maintain the ritual while he was away.

In the immediate vicinity and for over a thousand kilometers, the aura radiated with immense power, yet it became nearly imperceptible beyond that range—unless the observer was a True Dragon. Jake was certain Yrelstromoz would sense another True Dragon manifesting its power, even from the opposite side of the planet, which was roughly where Jake currently stood.

After scouting the region, he had concluded that this area was perfect for his ambush. The terrain was a maze of jagged peaks and massive canyons—dry, deep fissures that appeared as though ancient, mighty rivers once carved them. These features allowed Jake to effectively conceal the ritual and provided tactical advantages for the coming struggle. Even if a B-grade could easily level the landscape, exploiting the terrain would surely buy Jake precious seconds.

With his trap prepared, Jake ascended to the upper reaches of the atmosphere to take his position. He sought to prevent his projectiles from losing momentum by firing from the very edge of space, where he activated Unseen Hunter to establish a stealth field.

He pulled out a pre-crafted Protean Arrow for a final check. His extensive research into Dragonsbane Poison had been integrated into the arrow's design, infusing it with conceptual properties specifically meant to neutralize dragons. He had also engineered sufficient space within the arrow to carry a potent dose of Dragonsbane, aiming to begin the engagement with a debilitating strike.

Despite his preparations, a persistent intuition whispered that his opening move might not go perfectly. Heeding that instinct, Jake maintained a somewhat guarded approach for his first shot.

To be clear, the attack remained lethal enough to vaporize most newly ascended B-grades; he simply wasn't committing every single resource. He would utilize the Protean Arrow, a maximum-output Arcane Powershot, fully active Arcane Awakening, Primal Gaze, and his entire reserve of Hunting Momentum. However, he withheld what he considered his ultimate trump card:

Event Horizon.

He intended to keep that skill in reserve should the confrontation turn into a war of attrition. If the fight dragged on, Jake would generate fresh Hunting Momentum, strengthen his Hunter’s Mark, and ready a second Protean Arrow. By then, Yrelstromoz would likely have exhausted her defensive options. Furthermore, based on the skill’s nature and his own instincts, Jake believed it would be the perfect tool to prevent a retreat—a necessary precaution against a dragon specialized in light magic who would undoubtedly possess extreme speed.

It would be ideal if Event Horizon wasn't required, but Jake expected he would need it. Truthfully, he would feel let down if the hunt proved effortless. Slaying a True Dragon had been a personal milestone ever since he first laid eyes on the Malefic Viper’s mural in the Tutorial’s Challenge Dungeon. The concept had grown in his mind over time, and he hoped the reality would satisfy his expectations.

Finalizing his preparations, Jake conjured a stable platform made of mana. He sat down and fixed his eyes toward the city, waiting. All that remained was for the prey to strike the lure... and for his inaugural dragon hunt to be a memorable one.

--

Yrelstromoz soared over the desolate terrain, her mind racing with questions about why a True Dragon would appear on this world. She assumed it was related to her. Was it an envoy attempting to recruit her back into the Dragonflights, or perhaps a former suitor?

The lack of clarity grated on her, forcing her to investigate.

She crossed the planet rapidly, not even bothering to assume her draconic form; her wings alone provided more than enough velocity. As she drew nearer, the dragon's aura—clearly intended to draw her in—intensified, yet she sensed a subtle inconsistency.

The signature was too static. Normally, when a being projected their aura, natural fluctuations occurred through movement or respiration, but this was perfectly steady. While it was possible the dragon was in a state of profound meditation or was simply of a level far beyond her ability to read, it felt suspicious.

This doubt didn't stop her, but it did heighten her vigilance. She emitted occasional, invisible pulses of light to scan the surrounding environment, yet found nothing out of the ordinary. The only signs of life were weak, wandering elementals that hadn't even reached D-grade due to the scarcity of energy so far from the ocean.

Eventually, a sprawling canyon flanked by towering peaks came into view. Sensing the dragon was nearby, Yrelstromoz decelerated and flared her own aura to announce her arrival.

Unable to pinpoint the exact location within the labyrinthine canyons, she decided the most straightforward path was to let the other party come to her. Since they were the ones who had summoned her across the globe, she felt it was only right that they should be the ones to offer a greeting.

After releasing her presence, she hovered with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. She waited, but silence was the only answer. This caused her to scowl—not because of the lack of a physical appearance, but because there was no reaction at all.

Her presence should have triggered some form of resonance, yet there was nothing. Yrelstromoz began to realize the truth.

Just as the realization dawned that this was an ambush, her danger sense screamed. She snapped her head upward, only to find her vision drowned in a pinkish-purple glow as the strike reached her.

The attack moved with such velocity that she had no time to maneuver. She tried to react by instinct, but in that instant, her body and soul were paralyzed by the terrifying weight of a primordial gaze.

This pressure stifled any possible defense, and the projectile slammed into her forehead. She felt her skull shatter as the attack tore through her. In that moment of total destruction, she fell back on her training... which commanded her to cease all resistance and let the strike finish her as her physical form was obliterated...

--

Jake was already preparing his subsequent Arcane Powershot the moment the first one connected. Yrelstromoz had made things easy by coming to a dead stop, allowing him to focus entirely on maximizing the power of his opening salvo rather than tracking a moving target.

He watched the strike descend upon the True Dragon, who seemed oblivious until the final millisecond. Her reaction speed surpassed any B-grade Jake had ever encountered, but it wasn't enough. Using Primal Gaze, he locked her in place just as she tried to defend, experiencing for the first time the sensation of applying that skill to a True Dragon.

It was a grueling experience.

A sharp, burning pain lanced through Jake’s mind, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared. This brief contact confirmed that a True Dragon’s soul was exceptionally robust, though Jake’s own soul was formidable as well, particularly following his recent growth and his time at the Gate of Enlightenment.

The Gaze succeeded, and Jake saw his arrow bore through Yrelstromoz’s head. He felt the impact, but then the situation turned strange. All resistance from his target vanished as if she had simply surrendered to death.

A violent eruption of pure light followed. Jake was momentarily blinded as the energy seared his retinas, and the sheer force of the light forced his arrow to detonate prematurely, resulting in a secondary blast of volatile arcane energy.

Still holding his bow with a second shot ready, Jake focused on regenerating his sight to see the aftermath below, as he was currently beyond the reach of his Pulse of Perception. Within seconds, his right eye was functional, revealing the carnage on the ground.

A massive section of the canyon was gone, replaced by a smoking crater shimmering with residual arcane power. Jake scanned the area for any sign of Yrelstromoz, certain she wasn't dead. She might be hurt, but that explosion of light wasn't a self-destruct.

Suddenly, his danger sense flared violently. Through his sensory sphere, he detected a concentrated mass of energy hurtling toward him from behind at extreme speed.

Jake whirled around, releasing his held arrow at the incoming beam. A blinding flash filled the air, and his sphere showed the light transforming into a humanoid shape. The figure dodged his arrow with a mid-air shift and continued its charge.

Swapping to his katars, Jake managed a desperate block as a massive, heavy two-handed sword crashed down on him, propelling him toward the earth. He tumbled through the air but quickly recovered as the glowing energy around his opponent dissipated, revealing his target.

Yrelstromoz hovered in the sky, encased in ivory, glass-like armor that caught the sunlight. She gripped a massive sword with a thick, gemstone-like blade. Her aura was surging, indicating she had triggered a powerful buffing skill—likely a requirement for surviving the previous hit.

Despite the direct hit, she appeared physically unharmed. However, a closer look revealed she was breathing heavily, and her energy signature was erratic. Escaping death had clearly come at a high cost.

Jake thought to himself while maintaining his focus on the True Dragon, who was staring back at him with a sharp gaze.

“You... you’re that human from a few days ago, right?” she asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.

Jake was currently in his full combat gear and mask, looking entirely different from when he had visited the casino, so her hesitation was expected. Still, she had recognized him. He had obviously left an impression, and his power as a C-grade was now undeniable.

“Indeed, we meet again. Though I’d say these are better circumstances,” Jake replied, using his Sense of the Malefic Viper to check if any Dragonsbane Poison had survived her survival skill.

The trail was faint, but by pushing through her natural draconic resistance, he could feel the poison still circulating. She had taken damage. It wasn't critical, and she had even managed to cleanse his Hunter’s Mark, but knowing he had drawn blood was a relief. He was also glad he hadn't gone all-in on the first shot.

“I don’t know how you produced an attack like that, but there’s no way a lowly C-grade can do it twice,” Yrelstromoz said, appearing surprisingly composed.

Jake had expected her to be rattled after nearly dying. Instead, she was icy and analytical, and he could feel her repeatedly using Identify on him.

“I guess you’ll have to find out,” Jake smirked. He wouldn't give her another moment to breathe. He instantly drew his bow, fired a rapid Arcane Powershot, and began kiting backward to maintain distance.

Yrelstromoz tried to swat the arrow away with her blade, but the projectile curved around her guard and struck her in the shoulder. It pierced her armor, causing the True Dragon to recoil in shock.

“How?” she stammered.

Jake answered with a splitting arrow. This time, Yrelstromoz had adapted, transforming into a streak of light to evade. Once she regained her footing, she gave chase. Jake responded by using One Step to blink away, causing her to lose her target for a split second. Jake took the opening to plant an arrow in her lower back, drawing a groan of pain and injecting more Dragonsbane into her.

“Fine... let’s see how long you can sustain this.”

Jake didn't bother replying, focusing instead on stacking the poison. He knew he needed to reach a specific threshold before the Mana Allergy effect took hold, which would turn her own magic against her. Fortunately, Yrelstromoz’s current combat style was playing right into his hands.

She continued to attack with a straightforward approach, largely ignoring his smaller shots as he landed them one by one. Each time an arrow hit, she simply yanked it out and resumed her charge, seemingly more irritated than threatened.

Perhaps she was being wary, refusing to over-commit to minor exchanges in case Jake had another massive attack ready. Jake also realized that without the poison, these small hits were doing negligible damage; he was still just testing her. He remained cautious himself, unsure of her full capabilities—especially since she hadn't even reverted to her true dragon form yet.

After roughly a minute of skirmishing, during which Jake landed a dozen arrows, Yrelstromoz stopped her pursuit, her frown deepening.

“Strange. Whatever boost you’re using to reach this level should have expired by now,” she remarked, looking confused.

Jake raised an eyebrow as he realized her misunderstanding. Yrelstromoz believed he was relying on a temporary artifact, a consumable, or a suicidal buff to fight her—something that would soon fail and leave him vulnerable.

To her, that was the only logical explanation for a C-grade matching her. She was waiting for him to burn out... a realization that genuinely annoyed him.

Jake thought as he looked at her, his focus sharpening. He was eager to see exactly how long she could afford to underestimate him.