The Primal Hunter Chapter 1253 - Rising Tide

The drive toward B-grade evolution dominated the current era on Earth and within numerous multiverse factions. Inhabitants of the fresh universe were nearing their transformations, with a handful already achieving success in evolving.

This synchronized moment wasn't just random chance or due to everyone requiring similar time to advance. Rather, it reflected the influence of Records throughout the multiverse. Like a surging wave elevating every vessel, the influx of Records from B-grade evolutions impacted others, aiding their own progress. These influences were faint and occasionally imperceptible, yet they formed a recognized pattern across the multiverse, one that leading factions exploited effectively.

Additionally, as certain individuals evolved, it spurred others to exert their ultimate effort. Factions observed their competitors assembling squads of fresh B-grades and thus initiated their own drives. This held special weight in the present period, where the risks loomed larger than ever.

Every faction aimed to vie for the Seat of the Exalted Prima. Although some frontrunners appeared to hold enormous edges, this failed to deter major or smaller groups from joining the fray.

The exact mechanics of the World Wonder remained unknown to all. Whether a faction could seize a portion, a dominant stake, or if a single entity would ultimately dominate it entirely. Even assuming just one ultimate winner, participating opened doors for bargaining. A chance to yield and secure some form of sway or access to the World Wonder in exchange.

Even in the direst outcome, where a faction gained zero authority, leverage, or anything remotely similar, involvement in the contest proved valuable for the participants themselves. Ample Records awaited harvest in such grand events, even for the defeated, so groups aware they were merely padding the numbers still eagerly participated.

Regarding the resumption of the Seat of the Exalted Prima contest, uncertainty lingered, but the leading hypothesis demanded that sufficient Administrator Candidates first attain B-grade. Others theorized that only a select group of elite challengers needed to evolve. This roster featured high-ranking figures from the new universe in Nevermore... a roster that obviously featured the leader: Jake Thayne.

A figure presently reveling in peak enjoyment, reportedly conquering the new universe's supreme dungeon per Minaga's account, a trial so immense that the World Wonder might seem dull and irrelevant beside it.

A claim Jake might not entirely endorse.

--

“Alright, we're absolutely certain now that he's messing with us deliberately, aren't we?” Jake inquired, panting hard after ducking into another construction pit.

“I've been certain since about twelve Jones Orbs back,” Casper replied, shaking his head. “But look, I snagged an upgrade for my movement skill, so I'm not complaining much.”

“The simple truth that you basically required that upgrade to avoid total destruction from a Jones Orb says plenty,” Jake grumbled.

Nearly ten days had passed since Jake and Casper eliminated the initial Formation Master, and afterward, they navigated the Grand Labyrinth in their standard fashion. They dispatched every obstacle in their route and, blending their abilities, charted a course forward.

Progressing further, their pace quickened, and they embraced greater dangers. They separated briefly on occasions to explore separate paths, employing stealth to locate the correct route more swiftly.

Thanks to their accelerated tempo and bolder strategies, merely ten days later, they had slain the ultimate Formation Master prior to entering yet another teleporter, only to face off against another deadly rolling sphere.

With each additional orb they faced, it grew clearer that Minaga had inserted them purely to torment Casper and Jake. Those cursed spheres had accelerated as the dungeon wore on, and as Jake noted, Casper might have faced peril without a timely skill enhancement.

For the remaining three Formation Masters, the battles mirrored the debut, albeit with minor variations. Each featured Elite Guards and a Guard Captain, though the composition of guards and captains differed, their armaments varied, and so forth. Consequently, the summoned golems in that stage altered too... though Jake and Casper bypassed those stages entirely. The Formation Masters proved quite fragile, and a precise deployment of Event Horizon let Jake and Casper largely bypass a whole segment of the fight.

A key variation emerged after defeating the fourth and concluding Formation Master. The prior three had warned of Jake and Casper's tardiness, but the final one shouted about their timely arrival thwarting his complete mission.

Thus, the whole “racing against time” element was pure deception, designed to fabricate tension. A classic instance of ludonarrative dissonance. Or perhaps not; Jake wasn't entirely sure of the term's definition—he merely tossed it out to appear clever, much like countless others.

“Stay optimistic; we're nearing the dungeon's end,” Casper encouraged with a warm smile. “My skills indicate the ultimate boss lurks close, and based on Minaga's storyline, it has to be that enigmatic shadow dispatching orders to his underlings. By the way, he ought to have enforced better recall for destroying those pesky envelopes.”

“Indeed,” Jake agreed, exhaling in relief. Concerning the final boss, their knowledge stayed limited, save for his gender, as one Formation Master had labeled the elusive leader a “he.”

“Prepared to advance, or do you require a couple hours to recuperate?” Jake teased.

“Hours? Given my feeble meditation skill, I'd need several days at minimum!” Casper retorted.

“Makes sense,” Jake affirmed gravely. “Then I'll solo the dungeon's remainder alone.”

“Provided you can locate the teleporters,” Casper countered slyly.

“I'll count on no more teleporters appearing,” Jake dismissed with a shrug. “Or perhaps, without you here, I'll just accidentally trip over one.”

“Yeah, wouldn't shock me if your Bloodline hides some innate luck feature,” Casper grumbled resignedly.

“Nope, merely superior intuition and instincts,” Jake brushed aside. “Which, considering it, functions much like a luck-based power.”

“Chatting with you leads straight to gloom,” Casper lamented. “I can't even boast about having a girlfriend over you now.”

“Aw, chin up. I respect you both and your eternal affection,” Jake quipped with a smirk. “See? Undying love?”

“I should've allowed that orb to crush me,” Casper bemoaned his fate. “Let's hunt down that boss and wrap this up. Understand?”

“That landed poorly.”

“Doesn't matter to me.”

They pressed onward sans further jesting, both darting at remarkable velocities while Jake persistently surveyed the path ahead to evade sudden foes.

Upon detecting any, Jake signaled, prompting Casper to activate his stealth ability as Jake invoked his own Unseen Hunter. Jake couldn't determine whose stealth excelled, but the uncertainty itself confirmed Casper's prowess. Hardly surprising, given his Path.

Rounding a corner in the Grand Labyrinth at last, they observed two Aginians striding together. These differed from previous encounters, one bearing a hefty rifle alongside various other firearms, the other wielding a massive tower shield and a spear-like lance tipped with a nozzle.

Employing Identify, he verified the second bore a lance indeed. And a firearm, evidently.

Assessing these foes against prior threats, their power level clearly escalated. The Formation Masters had maintained comparable strength, with only incremental level gains per defeat.

“How tough are they?” Casper queried, aware that Jake's knack for gauging enemy might surpassed his own.

“What counts as tough?” Jake grinned. “Below the Formation Masters in power, yet considerably more resilient. In general... nah, they're not formidable.”

“Excellent,” Casper responded. “I'll tackle the Gunlancer—nice title, incidentally; credit to Minaga there—while you eliminate the Marksman. Then, once I've inflicted negligible harm and you've felled yours, we overwhelm the Gunlancer.”

“Seems utterly ruthless yet efficient,” Jake beamed. “Onward. I'll launch the initial strike; position yourself.”

Casper assented, gliding toward the adversaries while instantly engaging his enhancement skill to render his form ghostly. He merged into the earth and approached undetected as Jake ascended to an optimal vantage and aligned his shot.

Deep into the dungeon now, Jake unleashed full force in combats. He triggered Arcane Awakening completely and fitted a Protean Arrow tipped with Eternal Hunger, sighting his target.

Arcane Powershot built as Jake attuned to the skill's flow, energies swirling about and within him. Over these days, Jake had refined additional skills too, but refrained from aggressive pushes; he contented himself with modest insights.

This held for his enhanced grasp of curses, which primarily inspired novel poison concepts via his Arcane Curse Manifestation skill. He pondered tweaks for Piercing Fang as well, though insufficient for an upgrade pursuit.

Sensing Arcane Powershot peak, Jake unleashed it. Predictably, the Gunlancer and Marksman stood unprepared, yet they reacted adeptly to the assault.

The Gunlancer lunged to intercept and deflect, but the projectile outpaced him. Concurrently, the Marksman initiated a mobility skill, but Jake's swift Primal Gaze immobilized the B-grade.

Simultaneously, the terrain burst open, shadowy chains surging skyward amid a forming arcane circle under them. The arrow hit the Marksman, who twisted marginally at the last, sparing his core but severing his left arm.

Darkened cursed chains seized the severed limb mid-flight, yanking it down with the ensnared Gunlancer and Marksman. Jake noted Casper subtly easing the Marksman's restraint, enabling his evasion as he aimed his rifle skyward at Jake with his sole remaining hand.

No bullet emerged; instead, a slender beam of raw energy lanced forth. Potent enough to trigger Jake's peril instinct, he evaded by scant margin, conserving motion while readying another arrow. A follow-up beam fired instantly, the Marksman justifying his moniker with precise volleys, subsequent shots anticipating Jake's dodges.

Jake fired back, and the Marksman at last invoked his booster, enveloping himself in energy to teleport meters away sans breaking his aim.

Meanwhile, the Gunlancer swung its gunlance toward Jake, but spectral Casper erupted from below, twin cursed stakes in grip, driving them into the B-grade's shoulders before response.

The Gunlancer roared, unleashing a mana burst to repel Casper, but the Risen endured, gesturing to summon rising cursed stakes piercing toward the armor. They couldn't breach, yet forced a stagger, letting Casper invoke another ritual as cursed essence coiled around the Gunlancer, encasing him in an obsidian cube.

In the distant marksmen's duel, Jake gradually prevailed, weaving arcing shots and explosive arrow showers to ensnare the Marksman. His rival experimented too, alternating bullets amid beams, many detonating with unique impacts, like one spewing toxic fumes—which Jake found amusing.

The B-grade carried grenades too, from Jake's view, but opportunities eluded him; lobbing at Casper risked the Gunlancer, and Jake's distance plus evasion foiled grenades entirely.

Casper adeptly contained and bound the Gunlancer as Jake scored multiple hits on the Marksman. Hampered by the opener's wounds, the B-grade operated at reduced capacity. Jake suspected both arms would allow secondary weapons from his belt.

Doomed by his single hand in this standoff, the Marksman proved outmatched. It dragged longer than anticipated, but the outcome was inevitable. Jake deliberately absorbed a chest shot to deliver a rapid Arcane Powershot. The trade left Jake with a minor puncture and the Marksman pierced through the right eye, collapsing lifeless.

One foe vanquished, Jake shifted to the Gunlancer. The B-grade had broken free of the prior seal, only to get bound anew in chains from head to toe, suspended in void. Casper assaulted with stakes and similar, but the armor resisted, limiting him to gradual erosion via curse and death essence.

Yet Jake perceived Casper's stamina waning, and in a solo clash, he doubted his ally's victory absent a major ace.

Naturally, Jake's involvement altered everything. Seizing the moment, he conjured a second Protean Arrow post-initial shot. Amid the Risen-Gunlancer skirmish, Jake amassed another full Arcane Powershot, launching it at the B-grade.

Perceiving the threat's severity, the Gunlancer pivoted, hoisting his shield, but Casper and Lyra intervened, striking his flank to briefly expose him.

Jake capitalized with Primal Gaze, guiding the Protean Arrow beyond the defense into the chest. Armor shards scattered as the B-grade reeled back, gravely wounded.

Though Casper's strikes lacked impact, his curses eroded the Gunlancer's protections, amplifying Jake's damage. With injuries mounting, Jake anticipated a swift conclusion, but the B-grade's endurance prolonged the battle unexpectedly.

They prevailed regardless, a stark alert that the dungeon's climax demanded more effort, amplified by elevated enemy levels.

Such heightened levels and diverse adversaries offered upsides too.

Jake ascended another level, leaving just two class levels until his evolution prompt. Facing sterner challenges and a final boss Minaga deemed potentially unbeatable... yes, maxing his class here seemed highly probable.