The Primal Hunter Chapter 1298 - Ambushing The Pursuers

Jake's original plan for heading to Venus was to squeeze in some hunting and get accustomed to his new B-grade capabilities. Naturally, events took an unexpected turn upon discovering that Venus wasn't a planet anymore, serving instead as the gateway to a vast Minor World teeming with B-grades and even A-grades.

Though it caused a slight delay, overall, this setup proved far superior for anyone simply aiming to drop by Venus for some casual hunting. A world like Venus could support only a limited number of B-grades, who would probably claim distant territories of their own, rendering it terribly inefficient to hunt them individually. Moreover, Jake doubted he'd even desire to pursue them, since arriving on a fresh planet just to wreck the locals for likely zero levels felt pretty dubious.

In contrast, the enhanced Minor World of Venus provided a deadly expanse packed with B-grade Arachnecs, perfect for him to slaughter endlessly without remorse. Actually, surpassing mere lack of guilt, he was forging alliances by taking out the undead hordes.

He briefly pondered if slaughtering the Arachnecs raised ethical issues. The Shaman had noted they belonged to a structured faction, implying at minimum some sentience. Dispatching them without ceremony might come off as a jerk move, yet Jake had long since decided which side to back in this Minor World.

Truth be told, was there ever a real decision to make? These frog folk were outright named Venusians, signaling per the system that they were the authentic inhabitants of this Minor World. That's how Jake saw it, already dubbing the place Venus himself. Plus, it'd be an enormous stretch for the frogs to be called Venusians by chance if the Minor World wasn't truly Venus.

In any case, Jake, joined by the Shaman and four fellow frogs, ventured into the death domain, felling additional Deathstalkers. It wasn't until the fourth fell that the remaining Arachnecs finally stirred—and man, did they ever stir.

Retreat for now, the Shaman urged hastily while erecting a protective barrier around the group. They’ll likely swarm us shortly, if not already underway.

Having already employed Pulse to verify the situation, Jake nodded. I sense at least several dozen heading our way.

Down below, the Deathstalker’s remains hadn't fully dissolved into miasma, yet every Arachnec had sensed their comrade's demise the instant it happened, prompting a swift response this time.

Your senses have grown to a downright terrifying degree, the Shaman murmured during their withdrawal. Still, for a solitary explorer braving perilous realms, the power to sense threats from a distance is undoubtedly priceless.

Perception is the top stat, Jake replied with a mischievous grin and a shrug.

Hm? the Shaman glanced his way. Is that the general view beyond the Boundary? The Circle debates it frequently, given how crucial Free Point allocation is, yet we've settled on letting individuals pick what fits them most.

Some disagree, but personally, I rank Perception as the ultimate stat, Jake affirmed, unsure how much further to push the jest.

I understand, the Shaman acknowledged with a nod, clearly having caught the humor. Sincerely, I trust you won't take offense if I keep prioritizing Willpower and Wisdom as—

We’ve got company inbound, Jake interrupted, spotting eight Arachnecs breaking from the pack to pursue them straight on.

The Shaman fell silent at once, every one of the five Venusians shifting to full alertness as Jake shared his observations.

Eight altogether—six Deathstalkers plus two unfamiliar variants. One seems encased entirely in flesh, its top half a dual-armed protrusion clutching what looks like a staff. The other sports a massive eye atop a tendril instead of a proper torso.

Jake’s word-pictures left much to be desired, but with limited variant types around, the Shaman pinpointed them immediately.

“A Corpsemender and a Monitor,” the Shaman declared with a grave expression. “That one wielding a staff can mend its fellow undead and call upon more of them, whereas the Monitor is undoubtedly why we were detected. It would no doubt endorse your view that Perception stands as the premier stat, given its exclusive focus on it. Though I trust my skills to conceal myself and my companions, I stand no chance against a Monitor’s piercing vision. Nevertheless, these two Arachnecs trail far behind the Deathstalkers in speed, so we ought to slip away if we—”

“Why would we?” Jake questioned, easing his pace. “I’m not insisting you join the fray, but I fail to see why I shouldn’t.”

“Engaging in combat poses an unnecessary danger and endangers our survival,” the Shaman replied, clearly puzzled. “It’s wiser to strike only when we hold a decisive edge. The Arachnecs multiply at rates a hundred times our own, making such rash moves unaffordable.”

This marked a stark contrast between Jake and the Shaman—or perhaps every Venusian. Likely stemming from their monstrous origins, they favored grinding levels by exploiting the terrain. Yet, Jake grasped the faction’s perspective on the Shaman’s caution. If his words rang true, the Venusians couldn’t risk fights like this. Though Jake gauged each frog stronger than the undead spiders, the gap wasn’t vast, and he figured the Warriors might match or even fall short in a two-on-one versus Deathstalkers. That was his gut sense of their power, at least.

“No need for you to battle,” Jake assured calmly. “I’ll dive in, not out of necessity, but desire. You all keep withdrawing; I’ll happily strike them from ambush while they pursue.”

The Shaman gazed at Jake like he’d lost his mind, yet finally nodded. “Fine then, but swear you’ll fall back if the peril grows too great.”

“Don’t fret, dying isn’t on today’s agenda. Nor any day’s,” Jake grinned, offering one last confident glance before halting his flight and stepping beyond the Shaman’s concealing veil. The five Venusians pressed on, slowing slightly, hinting they’d rush back if he faced dire straits.

A touching gesture, though unneeded.

Jake had already spotted that the Monitor detected the Venusians but missed him, thanks to Unseen Hunter. Thus, as the foes hurtled toward the Shaman’s group, they’d pass directly beneath his perch, primed for a devastating first blow.

Indeed, Jake’s delay in the retreat had spurred the Arachnecs into fiercer pursuit—undead vigor wasn’t the right term, but they closed in with fresh zeal regardless.

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Still deep in the death domain after slaying those Deathstalkers, Jake knew the Arachnecs would halt if the Venusians fled too far from their turf, perfect timing for his preparations.

Noting the Arachnecs’ uniformity, he’d begun crafting a Protean Arrow before fully sighting them, finishing it just as they appeared. The eight B-grades advanced in formation, led by three Deathstalkers. Trailing were the other three, with the novel pair sandwiched in between. Jake swiftly Identified them both.

[Arachnec Corpsemender – lvl 396]

[Arachnec Monitor – lvl 401]

Compared to prior Arachnec kills, their levels sat lower, and their frail frames mirrored the rest, bolstering Jake’s assurance in the impending clash.

As they neared, Jake readied his Protean Arrow on the string, target clear. One served as the undead healer equivalent, and all knew healers fell first.

Again, he ignited Arcane Awakening at 50% offensive mode, aiming and infusing his Arcane Powershot. When bodily strain peaked, Jake released the Protean Arrow straight down at the pursuing Corpsemender, who clearly never anticipated an overhead assault mid-chase.

Its total lack of reaction confirmed Jake’s hunch. The arrow plunged nearly vertically into the Corpsemender amid the pack, mirroring the explosive fate of Deathstalkers he’d hit before.

The B-grade's form was shredded apart, its complete humanoid section annihilated by devastating arcane power, with the arrow pressing onward to detonate the creature's full front portion. The undead encircling the Corpsemender halted abruptly, detecting Jake's position and presence, even as the blast compelled them to scatter instantly and evade the harm. Nevertheless, they surged toward him without delay.

Jake ignored this entirely, firing off a barrage of subsequent arrows. In contrast to the Deathstalker, the Corpsemender didn't perish right away but began mending its form at a furious rate immediately after the impact. Fresh bones and decaying tissue emerged, clashing against the ruinous arcane energy—undoubtedly owing to a B-grade survival ability.

Jake countered by pummeling the Corpsemender with arrows while two Deathstalkers rushed forward to shield their healer. Concurrently, his danger sense alerted him to an assault from the Monitor below, which had zeroed in on him.

The Monitor appeared as a reanimated spider with an eye-headed worm protruding from its back, the whole monstrosity seeming profoundly 'wrong' and crudely stitched, like some mad surgeon had grafted the grotesque worm onto a undead arachnid.

This eye-worm clearly boasted potent attacks, launching a thick purple beam resembling a laser toward Jake, trailing a heavy aura of mortality. Relying on his precognitive danger sense, Jake evaded in the nick of time, though he instantly realized a hit from that ray would bring severe trouble.

A flurry of additional beams followed in quick succession, but Jake sidestepped them all while ascending higher, determined to eliminate the Corpsemender swiftly. By then, the two Deathstalkers had arrived at their healer and attempted to block for the badly wounded B-grade with their own bodies; however, lacking defensive builds, they permitted Jake's arrows to curve past them relatively effortlessly and land on the Corpsemender.

His upward flight granted him extra moments before the four surviving Deathstalkers could reach him. Though they advanced rapidly, Jake proved swifter. A concluding Hunter’s Mark activation unleashed an arcane glow, proclaiming the fall of the initial B-grade.

Victory offered no respite for Jake, with seven adversaries still demanding his focus, four already closing in. Deathstalkers nearly dissolved into nothingness during motion via superior stealth, combined with erratic movement techniques that rendered their paths unpredictable—making them prime assassins.

Regrettably for the stalkers, Jake posed a dire threat to any assassin dependent on deception. His sphere effortlessly monitored their cloaked shapes as they encircled him from four angles, displaying remarkable synergy.

Moments before their synchronized strike, Jake executed a forward teleport with One Step, pivoting to release an Arrow Rain at them, commanding each to detonate upon nearing the Deathstalkers—not for injury, but to create an opening against the next priority: the Monitor.

As evidence, he invoked One Step once more right away to evade the eye-laser. These rays moved with startling velocity, and alongside six Deathstalkers bearing down, Jake fully understood the challenge these Arachnecs presented.

Having initiated this clash partly to experiment with his fresh abilities, Jake chose full commitment. As six Deathstalkers glided spectrally through the toxic mist toward him and the laser-firing spider-worm fixated steadily, he drew a steadying breath and unleashed everything.

Arcane Awakening erupted completely, enveloping his frame in raw might as his eyes snapped open broadly. Simultaneously, Perception surged via Sight of the Boundless Horizon, rendering the world vividly sharper than ever. Locking gaze on the Monitor, Jake invoked his unique Words of Power skill.

“Event Horizon.”

Instantly, he caught a vision of cosmic finality, yet effects extended further. Typically, Event Horizon merely tagged the target for his vision—which occurred here too—but more transpired. The Monitor crashed earthward at skill activation, its vicinity twisting as though ensnared by intangible bonds.

Immediately Jake identified the cause as an enhancement from Sight of the Boundless Horizon, aligning with its description.

“May have additional effects when used alongside certain Perception-based skills.”

As the target's mobility was heavily curtailed, Jake rained down a relentless volley of arrows upon the Monitor while it scrambled to protect itself. A thick orb of miasma gathered around its form, erecting a barrier to ward off Jake's onslaught, yet its protective capabilities fell woefully short.

Dozens of arrows stabbed into its flesh before detonating violently, hurling chunks of rotting meat and splintered bones in all directions. Unfortunately, Jake's shooting pace wasn't as rapid as desired, hampered by six Deathstalkers assailing him, and only now did he get a clear view of their assault tactics.

Their upper sections—vaguely humanoid bony protrusions with four arms—had transformed, each arm sprouting elongated, jet-black scythes at the tips, all radiating an overwhelming aura of utter death. Besides these four scythes, they wielded their legs too, sheathed in dark energy and serving as piercing spears aimed straight at Jake.

Jake dodged most of their strikes with comparative ease, but six attacking together, while he fired back, prevented flawless evasion. He chose to block one by lifting his leg, a choice that turned out to be a grave error.

The scythe sliced deeply into his muscle and almost cleaved off his whole leg, causing Jake's eyes to widen in shock as he was sharply reminded of the major flaw in using Sight of the Boundless Horizon.

“While using Sight of the Boundless Horizon, the hunter’s physical and mental defensive stats will be severely hampered.”

All the boosted Toughness and resilience Jake acquired post-evolution became completely void under this skill, likely making him an even bigger glass cannon than previously. Still, despite the drawback, Jake had zero intention of deactivating Sight, given its tremendous damage amplification. After all, he just needed to evade every incoming attack perfectly, and he'd be okay.

In spite of his wound, and with the Shaman poised to leap in and assist, Jake stayed perfectly composed and activated another One Step to retreat and create some distance.

This gave him the opening to unleash more arrows at the Monitor, which attempted to retaliate or shield itself, but the beast functioned like a high-output mobile turret, and under the binding grip of Sight-enhanced Event Horizon, it was nothing more than a helpless target banking on its six allies to eliminate Jake first.

Spoiler: they couldn’t.

After deploying Pride and saturating the whole zone with arcane blasts, Jake secured enough time to shoot a newly formed Protean Arrow at the Arachnec Monitor, and with one more Hunter’s Mark explosion, the second B-grade in this battle collapsed, reduced to mere bones and putrid remains.

Now that it lay dead, Jake spun around to face the six Deathstalkers encircling him anew, all virtually unscathed. As they formed up for their strike, Jake felt a surge of delight, stowed his bow, and flung his arms wide, summoning a katar into each fist. Flashing a wide grin, he beckoned them to clash as they all lunged forward.