The Primal Hunter Chapter 1248 - A Stealthy Opportunity

Jake crossed his arms while observing Casper prepare his magical setup. After a short time spent driving stakes into the earth in a wide circular formation, and once content with the arrangement, he summoned the Construction Golems.

Stake by stake flew from his hand as he deliberately unleashed his aura to lure them closer. It required some effort since Minaga had scattered the B-grades widely, yet in the end, all thirty-two surviving golems were pursuing him relentlessly.

During this phase, Casper demonstrated that his defensive capabilities were far from lacking. Admittedly, he fell short of Jake's prowess, but he managed to evade and parry the onslaught effectively, sustaining no injuries amid the horde nipping at his heels. Fine, to be precise, he wasn't entirely solo—Lyra intervened to deflect several strikes—but Jake overlooked that detail.

A grin crept onto Jake's face as he observed Casper maneuvering amid the golems, guiding them toward the designated zone he'd arranged beforehand. The synergy with Lyra was flawless; the instant Casper appeared even marginally pressured, she materialized precisely when needed, acting as an ethereal protector at his flank. Indeed, Casper had ample space to refine his abilities, yet his progress was evident, and his ingenuity in battle stood out. His curse magic, in particular, offered versatility beyond Jake's own arsenal.

Before long, Casper herded the golems into position, signaling that Jake's role was imminent. The curse energy stakes had vanished post-placement, but with the golems now enclosed, they reemerged as the Risen invoked his spell.

Around him swirled curse energy, blending with an unfamiliar essence. It resembled space magic without fully matching it. The zone twisted as the stakes surged with intensity, and Casper activated the ritual.

Between the stakes embedded in the soil, barriers of utter darkness arose, encircling the trapped golems. Spanning hundreds of meters, the ring featured over two hundred stakes along its boundary. The terrain turned pitch black, and though the walls rose modestly and appeared semi-transparent, Jake sensed that ascending over them was impossible.

The display was striking, yet Jake doubted Casper's plan would hold as three golems closed in on him.

At that instant, he gestured with his hands and pressed his palms shut. Jake's eyes widened when shadows burst forth across the circle's interior. Connections formed between the perimeter stakes, erecting barriers that wove a chaotic web of dark partitions throughout the vast enclosure.

Trapped without advance or retreat, the golems faced encroaching shadow mazes that segmented the space, isolating most into solo confines—save one spot with a pair. Their efforts to breach the barriers encountered unyielding opposition, as the cursed shadows devoured strikes and drained their power. On nearer examination, Jake suspected the power funneled back to the boundary stakes, implying the walls, though formidable, would yield in time.

Briefly, the air filled only with subdued impacts of metallic appendages against the resilient curse shields and a subtle magical resonance. Then came Jake's cue to act.

From his elevated spot, Jake launched the initial strike: an Arcane Powershot raced over the terrain, carving a path of ruin. Upon reaching Casper's wall array, the barriers faded just enough for the arrow to pierce through unhindered and embed in a Construction Golem.

The golem shattered on impact, hurling debris that oddly traversed the encircling curse walls without harm. Jake's abrupt assault elicited no response from the others, who persisted in their escape attempts. Indeed, some only registered the event upon collision with stray fragments.

There, Jake uncovered another chilling aspect of Casper's setup. To him, the walls seemed transparent and insubstantial, yet the golems undoubtedly perceived and endured a vastly altered reality.

Most likely, each golem viewed itself confined in a tiny chamber of absolute obscurity, oblivious to external happenings, reduced to battering its enclosing barriers.

They could merely flail in obscurity until Jake selected one as his mark. This clarified why every shot yielded full Stealth Attack benefits as he loosed Arcane Powershot after Arcane Powershot from his stationary post.

To dispatch them swiftly, Jake engaged Arcane Awakening at 50% offensive output. While full throttle seemed unnecessary, the steady 30% fell short for his needs without Protean Arrows.

Consequently, Jake no longer one-shotted consistently, but he dispatched them rapidly, typically in no more than three arrows, with later shots varying from Arcane Powershots. The curse-saturated domain further aided by subtly eroding their resistances.

With freedom to fire unchecked, chaining Stealth Attack upon Stealth Attack, Jake deepened his affinity for the ability, attuning himself amid the rhythm.

Though unplanned, when insight dawned and conditions aligned, Jake seized the chance. He concentrated on the Stealth Attack's activation feel, clinging to it through each release.

When had he last evolved it? Prior to Nevermore... actually, before attaining C-grade. An eternity without advancement, and Jake hadn't pursued one deliberately.

Rather, he'd instinctively honed his grasp and execution of the skill. That insight now emerged as he repeatedly employed it, each strike refining his command incrementally.

As ten golems lingered, Jake sensed a breakthrough. Post another Stealth Attack, he attempted to retain the damage-boosting essence, but it evaded his hold.

Down to seven, he briefly captured it, only for it to vanish anew. With five, proximity teased him once more.

Ignoring his shrinking opportunities, Jake immersed his focus entirely. He deliberately prolonged kills, opting for multiple strikes to solidify his budding revelation.

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At last, facing the final two Construction Golems, Jake succeeded. A Stealth Attack landed with devastating force, and as the enhancing principle threatened to fade, he seized it firmly, channeling it into his ensuing arrow. He'd sustained it just long enough for that extra shot... sufficient.

The follow-up arrow inflicted further harm—lesser than the opener, certainly, but its success thrilled him as he beamed. Elated, especially after the system alert, Jake dispatched the last golem outright without delay.

Bow lowered, Jake prepared to review notifications when Casper's actions diverted him. Absorbed in concentration, Jake had momentarily ignored the Risen and his construct, noticing now the evident toll on the mage.

Over half the perimeter stakes lay splintered, and Casper appeared weary as he ceased the spell, dissolving the cursed energy cage laced with what Jake guessed was dungeon magic.

Irritation flickered as he gestured to retrieve the surviving stakes. Evidently, these weren't simple summons but pre-crafted tools, so their destruction meant tedious replacements ahead.

Stakes gathered, Casper approached Jake, eyeing the hunter inquisitively.

“I’m confused here,” Casper remarked upon rejoining Jake. “Initially, you were dropping them fast, which was great. But then, to my frustration, midway in, you slowed to a crawl, dragging out shots for no apparent cause. Plus, you needed extra hits to finish them. So I figured your stamina was waning or similar, but suddenly at the close, you unleash an arrow way mightier than most before. Now, I hate to play conspiracy nut, but it seems we weren't aligned on wrapping this up pronto, against our deal. Am I onto something in thinking you got a tad sidetracked?”

Casper's phrasing left no doubt he recognized Jake's divided attention, leaving the hunter to sheepishly rub his neck and offer regrets.

“Sorry?” Jake uttered, slightly abashed. “Yeah, I did zone out a bit on a spark of inspiration... and hey, isn't drawing from you part of this journey? Mission accomplished!”

“Doubt that hit came from my dungeon-curse blend,” Casper grumbled, head-shaking. “But did a skill level up?”

Jake affirmed with a nod. “Yep.”

“A solid one?”

“Hold on, checking now,” Jake replied, at last accessing the deferred alerts.

[Superior Stealth Attack (Rare)] – The strongest blow is the one not seen coming before it is too late. Increase the power of the first attack made on an otherwise unaware foe. Has a brief grace period between the foe being aware and the effect still triggering, as long as the foe is still not conscious of the hunter’s position or the nature of the attack. Adds a bonus to the effects of Superior Stealth Attack, dependent on the nature of the attack. This effect is further improved by the level of Unseen Arcane Hunter.

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[Supreme Stealth Attack (Epic)] – The strongest blow is the one not seen coming before it is too late. Significantly increases the power of the first attack made on an otherwise unaware foe. Has a generous grace period between the foe being aware and the effect still triggering, as long as the foe is still not conscious of the hunter’s position or the nature of the attack. Upon successfully landing a Stealth Attack, all immediately following attacks will also experience increased damage. Adds a bonus to the effects of Supreme Stealth Attack, dependent on the nature of the attack. This effect is further improved by the level of Unseen Arcane Hunter.

Reviewing the evolution, Jake felt no shock at the outcome.

It diverged from the Stealth Attack of the Unseen Arcane Hunter proposed at class level 290, yet remained a solid enhancement. It mirrored the post-initial damage boost, albeit the Unseen Arcane Hunter variant scaled via Perception differently.

Otherwise, it amplified every facet outright. Years of subtle refinement culminated here, amid the barrage of rapid skill uses.

“Hello?” Casper prompted, hand waving. “Way past two seconds.”

“Oh, right, apologies,” Jake said again, unaccustomed to companions during hunts and evolutions. “Rare to epic jump—not huge, but worthwhile.”

“Got it,” Casper acknowledged, smirking slyly. “Would've been greedy expecting another mythical pop like magic.”

“No arguments if it did,” Jake quipped. “Those rarities don't drop casually. Mostly.”

“Fair, I'll curb hopes,” Casper laughed, shaking his head. “Was kinda banking on you spilling if mythical's the peak for us peons.”

Though Casper jested obviously, Jake met his gaze levelly. The Risen squinted. “Wait... oh, fuck you.”

“Details on offer,” Jake offered with a shrug.

“Yeah, fuck you double—we know that's prime Forbidden Knowledge,” Casper exhaled.

“Comfort in this: your formation was badass,” Jake stated sincerely. “Those walls' toughness, their isolation from outside, even the defense dip... impressive work.”

“Won't deny the cool factor, but fair warning—it's rougher than it seems,” Casper explained. “Walls boast massive innate reduction, soaking endless minor hits but vulnerable to one heavy blow. Useless against real threats, suits swarms of lesser ones. Not forgetting the steep prep time and cost for stakes, set in advance.”

Jake followed the rundown, convinced Casper understated his talent. He'd always minimized achievements, even pre-system at their job—likely why promotions eluded him as top coder... or exactly why they did. Bragging wasn't his style, save in jest.

“Okay on that setup, but you've got more aces up your sleeve,” Jake grinned. “And quit griping—you just dinged a level, no?”

Though Jake gained no levels from the thirty-two Construction Golems, Casper had, crediting his involvement.

“Not griping the level—griping the redo on Sealing Stakes later,” the Risen lamented. “Carving and charging them's a hassle.”

“Aw, poor you,” Jake deadpanned. “How can I ease little Casper's woes?”

The Risen shot a dirty look, then smiled. “Let's ramp up and hunt proper. Golems won't yield much for me, so seek real challenges. Ideally, a beefy foe where my targeted curses shine.”

“Else, gripe to Minaga for the easy mode,” Jake agreed, gesturing them into the labyrinth depths.

“Absolutely, and slap a scathing review on a giant sign at the entrance,” Casper concurred, trailing as they soared ahead.

“Oh, and the upgraded spot—dungeon phases two through four—featured traps and such, yeah?” Jake queried nearing a vast construction pit in the colossal Grand Labyrinth barrier.

“Yep,” Casper confirmed, stepping in beside Jake. “But with this build-in-progress vibe, traps are probably absent.”

“Makes sense,” Jake agreed. “Fits the pattern.”

Casper nailed it; a half-built Grand Labyrinth wouldn't sport active traps, would it? Nah, it shouldn't... yet had illogic ever deterred Minaga?

No, never.