The Primal Hunter Chapter 1252 - Questionable Dungeon Design

Jake had been bracing himself for some secret third stage or whatever, yet as time passed without incident, nothing stirred. Noticing the hunter's continued vigilance and his active boosting skill, Casper shouted while ascending into the air.

“We’re finished!” the Risen announced, having already turned off his own enhancement ability, appearing somewhat drained from the effort. “I sense something has opened up on the ziggurat's peak. Probably a path ahead or a hint toward finishing the dungeon's goal.”

With that in mind, Jake gave a nod and shut down Arcane Awakening. He gestured for the Risen to come along, then soared over to settle on the ziggurat's top, where he immediately crossed his legs to meditate.

Casper arrived shortly, casting a few looks at the hunter. “Mind telling me what the heck that was? Your freshly upgraded super-rare skill, right?”

“Nah, not my sacred rarity skill,” Jake replied. The Risen stayed calm, arching a brow with clear impatience, like Jake was dragging his feet on purpose.

“Nah, that was my class's big capstone skill at level 320,” Jake clarified, speaking loud enough this time for the Risen to catch it. “Pretty silly question too, since if it was that one, you couldn't even hear what I'd say.”

“Sure, sure,” Casper dismissed with a wave. “But seriously, what in the world was that thing?”

“Tough to put into words,” Jake replied, shaking his head with a sigh. “Let's just say it's incredibly powerful and lets me zero in on a foe while boosting my strikes even more.”

“Sounds like there's deeper layers to it,” Casper grumbled. “Event Horizon, huh? From the title alone, does it tie into black holes? I wondered if it linked to light magic somehow, but that doesn't fit.”

For a moment, Jake was caught off guard by Casper knowing his skill's name—or at least a chunk of it—until he recalled using Words of Power to trigger it, broadcasting it everywhere. Yeah, Jake was relieved he didn't rely on many such skills; shouting attack names in battle still felt odd to him.

“Can't say it's connected to those,” Jake responded, pondering briefly. “It's really about the idea behind Event Horizon. What it stands for, and how I fit into that picture.”

“Got it, so a skill packed with heavy concepts that defy any normal logic,” Casper agreed with a nod. “Still, one last thing... why did firing it up feel like it did more than just tag a target? When you triggered it, I got this strange vibe, super brief but seriously off-putting... trouble is, I can't even recall the sensation clearly now. That bit feels almost eldritch, though I've dealt with and witnessed eldritch things, and this wasn't quite that.”

“I could attempt an explanation, but I think I'll pass,” Jake said, flashing a light teasing grin. “Not to hoard secrets or anything, but I'm worried my words wouldn't do it justice.”

“Whatever, hold onto your mysteries,” Casper brushed it off. “Now let's patch up and see what other tricks Minaga has in store.”

With those words, Casper pulled out a potion from his stash and downed it fast before slipping into meditation to restore himself quicker.

Jake agreed with a nod, thankful to dodge a deep dive into Event Horizon as he shut his eyes and focused inward. He'd burned through some resources, sure, but he didn't see the need for a potion.

His meditation wrapped up after roughly an hour, leaving Jake refreshed as he blinked his eyes open. Rising and stretching out, he glanced at Casper and noted the Risen was still deep in recovery. The guy would need more time, having absorbed heavier hits in the recent clash, but mainly because his meditation skills paled in comparison.

With some spare moments, Jake decided to handle a task they should've tackled sooner, post-recovery or not. Inspecting the fallen foes' bodies, he found them already half-rotted after just an hour, probably thanks to Casper's aura. No standout loot on the guards or the Guard Captain, but reaching the Formation Master brought a surprise.

In her grasp was a tiny crystal envelope, and as Jake lifted and examined it, his brow furrowed. Some kind of seal bound it, and probing deeper, he saw it was designed to be broken open. Shaped like an envelope too, it screamed that vital info lay inside.

Spotting nothing else worthwhile in the area, Jake headed back to the ziggurat and settled with the envelope in hand. Still waiting on Casper to stir, he figured he'd tackle the seal, betting Minaga wouldn't rig it to block access to the juicy contents surely packed within. No chance Minaga would skip chances to share his grand words, spoken or scrawled, in his dungeons.

Channeling a touch of mana into the enchanted envelope, Jake's mind linked right up. In his thoughts, a mess of glowing threads and weird forms appeared all jumbled. It baffled him at first, but after a closer look, he sensed some pieces sat correctly while others screamed out of place.

It evoked memories of a puzzle from his Puzzle Box of the Seeker—an item he regretted not tinkering with more lately than he'd hoped. Linking it to the Puzzle Box was a plus, spurring Jake to dive in.

The puzzle to crack it turned out simpler than anticipated, though if it'd stumped Jake, few other top C-grades could manage it.

In the end, it cost him about an hour, and upon resurfacing, seal vanished, he saw Casper still lounging in meditation like a slacker.

Muttering under his breath, Jake accepted the wait and fetched his cauldron to brew a set of potions, gaining some experience at least while time dragged on.

Nearly forty minutes passed before Casper stirred and peered over. “Why does it seem like you're brewing with some attitude right now?”

“Lyra warned you,” Jake noted, sensing the ghost's watchful eye from mad Casper, hinting she'd bounced back first.

“And we're linked in our feelings,” Casper admitted without shame. “But no stress, I'll hold off till you're through—patience is key, after all.”

Jake simply nodded, zeroing in on completing the mana potions batch. He didn't crave extra mana potions, but extras never hurt, and if needed, he could pass them to others for their gain.

Finished up, Jake stowed the cauldron and vials before turning to the intrigued Risen, who'd eyed the crystal envelope Jake had set nearby.

“Picked it off the Formation Master's body,” Jake detailed. “Had a seal, but with time to kill, I broke it open while you wrapped up your nap.”

“And whipped up some alchemy after?” Casper queried, brow lifted. “Either you were slacking hard earlier, or your Meditation skill outshines mine... not that mine's epic rarity and geared for fast recovery anyway.”

“Mine's superior,” Jake stated flatly. “Anyway, no more delays. Set to check the envelope's contents? Unless you've got reasons we shouldn't.”

Casper's dungeon savvy might flag the envelope as a snare or worse, and though Jake would've pushed to open it regardless, he wanted the Risen's take first.

“I gave it a quick scan before, and it's some recorded message,” Casper said with a shrug. “Looks harmless enough on the physical side. Can't vouch for the brain strain from whatever Minaga cooked up, though.”

“Guess we'll roll the dice,” Jake laughed softly, grabbing the envelope and pouring in energy to activate it. He tossed it down, and a figure shimmered into view above.

The form was shrouded heavily, hiding any clear view of the speaker, but the voice that followed belonged to a man. And that quip about mental harm from Minaga's words? Spot-on.

“My esteemed Formation Master and faithful follower, heed this duty I've assigned you, as your commander and architect of this Grand Labyrinth—it's crucial! Should you and the other three Formation Masters finish your tasks promptly, the Grand Labyrinth's key function will activate, ensuring no intruders breach the heart! Hurry now, for I dread adventurers arriving, so we must rush, as delaying the halt of all four of you dooms their efforts! In a sense, they're racing a clock! Yet I'm not overly concerned you'll lag, yours being the swiftest and simplest; I worry more for the rest, as theirs demand far more time. Upon completion, proceed via the concealed teleporter on the ziggurat, aid the next Formation Master with the second-simplest role. Oh, and don't forget—erase this message after hearing it, lest an adventurer claims it and jeopardizes our cause.”

The overly drawn-out monologue ended, the image dissolved, and the envelope sealed shut anew.

Jake and Casper sat quiet for moments before the Risen eyed the hunter. “Want me to break the seal this round so we can replay it?”

“Only if you promise to pierce my ears with stakes first,” Jake muttered. “A firm one out of ten, yeah?”

“If zero's off the table, absolutely,” Casper concurred firmly. “But... at least it dropped some handy intel. One, the dungeon's on a timer; two, a secret device on this ziggurat leads deeper. Plus, three more mini-bosses like her before the core's final boss.”

“You buy the timer bit?” Jake probed, eyebrow arched. “Her finishing right amid our battle feels way too convenient. Like it was all staged that way.”

“Wouldn't shock me if it's fake urgency,” Casper mused after a pause.

“Totally reeks of those game quests yelling 'hurry up,' then you wander for weeks on side stuff with zero fallout,” Jake griped, head shaking.

“Biggest clue is Minaga wouldn't gate content behind optional fails,” Casper shrugged. “Does it change anything? We're not dawdling to verify.”

“Dunno, with your marathon meditations...” Jake jabbed playfully at the Risen.

“Ha ha, hilarious,” Casper rolled his eyes. “Now I'm wounded, so while I brood, mind hunting the hidden switch to unlock the next Grand Labyrinth stretch?”

Jake nearly consented, but then it hit him—he'd missed any hidden spots with his Sphere or Pulse. The recording was his first clue. Catching Casper's smug glance, the hunter exhaled.

“Sorry, great Dungeon Engineer, care to share your wisdom and aid this dungeon run?” Jake droned in his dullest tone.

“If you beg so nicely,” Casper grinned, drifting ahead and along the ziggurat's face till a plain wall caught his eye, Jake trailing. He pressed his palm to it, channeling energy to summon a magic circle. With a twist of his hand, it spun like a dial, triggering a known teleportation ring atop the structure.

Soaring back up, Jake eyed the circle and groaned. “Minaga stashed all that crap like this to mess with me, huh?”

“Part of it, for sure,” Casper snickered. “And yeah, random groups need an easier hunt for those. Your detection's sharp, Bloodline aside, yet you miss them up close. Solo, you'd be mana-poking walls blindly till lucky.”

“Lousy design, no doubt,” Jake remarked, docking the dungeon another point. He figured it was deep in the red now.

“Let's soften the critique,” Casper beamed. “I'd call it quirky design elements. No need to bruise Minaga's ego extra.”

“Bet Minaga'd prefer straight 'it's crap' over polite jabs,” Jake countered with a shrug.

“Without question,” Casper grinned slyly, fully on board.

“Not helping the Risen look less villainous,” Jake chided, shaking his head.

“Says the Malefic Viper's Chosen,” Casper fired back. “Enough chatter; portal time! Three Formation Masters and a big boss await.”

Jake went along, both restored, so they triggered the circle without pause. Space twisted around them, and seconds later, they stood on an elevated stone slab amid another vast corridor, floor dropping away below and barrier-ceiling miles overhead.

Their dungeon strategy stayed straightforward, per Casper. Ahead lay slaying the remaining Formation Masters through the Grand Labyrinth, with foe levels ramping up steadily.

“Left or right?” Casper wondered, paths branching both ways.

Jake had sent out a Pulse of Perception, nailing the direction as his eyes widened.

“Left... and sprint,” Jake urged.

“Why the hur-“

Then, around the right hall's curve, something emerged, a familiar shine lighting the dark metal as it barreled their way, devouring all in reach.

The huge sphere crammed the passage, and as they bolted for safety, a shadow pursued on the floor below, thrown by the five letters carved on the sphere:

Jones