The Primal Hunter Chapter 1256 - Important Rule For Proper Dungeon Bosses

In the midst of his flight, the boss came to a sudden halt, his actions frozen in place while the Risen—who wasn't quite dead after all—made his return. A turquoise glow of unadulterated blight energy covered the whole battlefield as the trap sprang to life, generating a complex sphere of interlocking magic circles that wrapped around the boss.

Again, the B-grade unleashed a burst of disruptive force to break loose, yet this round it proved completely useless while additional layers of formations piled on without pause from the orb of accursed seals.

Jake had ceased his withdrawal and swiftly drew an arrow to begin powering up an Arcane Powershot as Casper carried out his role. The boss surged with power once more and, relying on his overwhelming strength, began to shift his limbs in an effort to escape.

That's when Casper fully emerged, his form materializing from raw blight energy as he hovered over the seal, entirely ghostly in nature. The B-grade fought back, glaring upward at the Risen before firing off another eyebeam that sailed harmlessly through Casper's frame.

The Risen showed no response, his energy levels climbing higher as he uttered words laced with authority.

“Seal of Enervation.”

In an instant, the surrounding magic collapsed inward into the Labyrinth Master's body, crafting throbbing dark turquoise symbols that clung to both his physical form and his Soulshape.

Now free to act, the boss immediately launched a burst of explosive fragments at Casper, who evaded in his completely intangible state that hardly resembled a human shape. Such an assault merely left the Labyrinth Master vulnerable, as another Arcane Powershot slammed into his flank, burrowing deep and injecting a potent load of Aginiansbane Poison.

Jake immediately sensed the curse's effect, with his poison's natural resistance dropping off sharply. Actually, it wasn't only the energy countering the toxin that had decelerated; every bit of his power had slowed.

The curse acted like sticky tar coating the ethereal pathways of the B-grade's Soulshape, hindering all his efforts. Furthermore, Jake detected Eternal Hunger syncing with the Seal of Enervation—a term he'd learned from Casper's pre-battle explanation—the legendary weapon's energy-draining property now bolstering the seal instead of replenishing Jake's reserves.

Casper's sudden presence shifted the battle's flow right away, forcing the boss to handle two foes once more. The Risen wasted no time, bombarding the hampered B-grade with a flurry of strikes, while Jake mirrored the effort, both exploiting the Labyrinth Master's need to adjust to his freshly cursed state.

So far, Jake and Casper's strategy had unfolded remarkably well, despite the toll it exacted. Though the Risen suffered less from bodily destruction thanks to his half-spectral Path tied to Lyra, he had endured notable harm and expended considerable spirit energy to restore his ruined form.

Nevertheless, the exchange proved worthwhile, leaving Casper and Jake against a debilitated and wounded boss. The Labyrinth Master grappled with their relentless onslaught, his actions labored, and his barrier summons always lagging just behind. This allowed over a dozen cursed stakes to pierce his frame, embedding to amplify the curse and erode his soul, while Jake's arrows shattered his body with devastating arcane mana and venom.

Sensing the tide turning against him, the boss lifted both arms and roared. He detonated with force, failing yet again to shake off the seal, but he carved out a fleeting pause free of incoming blows. That short window let him regroup, and with a pulling gesture, a enormous barrier crashed down from overhead, designed to split Jake from Casper and the boss.

The Labyrinth Master had anticipated this and hurled two grenades skyward, positioning one on each side as Jake materialized. Pride of the Malefic Viper remained engaged, and Jake concentrated on halting the grenades' blasts for a split second, shoving them aside. He managed to postpone their detonations by under two-tenths of a second, sufficient to redirect them far enough for his freshly conjured wings to shield against the blasts.

Casper never paused his assault. He kept firing curse-based strikes that only reinforced the seal binding the boss. From the grenades, Jake could tell their potency had dipped considerably, and as he spread his wings before loosing another arrow, he marveled at how effortlessly it sank into the cyborg's tissue.

With a pained groan, the boss at last resorted to a move he ought to have tried much earlier. He drove his sword into his own shoulder, unleashing a blast of energy that tore a gaping wound in himself, true, but also dislodged Eternal Hunger and the enchanted cursed stake, flinging them airborne.

Waste no time on respite, the Labyrinth Master aimed his gunlance upward. The chamber shook violently, all the elevated platforms surging high simultaneously as numerous black barriers descended from the heights.

Casper attempted to remain near but got blocked by multiple walls. Noticing this, Jake deliberately fell back behind a dropping barrier, isolating himself from the boss, who pursued relentlessly. He couldn't suppress a grin as a bullet ricocheted off the Labyrinth Master's own wall, though the boss retracted it swiftly, prompting Jake to emit a pulse for reconnaissance before using One Step to flee.

The boss had essentially summoned a compact labyrinth around them, probably to isolate foes one by one. From a dungeon architect's viewpoint, Jake deemed the idea intriguing, albeit overly hazardous. Should a delving party get caught off guard, with a spellcaster or—Villy forbid—the healer isolated, disaster would follow.

For their duo, however, it posed little threat, particularly given their identities. Jake intentionally dashed through the maze, the boss in close pursuit. Despite commanding the structure, the B-grade couldn't instantly shift or withdraw walls, letting Jake maintain his lead as he hastened toward Casper's location.

To his amusement, Casper wasn't searching for Jake but had reverted to solid form and crouched low, assuming his typical trap-setting pose. Though they hadn't coordinated this approach, Casper trusted Jake would recognize the setup and navigate the maze to join him. His longtime ally was spot on, and no matter the Labyrinth Master's attempts, he failed to close the gap on Jake, who masterfully exploited the narrow passages.

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Jake grinned broadly as he whipped around a bend, chained two swift One Steps, and pressed along the corridor. The Labyrinth Master didn't waver, attempting a direct path by dropping two walls between him and the elusive hunter simultaneously, enabling a full-throttle chase.

Regrettably, his shortcut crossed precisely where Casper had planted a tempting trap. The boss caught on instantly, but too late—the floor burst with blight energy, hurling him skyward in the blast.

He crashed forcefully into the curved ceiling, spewing blood from the collision against the unyielding surface. Jake hastened to reunite with Casper, firing an arrow on the move to compound the damage.

Reunited, they seized the moment, pummeling the boss who labored to protect himself. Amid the wounds, the Seal of Enervation, and the disorientation from smashing into metal, the Labyrinth Master offered scant resistance at first, absorbing multiple heavy hits.

Jake sensed his poison tearing through the cyborg's innards, swiftly eradicating all lingering organic parts in the B-grade's frame. This became obvious as his remaining flesh began decaying from necrosis, confirming the poisons had hit a deadly threshold.

Regaining some poise, the boss scattered five grenades before him, detonating them immediately. They spewed clouds of varied hues that aimed to shroud the Labyrinth Master completely. Jake watched Casper scan frantically, employing magic to pinpoint the boss, yet failing to locate the B-grade even as a gunlance thrust toward his torso.

Reacting fast, Jake unleashed a surge of arcane energy, shoving Casper aside while leaping at the boss. With Eternal Hunger recalled to his grip—now absent from the Labyrinth Master's body—and paired with his Voidblade Katar, he plunged into close-quarters combat.

The five grenades' smoke formed a potent mix that the cyborg apparently pierced only via his augmented eye; this seemed evident from his delayed reaction before Jake struck from the blind side.

Jake plunged his blade into the boss's side, causing the Labyrinth Master to swivel his head in stunned surprise. He followed with another solid thrust to the chest, plus additional strikes, before the B-grade grasped that Jake navigated the haze unaffected.

In a twist of irony, the smoke aided Jake more than the boss, as he exploited the Labyrinth Master's restricted vision to keep striking, circling his foe with unending slashes and pierces.

Casper used the interval to withdraw from the fog, turning the tactic fully against the boss, who then erupted with another disruptive wave to clear his own smokescreen. The blast hurled Jake backward along the floor, the boss already leveling his gunlance at the hunter and firing.

Veering aside in the tight passage, Jake evaded the shot, but the boss held fire. Instead, he appeared frantic, his gaze darting wildly.

“No! I knew I shouldn’t have done this!” he bellowed suddenly, tossing a cluster of grenades before ascending toward the dome's apex.

Jake and Casper shielded and pulled back as blasts engulfed the corridor, allowing the boss to attain the ceiling. He extended a hand to the dark metal vault and commanded it to part, peering down at his adversaries.

“You have done much to disrupt all we have worked for, and proven yourselves far more powerful than I first believed. However, the battle ends here as I no longer have time to deal with you. Instead, find comfort in the knowledge that your bodies shall serve as fuel to repair what you’ve damaged. Be consumed as you struggle in vain to escape this miniature labyrinth I just made, unable to find the singular exit that my Aginian Labyrinth Magic unfortunately requires me to include!”

With that declaration—hardly subtle in hinting at an exit within the mini labyrinth—the Labyrinth Master tore open a breach in the domed roof and fled through it. Via Hunter’s Mark, Jake noted the boss lingered nearby, just beyond, gesturing with his hands as a subtle threat prickled Jake's instincts.

Underfoot, the markings on the floor tiles at last activated, illuminating brightly. Casper scowled and spoke up promptly.

“They’re directly draining our resources,” the Risen noted, his tone lacking worry.

“Guess staying in here would be a pretty silly thing to do, then,” Jake replied with a shrug before grinning at Casper. “Me or you?”

“Does it matter?” the Risen grinned back, and together they bolted in unison along the same path.

Regrettably, Jake had to moderate his pace slightly for Casper, but it was evident they shared the route as they threaded through the Labyrinth. Remaining as a pair felt optimal, even if it prolonged Jake's irritating energy siphoning.

“This absorption effect-“

“Dungeon fuckery,” Casper cut in swiftly. “Can’t be avoided in any way, but it is more like an absolute law within the dungeon that affects everyone. There probably are ways to partly resist it, but the drain seems weak enough for it to be fully absolute.”

Jake inclined his head, querying mostly from interest rather than alarm. As Casper pointed out, the siphoning was mild and negligible. Unless they lingered aimlessly for an hour—where their enhancement skills would pose greater issues—it wouldn't become relevant.

They worried more about the Labyrinth Master's actions than timely escape. Opting for the quickest path to the outlet, they spent barely under a minute trapped before breaking free.

Emerging, they confronted the Labyrinth Master, who knelt within a ritual circle. Shock registered on his features—as much as possible with half his face decayed or metallic—upon seeing them.

“How did you escape so swiftly!!” he shouted, panic threading his words. “No... no, I need more energy! Do you have any idea what you’re even doing!?”

Jake and Casper shared a brief look before striking together, ignoring the boss's words. If it held vital importance, the Unique Lifeform would have ensured they couldn't interrupt.

Arrows and cursed stakes pummeled the already frail Labyrinth Master, who seemed bound to the circle. He shielded with his metallic arms, but Jake arced his shots effortlessly, and Casper's stakes simply merged into the Seal of Enervation, empowering it further regardless of placement.

The B-grade's defensive efforts proved futile, his condition deteriorating as life force ebbed away. Necrosis consumed his flesh, the Seal of Enervation peaked in strength, and he teetered on collapse.

Yet... Jake and Casper recognized this wasn't the conclusion.

“No... I can still...” the Labyrinth Master murmured faintly, his arms drooping limply as control slipped. Seizing the chance, Jake drove an arrow into his decaying organic eye, jerking his head back... and triggering an unexpected alert.

Jake paused in bewilderment, eyeing Casper, who maintained his focused demeanor. The Risen noticed and gestured for Jake to watch the boss while saying,

“It’s not over.”

As foretold, the entire Grand Labyrinth trembled. Behind them, the improvised maze dismantled, and unexpectedly, the overhead sky unveiled itself, the hidden ceiling vanishing.

On reflex, Jake looked up, witnessing a colossal blue thunderbolt plunging down. It hit the Labyrinth Master's remains, the Grand Labyrinth vibrating in harmony with the body as a mechanical female voice resounded across the dungeon.

“Failsafe activation: Approved. Initiating emergency protocols.”

“Right,” Jake remarked, observing the boss engulfed in unending thick lightning, momentarily overlooking a key dungeon boss principle. “Always gotta be a third phase.”