The Primal Hunter Chapter 1276 - An Evolution Full of Class

Jake found himself thrilled by the evolution of his profession, opening up countless avenues for delving into alchemy now that he was in B-grade. He enjoyed the art of alchemy and the hurdles it threw his way, mainly because he thrived on challenges of all kinds. Yet, these alchemical trials missed out on one vital element:

Danger.

Of course, Jake faced the chance of wasting materials during his crafting sessions, and there were times he pushed boundaries with experiments that were a bit too daring, but none of that stacked up against the intensity of risking everything in a hunt versus a superior adversary. No sensation matched the rush of confronting a rival who could end Jake's life with a single lapse in focus.

This explained why, despite his fondness for alchemy and the profession's upgrade, Jake remained far more drawn to the evolution of his class. It likely stemmed from his sense that his class aligned more closely with his personal Path compared to his profession, even as he started straying slightly from the Legacy of the Malefic Viper through this latest shift. Both paths now ventured into uncharted territory, but his class had been exploring fresh domains for much longer.

Besides... he embodied the Primal Hunter, not some Primal Alchemist, didn't he? Thus, it came as no shock that Jake poured more passion into his class progressing forward.

Settled snugly on his bed, now tougher and more resilient—undoubtedly thanks to Jake's habit of lounging there during evolutions—he initiated his third and concluding B-grade evolution as the notification appeared.

The Horizon extends without end ahead of you, staying forever out of reach, but you sense a nearer approach to it. At minimum, your awareness has sharpened immensely, to the point of catching sight of the Event Horizon—a milestone that only ignited your inquisitiveness and ambition further. In your relentless chase for the horizon and strength, numerous adversaries have crumbled in your wake, such as the Usurper called the Celestial Child, and not even a True Dragon could evade your unyielding hunt once marked as quarry. You eagerly employ every tactic at hand to triumph in your pursuits, harnessing inner-born powers while readily absorbing wisdom from the Legacies of mighty predecessors. Regardless of the approach, regardless of the barriers, your Path presses on, and any who attempt to halt your advance will discover that none elude the Primal Hunter; the question is merely when they turn into prey, not whether.

Begin evolution now?

Y/N WARNING: Postponing evolution for too long may have adverse effects, and no further class experience can be earned before the evolution is complete.

Yet again, the system showered Jake with accolades, portraying him as the finest of all. It even dubbed him the Primal Hunter, a title Jake always cherished. Reviewing these system evolution notices, which somewhat summarized his C-grade adventures, proved entertaining, and it caught Jake off guard by directly referencing his defeat of Ell’Hakan. Jake recognized Ell’Hakan as a prodigy brimming with Records and a promising destiny, yet it appeared he had still undervalued the man. Ah well, unfortunate for Ell’Hakan to share an era with Jake and foolishly incite him, for as the system's message aptly noted, no one evades the Primal Hunter.

He felt a touch of surprise that it didn't delve deeper into Nevermore or his clash with Valdemar, but then, he lacked a class during his battle against the Primordial's projection. It skipped the Gate of Enlightenment too, though that didn't puzzle him as greatly.

Instead of pondering the system's emphases, Jake simply welcomed the commendation and shifted to the evolution choices presented. Following his profession upgrade, his hopes were sky-high, and truthfully? It kicked off strong.

Lone Arcane Master Hunter – On the endless hunt for power, you have chosen a solitary route, wishing to become a master hunter all on your lonesome. Is it a lonely Path? Yes, but to you, it’s the right one, and in the end, you know that to reach the apex, the only one you can fully trust is yourself. With a bow as your primary tool for hunting, supplemented by your powerful arcane affinity, you continue to chase down progressively more powerful foes, facing them on your own to satisfy your innate craving for a challenge. When you are alone, you shall grow stronger than ever, accepting of the fact that should you foolishly stray from your chosen Path, it will only be a display of weakness. Fortunately, you are no fool, but a lone hunter with no one worthy of recognition as your equal. Stat bonuses per level: +175 Perception, +150 Agility, +125 Strength, +100 Endurance, +50 Intelligence, +50 Willpower, +50 Wisdom, +125 Free Points (825 total)

Would Jake ever select this? Absolutely not, but the stat allocation was impressive. The peak total stats for a B-grade class reached 900, so hitting 825 right away promised well for the rest.

As for the class itself, Jake had little to add. It heavily emphasized his Lone Hunter skill, much more than he desired. Did he favor solo combat? Indeed, but he also appreciated teaming up occasionally and realized that going alone wasn't always feasible, making a class with penalties for collaboration downright unwise. Unless he aimed to isolate himself completely, which, no, Jake had no such intentions.

No point lingering on this clearly inferior choice, so Jake advanced to the second class option, which improved matters significantly.

Apex Monster Hunter – The job of a hunter is to hunt down foes, and you? You have chosen to hunt down the most powerful monsters the multiverse has to offer, claiming their Records as your own in the process. Taking inspiration from slaying a True Dragon in solo combat, you wish to continue this streak, hunting down monsters that most fear. With a bow and the powers of your arcane affinity as your primary weapons, few foes are worthy of your arrows, but when you find one, their fate shall be sealed. As you hunt down True Dragons and other powerful monsters, you adapt yourself and absorb their Records, allowing you to take on the properties of monsters to improve yourself as a hunter. No matter what your vessel becomes, no matter how much you change, you know that all is done in the service of standing at the apex of all existence, with all monsters nothing more than prey before you. Stat bonuses per level: +150 Perception, +150 Agility, +125 Strength, +100 Endurance, +50 Vitality, +50 Toughness, +50 Intelligence, +50 Willpower, +125 Free Points (850 total)

In a quiet admission, Jake had anticipated a Dragonslayer or Dragon Hunter class during his upgrade. It felt fitting and expected.

This matched that expectation, albeit not precisely as imagined. Clearly, it arose from Jake's record of felling numerous formidable beasts, encompassing but not confined to a True Dragon, with the latter forming the heart of the Apex Monster Hunter class. Not that it wasn't broader and superior to a mere Dragon Hunter variant.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Thinking deeper, a dragon-centric class would prove disastrous. True Dragons weren't commonplace, so centering a class on pursuing them would constrain his growth while automatically antagonizing all Dragonflights.

By contrast, Apex Monster Hunter centered on targeting elite beasts, incorporating their essences to refine his predatory prowess. Jake intended to pursue more pinnacle variants and multiversal apex predators, but he wasn't keen on the class's push toward bodily transformations. He grasped why the system might presume his willingness, given how Legacy of the Malefic Viper skills had altered him to monstrous degrees, even fooling others, and his Primal Gaze had granted him undeniably alien eyes. Jake tolerated those shifts, but he had no desire to morph into a hybrid of various creatures for power gains. It might clash with his variant race too, though he suspected not.

Stat-wise, it leaped ahead to 850 of 900 total per level. Undoubtedly a premier class, intriguing for many, yet for Jake, three additional, hopefully superior options awaited... though the next one he dismissed outright from its title.

Exalted Hunter-Champion of the Malefic Viper – Your arrows shall be the instrument to carry out the will of the Malefic One, furthering the goals of your Patron alongside your own. To others, you are a champion of the Malefic Viper, but within, you know your true identity is that of a hunter, taking priority even over your role as a Chosen. Fortunately for you, your Patron more than gladly accepts and revels in this. A bow remains your preferred tool for combat, and you do not shy away from mixing in a myriad of tools, especially your arcane affinity, but your most powerful method of empowering your arrows is found within the Legacy of the Malefic Viper. Your arrows are coated in toxins, making every shot a deadly concoction that few can stand against, and you are certain that the Legacy has far more methods available to make you the most exalted champion the Malefic Viper has ever had. In fact, you refuse to be anything less. Stat bonuses per level: +150 Perception, +150 Agility, +125 Strength, +100 Endurance, +60 Intelligence, +60 Willpower, +50 Vitality, +50 Toughness, +125 Free Points (870 total)

Jake, and likely anyone familiar, could have predicted this from afar. Each class evolution dangled one tying neatly to his Chosen of the Malefic Viper title, though it had started adjusting somewhat to Jake's unique Path. Despite knowing from the outset he'd never choose them, he valued these picks for revealing the system's take on his bond with Villy.

First off, this one dropped the Heretic-Chosen label and appeared more conventional from the name. Jake puzzled over “exalted” Hunter-Champion's meaning, figuring it tied to his exemplary Chosen performance in C-grade. His fresh race evolution might factor in too, but regardless, Jake deemed himself an outstanding Chosen.

He'd claimed victory in Nevermore, elevating the Order of the Malefic Viper's status, then aided his Patron in deceiving Yip of Yore through an epic divine ploy, culminating in slaying Ell’Hakan to sever Yip’s Legacy's revival. Plus, he'd seized the galaxy, with most assuming it fell under the Order's banner. Given Jake's feats, wasn't gifting premium True Dragon materials for his Bane Poison trials the bare minimum Villy owed?

Upon reflection, Jake ought to demand extras, particularly post-race evolution.

All the same, this class excelled in stats too, delivering 870 per level, nearing the limit. It spread bonuses wider than previous ones, mirroring Jake's diverse Path blending magic and archery freely.

It aligned, as embracing a Hunter-Champion role would steer him toward a magical archer archetype. Or poison archer fit better, given the explicit focus on enhancing his toxins. As a class, it'd shine, but Jake resisted deepening his role as the “Malefic One's heir,” preferring a Path distinctly his.

A trait the following class surely captured.

Arcane Hunter of the Boundless Horizon – You’ve found yourself glimpsing the Event Horizon, and every time you do, you cannot help but draw closer. Be it arrogance, confidence, or rightful belief in yourself, you continue your eternal pursuit of this infinitely distant horizon. On this seemingly impossible quest, the bow is your primary tool, but you do not shy away from facing enemies with a myriad of means, adopting any methods available to uncover all the secrets of the boundless horizon. You continue onwards, slaying all in your path, no matter how powerful they believe themselves to be, uncaring, for your goal lies far beyond them. Never shy away as you gaze upon the Event Horizon, and never back down, but touch upon that which lies outside the boundary. Touch it, claim it, or merely admire it. No matter your choice, you know power comes from the journey, so why not make your goal boundless? Stat bonuses per level: +200 Perception, +150 Agility, +125 Strength, +100 Endurance, +75 Intelligence, +75 Wisdom, +30 Willpower, +125 Free Points (880 total)

Setting everything else aside... Jake nearly drooled over that +200 Perception per level. It topped all prior choices, with the initial Lone Arcane option a close second, somewhat unexpectedly. Should Perception bonuses sway Jake's decision heavily? They ought not to. That didn't stop them from tempting him, though ideally, they shouldn't.

The remaining stats impressed as well, favoring physical attributes while sprinkling in Intelligence and Wisdom, plus a dash of Willpower. Not abundant, yet sufficient, and since Jake craved physical boosts—his profession handled mental ones adeptly—the lineup suited him. Overall, the stats were stellar, totaling 880, just 20 shy of the max. This surely implied some trade-offs, but Jake sensed they'd hardly faze him.

Stepping back, it was plain this served as the straightforward successor to his existing Arcane Hunter of Horizon’s Edge. By name alone, Jake wondered if it projected greater might, though Boundless outshone Edge in flair. It evoked the Boundless Hydra—aka Snappy. Surely a positive association?

Seriously, Jake grasped the evolution's implication. In C-grade, he'd embarked on the “horizon” motif, his class centered on seeking the horizon's edge, knowing it receded eternally as he advanced, always infinitely distant.

Now, Jake viewed the “horizon” as a boundless concept without bounds. He realized no level of power would let him attain it... Yet, in his bold conviction, he trusted he'd eventually peer beyond. He figured the Event Horizon symbolized that glimpse.

Perhaps he erred completely, with realms past the Event Horizon existing. Or nothing yet, requiring a true breakthrough to reveal what followed. The description hinted at presences beyond, but regardless, Jake anticipated discovering the truth someday. Even if his class veered from the theme, his archery skill would persist in propelling arrows toward the unattainable.

Four classes in, Jake already favored this upgrade to his current one immensely... but addressing the obvious, this was merely the fourth. Meaning one final class remained. He glanced ahead, noting it matched Arcane Hunter of the Boundless Horizon's total stats, yet its position suggested the system rated it superior.

Drawing a steady breath, Jake examined the fifth and last choice, and unsurprisingly... it linked to his deepening affinity with the Primeval Origins aspect of his Path.