The Primal Hunter

Jake waited outside the building for a few moments as he looked through the Fort using his sphere. Hank and the four others went to another meeting room while Arnold looked busy with Jake’s Nanoblade. Arnold had it suspended in some device and was firing a laser or something on it. Jake wasn’t a craftsman, so he just shook his head and went on his way.

It had been close to a full day since Jake had been back in Haven, and it was approaching evening time. He had a meeting with Miranda planned, and while he could get engrossed in his practice, he hadn’t forgotten it. He would have to come back to the Fort again in a few days, but it was time to head home for now.

The return trip was swift as Jake didn’t have any other side objectives on the way. He was back in Haven before anyone even knew he had left the Fort – assuming they were aware he had been there to begin with.

When he got close to his valley, he noticed there was activity within. Jake frowned for a moment until he felt the auras of who it was.

The hawks were back.

He had barely managed to get into the valley before a large green projectile hit him in the chest. The projectile turned out to be a squishy bird that nuzzled itself against his shirt as Jake held the bird and rubbed her head.

“Hey there Sylphie, how have you been?” Jake asked while hugging her as she playfully squirmed in his grasp.

“Ree!” she replied, telling him it had been all good. While Jake was grinding alchemy and the dungeon, Sylphie had really entered her growth phase. She had been hunting actively, and coupled with her still naturally growing, she had gained quite a few levels.

[Sylphian Eyas – lvl 83]

It had been around one and a half months since Jake last saw Sylphie, and in that time, she had managed to go from 41 to 83. She had more than doubled it. One had to remember she was only a few months old, and she was nearly already a fully-fledged D-grade.

Jake wondered if she would reach D-grade by the time it was time for the Treasure Hunt. Sadly she wouldn’t be able to enter on account of being a beast and not a part of the enlightened species. Still, it made Jake happy.

While he hugged and nuzzled the young hawk, he also checked out Hawkie and Mystie. Neither had been slacking either during this period. Hawkie had been 109 and Mystie 116 back then, and now they had both gained a good amount of experience.

[Stormsong Hawk – lvl 120]

[Mystsong Hawk – lvl 126]

While they were slow compared to someone like Jake or Sylphie, the speed was still respectable. Especially considered that they protected Sylphie during all this time and focused more on her progress than their own. He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit when he imagined the little featherball reach the same level as her parents.

“You guys doing well too?” Jake asked his bird buddies. Both of them gave affirming sounds as they also assessed Jake. He saw a small trace of defeat in their eyes as they saw that he had grown as much, if not more than them.

natural, of course, with her leveling so much,

noticed his weird-ass time tree do something. Jake was a bit annoyed that no one was there to look out for and eat the bananas like he had told Hank, but quickly noticed why. He saw a banana ripen, and at that exact moment, a small magic circle activated as a tendril of myst fired up, wrapped around it, and pulled it down to the ground where it was covered by some kind of energy. All while staying within the area of

at Mystie, gaping. “You

the tree that Jake hadn’t even noticed when he came back from the dungeon. It was so subtle. It just pulled

and, with impressive speed, zoomed over and

“Hey, that’s mi-“

down, peel

defeat. Now he at least knew where all his

had the audacity to nuzzle up to him. He could smell the bananas on her. If it were anyone else, Jake

remember to share. Maybe I can make them even better? Make them into some kind of drink that makes the bananas

it would be an uphill battle. She seemed to enjoy bananas a lot, and he didn’t have the

be a competition when she is here, Jake chuckled internally. The birds seemed to want to hang around since Jake was

playing with magic until Miranda came back. Jake fired small arcane attacks, and the birds blocked or deflected them. Jake also blocked their blows as he practiced, and he even had a few games of tag. Hawkie was still damn fast, and Jake needed to predict his movements to have a

weakest, of course, but she had some fun tricks too. Jake called it tricks mainly to make him feel better because he didn’t understand what the little hawk was doing. He was embarrassed to admit he had no

be more. How exactly that was, he couldn’t pinpoint. All he was certain of was that it was powerful and in no way a low-tier

was noteworthy, but her defense was even more potent. Jake felt as his albeit playful arcane bolts were sheared away by her green winds, and those she

green wind and a green bubble, she pulled out another attack. One Jake hadn’t seen

hawks. Their usual use of magic. All of it had made Jake not expect the hawk to do the most obvious of things

to avoid it as it cut through the air, making odd sounds. In a swift turn in the air, she came back with another attack, this time using her talons. Jake was curious and raised his arm to

them,

skin with only a tiny bit more resistance, drawing plenty of blood. Finally, the talons had clamped down and cut

throwing glances at his already healed arm. The skin still looked a bit tender there, and his armor was still repairing itself. Jake was sure she would feel better when

just sat on the side, looking

reassurance that all was fine and his praises of how strong she was. He had to admit he had underestimated her. Those close combat attacks were powerful. He couldn’t help but imagine how strong she would be at level 100. What tier was she in? The same as the Prima?

her. Her small frame also made her susceptible to many of the same attacks that took down Hawkie. Her means of attack also

to continue hunting, but the small hawk refused to leave. She kept

have some quality time together,” Jake said with a smile. He could be the babysitter of the little murder bird while the husband and wife hawks could go

kept playing – no fighting this

she had brought too much, but it should be