The Primal Hunter

Jake hummed as he finished up another batch of elixirs. It had been a few days since he got the new skill and the Pride upgrade, and he had spent this time practicing that skill and doing alchemy. He hadn’t used that teaching skill at all. Mainly because he hadn’t spoken or interacted with anyone.

His practice with Pride of the Malefic Viper has been pretty simple. Infusing his presence with mana came naturally to him due to the instinctive knowledge from the skill, and the effect was quite prominent. He felt like everything around him became more familiar to him when he did it, and summoning magic around him became far more effortless. Shit, he could make more Arcane Bolts than ever while having the presence active.

There was one minor issue, though. It drained Jake’s mana pool at crazy speeds. It was like a turbo-charged version of Limit Break but for mana. Well, maybe it was nearly exactly like Limit Break? Limit Break improved him internally and infusing his presence increased his control over the external world around him.

He hadn’t had time to test the mental attack yet, but only practiced with magic. He would need to find an opportunity before the Treasure Hunt to not go in blind, but he had a feeling it would be effective. He especially wanted to see if he could make it more effective if he coupled it with Gaze of the Apex Hunter.

Jake had also spoken a bit with Villy about the teaching skill when the god got curious, and Villy had just told him that teaching someone could be a good move. This surprised Jake as he thought the overly-selfish god didn’t really care much about other humans on Earth. That is until Villy pointed out how teaching others could be good for personal improvement and how he himself had learned a lot by going back over some of the basics while training someone else. Apparently, Villy had had quite a number of students through the times, even if Duskleaf was the only one Jake knew about.

Anyway, besides that, Jake had made another nice pile of elixirs and even gotten another level under his belt in just three days. He had nearly entered another trance again but avoided it due to diversifying things with some Pride training and the chat with Villy.

Jake began another brewing as he took out a Fungalmancer core to make another vitality elixir. He wanted to try and make a Rare-rarity one of those soon before he moved on to improving his perception version. By now, he had realized he likely wouldn’t have time to make a Rare-rarity version of the perception elixir, but at least he could move up to Uncommon.

Just as he got done melting the core… he stopped.

Something felt wrong. Very wrong. Jake’s gut was telling him things were off… it took him a second to realize the source. Sylphie…

Jake stopped the brewing, tossed his cauldron with the unfinished sludge in his inventory, and took to the air.

His presence was infused, directed ahead of him. The mana gave way as his will manifested, and a small platform of arcane mana appeared in the distance. Summoned using his Sphere of Perception and his presence working together.

He used One Step Mile in mid-air and appeared on the platform ahead of him. Another platform was summoned within not even a quarter of a second ahead of him again. This one he also stepped onto, teleporting yet again.

The upgrade to Pride had allowed this. Jake didn’t even know it did before this very moment; he just had to find the fastest way to move forward. Because it was easier to manifest his mana inside his presence, it was fast enough. Did it consume a lot of mana? Yes, but right now, his primary priority was speed.

Jake had effectively just unlocked full-on air-walk-teleporting as he used One Step Mile forward into the horizon. He didn’t know where it was; he just had a gut feeling about the direction. Jake wasn’t even aware of what he was moving towards; he just knew one thing: Sylphie, Hawkie, and Mystie were in trouble.

A good while after he left the lodge, one of the enchantments around the time tree shattered with a bang - one of those laid down by Mystie.

Hawkie dodged the scorching white ray with a feather’s breadth but was still sent tumbling through the air. He managed to stabilize himself and accidentally made eye contact with the uncaring gaze of the alpha before him.

[Goldsun Eagle Prima – lvl 144]

It was a nearly ten-meter-long golden eagle. Its radiant feathers gave off a constant glow as it bathed in sunlight, with its entire body practically humming with power and powerful energy similar to the sun above.

He knew. Their opponent barely cared about them. It knew it was above them by not just a little and didn’t wish to waste any of its more prominent attacks. It was arrogant, with power to back up that arrogance. The only one it regarded as anything worth mentioning was his daughter despite her low grade.

had told her to flee. Flee as they would try and hold back the monstrous eagle before

but it failed to damage the radiant barrier around the beast. It was a hastily constructed attack that

again, attacking with a whirlwind to kick up the dust from far below. He surrounded the eagle in a tornado in sand and dust, obscuring its vision. Its mate began another ritual to summon a blast

slain swiftly. They didn’t even stand a chance and were only mild annoyances to the Eagle Prima. A mild annoyance just like

to stop her attack as a searing ray came for her. Yet again, the eagle didn’t press the attack but just observed them before it tossed out a few orbs of light towards

with them? Didn’t it want to kill them? Why was it waiting like this?

enchantments back at the lodge around the time-related natural treasure, hoping the human would discover it. She had done this the moment they were discovered by the eagle. They didn’t know if it could do anything, but he

at least his daughter had to

off in the distance. A sound that made his heart

another figure. It was a large eagle, much like the one he and his mate were fighting,

– lvl

was the Eagle Prima’s mate… Hawkie became clear on that because of

form flew, looking a lot

Goldsun Eagle – lvl

train their daughter and get her experience and teach her things, so had these eagles decided to

mate – named Mystie by the human - had the same look of despair as he did. The Eagle Prima was just weakening them with the purpose of making its spawn finish them off. They had done the same for their daughter

were mates for life. That didn’t only come with trust but also some amount of power. The two

face this kind of opponent

screech, who responded together with its spawn. Sylphie, as the human had

look was exchanged as they

a green light that soon turned deep blue and began crackling with lightning. Mystie began emitting purple myst. They didn’t need to screech or communicate – their gazes had said

wave of light, searing her one wing. Hawkie was blasted by a small orb. Sylphie

fifteen seconds to fly across. It was to seal them

for much

Two energies convened.

and Myst came together as they mixed. A cloud of purple lightning was born as a thunderclap sounded out, and for the first time since this entire battle began, the Eagle Prima looked surprised. Mystie and Hawkie flew towards each other as

body to its utmost as he flew towards the mate of the Prima. Their young spawn was behind the second Goldsun Eagle, and it chose to defend. Foolishly

moved. It tried to block their path but was too slow. Hawkie fused with Mystie turned into

Myststorm Union

impact. The fused birds didn’t even stop in their track as they consumed the Goldsun Eagle and headed for the spawn behind the barrier – a dark figure with broken glowing

barrier and destroyed it, but they didn’t get farther than

Eagle Prima appeared before them, more radiant than ever. Its rage was apparent as it had just seen its mate practically slain, and it opened its beak and fired out a massive breath of solar

on both of them and could only be used for a single attack. Most of their energy was already expended on the Goldsun Eagle and the barrier, meaning

dispersed, and the union was broken. Two figures were sent tumbling through