The Primal Hunter

Jake readied himself as the creature swam beneath him. He knew it was aware of him as he felt its attention upon him. The eels before had been about five meters long, but this one… this one was on another level. More than an eel, it was a giant sea snake. He estimated it to be in excess of a hundred meters with a large bulky form, with a diameter over six or seven meters.

However, this didn’t mean it was slow. It slithered around the pillars lining the large room, seeming to enjoy the jolts of electricity that ran through them. On the other hand, Jake really didn’t, as he was forced to keep his distance from all the pillars or risk getting zapped.

The large Eel Lord didn’t seem to be in a rush to attack him. It appeared to have only just awakened as whatever powered the room also turned on. It happily absorbed the electricity and empowered itself. Jake decided not to waste his opportunity as he held out his hand.

Mana condensed as an arrow began appearing from his palm. More than an arrow, it looked like a harpoon, with jagged etches and a large broadhead. It was naturally Arrow of the Ambitious Hunter. While he didn’t know much of these lightning eels, the Terror and Spitters were close cousins, and ultimately, they were flesh and blood creatures.

Jake kept an eye on the eel as its massive form made its way around the chamber, keeping an eye on him too. It was apprehensive, far more so than any of its brethren. This indicated at least some level of intelligence as it had no doubt noticed the four dead eel around his more-or-less uninjured form.

It wasn’t that smart, though, as it allowed Jake to fully summon the arrow. Now his only issue was how to deliver it. He had no confidence firing an arrow with all the pillars lining the room to function as cover, not to mention the tiny little detail that he was still underwater.

Underwater archery didn’t have a good historical track record. In that, it didn’t have any track record. Because underwater archery wasn’t a thing, because underwater archer would be stupid, and Jake didn’t plan on inventing it in mortal combat.

So he wrapped the Arrow of the Ambitious Hunter on his back with arcane strings and took out his blades. He coated both of them in uncommon-rarity necrotic poison and added a small layer of stable arcane mana on each blade to encapsulate the toxins and not have the water dilute and weaken the killing power. Also, he had a very advanced attack tactic called “stabbing both swords into the eel to their hilts” planned.

Next up, he began condensing what looked like cubes of highly stable arcane mana. Whenever he made one, he sent it flying out into the large chamber, simply floating where it was. He did this tens of times, making hundreds of these cubes. The mana expenditure was insane, but he had the natural environment to keep him topped up. As for the purpose of these cubes? That would become clear later.

Being fully prepared, Jake narrowed his eyes as mana began condensing around him. Crystalline bolts began assembled by the dozen. The eel noticed what he was doing and knew it could no longer continue what it was doing. It moved around a few more pillars as it began rapidly making its way towards Jake.

Far more rapidly than Jake had expected.

Shit, he thought as he released the bolts of arcane mana towards his foe. Despite its massive form, the eel managed to dodge most, while the rest only left surface wounds. Four tendrils of pure lightning consensed around its head when it got close and moved to grasp him.

When he got a closer look, he noticed they were a mix of highly condensed water and electricity. The Eel Lord used them almost like hands, Jake dodging backward. In his moment of temporary panic, Jake fired off a blast of arcane mana, sending himself flying back and getting a bit too close to a pillar as he felt the hair on his head stand as faint amounts of lightning entered him.

The eel dove forward, lunging as it tried to bite down on his significantly smaller frame. Jake was more prepared this time as he already made a path of escape. He condensed some water below his feet as he stepped down. One Step Mile activated as Jake found himself standing on a cube of stable arcane mana more than two hundred meters away.

He had come to learn that One Step Mile really didn’t give a shit about what kind of environmental mana it had to make him travel through. Sure, the water was far denser, but in the end, it was still neutral and not antagonistic mana, making his One Step Mile work as well underwater as on land.

from him was incredibly difficult as Jake usually used his Sphere of Perception for this, but with

discs, they often weren’t oriented properly. Cubes were far better at that as they tended to spin randomly around from the currents and whatever movement in the water his fighting instigated. The cubes of stable arcane mana also lasted longer as they had more real estate to pump mana into. So

a large wave of electricity, but Jake was ready as he simply tanked it with his scales. The large form of the beast allowed him to take yet another step as

didn’t let up as he dragged both the blades

jump off, and just in time as an almost shockwave-like jolt of blue power ran

coated them in his own blood as he sent them flying through the water. The eel avoided most of them, but a few did find

of poison in its body as well as heal it. Ultimately, he still chose to fight it at range and wait for it to get close as his arcane bolts petered it as it tried to hide behind the pillars. Jake still did more damage than

beneath the skin. Each of the scales served as small batteries. Jake felt his own poison be slowly led into these

he stopped what he was doing. Without thinking, he

you wish to experience the Legacy of the Malefic Viper? Uses

and sealed the beast

as they rained down upon the dragon’s scales, yet the moment they did, something wondrous happened. The scales seemed to almost come alive as they consumed the magic and stored it within themselves, nullifying or at least delaying much of the damage the Malefic Viper

as all of this was a part of the plan to make them all

wasn’t surprised was Jake. Already back during the first time, he had noticed this peculiar phenomenon, and now that he experienced

it didn’t stop there, far from it. The mana stored in the scales began being broken down by an odd mix of Touch of the Malefic Viper and Palate of the Malefic Viper. The two skills seemed to fuse, existing within each scale as they passively did their work. The purpose of this was clear… to transform and

understood it, and as he focused his mind, he applied it. The vision around him began breaking down soon after, being the shortest Jake had ever experienced and even repeating the same scenario. Jake understood why… for he had wished to experience this again. He had wished to finish his comprehension, and the

Jake was done, and he needed not see anymore. He had seen this end before, and he had his own battle to attend to. The notifications

the first, and often the only required, line of defense. Allows the Prodigious Alchemist of the Malefic Viper to turn parts of his skin into scales, vastly increasing the effect of toughness and adding a certain damage threshold. All damage below the threshold is nullified. The scales are exceptionally resistant to magic, allowing the alchemist to handle

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the ages, as the Malefic Viper became a dragon, he too was granted the power inherent in the well-known dragon scales, making him a bane of all magic. Allows the Alchemist of the Malefic Viper to turn parts of his skin into scales, vastly increasing the effect of toughness and adding a certain damage threshold. All damage below the threshold is nullified. The scales are legendarily resistant to magic and will store excess mana from any magical attacks that would have otherwise damaged you. If the damage taken by the scales is too high, this mana will be dealt as direct damage after a certain amount of time. Otherwise, this mana will be slowly refined and be absorbed or dispersed into your surroundings. Passively

Viper] has reached level 131 - Stat

reached level 135 - Stat points

had only been gone for a few seconds, but it was enough to throw it off momentarily. His trip away had been brief, but Jake was still experiencing the euphoria of the skill upgrade, and he had

him well and been his primary defense for such a long time… and now he would see what the improved version was truly capable of. Scales covered his body, looking no different than before

was because the scales he summoned were true dragon scales or at least a very close imitation of them. He was certain an actual

its body now shimmering with electric light. Jake noticed the Arrow of the Ambitious Hunter was still on his back, and he couldn’t help but smile. He began condensing mana under his

then he would have been paralyzed and