The Primal Hunter

Jake sat down and relaxed while recuperating before moving on to the final optional boss. He felt pretty damn good about himself and, while he was sitting there, reflected on the progress he had made recently. Level-wise, he had gained one level in his profession during the period of nearly a month before they entered the dungeon, but after entering, Jake had now already gained four whole levels… which was actually an insane speed.

*’DING!’ Profession: [Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper] has reached level 171 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

…

*’DING!’ Profession: [Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper] has reached level 174 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

What made it all even more insane was that Jake had not only been doing alchemy but also fighting. Though, to be fair, the fighting hadn’t been difficult. Even so, it had netted him two levels.

*’DING!’ Class: [Avaricious Arcane Hunter] has reached level 170 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

*’DING!’ Class: [Avaricious Arcane Hunter] has reached level 171 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

The combination of easy fights and the monotonous type of enemies made every foe barely give any experience, but he had killed enough to still get some levels. It did help that usually Jake had to actually go looking and find enemies, while in the dungeon, there were ten mushroom men around every corner.

With these levels also came a few race levels.

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (D)] has reached level 170 - Stat points allocated, +15 Free Points*

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (D)] has reached level 171 - Stat points allocated, +15 Free Points*

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (D)] has reached level 172 - Stat points allocated, +15 Free Points*

Now… finally, with levels came Free Points. Jake wanted to just throw it all in Perception, he really did, but a voice at the back of his head that totally wasn’t sim-Jake screaming within his Soulspace made him reconsider.

With great reluctance, Jake did something that disgusted him as he invested 280 Free Points into Strength. Instantly he felt a hot glow go through his body as his muscles seemed to almost bulge for a moment before settling down. He had exited meditation at this point and sat here opening and closing his fist.

It was more than a 10% increase to his total Strength just by investing those points. It was an actual tangible difference, but Jake also knew that a 10% increase in Strength did not mean he now hit ten percent harder. The system and reality just didn’t work like that, and the only time where Strength was the only real factor was when in a tug of war or when trying to push someone.

Not that it wasn’t massively helpful to him, especially his melee skills. Sim-Jake had made it clear Jake needed more Strength, but also that Agility was still by far the most important stat. Something like a 60-40 split was best, according to him. Jake chose to trust his other self in that department.

Looking over his stats as a whole, they were relatively balanced, and he was beginning to get close to the optimal Strength-Agility split.

Stats

Strength: 4146

Agility: 6761

Endurance: 3626

Vitality: 4828

Toughness: 3521

Wisdom: 6207

Intelligence: 5067

Perception: 10720

Willpower: 5252

Free points: 0

behind, but Jake wasn’t that worried as both stats were still considered high for

from profession. This was all, of course, only in the case of a human. In reality, it would always be lower, and even in the top tier, one was

top, and then it was even lower at F-grade below that. All in all, if someone gained around 60 per level in the first 100 levels – or 6000 total stats at the point of evolution to D-grade – it would already be considered close to the theoretical maximum for pure

had over ten thousand total stats the day he

equation due to all the other factors like titles, equipment, and elixirs, especially not counting percentage bonuses which Jake had plenty of. The “of the Malefic Viper” skills also

stayed with the simplified math, then someone powerful at Jake’s level, 172, would end up with 6000 stats for the first 100 levels and 220 for the next 73, for a total of 22,000 stats. Dividing that out in nine parts, then around 2500 in a single stat would be considered average. With Jake having a thousand more than that in even his lowest stat, it honestly wasn’t bad, especially considering this example was of someone with a powerful Path. Again, oversimplified, but it was still clear Jake was far above the expected durability of the average

a nearly 60% overall stat increase amplifier really was nice. To summarize, then Jake was just good in pretty much all

honestly couldn’t be bothered with, he returned to meditation. The dungeon group meditated and recuperated for the better part of a

take at least a little longer, and our

it, and it allowed us to bond over shared hatred,”

up with using a curse. Instead, I think I would have mixed some of the death affinity mushrooms into the concoction along with the life affinity energy and then just had it be stabilized and dormant using the Lifecore. Using a catalyst or just having the balance between the energies be very reactive, we could then

wanted to go with my idea,”

before just shaking her head in slight

seem to have anything to add, even if Jake

me warn you, this is a fully-fledged C-grade we are dealing with,” she said as she put a hand on the gate. A notification appeared

floor and gone

sealed away at the bottom of the dungeon, only available to those who have proven themselves exceptional.

you wish to explore the final floor of the Indigo

from what you said earlier, the final floor is pretty much just a single fight. Not much I can help with there, and I

shook her head. “I couldn’t do anything to the General before, and a C-grade is bound to be a lot more powerful. I think it better I sit this

I can stay hidden if the foe is distracted, I must admit I also don’t see myself making any meaningful contributions. I am not a fighter, as you have probably

he smiled lightly. “Well… I wouldn’t mind either way. If you want to come along

could actually be a bit of a softie and genuinely had taken

can try to hide us using illusions,” Irin wondered out loud, not even trying to be subtle that she wanted to enter the final floor with them. Reika also clearly wanted to go, and Bastilla fell to the peer pressure

two of them forget we exist and accidentally blow us up or something without even noticing,” Bastilla moaned in

is too high

feel like I am some young mistress getting escorted through this dungeon,

to continue the dungeon and began going through the passageway. It was a bit longer than before, and while Bastilla did throw a second glance at the exit in the

this one was also very different from any prior. A blue hue dominated the entire place, and while it was filled with mushrooms, they weren’t the usual diverse kind. There were only glowing blue mushrooms spread throughout, and in the middle of the floor was an absolutely massive mushroom towering

top of it. A small throne that barely registered as a small bulge on the mushroom cap. It looked like

be fucking

Man King –

supreme leader of the mushroom men: the Mushroom