The Primal Hunter

The very next second, the orb of steam above Minaga exploded, bathing the entire room in dense white fog. What’s more, this steam had some of the concepts from the mist in the labyrinths infused into it, meaning that within a second, he had severely limited the sense of everyone. Well, everyone except Jake, that is. With his Mark of the Avaricious Hunter and Perception, he was pretty much unaffected, considering the size of the room.

“Dina, left, fire,” Jake warned her, and she responded just in time as she turned and manifested a wooden shield right as a staff slammed into it, exploding in a huge inferno that blasted her backward. She slid across the ground as Bobo had managed to help shake off the last of the damage, dozens of tendrils of wood extending from her body.

Minaga was about to strike again as a stable arcane arrow pierced through the mist, hitting him in the shoulder and penetrating through his robe.

“Man, how bloody high is your Perception stat?” Minaga questioned as he telekinetically pulled the arrow out just before it exploded, once more making it clear he knew what Jake and company were capable of. Except he seemed to have underestimated Jake’s Perception.

Jake also had a bit of a theory as he shot another arrow. Minaga reacted a bit slowly but managed to block it with a barrier he summoned with one staff as he pointed the other toward Dina, who was about to cast some magic of her own.

“Dina, dodge to the left.”

Without hesitation, she stopped casting and jumped to the left, just in time to avoid a beam of light that burned a tunnel through the mist. Minaga seemed a bit surprised she reacted in time but was even more surprised when two arrows flew around his barrier, hitting him in the shoulder and arm.

Both were once more pulled out telekinetically instantly, but Jake had confirmed his theory. The mist is also limiting his Perception somewhat…

Minaga was less affected than anyone else, though. Even Jake was hit harder by the mist; he just managed to overcome it through sheer stat points. To continue his testing, Jake loosed another arrow, this one of the destructive variety. It was blown up in mid-air halfway toward Minaga as he shot a small beam of light at it.

Another flew right behind it that Minaga was forced to sidestep, the Unique Lifeform looking slightly annoyed at Jake interrupting him. With Jake distracting him, he had lost his chance to deal damage to Dina before the Fallen King, Sword Saint, and Sylphie could reenter the fight.

A massive tornado gathered as Sylphie addressed the dense steam that hampered everyone except Jake. The tornado lifted all the steam just as the Sword Saint and Fallen King got close to where Jake told them Minaga was standing, the old man attacking with a more cautious approach this time around.

From behind, the Fallen King summoned a large massive ball on a golden chain that he swung from the side, timed to arrive at the same time as the Sword Saint’s attack.

Minaga saw the attacks coming and smiled as he sunk into the floor, making both attacks miss entirely.

Jake’s eyes opened wide.

“Dina, behi-“

It was too late as the Unique Lifeform popped up right behind Dina, who was decidedly not ready to respond. In one hand, he held a ball of fire, and in the other, an orb of frost, both giving off intense energy. He brought them together as he did a double-palmed strike only a meter behind her. The moment the fire and ice met, Jake’s danger sense exploded, and he instinctively used Gaze of the Apex Hunter on Minaga to try and delay him.

It only managed to freeze him for a minuscule moment, but it was enough for Dina’s guardian to at least respond. Bobo counter-attacked instantly, as hundreds of roots shot out to meet the mixed fire and ice attack.

happened next, Jake was incredibly glad he had

apart as Dina was sent flying, her entire form encased in a mix of flames and ice. She smashed into the other

from

have time to say more as the Sword Saint closed in, and this time Minaga did not pop into the ground as the entire floor erupted from the Fallen King telekinetically lifting it with such force the tiles

Minaga moved to block again, only to find himself feinted when the sword abruptly shifted direction. The Unique Lifeform was ready and had already moved

as a faint trickle of blue blood dripped from his stomach, with only a light cut

said just as he charged in again.

Saint engaged Minaga as Jake offered range support with the Fallen King as the two of them worked together

hurt badly,” Dina communicated through their telepathic link as she dislodged herself from the wall. Her robe was torn, and the wooden armor usually covering her body was broken in several places from a mix of

frost-fire attack again,” Jake answered as he kept shooting arrows. Talking and

keep the tornado active to keep it up there. The Fallen King was also cooking as Jake and the Sword Saint fought Minaga, who was not particularly pressured. Jake did notice that he did not do any magic after the

began to push back the Sword

was done with his preparations. Both of his claws were shining golden as his golden crown flashed with energy. A golden veil fell over where Minaga stood as he. With a look of surprise on his face, he was pressed

the direct source of all his force magic, resulting in it often functioning more as direct ranged attacks rather

only shooting it out from his body but could strike from

Minaga temporarily suppressed, the Sword Saint and Jake made their moves. The old man pointed his blade as he used his erosion stab while Jake released an Arcane

began to glow. The golden veil of energy started

managed to point his staff and meet the stab head-on, resulting in the Sword Saint getting sent flying back from the sheer feedback of his sword hitting metal. As for Jake’s blow, he hit himself in the chest with his other hand, blasting himself backward and out

”Nice tr-”

a superior method of stealth than any other, making Minaga not

the constant stream of wind energy continued, bearing down on Minaga. Jake did

they would get their chance sooner

and momentarily blocked off the wind long enough for Minaga to jump out of the attack. Just as he did this, three ranged attacks arrived at once, but he clearly had all his

he landed safely on his feet. The attack from Sylphie had frayed his robe and left Minaga just in his pants. His upper body was covered in small cuts here and there from the slashing winds,

his hand, Minaga took the time to put on a new pair of identical robes. Above, Sylphie was annoyed at him for escaping her attack as a barrage

first, but before anyone else could make a move, he grabbed one of his staffs with both hands

“Batter up!”

The moment he did, a more than ten-meter-wide

the way. At least she tried to. Below, Minaga pointed his staff at the meteor as it began to pulse, and even from the ground, Jake felt the gravitational pull from the

out of the way. Emphasis on mostly. The side of the meteor still hit