The Primal Hunter

A question had been gnawing in the back of Jake’s mind for a while. One that had been further amplified by Sim-Jake whenever he first met him and made even worse as he rose through the grades and went through the many opponents in the Colosseum of Mortals:

Did archers suck in the multiverse?

As in, was it just a worse way to fight than most others? Jake did have to admit that the number of archers he had seen or knew of that were at the pinnacle was limited at best, and not a single one of the Primordials used a bow. In fact, the strongest entity Jake knew of that used a bow was Gwyndyr, and he was apparently viewed as much as a fire mage as an archer.

Meanwhile, there were mages using all the schools of magic everywhere, and weapons like swords and spears were hugely popular. Even the Court of Shadows, an organization of assassins that Jake assumed would use bows instead, used fucking guns to shoot stuff. Sure, he knew it was because guns – which were just fancy wands – had better synergy with all their shadow magic stuff… but still.

Even Minaga, a being who had no skills and thus no Path he was better suited for than others, chose to make magic the thing he practiced the most. While he had learned all weapons based on what he said, including the bow, he had ultimately stuck with magic as his most powerful tool. Jake knew it was not as simple as him deciding that magic was best, but that magic had way more diversity and even the ability to do rituals and formation magic using several clones at once, but when he was fighting one-on-one, he could at least use a bow here and there, right?

But, despite this lack of bow users, Jake had never doubted using it. It was entirely possible that Jake would have been more powerful if he had dedicated all his time to practicing magic and improving his melee fighting, yet he had never seriously considered dropping the bow, even when his other self from a different reality proposed it.

Ultimately, Jake just liked using the bow. He had fun fighting with the bow more than with any other weapon, and he firmly believed that he could reach the pinnacle no matter what weapon or method of combat he chose, so why not go with the one he enjoyed the most?

Due to the way Records worked, Paths were passed down, so if more gods used swords, they would naturally pass down Records and classes related to using swords. So, the problem in Jake’s mind wasn’t that bows sucked, just that there weren’t enough powerful people around to pass down Legacies.

Also… not once had Villy advised Jake against using the bow. Not that Jake would have stopped using it even if the Primordial told him he should, but it at least meant that the Viper didn’t think it was a hopeless Path. Jake just believed that there had never been anyone to truly display the brilliance of the bow, not even amongst the gods… and if that was the case, Jake just had to be the first, right?

Anyway, the point is that powerful people who were also archers were rare. So, to finally have a chance to face someone else who used a bow was an experience Jake reveled in.

The fact she was even a hunter only made it better, and meeting her eyes, it was clear she was enjoying the situation, too.

With both of them having arrows once more, their duel continued, but with the circumstances slightly different. Both of them were injured slightly and thus had limited mobility, making dodging harder. Could they have sought behind pillars to take cover? Yes… but they weren’t only fighting to win but to prove who was better.

To take cover would be to recognize that you were inferior in an open duel, something both of them refused to do. For a predator to flee before another predator like that would be to willingly choose the role of prey, and both of them would rather risk losing than do that.

Jake was the first to land a hit as an arrow penetrated the lower leg of the elven archer. Right after, Jake found himself entrapped as an arrow that had been embedded in a pillar suddenly exploded, releasing a rain of thorns in his direction, forcing him to jump back and take an arrow in his forearm.

Gritting his teeth, Jake began focusing on shooting more tricky arrows. He made them bend at more unpredictable angles, taking her by surprise several times as several cuts began to mar her body, but Jake also took plenty in return, especially when she released a “shotgun arrow” that exploded into several bullet seeds that hit Jake hard, sending him reeling back as he hadn’t identified it as a special arrow fast enough.

Soon enough, they approached the same impasse they had before: lack of arrows. Despite their wounds, both had avoided taking any lethal attacks and even when they were hit, they quickly minimized the damage. The elf, through her nature magic’s slight healing properties, and Jake by plugging up any holes with what were effectively corks of stable arcane mana. Alright, admittedly, Jake’s method was not as elegant, but it got the job done.

and there was a slight pause before they shot. Both knew that the first to shoot would

in mid-air as they both deflected one another. Jake

asked loudly in a teasing

I know of your big finisher arrows,” the elven hunter yelled as she smiled. “Interestingly enough… I have one of those, too. Shall we see

it to be

as he agreed, the elf raised her hand. Energy began to gather instantly as all the nature mana in their surroundings were dragged toward her. The arrows she had shot around the arena and hadn’t activated withered; the remaining shrubbery or vines she had summoned turned gray and died

more simple, as Jake hadn’t been sure what would be good, so he just went with pure aerodynamic power. It

of the elven archer herself, and

her arrow, Jake was certain. The arrow she had summoned was definitely an offshoot of Arrow of the Ambitious Hunter, much like his Protean Arrow. This only made him smile more as he was curious: who had the better version of the

the elf’s as he charged his arrow in concert with her. After a few seconds, her gaze told him everything he had to know as she grinned and released

mixed as they

a laugh as an arrow struck him in the shoulder, making him stumble back. She had clearly hidden another arrow within her clothes to

inconspicuous pillar to the side of the elf. Right as the arrow got close to this pillar, Jake’s infused Willpower activated to make it bend and made it change direction for the elf. Right as it began

of surprise on her face when she heard the explosion but didn’t react in time. Usually, she would have been able to, but Jake knew how her skills worked. The reason she had failed was that her danger sense hadn’t reacted… because Jake hadn’t aimed for her. The arrow had instead struck her bow and

more arrows, and Jake had judged this was his best course of action to win, as he wanted to

her useless bow, the elf shifted her gaze to Jake, who was about to charge

out his katars, fully prepared for her to enter melee with him. She did have two swords, which he assumed she was capable of using, after all. Yet she seemed content as she raised her hands

and hesitated. “Wait, just like

throw my life away when I have already been defeated,” she shook her head. “So I

himself. “A little anti-climactic of an

toward the center of the arena, where a four-meter wide crater of destructive arcane mana was still burning away at the sand, with several thorned roots sticking up, yet to surrender to the destructive

we gave the audience a good enough show

katars, wincing a bit from the pain of moving his shoulder like that. The announcer also began to do his thing as he announced Jake’s victory with all of the usual

waited for the announcer to be done with his entire spiel. “You know, I never got your real name. Unless Doombringer or Doomfoot is your real

And I am going to assume your name isn’t the Former Lord of

know if it is just me, but I am feeling a little too battered to just stand and chat here

were pretty damn banged up. Jake was borderline wearing shorts at this point due to the many thorned roots that had ripped away at him, while the elf

a good fight, Artemis,” Jake said as he gave her a final nod before turning to

She followed him.

glance as she walked next to him, as