The Primal Hunter

Chapter 941: Most Challenging Skill Selection Yet Chapter 941: Most Challenging Skill Selection Yet

Jake had never been a massive fan of fully committing to something, especially not if that decision would have permanent consequences. At least, he wasn’t when it came to defining his Path. He still felt as if he was barely getting started exploring the system and his Path despite having spent well over a century with the system, if one counted time dilation.

He did commit sometimes. Arcane Supremacy had been a big commitment and ”locked” him into his arcane affinity for good. There was no going back from that one, with his body permanently altered to better fit his affinity while making any other weaker in combat. However, that one didn’t feel like that big of a commitment. Jake’s arcane affinity was his affinity, so it was just confirming it did indeed belong to him and was optimal for his Path.

This entire skill selection felt different, though. Outside of the two first skills – Disruptive Arrow of Arcane Shadows and Stealth Attack of the Unseen Arcane Hunter – the other three were very much permanent decisions. Even the Gluttunous Fangs skill was a very permanent decision.

Passive skills tended to be, and the curse skill had a whole bunch of passive effects. It would link Jake far more closely with the Sin Curse that made up Eternal Hunger, and while it wasn’t quite an attunement skill, it would tie Eternal Hunger and the Path of curses even more closely to Jake… and he still wasn’t completely certain he wanted that.

Sure, Jake did want to use curses, but he didn’t want it to be too big of a part of his Path. He still wanted to primarily be an arcane hunter first and foremost. There was also the fact that Gluttunous Fangs of Eternal Hunger only worked on melee weapons and melee attacks.

Jake had made considerations about integrating Eternal Hunger into ranged combat for a while. More accurately, he had considered if he could use the mythical weapon in conjunction with Protean Arrow. If he could design an arrow using Eternal Hunger as its base, shooting it more like a spear. Seeing as he could always retrieve the weapon as it was bound to his soul, this idea was quite appealing, even if there were still a few snags.

Nothing said the skill would mess up that plan. In fact, it was even possible that Gluttunous Fangs would make this idea even better, but Jake was still a bit doubtful. Honestly, a lot of what made Jake apprehensive about this skill was pure speculation… and the fact that he kind of liked Lone Hunter and Huntmaster more simply because of the future potential he saw in both of them.

Also, both had ”hunter” in the name… alright, one had Huntmaster, but a Huntmaster was also a kind of hunter, so it counted. They were also both related to his class, so that was an extra bonus point, once more due to the future potential. He could see this choice unlocking another greater one once he reached level 320, where he would get the final skill selection of C-grade… and the final skill selections tended to have an extra good skill. For reference, E-grade he got Arrow of the Ambitious Hunter – now Protean Arrow - and in D-grade, he got Relentless Hunt and the entire concept of Hunting Momentum.

Who knows, chances are it would even help define his B-grade class evolution, making him lean further into either the Path of a Huntmaster or a Lone Hunter.

The big question was… which one fit Jake better? Going by recent happenings, Huntmaster probably did. It also had a lot of pros. As mentioned, Jake believed it was a slightly higher rarity skill than Lone Hunter, thus making it closer to mythical. In a fight like the Prima Guardian he had just gone through, it would definitely have been great with no real downsides. All it would have done was make everyone else a little bit stronger and help Jake build up some Hunting Momentum for a few more big arrows.

Not to say Lone Hunter wouldn’t have been helpful. Here, in the final parts of the fight in space, it would probably have worked, right? Seeing as he was alone, that is. This also raised some questions about when Jake was truly ”alone” or fighting with others, but knowing the system, it tended to be pretty smart about things like that, such as how Big Game Hunter worked even before Jake technically entered a fight with a more powerful foe, simply due to his intent to attack. So there was a good chance Lone Hunter would work as long as Jake ”felt” as if he was fighting alone.

That was actually one of the big differences between the two: Jake getting stronger. Huntmaster didn’t buff Jake at all; it only made everyone else stronger. Meanwhile, Lone Hunter only worked on Jake… and Jake guessed it would work quite well.

All the effects of Lone Hunter were great. It buffed his stealth skills passively, made his Relentless Hunter better, and even gave him more stats from Big Game Hunter. It was just a straight-up buff when fighting alone.

Huntmaster relied on other people and only ever worked when he was with others. The buffs it gave them were great and numerous, but, in general, Jake wasn’t a huge fan of relying on other people, even if he had a lot of reliable ones around him.

But… could Jake guarantee they would actually fight alongside him? The only reason everyone had been here for the Prima Guardian was because of the system event. What would happen after the event was over? Could he seriously expect a full party to just stick around and level with him? And level with him when he wanted to go hunting? There would definitely have to go a whole lot of scheduling and planning into making it work…

things to deal with and their

described the Path to godhood as a lonely one. Even if Jake could assume others were willing to walk alongside him for Huntmaster, would they be able to? Right now, they were still only C-grade, and while he didn’t doubt most of the people on Earth he usually fought alongside could reach B-grade, he

fast

they had all kind of kept pace for now was due to the peculiar circumstances of a new universe getting integrated. The sheer flood of Records allowed everyone to level a fair

all had their own matters to deal with. The Fallen King had to manage those who served him, and Jake didn’t doubt he wanted to expand his influence. Caleb was a Judge in the Court of Shadows and had their family to take care of, while Carmen was a Runemaiden of Valhal. Even if she decided to fight in a group,

maybe the Sword Saint, but Jake was fully aware he and the old man couldn’t be attached to the hip all of their lives. He had his own Path

and Vesperia would definitely not be out running

made him hesitate: Jake genuinely

him but because he didn’t like the loss of control when other people got involved. Jake felt like he could ensure his

entire head crushed by the Prima Guardian, his heart skipped a beat. When Sylphie was about to get crushed by the Twinhead Emperor, Jake couldn’t even think clearly. He knew that they were both strong in their own right, but he also knew that he was stronger than both of them… and if Jake wanted to truly push himself, he would have to fight more challenging and formidable foes in the future. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to drag Sylphie or Vesperia around for things like that if it

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reliable others could be, they would never be able to measure up Jake’s trust in his own abilities. He could always rely on himself, no matter the situation.

If that happened and he had Huntmaster… yeah, that would suck. Not to mention, Jake doubted Ell’Hakan or anyone like that would even try to fight Jake unless they could ensure

wracking his brain, he

worm will be arriving at your location in around fifteen minutes,” the Fallen King informed

King gave Jake an idea, as he asked. ”Alright, thanks. Say, what do you plan

out of nowhere… but if you wish to know, then I shall seek a way to separate myself from you in earnest. My soul remains tethered to yours,

mask… but he also didn’t want to keep the Fallen King tied to

what hunting entails, no. I do not see the purpose in taking tremendous risks and facing more powerful foes than myself repeatedly,” the King answered, seemingly not even taking his

made his decision he at least wanted to probe what kind of response he would get if he did end up with Huntmaster. The message he sent didn’t explain what

while if I got the time, but to make an entire thing out of it? Nah, no thanks,” Carmen answered

a consistent basis? My boss and my wife would both kill me. Even if they don’t, the paperwork when I return from an adventurer definitely would,” Caleb shut the

to me while outside the Heartlands,” Vesperia also made it clear she wouldn’t be able to hunt much and would be a sucky hunting partner as Jake didn’t want a bunch of hidden gods keeping

you to be a third wheel during my leveling… it’s pretty much the only

shut Jake down, preferring dates with his

Sylphie some advice to strike out on her own more and explore herself and not be shackled down. That, as a part-elemental of the wind affinity, her Path was one of freedom and impulsivity, and she should take the time to just be

everyone, the one who seemed to understand the most what Jake was asking and what