Chapter 940: Level 290 Hunter Skill Selection

Most of the time, Jake felt like skill selections only really had one, maybe two, valid options. Other times, none of the skills were any good, such as Jake's last skill selection for his class where he had gone back to pick Penetrating Arrow. Sure, the skill he had gained was great, but he had only chosen it because nothing better had been offered.

However... this time around, Jake didn't find himself with a list like usual. He didn't instantly see three options he wanted to write off. Instead, he saw a list of five pretty fucking awesome skills, all of high rarity and all with their own great aspects.

To set the stage, the very first skill offered was ancient rarity and looked incredibly useful.

[Disruptive Arrow of Arcane Shadows (Ancient)] - With a single arrow, cover the skies in arcane shadows as you fade into nothingness. Allows the hunter to shoot an arrow infused with arcane shadow energy, creating a large cloud of arcane shadows upon destruction. This arcane shadow cloud will obscure all senses, allowing none inside to look out or those outside to look in. Due to the disruptive nature of the arrow, many forms of magic are weakened or entirely nullified within. This effect is primarily focused on disrupting detection skills. The level of obscuration created by the shadow cloud is based on the disparity between your Perception and the targets. For a short period after shooting the arrow, the hunter can more easily activate any stealth skill as long as the target fully loses sight of him. Adds a bonus to the effects of Perception, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Agility when using Disruptive Arrow of Arcane Shadows.

So, to summarize... it was an arrow that messed with magic, messed with people's Perception, and allowed Jake to more easily enter stealth, all while scaling incredibly well with Perception. The only downside was that the Cloud of Arcane Shadows, as the skill called it, couldn't be looked inside easily... which was entirely counteracted by Jake's insane Perception.

Even if it wasn't, Hunter's Mark would still allow him to locate people. Oh yeah, and if that also failed, he had his damn Sphere of Perception. Hell, he could even see the skill being used to enhance his melee fighting style. Imagine it, a cloud of shadows with Jake stalking around within, striking from out of nowhere repeatedly. It sure gave Umbra vibes from the duel in the Colosseum of Mortals.

Then there was the awesome effect of allowing him to more easily enter stealth after using it. This skill was effectively what Jake had done against the Prima Guardian, except far more effectively. If he had this skill, then chances are he could have charged his Arcane Powershot for longer and killed the Guardian with his final Protean Arrow alone.

The benefits if he used this skill alongside Eternal Shadow were also easy to imagine... he could maybe enter his Unseen Hunter state several times throughout a fight. Sure, it would have the highest chance of working the first time around, but compared to now, he could see a world where it could work multiple times.

No matter what, he would have to take inspiration from this skill for some free-form magic. Maybe he could even design a Protean Arrow with these effects? Honestly, if this was the skill Jake had to pick, he would have been all fine and dandy. It was great... but the next skill looked at least as good. If for nothing else but its rarity, better.

Because, already at his second choice, he was offered a legendary skill, which truly boded well for the three final ones. Not to say this wouldn't be the one, as he really liked what he saw.

[Stealth Attack of the Unseen Arcane Hunter (Legendary)] - The strongest blow is one unseen before it's too late. Massively increase the power of the first attack made on an otherwise unaware foe, and any damage bonuses from Perception-scaling skills are significantly increased for a short duration after landing a successful Stealth Attack. If this attack is used in conjunction with Unseen Arcane Hunter, the attack will benefit from the effects of your stealth skill and be hidden from your foe's spectrum of Perception. Even if your Stealth attack is noticed before it lands, it retains all effects as long as it was made while unseen. Adds a stat bonus to the effects of Stealth Attack of the Unseen Arcane Hunter dependent on the nature of the attack. This effect is further improved by the level of Unseen Arcane Hunter.

WARNING: This skill is unlocked by and will serve as an upgrade to your existing Superior Stealth Attack, resulting in the loss of the skill.

Stealth Attack was one of those skills Jake constantly reminded himself he had to remember to upgrade, but kept forgetting about actually upgrading. Much of the groundwork was definitely already laid, and this skill was built partly on top of that.

Jake's goal had always been to integrate it with Unseen Arcane Hunter somehow... and this was pretty much it. Exactly what he had been imagining and wanted. It would make his opening attack when he struck from stealth far more powerful than before and even allow him to deal bonus damage with all his bow-related skills - seeing as they all scaled with Perception - for a short time after hitting an arrow.

Oh yeah... and it would turn his attack invisible. Or, at the very least, it would make it so his target wouldn't be able to notice his arrow before it was too late. Trying to hide a massive Arcane Powershot barreling toward someone was pretty difficult, but from the looks of it, this skill could make it happen.

As with the skill prior, Jake would definitely need to take heavy inspiration from this one if he didn't end up picking it. It was a bit different from the one prior in one huge way, though: it was a skill upgrade. A skill upgrade meant he would lose a skill slot... but this was one of those situations where the upgrade was so massive it was worth considering. He would go from a rare to a legendary skill in one go.

Jake could only imagine getting both this skill and the Arrow of Arcane Shadows... the combination would be insane. Alas, he would have to pick only one - assuming he even picked any of them. Because the next option was also incredibly spicy.

Or, maybe he should call it cursed.

[Gluttunous Fangs of Eternal Hunger (Legendary)] - Your hunger remains eternal as you seek to consume any who dare enter the striking distance of your fangs. Allows the hunter to passively channel cursed energy from the mythical artifact Eternal Hunger into every strike made with melee weapons, allowing you to benefit from all its on-hit effects. Every strike made using this effect will help feed the artifact, growing the power of the Sin Curse. Significantly increases the offensive effects of the Sin Curse of Hunger. Increases restorative powers of the Sin Curse of Hunger. Every strike made with Eternal Hunger or any weapon benefitting from this skill will leave lingering curse energy for far longer, dealing continuous damage. All effects of this skill are dependent on the power of Eternal Hunger. As the Sin Curse grows, so does the requirement of your ability to keep it at bay.

WARNING: Should Eternal Hunger be lost, this skill will mutate or disappear entirely.

It really shouldn't come as a surprise Jake would get more skills related to the mythical weapon he had created. Especially seeing as how it had been tied even more deeply to him with the integration of Sim-Jake. The Sin Curse was now totally a part of him and his Path, and he recognized that.

He also recognized he had been shit at actually utilizing the curse energy he housed within his Soulspace. Eternal Hunger could definitely do a lot more than just be a durable and sharp weapon he liked to stab people with - something he had been exploring with his alchemy a bit. He had just never really explored any of the things he could make it do when it came to combat. Part of it was because Jake didn't want to force himself too far down a Path where he focused on curses over stuff like his arcane affinity, and part of it was that Jake had a hard time imagining exactly what to do.

Now, this skill wasn't really doing anything "new" per-se. It was effectively just a damage and energy-steal effect getting added to Jake's melee fighting style while allowing Eternal Hunger to absorb more energy and thus also upgrade itself faster. He did like that he could make his Voidblade - or any other melee weapon - essentially into another Eternal Hunger. Seeing as it used the word Fangs, there was perhaps even some synergy going on with Fangs of Man and Fangs of the Malefic Viper. It did suck that the skill didn't work with ranged attacks, but it would also be kind of weird if it had.

Jake didn't really put much stock in the warnings on the skill, either. He knew that dealing with cursed stuff was dangerous, and he didn't have any plans of losing Eternal Hunger. If he did, his Eternal Shadow skill would also be fucked.

To conclude, this skill was great and would instantly make Jake quite a bit stronger. There wasn't much to learn from it he didn't already know, but it was probably still worth keeping what it did in mind when exploring opportunities to use Eternal Hunger in the future. As with the two prior skills, if Jake was forced to pick this, he would have been a-okay.

Who would ever be unhappy about getting a legendary skill that just made something you already did strictly better? Well... maybe you would if it meant passing up another legendary skill that made other things you already did strictly better.

[Lone Hunter of Horizon's Edge (Legendary)] - Hunting is a lonely endeavor, yet one best enjoyed alone, as there is only the hunter and his prey. As a Lone Hunter, you prefer the solitude found in a good hunt, and you specialize in facing your prey alone. Allows the hunter to gain certain benefits when hunting alone, but will have no effect if you work alongside others. Significantly increases all bonuses granted by your Big Game Hunter skill when hunting alone. When Lone Hunter of Horizon's Edge is active, all stealth-related skills are more effective. When hunting alone, Hunting Momentum is accumulated from Relentless Hunt of the Avaricious Arcane Hunter far faster, and less is lost when the hunter takes damage. As you walk down the Path of a Lone Hunter, more benefits may follow. Increases all experience gained from successful lone hunts. May you strike fear into the hearts of all who find themselves marked as the prey of the Lone Hunter of Horizon's Edge.

WARNING: This skill is exclusive and cannot be taken alongside Huntmaster of Horizon's Edge.

This was the second legendary skill directly related to his class Jake had been offered.

Lone Hunter of Horizon's Edge was clearly one well-suited to who he was. Reading it carefully, it did become clear pretty quickly that, on its own, the skill didn't really do anything. The only real benefit it gave on its lonesome was the increased experience gained when hunting alone.

The rest of it was all about making his other skills better. Relentless Hunt, all stealth skills, and from the looks of it, especially Big Game Hunter, would be strictly improved if he had this skill. Of course, it would only work if he was hunting alone.

Jake had very much expected the skill to then also come with a massive downside if he was fighting with others, but from the looks of it, the only downside was that the skill wouldn't do anything. That was... massive. While it was true Jake did hunt solo a lot, he also teamed up with others here and there. This Prima Guardian fight and much of Nevermore was proof of that. So to have a skill that would make him weaker when fighting with others would have sucked and been one he had to avoid.

Before Jake continued considering this skill more in-depth, he decided that doing it in conjunction with the last one was probably better. Because the warning of the skill also served as the prelude to the final skill offered... the counterpart to Lone Hunter and one mutually exclusive with it.

[Huntmaster of Horizon's Edge (Legendary)] - To hunt is a task for the many, as you successfully lead your hunting party to slay any prey you mark for death. As a Huntmaster, you are a hunter specialized in hunting with a team of peers, allowing them to benefit from your expertise and skills as a hunter as long as they join your Hunting Party. Allows allies part of your Hunting Party to benefit from all effects of your Mark of the Horizon-Chasing Arcane Hunter. Any damage your Hunting Party does helps build your Hunting Momentum from Relentless Hunt of the Avaricious Arcane Hunter. When facing higher-level foes, all members of your Hunting Party benefit from a lesser version of your Big Game Hunter skill. As you walk down the Path of a Huntmaster, more benefits may follow. You can have a total of 9 members in your Hunting Party (not including yourself). May your Hunting Party strike fear in the hearts of all who find themselves marked as prey by the Huntmaster of Horizon's Edge.

WARNING: This skill is exclusive and cannot be taken alongside Lone Hunter of Horizon's Edge.

If Lone Hunter made Jake the king of soloing, this skill made him everyone's favorite party member. Reading through the skill, the benefits were pretty damn good. Giving everyone a lesser version of Big Game Hunter meant they would just be straight-up stronger when facing opponents above their level while also providing them the passive presence resistance.

Then there was the fact it would help Jake build Hunting Momentum by just having his party members land hits. That in itself was pretty damn great. The biggest risk with Relentless Hunt had always been that he wouldn't be able to accumulate as much Hunting Momentum when he had to take hits during fights. However, with this skill, he could just outsource building his momentum to his party members. Especially seeing as it didn't mention him losing anything if they got hit.

Finally, the greatest part of this skill was allowing others to benefit from Hunter's Mark. Not just because of all the extra damage it would add to everyone's damage but because of an aspect of the skill he was certain would make him a top-rated party member: Increased experience gained.

This part of the skill wasn't one Jake really thought about much, as he always just marked targets, but he was certain others would be more than happy to get some extra experience. While Jake wasn't sure how much of an increase Hunter's Mark even gave, this was the kind of concept that could only be found in system-granted skills and considered pretty rare.

Considering the skill more deeply, it wasn't difficult to imagine the fighting style this skill catered to. It was one where Jake stood back and attacked without ever getting hit, thus never losing any Hunting Momentum. He would be the director of the battle, firing the occasional powerful blow with all the Hunting Momentum he constantly built up until, finally, the prey was dead. At which point, everyone would get more experience because the target had a Hunter's Mark and come pat their awesome Huntmaster on the back for another successful hunt.

Like the Lone Hunter skill, this one didn't have any downsides either, and it wasn't like it would make him incapable of solo hunting. Just better when doing it with a group. The only real negative to picking it was that he couldn't also pick Lone Hunter. Well, Lone Hunter or any of the other solid options he had been offered, but Lone Hunter would be permanently unavailable.

Having gone over both Lone Hunter and Huntmaster, he had to admit that on the surface, from a more objective perspective, Huntmaster was probably the better skill. At least, if he was asked which one of them was closest to being a mythical rarity skill, he would say Huntmaster. Both of them were awesome, though, and almost seemed like mini-classes or something.

Perhaps this assessment wasn't entirely incorrect either... because Jake had a feeling this decision would prove quite important for his Path. Their mutual exclusivity outlined this as a choice about what kind of hunter Jake wanted to be. It even pretty much said so with:

"As you walk down the Path of a Huntmaster/Lone Hunter, more benefits may follow."

Jake couldn't help but wonder... perhaps this choice had even been triggered by Jake kind of sending mixed messages about his own Path.

After the system arrived, Jake had primarily been a solo hunter. He was alone during the Tutorial, quickly abandoning his former colleagues. After returning to Earth, he kept hunting alone, only briefly teaming up with Hawkie for some flight lessons and elemental hunting. Outside of that, he was pretty much on his own all throughout E-grade.

D-grade wasn't that much different. Sure, Jake did a dungeon with Draskil and the others from the Order, but that was, again, only a brief interlude. All his greatest achievements in combat had been him fighting alone.

However, here in C-grade, things had been very different. He had done Nevermore with a party of five, and now this Prima Guardian event with a large group. He hadn't faced any strong opponents alone for a long time outside of a bit within some Challenge Dungeons. Nearly all his big fights in C-grade had been with a group: Minaga, the Twinhead Emperor, and the Prima Guardian. For solo fights, the only big one was Valdemar in the Colosseum, and that one had been under very odd circumstances, and he didn't even have his class during the fight.

Really thinking about everything, it wouldn't be wrong to say Jake was acting more like a Huntmaster rather than a Lone Hunter recently, and if he recalled the last few decades of his life, Huntmaster would definitely have been the most useful of the two. This wasn't a skill about the past, though.

It was about the kind of hunter Jake wanted to be in the future... and could Jake really know what the future would bring? Because while he could definitely see himself embracing the life of a Lone Hunter, he could also see himself adventuring plenty with Sylphie, Carmen, the Sword Saint, and all the others.

Of course, there was also another option: to not pick either of these two but just go with one of the two other legendary skills Jake had been offered. To simply not lock him into any kind of Path in the future and perhaps get offered a version of the skill that was a mix between Huntmaster and Lone Hunter, though he had a feeling that wasn't gonna happen, as the trade-off with these skills seemed to be that he had to pick one or the other.

Honestly, out of every class skill selection, this was perhaps the hardest. But Jake had to make a choice, and the question now was... what skill should he pick? Because he low-key wanted all of them... well, alright, he could be reasonable and not too greedy. Just getting four of them was also an acceptable outcome, as two were mutually exclusive.

Alas, he was forced to choose, and he could only be happy that he had plenty of time to decide, with Sandy still nowhere to be seen.