The Primal Hunter, #4
The Primal Hunter 4
by Zogarth
Contents
6. Matriarchs
Overview
Jake grinds down a Matriarch-led troop through attrition, poison, and mobility, ultimately executing the lvl 146 Matriarch and netting multiple level-ups. Afterward, he retreats to brew stronger hemotoxins and replenish potions, aiming to finish the monkeys before the World Congress. A cutaway shows Debra, Maja, and Caleb discussing family security and anticipating Jake’s attendance at the Congress.
Summary
Amid a devastated forest, Jake battles a Matriarch-led pack. He identifies roles: Suppressors die first to avoid stacking weight auras; Crushers are kited and bled; swift Dervishes are engaged directly. The Matriarch mixes crushing strength and healing but has limited mana and poor speed, letting Jake control tempo with poison, arcane shots, and mobility.
As hours pass, Jake shifts fully to hemotoxins, bleeding enemies while forcing the Matriarch to overspend mana on healing. He endures wounds and potion use, leveraging Venomfang, the Scimitar of Cursed Hunger’s lifedrain, and One Step Mile to avoid suiciding aura bursts. He snaps a Dervish’s neck and gaze-kills the last Crusher, isolating the Matriarch.
The Matriarch tries to retreat toward the temple. Jake cripples it with an Arcane Powershot and finishes it with a plunging scimitar strike, earning class levels 106→107 and race level 104. He relocates, then recuperates by brewing stronger hemotoxic poisons and a small batch of recovery potions, planning to erase the remaining troop before the World Congress.
Scene shifts to Earth: Debra and Maja discuss their unusually calm System-era baby and family safety under Caleb’s Court of Shadows. They worry about Jake’s path, but Caleb arrives, reassures them, and predicts Jake’s presence at the World Congress before departing to train—underscoring that power remains paramount.
Who Appears
- JakeProtagonist; exhausts and kills a lvl 146 Matriarch, levels to class 107, race 104, and brews stronger hemotoxins.
- Tri-Lighttail Monkey MatriarchTanky healer-crusher hybrid; overextends mana healing her troop, attempts retreat, and is executed by Jake.
- DervishesFast, hard-hitting strikers; harry Jake until attrition and targeted takedowns eliminate them.
- CrushersSlow, durable hitters; kited and bled out, final one finished by Gaze of the Apex Hunter.
- DebraJake and Caleb’s mother; worries about Jake’s influences and safety, seeks reassurance.
- MajaCaleb’s wife; discusses their calm System-era baby and shares guarded optimism about Jake.
- Caleb ThayneJudge of the Court of Shadows; reassures family, expects Jake at the World Congress, resumes training.