DING!
~----~
[You have received a new System Mission: Apex Hunter!]
[Mission Requirement: You have stumbled upon a battle between an Apex Hunter and an Apex Predator. Choose your prey and hunt!]
[Mission Reward: 4,000,000 EXP!]
…
[Bonus Requirement Available!]
[Mission Bonus Reward: 20,000,000 EXP!]
~----~
'Choose your prey and hunt?' Julian's eyes narrowed. 'Does that mean I can focus on only taking down one of these two prey?'
As he had this thought, he also focused on the vague bonus requirement part of the thread of system notifications.
Julian's brows furrowed. 'What does this mean?'
His brain whirred as thoughts flowed through his mind, trying to decipher the hidden meaning of the system and then Julian's eyes lighted up with understanding as he found a clue.
Contrasting this mission with the usual mission format of previous system missions, Julian had a guess. 'The hidden requirement is to hunt both prey?'
His eyes narrowed even more, then he focused on the distant battle again.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The duo of Monster and Centaur rolled through the valley, leaving destruction in their wake as they fought an intense battle.
The Centaur was dominating the tempo of the battle, kiting the mighty Basilisk as he hunted it but the Serpent didn't look like it was about to succumb to the damage anytime soon.
This was an apex predator!
Watching these 2 powerhouses duke it out, leveling and terraforming the terrain in the wake of their destructive battle, Julian knew that power of this level was beyond his current capability but still, his bloodline pride didn't let it rest.
Already experienced, Julian didn't fight the instinctive pride inside of him, the outcome was not always positive.
Instead of fighting it, he cajoled it and let it express itself in a way that even while puffing with pride and bloodlust, he still retained his rationality.
Julian's brain whirred. 'Can I fish in this muddy pond?'
To get the answer to his question, his first instinct was to use the Snooping Tool on both powerhouses and he did.
DING!
~----~
[Snooping Tool utilized!]
Name: Young Basilisk
Level: Lvl. 23 Monster
Race: Basilisk
[Racial Traits & Abilities:]
[1. Paralysis Gaze (Lvl. 1): Triggers instant paralysis upon direct eye contact.]
[2. Lethal Venom (Lvl. 10): Fangs possess highly toxic venom capable of killing a C Rank Awakened instantly!]
[3. Basilisk Scale (Lvl. 20): Natural armor equal to mid-tier magic.]
…
[WEAKNESS: Eye Fatality- Eye damage results in instant death.]
~----~
Julian's eyes instantly turned solemn.
This Basilisk was a far more horrifying apex predator than the Juvenile Cockatriss that he hunted a while ago.
Making eye contact with it was dangerous. Just like himself, it had thick defensive scales, and being bitten it results in instant death!
This was a true apex predator.
But one reason why Julian loved the System Snooping tool was the fact that it didn't just show the traits and powers of targets, it also showed their weaknesses.
The racial traits of the Young Basilisk made it a walking disaster, but at the same time its powers came with a fatal flaw- its eyes.
Any damage to its eyes will result in instant death!
It was after he learned this that Julian finally notice the Basilisk's battle habits and previously hidden details about it.
There was a barely visible magic membrane protecting the Basilisk's eyes, and also even while fighting the Centaur in a fit of rage, the monster was careful to avoid any attack that would hit its face, especially its eyes.
At the same time that Julian realized this, he also got a better understanding of the Centaur.
This Awakened clearly knew the fatal effects of making direct eye contact with the Basilisk as he avoided it, he also knew not to get bitten by the Basilisk, but he didn't seem to know the weakness of the Basilisk.
This realization made Julian appreciate the debauchery system's Snooping tool even more.
And then, he used the snooping tool on the Awakened hunter.
DING!
~----~
[Snooping Tool utilized!]
Name: Centaur from the Falaniondor Kingdom
Level: Lvl. 31 C Rank Adept Archer
Race: Centaur
[Racial Traits & Abilities:]
[1. Equine Speed (Lvl. 1): Unmatched land velocity.]
[2. Mounted Instinct (Lvl. 10): Perfect balance and coordination at full speed.]
[3. Arrow Reflex (Lvl. 20): Mastery of projectile timing and accuracy.]
[4. Momentum Qi (Lvl. 30): Attacks deal more damage while in motion.]
…
[WEAKNESS: Restricted mobility in enclosed spaces.]
~----~
'Level 31? A C Rank Awakened?' Julian was taken aback as his eyes instantly constricted in shock.
The sight of that number alone and the C Rank title attached to it told his rational brain to immediately bail out and escape from this battlefield, but his Dragon pride just wouldn't let it.
'F*CK!' Julian cursed as his forehead throbbed.
This was not a matter of self-control, the powers that came with his dual bloodlines were beyond mere control.
Julian was convinced that if he stubbornly tried to retreat, he would lose control of his emotions, potentially resulting in him developing traces of dissociative personality disorder or even going mad!
He frowned and cursed again, but then he calmed down.
The moment he realized that retreat was no longer an option, he abandoned it completely, embracing the abyss with his bloodline.
'I guess this is the price of power'.
With a cold look now in his eyes and with the information that he just learned through his Snooping Tool about the 2 enemies, he observed them coldly, his brain rapidly dissecting and analyzing the situation.
Julian already realized that of the 2 enemies, his chances were greatest if he targeted the Basilisk first because of its glaring flaw compared to the Centaur.
But to get to the Basilisk, he had to get past the swift Centaur that kept on encircling the Basilisk in an inescapable net.
His eyes narrowed as he perused the information about Archers that he learned from Dreadmoor's library, he only learned from Level 5 up to Level 15 skills of Archers.
At Level 5, Archers unlock 2 skills, Keen Eyesight and Qi Shot.
Keen Eyesight is a passive skill that dramatically enhances vision clarity, distance perception, and motion tracking.
As for Qi Shot, when activated, it enables an Archer to instantly fire a fast, low-power qi projectile without aiming.
The Centaur mostly used this ability, flooding the battlefield with qi projectiles that constrained the Basilisk's movement.
At Level 10, after their Class Awakening Archers unlock 3 skills, Qi Imbue, Steady Aim, and Piercing Shot.
Qi Imbue when activated infuse arrows or thrown weapons with qi to increase damage and penetration.
Steady Aim is a passive skill that reduces weapon sway and improves accuracy under pressure.
As for Piercing Shot, when activated, an Archer's projectile gain the ability, sharpness, and power to pierce through armor or multiple enemies.
The Centaur used this every few seconds against the Basilisk, trying to break through its sturdy scale defense but so far it was unsuccessful.
At Level 15, Archers unlock 2 new skills, Rapid Volley and Evasion Roll.
Rapid Volley, when activated enables an Archer to fire multiple arrows or qi-created qi shots in quick succession at reduced damage.
As for Evasion Roll, when activated, it enables an Archer to perform a swift evasive maneuver to reposition. It's far faster than a normal roll.
The Centaur's natural speed plus Evasion Roll made sure that the Basilisk never managed to close the distance to put its fangs and potent venom to use, the Centaur was just too slippery.
This was all Julian currently knew about the Archer Class.
His eyes narrowed into slits. 'Is this enough?'