Chapter 93: Miner (5)
'I also have a trick up my sleeve, right?' Jake asked himself. He'd been going at Saku with only physical moves he had learned from him during this week.
Those moves hadn't turned into any skill. Jake, however, received a close combat proficiency. It was pretty low, but Saku's experience and honesty in answering Jake's advances helped Jake understand the principles behind close combat and increase it faster.
'No, I don't have a trick yet…' Jake corrected himself.
That said, Jake got an idea for a trick he could use against Saku. The trick was related to his legendary archer class, Death's Lock and A Miner's Golden Eye.
It was highly inspired by Saku's elder's experience.
Saku's trick worked well because of his advanced proficiency in A Miner's Golden Eye. Perhaps it was on a legendary grade with how proficient he was at it.
Jake didn't doubt this thought, as he'd received a rare graded skill from the skilled miner.
'My legendary class allows me to pioneer a path for myself… if I combine Death's Lock with A Miner's Golden Eye, I should be able to create a trajectory toward Saku's hands,' Jake thought.
There was no button on the game system to utilize his class whenever he wanted. Things happened instinctively, and Jake sometimes would forget he could adapt his archery to anything he learned.
The skill required a lot of creativity and a legit basis to work with.
Even legends were held back by the world's rules.
Jake's idea, however, didn't extend beyond those rules.
[Your Legendary Class, The Creator Of Archer, has weaved your Death's Lock with A Miner's Golden Eye.]
[You have created a new skill—Archer's Death Eye(Common)]
[Archer's Death Eye(Common)(Active Skill)(50 MP)—a skill created by Archer based on his experiences. Archer's Death Eye allows the user to track other entities in his perception skill's radius.]
'I see… I can use it well in close combat or with Death's Lock!' Jake instantly understood the principle behind his new skill. Because Death's Lock was created on The Perception Skill's basis, it extended Jake's perception toward his target.
It was close to artificially stretching forward Jake's perception bubble.
Anyone locked with Death's Lock would be tracked for a long time as long as Jake marked them with his Archer's Death Eye.
Jake's eyes flicked with a golden color before his usual jade excitement overtook his hues. In those eyes, a flicker of black shadow danced. His skills were activated, wrapping Saku from head to toe.
Saku felt a chill going down his back.
Clenching his hands tightly, he thought, 'I understand his charm now! He has what it takes to become the strongest player! Give him an inch, and he will take everything adaptable to his archery!"
It could be said that Jake's legendary presence influenced others around him, but even that influence would be counterproductive in the wrong hands.
Jake was a hard-working man from blood and bone, diligence his second nature. He wouldn't have leveled up if it weren't for Mary. He'd continue his baby steps until he learned everything.
Fortunately, his experiences with others had opened him to more stuff.
Therefore, Jake's charm could be explained with a simple theory—people were more inclined to believe good-looking people. In Jake's case, once they learned more about him, people would see that he was serious and had what it takes to bring archery to the top.
Saku experienced now that.
Jake deeply inhaled, 'I don't have a bow and arrow, but Death's Lock and Archer Death's Eye have been activated. Let's go with a cliche line… my body is my bow, and my limbs are my arrows!'
He crumbled into a close combat stance after that.
At last, the darkness fell like a curtain over Jake and Saku.
'I see you,' Jake inwardly whispered. Though he may have been obscured by darkness, Jake's new combination of skills allowed him to see Saku's outline pretty well. No, it was a perfect outline of the human Jake had sworn to throw onto the ground!
Saku swam through the darkness then.
At this point, he'd not even dare to say where he'd strike Jake.
Matching Jake's stats, he threw a first punch as fast as possible.
With all his experience piled up, Jake could see and feel that punch. He reflected it with the back of his right hand before closing the distance with a left-balled hand.
He threatened a punch on his own!
That, however, was a faint!
Sneaking his hand past Saku's defenses, Jake entered his comfort zone and wrapped his arms around him! His intent was clear and obvious—the over-shoulder throw!
Alas, Saku was aware of it from the beginning.
He also knew how to counter that move.
After changing his foundation—his legs and foot—he shifted his weight down. He turned into an immovable boulder for a second, which allowed him to wound his arms around Jake's form.
These two entered a stalemate, pushing their entire force against each other.
"Haaaaa!"
"Haaaaa!"
Their roars bounced off the cave's walls, resounding far and wide. Anyone at the door would imagine two monsters clashing against each other. Those two didn't want to concede at all.
Even Saku's manly pride didn't allow him to lose against Jake.
They were so red. Veins popped on their faces and muscles as though worms sprouting from within their flesh. They were trembling no end, grunting into each other's ears.
At some point, however, Saku stopped shivering. He even lifted Jake for a second.
'Oh no! I have used more strength than I should have!' Saku inwardly exclaimed. He went past Jake's strength and dexterity, using his own stats of a high-level NPC.
He hurriedly lowered his stats.
That was when Jake found a gap and raised Saku off the ground! Saku's vision spun as he couldn't so quickly adapt to this development because he was turning his stats down as fast as possible.
Before he noticed what had happened, Saku felt a pain in his back as Jake chucked him onto the ground!
"I was waiting… for that edge," Jake coolly said, standing over the miner.
His legs gave in, then, and he dropped onto his rear.
"…well done!" Saku belatedly reacted, "Haha!"