Chapter 398

Sergeant Jenkins

Predator

Level 82

HP- 34000

MP- 17000

ATK- 3600

DEF- 1750

Unique Abilities:

Active Camouflage- The Predator can turn invisible, using 100 mana per second to render itself completely invisible. While in this state, any single target attack has a 50% increased chance to fail.

-Taking damage will cause the Camouflage to flicker for 3 seconds, during which time there is only a 25% increased chance to miss attacks

-Electrical based attacks have a 40% chance to disable Active Camouflage for 1 minute.

Hunter’s Rifle- The Predator carries a high-powered directed energy weapon capable of firing in multiple stages:

-Rifle mode- This weapon can launch a beam of energy up to 1000 yards with varying degrees of accuracy and damage. Base damage is equal to 0.10*ATK

0-100 yards- 100% accuracy, 110% damage

101-300 yards- 95%, 100% damage

300-500 yards- 90%, 90% damage

500+ yards- minus 5% accuracy and damage per 100 yards

-Shotgun Mode- This weapon will launch a large concussive blast of energy in a very short range. Base damage is equal to 0.40*ATK and has a range of 15 yards

-Plasma Net- This weapon will launch a high energy net towards foes. This net will snare any target for 10+ 0.1*lvl seconds, and deals 200 damage per second as magic damage. This net has a range of 10 yards

Hunter’s Tools- The Predator will utilize a variety of traps against its foes. The predator will deploy these traps based on the composition of its enemies. Traps can be unlocked and upgraded utilizing Boss Mob Points. Current traps include:

Energy Snare

Gravity grenade

Shrapnel grenade

Intermediate Environmental Trap

*Unlocked Traps*

Brood Trap

Hunter’s Arsenal- The Predator is armed with a handful of knives, armor plating, and a spear. These weapons can be upgraded utilizing Boss Mob Points, in order to increase their stats, and give them special abilities. Current equipment includes:

2x Wrist Blades (Upgraded)- Deal 200 damage per strike, and cause a bleeding effect for 10 seconds

Cyber Enhancement- Blades have been combined with cybernetic enhancements, adding +10% True Damage to each strike

Far Shot- Blades can now be launched towards enemies. On hit, these blades stun target for 5 seconds with a 50%+ .1 lvl chance.

1x Hunter’s suit (Upgraded) - Decreases incoming damage by an additional 5%

Reflective Coating- All magical and energy-based attacks reflect 5% of damage back towards the caster/attacker

Augmented Reinforcements (2)- This armor now grants the Predator +10% movement speed and Evasion while at 75% or higher health

1x First Aid Kit- Can be used to heal the Predator for 1%HP per second used, up to a total of 30seconds (incoming damage stops the use of this kit)

1x Hunter’s Spear (Upgraded)- Deals 500 damage per strike. 50% chance to impale foe, immobilizing them for 15 seconds and causing 1 stack of bleeding per second.

Cyber Enhancement- Hunter’s Spear now has a pierce effect, adding 10% true damage to strikes

3x Alien Kits- utilized to create Alien brood inside adventurers

Unique Passive:

Cybernetically Enhanced- +25% to hit. This creature can see through walls, and can target invisible and stealthed targets

Increased intellect- This creature can utilize advanced planning and tactics

*Unlocked Passive* Sadistic Nature- The Predator has gained a twisted sense of ‘honor’ during its seclusion. It will act in a more…sadistic way than normal.

Cold Hearted- This creature ignores cold related damaged

Thrill of the Hunt- This creature gains 25% movement speed when chasing after players. This creature gains 15% Atk and Def when taking on any player equal to or higher than its level. This creature loses 15% Atk and Def when facing enemies lower than its level.

No Time for the Weak- This creature will not actively attack any player within a range of 10 levels below it.

Brood Sacrifices- The Predator will attempt to find worthy prey, even if it needs to create it itself. The Predator will attempt to render any foe under its level immobile, in order to apply a ‘FaceHugger’ to that creature. If a player cannot remove a ‘FaceHugger’ within 10 seconds, they will receive a 30 second death counter. After 30 seconds, the player will die, and an ‘Alien’ will emerge from the host, 5 levels higher than the player was. This ‘Alien’ will act completely separate from the Predator and will reach maturity after being alive for 10 minutes. At this point, the Predator will begin actively hunting the Alien it has released onto the floor. The Predator can only create up to three aliens per instance.

James…may have had a little fun when it came to upgraded Sergeant Jenkins. Sure, at face value, it seemed rather cruel, but he’d actually gone on the ‘light’ side when it came to upgrades. There were options that, had he chosen the routes, would have made the boss a literal, walking reaper. Instead, he’d simply upgraded the gear the good ol sergeant had at his disposal and tweaked his personality a tad bit. Rue had been the one to recommend that, saying his bosses, to this current point, seemed too polite and proper for a random dungeon. Given the fact the boss on his fifth floor, backstory wise at least, had been sucked through a portal, stranded on an alien world, and survived life or death situations that nearly killed him, led to his cybernetic enhancements, and gained him the approval of a race of elite alien warriors known as Predators, well, it made sense.

Furthermore, it, at the very least according to Rue, would solve a small problem they’d noticed in the boss. Previously, he’d seemed to avoid actually actively going near the players on the floor as it hunted for ‘appropriate leveled prey.’ According to Steve, if the boss didn’t find such prey after a randomized range of 30minutes to an hour, it would go after players to try and create and Alien for it to hunt. However, even then, it would only trigger that if the resulting Alien would be within 10 levels of the boss. Meaning, up until now, Sergeant Jenkins had yet to actually do anything.

The Sadistic modification to him, meant that was, changed to a certain degree. It eliminated that waiting period and given the levels of the Knights Who Go Ni, meant he was more than a little keen to turn one of the poor players into worthy prey for himself. Whether they agreed to it or not. The fact he’d just stepped out of complete invisibility and revealed himself in such a creepy way, made that Sadistic upgrade even more amusing to James.

“So, tell me, what might have brought your little party to my neck of the woods?” The boss asked coolly even as Z and the others started to react. Their weapons had raised, they’d begun to take up a combat position, and yet, Sergeant Jenkins stood there, no weapons in hand, his rifle hanging loosely across his chest.

“Uh,” the Knights didn’t drop their guard, but they hesitated. This wasn’t unusual. Not in the slightest given the growing intellect of James’s bosses. It was pretty common actually for players to take special side quests and such from them even, which granted them access to unique items and gear. The Terminus actually had a side quest that rewarded players with little top hats for their pet mobs, which would increase the pet mobs intelligence, and just looked classy.

“We’re just out here trying to hunt down some Darth Whals and such.” Z said, trying his best to remain calm. He and the others were on edge. And James didn’t blame them. They could see the boss’s level. To try and fight him, with just the five of them, when they didn’t know his attack patterns at all, was likely a terrible idea.

“Ah, a hunt, is it?” Sergeant Jenkins chuckled darkly. “You know, I’m quite fond of hunts myself.”

“You don’t say.” Oak said sarcastically. “A predator that likes hunting.” He received an arrow to the knee from Elm.

“Indeed,” Sergeant Jenkins turned his gaze down towards Oak. “I gained the Predator name from deed. When I was swept through that portal of my brother’s causing, I was deposited in a land much harsher than this. You would break if you knew what I had to go through,” he took a step towards Oak, causing everyone to stiffen, weapons raised. “You wouldn’t survive seeing what I saw.”

James glanced to Rue quickly enough just to give her an approving nod as they watched the scene play out below them. She’d gone to have a chat with the boss, to solidify the story and such. And the boss was playing it up brilliantly.

“Er,” Z interjected, drawing the Predator’s focus back to himself, while Oak ripped the arrow out of the back of his leg with a cold glance towards Elm. “Is there something we could help you with, Sergeant Jenkins?”

The boss chuckled. “I’m in the search of a worthy hunt.” He stretched his arms, “it’s been so long since I’ve faced something worthy of my might. I thought, perhaps, you lot could help me with finding such a foe.”

The players relaxed slightly. After all, this seemed like it was going down the side quest route. And they were relieved they didn’t have to fight the boss. After all, they were trying to hit level 70, and dying was a bit counter intuitive to that.

“Happy to help if we can.” Z said, “what exactly are you looking for?”

Sergeant Jenkins chuckled darkly, a sound that sent a shiver down even James’s spine.

“A sacrifice.”