Darkwood Chimera

“Darkwood Chimera. A mutated variant of the Darkwood creatures that were wiped out from the planet millennia ago. As one of the oldest B-grades and due to the power of its variant, this monster is considered the strongest B-grade on the planet. Engaging it in combat should be done with absolute caution. Is not known to be aggressive unless its domain is invaded. If successfully hunted, please report your kill to the nearest Outpost. No other information shall be provided, and good luck is wished to any who take up the challenge.”^[1]

The Darkwood Chimera vaguely resembled a dog at first glance, having four legs, but its head was more akin to an alligator. Roughly 80% of its body was its barrel-shaped midsection that was a painful looking mix of twisted flesh and wood that pulsed every few seconds, contracting and expanding unnaturally. When the Chimera fights, its midsection released tendrils over a hundred meters long with sharpened tips.^[2]

The Chimera spoke with a monotone, genderless voice.^[1]

Jake first learns of the Darkwood Chimera when it inexplicably allies with the Forest Fae while Jake is attempting to avenge an ambush the Fae helped lead. After refusing to fight Jake, the Rainbowfeather Sovereign pointed Jake towards the Chimera and the Forest Fae. When asked why he's offering this information, the Sovereign acknowledged that if he assisted Jake in defeating the Chimera, he would take its place as the most powerful B-grade and it might be sufficient enough that he could leave the Hunting Grounds for good. After a bit of hesitant negotiating, Jake agrees to team up with the Sovereign, with the Songbird fighting the Fae and Jake taking the stronger Chimera.

Upon confronting the Chimera, it reveals that it actually double crossed the Fae, aware that she was being hunted by Jake, it used her as bait to get Jake to the Chimera's domain. The Chimera admitted that it had previously been granted passage to leave the Hunting Grounds but preferred to stay as B-grades are rulers in the Hunting Ground, but because of their low quality, they would be bottom of the food chain cannon fodder out in the general multiverse.^[2] It implied to Jake that it found powerful backing that would keep it safe in the multiverse if it could take out "a Chosen of the Malefic Viper." This made Jake believe that the Chimera didn't truly understand what it meant to be Chosen.

The first round of the fight between Jake and the Chimera was roughly a draw with the combats both finding ways to counter each other tactics. This continued until the Chimera Shadow Vaulted. Having a better idea of what he's dealing with, Jake begins to gain the upper-hand until the Chimera began to transform in an attempt to adapt.^[3] The Chimera took on a more agile body, now bipedal with its height reduced to five meters from the original ten. Its tendrils also adapted with most serving as stabilizing anchor points while two sharp, double-edged battle axes with picks. This form is more difficult for Jake to battle with the chimera mixing dark mana skills and shadow magic with dual wielding axes. Jake continues to attack, applying poison to whittle away at the Chimera's massive amount of vitality. He also stabbed the Chimera with Eternal Hunger, temporarily disabling the monster's ability to Shadow Vault.^[4]

Finally, out of desperation, the Chimera pulls them both into the Shadow Realm.^[5]Having never been in the Shadow Realm before, Jake is more curious than worried. Jake notes that the realm is darker and he feels an aura that both restrains him and slows down his movements. He also discovers that One Step doesn't work correctly and that he has to trigger Pride of the Malefic Viper in order to deploy it as intended because the concept of space is warped by the shadows.^[5]Jake slowly adapts to the new environment but notices that the Chimera is looking more and more strained. Jake is again taking the upper-hand and employs Eternal Shadow of the Primal Hunter. This attracts the attention of something more powerful than either combatant.

Umbra notices the Eternal Shadow which is built on her legacy skills. She freezes the Chimera and speaks directly to Jake, chiding him for being a heretical practitioner of her legacy.^[6] She gives him a choice that she can either disappear as though she'd never appeared or he could agree to allow her to increase the difficulty of the fight to her satisfaction in exchange for a worthy reward. Jake, of course, selects the tougher fight.

The Chimera's transformation is improved, its shadow abilities increased. It is also temporarily granted Jake's shadow cloak which allows it to move more easily through the shadow realm. When it's released from Umbra's hold, it is convinced that it has been blessed by the shadows in approval of its efforts. The Chimera is now faster and better equipped. Jake has to work to adapt but eventually finds a strategy, but damages his weapons beyond use. He switches to bare hands, but finds himself hampered by the weakness of his C-grade human hands.

Unable to adequately defend himself and growing frustrated, Moment of the Primal Hunter is triggered. Jake retreats to his soul space and considers the Records he has of Valdemar. He combines those Records with his own Willpower and is able to create stronger hands out of the Void that allow him to resume the fight.^[7] He then proceeds to completely overwhelm the Chimera and win the fight

As a reward for winning, Umbra gifts Jake with an upgrade cloak:

Umbral Cloak (Legendary)] – A cloak born using a B-grade Chimera and the very essence of the Shadow Realm itself. Incredibly durable to all kinds of attacks. Allows the wearer to meld into the shadows when they stand still or move slowly, masking their presence and all of their actions, including energies. This cloak is eternally connected to the Shadow Realm, faintly drawing on its energies. As long as the soul of the user and the Shadow Realm persist, so shall this item. Allows the user to temporarily expend the absorbed shadow energy of the Umbral Cloak to form a Cloak of Shadows, defending them from all forms of attack.

Requirements: Soulbound

Jake points out that this cloak containing traces of the Shadow Realm and bound to Jake's soul makes it easier for Umbra to track Jake in spite of Shroud of the Primordial. Umbra bluntly confirms his suspicion but also notes that he doesn't have to take the cloak. Jake does take it, deciding that the tracking is a problem for a later date.^[8]

The Darkwood Chimera displays the following skills during its fight with Jake:

• A levitation-type skill that allows it to maneuver in the air
• Tendril vines
• Dark Mana
• Shadow Vaulting
• A boosting skill
• A powerful polymorph skill
• Shadow magic
• Access to the Shadow Realm

• Roughly two decades before its battle against Jake, the Chimera fought the Rainbowfeather Sovereign over a natural treasure that spawned in their shared lake. The Chimera was victorious.^[1]
• The Malefic Viper is personally notified by Umbra about the contract that was taken out against Jake. While the Viper was given the opportunity to ask Umbra to reject the contract in exchange for a favor to be determined later, Villy instead encouraged her to accept, believing that Jake would have a good time fighting an assassin.^[3]
• When Jake repaired his hands, Fangs of Man received an upgrade to Legendary.^[7]