The next afternoon, the team safely returned to Kokoto Village.
As the environment of the Forest and Mountains grew increasingly harsh, posing a significant threat to the village's safety, the Guild was assembling hunter teams for a joint hunt to drive away some of the Rathalos gathered in the area.
In front of the Guild's notice board, a crowd of hunters and villagers were engaged in a heated discussion regarding an ecological survey request.
Li Fan pushed his way to the front to take a look and discovered that everyone's attention was focused on a survey request for an unknown species of Great Jaggi.
It was tentatively classified as an unknown Great Jaggi species because its behavior of chasing after a Rathian could not be interpreted or defined by any existing knowledge.
"I've been saying it all along, the Black Diablos is the offspring of a Great Jaggi and a Rathian," a middle-aged male villager stated with conviction.
"I don't think so. If that were true, where are the reported sightings of Black Diablos and Rathian traveling together?" a male hunter retorted, crossing his arms.
"What are you arguing about? The Black Diablos is a species evolving towards the Flying Wyvern type. Ecological survey reports have speculated this for a long time," a female villager offered her opinion.
Suddenly, the crowd in front of the notice board erupted into a cacophony of discussions.
Li Fan withdrew from the crowd, feeling it was time to research monster evolution.
Of course, before that, he needed to collect his team's reward.
Entering the Guild and waiting in line at the counter for over ten minutes, Li Fan submitted the contract for the "Earth Queen."
Upon seeing that it was a capture-and-hunt certification, the middle-aged female attendant cast an admiring glance his way.
"The 'Earth Queen' quest reward is 54,000z, with an additional 20,000z for hunting in an unstable area. After deducting the pre-paid Palico meal fee of 9,250z, the actual reward amount is 64,750z. Please take it."
After a moment of calculation, the attendant handed a small pouch from behind the counter.
Li Fan took out the 10,000z jade coins from the pouch and quietly admired them.
"Here are also four Four-Star Proofs of Courage issued by the Guild, which can serve as a basis for hunter star-rank assessments. Please take them."
The attendant said, handing over four scrolls.
"Thank you."
After purchasing several books related to monster ecology in the Guild hall's library section, Li Fan rejoined his team. Following a hearty meal at the Palico Canteen, they returned to their inn room.
A merchant ship to the port of Calala Village would depart in about two days.
Li Fan sat at a square table by the window, opening his notebook, intending to use this time to thoroughly research monster evolution.
Or perhaps "mutation" would be a more fitting term.
The Guild and observation agencies conducted such research primarily to reduce the possibility of monster mutations.
Li Fan, on the other hand, was the opposite; he was aiming to facilitate mutations.
He had no advantage in terms of the established knowledge system of the Monster Hunter world.
However, when it came to understanding monster ecology, Li Fan, having played through eleven Monster Hunter games, was confident that his accumulated knowledge from the games placed him among the top.
Even if it didn't yield immediate results, constructing a framework would be a good outcome.
With his thoughts clarified, Li Fan began his deductive research.
Based on his recent encounters with monsters, he identified four factors that most influenced the cultivation of ordinary monsters, from highest to lowest priority:
1. Accumulation of combat experience.
2. Sufficient diet.
3. Suitable environment.
4. Positive mindset.
Among these, as long as the dietary and environmental factors were ensured, monsters could still grow stronger even with natural growth.
Of course, the speed would not be very fast.
Li Fan summarized two general types of known mutation methods.
The first type is adaptive mutation, which occurs when a monster mutates to adapt to its environment and maintain its own survival.
A representative example would be the special individual Valstrax.
To compensate for its visual impairment, it continuously trained to stimulate its bubble perception abilities.
Judging by the ghostfire bubbles it could produce that caused explosions, its dietary habits had also changed.
Through this continuous adaptation, it achieved a unique and unconventional mutation.
The second type is induced mutation, which occurs when certain substances enter the body, react, and cause the monster to mutate.
The most representative examples include the Gold Rathian's transformation after consuming a Kirin horn, and the Fatalis and Gore Magala's release of the Frenzy Virus.
However, this level of induced mutation was still quite far from what Li Fan wanted to achieve.
After spending two days in the guest room, the merchant ship to Calala Village arrived at the port.
The team boarded the ship with piles of large beast meat and fresh fish, and set sail.
Five days later, the merchant ship arrived at the port of Calala Village.
By this time, the large warehouse next to the forest cabin and the three-story investigation agency headquarters had been completed.
Fatigued from the journey, the team rested for a day before beginning their relocation on the second day.
With the removal of the row of bookshelves, item boxes, armor display mannequins, astronomical telescopes, and other facilities from the cabin, the space immediately felt much larger.
Li Fan also erected a canopy over the outdoor cooking area.
It was quite pleasant to lie on a lounge chair and enjoy the scenery during leisure time.
However, as night fell, in the eerie forest...
Barroth wallowing in mud pits, Puff-Puff Dragon sliding on the lake.
A Great Jaggi chasing a Shield Bug, Felynes riding small pigs at full speed.
A scene of utter chaos suddenly appeared.
"Little idiot, the ecosystem here is quite good, isn't it?" Li Fan said with great pride.
Little idiot paused for a moment, exhaling a gust of air from its nostrils, looking quite helpless.
"Don't worry, you'll adapt sooner or later. Let's focus on this first: your arrival will bring about a major change in the team's hunting methods." Li Fan said seriously.
"Wha?" Little idiot exclaimed in surprise.
"But before that, a few minor adjustments need to be made. Lie on your side first."
Under Li Fan's guidance, Little idiot bent its knees and lay down on its side.
Drawing his hunter's knife, Li Fan grasped the tip of a spine on its back and began to saw at its base.
*Screech, screech...*
The spines were keratinous, so there was no pain during cutting.
Little idiot grew sleepy and fell asleep directly, while Li Fan continued to saw through each spine until dawn.
The next morning, in front of the village blacksmith shop, the owner, Daohan, scratched his head while looking at the design drawings provided by Li Fan.
"Li Fan, using so much Bird Wyvern Gem to refine Bird Wyvern Steel, and then only crafting a riding seat with it, isn't that a bit too wasteful?" Daohan asked tentatively.
"This riding seat is very important to me. The merchant guild doesn't have the specifications I need, so I had to have it custom-made here," Li Fan explained.
"Alright, but to manufacture it according to your requirements, the quote will be at least 10,000z, and the construction period... about three days."
"No problem."
After readily paying the money, Li Fan went to the branch hall.
"Li Fan, the branch received an urgent request from Kokoto Village the day before yesterday. The severity of the environmental conditions there is imaginable. I just want to say that encountering setbacks during a hunt is normal, and safety is the most important thing. Please don't dwell on it too much," Shireen said with understanding.
"Yes, that makes sense... I came here to inquire about the conditions for promotion to a Three-Star Hunter," Li Fan replied in agreement.
"Roar... It seems that setbacks have made you more pragmatic. The Three-Star Hunter assessment will not focus on theory as much as the previous two assessments, but will be primarily based on hunting practice. The path is to successfully complete five Two-Star contracts, and then await the unveiling of a Three-Star urgent contract. If that can also be successfully accomplished, you will become a Three-Star Hunter," Shireen explained.
"Is there also a faster method?" Li Fan asked tentatively.
"Uh... there is, but this method is extremely unusual. The path is to participate in a Four-Star hunting mission with a hunter team, and after completion, obtain a Four-Star Proof of Courage. Generally, only special hunters can be promoted through this path," Shireen explained.
Li Fan immediately understood.
The hunter star-rank system, while protecting hunters, also formed a constraint.
Different hunting team styles required different specialized talents.
If a relatively high-level hunting team was willing to help a Two-Star Hunter advance, it would be a form of recognition of their abilities.
"It seems that the hunter team on the ship was telling the truth... Alright, I want to be promoted," Li Fan said, placing a Four-Star Proof of Courage on the counter.
"Ah?" Shireen looked down and was stunned.
"By the way, is a Four-Star Hunter promotion also requires a Four-Star Proof of Courage?" Li Fan inquired.
"Yes, submit five Four-Star Proofs of Courage and complete a Four-Star urgent mission," Shireen replied, regaining her composure.
"That's quite challenging..." Li Fan recalled his battle experience with Little idiot.
He felt that becoming a Four-Star Hunter solely through a hunter's own strength was indeed fraught with difficulties.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go to the third floor to get the badge."
"Shireen, why do you look a bit disappointed?" Li Fan asked.
"Hoo~ As hunters who passed the assessment in the same period, you have already participated in hunting Rathian and are challenging for Four-Star Hunter, while I'm still hovering at Two-Star..." Shireen sighed dejectedly.
"This..."
"Actually, when you think about it, it's okay. Most hunters will never go beyond Three-Star in their lifetime... But you, Li Fan, are different. Please carry my persistence as a hunter and keep going!"
"Uh... alright." Shireen's sudden burst of enthusiasm left Li Fan somewhat speechless.
However, seeing her mood improve, he felt a little relieved.
The almost brand-new Two-Star badge was replaced with a Three-Star one.
As for the advantages of being promoted, apart from being able to independently take on Three-Star contracts, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
Returning to the forest, Li Fan did not go to the small wooden cabin but instead went to the monster research laboratory on the third floor of the investigation agency.
Its purpose was defined as preparing for hunting missions and monster research.
Although the room was still somewhat sparse, as soon as Li Fan hung the large map he bought from the Guild on the wall, it immediately felt like a command center.
This wall would be for hanging various monster illustrations.
Once decided, Li Fan continued to busy himself.
In the evening, as the monster research laboratory was mostly set up, a listless Eudora pushed open the door and walked in.
"Oh! Such a professional setup!" Eudora exclaimed in amazement.
"It's alright. How was the Five-Star Hunter assessment?"
"Don't even mention it. It requires participation in two Four-Star urgent missions, ten Four-Star Proofs of Courage, and participation in one Elder Dragon investigation."
"Weren't you planning to track Kushala Daora all along?"
"The Guild said they could only assign missions to investigate the residual traces of Chameleos." Eudora sighed.
Li Fan recalled that Kushala Daora had not yet been confirmed. If there were investigation teams tracking it, they would undoubtedly be the most elite.
"In any case, let's start by accumulating Four-Star Proofs of Courage."
"That's the only way... By the way, what monster do you want to capture next? It seems like the forest is getting a bit crowded." Eudora looked out the window with concern.
In terms of volume, it could still accommodate another 100 monsters, but each monster had territorial and environmental needs.
If a dominant monster expanded its territory, the weaker ones would have to migrate outwards.
As they migrated, they would eventually leave the forest and move into Calala Village.
Li Fan looked at the wall, which was like a complete monster compendium, and pointed to a blue owl.
"Our next target is a Night Owl."
"No way." Eudora took half a step back.
"Why?"
"I heard that inhaling the confusion dust released by Night Owls causes extreme incoordination and even mental breakdown. Also, there are reports of Zinogre sightings in the Ancient Forest."
The Ancient Forest was similar to the Misty Peaks; there were no human settlements nearby.
Therefore, even though it was an unstable environment, it didn't pose too much of a threat, but hunter teams venturing there had to be cautious.
Furthermore, Eudora wouldn't be too concerned about pure hunting battles with monsters.
However, monsters with strange abilities like Night Owls were the type Eudora disliked the most.
"Actually, I'm mainly interested in the Night Owl's hypnotic sonic waves. When I captured Little idiot, the sleeping raw meat played a crucial role, but its drawback is obvious: it takes too long to set up." Li Fan explained.
"The Basarios can also release sleep gas," Eudora reminded him.
"I considered that before, but with Basarios's flight capabilities, it would be difficult for them to protect themselves in the wild for extended periods."
"In the wild for extended periods?" Eudora didn't understand for a moment.
"Yes, another purpose for going to the Ancient Forest this time is to prepare for building a monster-style wilderness camp." Li Fan revealed his plan.
Establishing an arena required the guarantee of a hunting party, and forming a hunting party required a Five-Star Hunter.
Eudora had no hope of advancing in the short term. Facing immense food pressure and the risk of being discovered, Li Fan felt that establishing a monster camp was the best way to alleviate the situation.
At the same time, it would solve the problem of monsters' ability growth slowing down due to being kept in Poké Balls for extended periods.
Growth through wild hunting might be less than combat experience, but it was much faster than feeding them and then returning them to the ball.
"I understand. Both the Night Owl and Basarios can induce sleep in their targets, but the Night Owl has superior flight capabilities and can escape more easily even when attacked by higher-ranking monsters." Eudora deduced.
"That's right. And in terms of inter-regional distance, the Ancient Forest is the high-risk hunting area closest to Calala Village. If flying at high altitude... it would take about three to four hours to fly back."
"It's not far, but isn't it a bit troublesome to travel back and forth every time a monster needs to be deployed?" Eudora asked curiously.
"I will leave some monsters stationed nearby, and also..." Li Fan said, taking out his handheld device and tapping on the monster encyclopedia.
A moment later, Kulu-Ya-Ku landed on the balcony of the investigation agency's third floor.
"This function is called..."
*Clang!* As Li Fan was about to introduce it, Kulu-Ya-Ku's large beak knocked open a window, and the window crashed to the ground, scattering glass shards.
"It's called remote summoning..." Li Fan said helplessly.
"Well... you've researched this far. As a team member, I have no reason not to participate." Eudora agreed.
"Actually, there are also monsters I'm reluctant to face, which I usually call 'trash monsters.' Every time I fail against them, I feel the urge to smash my weapon... but as you told me, we must overcome fear by experiencing pain. If we don't bravely face it, we lose the opportunity forever."
"Uh... I didn't expect you to remember it so vividly... Alright! Then let's start preparing for the hunt!" Eudora's fighting spirit was ignited.
Three days later, in front of the village blacksmith shop.
Looking at the three-seater riding seat with its gleaming metallic surface, Daohan was increasingly satisfied with his craftsmanship. However, he truly couldn't understand the purpose of this riding seat, or rather, riding saddle.
Because even if the strongest creature, a Popo, were to be placed on it, it would barely be able to carry any other cargo.
Li Fan, who came to inspect the goods, sat on it first to test it.
Then, according to his requirements, he tried to pull the lever to recline the backrest.
He also forcefully pulled the two grips on the front of the seat to test them. Finding no issues, he immediately praised Daohan's craftsmanship.
Li Fan had wanted to build this riding seat for a long time.
Due to the lack of monsters with corresponding flight capabilities, it had been put on hold.
Meanwhile, Eudora went to the Guild branch and accepted the Four-Star hunting contract located in the Ancient Forest, "The Bewitching Magician."
Shireen, besides urging Eudora to be careful and emphasizing that Zinogre was very active in the Ancient Forest, no longer doubted the team's abilities.
As for the Palico meal, Li Fan checked the menu at the Palico Grill House and found that the branch's rare ingredient reserves were pitifully low, and they couldn't activate any useful abilities. He decided to forgo the Palico meal.
Deep into the night, the starry sky glittered.
The team, loaded with supplies, set off towards the forest.
"Ugh!"
"Ah!"
Li Fan and Eudora strained together to lift the heavy riding seat, crafted from Bird Wyvern Steel, and place it on Little idiot's back.
This was not intentionally meant to increase Little idiot's burden, but a monster capable of attacking Rathian at high altitudes was absolutely extraordinary.
If the riding seat were to break due to insufficient strength, let alone the risk of being thrown off, the spines on Little idiot's back below would pose a huge threat.
Little idiot didn't want to poison you, but its venom didn't discriminate.
Before taking flight, Li Fan checked the location of the previously fractured wing bone and, confirming it was fine, attached all the supplies and climbed onto the flying seat.
"There's a rope on the left side of the backrest, you can use it to secure yourself. If there are no problems, we'll depart." Li Fan reminded them.
After securing themselves with ropes, Dilu and Eudora both indicated they were ready.
"Alright, let's... take off and depart!"
*Whoosh, whoosh.*
As Little idiot's emerald wings flapped up and down, it quickly ascended into the air.
*Roar!* After a roar echoed through the forest, Little idiot briefly accelerated and glided before its body tilted upwards, soaring into the sky.
The scenery on the ground gradually became smaller and blurred, and soon the moonlit forest and Calala Village in the distance came into view.
Dilu's eyes were partially closed by the strong wind, and he quickly pulled down his goggles and tightened them.
"This meow... this meow has no regrets in this life, meow!" Even with all its fur blown backward, Dilu was still exceptionally excited.
"The moon is quite large..." Li Fan, having had his fill of the ground scenery, turned his attention to the lunar surface, dotted with terrifying craters.
"By the way, does Little idiot know the way to the Ancient Forest?" Eudora inquired.
"No."
"Ah!?"
"Don't worry, with me as the navigator, as long as the general direction is correct, we'll definitely find it." Li Fan said confidently.
After flying for two consecutive hours, Little idiot landed to rest.
Li Fan unloaded the large pieces of beast meat he was carrying and placed them in front of it.
Dilu watched Little idiot chew and swallow with great trepidation.
Li Fan, eating portable rations, analyzed the various flight tests he had conducted: "High-altitude flight is still safer. Not only do we not have to worry about hunter teams ambushing us, but there are also fewer monsters than at low altitudes."
"When I reached the highest altitude, I spotted an Electric Dragon, but it was quite far away..." Eudora, experiencing the sky's ecosystem for the first time, found it quite astonishing.
"That shouldn't be a major threat. Given the Rathian's ecological niche, it's unlikely to be prey anymore."
In terms of combat power, Little idiot indeed couldn't defeat an Electric Dragon.
Firstly, the monster star ratings determined by the Guild were not wrong, and secondly, Rathian's shell and flesh had extremely low lightning resistance.
However, if it wasn't for the purpose of predation, the probability of monsters actively attacking each other was actually not high. This was the fundamental difference between Three-Star and Four-Star.
After replenishing its energy, Little idiot took the team into the air again.
Eudora felt a bit sleepy and leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes to rest.
Li Fan, holding the map, looked at it from side to side, becoming increasingly confused.
Above the sparse clouds, a red light streaked across the night sky, catching Dilu's shining eyes.
"Li Fan, there's a red shooting star meow!" Dilu patted Li Fan's arm and said.
"That's not a shooting star, that's Huìhuì." Li Fan, still looking at the map, couldn't be bothered to look up.
"You know that shooting star meow?" Dilu asked incredulously.
"Yes, I'll introduce you when there's an opportunity."
"Uh... the shooting star split meow!"
"Split?... Could it be that the shell peeled off during flight!" Li Fan quickly raised his binoculars to observe.
Just as Dilu described, below the red shooting star, a small red light separated and was falling downwards.
Under Li Fan's guidance, Little idiot accelerated towards the red light.
However, even though the distance appeared not very far, Little idiot still flew for nearly an hour and a half before reaching an unknown plain.
Following the dense smoke, they quickly located a conspicuous impact crater. Little idiot slowly descended, but as its claws touched the ground, it suddenly recoiled as if electrocuted.
As Li Fan approached, he noticed many monsters scattering and fleeing, quickly understanding Little idiot's fear and suggesting, "Let's jump down."
After the team landed, Little idiot quickly flew back into the sky.
Reaching the edge of the impact crater, a spike-shaped shell stood upright in the center of the pit, like a long sword waiting to be drawn.
*Sizzle! Sizzle!*
Red lightning flashed and jumped continuously on the surface of the shell.
"No way, in the game it was just a small dirt pit. How did it become like a meteor impact?" Li Fan hadn't expected that the Blazing Shell, classified as a gathering item, could cause such significant damage.
"Li Fan, are you sure you know what this thing is... right?" Eudora felt the strange aura emanating from the shell and had no desire to approach it.
"Yes, this is a Blazing Shell. The energy flashing on the surface is likely activated Dragon Qi. It should disappear once the temperature drops." Li Fan said, then released Puff-Puff.
Puff-Puff sensed the presence of the Blazing Shell and became uneasy, but still followed Li Fan's guidance and used a water beam to cool it down.
The red lightning gradually dissipated, and the oppressive feeling emanating from the shell also disappeared.
"What kind of monster could have a shell of this material?" Eudora found it incredible.
"An Elder Dragon, the Valstrax."
"Elder Dragon..." Eudora murmured and jumped into the pit.
"Don't touch it yet!" Li Fan's warning came too late.
*Hiss!* As soon as Eudora touched the surface, her hand was scalded and she quickly retracted it.
"Li Fan, between Valstrax and Kushala Daora, which one is more powerful?" Eudora asked tentatively after a long silence, her back to him.
Li Fan knew that Eudora wanted to confirm the gap between herself and Kushala Daora through this comparison.
"They're about the same... However, the battle between hunters and monsters is not a simple test of strength." Li Fan's mental positioning of Elder Dragon combat power had been completely refreshed, giving him a sense of unattainable despair, but he still wanted to persuade her to look at it more optimistically.
Collecting Blazing Shells and submitting them to the Dragon Lore Institute was a common task in the game. He truly hadn't expected such a scene.
"Yes, thank you." Eudora responded after calming her emotions.