"Cough, cough... Please take a look!"
The shopkeeper cleared his throat twice, solemnly pulling off the red curtain from the cart.
Two weapons and a bare cross-shaped wooden mannequin were revealed.
One weapon was a greatsword shaped like a sickle, with its blade formed from crab claws.
The other was a greatsword shaped like a crab sickle, with its blade formed from crab claws.
"These two weapons are the pinnacle of my, Dahen, and the many Felyne blacksmiths' work..."
"Uh... Mr. Dahen, what about the armor?"
Li Fan asked softly.
"The armor was finished yesterday afternoon. Miss Eudora said she wanted to get used to it as soon as possible, so she took it first,"
Dahen replied.
"Then thank you."
Li Fan said as he took down the greatsword and the greatsword, placing them into the small cart.
"And my armor, meow!"
Dill anxiously reminded him.
"Your armor... I almost forgot."
Dahen suddenly recalled and rummaged around under the counter.
Before long, a small vest, a small helmet, and a small crab sickle made from the red and white striped shell of a crab were brought out.
Dill, with stars in her eyes, immediately jumped onto the counter to try them on.
"Oh right, Li Fan, I've also made the cylindrical protective shell you requested. I wonder what you need this thing for?"
Dahen said, picking up a barrel-shaped protective gear made from a Shield Crab's carapace.
"I have a little wild boar I'm raising in the forest. Because it's not strong enough yet, it's often bullied by other wild boars. I wanted to make it some armor for self-defense,"
Li Fan explained.
"I see, so it's for a wild boar."
Dahen had considered many uses before, but he had never thought of it being worn by a wild boar.
Dragging the small cart to Eudora's house, Eudora, clad in full Shield Crab armor, stood with her arms crossed on the street, looking towards her doorstep.
"Good morning, Eudora. How are you adapting to the Shield Crab equipment?"
"It's... okay."
Eudora gave an ambiguous answer.
"The Shield Crab Greatsword has been delivered. Would you like to inspect it? The weapon shop owner, Dahen, said you can go to him anytime if there are any problems."
Li Fan informed her.
"Thank you, no rush. Please just leave it by the door."
"Alright."
Li Fan took a deep breath, lifted the Shield Crab Greatsword, and placed it on the ground by the door.
Turning back, he shifted a short distance to the right from where Eudora was standing.
"Alright, all the new equipment is here. Remember to come to the investigation agency this afternoon for final confirmation of supplies. We'll be setting sail tomorrow at 2 AM."
Li Fan reminded her.
"Okay."
After the small cart turned the corner, Eudora let out a sigh of relief, turned sideways, and sidestepped into the house.
Returning to his small house, Li Fan began to try out his new weapon, the Shield Crab Greatsword, also known as the Shell Cutter.
Unlike in the game, where all similar weapons felt almost identical in handling, the actual usage experience of similar weapons in reality differed greatly.
Even though the Jawblade Blax was merely an upgrade from the Jawblade Type 1, he could feel the weight and the difference in the weapon's balance when holding and swinging it.
Li Fan even suspected that if weapons of the same specifications were produced by different blacksmiths, they might have completely different handling sensations due to differences in craftsmanship.
The Shield Crab Greatsword felt heavier to Li Fan compared to all previous Jawblades, and because the weight was concentrated on the crab-claw-shaped blade, the weapon's center of gravity shifted forward significantly.
This was not necessarily a disadvantage, but it would definitely require some time to adapt.
After an hour of practicing against the Greatwood training dummy, Li Fan gradually learned to wield the Shield Crab Greatsword with power.
However, there was one thing he hadn't figured out: this greatsword in the game was one of the few that increased defense.
"Hmm... all standard attacks don't show any defensive capabilities, so it must be that its defensive ability is stronger during non-standard actions."
Li Fan looked at the angle formed by the crab-claw blade and the thick crab-shell body of the blade, feeling that this was the only place where its defensive capabilities could be manifested.
After lunch, Li Fan and Dill began to put the Shield Crab armor on Qingtian.
This was a preliminary attempt to equip a monster, inspired by the wolf-repellent spiked collars worn by sheepdogs.
Given that monsters generally grow larger as their star rating increases, this attempt might not yield results, but protecting Qingtian in the wild wouldn't be a waste of effort.
"It seems... a bit too big, meow?"
Dill walked around Qingtian, feeling that the Shield Crab armor was too loose.
"It won't be too big in a few days. We'll try attaching the riding saddle later."
"This is! A saddle for cats, meow!"
Seeing the size of the saddle, Dill was particularly delighted.
"Yes, Qingtian will also be going on the Forest Hill hunt this time. Training him in high-speed turns will be your responsibility. If Qingtian can make a right-angle turn at high speed... then he'll have the potential to become a Great Wild Boar King."
Li Fan informed her.
"I can definitely do it, meow!"
Dill said excitedly.
After securing the saddle on Qingtian's back, Dill climbed on. Before she could try riding, her gaze suddenly drifted into the distance.
"Eudora is coming... meow."
Following Dill's confused gaze, Li Fan looked over.
"Why is she walking sideways?"
"It must be the influence of the Shield Crab armor, meow?"
"No, the Shield Crab armor should make her walk sideways... I get it, she's adapting, but not completely."
Li Fan wasn't too worried seeing this.
Eudora wasn't someone who assimilated easily, and it would take at least five days to reach Forest Hill by boat.
She should be able to overcome and adapt before the hunt, even if her daily life would be a bit awkward.
Organizing the necessary documents and confirming the quantity of supplies before loading them onto the cart.
The team worked hard all afternoon and completed the preparations for departure before evening.
Eudora, wanting to adapt as soon as possible, put on the Shield Crab armor again. Disliking the trouble of taking it off to sleep, she laid a straw mat on the small cart, indicating that they could just tow her along tomorrow.
After setting the alarm on his handheld device, Li Fan decided to get some rest early.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!....
Having practiced intensely during the day, Li Fan, feeling a bit tired, only felt like he had closed his eyes and it was time.
Under the starlight illuminating the wilderness, a silver moon hung in the sky. Tai Meitu, pulling the small cart, arrived at the village pier.
Li Fan saw that Eudora was sleeping soundly and didn't have the heart to wake her, so he asked the ship's hoisting team to lift her and the cart onto the deck.
This journey would not require transferring to a large ship; the five days would be spent in the cabin or on the deck.
During this time, Li Fan was busy researching Rathian and Felyne meal recipes.
Although he wasn't entirely sure if Cocotte Village would have the corresponding ingredients, it was still necessary to prioritize and rank the most suitable Felyne meals.
Five days later, under the bright noon sun, the cargo ship docked.
Compared to the outdoor outpost at Port Ora last time, Cocotte Village not only had a formal branch but was also the birthplace of hunters.
The adjacent Forest Hill was rich in resources and had a wide variety of monsters, making it a famous commercial center.
It was a well-developed and extremely reliable village.
Li Fan glanced at the hunter teams of various attire at the pier, estimating there were over twenty teams, a larger scale than the hunter teams traveling by land from Kala Village.
"So many hunters, and so many Felynes, meow!"
Dill exclaimed from the deck.
"This is not good."
Li Fan, however, sensed something was amiss.
"Having so many hunters is a good thing, meow."
Dill was confused.
"Li Fan means that with so many hunters in Cocotte Village, no team is willing to take on the Rathian hunt, which indicates that the situation here is more complicated than we anticipated,"
Eudora explained.
"It's that dangerous, meow?"
Dill also realized the danger.
"Your guess is correct, but there's no need to worry excessively. Since it's a hunting mission to eliminate an ecological threat, perhaps the guild here isn't in a hurry,"
Li Fan didn't want the atmosphere to be too heavy.
After unloading the supplies, Li Fan rented a herbivore at the port to pull the cart into the village.
On the bustling main street, there was a large processing workshop where multiple people were collaborating to forge weapons, and a Felyne elder who specialized in introducing various Felynes to hunters; it was very lively.
Following the signs, they arrived at the guild branch. Due to the large crowd gathered there, three long tables were set up outside the entrance, with benches on both sides for hunter teams or villagers to sit.
"It's been years since I last visited, Cocotte Village has become so prosperous."
Li Fan could no longer recognize it as the impoverished little village it once was.
After queuing for a full half hour, Li Fan finally reached the counter in the guild hall.
"How can I help you, handsome hunter?"
A middle-aged auntie in a waiter's uniform asked with a sweet smile.
"This is a contract I received from Kala Village! I'd like to get it certified! To confirm if we can start the hunt!"
Due to the chaotic environment in the hall, Li Fan could only speak loudly while handing over the Great Queen's contract.
"Hmm... Great Queen?"
The middle-aged auntie's expression changed slightly after examining the contract.
"This general contract is still valid. I'll update the information on it first. After the branch certification, if your team still wishes to participate, you can begin the hunt."
After explaining, the middle-aged auntie compared it with another contract behind the counter and began to add information.
*Bang!* An orange stamp with the image of a Monoceros was affixed to the upper right corner of the contract.
Li Fan took the contract, thanked her, and quickly left the noisy hall.
Seeing an empty seat on a bench outside, he sat down to check the updated information.
It is currently the Rathian breeding season. The number of Rathians in the Forest Hill area has exceeded the normal level by 6, and the number of male Rathians by 5. Due to the significant increase in danger within the area, an additional reward of 20,000z will be added until the end of the breeding season.
Note 1: The above quantity information has been periodically summarized and verified by guild investigators. The quantity determination may have a lag.
Note 2: Due to the excessive number of Rathians and their frequent activity, the mission area will be expanded to the entire Forest Hill and surrounding areas. The designated area will not be updated.
"This hunting environment is too harsh."
Li Fan finally understood why the local hunter teams were unwilling to participate.
Well... but from another perspective, the more Rathians encountered in Forest Hill, the more choices I'll have.
I dare not hope for an individual that could become a Violet Mizutsune.
But choosing a larger, sufficiently young Rathian, that's not too much to ask, is it?
Li Fan had no choice when capturing monsters before. Now that Rathians were flying everywhere in Forest Hill, he naturally had to select an excellent individual.
"Excuse me... hunter, this is the village chief's seat, meow."
Li Fan looked up and saw a pure white Felyne waving at him.
"Sorry."
Li Fan quickly stood up.
A very short elderly male Dragonkin, dressed in a brown cloth robe, walked slowly.
The elder's long elven ears drooped to the sides of his head due to old age, and his three-toed feet were shrunken and particularly small, a far cry from the human-like young Dragonkin.
"It's alright..."
The village chief smiled and slowly looked up, but the moment he saw Li Fan's face, he froze.
They stared at each other for a long time, and the village chief said with emotion, "I didn't expect to see you here again, hunter."
"Village Chief, have you forgotten yourself again, meow? Please sit down and rest."
The pure white Felyne supported him and said.
The aged Dragonkin village chief sat down. Li Fan walked far away, then looked back and whispered, "Yes, I'm back."
In the guest room on the second floor of the village inn, Eudora and Dill were quite shocked as they looked at the updated Great Queen contract spread out on the table.
They truly hadn't expected the actual situation to be even worse than they had anticipated.
*Bang!* Li Fan placed the supplies he had received on the floor.
"No wonder Shirin said the missions wouldn't overlap. It turns out there are so many Rathians to hunt. Now is the time to make a decision. What are your opinions?"
Li Fan began to solicit opinions.
After all, the danger level was evident, and it was normal for them to retreat at the last minute.
"I was a solo hunter before, and the hunting environments I chose were generally more stable. Now that I'm a four-star hunter, it's time to hone my skills,"
Eudora agreed.
"Me too, meow."
Dill didn't know how to express it well, but she conveyed her attitude.
"Alright, then let's go eat Felyne meals now and set off immediately."
Li Fan said with great determination.
Since the hunting environment was destined to be extremely harsh, there was nothing to wait for.
The team, full of spirit, headed to the village's Felyne canteen.
Although there were many diners queuing in the restaurant, after presenting their meal tickets, they were immediately led to a private room on the second floor.
No one voiced any objections, as Felyne meals were not typically consumed before ordinary hunting missions.
"Pan-fried Great Jaggi back muscle? Do you have that?"
The Felyne waiter taking orders heard Li Fan's requested dish and began to search through a small booklet.
"Sorry, hunter, the branch doesn't have the ingredients for the dish you requested, meow."
"How about stir-fried Great Izuchi tongue with bamboo shoots?"
"We have that, meow! Hunter portion is 3400z, Felyne portion is 2450z. Should we go by the current team size?"
"Yes, and please serve extra rice."
"Okay, meow. Should this be deducted from the mission reward, or paid in cash?"
"Deduct it from the reward,"
Li Fan said, handing over the Great Queen's contract.
The Felyne waiter took out a cat-paw seal from the pouch of her small apron and stamped it on the edge.
Eudora tied her napkin and began to rub her knife and fork. She vaguely remembered something and asked, "Li Fan, why are we eating stir-fried Great Izuchi tongue with bamboo shoots?"
"To increase poison resistance,"
Li Fan explained.
"Alright... but I still want to say, the soy-glazed Grilled Qurupeco tail I ate last time was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten."
Eudora said helplessly.