"Don't you find this person suspicious?"
The man in the Nargacuga armor, standing at the very back, asked.
"Here we go again."
The dual blades huntress slumped her shoulders in exasperation.
"Mori, you don't need to see everyone you meet as a suspect. This person might be from another hunting party, brought here specifically to gather materials. I'll go talk to them."
The hunter in the Rathian armor finished speaking and quickly approached Li Fan to negotiate.
During this time, Li Fan had also been observing the other four.
The heavy bowgun user wore a four-star hunter badge, and the dual blades huntress was a five-star hunter.
The Rathian armor user was a six-star hunter. Judging by these three alone, their hunting party was no ordinary group.
However, what concerned Li Fan more was the hunter in Nargacuga armor, who wore no badge and was called Mori.
Nargacuga was a five-star monster, and being able to wear armor crafted from its materials was a symbol of strength in itself.
But unlike other armors, a significant portion of those who wore full Nargacuga gear were members of the assassination guild, "Dark Night."
The "Dark Night" guild primarily targeted hunters who caused severe ecological imbalance and disasters through rampant poaching, or those who harmed their own kind.
Initially, Li Fan had pored over many books brought by You Duo.
He found no information about the "Dark Night" guild and assumed it was merely a game background setting.
But he gradually came to believe that if the "Dark Night" guild truly existed, it would be abnormal for them to openly record information in books.
His concern stemmed from the fact that if the "Dark Night" guild did exist, it would undoubtedly be a threat that Li Fan could not ignore.
"Hello, my name is Holler. I am the leader of the Guild's Special Extermination Squad. We are currently on a mission nearby to hunt Nargacuga. Do you need our assistance?"
Holler asked kindly.
"Thank you, but you're busy. We don't need any help."
Li Fan replied.
"Is that so... Are other hunting party members nearby?"
Holler hesitated and then continued to press.
"I am a solo hunter named Lao Bai. I don't have a hunting party."
"Alright. Please be careful out in the wild."
Holler said no more. He took out a sampling bottle from his waist, bent down, and collected a small amount of frothy lubricant from the water as a sample, then turned to leave.
It was an unspoken rule among hunters in the wild to help and support each other.
However, if someone insisted on courting death, such as wandering around Nargacuga territory in simple hunter leather armor, no one would risk their own safety to provide unrestrained rescue.
"Another overconfident fool..."
The huntress sighed.
"At least in the Misty Peaks, corpses decompose quickly. If we meet again, we won't have to collect his remains."
The hunter said, folding his heavy bowgun and slinging it onto his back.
"Vic, hunters should wish each other well."
Holler admonished him upon his return.
"I was wrong, boss."
Vic covered his mouth and quickly lowered his head to admit his mistake.
The Guild's Special Extermination Squad departed one by one. Only Mori, clad in the black Nargacuga armor, leaned against a tree and observed for a long time before turning and disappearing into the jungle.
"This team has such a strong aura, meow."
Dielu exclaimed.
"Four people daring to hunt Nargacuga, they must be among the top teams in the guild. Dielu, have you seen anyone else wearing a full set of Nargacuga armor before?"
"Uh... What does Nargacuga armor look like, meow?"
Dielu asked.
"Alright, that question is too advanced for you. Let's focus on hiding the mega barrel bombs first."
With the intervention of the Special Extermination Squad, the production of frothy lubricant had to be temporarily halted.
As for the potential trouble it might attract, Li Fan conducted an analysis.
For someone to be in the core area of the Misty Peaks with such equipment, it would appear suicidal to outsiders.
However, collecting frothy lubricant was not a violation of any rules.
Except for Mori, who gave off a gloomy and strange impression, the other three hunters behaved normally. Moreover, the Monster Hunter world had no tradition of hunters fighting amongst themselves.
Li Fan felt that his situation was quite safe.
"The project has to be paused for now. Shall we hunt a Barroth then?"
Li Fan suggested.
Currently, he had three monsters of three-star or higher: Kuku, Guan Guan, and Pao Fu.
After capturing a Barroth, and then obtaining another three-star or higher monster, he would be able to receive a Great Ball.
At that time, when a four-star monster was beaten to near death, there should be a good chance of capturing it.
However, Li Fan felt his star rank was a bit low and decided to take the promotion exam when he returned to the village.
He slid back to the camp, and after he and the cat thoroughly cleaned themselves with detergent, they set off towards the swamp.
The difficulty of capturing a Barroth clearly lay not in its combat strength, but in how to prevent it from escaping when injured.
Pao Fu had no desire to fight when it encountered Nargacuga in the wild.
Even if Barroth was aggressive, it would likely only flee upon seeing Pao Fu.
But based on Li Fan's hunting experience accumulated during this period,
Monsters were manageable when not enraged. However, once truly provoked, their ferocious nature would fully manifest, and they would temporarily disregard the difference in combat strength with their opponents.
If utilized properly, it should be possible to restrain the Barroth for a while.
Upon reaching the swamp and finding the highest ground,
Li Fan and Dielu stealthily crept up and then crawled to the edge of the slope.
Below were several muddy lakes. The man and the cat took out their binoculars to observe.
"There are so many Barroth here, meow!"
Dielu exclaimed.
For Dielu, who had lived in villages and only operated in the surrounding areas, a scene of a large gathering of three-star monsters was very rare.
"Let's find a strong one."
Since it was for capture, Li Fan wanted to find a more powerful individual.
Most Barroth liked to lurk in mud pools, leaving only their pipe-shaped head crests exposed above the water for breathing.
Therefore, by observing the size of the exposed head crest, one could determine the actual size of the Barroth.
"Here, meow."
Dielu pointed a cat's paw in a direction.
Li Fan turned to look and exclaimed, "This one's head crest is noticeably larger than the others. It's this one."
The man and the cat then got up and moved.
The Barroth's body armor could absorb a large amount of mud, serving as protection.
Even if this layer of mud was removed, the Barroth would simply roll in the mud pool and immediately gain a new layer of mud armor.
Fighting a Barroth in a mud pool was extremely unwise.
Furthermore, if the other Barroth in the vicinity gathered to attack, the hunt would only become more difficult.
Therefore, Li Fan decided to lure this Barroth to another area first.
*Plop!*
A stone hit the head crest and fell into the mud pool.
The Barroth, submerged in the mud, remained motionless, showing no reaction.
"Could it be asleep, meow?"
Dielu observed.
"It seems conventional methods won't work."
Li Fan said, releasing Kuku.
He instructed it to wait in place for his signal, then picked up a few stones and slowly approached the edge of the swamp.
The exposed head crest had five air holes.
With each breath, they rhythmically expanded and contracted.
Li Fan aimed slightly and threw a stone.
*Whoosh!* The stone slid into an air hole, blocking it.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*...
Once all five air holes were filled with pebbles, the Barroth's breathing rhythm shifted to only inhaling.
The head crest began to vibrate at a high frequency, sending ripples across the mud pool.
*Woooo!!!*
With a sound like a train whistle, a strong gust of air erupted from the air holes.
The pebbles were all shattered and sent flying into the air.
*Splash! Splash!*
The mud pool burst open! The Barroth, shaking its body, suddenly rose.
Its body, over ten meters long, was covered in mud.
*Pat! Pat!*....
Amidst the rain of shattered mud, Li Fan quickly fled.
The Barroth looked around, trying to see who had so inconsiderately blocked its air holes, and its gaze fell upon Kuku.
*Woooo!!!*
The air holes at the top of its head crest erupted simultaneously.
Kuku didn't back down, letting out loud "Wao wao!" cries, as if signaling its willingness to fight.
The Barroth immediately lowered its head, leveling it with the ground, and its two thick hind legs began to push off forcefully.
This charge didn't seem fast at first, but as the frequency of its leg pushes increased, its speed grew, and the Barroth, like a speeding train, quickly reached Kuku.
*Wao!*
With few options, Kuku could only respond to the Barroth's head-down charge with a peck from its beak.
The giant beak collided with the head crest, sparks flying. Kuku was then flipped over and knocked down.
This wasn't due to Kuku's lack of strength, but rather the enormous difference in size between the species.
However, the Barroth's control and application of its strength were clearly lacking.
Even after knocking Kuku down, it couldn't stop in time for a follow-up attack, and could only use its lowered head crest to dig into the earth to brake and slow down.
"Kuku! Retreat quickly!"
Li Fan shouted.
Kuku immediately flapped its wings and took flight.
"Run! Run towards me!"
Li Fan gave more specific instructions.
Otherwise, Kuku could easily fly away, but the Barroth wouldn't be able to pursue, and thus wouldn't take the bait.
After about ten minutes of chasing and maneuvering, the Barroth was successfully lured out of the mud-filled area and into a forest where the ground was covered in water.
Li Fan estimated that the Barroth's rage was gradually subsiding.
It no longer had the reckless pursuit momentum from before, and it didn't rashly attack. Instead, it silently surveyed its surroundings.
It seemed to sense the approach of a threat through its instincts.
If he released Pao Fu now, it would likely be scared away immediately.
"There's no other way..."
With a look of determination, Li Fan drew the Jawblade I from his back.
"Li Fan... No! Lao Bai, are you going to fight, meow?"
Dielu, in his shock, mistakenly called out the wrong codename in his haste.
"Yes. Just in case. Leave the marking with you."
"Understood, meow!"
Dielu's face showed determination as he took out a marking sphere, his cat claws gripping it tightly.
"Barroth, the notch on your head crest, that was left by a Great Sword, wasn't it?"
Li Fan approached slowly, holding his sword with both hands.
The Barroth might not have understood Li Fan's words, but upon seeing a human approach with a Great Sword, it first paused for a moment, then its body trembled, and it became agitated.
Li Fan was certain of his judgment.
This Barroth had been hunted by a Great Sword user before.
Based on his accumulated knowledge from watching nature documentaries and discovery channels as a child,
Li Fan knew very well that the world perceived by beasts was very different from that of humans.
But for things that had harmed them, they would retain extremely deep impressions.
He didn't know if the previous hunter who tried to hunt this Barroth had fled midway or met an unfortunate end.
But the image of a hunter wielding a Great Sword must have left an indelible mark on its consciousness.
Perhaps in its eyes, a creature with such a small body could inflict such terrifying damage, it was completely incomprehensible.
Therefore, the Barroth's reaction would either be fear and retreat, or rage fueled by hatred!
*Woooo!!! Woooo!!!*
The air holes at the top of its head crest erupted again!
Before even engaging Li Fan, the Barroth had already entered an enraged state.
"Yudora said that once you experience an attack, you won't be afraid next time, so you have to take the first step. Besides, I've been practicing my Great Sword for so long, and I don't have the burden of armor, so I shouldn't necessarily get hit..."
Li Fan constantly summarized his advantages and encouraged himself with his mumbling.
Seeing that the Barroth's attention was completely drawn to Li Fan, Kuku began to gather its flame liquid to spit fireballs.
However, in the Misty Peaks, the flame liquid would be extinguished by the water upon hitting the ground.
What hit the Barroth could only spread and burn on the surface of the mud.
Moreover, after a brief scorching, the mud's thickness was slightly reduced, but it seemed to adhere even more closely to the Barroth's body armor.
"Kuku! Stop spitting fireballs! I'll go first. If I can't handle it, use the bird car to ram..."
Li Fan was still giving instructions when the Barroth clearly lost patience. It slammed its head crest into the water and its legs pushed off forcefully.
The rolling motion here had no invincibility frames, but monsters with limited combat experience and poor comprehension skills
Also wouldn't adjust their charge angle at the last moment before charging.
If you observe carefully, you can do it, Li Fan!
Li Fan took a deep breath, cast aside his distracting thoughts, and fixed his eyes on every movement of the Barroth.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*.....
Its two hind legs slammed into the ground, kicking up splashes of water.
*Woooo!!! Woooo!!!*
A sound like a train whistle sounded again.
Li Fan found the opportune moment and rolled to the right.
The impact airflow whistled past his ear, like a heavy truck flashing by.
When Li Fan got up from the water, he subconsciously glanced at his Great Sword grip, which remained in a standard stance.
I did it... I didn't abandon the standard grip that allows for immediate attack due to the monster's incoming attack.
Li Fan had no time to celebrate. He sheathed his sword and sprinted quickly.
The Barroth, having overshot its charge, awkwardly lowered its head crest to brake with its head. If one could quickly follow up, its entire body was full of openings.
The Barroth, having overshot its charge, awkwardly lowered its head crest to brake with its head. If one could quickly follow up, its entire body was full of openings.