Li Fan, holding the Thunderclap Divine Blade, stopped about ten meters away from the Brute Wyvern.
A gust of cold wind swept across the snowy ground.
Man and dragon faced each other.
The excited Brute Wyvern’s foreclaws, planted on the snow, fidgeted restlessly.
"You've become much stronger now, telling me to be careful... Dying in a hurry would be pointless... So arrogant."
After translating, Li Fan felt the Brute Wyvern had mistaken him for a hunter it had fought before.
This hunter, considered a nemesis by the Brute Wyvern, was likely the former master of Pachi.
With its full-body Thunderclap armor and tilted head, such distinct features, and still mistaken? Did this Brute Wyvern have poor human recognition? Li Fan mused inwardly.
"My thoughts differ from yours. I must thank you."
At these words, the Brute Wyvern, whether it understood or not, suddenly froze.
"In my youth, I took pride in defeating you. It was on a snowy mountain, facing off like this. Back then, I felt the entire world was a mere illusion compared to you and me. Those times were beautiful. Thank you for accompanying me."
The Brute Wyvern raised its head and let out a fierce roar.
"It really is you... Wait, what do you mean 'it really is you'? Never mind, let's win first, then we can talk freely."
Li Fan finished speaking, angled the Thunderclap Divine Blade in his hand, and pointed its slightly raised blade tip towards the snowy ground.
With a thud, he slammed the hilt downwards with both hands. The blade hummed in a slight tremor.
"What is this move?" Yodora asked curiously.
Although the material strength and craftsmanship of the Thunderclap Divine Blade were guaranteed, it wasn't constructed like a hammer. This method of use, akin to striking, was perplexing.
"That's Spirit Gauge Slash, a move Li Fan created himself," Dilu explained.
"Spirit Gauge Slash... is that a move to imbue the Great Sword with Spirit Energy?" Yodora probed.
"Yes, meow. Before, I could imbue Spirit Energy by slashing hard objects, but the Thunderclap Divine Blade is too sharp. So, Li Fan invented Spirit Gauge Slash, which absorbs Spirit Energy through striking," Dilu elaborated.
"So that's how it is." Yodora understood.
Previously, the Great Sword only needed to powerfully cut hard rocks. By utilizing the recoil, a large amount of Spirit Energy could be generated within the blade.
However, if the weapon's sharpness was too high, a slight increase in force would cleave the rock. If the force was too low, it wouldn't generate Spirit Energy.
In such a situation, to produce a strong recoil, striking was the only option.
Seeing this, the Brute Wyvern didn't rush to attack but, in a display of martial courtesy, let out a roar on the spot.
Watching the circular ripples spread through the air, Li Fan took a deep breath.
Aside from a slightly tilted head and a missing decoration, this was its strongest form for activating abilities.
It was time to attempt to reach the hunter's ultimate limit.
The Brute Wyvern's right foreclaw dug into the snow, the ice layer shattering and collapsing under the immense pressure.
Its three-toed talons embedded into a massive ice block, which it then grasped and lifted.
Li Fan shifted his stance slightly, his body turning to adjust his orientation.
Seeing the Brute Wyvern make a move, the Thunderclap Divine Blade thrust forward as if out of nowhere.
With a swing of its right foreclaw, the massive ice block flew towards him with instantaneous speed.
Li Fan's straight thrust suddenly changed, his leg stepping back rapidly, followed by a body rotation.
A mist-like blue Spirit Energy drifted out. Enveloped within it, Li Fan's figure appeared somewhat blurred from the outside.
"It can't possibly block that!" Yodora exclaimed.
While True Sight Slash could indeed resist powerful attacks, it didn't possess invincibility like in the game.
A massive ice block with immense impact force certainly couldn't pass through him.
"Dodge it, meow!" Pachi cried out.
"Li Fan can do it, meow!" Dilu stated with conviction.
The massive ice block collided with the dissipating mist of Spirit Energy. The Spirit Energy absorbed the impact, completing its activation and instantly channeling into the Thunderclap Divine Blade.
However, the ice block only paused for a fleeting moment before continuing its trajectory.
Li Fan, having completed his rotation, followed through with a diagonal slash from bottom to top.
A diagonal line appeared across the center of the massive ice block, which then split into two halves along the black line.
He had blocked it!
As Li Fan rejoiced, a sharp glint suddenly flashed before him.
Through the gap between the splitting ice blocks, a claw, raised from behind, was also revealed.
Li Fan, disregarding the Brute Wyvern's swift action, immediately rolled away, one hand on his blade and the other supporting himself on the ground.
The Brute Wyvern's claw shattered the separated ice blocks, and it lunged forward amidst the exploding ice crystals.
Before even landing, its eyes tracked Li Fan's sideways movement.
The moment it landed, the Brute Wyvern dug its claws into the ground, decelerating its slide while rapidly adjusting its orientation with a sideways flick of its hindquarters.
With a roar, it accelerated forward with a powerful stomp of its foreclaws.
"It's not giving me any breathing room..."
Li Fan, tilting his head, looked back while sprinting.
A desperate chase had begun.
Li Fan ran in evasive maneuvers at his fastest speed for nearly two minutes. He gasped for air, cold air filling his lungs, but felt no discomfort.
"That stamina is incredible... And when did Li Fan sheath his sword?"
Although Li Fan was the one being pursued, Yodora was astonished by his performance.
"It's the Sheathe Skill, meow!" Dilu said, holding up the notebook Li Fan often used for writing and drawing.
"Sheathe Skill...?" Yodora took it and looked, becoming even more confused.
It depicted a hunter model named "Narukami Armor 01."
"Great Sword practical skill summary: Draw Attack [Crit] Level 6, Mind's Eye Level 6, Evasion Performance Level 6, Stamina Skill Level 6, Marathon Runner Level 6, Weakness Exploit Level 6, Sheathe Skill Level 6... Aren't these all activated abilities? What does Level 6 mean?" Yodora asked, puzzled.
"It means the level of the activated ability, meow," Dilu explained.
"I see. It's Li Fan's evaluation standard for ability activation." Yodora suddenly understood.
Although she wasn't sure of the exact activation strength of Level 6, judging by his roll with one hand supporting him and flying ten meters, and the fleeting sheathing of his sword, this level was undoubtedly far beyond ordinary ability activation.
However, even with Stamina Skill Level 6 and Marathon Runner Level 6, after sprinting at his fastest for four minutes, Li Fan finally began to feel the effects of declining stamina.
But what worried him most wasn't his stamina, but the Brute Wyvern's relentless pursuit from behind.
What the heck? Infinite charge? Li Fan also wanted to stop and fight with his sword drawn, but in a conventional hunt, monsters usually attacked first, and he would respond accordingly.
This Brute Wyvern, however, was completely different. It seemed to have inexhaustible stamina and remarkable resilience, as if it unleashed its full strength with every attack.
No, the combat rhythm was already controlled by the opponent. If a mistake occurred, given the vast difference in power between a hunter and a monster, there would be no chance of turning the tide.
Li Fan decided to counterattack.
As he saw the Brute Wyvern catching up, Li Fan once again executed a sharp right-angle turn to create distance.
The Brute Wyvern, having adapted, responded almost formulaically, digging its foreclaws into the ice to slow down.
However, the moment its talons dug into the ice, Li Fan approached in a rolling posture.
Seeing the opponent charging towards him, the Brute Wyvern, even in its sliding state, opened its mouth full of sharp teeth.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, Li Fan pushed off with one hand and tumbled into the air again.
The Brute Wyvern, missing its bite, was caught in a dilemma. Its charge deceleration and turn were not yet complete. If it dislodged its claws from the ice now and swung them, it was highly likely to be thrown off balance. But if it didn't stop Li Fan, he would not only escape the pursuit but also easily reach its blind spot.
The Brute Wyvern ultimately didn't want Li Fan to succeed and raised its right foreclaw from the ice.
A Wirebug shot straight into the sky. Li Fan, tucking his knees and rolling in mid-air, was instantly lifted higher by the pull of the wire.
The Brute Wyvern, having missed its attack, completely lost control of its slide. It then lifted its other right claw from the ice, its claws digging into the ground again to decelerate.
Indeed, it couldn't predict the Wirebug. Li Fan confirmed a previous assumption.
This Brute Wyvern possessed extraordinary combat awareness, but the information provided by the contract and Pachi's description indicated it had never left the snowy mountains. Due to the harsh natural environment, high-altitude areas were rarely visited by hunter teams, which was a significant factor limiting the Brute Wyvern's understanding of Wirebugs. Therefore, Wirebugs were a blind spot for it.
Li Fan swung the wire and leaped towards the Brute Wyvern's position.
The decelerating Brute Wyvern, drooling from its mouth, finally showed a hint of fatigue.
Li Fan sprinted rapidly across the snow, making a squeaking sound.
Seeing this, the Brute Wyvern quickly braced itself with its foreclaws, as if it had to be in its best state for any engagement with Li Fan.
As he approached within ten meters, Li Fan placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword at his back.
A charge at this distance would be too slow. The Brute Wyvern opened its massive mouth and lunged forward to bite.
Li Fan's eyes immediately locked onto its gaping maw. The uneven, yellowish fangs, the pink tongue slick with saliva.
The Thunderclap Divine Blade was drawn.
A flicker of excitement appeared in the Brute Wyvern's eyes.
At this moment, a green Wirebug flew into the gap between its supporting foreclaw and its body.
Li Fan, charging forward, swung his blade horizontally, his body shifting to rotate.
Pulled by the wire, his forward momentum was suddenly redirected to the side.
As Li Fan flew past the side of the Brute Wyvern's massive mouth, its eyes continued to track his movement sideways, but this couldn't prevent what was about to happen.
The Thunderclap Divine Blade, following his body's forward thrust and rotation, sliced through the Brute Wyvern's mouth, inflicting a gash, and then delivered a second blow to its neck.
Intense yellow lightning crackled around the Brute Wyvern's head.
Li Fan, who had stopped under its claw, did not sheath his sword but retreated a short distance, his eyes fixed on the Brute Wyvern's right claw. For a hunter aiming for a solo hunt, monster part breaks were crucial. In the game, monster part damage had limited impact on combat effectiveness. But in reality, it was completely different. With extensive damage to its wing membrane, its flight ability would be severely restricted.
Just as Li Fan prepared to strike, a low growl was heard.
"You said I... had become much weaker..."
Li Fan found such a statement incomprehensible. If there was an insurmountable gap in combat power between hunters and monsters, Li Fan would acknowledge it, as it was an inherent biological difference. That's why hunters needed to arm themselves with weapons and armor crafted from monster materials. But the problem was, in terms of ability activation alone, due to the high degree of assimilation, he was currently at the highest tier. However, monsters rarely employed psychological warfare, especially a ferocious monster like the Brute Wyvern. This meant that this was the Brute Wyvern's genuine evaluation of Li Fan's combat performance.
The Brute Wyvern dug all four claws into the ground, its paws pointing in different directions, its back contorted in a serpentine posture. As its claws retracted, lowering its center of gravity, its entire body tensed. The speed of this charge exceeded Li Fan's expectations by far. This was because the Thunder Element energy injected into the wound by the Iron Bug Silk Sakura Spirit Blade was still exploding in the Brute Wyvern's mouth. Sensing danger, Li Fan, unable to sheath his sword in time, rolled away. The Brute Wyvern, having completed its charge, sprang out in a spinning motion, kicking up a large cloud of snow. Li Fan's right leg was struck by its tail, which swung outwards in mid-air. A searing pain shot through him! "Damn it, that hurt so much!" He landed, supporting himself with one hand, and struggled to get up. The spinning Brute Wyvern stopped its charge, planted its foreclaws on the ground, and let out a roar of joy! "You said you finally defeated me... It seems you really did." Li Fan gritted his teeth, attempting to move his right leg slightly, and a piercing pain instantly struck him. "This is so frustrating! Why is this happening?" Top-tier weapons, top-tier ability activation, and yet he was defeated after only a few exchanges. An indescribable sense of defeat welled up within Li Fan. It reminded him of the feeling when he failed to even draw his sword before being carted back in Monster Hunter. Was this the same feeling Yin Tie and Pazhizhi experienced when severely injured by Glavenus and Safi'jiiva respectively? Was this truly the limit of what a human hunter could achieve? Li Fan couldn't help but sigh. Uroktor and Rathalos were approaching from a distance. Li Fan looked at the numerous wounds covering the Brute Wyvern's body and suddenly understood something. The Brute Wyvern had prepared for this battle for five whole years. No one could imagine what it had endured. Perhaps becoming an absolute powerhouse was never an easy feat. "Brute Wyvern! Was I even weaker in the past?" Li Fan shouted, asking. The Brute Wyvern growled. "When I saw you, I could only run... I even jumped off cliffs, squeezed through small caves, and hid in snowdrifts, afraid to breathe... Hearing that makes me feel a lot better. Anything else? Tell me more." Li Fan inquired. "That's all, meow!" Pachi shouted. The Brute Wyvern let out a low growl. "Hmm... there really isn't anything else." Hearing this, Pachi immediately clutched his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Li Fan, however, became curious. If this senior hunter had also experienced such weakness, how did he become strong? Hunting Elder Dragons and Fatalis alone, without the assistance of Poké Balls. Even "Monster Hunter: World" wouldn't dare to write such a story. Wait... could it be that his abilities, like Poké Balls, originated from treasures!