The next afternoon, the encounter between Kushala Daora and Teostra, followed by a sighting near the Abandoned Shrine, shocked everyone.
While the Rampage did attract Elder Dragons, very few ventured into Guild-controlled territories. Two appearing together was unheard of. Furthermore, with Valstrax already spotted around Hinomoto Village, Kushala Daora's arrival was even more unusual.
Elder Dragons could alter their surroundings to suit their habits. Some, after residing in a fixed area for too long, could even become an integral part of the local ecosystem. Other Elder Dragons, regardless of their disposition, would perceive any excessive proximity as a provocation. This differed from the typical concerns of lesser monsters, such as territorial disputes, food scarcity, or threats to their lairs. Consequently, Elder Dragons generally maintained a respectful distance to avoid friction caused by disrupting each other's established ecosystems.
Of course, some actively sought conflict, but Kushala Daora's timely arrival clearly indicated it wasn't here for Valstrax.
On the second floor of the Hinomoto Village Guild Branch, representatives from the various factions involved in the current conflict reconvened due to the Elder Dragon sightings in the Ice Islands.
"Regarding the encounter between Kushala Daora and Teostra, as well as the appearance of Valstrax, the Elder Dragon Research Institute cannot offer an explanation at this time. However, onboard investigators have already commenced their inquiries. It may take another two days for the follow-up investigation team to arrive," Pazhiqi stated the Guild's assessment of the situation.
"There are no related records in the village chronicles or historical documents, only a prophecy that states when wind and thunder converge, only fire can quell it. Initially, we interpreted this as Teostra, but now, Valstrax also seems to fit the description," Puxian informed them.
"The Dragon Cartographers' research extends beyond just Elder Dragons, so no definitive conclusion has been reached yet. The research team is expected to arrive in about three days," Li Fan outlined the Dragon Cartographers' deployment.
All three understood this was related to ecological self-purification, but none had concrete evidence. Li Fan, in fact, had a theory based on game mechanics that could explain Kushala Daora's arrival. However, the conclusion was too unconventional, so he kept it to himself. In the game, Kushala Daora was weak to thunder, making it completely vulnerable to Nergigante. Its ability to manipulate storm currents also bore a striking resemblance to the wind vortexes of a wind god dragon. One being weak to an element, the other sharing similar abilities. It seemed more logical for Teostra to be the one to arrive. While differences in travel distance could offer a partial explanation, the sighting reports clearly indicated both had encountered each other. Yet, Teostra had rerouted and retreated, which was utterly incomprehensible.
Of course, Li Fan knew that games and reality would have their discrepancies. If hunters could throw weapons, dig trenches, and employ all sorts of unconventional tactics, perhaps Kushala Daora had mastered some peculiar maneuvers over its long existence.
Following this, the three parties began discussing their material preparations. Hinomoto Village was renowned for its smelting. Seeing the sharp decline in Starfall Ore prices, Puxian, with an eye for a bargain, had through the merchant guild stockpiled some. His plan was to develop new uses for it or simply wait for its value to appreciate. Since it was stored in the guild's warehouses, acquiring it was not a difficult task. The Starfall Ore collected by the Guild in the Scattered Mountains were pillar cores from the Sky-High Tower. Having been drained by Huihui for many years, their energy content was low. Their advantage was their abundance, and to guard against Huihui, they had been distributed to various branches as strategic reserves. To access them, a simple request from a branch would suffice for rapid transport. However, no matter how quick the response, it was ultimately too slow for the current situation.
As the three were exchanging progress reports, a five-star Guild Hunter rushed into the room, handing a large letter sealed with a red dragon-shaped wax stamp to Pazhiqi. Pazhiqi placed the oversized envelope on the table and unfolded a piece of paper the size of a cotton quilt.
Rustle! Rustle! ...
With the assistance of Li Fan, Puxian, and Yudora, the folded, oversized letter was gradually unfurled. To their surprise, the vast sheet of paper bore only three characters written in large font, followed by a signature.
Wind and Thunder! Death!
The Guild Master.
"Even the Guild Master can't wait any longer. It seems this situation is more serious than I imagined..." Pazhiqi mused, refolding the letter back to its quilt-like state.
"Does the Guild Master's message mean we have permission to attack?" Puxian tentatively asked.
"Yes, and we cannot delay any further. Even if it means incurring any cost, we must hunt down the Wind God Dragon and Thunder God Dragon," Pazhiqi responded.
"But there are only three words on it?" Li Fan asked, confused.
"The Guild Master's letters, even the exclamation marks, carry meaning," Pazhiqi explained.
"I see." Li Fan suddenly understood.
"The Hunter and the Eternal are on standby above the beach, ready to engage at any moment. Let's sortie tonight," Pazhiqi suggested.
"Alright." Puxian wanted to prepare further, but in terms of commitment, this battle was clearly being led by the Guild. Li Fan had no objections. Although Dean Vegasa was also en route to Hinomoto Village, she was only bringing the research institute's team. Research results required time to accumulate, so even upon arrival, they wouldn't be of much help. After agreeing to meet at the cliffside beach in the rear that evening, the three parties began their preparations.
Trucks, pulled by Poopos and loaded with Starfall Ore veins, departed from the village. They were then transported to the base of the cliff via the elevator used for hoisting fresh fish. Watching the villagers arrange twenty-eight Starfall Ore veins of varying purity in a line on the beach, Li Fan thought that this time, Huihui would surely be filled.
"Chief Hunter, where should I place these two sharp carapace fragments collected from the pass?" the village defense captain's voice was heard.
"Just place them at the base of the cliff. Otherwise, they might react with the Starfall Ore, and it's very dangerous when Valstrax approaches. Ensure the surrounding area is secured and prohibit anyone from getting close," Li Fan instructed.
"Understood! ... I just wonder if Valstrax will really come?" the village defense captain couldn't help but ask.
"It will," Li Fan replied with certainty. Seeing Li Fan's affirmative answer, the village defense captain breathed a sigh of relief.
After the transportation work was finished, Li Fan on the beach lowered his Great Horned Shield to protect his front, his right arm exposing the shield's surface, and extended his Lance in a straight thrust. He wasn't practicing thrusts, nor was he doing any control exercises. He simply extended the lance, held it level, and maintained that posture. Yudora, carrying a section of a Zinogre tail, returned to the Hinomoto. While Hinomoto Village had a decent supply of ingredients for Felyne food, due to the village's focus on constructing defensive systems, the rarity of ingredients couldn't compare to the Dragon Cartographers and the Guild.
Upon learning that they would be sortieing that night, the chefs of the Golden Hall team immediately got busy.
"Leave it to me... it's... this is..." The Felyne, Leaf, came to collect ingredients, but upon seeing the Zinogre tail, it suddenly showed a look of terror.
"Don't be scared, Leaf. This tail doesn't belong to Xi Xi," Yudora quickly explained.
"I thought Xi Xi was in trouble, meow. It's good that it's okay," Leaf said, clutching its chest, before dragging the Zinogre tail into the kitchen.
"Speaking of which, we haven't heard from Xi Xi and the others in a long time. Could something have happened?" Yudora muttered.
As time passed, Puxian, leading an engineering unit of over thirty people, ascended the Hunter via a rope ladder. Listening to their spirited cheers, Pazhiqi, in her cabin, propped her chin on one hand and repeatedly poked the braised Zinogre tail meat in her plate with a fork, completely lacking an appetite.
"This is a completely unprepared raid. Even how to land is a problem... I'm so unaccustomed to this. Isn't there anyone who can come and take my place so I can focus on the battle with peace of mind?" Pazhiqi lamented, clearly preferring to face monsters directly rather than command operations.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the Dragon's Roost Castle, shrouded in storms and lightning, appeared even darker and more indistinct to everyone's eyes.
"We can no longer observe the Wind God Dragon and Thunder God Dragon. They must be obscured by the mountains outside the ancient castle," Yudora said helplessly on the beach, lowering her binoculars.
"If Kushala Daora truly appears..." Li Fan began, then stopped.
"I know. I'll restrain myself from attacking, but I will observe every detail of Kushala Daora and engrave it in my memory," Yudora said, clenching her fist.
"That's good."
"How is the Monster Squad?" Yudora inquired.
"I'm not entirely sure, but based on the information provided by Naughty, it seems like Arzuros has really gotten into the zone," Li Fan informed her.
"What does 'gotten into the zone' mean?" Yudora asked, confused.
"It's hard to say. If I had to describe it, it's like Arzuros has found its true purpose as a Great Jagras," Li Fan replied.
The first rays of moonlight fell. As two dagger-shaped carapaces were inserted into the sand, the surface of the Starfall Ore veins began to emit red and black electrical discharges.
Zzzzt! An electric field with a red glow formed.
Boom! A muffled sound echoed from the sky, the clouds parted, and Huihui descended onto the beach.
"Perhaps Valstrax can help open a path?" the captain, observing Huihui absorbing energy from the Hunter, speculated.
Pazhiqi lowered her binoculars and shook her head. "With Valstrax's charge speed, it's impossible for the giant airship to follow. Approaching too early might lead Valstrax to perceive us as a target, as it was the giant airship that heavily damaged it in the Scattered Mountains. Furthermore, the damage to the Dragonvein Orb in its chest is much more severe than I imagined. I predict it will retreat after two probing attacks."
"What about Kushala Daora?" the captain tentatively asked.
"The ecological anomalies it causes are no less than those of the Wind God Dragon. We shouldn't count on it."
"Then... are we really going to force our way through?" The captain looked at the swirling storm and lightning in the distance, feeling that this operation was no different from suicide.
"More accurately, we just need to complete the deployment," Pazhiqi stated.
The captain's gaze darkened, and he asked helplessly, "Will many people die?"
"Yes... maintain distance from Valstrax, prepare to sortie."
Just as Pazhiqi decided to sortie, Puxian suddenly ran over, shouting, "The Rampage is attacking Fort Verdant!"
"At this time... impossible, wasn't the Rampage over?" Pazhiqi exclaimed in disbelief.
"I don't know the reason, but Fort Verdant is currently powerless to stop it, and Hinomoto Village will soon be attacked!" Puxian said anxiously.
"How could this happen... we'll have to postpone the sortie. Village Chief Puxian, you take some hunter teams back to the village to defend it, and I'll evacuate the logistics troops on the beach." Pazhiqi never imagined they would be attacked from both sides by monsters. Normally, the Hunter and the Eternal wouldn't rely heavily on ground deployment. However, since they were prepared for the worst, fighting in the sky, support from the logistics and rescue teams was essential. Without this support, it would truly be no different from suicide.
"Why haven't we launched yet?" Yudora asked curiously, looking at the moonlight.
"Oh! Many small airships have detached, meow!" Dielu exclaimed in surprise.
"They're heading back to Hinomoto Village. Could it be..." Li Fan immediately sensed something was wrong. At this moment, the Dragon's Roost Castle was the most dangerous place, so the villagers had been evacuated to the village. If something were to happen to the village now, it would result in heavy casualties. The team immediately boarded the Hinomoto and rushed back to the village at full speed.
As soon as they landed, Puxian, who was evacuating villagers, explained the reason.
"Chief Hunter! The Rampage is attacking!"
"How large scale?"
"Witnesses say it's the largest one yet. I need to lead the defense team to meet them. At least... we can't let them reach the coast, where the logistics troops are deployed." Puxian's expression became downcast. It was clear that under the current circumstances, saving the village was unlikely.
"The Rampage... Village Chief Puxian, perhaps this isn't a crisis for Hinomoto Village, but a dawn." Li Fan mused.
"What do you mean?" Puxian was completely confused.
"There are beings that monsters hate more than humans. They are truly devastating. So, just clear the way as much as possible," Li Fan said, and a roar tore through the night sky.
"It's a Great Jagras! Is this Rampage led by a Great Jagras?" Upon hearing this, Puxian, without further discussion with Li Fan, quickly organized the village defense team to meet the attack.
"Li Fan, aren't we going to prepare?" Yudora asked curiously, seeing Li Fan making no preparations for combat.
"There's no need. However, since we're here, let's wait until the situation truly stabilizes before leaving," Li Fan said, removing his Great Horned Shield and sitting on a nearby stone bench. Yudora and Dielu exchanged glances and could only follow suit, though they found it impossible to sit and rest with such composure.
As the Great Jagras's roar approached, the ground began to tremble, and countless light and heavy footsteps fell like rain. When the Great Jagras, surrounded by spewing ghostfire and resembling an Asura, appeared within sight, Puxian was stunned.
"Is this... a Great Jagras?"
Boom! The Great Jagras crushed the wooden bridge at the village entrance and shattered the closed village gate with a shoulder charge. As the gateposts and beams collapsed, the surrounding walls crumbled.
Whoosh~ Before the village defense team could react, the Great Jagras leaped over the defensive fence with ease and continued running straight ahead without looking back.
Roar! With a fierce cry.
The ghostfire dust that dispersed into the sky during its rapid descent ignited, and the eerie pink flames illuminated the night sky, shining brightly.
Boom! Boom! Boom! ...
Numerous monsters, guided by the ghostfire and roars, charged towards the village gate.
"Is this the dawn for the monsters? Perhaps this is the true Rampage." Puxian stared at the sky for a long time, and finally, to everyone's astonishment, issued the command to cease resistance.