The news of the Inferno Black Dragon's defeat began to spread rapidly.
No one outside understood the reason behind the Dragon Worship Cult leader's actions, not even the Hunter's Guild.
A large number of robed cultists rushed to headquarters demanding an explanation, only to be told that their leader was missing and his whereabouts were unknown.
At the Guild headquarters nearby, even more people gathered, hoping the Guild would join forces with the Chief Hunter team to hunt down the taboo that had appeared in Shureid City.
The sudden turn of events caught the Guild completely off guard.
After calming the crowd, the Guild announced that they needed to consult with multiple parties. Once all village chief-level representatives arrived and a decision was made, it would be announced immediately.
At the airport, due to the overwhelming number of people who came to see the *Yanhuo*, the team, seeking peace and quiet, simply sailed away.
On the grass, Eudora continued her practice with a training greatsword.
Li Fan, meanwhile, was talking to the adaptation sphere, informing Xiao Ming about the key points to focus on during the battle.
"This Black Dragon, see how slender its body is? The force behind its physical collisions is actually terrifying, so try to avoid close-quarters combat with it."
Roar~
This King isn't afraid of it! I just learned a move called [Azure Starfall]. I'll go out and show you.
"No, no, you can't use it here."
After Meow-Meow and Huihui, Xiao Ming also successfully reached 8 stars.
Li Fan wanted to gauge its actual combat power, but public sentiment towards facing taboos had only just begun to shift. If Xiao Ming were to appear, it would bring many uncertainties, let alone unleashing a map-wide attack.
Roar~ Roar... Roar?
Alright, anyway, the feeling here is similar to being in the cocoon... When we fight, will this King be the first to enter the field?
Xiao Ming asked tentatively.
Li Fan was speechless. He hadn't expected that even when facing such a formidable enemy, Xiao Ming would still be concerned about being the center of attention.
"You are our most lethal secret weapon. While you won't be the first to enter the field, you will certainly appear in the most dazzling position."
Roar! Roar~
That's right! This King wants exactly this feeling.
Xiao Ming gave Li Fan's arrangement high praise.
"But this enemy is truly strong. When you need to return to the sphere, please, Your Majesty, do not push yourself."
Li Fan reminded him.
Roar~
This King understands.
Thinking that the opponent was on par with the Inferno Black Dragon, Xiao Ming also understood the threat level of the enemy.
Roar?
Qingtian and this Black Dragon, which one is stronger?
"That... depends on factors like the battlefield. If in an absolutely disadvantageous environment, Qingtian could also perish against the Black Dragon."
Li Fan informed him.
Roar~ Roar!
Haha, is that so? This King feels instantly motivated.
Tsk~ Tsk~...
The adaptation sphere began to tremble, and wisps of bright blue, atomized life energy seeped outwards.
"Please, Your Majesty, calm down. It's not yet suitable for you to appear."
Seeing the sphere at risk of bursting from the energy, Li Fan quickly reminded him.
Roar~ Roar~
Alright, this King is going for a nap.
Five days later, the Hunter's Guild and the leaders of twenty-five villages and towns issued a joint statement, deciding to mobilize all their forces to deal with the emergence of the taboo.
Although the word "deal with" was much milder than "hunt down," anyone with eyes could see that it was a statement intended to avoid escalating panic.
Following this, a combat meeting was held in the Grand Hall. Compared to the detailed intelligence briefings and comprehensive monster information from before, what was revealed this time was almost entirely known information.
But this was unavoidable. There was only one successful case of hunting a taboo, so there was very little accumulated intelligence.
The Chief team was assigned the combat objective not of direct engagement, but of luring the Behemoth Dragon and the Sky Comet Dragon.
Li Fan speculated that this might be a combat strategy conceived after seeing the excellent results of the Abyss Dragon.
After the combat meeting, the leaders and hunters all hurried to implement the deployment.
Li Fan looked at the various high-authority dispatch tokens in his hand, feeling somewhat lost.
With such a high degree of resource allocation and support, many things would be easy.
But in reality, guiding Meow-Meow and Huihui into battle only required issuing a command.
Pretending to be busy was also difficult... Perhaps he should requisition more dragon meat for Meow-Meow's extra meal.
As Li Fan pondered how much to feed Meow-Meow, Zuda, who had walked to the long table, suddenly spoke in a concerned tone, "Li Fan, Eudora, Dielu, you've had a tough time these past few days."
"Ah?"
"Ah?"
"Ah-meow?"
The two humans and one Felyne were all bewildered.
"You've shouldered too much pressure. That detestable Dragon Worship Cult leader actually publicized this matter... but I have to admit, this action has cleared all obstacles for the Guild to announce the commencement of operations."
Zuda said with a sigh.
It was only then that Li Fan understood. The other party clearly believed that the team did not want to bear external pressure, which was why they hadn't mentioned the hunt for the Inferno Black Dragon.
But the real situation was that not revealing the death of the Inferno Black Dragon was a significant bargaining chip in front of Sophia.
It played a decisive role in successfully extracting information about the Black Dragon.
He just hadn't expected Sophia to self-destruct at this crucial moment, personally destroying the foundation of the Dragon Worship Cult.
"Alas~ To be honest, the pressure is quite high. The thought of being harassed by Dragon Worship Cult members for the rest of my life..."
Li Fan said, putting on a sorrowful expression.
"Please rest assured, Li Fan. As long as you can survive this ordeal, the Hunter's Guild will definitely provide you with the best protection."
Zuda solemnly promised.
"To be honest, we don't really like this kind of protection."
Li Fan said, looking at the Guild Knights standing guard nearby.
"Then, is there anything else the Guild can help with elsewhere?"
Zuda inquired.
"After retirement, the team wants to open an arena. You know, the Guild has very strict review processes for such establishments, and there might be ongoing supervision..."
"I understand. I'll immediately prepare a permit for an unrestricted arena... As long as it's not opened near East Doruma, this arena can operate completely autonomously."
Zuda offered his suggestion.
"Thank you, Director Zuda."
"It is I who should thank the team on behalf of the Guild. Ever since the Sky Comet Dragon hunt, you have carried so much for the Guild."
Zuda sighed and then went to prepare the permit.
Such a document, of course, did not fit within the Guild's existing framework.
However, in terms of compensation, neither materials nor money held much significance for the team anymore.
Five days later, a light rain fell in Kokoto Village.
The dark red clouds that had already enveloped the Forest Hill region continued to expand, and it was estimated that they would spread over the village in a few more days.
At the port, villagers were evacuated, and hunters poured in.
The large number of ships entering and exiting made the river channel congested.
On the pier, villagers waiting for ships to dock would spontaneously offer ingredients to hunters who arrived lightly equipped, to prevent them from going hungry due to insufficient preparation.
Li Fan, wearing only a thin bear pajama, immediately became a focus of attention.
"Thank you, Auntie... Oh! Such a big cabbage... Just hang the sausage around my neck..."
Accepting everything, he carried a large pile of food ashore.
The reason he didn't wear conspicuous weapons and armor and traveled by boat to Kokoto Village was mainly due to Zuda's advice, which had provided the team with some reminders.
With the cult leader personally confirming the death of the taboo, accomplished by a two-person hunter team, the Dragon Worship Cult had collapsed completely, with its members leaving in droves during this period.
However, given the sheer number of cultists, there were bound to be a few fanatics.
The team wasn't afraid of them, but they didn't want to be disturbed.
At the entrance to the Guild branch in the village, several members of an engineering team were using ropes to pull a flatbed cart carrying a restraint ball turret.
Unfortunately, the wheels were stuck too deep in the mud, and they couldn't move it. The Felynes who ran from the village spontaneously gathered, ignoring the mud, and came to push from behind.
Clank~ Clank~
Seeing the flatbed cart still stuck, Eudora stepped forward to help push.
Clank!
The flatbed cart was freed, and the engineering team members departed the village amidst continuous thanks.
"Isn't it very dangerous to go to the Shureid City ruins now?"
Eudora asked with some concern.
"Yes, but combat weapons can only be deployed in advance. From this perspective, the taboo's long absence from the city is very beneficial for the engineering troops."
"Let's hope it doesn't suddenly appear."
"By the way, did Gukou give you any instructions before you left?"
Li Fan inquired.
"Uh... He didn't believe I could hunt the taboo and said he would wear his Arzuros armor again to fight in my place."
Eudora's gaze darkened.
"Then how did you convince him?"
"I carried the Dragon Heat Machine Style to the outskirts of the city and performed a charged slash in front of him."
"No wonder..."
Li Fan suddenly understood.
"I must go meow... Ugh!"
At this moment, by the bench at the entrance to the Guild branch, a pure white Felyne was desperately tugging at the sleeve of a declining dragon person.
The short, elderly dragon person, leaning on a cane, was not much taller than the Felyne, but the Felyne's full tugging had no effect.
"No rush, no rush..."
The elderly dragon person sighed softly.
"Village Chief! The red clouds are about to cover us meow~"
The Felyne said, leaning back and continuing to try to pull.
"It's not that bad. The sky above Kokoto Village has always been like this..."
The Village Chief, looking up, showed no sign of tension.
"There's no other way meow... A Monoceros is attacking! Village Chief, hurry and find a solution!"
The Felyne shouted.
"Where! Quickly take me there!"
The Village Chief struck his cane on the ground, looking around warily.
"This way meow!"
The Felyne, with one paw pulling a small cart of luggage and the other guiding the Village Chief, led the way.
The one person and one cat soon left the village and headed towards the port.
"Is that the Village Chief with the longest tenure meow?"
Dielu inquired.
"Yes, the widely used four-person hunter team was also his idea."
Li Fan informed him.
"I'd like to see him hunting when he was young."
Eudora said with great regret.
The Village Chief, weathered by time, was now somewhat senile. The experiences and legends accumulated throughout his life might never be recounted by him.
In the evening, the drizzling rain continued.
The latest battle preparation progress received by the Guild branch in the village was posted on the bulletin board.
In two more days, all twelve giant airships participating in the battle would assemble in the Forest Hill region and proceed together to the Shureid City area, blockading the entire airspace.
The artillery positions would be deployed slightly later, the exact time unknown.
The hunter forces were deployed in a very scattered manner. Due to the difficulty of overall coordination and communication, it was not yet certain if they were fully in position.
"That's strange. Are they trying to create a pincer movement on the ground as well?"
Eudora asked curiously, feeling that the hunter team's deployment was too dispersed.
"If the deployment is too concentrated, a single attack could lead to a large-scale wipeout."
Li Fan informed her.
"No wonder many hunter teams, after disembarking, didn't enter the village but went to the field camps."
Eudora suddenly realized.
After analyzing the latest battle preparation progress and updating the operational map, Li Fan informed the Guild branch of the marked dragon meat locations.
Fearing any unforeseen circumstances, the team escorted the dragon meat to the site. Only after Meow-Meow had finished its meal did they return to the village.
"Uh... Meow-Meow eating one meal is enough to build ten Cat Academies meow."
Dielu said, deeply impressed.
"Meow-Meow will have a meal like this every day from now on."
Li Fan informed him.
"If it keeps eating like this, the Guild's reserves will be depleted soon."
Eudora speculated.
"Dragon meat is not combat matériel. It doesn't matter if it's depleted. Keeping Meow-Meow in optimal condition is the most crucial thing. Look how happy Meow-Meow was just now."
Li Fan said with a smile.
"Speaking of which, it's strange. Why aren't the Melynx insects active at all in the Forest Hill region?"
Ever since visiting Kokoto Village, Eudora felt something was amiss. It wasn't until she saw Meow-Meow that she remembered there were no signs of Melynx insect activity here.
"It's too close to the area where the taboo is located. Melynx insects don't dare to be active carelessly."
Li Fan informed her.
"Oh~ There's no one over there..."
Eudora said, pointing to the thickest tree in the village.
"So?"
Li Fan saw that she was referring to the Hero's Sword stuck in a rock slab beneath the tree.
"I want to try it."
"That's just a model, you'll break it..."
Li Fan was somewhat speechless.
"Just let me try, maybe I won't have another chance later."
Eudora said, climbing over the fence.
Facing the Hero's Sword stuck in the rock slab, she attempted to pull it out with one hand.
Clang~
The blade didn't come out, but the hilt separated from the blade.
"As expected..."
Eudora looked at the hilt in her hand and sighed softly in disappointment, then sat down on the rock slab.
Li Fan and Dielu exchanged glances, clearly noticing that Eudora was not in the right state.
"Li Fan, you won't disappear, will you?"
Eudora looked up and asked.
"Of course not... But you can't forget me either."
Li Fan paused for a moment and gave an affirmative reply.
"I won't!"
"Me neither meow!"
Back at the inn, Li Fan, sitting at the table, realized that as the battle with the Black Dragon approached, Eudora's mindset had changed significantly.
Even he himself was inevitably affected to some extent.
If I am truly unable to escape the fate of disappearing, where will I go? Will I be able to return?
Li Fan thought of the teleportation rune stone that Geralt had given him and immediately thought of a precautionary measure.