The next step after deciding to hunt a monster is to gather relevant information.
Li Fan went to the merchant guild in Kala Village to inquire about the market price of materials from the Peach-furred Beast King.
The results were as he expected. Due to its highly detrimental side effects, materials from the Peach-furred Beast King were not only cheap but also out of stock.
Years ago, when they were used in weapon manufacturing, they had some market value. Now, they were rarely seen on either the supply or demand side.
Li Fan felt that just because the materials of a certain type of monster were almost extinct, it didn't mean that no hunter teams were hunting them.
It was simply that, considering transportation costs, they were unwilling to bring the corpses back to the surrounding villages and towns for material dismantling.
As for quest contracts, they were certainly not on the notice board. Li Fan went directly to the guild counter.
"Peach-furred Beast King!"
Shireen's mouth formed an 'o' shape when she heard Li Fan's request, and she froze for a moment.
"Yes."
"Have you eaten any brightly colored mushrooms recently..."
"No, hurry up and look through the backlog of contracts."
"Okay."
Shireen said, opening the contract filing cabinet beneath the counter and pulling out stacks of documents.
"Hmm... Peach-furred Beast Kings rarely appear near villages and towns. I recall there being only one circulating contract for it... Ah! Found it!"
Shireen exclaimed, pulling out a withered yellow contract.
"This contract was issued two years ago, but since there's no time limit and the client has already prepaid the full reward to the guild, it can theoretically be accepted."
"Theoretically?"
"Yes, because this contract was issued too long ago, and the client's hunting target is a specific individual. Plus, the journey is far, and the branch cannot confirm the current status of this Peach-furred Beast King, so there's a possibility that the quest objective cannot be achieved."
Shireen explained.
Right, it's been two years since the quest was issued. The client wants to hunt a Peach-furred Beast King that matches the description.
If this Peach-furred Beast King had migrated or died during this time, even if they reached the designated location, the quest would inevitably fail.
"Shireen, what is the guild's usual recommendation in such situations?"
"Do not accept such contracts. If you insist, you can choose to go to the nearest branch or outpost in the hunting area first to obtain the latest information."
Shireen informed him.
So that's how it is. The current situation of a Peach-furred Beast King wouldn't be relayed between guild branches and updated in a timely manner, even if detected by field investigators.
Therefore, to obtain the latest information, one must go to the nearest outpost or branch.
Li Fan pondered for a moment and asked, "Where is the quest's designated location?"
Shireen took two steps back and, after searching the giant map posted on the wall behind the counter, pointed her finger at an area surrounded by forest.
"The quest location is in the dense forest, roughly here. The nearest Hunter's Guild branch is in Pokke Village, but there's a guild outpost there, built alongside the port. You can confirm the current status of the target Peach-furred Beast King without going to the branch. At this time of year... the outpost should still be open."
It seemed that due to the long distance, some of the information Shireen had was also outdated.
However, even if the target individual in the contract couldn't be found, according to the ecological records, the dense forest was also the main habitat of the Peach-furred Beast King.
Moreover, field outposts could also issue quest contracts. If this contract couldn't be fulfilled, there might be other contracts for hunting Peach-furred Beast Kings there.
After all, it was closer to the habitat.
Of course, the possibility of this was very small, because if such contracts were really popular, they wouldn't have traveled so far to the Kala Village branch.
"I'll take it."
Li Fan said with certainty.
"No way, you're taking this too..."
Shireen was very surprised.
The distance and danger of this contract were clearly disproportionate to the reward.
"I went to the dense forest a long time ago and want to go back and see it again."
"Alright, well... since you're going to the dense forest, how about I also give you a quest to collect crab roe?"
Shireen suggested.
"Is it difficult?"
"Not at all. You know the small shield crabs, right? They say they're everywhere in the dense forest. After killing them, pry open their shells and collect the crab roe inside. And since it's a collection quest, there's no limit on quantity, so it's no burden at all."
Shireen explained.
"Will the crab roe spoil on the way back and during the hunt for the Peach-furred Beast King?"
Li Fan asked tentatively.
"Don't worry, the port and transport ships usually have chilled storage. You can store it for a small fee, and you even get a discount if you show your hunter's badge."
Shireen informed him.
"Okay, I'll take it."
"Then please wait a moment."
Shireen said, applying a layer of wax to the contract for hunting the Peach-furred Beast King, perhaps fearing that the weathered contract might crumble into pieces.
"All done. When are you leaving? I can go to the dock to see you off if I have time."
Shireen said, handing over two contracts.
"I still have some preparations to make. It will be at least three days from now."
Li Fan said uncertainly.
"Then we'll talk about it then."
After bidding farewell to Shireen, Li Fan walked out of the guild hall, looking at the two contracts as he walked.
"Hunt the Peach-furred Beast King, three-star quest, client: an old fisherman who wishes to remain anonymous. Description: I was drying my fishing nets by the shore when I felt something approaching. I turned around and heard a 'whoosh,' and then 'splat!' An unknown object smeared my face... Yes, it should indeed be hunted."
Li Fan wanted to eat more for dinner to train his strength, so he turned his attention to the reward section.
The reward of 10020z plus a travel allowance of 5600z was not much.
As for individual characteristics, the most significant identifying feature of this Peach-furred Beast King was that one of its nostrils was larger than the other.
The local guild branch that issued the contract, based on the client's description and on-site confirmation by investigators,
determined two years ago that this was not a difference in monster individuals but a result of injury.
The faded depiction of the Peach-furred Beast King in the center of the contract also emphasized this point.
Li Fan's gaze sank as he saw this.
Given the lively and restless nature of the Peach-furred Beast King, it was not surprising that it would attack humans.
However, having serious injuries on its body meant it was definitely not a novice... it was more appropriate to call it a seasoned monster.
And this contract was from two years ago. If this Peach-furred Beast King was still alive, who knew what level its combat understanding had reached.
Li Fan felt a slight pressure.
However, thinking of his monster team, he quickly regained his confidence.
Back at the wooden house, Dilu, who had washed off the mud, was cooking with Eudora by the outdoor campfire.
Li Fan, thinking that everyone needed to eat, didn't mention the contract he had accepted until after dinner, when he made the announcement.
"Peach-furred Beast King!"
Eudora's mouth formed an 'o' shape, and she froze for a moment.
"Have you all been trained uniformly? Why do you all make that face?"
Li Fan said helplessly.
"It's too scary, meow..."
Dilu trembled slightly.
"Three-star monsters aren't that scary, are they? It's just a long journey."
Dilu had faced a Coral Pukei-Pukei before, so Li Fan felt her reaction was a bit exaggerated.
"Uh... uh... I heard that Peach-furred Beast Kings use Felynes to wipe their butts, that's why I'm scared, meow."
Dilu explained.
"I won't give it a chance. I feel like if nothing goes wrong, with four or five rounds of attacks from Puff, the Peach-furred Beast King will surrender."
Li Fan speculated.
"Li Fan, I really want to go on a long expedition hunt with you, but the investigation agency is currently expanding, and someone needs to stay behind to coordinate."
Eudora said earnestly.
Li Fan looked at Dilu, who quickly averted her gaze and started stroking Qingtian, who had fallen asleep.
"Why are you two so pessimistic? It's just a Peach-furred Beast King. If we cooperate, we can definitely defeat it easily."
Li Fan tried to persuade them.
"Alright, who told you to be my partner."
Eudora covered her face with a sigh.
Dilu knew she couldn't avoid it anymore and tentatively asked, "Can I bring Qingtian with me, meow?"
"Not really. If Qingtian goes to the dense forest now, it'll be like portable food with a pork scent. If it's captured by wild monsters, we won't even have a chance to save it."
Li Fan analyzed.
"Okay, meow! As a Felyne, I have to adapt to more harsh environments to grow!"
Dilu quickly regained her confidence and ran into the wooden house to prepare.
"Why do you have to capture the Peach-furred Beast King?"
Eudora asked, puzzled.
"Because no matter who it is, they want to keep their distance from the Peach-furred Beast King."
Li Fan provided the answer.
The next day, the two of them and the Felyne actively prepared for the expedition hunt.
The dense forest was humid and had many rainy days.
Eudora decided to buy a set of portable tents with sufficient waterproof performance.
Dilu went to the Felyne Academy in the village to rent relevant texts and learn about the habits of the Peach-furred Beast King to master more tracking methods.
Li Fan, in the small wooden house, crushed the Luoyang grass into powder and added a sufficient amount to the material spheres to mix and make deodorizing balls.
The two of them and the Felyne worked hard all day. During dinner, they reported their respective progress.
After much analysis, there were no major obstacles in their preparations.
The most worrying aspect was the unfamiliar environment of the dense forest.
Dilu only moved around the vicinity of Kala Village, so she was naturally unaware of the ecology of the dense forest.
Although Eudora was a solo hunter before, she had never visited it.
Li Fan had been there, but that was in the game.
"How about we get familiar with the environment by collecting crab roe after we arrive? I've also accepted a collection quest."
Li Fan suggested.
"If we start with food, I agree. Otherwise, if the food we bring runs out with no subsequent supply, we won't be able to guarantee hunting activities even if we're at a wilderness camp."
Eudora expressed her agreement.
Excessive eating had an undisputed advantage in increasing physical strength.
However, when camping and hunting in the wild without being able to carry too much food, it easily caused trouble for the hunter team.
Therefore, ensuring sufficient food supply had always been the first consideration for a hunter team to be able to camp in the wild.
If there was no guarantee of food, they would have to shuttle back and forth between the guild's wilderness outposts and the hunting areas to resupply.
This not only consumed a lot of time but also made it difficult to guarantee the condition of the hunters themselves.
Time flew by during the preparations for the long journey.
When it was time to pick up the weapons and armor, Li Fan, holding the contract, arrived at the blacksmith's shop early in the morning.
After confirming with the boss, Li Fan received his first set of armor that could awaken monster abilities.
After putting it on, the boss, holding his hammer, made the final adjustments to better fit Li Fan's physique.
"Young man, why do you seem to have gained some weight since before?"
The boss asked in surprise while working.
"I've been doing strength training recently."
Li Fan replied, spreading his arms and standing in place.
"Alright, move your joints and do a few rolls in place to see if anything is catching."
After the boss instructed him, Li Fan tried it out.
The first feeling was heaviness, and his movements were a bit stiff, but it was within an acceptable range.
The second feeling was that many potential consciousnesses seemed to be buried in the armor, and there was a subtle feeling of wanting to break free.
"Boss, the left knee joint is a bit stiff."
After trying to bend his knees a few times, Li Fan discovered the problem.
"This... I'll go get the saw, you wait a moment."
"Okay."
Li Fan hadn't expected that the repair method for armor would be so rudimentary.
Screech! Screech! Screech!....
The boss sawed vigorously at the Great Jaggi greaves, cutting off a small amount of material. After observing for a moment, he stood up and nodded with satisfaction.
"Try it again."
Li Fan bent his knees again and found that the obstruction in his leg was gone, and the screeching sound had also disappeared.
"Haha, are you satisfied?"
The boss laughed cheerfully.
"Hmm..."
This was the only blacksmith shop in Kala Village, and the armor was handmade. Li Fan could understand if there were minor flaws.
Next was the delivery of the upgraded Jawblade I to the Jawblade Blax.
From an outward appearance, the Jawblade Blax had not changed much.
The dark bone blade was thicker, the edge was flatter, and it was sharper.
Li Fan had zero experience in visually appraising weapons.
But he knew that this sword did not have a green sharpness, so he didn't have too many expectations.
He swung it a few times, confirmed that the strength was okay, and the delivery was complete.
As he was leaving, the boss also gave him two whetstones and a small bottle of effervescent lubricant, saying they were for maintaining the weapon and cleaning the armor.
By afternoon, Tai Mei was pulling a small cart and arrived at the pier south of the village.
The team hadn't planned to leave in such a hurry, but the transport ship passing through Kala Village wasn't daily.
If they missed this one, the next one might not be for several days.
Passing through the pier crowded with hunters, they loaded their supplies into the cargo hold. Villagers watching from the shore waved goodbye to the transport ship.
"Dilu is over there, meow!"
A black and white Felyne pointed with its paw, and more than ten Felynes rushed towards the shore.
"Go for it, Dilu meow!"
"Conquer the dense forest, meow!"
"Give the Peach-furred Beast King a hard time, meow!"
....
Cheers and encouragement echoed one after another.
·····················
This expedition would depart from Kala Village pier, and after arriving at Dongdorum, they would transfer to a larger transport ship to reach the dense forest port.
If they didn't encounter any accidents or extreme weather that delayed the voyage, the entire journey would take about eight days.