A splash of liquid could be heard.
The monster had four claws but did not touch the ground. Instead, it wriggled and slid on the mucus secreted from its purple mane, moving like a snake.
In the setting sun, the water-stained scales shimmered with a rainbow-like luster.
Beep! Beep! Beep!....
As it slid, bubbles continuously rose from the mucus and overflowed.
Mizutsune!
Li Fan recognized the monster's species at a glance.
However, the sudden appearance of the Mizutsune was too terrifying, causing his brain to short-circuit for a moment.
Before, due to his lack of knowledge about the Monster Hunter world, Li Fan had felt no pressure even when encountering a Zinogre.
Now, not only encountering it, but even acting within its territory made him feel a sense of dread.
What should he do?
Even with Kuku's help, the three-star Qurupeco had almost failed.
The five-star monster, Mizutsune, was about 20 meters long, not to mention its various characteristics.
This was simply impossible to fight!
"Li Fan, you and Dielu retreat first."
Eudora stared vigilantly at the Mizutsune, her hand reaching for her sword hilt.
But before she could touch it, Li Fan grabbed her wrist.
"Wait, this Mizutsune has no obvious wounds on its body, and according to records, Mizutsune are not very aggressive unless they are in their breeding season."
Li Fan informed her softly.
Monsters that were gentle in nature and exceptionally powerful were generally not provoked by the Guild.
Over time, such monsters naturally developed no ill will towards hunters they encountered.
However, if an individual had been hunted by a hunting party or harbored a grudge against humans for some special reason, this common knowledge would not apply.
Li Fan carefully observed the entire Mizutsune.
Its mane was bright, its scales were intact, and the pink fins on its back, shaped like leaves, were not damaged in the slightest.
Most importantly, the Mizutsune had clearly noticed their team but continued to slide slowly and leisurely, showing no intention of fighting.
"Alright."
Eudora no longer intended to draw her sword to fight, but her gaze did not dare to waver for a moment.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Mizutsune twisted its body in a serpentine manner, forming a circle with its head and tail facing each other, sliding and circling in place.
Under the friction of the mucus, more than a dozen large bubbles dispersed outwards.
Dielu stared blankly as a giant bubble floated towards her.
By the time she remembered to turn and flee, the bubble had already trapped her.
Pop! Li Fan picked up his hunter's knife and popped the bubble, allowing the terrified Dielu to escape.
The Mizutsune seemed particularly sensitive to the sound of popping bubbles.
However, after observing the team for a moment, it turned its attention elsewhere.
Before long, the Mizutsune settled down comfortably, its two forelegs crossed on the ground, resting its head on them.
Following the Mizutsune's upward gaze, Li Fan turned his head to look at the sky filled with the evening glow and said with some surprise, "He's looking at the rainbow too..."
This encounter, fraught with danger, ended with the team safely retreating.
Upon returning to the camp, it was already evening.
Perhaps due to the great shock they had experienced that day, neither the two humans nor the cat had much appetite. After a hasty dinner, they decided to rest early.
They would return to Cara Village as quickly as possible the next morning to report the sighting of the Mizutsune.
This was not for the reward of a first sighting, but out of genuine concern for Cara Village.
Li Fan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Meeting the Mizutsune today made him deeply feel his own weakness for the first time.
He had also felt a sense of unease when facing the Qurupeco in battle.
To describe it accurately, it was a fear of monsters.
A fear deeply ingrained in his instincts.
"Eudora, are you asleep?"
"No."
"Have you ever been afraid when facing monsters?"
Li Fan asked.
"Yes, when I first faced a Hard-shelled Dragon in my hometown of East Doruma, I was very scared."
"And then? How did you adapt?"
"I don't know. I broke two ribs that time, and it felt like the Hard-shelled Dragon was nothing special. I wasn't afraid when I saw it again."
Eudora replied.
"Aren't you... afraid of dying?"
"Monsters die when they are killed too."
Eudora's surprising thought process made Li Fan understand why she dared to draw her sword against the Mizutsune.
"Of course, I am selective about the hunting quests I take. I despair when I encounter danger, but I always push through. If I had to say the secret to overcoming fear, it would be to constantly tell myself that the monster's attacks, even if they hit, don't hurt as much as I imagine. If you endure for a while... the monster might be the one who fears you."
Eudora shared her experience.
Li Fan had never heard this perspective before, but he gained some insight.
He opened the booklet summarizing his strength training methods.
He recorded that the body's ability to withstand blows and tolerate pain would also increase with strength, but he added a question mark afterwards to indicate it was unconfirmed.
The next day, at the crack of dawn, the team had already dismantled the camp and set off on their return journey.
They arrived back at Cara Village before noon.
"Welcome to the Hunter's Guild!"
As soon as Eudora stepped through the guild doors, Shireen greeted them.
"Hello Shireen, hunting certification and contract submission."
"Why isn't Li Fan here... Could it be!"
Shireen looked at the contract and covered her mouth in surprise.
"Li Fan is fine. He's outside the village looking after the captured Qurupeco. I heard the Guild investigators have been dispatched to monitor the Zinogre, so the wild hunting certification will be delayed. We decided to find the Felyne transport team."
Eudora explained.
"I see. The Guild's hunting supplies have been cut off since yesterday, and only the Felyne transport team has the carrying capacity... How about this, I'll take some time during lunch to do the certification. Shall we do it at the forest cabin?"
Shireen said, making a note on a manuscript.
"Yes, thank you."
"It's no trouble. It's also contributing to the village and the Guild to help alleviate the workload of investigators who are in danger in the wild."
Shireen beamed.
"There's also a sighting report to submit. These are samples of monster tracks, collected by our village's hunter cat, Dielu."
"Oh, what is this substance?"
Shireen curiously picked up the glass bottle and examined it.
"Mizutsune's bubble-generating lubricant."
"Mizutsune!!!"
Shireen exclaimed in disbelief.
The previously noisy guild hall instantly fell silent, and all the hunters' eyes turned towards the counter.
"Shireen, you'll cause a panic like this."
A female attendant in a pink outfit nearby stood up and whispered a reminder.
"Sorry, Jenna."
Shireen apologized, then leaned closer to Eudora and asked in a very small voice, "Although you are a three-star hunter, this sighting report could have a major impact on Cara Village, so I need to confirm again. Did you really see a Mizutsune?"
"Yes, and it was not far from the Zinogre's territory."
Eudora said firmly.
"Alright, I will report this to the branch guild master immediately. This bottle of bubble-generating lubricant will also be identified as soon as possible. The sighting reward will have to be issued later, please understand."
"No problem."
Eudora felt a little lighter as she left the Hunter's Guild.
If this sighting report was deemed valid, not only would there be a reward, but Dielu would also be promoted directly from a one-star hunter cat to a two-star hunter cat.
However, Dielu did not seem particularly happy at the moment.
With a five-star Zinogre already proving difficult to handle, another five-star Mizutsune had appeared.
Cara Village's situation was precarious.
In the forest outside the village, Li Fan looked at the Qurupeco in the wooden enclosure. He remembered he hadn't checked its stats, so he took out his handheld device.
[Qurupeco] Male (Unnamed)
Level: 8
HP: 378/1104
Status: Okay
Strength: 49
Agility: 22
Intelligence: 31
Skill: [Egg Nest Finder] Qurupeco can accurately locate nests of egg-laying monsters in complex environments.
[Grasp and Smash] Qurupeco can use its agile forelegs to tightly grasp objects and smash them.
Description: A bird wyvern species monster, with distinctive vibrant feathers on its head.
It likes to steal various dragon eggs to eat, making it the primary nemesis of many egg-laying monsters.
What was this "Okay" status? Did it mean neither good nor bad?
Well, it was pointless to dwell on it. Anyway, with the Qurupeco, he wouldn't have to worry about Tai Mei's safety anymore.
Although not marked on the data, its powerful hind legs, similar to those of a Zinogre, would surely have a greater carrying capacity than Tai Mei's.
Since it liked cylindrical objects so much, he would call it "Can Can."
After naming the Qurupeco, Li Fan checked the unread messages on his handheld device.
No rewards, no unlocks.
It was naturally uninteresting.
However, a notification about Kuku's affinity change quickly caught Li Fan's attention.
Judging by the time, it was during the initial pursuit and interception of the Qurupeco and the start of the battle.
Kuku's affinity towards him first decreased once, and then increased three times consecutively.
Li Fan analyzed the reasons. The first decrease might have been due to his weak performance in battle, making Kuku feel he wasn't very capable.
His subsequent command of the battle, and the fact that his taught "backflip fireball" proved effective in actual combat, brought the affinity back up.
The second increase in affinity was likely due to the "Blade Dance" performed to save Kuku, who had fallen on his back, by transferring aggro.
The third increase in affinity stemmed from the combined skill, "Man and Bird Unite: Frenzied Slash."
It was funny, this so-called combined skill was something Li Fan had come up with randomly.
He hadn't expected Kuku to take it seriously and charge forward with all his might to perform it with him.
Li Fan thus concluded that monsters were clearly more willing to follow a sufficiently powerful master.
At least, that was the case for now.
If one's combat performance was cowardly and weak, monsters would also dislike you.
At noon, Shireen rushed over, completed the Qurupeco hunting certification, paid the reward, and then left in a hurry.
She stated that the confirmed sighting of the Mizutsune had thrown the branch into a state of chaos, and she had to return quickly.
In the evening, Eudora, returning from Cara Village, did not rush to cook. Instead, she informed them about an urgent joint hunting mission that would be announced in the village.
As it concerned the safety of all villagers, anyone could attend to hear the situation.
"Will it be a situation where a table full of people discuss for a long time, and in the end, only a person who doesn't talk much goes out to hunt?"
Li Fan recalled his past at the Starry Outpost and asked tentatively.
"Of course not. For a joint hunting mission of this magnitude, even if three-star hunters participate, they would likely be responsible for logistics or cover. Those who can directly engage in combat would at least be four-star hunters."
Eudora explained.
"Then let's go."
Li Fan felt he was overthinking it.
At the entrance of the Hunter's Guild, illuminated by dozens of torches.
Four tables were pushed together to form a large square table, on which lay a map depicting the terrain around Cara Village.
When Li Fan and Eudora arrived, the area was already crowded with villagers and hunters. They stood at the outermost edge.
Village Chief Bazel and a young man in a full set of Uragaan armor stood at the center behind the table, with several Guild investigators standing on either side.
Bazel cleared his throat and began his speech with a solemn expression.
"Based on the sighting report and the on-site confirmation by Guild investigators, following the Zinogre, the Guild has confirmed the presence of a Mizutsune around Cara Village."
With the dual certification from Bazel and the Hunter's Guild, the rumors were confirmed, and the crowd erupted.
"After discussing with Branch Guild Master Harun, I have decided to issue an urgent joint hunting mission. The specific details will be announced by Harun."
Bazel said, stepping back two paces to the side.
"Hello everyone. Since my transfer, I have been busy with the construction of public camps in the wild and have rarely appeared in the village. Let me introduce myself: I am Harun, the Branch Guild Master of Cara Village, a five-star hunter. The Guild has been working to improve the current threats facing Cara Village. After analysis, the Zinogre's recent aggressive behavior is likely caused by territorial disputes with the Mizutsune. Therefore, Chief Bazel and I have devised a plan to repel the monsters by provoking their conflict. However, the number of recruited hunters is very limited. Since it is unlikely that a qualified hunting party can undertake the mission alone, we are recruiting all hunters stationed in Cara Village for a joint hunt."
Harun finished speaking and spread out a very long, wide scroll-like contract on the table.
"I can't see anything."
It was already dark at night, and even by standing on tiptoe, Li Fan on the outer edge could not see what was written on the contract.
"It's alright. This type of joint hunting contract will be posted in the Guild Hall tomorrow."
Eudora informed him.
"I understand. Announcing it publicly like this is to mobilize the hunters in the village to participate in the Guild's plan as much as possible."
As soon as Li Fan finished speaking, Harun and the Guild investigators began signing and stamping their handprints on the scroll contract one by one.
Then, several hunters stepped out from the crowd and signed the scroll contract.
A young hunter wearing a two-star hunting medal stepped forward confidently, but before he could pick up the pen, he was turned away for not having a high enough star rank.
Eudora tapped her Qinglong Beast bracer and started to squeeze through the crowd.
"What are you doing?"
"Going to sign the contract."
They looked at each other for a moment, and Li Fan reminded her, "Give me the Bone Great Sword first, otherwise it will be hard to get to the front."
"Thanks."
Eudora took off the Bone Great Sword and handed it over.
What Li Fan really wanted to say was to advise Eudora not to participate in the joint hunt.
Because, in terms of danger, even with the Guild's strategy of provoking monster conflicts, the danger level was still too high.
But then he thought, whether it was the forest or the research institution, they were all based in Cara Village.
If Cara Village were gone, Eudora's efforts would all be in vain.
Hunters' names were successively added to the scroll contract. After signing, a young hunter raised a question.
"Village Chief, this mission is rated as five-star and requires hunter signatures. Why is there no name for the mission?"
In the Monster Hunter world, every joint hunt was considered a war by the Guild and recorded as such.
"That's right. Due to the urgency of the situation, the mission name has not yet been determined."
Harun provided the explanation.
Bazel looked at the full moon in the sky, stroking his beard with a pensive expression.
"Let's call it 'Moonlit Duet'."