Li Fan accumulated Qi cultivation during the practice stage with training dummies. After days of practice and strength enhancement, each strike allowed him to absorb Qi.
For the demonstration of the Spirit Blade Slash, Li Fan stepped back a short distance.
"This distance... no way?"
Bazeli exclaimed in shock.
For the basic usage assessment of the Great Sword, it was sufficient to simply perform the Spirit Blade Slash in place.
Li Fan positioned himself at the extreme attack range of the Great Sword, facing the training dummy. To those who understood Great Sword usage, it was clear he was about to execute a Spirit Blade Cut.
The sound of the Great Sword cutting through the air echoed.
The Spirit Blade Slash, from the first to the third style, consisted of five strikes. Four of them precisely hit the same spot.
The final finishing move, the Spirit Blade Great Whirlwind, directly sliced the training dummy in half.
Applause erupted.
While not everyone present could fully grasp the nuances of Great Sword usage, the fluid swordplay and seamless transitions between moves were truly a pleasure to behold. xxs壹贰
Li Fan sheathed the Jawblade Type 1. Looking at his recently injured hands, which showed no obvious cracks and only felt a slight ache, he smiled with relief.
"You've regained your strength remarkably fast."
Yudola praised him.
"Just average. I didn't quite control the last strike of the third Spirit Blade Slash."
Li Fan concluded.
Shirin, who was the eighth to participate, muttered to herself as she passed by the fence, her voice reaching Li Fan's ears.
"Open the magazine, load the rounds, close the magazine, cock the weapon, aim from the side... open the magazine, load the rounds..."
"Go Shirin."
Li Fan encouraged her.
"I'm not nervous."
Hearing someone call her name, Shirin stiffened and offered a defense.
"Uh... yes, you don't look nervous at all."
Li Fan agreed.
"Hoo~ Open the magazine, load the rounds... what comes next!"
Shirin took a deep breath and suddenly realized she had forgotten the sequence.
"Next is to close the magazine, cock the weapon, aim from the side, and then aim."
Li Fan reminded her.
"Thanks. Open the magazine, load the rounds..."
Shirin mumbled, starting her chant again.
"Miss Shirin is amazing, using a Light Bowgun for the weapon assessment."
Yudola said with some surprise.
"Is the Light Bowgun difficult to master?"
Li Fan inquired.
"It's not too difficult to pick up, but the assessment criteria for target shooting, sliding, and rolling are very strict."
Yudola informed him.
"Does the Guild have any special reasons for this grading?"
Li Fan was puzzled.
It couldn't be that they were deliberately raising the assessment standards just to make it difficult for Light Bowgun users.
"It's mainly because the Light Bowgun's defensive capabilities are weak once a monster gets close. Other melee weapons can still offer some resistance even if not used with standard motions, but if a Light Bowgun user can't escape, they're likely to take heavy damage. Therefore, it's stipulated that when aiming with the Light Bowgun from the side, the evasion distance of a roll cannot be less than 4 meters. This assessment is not required for melee weapons."
Yudola explained.
Right, even if I forgot all the basic Great Sword techniques, I could still use it as a blade or a club. At least it's a weapon.
A Light Bowgun, on the other hand, can't exactly be swung around to smash things.
Wait, actually, there is such a move!
"Isn't there a move where you use the stock to strike?"
"You know that too... there used to be, but later, because some hunters actually used it in combat, the Guild removed it from the basic usage."
Click! Clack! The training grounds were rearranged.
Shirin smoothly loaded rounds into the Hunter's Rifle Type 2 and held it to her right side.
Seeing that she was ready, the assessment judge, Investigator Chuyan, pulled a rope, and three circular targets rose.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three Normal Shots were fired from the muzzle, accurately hitting the three targets.
Shirin then began to sprint, holding the Hunter's Rifle Type 2 with both hands.
She performed a sliding dash before the marked line, barely crossing it, then ran to the second marked line and executed a full-power flying roll.
When Shirin got up, Chuyan approached the target line and crouched down to examine the marks in the sand.
"New armor, side-aimed Light Bowgun roll, score... 3 meters 89."
Chuyan announced and recorded the score in his booklet.
Shirin clutched her chest, looking immensely relieved.
"Did she fail?"
Li Fan asked curiously.
In terms of execution, Shirin had already completed the entire set of basic movements fluidly.
To be deemed unqualified solely for not rolling far enough seemed overly harsh.
"It depends on the overall score, but the side-aimed Light Bowgun roll carries a significant weight."
Yudola was also unsure.
An hour later, Halun and Bazeli jointly announced the results of the Hunter exam.
Fifteen general assessments were worth 100 points, and Li Fan scored 82.
Weapon usage was worth 150 points, and Li Fan received a perfect 150 with the Great Sword.
He passed the exam without any suspense.
Shirin's score for the fifteen general assessments was 79, and her weapon usage score was 129.
She ultimately qualified as a Hunter with a score of 8 points above the 200-point threshold.
The Hunter exam was usually a grand event in Kalara Village.
This time, however, while the exam process was not scaled down, other aspects were kept to a minimum.
The ceremony for awarding Hunter badges was simplified to picking them up at the Guild counter.
Li Fan understood; he had even prepared for the possibility of the exam being postponed. The fact that it was held as scheduled was already beyond his expectations.
A total of six students passed this exam. After waiting for a moment at the counter, a pink-clad attendant named Jenna, carrying a stack of exquisite boxes, began distributing the Hunter badges.
Jenna also provided some important information regarding becoming a Guild-certified Hunter.
Li Fan opened his box to reveal a round badge engraved with a simplified dragon motif, topped with a star.
Flipping it over, Li Fan's name was clearly visible, followed by a smaller inscription indicating it was issued by the Kalara Village Branch of the Hunter's Guild.
"As expected of you, Li Fan."
At that moment, a hand clasped Li Fan's shoulder from behind.
"Instructor Yin Tie, why are you here?"
Li Fan asked in surprise. Before Yin Tie could speak, Hannah said coldly, "Apologies, Instructor Yin Tie, the Guild branch is currently experiencing financial difficulties, and instructor fees are temporarily suspended."
"What did you say! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this money?"
Yin Tie leaned his hands on the counter and questioned.
"We sincerely apologize, but the branch has no remaining funds after preparing for the Moonlit Duet."
Jenna said, taking out an empty money box from under the counter and showing it to Yin Tie.
"Where's the Guild Master? Call him out."
"The Guild Master has already rushed to the mission site."
"Damn it, the Hunter's Guild is still as annoying as ever."
Yin Tie slammed his fist on the counter in anger.
"Instructor Yin Tie, please don't worry. Your instructor fees will be paid in full once the Guild's allocated funds arrive."
Jenna tried to placate him.
"I'll trust you one more time. Li Fan, when you're done, come find me at the Ancient Hunting Research Base."
"No problem, Instructor Yin Tie."
Watching the other Hunters eagerly pin their Hunter medals to their chests, Li Fan felt a bit troubled. He didn't have any armor suitable for public wear and had to put it in his backpack for now.
Upon arriving at the Ancient Hunting Research Base, Da Ju was lounging by the entrance as usual.
Yin Tie invited Li Fan and Dilu inside, poured them two cups of hot tea, and then asked mysteriously, "Do you two want to get rich?"
"Of course, meow!"
Dilu raised a paw.
"Then how about we go hunt a five-star monster outside the village?"
*Pfft!* Yin Tie's words made Li Fan spit out his tea all over the table.
"Instructor Yin Tie, even if there's money to be made, we need to stay alive to spend it. And if we go out of the village, we might die before we even earn anything."
"Wang Dao Lei Qie, Hu Dao Yue Zhao Xin Zi Ming."
Yin Tie didn't try to persuade him further but instead named two Great Swords.
Li Fan immediately wiped the tea from his mouth and tentatively asked, "Won't this interfere with the Hunter's Guild's plan?"
"Haha, I knew you'd recognize their value. As for interfering with plans, we're just passing by to lend a hand. What plan could we possibly interfere with? Besides, I'm an official member of our village's defense team and have the right to participate in the Moonlit Duet."
Yin Tie said confidently.
"We?"
"Yes, I've spoken with Bazeli at length, and that's how we brought you into the village defense team."
"Uh... how many people are in the village defense team now?"
"Three people and two Felynes."
Yin Tie said, glancing at Dilu.
"I'm part of it too, meow!"
Dilu's ears perked up, looking quite surprised.
"Let me guess... besides us, could that person be the village chief?"
"That's right, it's Bazeli!"
Good heavens, this team is a gathering of the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled.
"Oh dear, my leg suddenly hurts so much."
Li Fan clutched his left knee, feigning pain.
"I can fix that."
Yin Tie said, cracking his knuckles with a series of pops.
"Ah, it's better now!"
Li Fan quickly sat up.
"Jokes aside, the truth is, Bazeli and I are a bit worried about the Guild folks, so we decided to take action ourselves. Our goal is to hunt and kill at least one of the five-star monsters."
Yin Tie said solemnly.
"But what use would I be?"
Li Fan asked, confused.
"You're not going to be useful, but to observe from the shadows. After all, witnessing the hunt of a five-star monster firsthand is a rare opportunity. Bazeli and I both admire your talent, which is why we decided to bring you along."
Seeing a Zinogre or a Mizutsune fight a Hunter with his own eyes is indeed an exceptionally rare opportunity in the Monster Hunter world.
The insights and experience gained from such an event are far beyond what can be conveyed through words or oral instruction.
Therefore, it is indeed very rare.
"I'm not very good at first aid."
Li Fan stated frankly.
"Don't worry about that. We've already hired a Felyne rescue team. Although the price is a bit high at this time, there's still a chance they can help severely injured individuals escape the battlefield."
"A chance?"
"Hunting always involves danger."
Yin Tie said nonchalantly.
"Alright."
Li Fan felt that just watching the spectacle should be fine.
"If we can successfully hunt it ourselves, we'll get to keep 50% of the materials."
"The village defense team hunts on its own, and the Guild still takes 50% of the materials?"
Li Fan found it a bit unfair.
"This is actually quite reasonable. The Guild handled the initial hunting deployment. I heard that several Hunters were injured trying to lure the two monsters into encountering each other. Furthermore, Bazeli has never fought these two monsters in his hunting career, and being older, he might slow us down. So, we don't intend to hunt the monsters at their full strength, but rather to pursue the one that isn't the Guild's primary target after they've both been weakened."
Yin Tie provided an explanation.
The Guild would naturally attempt to hunt the most severely injured monster.
The other monster would undoubtedly be in better condition, making it a more difficult target.
And all of this was contingent on the Guild's plan proceeding smoothly.
"Instructor Yin Tie, the Guild's eleven four-star Hunters and two five-star Hunters are all handling this with extreme caution. Are you two really going to be alright?"
Li Fan still felt a bit uneasy.
"Da Ju will be there too. If you and Dilu are brave enough, you can also help throw some Paintballs and set some traps."
Yin Tie's rough plan made Li Fan somewhat hesitant.
But one thing he was sure of: Yin Tie genuinely wanted to nurture him, otherwise, there would be no need to bring along such a burden.
"Alright, I'll join. Dilu, you'll have to make your own choice."
"I'll join too, meow!"
Dilu announced her participation without any hesitation.
Yin Tie smiled with satisfaction and made arrangements for their rendezvous: "Excellent, just as I expected of someone I have high hopes for. Bazeli gets the Guild's latest intelligence every day. When the mission begins, I'll dispatch Da Ju to notify you in advance. If time is short, we'll use a green signal flare as the assembly signal."
Even after returning to his wooden house, Li Fan still felt that the village defense team's deployment was too casual compared to the Guild's.
However, the prospect of witnessing a Zinogre or Mizutsune in actual combat with Hunters was indeed tempting.
Not long after, Yudola pushed open the door.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll be stationed at the outdoor public camp."
She said as she packed her belongings.
"So soon? Is it a rotational duty?"
"No, this deployment will last until the Moonlit Duet mission concludes."
Li Fan hadn't expected their separation to come so quickly.
"Here, take this booklet. It might be useful."
Li Fan said, finding a booklet and handing it over.
"What is this?"
Yudola took it and, after flipping through a couple of pages, was stunned.
The pages depicted Zinogre in a coiled stance with simple line drawings.
The next page showed the attack it would unleash after coiling.
After quickly flipping through a dozen pages, the main subject shifted to Mizutsune.
"What have you been through..."
Yudola couldn't believe it.
Such lifelike depictions of monster postures could only be achieved through long-term exposure.
"Before I became a Hunter, I worked as a compiler for a while, so I have a comprehensive understanding of monster information."
Li Fan explained.
"No wonder. Thank you."
"Don't rely on the content too much, though. Monsters do have individual differences."
Li Fan cautioned.
"Okay."
Yudola closed the booklet and put it into her bag.
Damn, why do I have a feeling of unease...
Yudola, as a solo Hunter, had advanced to three stars without any shortcuts.
This mission was her push towards becoming a four-star Hunter.
Logically, she should be able to take care of herself, yet Li Fan couldn't shake his worry.