After finishing the meal, Li Fan arrived at the entrance of Cala Village.
A large number of hunter teams were gathered here, waiting to depart.
Unlike the light travel in the game, everyone here had to carry an extra large rucksack.
Grill racks, camp tents, traps, cooking pots...
Li Fan seemed to understand why hunting parties were always composed of four people.
If one person had to carry all of this, they would likely collapse halfway before even reaching the hunting grounds.
Through conversations, he learned that teams whose hunting areas were nearby had already set off on foot.
Those whose hunting areas were farther away would take the PoPo bus.
For those requiring water travel, waiting boats would be available at the village's pier.
Another point worth noting was the terrifying physical fitness.
Hunters carrying one-handed swords or dual blades were fine, but one fellow was sporting a lance that was significantly taller than him.
Coupled with a set of alloy armor made primarily from ore, and a rucksack slung over his shoulder, the sheer weight was daunting to behold.
Yet, the man himself seemed unfazed, chatting and laughing with his companions, even engaging in playful banter.
Li Fan was determined to uncover the reason behind this incredible physical prowess.
Before long, a creature resembling a mammoth, pulling a carriage, appeared on the road outside the village.
The creature pulling the carriage was called a PoPo, a domesticated herbivorous beast.
Two hunter teams waved goodbye to the crowd and quickly jogged away.
Am I a bit unprepared?
No, I'm completely unprepared...
On the back of the blue mushroom gathering notice was a simple map.
According to the markings, the village was about a three-hour walk from the gathering point.
For safety, the best approach was to return the same day and not spend the night in the wilderness.
This quest wasn't difficult, but for someone only equipped with a blue bear pajama set, survival in the wild alone was a major problem.
This wasn't reality, after all, and unexpected situations like getting lost, falling ill, or running out of stamina could occur. I needed to prepare myself as well.
Li Fan immediately turned back from the village entrance, contemplating where to start as he walked.
In front of the village chief Bazel's house, there was a miniature notice board, with many Felynes gathered around, looking at the notices.
Dede had introduced him to Li Fan yesterday, explaining that due to Cala Village's small size, the Hunter's Guild did not have dedicated Felyne appraisal officers stationed there.
The authority to certify and rank Felynes had been delegated to Cala Village.
Related work had always been handled by Chief Bazel in an acting capacity.
Seeing Dede standing far away, with her ears drooping slightly and a dejected look on her face as she gazed at the Felyne notice board, Li Fan walked up and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Contract fee... Meow!"
Dede said pitifully, raising a contract with her paw.
Li Fan took it and glanced at it. It was an assessment contract, with the objective of capturing one live Thunderbug.
The deadline was three days, and the contract fee was 100z.
Upon successful completion, a reward of 350z would be given, along with the lowest-tier one-star Felyne Hunter badge.
This would grant her the qualification to hunt alongside hunters.
Of course, if the Thunderbug was not submitted, the 100z contract fee would be forfeited.
"Could it be April 20th today?"
"Yes, meow."
Li Fan felt a sense of responsibility.
If Dede hadn't rowed him to Cala Village, he could have landed in a different area and continued trying to capture Thunderbugs.
Furthermore, Thunderbugs were only frequently active at night, and due to their luminous nature, they were easily spotted.
If Dede set off now, she wouldn't have enough time before nightfall.
After a moment of thought, Li Fan opened a Poké Ball.
Buzz! Buzz!
The Thunderbug circled around for a moment before landing on Dede's paw.
"Hand over the light bulb first."
Light Bulb was the name Li Fan had given to the Thunderbug.
"I can't, meow. A tamed Thunderbug has significant research value..."
"It's not for free. You'll have to lend me the 350z reward first."
Li Fan offered his terms.
"I still feel it's not right, meow..."
"Don't worry, Light Bulb is no ordinary Thunderbug."
Li Fan said in a low voice.
Before long, Bazel announced loudly, "Dede, I declare you have passed the assessment and officially become a Felyne Hunter. Here is the one-star Felyne Hunter badge awarded by the Hunter's Guild. Please keep it safe, and as a Felyne Hunter, please continue to hone your skills and do not slack off."
The surrounding Felynes applauded and cheered.
Dede happily showed the badge to Li Fan.
"Good."
After a brief glance, Li Fan's gaze refocused on the bamboo cage where Light Bulb was being kept.
Without an interdimensional storage, the placement of materials was crucial, especially for live specimens like Thunderbugs.
They were usually temporarily stored in bamboo cages before being transported to the village's material storage points.
"What are you looking at... meow?"
"Shh! They're here."
Li Fan made a shushing gesture.
A young man pushing a flatbed cart arrived at Bazel's doorstep to begin transferring materials.
Just as the young man opened the bamboo cage and reached inside, a spark of electricity suddenly erupted from Light Bulb!
Crack!
The young man instinctively took a step back, and Light Bulb seized the opportunity to fly out of the cage, taking another Thunderbug with it.
Just as Li Fan believed his plan had succeeded, a withered hand, moving at an imperceptible speed, gently grasped Light Bulb.
"The village chief caught it without even using a bug net, meow..."
Dede's eyes widened in disbelief.
Crack! The electric sparks flashed again. Bazel, holding his lower back, remained unmoved, merely observing the lightning-emitting Thunderbug with curiosity.
Following the direction Light Bulb was desperately trying to escape, Bazel saw the astonished man and cat. He then released his grip.
Buzz! Buzz!
Light Bulb intended to fly back to Li Fan as quickly as possible, but it suddenly changed direction mid-flight and landed on the roof tiles nearby.
"Go for it, Chosen One Li Fan. Prepare yourself to protect Cala Village."
Bazel greeted him with a smile.
"Uh... I will."
Li Fan gave a dry chuckle.
Walking into the side street, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Was Village Chief Bazel a hunter in his youth?"
Li Fan asked, as Light Bulb flew back.
"Yes, meow. And it's said he hunted a Rathalos alone and formed a famous hunting team back then."
Dede explained.
Li Fan subconsciously thought that hunting a Rathalos alone wasn't that impressive.
However, considering the Hunter's Guild's rank system and the relatively basic equipment of the hunters he had seen, he realized that the ferocity of Rathalos here was far beyond what was depicted in the game.
His perception of Bazel immediately changed.
Including the Thunderbug that Light Bulb had brought along, Li Fan now had a total of 350z and one Thunderbug.
He went to the blacksmith's shop and set his sights on a Great Sword called Jawblade.
It was a low-tier Great Sword crafted from bone materials, and one of the few weapons the village blacksmith could mass-produce and sell.
"3750z!"
Li Fan was stunned when he heard the price quoted by the Felyne shop assistant.
He had initially thought that with the money he had and the Thunderbug, he could negotiate for a weapon.
However, the actual prices were vastly different from his expectations.
"How much is this Kukri?"
At the edge of the weapon display counter, Li Fan spotted a short knife that looked very familiar.
"Customer! This is a Hunter's Knife, meow! It comes with a free light sheath and can be worn on the lower back, specifically for skinning and cutting materials, and processing ingredients."
The Felyne shop assistant explained.
No wonder it looked familiar; it was a Hunter's Knife for gathering materials.
"How much?"
Li Fan thought that since it wasn't a hunting weapon, it couldn't be too expensive.
"We have a discount promotion in the store right now, only 250z, meow!"
Clink! Li Fan immediately placed several coins of different denominations on the counter.
The Felyne shop assistant provided excellent service, retrieving the belt-style sheath, helping Li Fan tie it, and even gifting him a whetstone.
He tried a few times, reaching behind him to draw the Hunter's Knife.
Li Fan found that the sheath was designed ergonomically, allowing for quick single-handed draws and being almost imperceptible when running.
40z for a water bottle, 60z for a rice ball, and the Thunderbug was finally exchanged for a pair of sturdy boots.
Having meticulously spent all his money, Li Fan realized he still needed a guide.
At that moment, he noticed Dede, who was admiring her Felyne Hunter badge at his feet, and he quickly had an idea.
"Dede, are you free this afternoon?"
"I'm free, meow!"
"Then, as partners, how about we go mountain climbing to collect blue mushrooms?"
Dede blinked and said excitedly, "That's right! I'm a Felyne Hunter now, I can go out with hunters, meow."
The two immediately formed a contract.
Although Li Fan couldn't pay her yet, Dede, with only a one-star Felyne Hunter badge, severely lacked experience in hunting collaboratively with hunters.
It would be difficult for her to be hired in the short term, so acting together with Li Fan would be a good way for her to adapt in advance.