"Fighting the Zinogre... it's not time for battle yet," Eudora said with some concern.
The team was indeed planning to hunt a Zinogre, but not without proper preparation.
"Wait, since we know where the Uragaan is heading, why don't we go ahead and set up a deployment?" Li Fan shifted his thinking.
"Ah! Right!" Eudora exclaimed, a sudden realization dawning on her.
For ordinary hunter teams, even if a monster was severely injured and on the verge of death, pursuing it was no easy feat. Simply keeping it in sight was already a challenge. Let alone outrunning it to set up a preemptive ambush. This was why many hunters in Cara Village had been hesitant to hunt the Great Jaggi.
But they were different. The addition of Xiao Bendan had fundamentally changed their hunting and tracking methods. Not only could they follow closely from the air, but if the terrain allowed, they could even overtake it to set up a deployment.
*Whoosh~ Whoosh~*
Xiao Bendan ascended, flying smoothly for a while. Upon reaching the airspace above Observation Point 2, it rapidly dived downwards. Before it could even stop, the team members, eager to save time, leaped onto the sandy ground.
"As expected, no other monsters..." Li Fan scanned the surroundings of the sandy plains and then turned his gaze towards the dark cave entrance in the rocky mountain behind them, beginning to plan their ambush.
"If the Zinogre truly inhabits the cave, the Uragaan wouldn't be able to dig through the sandstone below to lure it out. And it's impossible for it to emerge from beneath the sand and crawl into the cave... This means the Uragaan must have some way to attract the Zinogre's attention from outside the cave." Li Fan pictured the Uragaan using its Sand Shower.
"It will unleash Sand Shower towards the cave, thus attracting the Zinogre's attention. This is an excellent opportunity for capture." Releasing Sand Shower required not only drawing in surrounding sand but also the Uragaan's massive mouth and upper body emerging from the sand. Li Fan felt this moment could be exploited.
"What if we hide and observe?" Eudora voiced her opinion.
"That would certainly be safer, but two scenarios could occur. One is that the Uragaan continuously attracts and provokes the Zinogre from beneath the sand, acting as its bodyguard and interfering with the hunt. Our situation is manageable now, but it wouldn't be for long. The other scenario is that the Uragaan messes up and is actually attacked by the Zinogre, in which case our chances of capture would be dashed."
"Looking at it this way, letting the Uragaan act freely would indeed be disadvantageous for the team." After hearing the explanation, Eudora agreed with Li Fan's assessment.
He took two Poké Balls from his shoulder strap and opened them. A flash of white light, and Shasha and Ye Ye appeared on the sandy ground.
*Bang! Bang!*
After stomping twice on the familiar sand, Shasha happily bounced with its head held high. Ye Ye, however, suddenly lowered its head, one wing shielding its eyes from the scorching sun, its head frequently turning in all directions. Its red, round eyes were widened to the extreme, displaying a state of utter confusion: "Who am I? Where am I?"
*Goo goo~ Goo goo? Goo goo!*
After a series of rapid chirps, Ye Ye lowered its head and used its beak to pick up the opened Poké Ball. After a couple of hops on the hot sand, it approached Li Fan, seemingly indicating, "Quick, put me back in the ball."
"Calm down, Ye Ye. I know it's daytime, it's hot, and there are no trees. I just have one question: in this environment, if you encountered a Zinogre, would you be confident in briefly distracting it? Just for a very short time." Li Fan soothed it before asking seriously.
*Goo.... Goo goo!*
"Then I'll be counting on you. Remember, when you reappear, it will be time to face the Zinogre directly." Li Fan said, then returned Ye Ye to its Poké Ball.
Since the Uragaan could attract the Zinogre to act as a bodyguard against the hunter team, and Ye Ye had coexisted with the Zinogre in the Ancient Forest for so long, it theoretically should have a way to distract and escape if encountered. The only factor that might affect its performance would be the extremely unfavorable environment of the sandy plains for Ye Ye.
"Shasha, you.... Shasha?" As Li Fan was about to deploy, he noticed Shasha was gone.
*Puff~ Puff~*
Shasha's crown-like carapace emerged from a pile of sand.
"Hmm, very good mimicry and camouflage. You even fooled me... The Uragaan's speed underground is very fast, and it would be difficult to chase it by digging. It's better to go to the area in front of the cave entrance and dig a pit to ambush it. When it starts to charge Sand Shower, then launch your attack. The Uragaan is very sensitive to sound and vibrations, so try to control your noise while lurking. If you encounter the Zinogre, just dig into the ground; it can't do anything to you."
After hearing Li Fan's deployment plan, Shasha seemed to process it for a moment, then its crown sank into the sand, and with a rumbling sound, it gradually moved away. Li Fan took two deep breaths of the hot, stuffy air, sensing the scent of a Farcaster Fruit approaching, and mounted Xiao Bendan to ascend again. The injured, bent dorsal fin soon appeared on the sandy plains. As it neared the cave entrance in the rocky mountain, its speed noticeably slowed, as if the Uragaan was also wary of using the Zinogre. However, after circling the sandy ground twice, it still chose to charge towards the cave entrance.
When it was about thirty meters away, it paused briefly, and the surrounding sand began to sink. At this moment, the sand in front suddenly parted, and the lurking Shasha emerged, using its crown-like carapace to brace against the ground and rapidly charging forward with its legs. The Uragaan did not evade; instead, it accelerated its sand-absorbing process.
*Whoosh!* With its massive mouth fully charged, it suddenly opened, unleashing a torrent of Sand Shower. Shasha, caught in the head-on blast of sand, slowed slightly, was pushed back a few feet, and its sturdy hind legs dug deep into the sand. Step by step, it gradually accelerated and continued its charge. Meanwhile, the rest of the sandstorm surged into the abyss-like, dark cave entrance, creating a whistling echo.
After releasing Sand Shower, the Uragaan thought it had cleared the obstacle ahead. However, upon sensing the rapid thudding sounds, it realized something was wrong.
*Clang!* Its head shell collided with Shasha's crown, and several shattered fangs from its massive mouth scattered onto the sand. At this moment, Xiao Bendan, diving from the sky, was about to approach from behind. Li Fan gripped the Poké Ball in his hand, preparing to throw it for a capture.
However, the rhomboid carapace on the Uragaan's back unfolded again.
*Boom!* Countless streams of sand were expelled from the pores within the shell. Xiao Bendan was forced to retreat, and the Great Ball Li Fan threw was directly deflected by the sand blast.
"So tenacious, meow!" Felyne, who had failed to throw a Tranq Bomb, exclaimed in admiration.
The Uragaan seized the opportunity and quickly burrowed into the sand, while Shasha also dug into the ground at the spot, pursuing it from beneath the sand layer. However, due to the difference in speed, the distance between them grew.
*Bang! Bang!....* Heavy footsteps echoed from the cave. Li Fan, riding on the Uragaan's back, turned his head to look. In the dim light, he vaguely saw a giant, orange-yellow blade. The Uragaan seemed to sense something and, instead of evading, charged towards the cave entrance. Seeing Shasha also following, Li Fan quickly shouted, "Don't follow, Shasha! It's luring you in!!!"
Hearing the shout, Shasha in the sand layer immediately stopped its pursuit.
"Dig down quickly where you are! As deep as possible!" Li Fan issued another command. Seeing that the hunter team dared not pursue rashly, the Uragaan then slowed its speed.
"There's no chance for a capture. Even if I release Ye Ye to hold off the Zinogre, it won't be of much use..." Li Fan felt that the Uragaan was now definitely going to be deeply entangled with the Zinogre.
"It's a fishing rod, meow!" Dilu exclaimed.
"Now is not the time to think about dried fish..."
"Not dried fish, meow... it's a fishing rod!" Dilu reminded him again.
"A fishing rod? You don't mean..." Li Fan said, and together with Eudora, they leaned down to look. Behind the Uragaan, the fishing rod made of Durambolite bone, pulled by an Iron Wire, was being dragged across the sand.
"This... could it be that Shasha's collision just now knocked this fishing rod out?" Just as Li Fan felt there might be a glimmer of hope, a massive figure poked its head out from the cave. The blue carapace, protruding like flames, encased its entire head like perfectly fitted armor, leaving only fierce eyes and a large mouth full of sharp teeth, exuding a chilling aura. The red carapace, fitted to its back, emitted heat and a dark red glow, as if lava flowed within.
*Boom! Boom!....* As it moved, its small forelimbs and heavy, three-toed claws were successively revealed, and a giant blue tail blade, occupying nearly half of its total length, was gradually exposed to the scorching sun.
*Hiss! Hiss!* The tip of the tail blade, heated to a yellowish-orange, dragged across the sand, leaving a scorched furrow. Li Fan swallowed, thought for a moment, and released Ye Ye. To avoid the sunlight, Ye Ye quickly flew beneath Xiao Bendan.
"Ye Ye, are you sure you can hold off the Zinogre?" After observing the Zinogre at a closer distance, Li Fan hesitated.
*Goo goo!*
"Alright, safety first." Li Fan said, and Ye Ye, flapping its wings, flew towards the Zinogre.
"Xiao Bendan, fly at ultra-low altitude and follow it." Hearing Li Fan's words, Eudora and Dilu, without needing to communicate, knew what to do and released the ropes securing them. The Uragaan, which had been leisurely gliding through the sand, accelerated upon sensing the approaching wind pressure. Xiao Bendan's altitude dropped lower and lower, and when its claws occasionally scraped the sand, it finally got close to the fishing rod being swung across the sand. Eudora, on the Uragaan's back, tightly gripped Li Fan's ankle, allowing him to lean over the wing's edge to reach out, but he was always a little short.
"I'll do it, meow!" Dilu said, stepping onto Li Fan's gauntlet and trying to crawl forward. Li Fan stopped trying and, holding Dilu's small belt, lifted her forward as much as possible.
*Tsk~ Tsk~* With frequent swipes of its cat paws, Dilu finally grabbed the fishing rod. Eudora glanced over and saw the team approaching the Zinogre, quickly reminding him, "Zinogre!"
"Got it!" Li Fan, quickly sitting back in his seat, extended the fishing rod slightly backward. After Eudora had a firm grip, he shouted, "One! Two!.... Three! Take off!!!" Xiao Bendan's wings flapped powerfully, the immense wind pressure causing its body to briefly pause, then it began to flap rapidly and frequently, striving to gain altitude. The Iron Wire in the sand rose into the air, quickly tautening and becoming a straight diagonal line.
"Ugh!"
"Hiyah!"
"Meow!"
The team exerted all their strength, leaning back and pulling the fishing rod. The Uragaan's body gradually floated upwards. After more than ten seconds. However, this was not the end. As Xiao Bendan continued to ascend, the Uragaan was being lifted further away from the sand. Seeing the Zinogre approaching with its hypnotic sonic waves, its eyelids grew heavier. Just as it opened its mouth to yawn.
*Splat!* An Uragaan slammed into its face. This unexpected collision in its drowsy state, if not for the support of the rocky mountain behind it, almost caused the Zinogre to lose its balance. Ye Ye, seeing this, flinched in fright and quickly flew away after seeing the Zinogre's gaze. However, this did not quell the Zinogre's rage; a fierce roar echoed across the sandy plains.
Li Fan tied the Iron Wire to the hook carrying the supplies and then grabbed the Iron Wire, lowering himself down, muttering, "In matters like this, it's all about mutual effort. If you continue to resist, then I'll have no choice but to send you down to play with the Zinogre. You'll just have to pray you don't land on your back." After speaking, Li Fan opened the Poké Ball and aimed it at the Uragaan, vertically hooked in mid-air. He wasn't making a threat; if the capture failed after being released from the hook's restraint, and the Uragaan reverted to its form in mid-air, it would inevitably fall to the sandy ground below.
*Swish!* The Uragaan turned into a white light and entered the opened Great Ball.
*Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!* The ball trembled three times, and the capture was successful! Just as the team breathed a sigh of relief, Xiao Bendan's flight posture immediately became unsteady. Eudora quickly pulled up the Iron Wire, bringing Li Fan back onto the Uragaan's back.
"Xiao Bendan must be severely exhausted today. It needs to find a high platform to make an emergency landing. Everyone, secure yourselves with ropes." Li Fan informed them. Not long after, Xiao Bendan glided down to a rocky platform, slid for more than ten meters before stopping, and then simply lay on its side on the ground. Ye Ye, following closely, landed and hid in the shadows. After Li Fan's praise, he returned Ye Ye to its Poké Ball. Although resting outside the ball could relieve fatigue more effectively, Li Fan couldn't bear to leave Xiao Bendan alone. As for why the team couldn't stay here, the main reason was the pressure of food. Xiao Bendan couldn't hunt independently at the moment. If it could endure for a while with a Fullness Ball, it would be fine. But to continue participating in hunts, it was essential to ensure a food supply. However, food wouldn't fall from the sky... Dragging their tired bodies, hunting under the scorching sun was indeed exceptionally difficult, but the team had no choice.
In the evening, the temperature finally dropped slightly. Shasha, laden with chunks of beast meat, accompanied the team to the area below the camp. After climbing back to the camp and feeding Xiao Bendan, which was placed at the cave entrance, the two people and one cat ate a little and then collapsed into their tents. Only Li Fan, with a strong will, began to examine the Great Mouth's attributes.
[Uragaan] Male (Great Mouth)
HP: 309/4690
Status: Severely injured, on the verge of death, exhausted.
Level: 46
Strength: 180
Agility: 241
Intelligence: 201
Skills: [Sand Dive] Uragaan can burrow into the sand and move quickly.
[Tremor Sense] Even when hidden underground, Uragaan can keenly sense surrounding sound waves.
[Sand Shower] Absorbs sand for a brief charge-up, then unleashes a powerful blast of sand-laden air in the surroundings.
[Old Hand of the Sand Plains] Due to the long absence of natural predators, this Uragaan has tried various tricks in the sandy plains, employing many tactics.
Description: A Leviathan species monster, nicknamed the "Sand Plains Glutton." It has an enormous appetite and is particularly sensitive to sound vibrations. Having spent its days hidden in the sand, it is adept at both ambushes and hunting.
"This 'Old Hand' is a region-exclusive trait?" Li Fan was somewhat surprised to see a region-specific trait for the first time.
The next day, the entire team slept until past 10 o'clock before waking up. Li Fan grilled meat, Eudora stewed soup, and Dilu was responsible for seasoning. After a hearty meal before noon, the team finally felt somewhat recovered.
"In the afternoon, I'll take Paff to the underground caves to hunt for food and adapt to the environment. You two go observe the movements of the Diablos. We'll meet back at the camp in the evening." After assigning tasks, the team split into two groups and set out. The location and existence of the Zinogre had been confirmed; the next step was to attempt a hunt. However, Li Fan did not want to rush into action until the team's condition had fully recovered.
He arrived at a废弃营地 (abandoned camp) marked on the map and found the well recorded in the notes. Li Fan took out a vest made of Cloud Sheep Deer fur and put it on over his chest armor. Then, gripping the rope, he began to descend. After descending about 20 meters, the temperature decreased slightly with every additional meter. At a depth of 50 meters, the vertical well suddenly opened up, and Li Fan entered a cave glowing with a faint blue light. Jumping onto the ground, Li Fan felt that apart from being a bit cold, it wasn't much different from the cave near Cara Village, so he released Paff. Paff, shivering slightly, adapted to the cave floor for a while before jumping into the blue-glowing underground river.
*Splash! Splash!* Water churned. Paff slid back and forth, very comfortably.
"You need to absorb plenty of water to keep your body moist. The battle time is uncertain, and you need to eat a lot. The environment for this battle will be extremely unfavorable for you, but I promise that when you encounter the opponent, they will not have any advantage in terms of condition." Li Fan instructed.
*Woo?*
"Yes, it's very strong, at least on the level of a Zinogre."
*Woo?*
"Zinogre is... like this! Roar! Roar!" Li Fan said, extending his right hand with five fingers spread and slamming it onto the ground.
*Woo roar!* Paff's roar became fierce.
"Yes, just like a Zinogre. If you can land a heavy blow on it during the battle, then you are at least as strong as a Zinogre." Li Fan explained. Paff immediately became serious, sliding rapidly in the water, trying to maximize the moisture on its body to its limit. Two hours later, Li Fan emerged from the dry well, carrying three blue fish on his back.
At night, the team reunited at the camp. Eudora, sitting by the campfire, recounted the information observed that day. "This male Diablos, Dilu and I have named it 'Handsome.' Its double horns show no signs of breakage, its wing membranes are slightly damaged but not structurally compromised, its hind limbs are steady and strong, and its tail usage is somewhat clumsy. We infer it's a young Diablos with limited combat experience."
"Hmm, your observations are very detailed... Why did you name them?" Li Fan asked, slightly surprised.
"It was Eudora's suggestion, meow. She said that during continuous observation, she seemed to perceive the monster's charming side." Dilu explained.
"It's not the monster's charming side, but the charm of nature reflected in the monster, thus exhibiting a kind of beauty..." Eudora said helplessly.
"Sorry, I misunderstood."
"What about its flight capabilities?" Li Fan asked while flipping through an ecology book on Diablos.
"I don't have a strong impression. It feels like those wings are just for show." Eudora recalled. Li Fan rubbed his chin, feeling a bit troubled. The reason was that the Diablos' flight capabilities were difficult to ascertain. Fortunately, its zero aerial combat ability had been confirmed by multiple sources.
"Hmm... what we need to do next is find a way to lure 'Handsome' from Observation Point 3 to Observation Point 2, where the Zinogre is located." Li Fan said, drawing a route on the map.
"Why not lure the Zinogre to where 'Handsome' is?" Eudora asked curiously.
"The Zinogre likes mineral veins, while Diablos, besides mating, also likes to eat cacti. Mineral veins, female Diablos, and cacti – of these three things, we can only handle the cacti."
"Uh! Then aren't the plant annotations made by these investigators on the map just what we need?" Eudora exclaimed, realizing.
"Exactly. Although we have almost zero grasp of the monsters' movements, the investigators at the Sandstone Cave division have done an excellent job in terms of food intake, water sources, and secure hiding spaces." Li Fan praised. He felt their general approach was to prioritize survival in such a harsh place as the sandy plains, rather than focusing on hunting.
"So, tomorrow's task is to collect cacti, meow?" Dilu asked.
"That's right... Oh! If you find any humanoid cacti, or ones with red boxing gloves, do not approach them. Immediately fire a signal flare, and I will arrive as quickly as possible." Li Fan warned. Eudora and Dilu exchanged glances.
"Is there something wrong with the mushrooms we picked along the way?" Eudora tentatively asked.
"I believe Li Fan, meow... Hmm." Dilu said, not very firmly.
"Humanoid cacti, with red fists... Alright, I'll keep an eye out tomorrow." Although she couldn't understand, Eudora still gave her assurance.