Shu! Shu! Shu!...
Many hunters outside cast their gazes towards the intense flashing lights within the base camp tent.
The next day, Investigator Chu Yan arrived to train the support team.
Seeing Li Fan's slightly red eyes, he inquired and was relieved to confirm it was just due to lack of sleep.
Although the support team did not engage in direct combat, their rescue duties meant the danger level was not insignificant.
In the outdoor base camp hall built atop a tree, all 10 members of the support team were present. Chu Yan adjusted his glasses and began the training.
The content seemed somewhat basic to Li Fan, but considering the contracts taken by three-star hunters, teaching them how to assist teammates while protecting themselves before facing a Zinogre was indeed necessary.
"Now, let's test the results of the training. What do you do if a combat team hunter catches fire?" Chu Yan asked after an hour and a half of instruction.
"Pick them up and throw them into a water pit," Shirin answered loudly, raising her hand.
"Hmm... that's勉强 acceptable. Next question: If a combat team hunter suffers a laceration or puncture wound, after drinking a healing potion, what else needs to be done?"
"Move them to a safe area, remove their armor, apply Life Powder and Mega Potions to the wound, then bandage it and guide the Palico rescue team for transport," a burly man said, raising his hand.
"A textbook answer. Final question: A severely injured combat team hunter is in mortal danger from a monster and needs immediate evacuation. As a support team member, you have no safety guarantee if you approach rashly. What is your decision?"
After Chu Yan finished speaking, silence fell over the room.
"There is no standard answer to this question, but it's always good to think it through. The training for the rescue team is concluded. Thank you all for your participation."
After the training, the 10 members went to the storage area to collect their specialized support team uniforms.
Upon receiving his, Li Fan saw it was essentially a Hunter Armor set in dark green with added rescue team insignia.
After lunch, Branch Manager Harun visited the base camp and elaborated on the hunting operation deployment.
Li Fan diligently took notes, especially regarding the combat team's deployment.
Next was a rescue drill, which was quite straightforward: pick up heavily armored hunters and run fast.
After a busy day, Li Fan had a comprehensive understanding of the rescue team's responsibilities.
In his tent, he didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he began formulating his own hunting plan based on the guild's operational deployment.
Even if that Zinogre was lured away by the other Zinogre, the branch would inevitably pursue it for a considerable distance.
If the fight became too intense in a nearby area, it might provoke the guild into thinking about hunting it down.
Therefore, the area they lured it to had to be far away, preferably beyond their jurisdiction.
The Ancient Forest!
Li Fan immediately thought of a suitable location, though it was a bit distant.
At noon the next day, the base camp suddenly received information from the investigation team that a Zinogre was approaching. The conscripted support team immediately entered a state of readiness.
Li Fan, carrying supplies, headed towards the reported sighting location.
"I hope this Zinogre leaves on its own," Shirin sighed wistfully on the mountain path.
For regular monsters, destroying villages and slaughtering humans held no substantial meaning.
Therefore, situations where they approached menacingly only to pass by quietly were not uncommon.
However, the local guild and villages dared not gamble on such probabilities. Once a monster approached within a certain range, action had to be taken.
But it was not impossible for the monster to retreat on its own before a combat expulsion.
"Don't worry, this Zinogre ran out of the Ancient Forest to avoid trouble and will return soon," Li Fan assured her.
"Uh... thank you. Everyone else thinks my idea is naive. Who would have thought that just as a joint hunt is about to begin, the monster would conveniently escape?"
"Don't mind them. Sometimes, if you dare to believe, things might just happen."
Li Fan thought to himself, he was aware of the guild's deployment, and he controlled Zinogre and a series of other monsters.
With such strong control, it was difficult for anything to go wrong.
Two hours later, in an area with heavily damaged trees, the joint hunting team initiated their plan.
Li Fan's assigned task was to deploy pitfall traps.
After digging holes and setting up the traps at the designated spots, the remaining work was to lie in wait for the Zinogre's arrival.
Unfortunately, the surrounding trees had been destroyed, so he had to don a green camouflage net and hide in the grass.
How idle can you be, not sparing a single tree?
Li Fan speculated that this Zinogre, having lost its training environment in the Ancient Forest, was using these trees for practice.
He waited until evening, but the Zinogre still hadn't appeared, and there was no news from the investigation team.
So, Guild Master Harun decided that apart from the combat team members who would remain on standby, the rest would proceed to the surrounding areas to gather intelligence.
If any new traces of the Zinogre were found, they were to report back immediately.
With this order, Li Fan had the perfect opportunity to act alone.
After informing the other team members of his chosen direction, he set off alone.
He ran into a distant, secluded forest and released Yeye.
"Gugu?"
"The Zinogre we encountered in the Ancient Forest might be nearby. If you find it, first try to hypnotize it, then guide me to it." Li Fan instructed.
Yeye's body trembled.
"Is it difficult?"
Yeye hopped on the spot, its wings slashing the ground, leaving a long indentation.
"You mean... as soon as it sees you, it doesn't give you a chance to hypnotize it and attacks with its tail blade directly?" Li Fan tentatively asked.
"Gugu!" Yeye nodded.
Li Fan immediately understood that monsters' combat experience improved through mutual encounters.
Yeye could hypnotize Zinogre because the latter lacked experience against Yeye at the time.
Furthermore, Yeye had gained sufficient combat experience against that Zinogre in the Ancient Forest.
As for that Zinogre, having been tricked multiple times, it was not only wary of Yeye but might also have developed resistance to sleep.
"Then, we'll just track it."
Li Fan said, and Yeye flapped its wings and soared into the night sky.
About ten minutes later, Yeye silently landed on a small branch.
"Gugu!"
"Let's go!"
Li Fan and Dilu followed, and soon, by a lake, they discovered the Zinogre's location.
The Zinogre was looking down at its reflection in the lake, remarkably still.
The mineral deposits on both sides of its tail blade had reached the limit of their load-bearing capacity, forming a convex curve.
Apart from an old, broken wound on its right horn, its overall shell condition was good.
"It's so quiet, is it contemplating its life?" Li Fan asked curiously.
"Maybe it's thinking about what to eat tonight, meow," Dilu speculated.
Li Fan took out his map, observed the guild's deployment, and then released the Great Ape.
"Great Ape, go build a cordon over there. If the hunters notice, just run."
The Great Ape leaped into the forest and quickly disappeared.
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan returned to the vicinity of the guild's ambush point and released Zinogre.
"After I move further away, you'll roar loudly, then run in this direction. There's a Zinogre over there. Provoke it, but don't engage in combat. Keep running in the direction I'm pointing."
After deploying Zinogre, Li Fan quickly ran away.
"ROAR!!!"
Zinogre's roar echoed through the mountains, and a flare shot into the night sky.
The joint hunting team immediately sprang into action, all members moving rapidly.
Following the tracks to the lakeside, the sight of two Zinogres confronting each other sent a chill down the spines of those who witnessed it.
"Halt the plan! Hide and observe!" Harun commanded, and all members complied.
However, just as the Zinogre they had been tracking began to heat its tail blade and prepare for a fierce battle, the one never seen by the Kara Village branch suddenly turned and fled.
The poised Zinogre let out an angry roar, as if scolding, "You little trash, why are you running?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed.
"Guild Master! Guild Master!"
Just as everyone was a bit bewildered, Li Fan waved and ran up to Harun.
"It's Li Fan, what is it?"
"I was the one who tracked the Mizutsune before, and I also witnessed this Zinogre. I have a lot of experience in this area, please assign me to pursue it." Li Fan said responsibly.
"Hmm... your experience in this regard is indeed extensive, but you are still a three-star hunter. For safety..."
"And me, I can accompany him as a guard," Eidora stepped forward.
"Then we can only let you take the risk. The combat team will follow, but due to the weight of their armor and weapons, their speed might be slower," Harun informed them.
"Don't worry, we absolutely will not engage rashly," Li Fan promised, then turned and quickly ran off with Eidora.
"The young hunters nowadays are truly full of drive. No wonder this team can consistently complete four-star contracts... What's that smell?" Harun said, covering his neck.
"Guild Master! A Congalala King has appeared, spreading its foul odor indiscriminately ahead," Chu Yan reported, jumping down from a tree.
"So, it was the Congalala King that set up a barrier, driving away the two Zinogres about to fight?" Harun, holding a scarf to his nose, felt that the Congalala King had helped a lot. But a problem immediately arose.
"Oh no, with such a strong odor, it will surely affect the combat team's pursuit. Then they won't be able to support Li Fan and Eidora." Harun worried.
"They are a team of very strong newcomers. They should be fine," Chu Yan was very confident.
At this moment, the team was already airborne on Little Fool, flying through the stench.
"Is Great Ape having digestive issues lately? This smell is so strong," Li Fan complained while changing his armor.
"Aren't you afraid Zinogre will be caught?" Eidora asked worriedly, looking down through binoculars.
"No. While that Zinogre's tail blade is impressive, its leg muscles are quite ordinary. Moreover, its excessive pursuit of mineral buildup has made its tail blade very heavy. So, even if Zinogre isn't a great runner, the other one won't be able to catch up easily," Li Fan analyzed.
"The combat team assigned by the guild to follow can no longer be seen, meow," Dilu reported, looking behind them.
"If we keep running like this for another half hour, we'll be at the limit of our tracking range," Li Fan observed the ground and said.
Forty minutes later, a green flare signifying the monster's escape lit up the night sky.
Looking at the distant light, the joint hunting party erupted in cheers.
Although the Zinogre's whereabouts remained unknown, and its return was uncertain, at least this crisis had been averted.
"Li Fan and the others' pursuit speed is really impressive," Chu Yan marveled, looking at the location of the flare.
Li Fan, currently in the air, flipped through the details of monster tracking in the hunting operation deployment.
The tracking personnel discovered that when the monster escaped the maximum tracking range, a green flare was released. Without special arrangements, the hunting mission would terminate. Regarding the monster's subsequent movements, the tracking personnel could decide whether to continue pursuit based on the threat level.
"The distance is sufficient, and the signal flares have been sent. They probably won't chase anymore, right?" Li Fan mused.
"Probably. Last time, the Zinogre was tracked for several days, seemingly due to severe injuries. Guild Master Harun judged it possible to kill it. This time, he only took a glance, and there were two Zinogres together. It's fortunate they escaped the maximum tracking range," Eidora speculated.
"That makes sense. And the distance of this pursuit is not something ordinary hunters can endure."
Based on multiple judgments, Li Fan concluded there was no reason to continue the pursuit and had Little Fool lower its flight altitude.
Hoo~ Hoo~
On the ground below, the two Zinogres, after nearly an hour of racing, stopped and panted heavily.
"Zinogre, open your mouth!" Li Fan shouted, unloading a side of beast meat and holding it up.
Zinogre understood, opened its mouth towards the sky.
"Gigi!" The beast meat chunk was directly dropped into its mouth.
This aerial feeding stunned the other Zinogre.
"Gigi! Gigi! Gigi!"
All four attached beast meat chunks were delivered, and Zinogre let out a satisfied roar, followed by a burp.
The Zinogre's gaze darkened, and it charged forward with its legs.
Zinogre did not engage, but instead, it quickened its pace.
After running for about twenty more minutes, for the two Zinogres not adept at long-distance travel, this was truly the limit.
"Hoo... Now it's time to test our true strength."
Li Fan let out a long sigh, and Little Fool lowered its flight altitude.
The team members jumped off the dragon's back.
Puff was thrown to a distant area to appear, laying down a bubbly, slippery surface.
The Zinogre glanced back, showing no fear in the face of two five-star monsters.
"ROAR!"
"ROAR!"
The two Zinogres extended their necks and growled, communicating.
"Don't look at me like that... I can understand the meaning of all your roars."
Seeing Eidora and Dilu's expectant gazes, Li Fan was a bit speechless.
"Alright... that Zinogre said Zinogre is a disgrace to Zinogres and doesn't dare to duel me honorably."
"What did Zinogre reply, meow?"
"Uh... Zinogre said vulgar things, not suitable for you to hear." Li Fan informed them.
"Is it calling the other one a big idiot, meow?" Dilu speculated.
"It's much worse than calling it a big idiot. It's roughly saying, 'When you're out here, it's all about being fierce and having many friends. If you don't like it, come and hit me.'"
"ROAR!!"
"ROAR!!!"
"And this one, meow?"
"Uh... it told Zinogre it's still young and shouldn't be too arrogant. Zinogre replied that if it wasn't arrogant, it wouldn't deserve to be called a Zinogre." Li Fan attempted to interpret.
"The world of Zinogres is truly brutal, meow," Dilu expressed being shocked.
When Zinogres meet, duels are usually imminent. After a few roars, the battle commenced.
The Zinogre exerted force sideways, its tail blade sweeping out in a horizontal slash.
Zinogre, while swinging its tail blade backwards on the ground, responded with a small forward hop.
Clang! Hiss!
The two tail blades crossed horizontally and vertically, creating a harsh scraping sound and a burst of golden sparks.
The two dragons retreated, their feet shifting in small steps, both searching for the next opportunity to strike.
"The footwork during the swing... how is this... a bit like a Iaido slash?" Eidora asked in surprise.
"It is a Iaido slash, but the Zinogre's body structure and way of exerting force are very different from a human wielding a Great Sword, so it can only achieve this level," Li Fan explained.
"Is this the result of you training Zinogre in the Ancient Forest?" Eidora probed.
Li Fan watched every subtle movement of the two Zinogres and said softly, "There's something even more impressive..."
*Ching!* The Zinogre's legs exerted force, its body twisting as it leaped into the air.
"It's a double slash!" Li Fan shouted a warning.
Zinogre quickly twisted its body, swinging its tail blade diagonally upwards.
If this strike could hit the tail blade, at best, it would disrupt the opponent's balance in mid-air, preventing the second slash from being released.
Li Fan believed Zinogre's judgment was correct. However, the next moment, when the two tail blades met, the sound was not the scraping of blades but a dull thudding sound, like metal clubs striking.
It used its... sword spine!
Li Fan was astonished as the downward-smashing tail blade knocked away the sideways-slashing tail blade.
Zinogre's left foreleg was lifted off the ground.
Hoo~ The Zinogre landed, kicking up a cloud of dust, and then twisted its body again, its tail blade smashing down directly.
Bang! Pfft! Crunch!
A large portion of Zinogre's right carapace was shattered, and bright red blood spurted from beneath its skin.
It turned out that the extremely thick mineral deposits on both sides of the tail blade were not due to the Zinogre's greed or blind stacking.
It was tempered in this way to achieve a blunt-force impact akin to a blunt weapon using the tail blade's spine in actual combat.
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
The two dragons continuously changed angles, searching for attack opportunities.
Eidora wanted to help, but facing two colossal creatures confronting each other while moving, she felt it was impossible to intervene.
Zinogre did not yield, nor did it tend to its wound, but it couldn't help but curl its tail to check the condition of its tail blade.
Two very conspicuous notches on the blade made its heart tighten.
Seeing the opponent's concentration waver, the Zinogre swung its tail blade down fiercely. Zinogre retreated several steps to evade.
Creak! Creak!
The Zinogre put its tail in its mouth, grinding and biting, its eyes fixed on Zinogre.
The liquid mineral that seeped out dripped onto the ground, quickly turning black and crackling with sparks.
When the tail blade was removed, it had completely transformed into a dazzling orange-yellow.
"Perhaps we should recall Zinogre for now," Eidora suggested.
"Zinogre has just regained its confidence; its morale cannot be further damaged. Besides, Zinogre is not yet in its strongest form," Li Fan explained.
"But that Zinogre has already red-hot its tail blade. Even if Zinogre gets an opportunity, it's still no match head-on," Eidora felt the situation was very unfavorable for Zinogre.
*Ching!* Li Fan said, drawing his Shield Crab Great Sword, and informed them, "I will help Zinogre."
With its tail blade red-hot, the Zinogre launched relentless attacks without hesitation.
Zinogre, forced to retreat repeatedly, appeared to be at a disadvantage, but as it adapted to the rhythm of the Zinogre's tail blade attacks, it gradually began to hold its own.
However, the Zinogre seemed unwilling to prolong the duel.
After one tail blade strike, instead of a conventional retreat, it charged forward with its head. Zinogre, struck on the chin, tilted back slightly.
At such close range, the tail blade could not be used for attack.
Just as everyone expected the Zinogre to retreat and prepare for a tail blade attack, it suddenly opened its mouth and bit down on Zinogre's throat joint.
The furnace sac inside, glowing red, turned white.
"ROAR... ROAR..."
Zinogre, spewing black smoke, struggled fiercely. The two dragons rammed into each other and tangled together. Finally, the Zinogre twisted its head and slammed Zinogre onto the ground.
The bitten furnace sac's temperature dropped rapidly, and the stored liquid explosive minerals cooled and solidified, quickly turning black.
"It's going to make the explosive minerals explode inside Zinogre. Isn't this a move only hunters use? Could it have been injured like this by a hunter before... Li Fan..."
With Zinogre in danger, Eidora wanted Li Fan to make a move, but she suddenly realized he was not nearby.
With fierce eyes, the Zinogre stared at Zinogre, whose throat was clamped in its jaws, as if to make it forever remember that its authority was inviolable.
*Pfft!* A red arc swept across the Zinogre's neck from below.
A straight bloodline appeared on the white scales of its throat, and the next moment, boiling blood scattered like raindrops.
The Zinogre's gaze lowered, and it discovered a hunter holding a Great Sword standing beneath it.
*Pfft!* Li Fan swung upwards again.
To continue suppressing Zinogre, the Zinogre had to maintain its downward biting posture, leaving its neck, unprotected by heavy plating, completely exposed.
"Let go!"
With a powerful upward swing, the white scales were completely split.
*Splash!* Li Fan thrust his Shield Crab Great Sword into the furnace sac and, using it unconventionally, shouldered the Great Sword and pulled forward forcefully.
*Grind!* A cracking sound was heard, and liquid minerals poured out like water, accumulating on the ground.
The Zinogre hesitated for a moment, then released its bite and quickly retreated.
BOOM!!!
The explosive minerals that had flowed directly onto the ground detonated, and a cloud of black smoke billowed up.
The furnace sac had been severed by Li Fan, and the liquid minerals, upon cooling, posed an imminent explosion risk.
The Zinogre's head was tilted almost vertically towards the ground, allowing all remaining liquid minerals to flow into its mouth.
When it finished, not only was its tail blade red-hot, but its mouth was also filled with orange liquid minerals.
"ROAR!!!"
The Zinogre roared towards the dense black smoke!
Hoo~
A mottled tail blade, full of broken teeth, swept through, dispersing a large portion of the black smoke.
At this moment, the previously ferocious Zinogre suddenly froze.
Zinogre, emerging from the black smoke, had not only red-hot its tail blade but also had a person standing on its back!