The Hunters' offensive lasted for a considerable amount of time.
That giant net, naturally formed by entangled vines, was even tougher than they had anticipated. Combined with a Pitfall Trap, even a Tigrex found it difficult to break free; instead, the more it struggled, the tighter it became.
However, such a restraint could not last forever.
As the Hunters swung their weapons to deal damage to the Tigrex, they inevitably cut through the vines. As time passed, the giant vine net began to loosen.
Furthermore, because the Hunters' attacks were concentrated on the wing areas, the Tigrex, which had not been truly wounded in its vitals, began to struggle even more violently.
"It's about to break free!" Altaïr shouted a warning to his companions, ducking to dodge a pounce from the Tigrex's wing-leg.
"You guys retreat!" Jara roared, continuously swinging his Kinsect Glaive at the Tigrex's head.
Altaïr did not linger in the fight. Even though he had built up his Spirit Gauge to an unprecedented level through continuous slashes, his every swing dealing significantly more damage under the shroud of the Spirit Blade, he knew better.
The objective for this phase of the operation had been achieved. Continuing to attack would only lead to chaos and potential accidents.
Isis also immediately folded and sheathed her Gunlance to retreat; she was never one for excessive aggression. Naziya, however, was in the middle of an attack chain and couldn't stop.
Switching to Sword Mode, her Switch Axe was glowing red and scorching hot, overflowing with energy. She slammed the Switch Axe deep into the Tigrex's wing-joint, and the energy stored within the weapon erupted all at once, setting off a series of explosions.
Finally, in a violent blast nearly on par with a Wyvern's Fire, the Switch Axe kicked back from the wound in the Tigrex's wing bone, sending the sword-wielding Naziya staggering back a few steps.
But her assault wasn't over.
Naziya lunged forward with a roar, swinging the axe-sword in a Wide Sweep followed by an Overhead Slash. She carved out several blackened, massive gashes while completely shredding the wing membrane connecting the two wing bones.
Suffering such a heavy blow, even the Tigrex couldn't help but let out a series of agonized howls.
Altaïr, who was retreating, winced at the sight. He couldn't say for sure how Naziya's hunting skills or experience compared.
But this girl spent her days swinging hammers and twisting wrenches; her grip strength was certainly no joke. She had been tinkering with the Switch Axe since she was a child, so her piling technique was solid. And in terms of weapon performance, her Valor Switch Axe was arguably the best among the four of them.
The combination of these three factors meant that even though she was just a "part-time" 2★ Hunter, the destruction she wrought upon the Tigrex's wings far exceeded that of Altaïr or Isis.
She had almost single-handedly shredded the entire wing membrane on one side. It was no wonder Jara had placed her in such an important position when formulating the plan.
According to Jara, this lady might not be a reliable Hunter, but if the Monster could be restrained, she could be used as a human Large Barrel Bomb...
"That felt great! Let's bolt!"
Shouldering the Switch Axe, which had exhausted its energy and automatically shifted back to Axe Mode, Naziya turned and ran.
Despite her arrogant talk and constant claims about wanting to crack a Monster's skull open, she was well aware of her own lackluster skills.
This only worked because the target was pinned by vines and traps, unable to move. If it were a Tigrex in its normal state, she'd be sent back on a Felyne cart long before she could show the world the destructive power of her Switch Axe gymnastics.
Having completed their offensive roles, Isis led Naziya directly out of the battlefield. If the next stage of the operation went smoothly, they wouldn't even need to step in again.
Altaïr did not retreat too far. He was the only one in the group who could barely keep up with Jara's speed, so in this final phase of the operation, he would continue to coordinate with Jara to lure the Tigrex.
"ROAR!"
The Tigrex bellowed, its sharp claws tearing through the tattered remains of the giant vine net as it leaped out of the Pitfall Trap.
Its slit pupils, turned crimson with bloodlust, glared fixedly at the chubby Hunter before it. It certainly knew that there had been more than one Hunter attacking it just now.
But at the moment, the others had vanished, leaving only this guy who had been provoking it the whole way and constantly hammering at its face. Did it even need to think about where to vent its rage?
The Tigrex's massive maw snapped open, lunging with two consecutive bites, while its wing-claws swung repeatedly, tearing at the opponent in front of it.
Jara retreated rapidly. It was clear that the Tigrex, burning with rage, had lost its reason; many of its attacks weren't even within range, purely wasting its stamina.
Facing the Tigrex's frantic assault, Jara completely gave up on counterattacking. He used the debris of the ruins scattered everywhere to constantly evade. Before long, the Tigrex's breathing grew heavy and coarse, purple-tinged saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth, and its movements showed a clear lag.
It was fatigued.
Logically, the Tigrex is a Monster with exceptional endurance and explosive power, and the previous chase hadn't been particularly high-intensity; it shouldn't have fallen into a fatigued state so quickly.
The true reasons were rage and toxins.
There was the initial stimulation from Altaïr's Paintball, Jara's continuous provocations during the chase, the frustration of being beaten while unable to strike back after falling into the trap, and the indignation of its attacks failing to land after escaping the trap.
All of this kept the Tigrex in a state of constant enragement. In an enraged state, the Tigrex's heart rate accelerates sharply; under the high-speed blood flow, its mobility is significantly higher than usual, but conversely, its stamina consumption multiplies.
Furthermore, Jara's seemingly insignificant attacks had accumulated a considerable dose of toxins within the Tigrex's body. These toxins flowed through the system with the pumping blood, invading the Tigrex's nervous system and internal organs.
While this level of toxin wasn't enough to kill the Tigrex, and if left alone, its own immune system could metabolize it within a few hours, at least during this period of poisoning, various functions of its body would be affected, such as decreased reaction speed, weakened strength, and reduced stamina.
Fatigue and poisoning, superimposed, significantly lowered the Tigrex's threat level.
In truth, by reaching this point, if they attacked as a group, they already had a decent chance of defeating the Tigrex, but the risk of doing so remained high.
Neither Jara, the architect of the plan, nor Altaïr himself were the type who liked to get hot-headed and charge in to fight a Monster to the death.
If there was a better option, why take the risk of losing one's life?
"Move!"
Taking advantage of the Tigrex's blind rampaging, Jara, who had just replenished his extracts using his Kinsect and was full of energy, waved at the hidden Altaïr and began running again.
If the Hunters had shown enough threat earlier, a threat that truly made the Tigrex feel in danger, it might have chosen to turn and leave at this point.
But they hadn't. In the Tigrex's eyes, these Hunters were nothing more than lucky vermin. As long as it could catch them, it could easily tear them to pieces.
After a low growl, the panting Tigrex resumed the chase.
Due to the slowing of the Tigrex's pursuit, Jara, who now had more breathing room, began climbing toward a higher altitude.
The Tigrex followed without hesitation. Though it was not good at flying, the Tigrex possessed powerful land-based mobility and was naturally adept at climbing; they could even be found in areas like the peak of the Great Snowy Mountains.
Another important reason why the Tigrex forced itself through its physical fatigue, discomfort, and the wounds on its wings to keep up the chase was that it realized the hateful creatures in front were running toward its nest.
While the Tigrex might not be a model parent like the Rathalos, it still possessed a basic nest-guarding instinct, not to mention there were eggs in the nest.
Therefore, once it realized the Hunters' target, there was no way it could remain indifferent.
Following close behind, Altaïr was extremely grateful he was equipped with a Slinger, which could assist in climbing; otherwise, he would have been left far behind by those two.
Thus, the two men and one cat led the Tigrex through mountain paths, up steep slopes, and kept ascending until they reached a desolate rocky platform situated in the crevice between two peaks, formed by a single massive mountain rock.
It was also the location of the Tigrex Nest.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES: LORE SECTION
Some terms and creatures referenced in this story may be unfamiliar to readers new to the Monster Hunter universe. The following entries provide additional context.
CONCEPTS
Enrage — A state most large monsters can enter when they sustain enough damage or provocation. Enraged monsters deal more damage, move faster, and are generally more aggressive, but their stamina drains at an accelerated rate. Visual indicators vary by species; in the Tigrex's case, the arteries in its claws and neck visibly pulse red. Exploiting the stamina drain that follows an enrage is a core element of high-level hunting strategy.
Felyne Cart — When a hunter takes enough damage to be incapacitated during a hunt, they are retrieved and carried back to the base camp on a cart driven by a Felyne. In competitive hunting, being "carted" is considered an embarrassment and counts as a failed attempt in quests with a limited faint count. Naziya's comment is a self-aware acknowledgment of the gap between her weapon skill and her actual hunting experience.