Following behind the young receptionist, Altaïr and Sajji hurried to the Quest Counter.
The Guildmarm Noya was no longer acting playful or cute as she usually did; her expression was unusually solemn as she handed a document to Altaïr.
Altaïr took the sheet, his brow furrowing. The header of this document was red, the signature mark of an "Urgent Quest."
"A request for reinforcements just arrived by peregrine falcon ten minutes ago. The quest form was filled out in a hurry, take a look." As Noya spoke, she couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "I was just recommending Nerscylla to you the other day. I guess I jinxed it."
——
Hunting Quest (Urgent Quest): The Assassin in the Jungle (★★★★)
Objective: Hunt one Nerscylla
Location: Old Jungle
Time Limit: 5 days
Reward: 7200z
Potential Monsters: Velociprey, Bullfango, Vespoid, Nerscylla
Elder of a small village: A terrifying monster has appeared! Many of the village's livestock have vanished, and the village Hunter who went to investigate has gone missing as well!
Everyone is forced to hide away; the monster could break into the village at any moment.
Please, send someone quickly to deal with that beast!
Scholar's Notes: Based on the analysis of intelligence provided by the client, it is possible there is a Nerscylla nesting nearby. Proceed with absolute caution!
——
This is...
"Listen to me explain the situation first," Noya interrupted him.
"First of all, regardless of whether you accept this quest or not, I will find a way to get it out as quickly as possible. Since it's an Urgent Quest, the villagers in that little hamlet can't afford to wait long.
"However, I must warn you in advance: there are hidden risks in this mission."
Noya tapped her finger on the "Potential Monsters" and "Scholar's Notes" sections.
"When a Nerscylla nests, it is usually to breed. The frequent preying on livestock is very likely related to this.
"If things are as the scholar suspects and there is a Nerscylla nesting nearby to reproduce, it means there might not be just one Nerscylla in that area, but two.
"Of course, it's also common for them to build a nest first and then seek a mate, but you understand the risks involved."
Altaïr fell silent. Logic told him to refuse immediately; he was currently only 3★, and declining such a high-risk quest was perfectly reasonable.
But the red color on the quest form, symbolizing an emergency, changed his mind.
"Are there any 4-star Hunters in the Guild Hall who can deploy immediately?" he looked up and asked Noya.
"...Mr. Buck and Mr. Brandley of the Vanguard Hunting Party left early this morning. As for other teams... based on estimated travel times, a 4-star team and one 5★ hunter should be returning today."
"Should be," huh... That made sense. If there were a more suitable candidate in the Guild Hall right now, Guildmarm Noya probably wouldn't have handed such a high-risk Urgent Quest to a 3★ like him.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Altaïr picked up the quest form. "I'll take it."
Though it was only a possibility, Altaïr intended to prepare for the worst-case scenario, specifically the premise of facing two Nerscylla at the same time.
The only silver lining was that after Nerscylla had been included as a target for his promotion quest a few days ago, he had specifically gathered data to study its weaknesses, ecology, and combat patterns. He wasn't going into this without any plan of attack.
Notably, this monster's weaknesses were quite peculiar.
In terms of biological classification, the Nerscylla is a Temnoceran, making it a distant relative to Carapaceons like the Daimyo Hermitaur and Shogun Ceanataur.
Their greatest commonality is a chitinous exoskeleton. This chitinous carapace is highly conductive, which generally makes Thunder element attacks effective against Temnocerans and Carapaceons alike, and the Nerscylla is no exception.
From that perspective, his thunder-attribute Eager Cleaver was the perfect tool for dealing with a Nerscylla.
However, the reality was not so simple.
Nerscylla possess a very specific habit: they hunt Gypceros. After peeling off the Gypceros's hide, they drape it over themselves like armor. They also siphon the Gypceros's poison glands and venom for their own use.
Scholars initially believed this was for camouflage or moisture retention. Later, they confirmed that the Nerscylla was actually exploiting the superior insulation of the Gypceros's rubbery hide to compensate for its own vulnerability to electricity.
If he brought only the Eager Cleaver, he would likely struggle against that rubbery skin.
For this reason, the reference materials, and his discussions with Buck and the others, recommended first using Fire Element weapons or Flaming Ammo to burn away the heat-sensitive Gypceros hide before switching to a Thunder element weapon for a targeted assault.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a Fire Element weapon, nor did he have a Gunner partner. The only one who could provide such support was Sajji.
Fortunately, Sajji had recently prepared a large cache of incendiary rounds for his Rathalos Model-06. These shells, which could cling to a monster and burn continuously upon impact, might prove exceptionally effective against the Nerscylla.
Altaïr intended to start the fight with the Iron Gospel, which had superior sharpness and destructive power. Once the Gypceros hide was broken, he would switch to the Eager Cleaver to exploit the elemental weakness.
This approach required more effort since he had to carry an extra weapon, but when his life was on the line, a little extra labor was a small price to pay.
As for hunting items, Flash Pods were said to be quite effective, so he naturally packed as many as possible.
The Monster Field Guide specifically mentioned that Nerscylla could secrete sleep toxin while also utilizing the lethal poison taken from its prey; thus, Energy Drinks and Antidotes were mandatory.
To deal with spider silk, he also packed some Cleansers.
Altaïr was incredibly grateful for his habit of preparing in advance. His hunting items were already stocked, and his weapons and armor had been maintained at the forge long ago.
Within half an hour of accepting the quest, he had completed all preparations for departure.
Though Noya dressed like a guild receptionist and performed their duties daily, she was, after all, the actual person in charge of the Metapetatto Guild.
In those short twenty to thirty minutes, she had already arranged a small Airship. Since this was a life-or-death Urgent Quest, there was no way she would let a hunter slowly trek there on foot.
The Supply Items provided by the Guild had already been loaded onto the Airship. If all went well, the Airship would be able to drop the hunter at the village requesting aid before evening.
Wasting no time, a fully armed Altaïr, accompanied by Sajji who was likewise carrying large bundles, quickly boarded the Airship.
"Wait a moment!!"
Noya shouted, clutching something in her arms as she ran toward them. The young receptionist, Lillian, was chasing after her with several items in hand; she tripped and fell while running but scrambled up immediately to keep pace.
"No time to pull from the warehouse; I just grabbed these from the general store! Consider it my personal sponsorship!" Noya said, piling the items onto the deck all at once.
"Stay safe! If there really are two Nerscylla, don't overextend yourself. Just hold the village and protect the locals! Once the other 4★ and 5★ hunters return, I'll send them as reinforcements!"
"Good luck, Mr. Hunter!" The young receptionist Lillian also raised both hands high.
"It'll be fine," Altaïr smiled at them. He helped the Airship pilot pull up the gangway, and the vessel slowly took flight.
The two receptionists, one tall and one short, continued to wave at him as the Guild Hall building and the surrounding streets steadily shrank and receded with the Airship's ascent.
Soon, the green of the Jungle and the blue of the sea occupied nearly his entire field of vision.
It felt like it had been a long time since he had hunted alone without Isis as his partner. This subtle sense of unease was unexpectedly exhilarating.
Altaïr shook his head, tossing aside those idle thoughts, and began checking the extra supplies provided by Noya.
Quite a few bottles of Antidote? He had already brought ten himself, and there were five more in the Guild's Supply Items. With these added, he had over twenty bottles, enough to drink like water...
Two portions of Herbal Medicine? These were good; they not only had a better detoxification effect but also healed wounds. Altaïr gave one to Sajji and put the other in a pocket for easy access.
Two Shock Traps and some Tranq Ammo? If used well, they might play a pivotal role.
"What's this, meow?" Sajji looked at the final item on the deck.
It was a strange contraption, about the length of an arm when unfolded, with pointed ends and a small cage in the middle containing a Thunderbug.
"A Lightning Rod?" Altaïr picked the object up.
He actually knew of this thing; it was a special hunting tool meant to be planted in the ground during thunderstorms to call down lightning to strike a Monster.
It had rigid weather requirements, and the timing of the lightning strike was difficult to master. Not only might it miss the Monster, but a moment of carelessness could result in the hunter getting struck instead. Consequently, it was known as the most difficult hunting tool to use.
Since rain was never seen in the Desert, no one used these there. He had only learned about them back at the general store in Dundorma after asking Isis.
However, his knowledge was limited to a general idea of how to use it. He had never actually operated one, and for his own safety, he figured it was best not to mess around with it blindly.
After hearing Altaïr's brief explanation, Sajji's eyes sparkled. "Boss, can I have this, meow? Maybe I can find a chance to use it, meow."
"...Fine. Just be careful when you use it."
(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.
MONSTERS
Daimyo Hermitaur — A large Carapaceon that carries the skull of a Monoblos or Diablos over its soft abdomen as a makeshift shell. Like the Shogun Ceanataur, it belongs to the same class as crabs and other hard-shelled monsters. Its claws can generate powerful water jets, and its thick natural armoring makes it resistant to most physical attacks. Threat level 3★.
ITEMS
Lightning Rod — A rarely used hunting tool consisting of a rod with pointed metal ends and a small cage housing a live Thunderbug. When planted in the ground during a thunderstorm, it attracts lightning and redirects the strike toward a nearby Monster. Its use demands precise timing, suitable weather, and considerable skill; a mistimed deployment risks striking the hunter instead. It is widely considered the most difficult hunting tool to master.