The situation was urgent. No one wasted words; the Hunters sprinted back to their respective tents and rapidly geared up.
They would need to rush to the target location next. To conserve stamina, Altaïr abandoned every unnecessary item, including the portable spit, cooking utensils, and extra rations.
After a brief moment of hesitation, he also left behind the Cool Cleavers. Over the past few days of testing, the ice and water dual element Cool Cleavers had indeed proven to be an effective weapon against Yian Kut-Ku, but the more destructive and sharper Khanga Rebellion was in no way inferior, and far exceeded it in versatility.
This mission was not solely aimed at Yian Kut-Ku; they were very likely to break out into combat with a pack of Estrellian.
He had confirmed earlier on that juvenile: Estrellian had no obvious elemental weaknesses, making the purely physical Khanga Rebellion actually more suitable.
Altaïr and Sajji helped each other quickly equip their armor, and the man and cat pair rushed out of the tent.
Those who were faster were already waiting in the open space at the camp center.
For example, Kagetsu, whose gear was so light it hardly qualified as armor. Her outfit, which resembled a Guildmarm uniform, could simply be slipped on; being nimble, it took her less than two minutes to get dressed.
What drew the most attention, however, was the enormous backpack behind her, which seemed fully stuffed with various potions.
Those who were slower were not delayed by dawdling either. For a Lance user like Dawn, his Uragaan armor was not something he could easily put on alone. It was only when Altaïr and Serl ran over to lend a hand that he managed to finish donning it within the ten-minute time limit.
Sheila also changed into a set of leather clothes suitable for movement. This outfit was not Armor and offered no practical Defense, but at least it would protect her from being cut by the sharp leaves and thorns of the forest.
"Teacher, are you going too?" Alma looked worried and flustered.
Sheila adjusted the fasteners of her clothing while saying, "Of course. This is no simple Hunt mission; the Hunters need a scholar's advice and support. I must go."
"Then I'll also–"
"No." Sheila pressed her palm onto Alma's shoulder. "You lack experience moving through the Jungle and wouldn't know how to protect yourself in the face of danger. Even if you came, you would only be a burden to the Hunters.
"Besides, you have a more important task to do.
"I need you to stay at camp. Once the support team arrives at dawn, report the situation to Fabius and point them in the right direction."
Upon hearing this, the bespectacled girl pursed her lips, then nodded firmly. "I understand, Teacher Sheila. Please be careful."
At the center of camp, looking at the assembled Hunters, Olivia shouted loudly: "Speeches and morale-boosting are unnecessary. Consider the dozen or so kilometers' run-rush a warm-up before the battle!
"Kagetsu, no need to conserve potions; the Guild will reimburse you after the mission!"
"Got it!" Kagetsu, carrying a huge sack of potions, immediately beamed with a smile and unceremoniously pulled out a bottle of Dash Juice and gulped it down.
The medicinal mist, imbued with special energy and effects, rapidly spread. The Hunters gathered around instantly felt a jolt of energy, the fatigue of being woken up in the middle of the night swept completely away. The medicinal effects shared through Wide-Range naturally couldn't compare to drinking the potion directly, but given the current circumstances, it was more than enough.
"Move out!" At Olivia's command, the Hunters rushed out of the camp one after another.
Altaïr, very consciously staying together with Serl, ran at the very front of the formation to break trail.
The two of them were the fastest, and needed to find a relatively easy path forward for the companions behind them. The moment they encountered obstructing vines or thickets, they could clear them away with a swing of their blades.
The accompanying scholar and Kagetsu, who had the poorest armor performance, were protected in the center of the formation by the heavy weapon blademasters, while the two Gunners kept watch on the rear and the skies above.
Several Palicoes dispersed as scouts. It was just a pity that Mochi, after delivering the letter, had hurriedly left to find its own master. Had it been with them, even with the difficulty of communication, it could have at least helped raise an alarm from high above.
Their recent period of operations had made the Hunters quite familiar with this mountain forest's terrain. In just over twenty short minutes, the group had already covered five or six kilometers.
At this pace, they would reach the target area within an hour.
But just then, urgent Felyne cries suddenly came from within the forest. Light Bowgunner Heath's Hunting partner, the Felyne named Basho, came sprinting over, meowing loudly.
"Yian Kut-Ku, meow! Northeast, a flock of Yian Kut-Ku is charging this way, meow!"
"How many?!" Olivia asked, her tone rapid.
Encountering Yian Kut-Ku attacks during a raid was expected, so no one appeared flustered. However, if the number of approaching Yian Kut-Ku was too great, it would still be a problem.
"Four! Maybe five, meow! It's too dark in the forest, can't see clearly, meow!"
With a Hunter's agile skills, shaking off Yian Kut-Ku in the complex terrain of the Jungle wasn't too difficult. But there was a problem: if they simply sped up and shook them off every time they encountered Yian Kut-Ku, the number pursuing them from behind would only grow.
By the time they reached the target area, discovered traces of the Estrellian, and were about to take the next step, ten or even more Yian Kut-Ku behind them would come charging out, shaking their heads, a scene hardly different from hell itself.
"I'll hold them off," said Dawn, clad from head to toe in super-heavy Heavy Armor and running like a moving fortress wall, turning his head toward Olivia.
Olivia hesitated for a second, then called out two more names. "Heath, Niro, you two stay with Dawn. Deal with them as quickly as possible and catch up."
"Alright!"
"Understood."
Niro and Heath shifted their steps, following close behind Dawn as they moved to meet the direction from which the flock of Yian Kut-Ku was attacking.
The others didn't even pause in their stride, clearly very confident in their strength.
Dawn, wearing Uragaan armor and wielding a Large Shield, could practically ignore the Yian Kut-Ku's attacks. Light Bowgunner Heath and Great Sword user Niro were both reliable attackers.
With the strength of the three of them, combined with tools like Flash Pods, Sonic Bombs, traps and gadgets, and the suppressive tactics they had summarized over these past days, they should be able to resolve the battle in a relatively short time.
Roaring, Dawn charged directly into the very center of the Yian Kut-Ku flock, Large Shield raised.
He turned and swept his Lance, forcing back a Yian Kut-Ku attempting to attack his back. Immediately after, he struck his Large Shield with the shaft of his Lance, letting out a series of resounding bellows.
"Graaaah!"
The Hunter's roar and the metallic clangor were so piercing to the aurally sensitive Yian Kut-Ku that the several Yian Kut-Ku all fixed their gazes upon the Lance user.
At the same time, the Palico Basho darted out from below and detonated a Flash Pod right in front of the Lance user.
The erupting flash of blinding light instantly stunned the several Yian Kut-Ku. Dawn immediately burst forward, using his shield to overturn the nearest Yian Kut-Ku and pin it to the ground.
Niro, fully prepared, slashed down with his Great Sword without a moment's pause. This single strike cleaved open a small portion of that Yian Kut-Ku's slender neck, exposing the stark white vertebrae.
Grinning savagely, Niro hoisted his Great Sword again, entering the Strongarm Stance.
This Yian Kut-Ku no longer required anyone else's "attention." Dawn turned and accelerated, charging toward another.
"Taste this, meow!" Basho pulled out two Small Barrel Bombs, lit them, and tossed them at a staggering Yian Kut-Ku.
Light Bowgunner Heath selected an attack position that allowed him to simultaneously cover multiple Yian Kut-Ku, loaded the ammo drum, then held down the trigger. A relentless string of Freeze Ammo rounds struck the targets like a violent storm.
The main force advanced at full speed.
The squawking and shrieking of Yian Kut-Ku came from behind them, the roar of the Lance user charging with his shield, the muffled thumping of the Bowgun firing continuously, the thunderous blast of bombs detonating, the tearing sound of the Great Sword cleaving into flesh and bone rising and falling in quick succession. Yet, as the main force continued forward, these sounds gradually faded away into the depths of the forest.
(Translated by yourtl.app)