"Feels pretty good." Isis moved her limbs in wide, exaggerated motions as she walked, quickly adjusting to the brand-new armor she was wearing.
The armor was built on a foundation of close-fitting blue-gray plating, overlaid with large, sharp-edged shells marked by alternating orange-red and dark brown patterns.
Its overall silhouette resembled traditional knight armor, solid and reliable in appearance, yet not so cumbersome as to feel like ultra-heavy equipment.
This was the Zamtrios Z Armor Set that the workshop artisans had worked overtime to craft using the Tigerstripe Zamtrios materials Isis had brought back from her Rank-Up Quest.
Compared with the base Zamtrios Series, this set was crafted with less emphasis on sealing, leaving it unsuitable for underwater combat.
In exchange, however, the Tigerstripe Zamtrios hide covering the entire body offered exceptional heat resistance and shock absorption (Tremor Resistance), while its Guard performance even surpassed that of the Zamtrios Series.
Furthermore, thanks to the smiths' efforts, the Tigerstripe Zamtrios materials forming the main body of the armor retained some of their living characteristics. A thin layer of mucus seeped from the surface, greatly reducing friction where the plates rubbed together and conserving a significant amount of the wearer's stamina (Stamina Recovery).
At the same time, this mucus appeared to promote healing, allowing even stubborn lacerations that were slow to close to stop bleeding relatively quickly (Recovery Speed, Bleeding Resistance). Considering its overall performance, the set was hardly inferior to the masterfully crafted Lagiacrus Armor, and Isis was thoroughly satisfied.
"It's just that spike on top of the helmet that looks a bit weird, meow." Sajji, sprawled across Altaïr's shoulder, could not help but speak up. "Isis is already tall, and with that spike added, she has to bend low and duck her head just to pass through any gate, meow.
And the way it looks... it's like the top of her head is all pointy, meow."
Isis spun around and lowered her head, aiming the sharp spike atop her helmet at Sajji. "I'll skewer you with one headbutt!"
Altaïr, whose nose was nearly jabbed, sighed and pushed aside the spike, which reminded him far too much of a Monoblos horn. "Stop messing around. We're here."
The group of three, no, four, had arrived at the shipyard leading out into the sand sea.
Since the meeting, Loc Lac had officially launched its plan to purge the surrounding Egyurasu population. The Guild Hall posted a large number of slaying commissions and simultaneously lifted the restrictions on hunting quotas.
This meant Hunters could hunt several times the target number in a single outing and report all their kills at once upon returning to the Guild Hall, a rather rare arrangement.
The commissions were set at 3★ difficulty, and the Guild advised Hunters to cooperate during the Hunt. Flash Pods were also provided as Supply Items, both to improve culling efficiency and to protect Hunters from being overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Naturally, Altaïr and his companions had also accepted a commission.
However, given their strength as 5★ Hunters, cooperative hunting would certainly be safe, but it would also waste some of their combat power.
As such, they had opted to cooperate with the Loc Lac Rangers instead.
Most members of the Loc Lac Rangers ranked between 1★ and 3★. Even in a four-person squad, encountering multiple Egyurasu at once could be dangerous.
However, having a single 5★ Hunter lead one or two Loc Lac Rangers as support greatly improved extermination efficiency while ensuring everyone's safety.
This team composition was widely adopted. Elite 4-5★ Hunters were often placed in squads with members of the Loc Lac Rangers or younger, lower-ranked Hunters.
Together with the teams formed spontaneously by seasoned 2-3★ veterans whose ranks were not especially high, more than thirty squads joined the operation in all, striving to reduce the Egyurasu population as much as possible before Guanzorumu, wherever it might be hiding, could react.
"Heyyy, you finally made it! I've been waiting forever!" Wearing the standard light armor of the Fortress Archers and carrying a Heavy Bowgun across his back, Asa waved at them.
At the sight of Asa's grinning face, Sajji felt the urge to rush over and rake him a few times with his claws.
He bared his fangs and snarled viciously, "Isn't Resha about to pop any day now, meow? Instead of staying home with her, what the hell are you running around out here for, meow!"
Asa loved to tease his fluffy "brother-in-law." He deliberately put on a wounded expression. "I wanted to stay home too, but she kicked me out.
She was even making a fuss about joining the battle herself, but sadly, her belly's too big now; she can't even fit into her armor."
"..." Sajji fell silent for a second upon hearing this. "Then it really is better that you're the one here, meow."
Besides them, many other Hunter teams were gathered nearby.
The members of each team had been assigned in advance. Asa, being a Gunner, was grouped with Isis and a Ranger who used Sword and Shield.
Nymera was accompanied by a Lance user and a Charge Blade user, ensuring that she was well protected.
On Altaïr's side were Lambert, who had stubbornly insisted on tagging along, and a boy wielding a Light Bowgun who looked to be around Lambert's age.
As the Loc Lac Rangers prepared the Sandships, their leader, Joda, came over and pulled Altaïr aside.
The dark-skinned, burly man smiled. "You've really made something of yourself, kid, reaching 5★ so quickly."
"That's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Boss Joda!" Altaïr replied with a grin.
"Alright, no need for that kind of talk." Joda waved his hand. "I've got a favor to ask."
"Name it." Altaïr's expression grew a little more serious.
He had received a great deal of care from Boss Joda during his own days with the Rangers, and since the man was asking, he would naturally do everything in his power.
"The kid I assigned to your team is named Vari. He only joined the Rangers at the start of this year and is currently 2★. He's a real prospect. Keep an eye on him for me. A few bumps and bruises don't matter; just don't let one of those Egyurasu carry him off."
Altaïr looked back with some curiosity and sized the boy up a few more times.
He was an unremarkable young man, a little over one hundred and seventy centimeters tall. His build could not be called scrawny, but he was far from robust.
Such a physique was quite ordinary for an average person, but by Hunter standards, he was rather "small."
Fortunately for him, his weapon was the Light Bowgun, which did not demand much in terms of physique.
His appearance was equally ordinary, with a few faint freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. His soft, golden-brown hair fell in bangs that brushed past his eyebrows, giving him a gentle, perhaps even slightly meek air.
"He looks honest enough. Think he's a powder keg waiting to explode? The type with a deep-seated blood feud against Monsters who goes crazy the moment he sees one?"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You think everyone's like you?" Joda glared at Altaïr in exasperation. "His parents are both alive and well. He's got a happy family.
Aside from being somewhat timid, or perhaps lacking initiative and easily led by others, he doesn't have any real character flaws.
In fact, for a certain reason, that trait could even be considered a strength."
"What do you mean?" Altaïr could not help but ask, his curiosity piqued.
"I'll keep you guessing for now; you'll find out soon." Joda winked at Altaïr. "All in all, he's a fine young man."
"Alright." Altaïr shrugged.
Joda had called it a favor, but as far as Altaïr was concerned, favors had nothing to do with it. He simply would not allow anything to happen to any junior who went into the field with him.
Giving Joda a reassuring look, Altaïr headed back to where Lambert and the boy named Vari stood.
The three small Sandships were ready. Each of the three teams included someone skilled at piloting one, so there was no need to arrange for extra helmsmen.
Without wasting any more words, the group slid the small Sandships down the dock's ramp and out into the sand sea.
As the wind swept across the sand sea, their sails billowed full, and the three Sandships sped off in different directions.
After Altaïr adjusted the sail and rudder to steady the ship, he glanced at Lambert standing at the bow, then at Vari crouching at the stern, and his eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
"You two, come over here," he called, raising his voice.
Vari obeyed instantly and came over to Altaïr. Lambert, however, seemed a bit reluctant. That girl loved standing at the bow and eating sand. According to her, she was "listening to the voice of the wind and sand."
Once Lambert had dragged her feet over, Altaïr said with a smile, "You're both 2★, and you're close in age.
I might not be able to look after you during the fight, so you'll need to cover each other. Get to know one another first."
"...Hi." Vari was deeply introverted; he could not even meet her eyes and merely bowed his head politely.
"Ew! This guy's so weird!" Lambert suddenly recoiled, looking none too pleased with him.
"How can you say that?" Altaïr glared at her.
Lambert's strange ability to "hear people's voices" was bizarre, but it often allowed her to grasp a person's character traits.
To be honest, he was a little curious himself about what Lambert had heard from this young man.
"Most boring people at least have some noise going on, but inside this guy's heart, there's not a single sound!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)