Lambert's request for help was urgent, so Altaïr and the others wasted no time.
After making short work of the lavish meal Amos had prepared with all the ferocity of a Congalala, the pair headed straight for the Guild Hall.
Isis went to find Morgan.
For the past few weeks, he had been traveling by Airship between Dundorma and the surrounding hunting grounds. In less than a month, he had completed three 5★ quests whose difficulty far exceeded their listed rank.
Even the Guild Manager had taken notice of the young Gunner's reckless pace and specifically advised him to slow down and leave himself time to rest between quests.
Morgan clearly had not listened. When he learned that Altaïr and the others planned to Hunt an absurdly powerful Yian Garuga, he agreed without a moment's hesitation.
For one thing, his recent progress had shown him the benefits of training under pressure. For another, the Crow Heirloom forged from Yian Garuga materials made an excellent all-purpose Heavy Bowgun. It could fire Normal, Pierce, Pellet, and Crag Ammo, all of them non-elemental types.
During the defense against Shen Gaoren, his usual all-purpose Heavy Bowgun, the Piercing Crab forged from Shogun Ceanataur materials, had suffered a catastrophic barrel failure and been destroyed. Since then, he had been looking for suitable materials to forge a replacement.
The Yian Garuga Heavy Bowgun was one of the alternatives he had in mind. Weapons forged from ordinary Yian Garuga materials, however, could no longer keep pace with the group's strength. Now that an exceptionally powerful individual had appeared, Morgan had no intention of missing the opportunity.
While Isis went to find Morgan, Altaïr headed straight to the Guild Manager and explained the situation.
When the Guild Manager heard that a Yian Garuga capable of defeating or even killing a Rathalos head-on was on the prowl, he was skeptical and wondered whether the Felyne's information was reliable.
But when Lambert's letter described a Yian Garuga with only one eye and wing membranes and tail spikes stained emerald green with venom, the elder Wyverian's expression grew troubled.
"So it's that one... It disappeared without a trace several years ago. I thought it had died somewhere, but now it has resurfaced.
"That young friend of yours encountered it during her 4★ promotion assessment and still managed to escape alive. She was incredibly lucky."
"You know this Yian Garuga?" Altaïr leaned forward, pressing for answers.
"It's an old-timer." The Guild Manager gave the guild receptionist a few instructions. She soon returned with a thick ledger.
The ledger was packed with quest forms, many of them yellowed with age after sitting unresolved for a long time.
After searching through it, he pulled out a Hunt quest form.
Unlike an ordinary Hunt quest form, this one bore a "Special Permit" stamp across its header.
Altaïr narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly what the stamp meant.
Some Monsters became far more powerful than others of their species for all kinds of reasons. Just as exceptional Hunters earned "titles," these Monsters were given special names of their own. They were known as "Deviants."
Grimclaw Tigrex, which Altaïr had long regarded as a goal, was one of the most formidable Deviants.
These special individuals were far stronger than the base species. To prevent uninformed Hunters from challenging them without taking the danger seriously, the Guild placed every Deviant quest behind a restriction known as a "Special Permit."
Simply put, these were not public quests posted on the board for anyone to accept at will.
A Hunter had to obtain approval from the local Guild official in charge. Only after the Guild confirmed that the applicant had sufficient strength and fully understood the target's danger would the quest be issued.
Clearly, the extraordinarily powerful Yian Garuga was one of those Deviants.
"Its name is 'Deadeye,' a madman that roams from place to place seeking strong opponents purely for the thrill of battle." The Guild Manager clenched his pipe between his teeth and took a puff.
"Although it isn't large for its species and could even be called small, its speed, combat experience, and every other measure far surpass theirs.
"The Guild classifies its Danger Rating as 6★. However, since a 6★ Hunter was once killed while Hunting it alone, the Hunt's licensing requirement was raised by half a tier."
The Guild Manager raised his head, pipe still clenched between his teeth. "If you were on your own, I would not give you a quest form requiring a Special Permit.
"But you will be hunting with Isis, correct? And that young Gunner Morgan may be joining you as well? The three of you should have just about enough fighting strength..."
"Of course." Altaïr nodded. Based on what he knew of Morgan, there was no chance the Gunner would miss an opportunity like this.
Just then, Isis approached the Quest Counter with Morgan in tow.
The Guild Manager glanced at the three young Hunters, took out his personal stamp, and pressed it onto the yellowed Special Permit Hunt form.
"Make every possible preparation. Stay alert, and don't die."
The preparations for the Hunt were not especially complicated.
Although Deadeye was a Deviant Yian Garuga, it was still a Yian Garuga at heart. Its elemental weaknesses, vulnerable body parts, and other characteristics would not differ greatly from the base species.
Yian Garuga's greatest elemental weakness was Water, followed by Ice and Dragon.
When it came to choosing weapons, Isis and Morgan had no reason to hesitate, but Altaïr found himself torn.
Judged purely by elemental matchups, the Cool Cleavers forged from Zamtrios materials were the ideal weapon. However, against a powerful Monster with a 7★ Danger Rating, they lacked the necessary raw power.
By that measure, Tyrant Blade [Heaven Swallower], with its superior overall performance, seemed the better choice...
Perhaps he should find a way to acquire a stronger Ice or Water weapon.
The same issue had arisen with Espinas, Brute Tigrex, Diablon, the "Demon King," and now Deadeye Yian Garuga. All of them were weak to Ice and Water, yet the Cool Cleavers repeatedly proved too weak to use.
Unfortunately, Ice and Water weapons generally had lower Sharpness and raw power, and the Cool Cleavers were already among the better examples... He would have to wait for another opportunity.
Armor presented the opposite problem.
Yian Garuga's fireballs were powerful, but Altaïr's Brute Tigrex Armor Set offered excellent heat resistance, leaving him well protected against Fire Element attacks.
Isis and Morgan were not so fortunate. The Kuarusepu Armor Set and Barioth Armor Set they wore offered no resistance to intense heat. In fact, one conducted heat exceptionally well, while the other was highly flammable...
They had to acquire some Fire Res Jewels on short notice and prepare Fireproof Mantles to compensate for those weaknesses.
They also needed Antidotes and Herbal Medicines for emergency treatment of poison, as well as Elemental Ammo for Morgan. Even with everyone rushing, the preparations consumed an entire day.
Finding suitable transportation was another problem. The hunting grounds where Lambert and the others had encountered Deadeye were remote, with no direct route available. Fortunately, the Guild arranged passage aboard a cargo Airship whose route passed nearby; otherwise, the group would have lost several more days.
Despite rushing every step of the way, by the time they boarded the Airship and reached the specified coordinates deep in the Telos Jungle, more than ten days had passed since Lambert and her companions entrusted their letters to Ning-Ning.
Altaïr and the others looked down at the devastated village, their expressions grim.