Thunder rolled like the wrath of the heavens.
Leon lay prone on the ground, observing the creature with focused intensity.
He noted that this Tobi-Kadachi wasn't particularly large; it was likely a weaker juvenile.
A monster's size usually dictated its strength—much like the difference between a child and an adult. In normal circumstances, a child's raw power simply could not compete with that of an adult.
Ultimately, the longer a monster lived, the stronger it became. Even among Low Rank monsters, there were clear tiers of power.
In the world of Monster Hunter, Low Rank monsters were the most common, followed by High Rank, while Master Rank individuals were exceptionally rare.
Any creature at the Tempered level or above required the Hunter's Guild to organize a specialized team for the subjugation quest.
Dumpling's heart hammered against its ribs like a drum. Gritting its teeth to suppress its unease, the Felyne pressed itself close to Leon's side.
Once his resolve was set, Leon produced a bottle of Dash Juice and downed it in one go, followed quickly by a Demondrug and an Armorskin.
Dash Juice made the drinker less susceptible to fatigue by reducing the stamina required for actions, which in turn extended the duration he could maintain Demon Mode.
Meanwhile, Demondrugs and Armorskins were alchemical concoctions designed to bolster attack power and defense respectively.
Under Flora's tutelage, Leon had already mastered the basic requirements of a hunter. His current goal, aside from raising his star rank as quickly as possible, was to earn enough money to buy a Powercharm and an Armorcharm from the shop to further enhance his capabilities.
In the struggle against nature, only the hunter who was prepared for every eventuality would survive to the end.
Amidst the dense tree canopy, a gray shadow flickered and vanished, followed by the sharp crackle of electricity and a piercing hiss.
"Dumpling, get the trap ready," Leon whispered. "Let's see the results of your special training."
"Understood! Shock Trap ready to go, meow!" Dumpling ducked into the bushes and quickly deployed the device.
Leon took a deep breath and drew the Bone Hatchets from his back.
He channeled his strength and entered Demon Mode. His twin blades began to pulse with a faint red glow as his speed and offensive power surged.
"Here it comes!"
The Tobi-Kadachi leaped from a tree trunk like a bolt of lightning. Its fully charged body emitted a thunderous roar as its tail swept across, making the very air tremble!
Leon dodged on instinct. With a precise shift in footwork, he slid across the ground, his twin blades carving a line through the fur on the monster's flank.
The Tobi-Kadachi spun instantly and lashed out with its tail. Leon was swept off his feet and slammed into a tree trunk. He let out a muffled groan as he hit the ground and rolled.
Electricity seeped into his skin, leaving his arm numb and tingling.
"Tsk... it's even faster than I expected." Leon forced himself up. He struck his blades against the ground to create sparks and re-entered Demon Mode, closing in on the Tobi-Kadachi's side like a shadow.
The Tobi-Kadachi's movement patterns were far more complex than those of any monster Leon had encountered to date.
Perhaps it was simply the sheer speed, but he hadn't yet found a clear opening to attack. For now, he could do nothing but focus on evasion.
The Tobi-Kadachi suddenly lunged at a tree trunk, flipping its body in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree rotation before sweeping its broad tail downward.
Leon had anticipated the move. He backflipped away, and the Tobi-Kadachi plunged directly into the Shock Trap Dumpling had planted.
Demon Flurry Rush—Blade Dance!
Demon Flurry!
Leon's twin blades danced in a blur, launching a stormy assault against the Tobi-Kadachi's neck and shoulders.
Dumpling rushed in as well, swinging its bone club with everything it had.
After a flurry of over thirty strikes, the Shock Trap began to lose its potency, and the Tobi-Kadachi started to struggle free.
"Dumpling, fall back!" Leon threw a Slinger Flash Pod, and a brilliant white light erupted right before the Tobi-Kadachi's eyes.
The monster was left dazed and reeling.
Leon did not let this split-second opportunity go to waste.
He lunged forward, his twin blades tracing intersecting arcs as he landed consecutive strikes on the Tobi-Kadachi's head.
Demon Flurry Rush!
Double Slash! Reverse Slash! Spinning Slash!
Empowered by Demon Mode, Leon moved like a flickering afterimage as he surrounded the Tobi-Kadachi. Everywhere his blades struck, sparks flew and fur was shredded.
The Tobi-Kadachi shook its head and roared, trying to clear its vision, but Leon's relentless pressure left it no room to react, pinning it in place for ten long seconds.
"I can't cut through... it's too hard." Leon gritted his teeth. He could feel the Tobi-Kadachi's scales becoming tougher as the electricity flowed through them. Though his strikes were landing, the damage was far below what he had hoped for.
Worse still, the sharpness of his Bone Hatchets was deteriorating rapidly...
Suddenly, the Tobi-Kadachi let out an enraged roar and unleashed a burst of electricity. A shockwave of thunder radiated outward, blasting Leon back and slamming him hard against a tree.
"Gah!"
A trickle of blood escaped the corner of Leon's mouth. His shoulder and waist throbbed with agony, and he felt as though his ribs had developed hairline fractures.
"Leon!" Dumpling cried out in alarm.
The Tobi-Kadachi was now in a state of absolute fury.
It dove down, its body wreathed in lightning. Its tail slammed into the earth right where Leon had been standing, blasting a scorched crater into the soil.
"I... I'm not done..." Leon forced himself to his feet and downed a Potion.
He had fallen out of Demon Mode. His stamina was nearing its limit, and the effects of his earlier medicines were beginning to fade.
The Tobi-Kadachi leaped onto a tree trunk once more, gathering electrical energy. It was clearly preparing for its signature diving thunder strike.
"Now's the time—let's gamble!" Leon snatched a Pitfall Trap from his pouch.
He gritted his teeth against the pain to maneuver into position, deploying the trap right between the massive, intersecting roots of the tree.
Seeing this, Dumpling understood the plan immediately. The Felyne threw a Screamer Pod from the side, which detonated with a sharp bang just as the Tobi-Kadachi was peaking its charge!
"SKREEEE!"
Interrupted mid-air, the Tobi-Kadachi's momentum stalled. It crashed to the ground, falling perfectly into the waiting net of the Pitfall Trap.
"It's trapped!" Seizing the moment, Leon first used a Whetstone to sharpen his blades. Only after his Bone Hatchets regained their edge did he rush forward and activate Demon Mode once more.
Blade Dance! Blade Dance! Blade Dance!
His twin blades carved several blood-red crescent arcs through the air, slicing through wind and scale alike to fall heavily upon the monster's head and forelimbs.
One strike, two, ten, twenty!
"Go... DOWN!" Leon roared. He leaped high, spinning like a spiked wheel as he tore from the Tobi-Kadachi's head all the way down to its tail.
Heavenly Blade Dance!!
Both the creature's head and tail were broken in the same instant.
Just as Leon began to lose his balance, he fired his Clutch Claw, hooking it firmly into the Tobi-Kadachi's nape.
The cable yanked his body back toward the monster, and he drove both blades deep into its flesh.
The Tobi-Kadachi collapsed with a heavy thud, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
The air went silent.
[TARGET KILLED: TOBI-KADACHI]
[EXPERIENCE POINTS GAINED: 300]
[LEVEL: LV.5 (6300/8500)]
It was a shame...
Because Dumpling had intervened, the trait hadn't triggered.
Not only were there no extra material drops, but the experience points hadn't been doubled either.
Meanwhile, Dumpling rushed over to confirm the kill, then shouted excitedly, "We won! We won, meow!"
Leon sank to his knees, gasping for air. He could barely find the strength to lift a finger.
"Unbelievable," Leon muttered with a self-deprecating laugh. "To think that hunting something like this is only a three-star quest..."
He recalled seeing the Tobi-Kadachi postings on the bulletin board; most of them were indeed rated at three stars.
Leon reached out to touch the monster's carcass, which still radiated residual heat. His eyes, however, were steady and clear.
This was his baptism as a formal hunter. Only by continuing to win these limit-breaking battles could he hope to survive, grow stronger, and—
Go further.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]