Three days later.
Leon returned to his hut. He had finally tracked down and slain the Kulu-Ya-Ku in a secluded grove.
—Mission accomplished.
Night fell.
Leon sat at the wooden table in his hut, spreading his Hunter's Notes before him as he contemplated his gear.
Dumpling was rolling around in his little nest.
Facing the Tobi-Kadachi had made Leon realize that his current weapons and armor were insufficient for higher-intensity hunts.
Consequently, he decided to upgrade his equipment using his current materials and plan out his future goals.
First, the weapons.
Dual Blades, much like the Sword and Shield, have a high attack frequency. Therefore, most Dual Blade users craft a variety of elemental or status-inflicting weapons to swap out based on the monster's traits.
In the world of Monster Hunter, there are five elements: Water, Thunder, Fire, Dragon, and Ice.
Using a weapon with an opposing element provides varying degrees of damage bonuses.
There are also five status ailments: Paralysis, Poison, Freeze, Blast, and Sleep.
Using a status weapon builds up a status value; once it reaches a certain threshold, the monster succumbs to the ailment.
Leon's immediate goal was to collect Dual Blades for all five elements, based on the materials he currently possessed.
He could craft the Fire-element Blazing Hatchets, the Thunder-element Pulsar Hatchets, and upgrade his non-elemental Bone Hatchets directly into Wild Hatchets...
The Wild Hatchets were far superior to the Bone Hatchets in both attack power and sharpness, at least reducing the chance of his blades bouncing off.
That left the Water, Dragon, and Ice elements.
Ice required hunting a Legiana, Water required a Jyuratodus, and there were many options for Dragon-element weapons that could be forged from gathered bones or ores.
The Jyuratodus was located in the Wildspire Waste and was weak to Thunder—a perfect chance to test out his Pulsar Hatchets.
Having planned his weapons, Leon turned his thoughts to armor combinations. Unlike Flora, he was a pragmatist; as long as it was effective, he didn't care about the appearance.
Dual Blades required several equipment skills, but the most crucial were those that boosted attack power and reduced stamina consumption.
Based on his current materials...
Leon decided to craft Kulu-Ya-Ku Mail and Greaves to pair with a Tobi-Kadachi Helm, Vambraces, and Coil.
This would grant him the skills: Stamina Surge Lv.1, Critical Eye Lv.1, Constitution Lv.1, and Evade Extender Lv.1.
He needed to reach five stars as quickly as possible. Once he could take on High Rank monster quests, he would focus on more serious gear.
Early the next morning.
Leon slung his materials over his shoulder and headed to the Smithy.
The sound of rhythmic hammering echoed from afar, and the entire Smithy was shrouded in a thin layer of soot and dust.
Amidst the rising heat, smiths were hard at work, their hammers striking the anvils like falling stars.
"Yo, you're here?" the Second Fleet Master looked up, his beard singed by sparks, though he didn't seem to care in the least.
Leon thudded his materials onto the counter and pulled out his Hunter's Notes, explaining the equipment he had planned to the Second Fleet Master.
Rolling up his sleeves, the Second Fleet Master carefully inspected the materials, a spark of professional passion igniting in his eyes.
"Not bad. You've got everything. But making this much at once... it'll take some effort." The Second Fleet Master narrowed his eyes. "Especially the Tobi-Kadachi and Anjanath gear—there's always a chance of failure..."
"Failure?" Leon had never considered that crafting equipment could fail. His face immediately contorted in disbelief.
"When you're working with large monster materials, there's always a possibility of failure. I have to make that clear from the start. If I need more materials, you'll have to go out and get them."
Seeing the Second Fleet Master's serious expression, Leon knew he wasn't joking. Perhaps this was just how reality worked here.
He nodded. "Alright. How long will it take?"
"At least seven days. I can't rush it." The Second Fleet Master hefted his hammer and grinned. "Don't push me, either. Every strike counts toward the success of the forge."
Since Leon only had one set of Tobi-Kadachi materials, he hurriedly said, "Please, take your time. Just... ensure it succeeds..."
"Hahaha!" The Second Fleet Master sorted the materials and turned toward the anvil by the furnace. "Don't worry. I'll handle this personally."
After some small talk, Leon left the Smithy.
It was still early.
The midday sun beat down on the wooden walkways as Astera hummed with the bustle of a new day.
Dumpling leaped onto Leon's shoulder and urged, "Hurry, hurry! It's almost time for training, meow!"
"Alright, alright. Since when did you enjoy training so much?" Leon gave a helpless smile and headed toward the Training Area.
Seven days wasn't a short time, but it was perfect for leveling up.
To keep his hunting instincts sharp and ensure he reached Rank 2 smoothly, Leon took on various slaying quests.
Most were for small monsters, with the occasional large monster like a Kulu-Ya-Ku or Great Jagras mixed in.
By day, Leon hunted in the Ancient Forest. At night, he returned to his hut to record every detail of the battles in his Hunter's Notes.
Dumpling also grew stronger with each hunt, and his synergy with Leon improved significantly.
Often, with just a glance, Dumpling knew whether Leon needed a trap or supplies. He also began learning to read monster movements to dodge more effectively.
For a Felyne, support was more important than combat. They had to learn survival skills so they could initiate a Cart rescue if their hunter fell into danger.
Through these hunts, Leon gradually realized...
True hunting wasn't about using the same set of moves for every monster; it was about finding the rhythm and the openings in every encounter.
On the third day, Leon witnessed a turf war between an Anjanath and a Rathalos in the Ancient Forest.
Leon hid nearby, recording the Rathalos's attack patterns until it flew off, leaving behind a wounded Anjanath for him to finish off.
On the fifth day, Leon successfully reached Rank 2 and received an escort mission personally assigned by the Commander.
The mission was set to depart in three days. Leon had to escort researchers to the Wildspire Waste to investigate traces left behind by Zorah Magdaros.
On the morning of the seventh day, just as the sky began to pale, Leon packed his bag and headed to the Smithy.
The forge fires were roaring, and the sound of hammering was dense and powerful.
"You're here?" The Second Fleet Master placed the greaves on the table, grinning energetically. "Your gear is finished!"
"No failures?" Leon asked curiously.
"You're in luck. Success on the first try," the Second Fleet Master said with satisfaction. "I thought you'd care about looks as much as Flora does. Glad to see she hasn't led you astray..."
Leon chuckled. "As long as the gear is practical. No one out on a hunt cares about looking cool."
"That's the right attitude." The Second Fleet Master nodded in approval, introducing the pieces in order. "Tobi-Kadachi Helm, Vambraces, and Coil; Kulu-Ya-Ku Mail and Greaves. They all came together nicely... Come on, try them on."
Taking the gear, Leon stepped into the changing room.
A few minutes later.
Leon walked out fully equipped.
The Tobi-Kadachi Helm was a mix of white and blue with two small, sharp horns on top, covered in the monster's fur.
The Kulu-Ya-Ku Mail was brightly colored. Combined, the set didn't look jarring; instead, it had a unique aesthetic.
"Not bad at all." The Second Fleet Master stroked his beard. "This set focuses on enhancing evasion and stamina recovery—perfect for a weapon like Dual Blades that relies so heavily on endurance."
Leon stretched his limbs; his body felt much lighter, and his overall mobility had reached a new level.
He thanked the Second Fleet Master from the bottom of his heart.
"No need for thanks." The Second Fleet Master waved him off. "If you really want to thank me, remember to save a Tobi-Kadachi Plate for me next time."
"No problem." Leon nodded with a smile and left the Smithy with his brand-new weapons and armor.
[NAME: LEON]
[LEVEL: LV6 (9800/12000)]
[TRAIT: LONE WOLF]
Description: Increases experience gain and material drop rate by 100% when hunting alone.
[ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 22, AGILITY 23, CONSTITUTION 17, PERCEPTION 15. (UNASSIGNED POINTS: 14)]
[EQUIPMENT: WILD HATCHETS, KULU-YA-KU MAIL, KULU-YA-KU GREAVES, TOBI-KADACHI HELM, TOBI-KADACHI VAMBRACES, TOBI-KADACHI COIL]
[EQUIPMENT SKILLS: STAMINA SURGE LV.1, CRITICAL EYE LV.1, CONSTITUTION LV.1, EVADE EXTENDER LV.1]
[QUEST LIST]
[MAIN QUEST: ???]