The Training Area.
The sun hung high, waves of heat rolling across the ground.
Leon stood in the center of the open field, meticulously checking his equipment and items.
The specialized weapon for dealing with Rathalos—the "Muddy Shwom"—had been successfully forged. His armor was polished, and his items, traps, and potions... everything was ready.
[NAME: LEON]
[LEVEL: LV.7 (12100/18000)]
[TRAIT: LONE WOLF]
Description: When hunting alone, experience gain and material drops are increased by 100%.
[ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 25, AGILITY 23, CONSTITUTION 17, PERCEPTION 15. (UNASSIGNED POINTS: 11)]
[EQUIPMENT: PULSAR HATCHETS LV.1, KULU-YA-KU MAIL, KULU-YA-KU GREAVES, TOBI-KADACHI HELM, TOBI-KADACHI BRACES, TOBI-KADACHI COIL]
[ARMOR SKILLS: STAMINA SURGE LV.1, CRITICAL EYE LV.1, CONSTITUTION LV.1, EVADE EXTENDER LV.1]
[QUEST LIST]
[MAIN QUEST: ???]
Rathalos—
'Here I come!'
This wasn't just about completing a quest; it was a chance to further test his limits.
Just as Leon was about to set off, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Leon!"
Flora came running over, her forehead slick with sweat and her expression filled with anxiety.
Leon turned back and frowned when he saw the uncharacteristic panic on her face. "What's wrong?"
Flora rushed up to him, her words tumbling out in a hurry. "Yuri hasn't returned to the base for five days. Vos and I have been looking everywhere for him..."
"Five days?" Leon's expression shifted, his brow arching. "What happened? Didn't he just pass the novice hunter exam? Could he be out hunting somewhere?"
"I don't know." Flora shook her head, her distress deepening. "Vos was supposed to be training him in the Ancient Forest, but five days ago, he said he wanted to hunt a Great Jagras alone. No one thought much of it at first, but there's been no word since then..."
Leon scratched his head. "Where have you looked?"
"We've scoured the outskirts of the Ancient Forest these past few days, but—" Flora bit her lip. "We only heard from a few hunters that they might have seen someone matching Yuri's description heading north, alone..."
"North?" Leon's eyes sharpened. He muttered under his breath, "He couldn't have gone after the Rathalos, could he?"
"The Rathalos?" Flora realized, the truth dawning on her. "Is it because of you...?"
Leon nodded silently, his mind racing.
Judging by his performance during the physical exam, Yuri was stubborn and fiercely competitive...
"He wants to prove himself. He wants to beat me to the hunt..." Leon whispered, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. He couldn't help but curse, "What an idiot."
"Then let's go find him!"
"I'll go alone. You should report the situation to the Sword Master first."
"I haven't seen him at the base for a long time since the day we saw Zorah Magdaros. I wonder if he's on some secret mission..."
"...He's never around when you actually need him." Leon looked up and took a deep breath. "Yuri going after the Rathalos is just a theory. You and Vos keep searching elsewhere. I'm going for the Rathalos anyway. If I run into him, I'll bring him back."
Flora was stunned. She wanted to say more, but Leon had already turned away, his tone brooking no argument.
***
Ancient Forest, Area 15.
According to the Commander's intel, while there are several nests in the forest, only one Rathian is currently pregnant, making the resident Rathalos exceptionally aggressive.
Since the Rathalos's hunting grounds were vast, there was a high risk of novice hunters being caught in the crossfire, which was why this quest was issued.
Waves of scorching air hit his face as Leon used vines to scale a high platform formed by tangled tree trunks.
He crouched in the shadows, his gaze scanning the open area below—the Rathalos's territory.
Though the dragon was nowhere to be seen, the air was thick with the stench of rot and charred remains. Massive claw marks were gouged deep into the rock walls.
Leon's eyes narrowed. He suddenly spotted a figure hiding behind a distant boulder, body tense as if trying to creep closer to the heart of the nest.
"Yuri?!" Leon's pupils shrank. He vaulted down and hissed, "Hey! Are you insane?!"
The figure whipped around, face obscured by a black hood, a dark green Long Sword strapped to their back.
"Le... Leon?" Yuri's voice wavered with panic, though still guarded.
"I should be asking you that! Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Leon flipped over nimbly and grabbed Yuri by the shoulder, feeling the other person struggle.
"Let go!" Yuri violently shook him off, snapping, "The Rathalos is mine!"
"You want to hunt a Rathalos solo?" Leon let out a sharp, angry laugh. "You're not proving yourself; you're committing suicide!"
"Shut up!" Yuri yelled. "You don't understand! If the Rathalos hadn't stayed away this long, I—"
BOOM!!!
At that moment, a world-shaking roar erupted from the depths of the nest, as deafening as a volcanic explosion.
Then, a massive dark shadow soared out from behind the rock face, wreathed in fierce flames and murderous intent, diving straight for them!
The Rathalos was back!
"Get down!" Leon tackled Yuri to the ground. A fireball exploded behind them with a thunderous crash.
A heatwave washed over them, leaving their ears ringing.
"Stay close!" Leon hauled Yuri up and ducked behind a massive boulder. But before they could catch their breath, the dragon's tail whip shattered the rock into dust.
Another roar from the Rathalos followed immediately!
Leon's eardrums throbbed. He was disoriented, but as he struggled to his feet, a strange sight caught his eye.
Yuri was sprawled nearby, trying to push herself up. Her leather armor had been mostly scorched away by the flames, revealing the slender neck, shoulders, and the tight binding cloth of a girl.
Leon froze in his tracks.
"You... You're a girl?"
Yuri stiffened at his words, her expression shifting as a flash of anger and complicated emotion crossed her eyes.
A moment later.
The Rathalos took to the skies again, its massive frame casting a terrifying shadow over the woods.
"Run!!" Leon lunged forward, grabbing Yuri and rolling into a hollowed-out tree trunk hidden by vines. Massive talons grazed past them, barely missing.
"Bastard! Why are you touching me!" Yuri's cheeks flushed red, though it was hard to tell if it was from shame or rage.
"We're about to die! Who cares about that?" Leon panted, growling, "If you actually die here, how am I supposed to explain this back at base?"
Yuri's voice was thick with stubbornness. She grit her teeth. "Why save me? I came here to steal your prey!"
"Because you're a hunter too." Leon looked her straight in the eye, his expression grave. "I know you just want to prove yourself, but don't throw your life away."
"You..." Yuri clenched her jaw, her eyes trembling with defiance and fury. She whispered hoarsely, "I'd rather die than lose to you!"
Leon's lips curled into a cold smirk—not out of mockery, but out of helplessness and suppressed anger.
He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him, hissing, "If you die, you'll truly never have the chance to beat me."
Yuri's breath hitched. Her angry eyes wavered, as if his words had struck a chord deep inside.
Silence fell between them inside the hollow trunk.
Outside, the Rathalos growled as it stalked the nest for the intruders, its fury clearly unabated.
"Meow—what are you two doing in that hole?" Dumpling suddenly popped out of nowhere. It looked at Yuri and exclaimed in shock, "You're a girl?"
Yuri and Leon turned their heads at the same time.
Leon lowered his voice, asking in confusion, "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to wait at the camp?"
He had planned to hunt alone to get the Lone Wolf bonus materials, hoping he could craft the full Rathalos set in one go. He hadn't expected Dumpling to follow him.
"To save you, obviously, meow!" Dumpling waved its paws indignantly. "When I heard that explosion, I thought you'd been roasted into a meat roll, meow!"
"Can't you ever just listen?" Leon glared at Dumpling, though he felt a sense of relief.
At least Dumpling could lead Yuri back to camp.
Dumpling blinked, looking Yuri up and down like it was analyzing prey. It muttered, "No wonder you're so scrawny and refuse to use the public baths, meow... You're a female..."
"What did you say?!" Yuri's face turned bright red, nearly jumping out of her skin.
"Meow! Don't hit me! I have freedom of speech, meow!" Dumpling raised its paws in surrender. "Besides, don't you humans say something about 'men and women working together makes the hunt better'... No, that's not right, meow!"
"Quiet." Leon covered Dumpling's mouth. "Can you read the room?"
"But were you two just—" Dumpling tried to peek at Yuri again.
Leon and Yuri snapped in unison: "No!"
Outside, a violent roar shook the air. The Rathalos slowly prowled the edge of the nest, the flames venting from its snout illuminating the dark forest.
""