After a long day of travel, the group returned to the base.
Vos had also woken up from his unconscious state.
Leon returned to his quarters and opened his Hunter's Notes, beginning to research the dual blades he could currently craft.
He systematically recorded the various elemental dual blades and their required materials in his notes.
Non-elemental: Matched Slicers III; Ice element: Freeze Daggers I; Fire element: Blazing Hatchets II; Water element: Muddy Shwom III; Thunder element: Pulsar Hatchets III; Dragon element: Dragonbone Twinblades II.
Since armor options were limited, he decided to set aside skill optimization for now and use the Rathalos set to boost his defense.
Leon closed his Hunter's Notes, his gaze resolute.
To hunt stronger monsters, he had to arm himself first. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed his gear and headed straight for the Quest Board in the Gathering Hub.
[QUEST NAME: THE FLYING TOBI-KADACHI]
[QUEST LEVEL: 3★]
[OBJECTIVE: HUNT TOBI-KADACHI]
[VERIFICATION ITEM: DELIVER TOBI-KADACHI TONGUE]
[LOCATION: ANCIENT FOREST]
[CLIENT: CHIEF ECOLOGIST]
[QUEST DESCRIPTION: I would like to commission the Field Team to investigate various monsters once again.
There is still much to investigate regarding these creatures. Through investigation, we can obtain information beneficial for slaying or capturing them.]
[REWARD: 3240z]
[TIME LIMIT: THREE DAYS]
Leon needed to spend time gathering materials to craft all the dual blades.
Due to his Lone Wolf trait, he decided to leave Dumpling at the base and head to the Ancient Forest to hunt alone.
To this end, Leon specially prepared a Farcaster, just in case he ran into danger he couldn't escape.
...
Three days later, Leon returned to Astera laden with materials. Scorch marks were visible on his body, but his expression remained calm and his pace steady.
The Tobi-Kadachi tongue was delivered in perfect condition to the Ecological Research Center. The Chief Ecologist even met with Leon personally, promising more monster intel as a reward.
Without resting, Leon headed straight for the Smithy.
"Monster Bone+, Tobi-Kadachi Membrane, Tobi-Kadachi Electrode, Tobi-Kadachi Scale..." Leon laid out the materials one by one, checking his Hunter's Notes to ensure everything for upgrading the Pulsar Hatchets was ready.
Leon said simply to the Second Fleet Master, "Please upgrade the Pulsar Hatchets for me."
Unlike forging from scratch, upgrading was essentially instantaneous.
The sound of the hammer rang out as sparks flew.
Leon stood before the forge's light, waiting silently.
After obtaining the Pulsar Hatchets III, he began organizing the gear in his item box.
Non-elemental: Matched Slicers III
Ice: Freeze Daggers I
Fire: Blazing Hatchets II
Water: Muddy Shwom III
Thunder: Pulsar Hatchets III
Dragon: Dragonbone Twinblades II
Leon reorganized his weapons based on elements and their effective targets. These Rarity 4 weapons were the best he could currently craft.
He also knew that this was only the beginning.
Leon's next goal was the Rathalos. He needed a Rathalos Plate to craft the Rathalos Mail.
Time to keep grinding!
***
The twilight was like ink.
On the horizon, a scorching red light churned.
A massive creature approached slowly, its mountain-like body causing the earth to tremble with every step, as if the very crust of the planet were groaning.
Its body was composed of magma and rock, with a volcanic vent on its back spewing heat that turned the sky crimson.
—Zorah Magdaros, approaching the Great Ravine.
It was a calamity, a walking natural disaster!
If Zorah Magdaros were to cross the Great Ravine, it might cause unknown consequences for the New World...
Therefore, the hunters of Astera had already laid out their defense to repel it.
"Report distance," the Commander ordered from the command tower atop the ravine, his sharp eyes fixed on the "living volcano."
The adjutant immediately reported, "Seventy-seven kilometers from the main canyon breach. Estimated arrival at the defensive line in six hours."
"Trajectory confirmed?" the Commander asked.
The adjutant continued, "Confirmed. Zorah Magdaros is advancing steadily along the canyon mouth without deviation."
"Very well." The Commander turned to the liaison officer. "Prepare to initiate the 'Ravine Interception Plan.' Issue the full-line deployment order."
A signal flare shot into the sky, its red light piercing the night like a war horn, waking the sleeping battlefield.
Both sides of the Great Ravine immediately sprang into action.
The engineering team set up heavy cannons on high platforms, aiming at the canyon entrance.
Felynes helped carry cannonballs; crates of ammunition and heavy bowguns piled up like mountains.
Trap technicians quickly set up mechanisms in the valley floor and secondary tunnels: exploding fire nets, binding mines, and falling boulder traps.
Dozens of high-voltage cables were hidden beneath the soil—once Zorah Magdaros stepped into range, it would be forcibly electrocuted.
Not to subdue it, but to disrupt its path.
Farther up the heights, four giant machines were adjusting their angles—weapons replicated from ancient texts:
One-Shot Binder.
It could instantly fire steel cables to bind an Elder Dragon's joints—one of the "trump cards" of this defense.
"Can we... really stop it with this?" an old hunter asked, his face heavy as he watched the walking volcano.
The Commander didn't look back, answering calmly, "We have to stop it here. We cannot let it go any further."
He unrolled a map and pointed firmly at the bottleneck of the canyon. "The third breach, the fourth slope, and the lower spiral path—concentrate all main units in these three sections for interception and suppression."
"Understood!" The adjutant recorded the orders and dashed to the next command post.
Inside the ravine, the engineering team finished setting up slides to help hunters move quickly.
"Adjust the angle! Don't drift off the centerline!"
"Igniters preheating! Ready to activate the explosive bolts!"
Technicians were drenched in sweat; Felynes wearing welding goggles beside them were quickly connecting fire-crystal triggers, their small bodies more efficient than anyone else's.
On the left side of the main canyon road, several cannon arrays were complete. Iron rails extended along the rock wall, and the barrels were being loaded, cold iron shells fitting snugly into the chambers.
They hoped the cannon fire would slow Zorah Magdaros's advance.
Deployment neared completion as night fell completely.
The red light on the horizon grew more intense, as if a volcano were slowly rising at the edge of the world.
High on the tower, the cold wind howled.
The Commander's cloak billowed in the wind. He swept his cold gaze across the entire ravine front and commanded: "Summon all hunters of rank four and above to participate in the Zorah Magdaros capture operation!"
The liaison soldier nodded immediately, pulled out a horn, and blew it high into the air!
Wooo—!!
The horn's blast tore through the sky, and eagles took flight. In the fire-lit ravine, the sound of movement echoed instantly.
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