The cabin was small, but it was warm and quiet, the wooden wall panels still radiating the lingering warmth of the hearth.
Leon lay in bed.
His eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes.
His throat felt parched, his muscles heavy as lead, and a sharp pain still radiated through every inch of his body.
But he knew that simply waking up was a miracle in itself.
Leon sat up, looking down at his bandage-wrapped body before laboriously climbing out of bed.
A small white cat sat in the corner of the room, wearing aviator goggles. Its ears twitched, and it looked up alertly.
"Meow?! You're awake!" Dumpling chirped, springing over with light steps.
He nuzzled Leon a few times, tilted his head, and flicked his tail, grumbling, "The doctor said you'd be bedridden for at least seven days, meow! You're such a stubborn human, meow! What are you doing up?"
Leon glanced at Dumpling and smiled helplessly. "I'm fine now, don't worry..."
With that, he limped over to the corner of the room.
Dumpling, who had been about to nag more, went silent.
He watched as Leon carefully retrieved the Nergigante Great Horn from his storage box.
Dumpling looked up at Leon, his eyes devoid of their usual mischief, replaced by a rare, somber quiet.
Leon carried the horn to the table.
'Why? Why didn't it finish me off...'
'Was it because my weapon broke?'
'Or... was it just too bored?'
To be shown mercy by a monster should have been a relief—at least he was alive.
But Leon felt as if there were thorns in his back—
He simply could not accept this outcome.
Seeing this, Dumpling came to the table and sat down quietly.
A moment of silence passed.
Leon gave a soft smile but didn't speak. The deep furrow in his brow relaxed; he was no longer obsessing over it. He knew that the next time he faced Nergigante, the hunt would end differently.
Dumpling flicked his tail and patted the table, breaking the silence. "What's the plan now, meow? Going after that Nergigante?"
"Of course," Leon replied, his gaze hardening. "I won't give up on the hunt."
Dumpling rolled onto his back, looking pleased. "Hehe, I knew you wouldn't just quit, meow! This means I finally won, meow!"
"Won what?"
"Flora and the others came to see you every day. Coco kept saying you'd quit, so I made a bet with him, meow."
"Flora? Is she all right?"
"She's practically bouncing off the walls, just worried sick, meow. While you were out cold, she visited every day. Yuri, Ramsey, Vos—even the Sword Master and the Commander came by, meow..."
"In that case, I should probably thank them."
"Don't bother with thanks, meow. Just focus on getting your strength back. As long as a hunter's alive, the hunt goes on, meow."
No sooner had he spoken than footsteps echoed outside the door.
"Leon?! Are you awake?" Flora's voice drifted through the wood, laced with urgency.
With a quick meow, Dumpling ran to open the door.
The door swung open.
Sunlight flooded the room.
Flora was dressed in casual clothes, her long black hair, usually tied up high, now hung loosely and somewhat messily over her shoulders.
Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, but her face was filled with unmistakable joy. "You... you're really awake?" she asked again.
Faced with such an obvious question, Leon didn't bother answering. Instead, he countered, "What does it look like?"
A second later.
Flora's fist connected with Leon's shoulder.
Leon winced but didn't move.
It was then that Flora noticed the red staining the bandages on his shoulder; he was clearly far from recovered.
"You—!" Flora shoved Leon back onto the bed. "Stay there and rest properly!"
"Fine, fine..." Leon said with a wry smile. "I get it. I'll listen to you."
***
The sea breeze blew through the air.
The lights of Astera remained lit throughout the night, which felt livelier than usual.
In the fourth-floor Gathering Hub.
Three rows of large lanterns were hung across the center of the plaza. A bonfire blazed as the Chef and his Felyne crew tended to massive pots. The air was thick with the rich aroma of seafood stew and grilled meat skewers.
Leon sat at the second seat of the head table. He was dressed in clean, light clothing; though his shoulder was still bandaged, it no longer restricted his movement.
Dumpling hopped onto the table, bragging to the surrounding Felynes. "Meow-ha-ha! I told you the rookie would make it back alive! He's the partner I trained, after all, meow!"
Coco sat below, huffing. "Stop getting ahead of yourself, meow. You're always so reckless..."
As they joked, heavy footsteps approached. The Commander and the Sword Master walked forward together, and the rowdy plaza fell silent.
"Leon." The Commander began, his gaze steady as he looked at the hunter. "Everyone saw your performance during the Zorah Magdaros operation."
"Though you were swept into it by chance, you held your ground against Nergigante and ensured the main force's withdrawal."
He paused, his voice taking on a weightier tone. "Therefore, the command center has reached a unanimous decision. As of today, Leon, you are promoted to a 'Five-Star Hunter'!"
"You will be assigned a High Rank identification number, granting you the authority to take on High Rank assignments and hunt High Rank monsters."
The crowd froze for a moment.
Then, applause and cheers erupted throughout the plaza.
"Five stars?!" Flora was the first to stand up, her face full of shock. "That means he's on the same level as Vos!"
Ramsey let out a sharp whistle. "Man, I didn't think you'd rank up faster than me..."
Vos raised his glass, boisterous as ever. "Haha! Let's drink to that! A toast to our base's most trouble-prone rookie!"
Yuri watched Leon in silence.
The Commander raised his hand for silence and took a thick, cloth-wrapped bundle from his assistant.
He handed it solemnly to Leon.
"One more thing," the Commander said. "Your contribution was vital. After an evaluation by the base leadership, it has been decided that you will receive priority allocation for the materials left by Zorah Magdaros, along with two Commendations!"
"Since Leon faced Nergigante head-on, he will have unrestricted priority access to any Zorah Magdaros materials he might require."
Leon was stunned for a moment before standing up to accept the heavy bundle. He gave a slight bow. "Thank you... I won't let everyone down..."
Dumpling sat up straight, flicking his tail. "We're rich, meow... Does this mean I get a new set of gear too, meow?"
Hearing this, Coco could only sigh.
Another wave of laughter went through the crowd.
Firelight flickered and glasses clinked.
After two and a half months of grueling effort, Leon had finally pushed open the door to the "High Rank."
Next, he had to find Nergigante. Only by completing the hunt could he clear the main quest.
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