Murky seawater lapped against the slick rocks. Several small aquatic creatures scuttled quickly across the beach, hiding beneath driftwood washed ashore. The turquoise blue sea stretched out endlessly, and a clump of bird feathers – of indeterminate origin – was swept past the heads of the two inappropriately dressed witchers by the salty, fishy sea breeze.
"Zerin, damn it, you never told me your 'good friends' would open a portal on a deserted island!"
"At least the good news is that the Leshen is also on this island. Oh, damn it, I should have seen that coming!" Zerin smacked his palm in frustration. "Each portal opening can only guarantee which world we're going to, but it can't guarantee the same location within that world!"
"So? What are we supposed to do now? Build a small raft and drift over? Honestly, I don't think that's a great idea." Geralt stood with his arms crossed, watching the back of a monster that looked like a small island rise from the sea, before disappearing again beneath the turquoise waves.
The Great Sea Dragon, as large as a giant ox, completely ignored the two fools on the shore. It had no interest in human flesh. Unless its horns grew to a sufficiently large size, the Great Sea Dragon was even considered beneficial to humans.
It wouldn't attack fishing boats. On the contrary, the large amount of algae that grew on its body nourished many aquatic creatures and fish. Where the Great Sea Dragon appeared, it signified a good fishing season, and was even considered a symbol of good luck or blessing to fishermen. However, when its horns grew large enough to obscure its head, it would try to break them off to avoid starving to death like a rodent that couldn't eat.
And at this point, the completely blinded Great Sea Dragon wouldn't care what was in front of it. It would instinctively ram into anything large enough, such as fishing boats, reefs, and the seabed, creating tsunamis and earthquakes. The Hunter's Guild's solution was simple: send a few hunters to break off its horns, and that was that. It wouldn't hold a grudge – whether the horns were broken by hunters or broken off itself, the result was the same.
"Whoosh~" A blue-green flame streaked past. "I think we should have asked that cutie named Huihui to give us a ride."
With their witcher senses, they could naturally identify the source of the blue flame. It was the strange, blue dragon they saw in the cave, a creature that perfectly fit the description of a legendary dragon, rather than a wyvern: intelligent, powerful, able to shapeshift, and possessing a variety of magic.
l's hand caressed the blade as jet‑black flames erupted along its length. "Power Slash!" She stepped forward and drove the blade in a diagonal arc. The ensnared Toxic Wyvern let out a shriek as its gelatinous tail was cleanly severed. Two small barrel bombs were tossed beneath its body and detonated, blasting the creature backward in one piece.
Toxic Wyverns are among the few monsters the Hunter's Guild authorizes for immediate slaying upon sight. Their venomous mists and secretions wreak havoc—and can even trigger other roaming monsters into a frenzy.
"Flurry Slash!" The blade spun halfway up and then came crashing down in a reverse chop, carving two gory wounds into the Wyvern's flank. "Make way!" The veteran hunter's Switch Axe glowed as it charged, then cleaved downward like a colossal arc of light. With one stroke, the Wyvern's head flew free. "That's that."
"Phew—" The catgirl collapsed onto the ground, producing a massive slab of rock‑hard jerky and tearing into it with effort. This was the Hunter's Guild–issued staple, famed as its "field rations," tough enough to crack the skull of a herbivorous wyvern.
After surviving the rites of passage—being chased by a Velocidrome, swallowed by a Great Jagras, and hunted to every nook and cranny by a Barroth—the catgirl had grown accustomed to a hunter's way of combat.
She'd mastered setting traps and using shameless gadgets—flash bombs, stink bombs, sonic pods.
She'd learned the sneakiest ambushes, tail‑cutting maneuvers, and the downright ignoble art of pounding down a fallen foe.
She'd discovered how to manage her mana and stamina, to slip in potion doses between clashes, and to exploit terrain and improvised tools when facing mightier beasts.
Hunting is addictive. With cunning, strength, and skill, one toys with formidable prey until it collapses beneath a carefully plotted tactic—an intoxicating thrill. That's why, across the ages, hunting has been more than mere subsistence: it's also sport and social ritual.
Yet precisely for this reason, the Hunter's Guild must curb hunters' gathering and slaughter. Left unchecked, they risk degenerating into butchers—chasing ever‑greater monsters for a bigger rush. Humans' rarest trait is self‑awareness; spoil these hunters into believing themselves legends, provoking elder dragons or worse, and they imperil all mankind.
The Guild's solution is to dispatch hunter assassins to execute them. Elder dragons and other powerful monsters aren't impossible to challenge, but it can't be done on a whim by a few hotheaded hunters for the thrill of it. It requires weighing the pros and cons, using vast resources, formulating comprehensive plans, and having thorough contingency plans in case of failure, not just treating it as entertainment.
"Whoosh~ Pop!" A red flare exploded in the sky. "SOS flare! We need to go help!" The Bowgun hunter swallowed the last of his dry rations, nearly choking on the tough, coarse jerky. He downed a large gulp of honey herbal syrup to recover. Every hunter who sees a distress flare has a duty to provide support, because no one can guarantee they won't be the ones firing the flare next time.
"What the hell is that monster?!"
The monster's neck, resembling a black corn cob, pulsed a few times. Two scale-like objects were flung off, glowing crimson, and sprouted four legs as they charged toward the nearest target – the Sword and Shield hunter, who barely managed to raise his shield for protection. Then came a violent explosion, blasting him backward to crash against a log.
The Bazelgeuse's scales seemed to be more numerous than usual. They were actually the larvae of ore-eating insects (矿石虫), constantly feeding on the dragon's blood, making it feel weak and extremely uncomfortable, even restless. Its eyes were bloodshot, making it appear extremely irritable and anxious, wanting to rub against trees or find something to vent its bloodlust on.
The dragon's tail lashed out, flinging several "original Bazel-bombs (原装爆鳞)" into the trees, triggering a small explosion and fire. The burning trees collapsed, blocking the path and, along with the forest clearing, forming a near-perfect standard dueling arena.
"Roar!" The wind pressure from the Bazelgeuse's roar staggered the Sword and Shield hunter, who had just gotten to his feet, forcing him to barely brace himself for the next attack.
"Oh my god, what the hell is that thing?!" The first arriving Charge Blade hunter exclaimed. The Bazelgeuse is one of the endemic species of the New World, with no prior sightings or recorded observations. Therefore, in their eyes, it was a completely new species of dragon. "Whatever it is, we need to take it down."
"Just the four of us?" The catgirl stared in disbelief. That thing looked like trouble. And you two aren't exactly hotshots either! Where does the gathering hunter from the Fourth Fleet get his confidence?
However, in the world of hunters, those that look like trouble often aren't that strong. Powerful monsters don't need menacing looks to intimidate. Take Huihui, Kushala Daora, or Rajang, for example; they're far from terrifying. The Zinogre, stylish and cool as hell when it appears, is the weakest flagship monster. Not to mention the Yama Tsukami – just looking at it makes you feel a SANity crisis coming on. Yet... besides being thick-skinned, it's completely useless. The biggest danger is hunters falling asleep from boredom during the fight.
"By the way, what does it mean when the scoutflies turn blue?"
"..."
"Bang, bang!" Two SOS flares shot into the sky.
Blue scoutflies indicate an extremely powerful and unknown monster. According to the hunters' classification style, it basically means it belongs to the Elder Dragon class or a terrifying monster on par with Elder Dragons. Think Behemoth, or the Lavasioth, the "one-shot wonder" (PS: Because even if you eat a Felyne Meal and take your buffs, one jump attack will take you out...).
"Alright, let's buy some time." The Sword and Shield hunter said, catching his breath. "Buy some time... I'll try my best." The catgirl gave a wry smile. "Bloodbath!" Scarlet aetherial magic energy enveloped her body as she charged towards the Bazelgeuse.
"Wait, ore-eating insects? How are those things here?" More "scales" were flung off the Bazelgeuse with its movements. They sprouted thin legs and hopped over, only to be kicked away by the catgirl. "Watch out, those are ore-eating insects! Don't hit them on the back, kick them in the undercarriage!"
The backs of the ore-eating insects are covered in highly explosive material. They explode if struck hard. So the best way to deal with them is to kick the side with the legs, knock them over, and finish them off. However, it's hard for hunters who are encountering them for the first time to get the hang of it. Whether you get bumped into, stepped on, or kick them in the wrong spot, you'll be blown away.
Even knowing how to deal with the ore-eating insect scales of the Bazelgeuse didn't solve the problem of it flinging out highly explosive scales when it got too itchy. Strings of high-explosive scales bombarded the ground, forcing the hunters to dodge not only the scales falling from above but also the explosive insects running around on the ground, actively tracking and detonating, creating chaos. The three melee hunters were doing okay, but the Bowgun hunter couldn't get any damage out; he couldn't even set up his Bowgun before he had to run, or an ore-eating insect would jump on him and give him a "hail mary."
Besides the highly explosive scales, the Bazelgeuse was no slouch in close combat. There were constant sounds of metal clanging, as the two guys with shields were hammered back dozens of feet. The catgirl was almost entirely focused on dealing with the ore-eating insects running around on the ground. These creatures from Eorzea were manageable for her; a well-placed hate-drawing shout and release, and all the ore-eating insects came for her, allowing the Bowgun hunter to get a couple of shots in.
But there wasn't a White Mage or an Astrologian with a fairy here. The good news was that the healing potions didn't have a cooldown, but the bad news was that they were weak, and the recovery was slow. To avoid vomiting halfway through drinking one, she couldn't sprint while drinking. So, she had to run around the arena like Leroy Jenkins, with a swarm of self-detonating ore-eating insects chasing her. Honestly, the scene felt familiar—replace the ore-eating insects with self-destructing bomb monsters, and it became pretty clear.
"Hold on, I'll be ready soon!" The Bowgun hunter pulled out a huge load of ammo and shoved it in, then deployed the Bowgun. "The Wyvernheart is ready. Run faster!"
"I'm already running as fast as I can!" Compared to most hunters, the catgirl was already moving at a blinding pace. "Dakka dakka dakka!" Dense bursts of bullets swept across the ground, constantly hitting and exploding the ore-eating insects, forming a carpet of fire reminiscent of burning grapes behind the catgirl.
"Aaaagh!" The Charge Blade hunter screamed as he was sent flying out of the arena. The Sword and Shield hunter could only barely hold up his shield, dazed and confused by the explosions, about to be "carted" (GG/Game Over). But, at this time, the Bazelgeuse quieted down a bit. The strange feeling on its body lessened a lot. A large number of adult insects were thrown off, making it feel much more comfortable, so it didn't need to bother with these small fry. Plus, it wasn't unintelligent; it thought that maybe it could use these little guys as something like "tickbirds" in the future.
"Huff...huff..." The Bazelgeuse slowly ascended, flying off in a certain direction, leaving behind the slowly smoldering clearing, a scattering of unexploded scales, and four grimy, lightly wounded hunters. The catgirl's injuries mainly came from the shrapnel of nearby ore-eating insect explosions and...friendly fire from a certain Bowgun hunter. The Bowgun hunter, on the other hand, had detonated some scales during his sweep, getting blown back and covered in the scent of something burning.
Meanwhile, Huihui had landed near the Ancient Forest. After roaring at a Rathalos for a while, the latter, considering its size and claw/tooth capabilities, wisely ceded its hunting territory. "Sniff, sniff..." The aroma of the Mosswine was strong, so she quickly found the main ingredient for today's fried pork cutlet set meal: three Mosswine munching on the specialty mushrooms.
Mushrooms and Mosswine...what does that bring to mind? Of course, fried pork cutlets and mushroom pork buns! Simple meals easy to prepare while out and about, providing high calories and fat - a convenient fast food. Yes, Huihui thought that occasionally enjoying some simple food to cleanse the palate was a good choice.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!~" The Bazelgeuse flew overhead. It often saw this strange Valstrax, but since their diets didn't conflict, it usually just took a look without any dispute. Of course, this was also because, considering the size difference, flight speed, and altitude, it would most likely lose. The outcome of a fight between a bomber and a fighter jet is usually a foregone conclusion.