Monster Hunt: Notes from a Hunter

The time came to the middle of the night.

  The three people and two cats hurriedly filled their stomachs with the food they carried, and then got into the tent to sleep for five or six hours. The three people and two cats relieved themselves of the fatigue accumulated during the day, and their spirits and physical strength were restored to fullness.

  After helping each other get dressed and checking the equipment and props, the group was ready to go.

  Gordon came to the edge of the treetop camp and glanced at the sky through the sparse canopy.

  It was still dark, with clouds covering the sky. The moon that should have been bright was only a blurry shadow, and the stars were not visible at all.

  Although it's not to the point where you can't see your fingers, even with the light emitted by the insect guide cage, the visible distance is only a few dozen meters.

  Putting out his hand to feel the wind, Gordon nodded, "The wind and rain have become lighter, almost."

  He looked back at his companions, "Are you all ready? Let's set off."

  The Elu jumped on the hunter and grabbed him.

  Alva took off his glasses, put on windproof goggles and blew his whistle. The pterosaur perched in the canopy landed in front of them, took them out of the camp and flew northwest towards the center of the storm.

  The pterosaurs were not flying very steadily, and it was even a little difficult.

  Although the wind and rain have weakened slightly, they have only changed from heavy rain to heavy rain, not to mention that they still carry a heavy "weight".

  As they continued to approach, the insect guide cages of several people once again emitted a bright blue light.

  The scent of the ancient dragon spreads in the wind and rain.

  The acid pterosaurs controlled by the hunters are ferocious in nature, and wild individuals dare to wander around the ancient dragons, so the impact is not that big.

  But the pterosaur above Alva's head was not very good. It kept screaming in panic, and its flying posture became more and more chaotic, looking like it was struggling to escape.

  A crash could occur at any time on the Alva side as they forced their way forward. Gordon shouted and made a gesture, and the group began to descend.

  The group of people landed in the forest, which was only four or five kilometers away from the center of the storm. Running there was just a warm-up distance.

  "Elu and others will go forward for reconnaissance, Hayata will open the way, and I will stay behind, in a tight formation, and be careful to keep quiet." Gordon quickly gave the order.

  Pork Chop and Pandan jumped to the ground, jumping and running forward.

  Hayata adjusted the hem of her skirt and sped up to run, followed closely by Alva and Gordon at the end of the team.

  He silently observed Alva's movements and steps.

  At this time, the road they were walking on was not a flat road. It was a dark rainy night in a dense forest. Ordinary people could stumble over tree roots hidden among the fallen leaves if they took even two cautious steps.

  Hayata, who was responsible for opening the road, was not slow. According to this efficiency, they could reach the target location at the center of the storm in more than [-] minutes, or at most half an hour.

  Gordon wanted to confirm whether Alva could keep up with Hayata's pace at this speed. If he stumbled, he might even fall behind.

  He will force the latter to return.

  Fortunately, Alva wasn't bragging when he said he was experienced in night operations.

  His steps were light and powerful. Even on the muddy land, he could always find a relatively flat and solid foothold. He was not slowed down by the mud at all, and even seemed to have a lot of room for it.

  Gordon felt relieved upon seeing this.

  It seems that there is no need to worry about this guy anymore. Even if there is a battle or accident, Alva can run back by himself with his well-tested legs.

  After running at this speed for more than a quarter of an hour, Hayata slowed down.

  One or two kilometers further ahead is the center of the storm. The steel dragon may appear at any time, so you need to be more cautious in your next actions.

  She began to move forward in a circuitous way, relying on the fallen dead wood, rocks, and big trees with thick trunks in the forest.

  In this way, even if the Steel Dragon appears next second and attacks them directly, they will be able to find cover immediately to avoid it. Alva seems to be better at this mode of action. He lowers his body and rolls between the bunkers.

  Although he looked very embarrassed with his body covered in mud, and his appearance of fighting wits with the air looked a bit funny, Gordon could see that this guy was still very "good at it".

  Mud can effectively mask one's own smell and the heat emitted by the body, which is a good camouflage. As for those "fussy" tactical actions, it is better than being dull and straightforward.

  As long as you have sufficient physical strength, it is safest to crawl and roll along the way.

  The three of them moved forward slowly, and more than ten minutes passed like this. The wind around them became stronger and stronger. Alva lowered his body as much as possible to reduce the windward side, otherwise his movements would be affected.

  The two hunters had no problem, and their advance preparations paid off. This strong wind was not enough to cause "wind pressure". Under the multiple protections of armor, protective stones and decorative beads, they could move freely.

  Hayata, who was walking at the front, suddenly made a "stop" gesture, and the three of them gathered under a decaying and collapsed giant tree and crouched down to take cover.

  "Everything."

  Pandan emerged from a bush and ran quickly to them.

  It lowered its voice and said, "I found it, meow! It's in the forest clearing two hundred meters ahead. It's not quite right to call it a forest clearing, but the trees and grass in the original place were all blown away by the strong wind."

  Pig Chop stayed there and continued to monitor it, asking me to come back and report to Meow. "

  "What's its condition? Are there any obvious rust stains on its scales?" Gordon asked.

  The steel dragon and the rusty steel dragon belong to the same creature, but they don't look like the same creature.

  Among the ancient dragon species that are currently known to a certain extent, the steel dragon is a species with a relatively gentle and calm personality. Even if other creatures invade its territory, they generally will not take the initiative to attack as long as they do not show hostility.

  But the Rusty Steel Dragon is different. Perhaps because there will be a period of vulnerability after molting, the Rusty Steel Dragon before molting is very irritable.

  If the opponent is a rusty steel dragon, then a fight is almost inevitable.

  "There is no meow. Although the light is very dark, I can confirm the shiny meow on the steel dragon." Xianglan shook her hair covered with water droplets, "And it doesn't look angry, just squatting." Just stay there in a daze, meow.”

  "At least it's not the worst case scenario." Hayata breathed a sigh of relief.

  Gordon pondered for a moment, "Don't hide it anymore, just walk over."

  "Are you sure?" Alva looked at him in surprise.

  "Well, the main purpose of concealed approach is to avoid sudden attacks by monsters and to gain a tactical advantage to a certain extent." Gordon explained in a low voice:

  "But the steel dragon is in the clearing in the forest, and we can't reach it quietly. What's more, we don't plan to attack first.

  In this case, being sneaky may arouse the other party's vigilance, so it would be better to approach him head-on. "

  "Okay, listen to you."

  Alva took off his leather gloves and rubbed his hands that were stiff from the rain.

  He pulled a drawing board that was carried behind him in front of him, took out the charcoal pencil from his bag, and hung it on his chest for easy access.

  “You can still draw in this weather?!”

  "It will be a little blurry, but I can draw a rough outline. I can go back and dry it before adding details!"

  ".Well, remember not to stare into each other's eyes all the time. It might be considered provocative."

  After giving Alva a final warning, Gordon and Hayata stood up, walked out of the bunker, adjusted the belts of their armor and the weapons behind them, and walked towards the forest glade that became the eye of the storm.

  (End of this chapter)