"Heng" was an ordinary young man with a profound spirit of adventure—or perhaps a spirit of seeking death. After all, in an era where most people cowered in their villages, praying not to be found by "Dragons," he chose to leave his hometown despite not being a hunter to seek out the legends of the "Five Dragons."
"Since the legend of the 'Five Dragons' has never faded, they must be living somewhere!"
Even when mocked by the rest of the village, he never gave up, until one day he simply vanished.
Some said he fled because he couldn't handle the ridicule; others said he took a desperate gamble and was eaten by a passing Velocidrome at the village entrance. Most didn't care much. Heng's parents had long since died in a Wyvern attack, and he spent most of his time either at home drawing strange things or leaving to collect plants. In their eyes, his presence didn't matter—but there was one girl in the village who believed he hadn't run away and was still alive.
Right now, Heng was drenched in sweat because the Kirin behind him was getting closer and closer.
"No! I absolutely cannot die! I haven't found the 'Five Dragons' yet! I haven't found a way to eliminate the 'Evil Dragons'! I can't die!"
Feeling the electric sparks drawing near, he gritted his teeth and, instead of dodging the tree in front of him, slammed into it with all his might.
Thud!
With a muffled impact, he was bounced back by the trunk. The sharp pain in his shoulder made him frown, but he let out an excited smile. By using the force of that collision, he forcibly changed his flight path. But then he froze. From the direction he had been fleeing, a figure was rapidly approaching. As the figure drew near, he finally saw clearly who it was.
It was that man from before?!
To evade the Kirin's pursuit, he had been running blindly through the forest. He had assumed this island was uninhabited, but he hadn't expected to actually run into someone. It should have been a cause for joy, but when he realized his actions might have gotten that man and the "mother and daughter" killed, he felt immense guilt. He had chosen to act as bait to lure the Kirin away again, so why was the man chasing after him?
When he saw the crimson spear in the man's hand, he suddenly realized the man's identity ————— a Hunter!
In the village, the status of a "Hunter" was extremely noble. They provided meat for the village and drove away monsters that attacked the villagers. But instead, he became more tense.
"Don't come over! This is a Kirin! It's the 'Divine Beast' from the murals!!"
Since he had never met the man, Heng assumed he was a hunter from another village. Due to the environment, communication between villages was sparse, and hunters mainly operated near their own homes, so the variety of monsters discovered was limited. Rare and powerful monsters were mostly known through "legends" and "murals."
He tried to warn the man of the Kirin's terror. He had seen it long ago: the creature was currently chasing and teasing him like a toy. He was only alive because it didn't feel like killing him yet. If that man attacked, there was no telling how the Kirin would react.
Unfortunately, the man had no intention of listening. Just as Heng finished speaking, the man's spear thrust toward the Kirin's rear, and then ——————
Clang!!
The crisp sound of weapon clashing against hide echoed through the silent depths of the forest.
Feeling the recoil from his weapon, Lancer couldn't help but let a smile touch his lips.
"Looks like I guessed right. The tail is the hardest part..."
While he only had basic memories of the "MH" world—having forgotten most hitzones and elemental weaknesses—he had a very deep impression of the Kirin's traits. After all, "What's the point of playing MH with a female character if you don't farm a Kirin set? You might as well be a salted fish."
On the other side, whether because the Kirin sensed Lancer's threat, or because it was humiliated by Lancer nearly hitting its "back door," it completely abandoned the "little guy" and focused its attention on Lancer.
The single horn on its raised head flickered with dazzling lightning. Its blue-and-white fur became even more vibrant under the glow of the electricity.
Facing the Kirin's almost condescending gaze, Lancer instead showed an excited expression.
While he enjoyed the thrill of hunting, neither the Raths, the aquatic Plesioth, nor the omnipresent Velociprey could truly get his blood pumping. His current strength was far beyond what it used to be.
But this creature before him—small in stature but radiating a dangerous aura—made him feel a long-lost sense of "crisis."
The two locked eyes for over ten seconds. Seemingly provoked by Lancer's defiant gaze, the Kirin let out a neigh as brilliant lightning swept out from its body in all directions. It lowered its head and charged straight at Lancer, carrying a blinding electrical light.
The intense lightning was enough to blind an ordinary person, let alone someone like Lancer with enhanced vision; it magnified the damage at least tenfold. Consequently, Lancer decisively closed his eyes, choosing to rely on his hearing to face the enemy.
Relying on his "Yato" ability, his hearing would be enhanced after losing his sight. The sound of four hooves running wasn't quiet to begin with, and the crackling of the electrical sparks made it easy for him to pinpoint the opponent's position.
Holding the spear with both hands, he took a stance and stood still like a statue. Heng couldn't help but want to shout a warning, but at that moment, a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Don't speak. Talking at a time like this will only interfere with his battle."
The voice in his ear made him turn to look, and he froze.
Before, in his frantic escape, he had only distinguished her gender by the curves of her figure, but he hadn't seen her face. Seeing Olga Marie now, he felt a sense of stunning beauty, but it was immediately followed by a feeling of utter strangeness. Her clothes seemed different from before?
Furthermore, he only saw people wearing such elaborate clothing during the "Harvest Festival." Wearing such complicated attire in the forest now... it was truly bizarre.