"…This should be enough."
Looking at the collapsed Great Jagras—barely able to move—Su Yi knew—
The moment had come.
"Chansey, I'm counting on you."
He released Chansey, keeping it ready to heal.
Given the Jagras's condition—
If it wasn't treated immediately after capture—
It would die.
"Go—Capture Ball!"
The red-and-white sphere spun through the air—
Struck—
Opened—
Light burst forth—
Engulfing the Great Jagras—
And pulled it inside.
Buzz!
The ball shook violently.
Su Yi clenched his fists.
More nervous than when he had mounted the monster earlier.
Because—
He only had seven Capture Balls left.
Initial support: 5Mission reward: 5Used on Nargacuga: 1Used on Lushui: 1Used on Chansey: 1
Remaining: 7
And right now—
There was no way to get more.
Every ball—
Was precious.
Failure—
Was not an option.
Buzz!
Another shake.
"…Stop struggling."
"You're in no condition to fight."
Su Yi muttered quietly.
As if negotiating.
Buzz…
The shaking slowed.
Weakened.
He held his breath—
Eyes locked on the ball.
Click.
Silence.
Stillness.
Success.
Su Yi rushed forward—
Grabbing it—
Holding it tightly—
Then raising it high.
A grin spread across his face.
"Great Jagras—Get da★ze!"
"Meow!"
"Lucky!"
Lushui and Chansey rushed over—
Celebrating with him.
"…Finally."
Relief flooded his body.
Then—
Exhaustion followed.
This—
Was his first true capture.
Lushui had joined willingly.
Chansey had helped out of kindness.
But this—
This was earned.
At first—
He had planned to take it slow.
Capture something simple.
A herbivore.
A small monster.
Step by step.
But instead—
Everything had gone wrong.
Interrupted hunts.
Relentless monsters.
Near-death encounters.
Even Anjanath had come back for revenge.
"…What kind of luck is that…"
It had shaken him.
Not arrogance.
Not impatience.
But frustration.
He had advantages.
A system.
Knowledge.
And still—
He struggled.
But that struggle—
Had forced him to adapt.
To think.
To stay calm.
To hunt properly.
And in the end—
He succeeded.
"…So this is what it means to hunt."
Caution—
And courage.
Both were necessary.
…
After resting—
Su Yi released the Great Jagras.
The massive creature appeared—
Over ten meters long.
Even as a low-tier monster—
Its presence was overwhelming.
It growled weakly—
Watching him cautiously.
Wary.
Guarded.
But not attacking.
Su Yi remained alert.
Unlike Pokémon—
Monsters did not obey naturally.
To it—
He was just something that had captured it.
Given the chance—
It would strike.
"…Easy."
He tossed a Sitrus Berry.
The Jagras stepped back—
Watching.
Then—
Looking at him.
"…You're judging me, huh…"
Su Yi picked up another berry—
And ate it himself.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The Jagras hesitated—
Then—
Ate.
Instant effect.
Its stamina recovered.
It stepped forward—
Low growl rumbling—
Expecting more.
"…Alright, alright."
Another berry.
No hesitation this time.
It devoured it instantly.
Su Yi stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The Jagras tensed—
Uncertain.
He mimicked what he remembered—
One hand feeding—
The other reaching out.
But—
The Jagras pulled back.
Growling.
Lushui stepped forward immediately—
Weapon glowing.
"Don't hurt Su Yi, meow!"
"…Yeah."
Su Yi sighed softly.
"It still needs time."
"But at least it didn't try to kill me."
"Chansey—Heal Pulse."
"Lucky."
A soft, warm light enveloped the Jagras.
Its wounds—
Deep.
Severe.
Healing took time.
Energy.
But slowly—
The injuries closed.
Leaving behind scars.
The Jagras relaxed.
Just a little.
Su Yi tossed out chunks of meat.
It ate.
Then—
Instinctively—
It began moving toward its nest.
"…We're back here again."
Su Yi opened the map—
Confirmed it.
The Jagras stopped near the cave—
Looking inside—
Then back at him.
"…You're smarter now."
Su Yi muttered.
"…Probably the Pokémon effect."
He recalled it back into the ball.
Then—
Scoutflies gathered nearby.
Swarming over something.
"…Kulu-Ya-Ku remains."
Scales.
Feathers.
Blood.
"…From earlier."
At that moment—
The Hunter's Manual glowed.
A new entry appeared.
[Quest: Hunt Kulu-Ya-Ku]Support: NoneReward: 5 Capture Balls, 2 Trap ToolsTime Limit: 3 days
"…An investigation quest."
He studied it carefully.
Optional.
Skippable.
But—
If ignored or failed—
It would disappear for three days.
"…Do I take it?"
He thought deeply.
The Great Jagras capture—
Had relied on luck.
On interference.
Not pure strength.
And Kulu-Ya-Ku—
Was fast.
Clever.
Hard to catch.
"…Maybe I should regroup first…"
"…Or…"
His gaze sharpened.
"…Check its condition first."
"No risk. No loss."
"And if I wait too long…"
"…it'll recover."
"…and become harder."
Decision made.
"Let's do it."
"One more push."
"Another hunt, meow?!"
Lushui's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Su Yi checked the time—
Then followed the Scoutflies.
…
Elsewhere—
Heavy footsteps echoed.
The forest trembled.
Anjanath.
Its nostrils flared—
Tracking.
Then—
It stopped.
A familiar scent.
ROOOOAR!!!
Excitement surged.
It had found him again.
And this time—
It gave chase.
…
Meanwhile—
Su Yi advanced deeper into the Ancient Forest.
Toward—
The towering tree.
Inside—
A world of its own.
Dense.
Humid.
Alive.
"…Flashbugs."
"Nice."
He carefully captured one.
Resources—
Were everywhere.
No wonder—
Researchers had built entire systems around this ecosystem.
Step by step—
He gathered.
Prepared.
Moved forward.
Toward his next hunt.
…
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