"Approaching! Lao-Shan Lung."
Wayne had mentioned before that after clearing the Lao-Shan Lung, the next step would be the true final boss, the Fatalis. However, his previous comment—"the next boss is a total pushover"—had left the quartet completely baffled.
Forget this stage; even the earlier Gravios, Monoblos, and Red Khezu had tormented them to the point of despair. They felt that the further they progressed in this game, the lower the margin for error became. A momentary lapse in concentration leading to one or two hits from a boss combo would send them straight to the "felyne cart," with no chance even to drink a potion.
They wanted to see if the "pushover" Wayne spoke of was truly that weak.
According to the mission briefing, the group finally understood that the Lao-Shan Lung was one of the gentle Elder Dragons. Reaching over 65 meters in length, it usually spent its time sleeping in mineral-rich areas like volcanoes, feeding primarily on rocks and volcanic stones.
Due to its massive size, the Lao-Shan Lung had no natural predators and no record of ever actively attacking human settlements. Its sudden appearance and assault on the Fortress where the Hunter's Gathering Hall was located was judged by monster researchers and veteran hunters to be a forced action caused by it being startled by something else.
With the background introduced, the figures of Wayne and Rainier appeared on the screen.
They ran from the base toward the forward map. In a mountain pass, they saw the Lao-Shan Lung, crawling on all fours toward the outer walls of the Fortress.
Hicks exclaimed, "Holy Light... that thing is huge! How do you even fight that?"
Verdan said, "Everyone pay close attention. When we reach this stage, we'll need to know how to handle it."
Inside the game, Wayne gave Rainier an order: "Charge into the gap between the inner side of the claws and the outer side of the belly!"
Rainier replied, "Understood!"
The two split left and right, immediately sprinting forward.
They ran for nearly 50 meters before moving from the front of the dragon's head to the front of its hind legs—the point where the Lao-Shan Lung's belly hung lowest.
Wayne shouted, "Hack at the sides! Watch your positioning and don't get crushed by the lifting hind legs or the swaying belly!"
Rainier: "Understood!"
Before his voice faded, the two drew their weapons and initiated the attack with Draw Slashes.
Rainier had already consumed a Might Seed and Dash Juice while at the dragon's head. On the other hand, Wayne's Kirin set reduced item duration, and since this battle was expected to be long, using consumable buffs wasn't cost-effective for him.
Following Wayne's teaching, Rainier entered Demon Mode after his initial thrust. His Dual Blades—the "Twin Flames" forged from Gold Rathian and Silver Rathalos materials—lashed out at the Lao-Shan Lung's belly. The red glow on the blades steadily accumulated.
Unlike Rainier's flurry-style attack, Wayne wielded his Greatsword. He maintained a triple-hit combo of "Overhead Slash" into "Side Slash" into "Upswing." When the position was right, he swapped the final hit for a Level 3 "Charged Slash," followed by a side roll to reposition along with the advancing dragon, starting the cycle anew.
On one side of the screen, flesh and blood splattered amidst flickering blade light; on the other, the attacks were infrequent, but every single strike delivered a shock so powerful it seemed to make the hearts of the onlookers tremble.
The Lao-Shan Lung continued forward. Judging by its roars and the way its body swayed to shake off the two hunters, their attacks were indeed causing significant damage. However, the fear of whatever threat had forced it to flee its habitat and charge toward human settlements made it choose to ignore the pain.
Just as the onlookers started thinking the two were having an easy time, the Lao-Shan Lung, navigating the valley, caught sight of the Fortress's high walls and let out a roar accompanied by massive wind pressure.
Wayne and Rainier had to stop their assault, crouching low and covering their ears to prevent themselves from being knocked unconscious by the sheer sound pressure.
Taking advantage of this pause, the Lao-Shan Lung began to turn toward the Fortress wall. Rainier, being too close to the belly, was struck by the suddenly shifting mass. Though it looked slow, the energy contained in that immense weight sent him flying backward. His health bar, which had been extended by an Ancient Potion, was reduced to a mere sliver.
Rainier quickly sheathed his blades. Just then, the Lao-Shan Lung's massive left hind claw slammed down near him. Feeling the earth shake, Rainier scrambled through the gap between the mountain wall and the dragon's claw. He didn't start drinking recovery potions until he reached a safe spot.
Wayne continued to advance with the Lao-Shan Lung, constantly rolling to stay in position. Under the slashes of his Greatsword, several visible gashes had opened in the scales of the dragon's belly, and hot, dark-brown blood flowed down like thin springs.
Desperate to reach what it perceived as a safe zone, the Lao-Shan Lung reached the base of the Fortress wall. Using its thick, long tail as a pivot, it slowly reared up on its hind legs.
Even though the Fortress walls of the Gathering Hall were built exceptionally high, they only reached the neck of the standing Lao-Shan Lung.
It began to slam its body and two front claws against the wall. Although the frequency wasn't fast, every impact caused a massive tremor. Not only did stones crack and fall from the wall, but boulders also tumbled down from the valley walls on either side.
Hicks muttered, "Good grief... this thing looks clumsy, but its power is terrifying..."
Hudson added, "Even if this thing entered Blackrock Mountain, the mountain might not be big enough to hold it..."
Verdan sighed, "Mil actually called this a pushover... if this is a pushover, then what are we?"
In the game, Wayne shouted to Rainier: "Stay here and keep hacking at it! I'm going up the wall to activate the Dragonator!"
Rainier didn't know what a Dragonator was, but he knew Wayne's choice was always the right one. He shouted back, "Got it!" He sheathed his blades and ran to the side, taking out his "Whetstone"—a game item that took five seconds to restore a blade to peak sharpness.
Rainier quickly sharpened his dulled blades, downed another bottle of Dash Juice, and turned back. Re-entering Demon Mode, he resumed his fierce assault on the Lao-Shan Lung's belly.
Wayne also sheathed his sword and ran to the side, beginning to climb the rope ladders along the Fortress wall.