Monster Hunter: I can hear the monsters' thoughts

Chapter 388 Top Hunter Team
Although Lin Lin fell asleep without realizing it while talking, he wasn't alone. Yezao and Nia Lu took turns filling in the gaps in the story.

Ziyuan and Brave exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.

This is indeed a tricky situation...

……

"This matter... is indeed difficult to handle..."

Inside the main hall, the guild leader took a deep drag on his pipe, his brows and eyes furrowed in worry.

"The Scribe Team and the Ancient Dragon Observation Bureau have begun studying the infected male Rathalos corpse. The preliminary conclusion is that it is indeed a new type of virus with a high degree of infectivity, tentatively named 'Mad Dragon Virus'. As for other aspects of the research, they will report to me as soon as there are results."

The Grand Elder didn't seem to care about the guild leader smoking in the main hall; his expression remained unchanged. He simply asked in a deep voice:

"Can the extent of the infection be determined?"

The supervisor exhaled the smoke from his mouth and shook his head in distress.
"It is still unclear, but at least humans and Rathalos can be infected. There are reports that Melaruru is immune to the virus to some extent, so some scholars speculate that the scope of infection may be related to body size, but it will take time to verify."

The Grand Elder nodded. "Has the mode of transmission of the virus been determined?"

The supervisor sighed and shook his head again.
"Judging from the existing intelligence, it can be transmitted through the air at least at close range. In addition, a large number of viruses have been detected in the blood of the berserk monsters. If you are injured during a fight, you will most likely be infected. As for other transmission routes such as water, they are still unclear at present."

The Grand Elder fell into a brief silence, seemingly processing this information, before continuing to ask after a moment:

Is there a cure? For humans or monsters?

The supervisor shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.
"According to the Ancient Dragon Observation Bureau, the sample size is too small and the materials are insufficient. At least for now, we can't find a cure for humans. As for monsters... perhaps we can try to find a similar cure after we find a cure for humans?"

The elder's long eyebrows drooped, obscuring his gaze, and his voice was deep:
"This is an ecological disaster. We cannot sit idly by and watch this virus spread in the ecosystem. Since we cannot find a cure, we can only try our best to stop it."

Understanding the implied meaning from the music, the guild leader tucked his pipe into his waistband and nodded, saying:

"I understand. I'll make the arrangements right away. Once a monster infected with the Mad Dragon Disease is discovered, we'll immediately launch a full-scale hunt."

What to do? Only kill!

"but……"

The supervisor paused abruptly, "Hunting involves bloodshed, and if you're fighting a berserk monster, hunters, especially melee swordsmen, will almost certainly contract the disease. I saw Lin Lin once before; that kid got infected..."

The supervisor sighed softly and didn't continue, but he knew that the Grand Elder would understand what he meant.

“I understand that this is too cruel to the hunters, but it is a necessary sacrifice. If we let the virus spread without intervention, it will only bring a devastating disaster.”

The elder paused, his voice softening slightly: "Let the Ancient Dragon Observation Bureau work a bit harder during this period. You should also communicate with them more frequently. Once you discover any trace of a berserk monster, try to issue a hunting commission immediately."

"For hunting commissions involving monsters infected with the Mad Dragon Disease, inform the hunters of the potential risks before they accept the commission, and let them decide whether to continue. If no one accepts the commission in a short period of time, let the guild knights take over."

"Phew—that's it then, what a turbulent time..."

The elder leaned back against the massive marble chair, and only then did his voice reveal a hint of weariness, making his tall frame appear somewhat stooped.

The supervisor nodded, noted down the elder's instructions, but did not immediately turn and leave.

The Grand Elder's eyes slightly opened:
"Anything else?"

"Yes, regarding the source of this virus, it is suspected that it may be caused by some kind of newly emerged monster."

The Grand Elder's expression visibly darkened:
"sure?"

If the disturbance was indeed caused by a monster, given its impact on the entire ecosystem, it's most likely an ancient dragon.

"I can't be sure. Actually, these are just some speculations that the child told me when I met him. Although some of his inferences lack sufficient evidence, I think the possibility that his judgment is correct is not low."

"Lin Lin..."

The elder murmured the name; the young fellow had left a deep impression on him.

Yeah, every time I hear his name, it's never good news.

Last time it was the appearance of a suspected new taboo, and this time it's the work of a suspected unknown ancient dragon...

Of course, the Grand Elder was quite clear that it was much better to know these things sooner rather than later, as it would allow for much more preparation. Moreover, Lin Lin had not made any mistakes; on the contrary, he had always been a dedicated hunter active on the front lines, making indelible contributions to protecting humanity and maintaining the ecosystem.

But emotions... sometimes they don't listen to reason...

"Hmph, Kevin, since it was his apprentice who brought this up, let him handle it."

The guild leader looked at him strangely. He glanced cautiously at the elder's bald head, then hesitated to speak.

"Hmm? What's wrong? Just say what's on your mind."

"Then I'll just say it directly?"

"Speak quickly, don't waste time."

“Um…Elder, perhaps you’re getting old and your memory isn’t what it used to be? Kevin’s injuries from the Battle of Spirit Peak haven’t fully healed yet, and the physician still won’t allow him to return to the hunting grounds…”

The elder's expression stiffened slightly. He had actually forgotten about it. Perhaps it was because he was getting old and his self-control had declined considerably, which was why he became emotional after hearing all this bad news.

The elder shook his head slightly, secretly reminding himself that he was the leader of the entire Hunter's Guild. If he made a wrong decision in a moment of folly, the impact would not be limited to just one city.

After a moment of contemplation, the Grand Elder slowly spoke:
"If it really is a monster causing trouble, it's probably some unknown Elder Dragon. To be on the safe side, it would be best to form an investigation team composed of high-ranking hunters." "Which high-ranking hunters are currently in East Dorma and have experience fighting Elder Dragons?"

Meeting the Grand Elder's gaze, the guild leader began counting on his fingers:

"Kevin, a Seven-Star Shield Axe user, participated in the battles against the Storm Dragon, Lunastra, and Lao-Shan Lung..."

"Rachel, a newly promoted seven-star heavy crossbowman, has participated in the battles against the Storm Dragon, the defense of the Steel Dragon city, and the battle against the Mountain Dragon..."

"Julius, the wielder of the Seven Star Twin Blades, participated in the battles against Lunastra and Lao-Shan Lung, and single-handedly defeated Kirin..."①
"Nadia, a six-star heavy crossbowman, participated in the battles against Lunastra and Lao-Shan Lung..."

"Fabius, a six-star spearman, participated in the Teostra ecological survey, the Chameleon ecological survey, and the Lao-Shan Lung defeat battle..."

The Grand Elder, who had been listening quietly, waited and waited, but the supervisor didn't say anything more, so he couldn't help but ask:
"Gone?"

The supervisor nodded vigorously. "That's all. These are the only high-ranking hunters still in East Doruma."

"Where's Rickles? Didn't he just get back a couple of days ago?"

“Jiangbo Village is short-handed, and there are rumors of Gu Long’s activities. He rushed over there after hearing that.”

The elder sighed softly. This was the guild's current top strength. The eight-star and nine-star hunters above them were almost all old men and women. They had either retired and become village chiefs, bartenders, or even training camp instructors, or were pioneering in the distant New World. Kevin and Julius's group were the strongest group that the guild could currently offer.

"Kevin and Julius have been evenly matched for so many years. Since Kevin is still injured and unable to move, let Julius lead the team."

"If I remember correctly, Fabius is from an academic academy. He was a scholar who switched to being a hunter, right? This investigation into the unknown monsters requires his investigative and judgmental abilities, so let him join us."

"As for the remaining two, the two heavy crossbowmen have overlapping roles and are not suitable to be sent together. Rachel is a seven-star, and although Nadia is a six-star, she has teamed up with Julius before, so their cooperation may be better... Let Julius decide who to send."

"As for the final position..."

"There are really no high-ranking hunters available to mobilize. As for low-ranking hunters, the guild can't directly assign them missions either. Let Julius choose the people himself. The guild will try its best to persuade them, or we can leave the guild with an understaffed guild. The choice is up to him."

……

Orders were issued from the Grand Hall and transmitted systematically to all parts of the city, making this ancient capital, which had stood for thousands of years, move as if wound up.

The bustling vendors hawking their wares and the residents discussing food seemed oblivious to this – the guild had shielded them from the storm, and as long as the city itself wasn't attacked, everything was fine to them.

"Something just feels wrong."

A burly man dressed in heavy gold cast iron armor and carrying a Babel spear as heavy as a city wall frowned slightly as he looked at the guards who were hurrying by.

Beside him, a middle-aged man with gray hair, wearing an orange jacket and an orange cowboy hat, didn't seem to care and was just focused on eating the food in front of him.

Only after he had dipped the last bit of bread in the soup and put it in his mouth did the uncle wipe his hands and sit up straight again.

"Even if there are any problems, the guild can definitely solve them, so don't worry."

The spear hunter turned around and glanced at the middle-aged man with a hint of helplessness:
"Commander, you're as carefree as ever..."

“Fabius, this isn’t about being carefree; it’s about my wisdom in life.”

The middle-aged man, addressed as the leader, gently tapped his head with his finger and smiled slightly:
"My life experience over the years has taught me not to devote all my energy to exploring everything, or I will end up achieving nothing. And now, there is only one thing I want to do most."

As he spoke, the captain took off his cowboy hat and took out a pure white, crystal-like scale from it, examining it carefully in the sunlight.

"Look, it reflects such a beautiful glow under the sun. I really want to find the source of this thing as soon as possible."

Fabius looked at the scale, his gaze also becoming somewhat intense.

As a hunter with an academic background, Fabius, like those scholars, has a love and yearning for nature. This is why he agreed without hesitation when the leader took out that scale and invited him to join in the search for its origin.

Of course, this is also somewhat insignificantly related to the fact that the group leader also comes from an academic academy. As seniors and juniors, their relationship is naturally closer.

As for this so-called Academy, it might sound a bit unfamiliar at first, but its full name is the Royal Academy of Sciences. Does that prefix sound familiar? That's right, the full name of the Scribe Team is the Royal Paleontological Scribe Team, and the Scribe Team is a subordinate institution of the Royal Academy of Sciences, specializing in ecological research on monsters.

Fabius stared at the pure white dragon scale, his heart itching to take it in his hands and examine it closely. Unfortunately, the captain only looked at it twice before stuffing the dragon scale back into his hat and putting the hat back on his head.

I wonder how often the guild leader washes his hair; will those dragon scales get covered in scalp oil...?

The guild leader sighed softly, "I originally thought that as the largest city on the entire continent, Dongdoruma should have someone who recognized this dragon scale, or at least had some clues. But after so many days, we've come up empty-handed. It's really disappointing..."

Fabius smiled. "But doesn't that also mean that the owner of these scales is extremely rare, and may not even be a known monster?"

"What? An unknown monster?"

The two ate at a roadside stall. Although the place was small, the food was delicious, which always attracted a steady stream of customers.

The commander and Fabius turned to look and found that the person who had just exclaimed was a girl wearing glasses who looked very quiet—but the burning light in her eyes at that moment completely destroyed that quiet demeanor.

Fabius couldn't help but exchange a glance with the captain. The captain had been secretly observing them ever since he took out the dragon scale. As a hunter, Fabius was quite sensitive to such gazes and noticed the girl's secret observation almost immediately.

The regimental commander nodded, his eyes conveying a clear meaning.

They seem to be the same type of person as us!
Without a doubt, this was also a scholar, and very likely one of the Scriveners! They had seen this kind of gaze on too many of their former colleagues.

So the leader took out the dragon scale again:
"Little girl, as you can see, my companions and I are traveling far and wide in search of the truth..."

(End of this chapter)