Monster Hunter: I can hear the monsters' thoughts

Chapter 402 The Dragon in Black
Seeing Tiaotiao's usual howling response, Lin Lin couldn't help but smile.

It is said that people only know how to cherish something when they lose it. When he could not hear Tiaotiao's thoughts, he almost thought he had lost Tiaotiao. However, he managed to bring Tiaotiao back to its senses.

This is a bond stone... no, this is a miracle caused by bonds...

Jump slowly walked up to Lin Lin and, as always, nuzzled his head into Lin Lin's arms. The only difference was that the blackish-purple smoke exhaled from Jump's mouth and nose hit Lin Lin's face in one go.

"Cough cough... Okay, eat this first, to suppress the virus in your body."

Lin Lin unpacked the package and took out all the Dispelling Fruits he had brought with him, piling them in front of him. He then grabbed two of them.

He didn't know how effective the Dispel Fruit would be for Jumper, but since humans could suppress viruses with the Dispel Fruit, it must be effective for Jumper as well.

Tiaotiao moved closer to Lin Lin's palm, sniffed carefully, and then quickly let out a heavy breath.

It's clear that, as a carnivore, Jump Jump isn't very interested in this.

"I do not want to eat?"

Lin Lin looked at Tiao Tiao's scarlet eyes.

Jump Jump made a low, guttural "whoosh" sound from its throat.

"Then all I can say is, it's not up to you!"

"Speak," Lin Lin said, grabbing Tiao Tiao's chin and opening its mouth in an instant. He then threw the fruit inside and closed its mouth again.

"gollum"

Two Dispel Fruits slid down her throat and into her stomach. Jump looked at Lin Lin with a wronged expression, but as the Dispel Fruits gradually took effect in her body, Jump's wronged look subtly changed.

After eating it, I feel a little better? Maybe... I should eat some more?

Lin Lin released his grip on Tiao Tiao's chin and pointed irritably at the small pile of "dispelling fruits" on the ground:
"Eat by yourself. How big of a dragon is it? Do I still need to feed it?"

Jumping and whining, it stubbornly stared at Lin Lin.

She has her reasons for jumping around. She's already in so much pain, can't she just act cute and try to get the leader's attention?
Lin Lin sighed, recalling the image of Tiao Tiao he had seen in the spiritual world—thin, short, and just as timid as when they first met in the desert.

"What an immature child..."

Lin Lin sighed, vigorously rubbed the hard scales on Tiao Tiao's head, bent down and hugged the pile of Dispelling Fruits to his chest, taking out two from one hand.

"That's it this time, don't let it happen again! Open your mouth, ah—"

……

Just as Lin Lin was affectionately feeding Tiao Tiao, Ye Zi sat under the shade of a tree on the other side. After eating something to replenish her energy, she closed her eyes to rest and recover her strength.

But as soon as she closed her eyes and darkness returned, the strange sensation she felt when she regained consciousness from unconsciousness involuntarily popped into her mind. Her tongue unconsciously licked her moist lips, and Yoko felt her cheeks begin to warm up again.

Damn it, we just decided to let things unfold naturally and logically, and less than ten minutes later, I'm already reminiscing about how I felt back then... Yoko, calm down!
"Huh? Senior Date, why is Lady Yoko's face so red? Could it be that the Mad Dragon Virus has flared up again?"

Startled, Ye Zi quickly opened her eyes, forcefully suppressed the upturned corners of her mouth, and waved her hands repeatedly:
"No, no, no, I'm fine!"

Date looked at Yoko suspiciously, but no matter how she looked at her, she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong. So she turned to Niaru and instructed her:

"Niaru, your memory is terrible, meow! When the Mad Dragon Disease flared up, Yoko's face was pale and bloodless, meow. Now her face is rosy, which means she's recovered somewhat, meow!"

"Oh, I see! I get it now!"

Ye Zi composed herself, afraid of arousing suspicion, and dared not close her eyes to savor the moment any longer. Instead, she quietly chatted with the two cats, while asking some of the questions that had been on her mind.

"Date, shouldn't you and Brother Lin Lin be hunting Rathalos? How did you suddenly end up here... and even saved me?"

"And this Melalu, um... her name is Nialu, right? What exactly happened during this time?"

So the two cats started explaining back and forth, and Yoko quickly understood the general situation, her heart beating faster involuntarily.

Despite being infected with that troublesome Mad Dragon Virus, Brother Lin still rushed over immediately after completing the hunt, simply because he was worried that she might be in trouble...

Lin Lin already held a special place in her heart, and now that she understood what had happened, she was even more moved. Take it slow and let things unfold naturally? Slow my foot! She wanted to kiss him back right now!

Damn it, my mind was still too foggy when I first woke up, and I missed such a golden opportunity!
However... after calming down and thinking about it carefully, Tiaotiao's life is still uncertain! If the progress of our relationship is delayed and something happens to Tiaotiao, it will become a barrier between us, which would be terrible.

She was well aware of Tiaotiao's importance in Lin Lin's heart.

Thinking of Jump Jump, Yoko couldn't help but look at the date and ask carefully:
"What exactly is going on with that Mad Dragon virus? Brother Lin Lin said that the source of that thing is a monster. Is it the same guy who caused me and Tiaotiao to get infected with the virus?"

"What was that guy you met like, Yoko?"

Date's eyes lit up. It knew that the guild had mobilized the last remaining top forces of Dongdoruma at that time in order to find the source of the Mad Dragon Virus. It didn't expect that Yoko would have a clue.

"That guy was dark gold all over, with scarlet eyes, a long horn on his head, and scales all growing in the opposite direction. When he got angry, the scales would bulge out and become like a large pine cone."

Date stroked her chin, "It doesn't sound like the source the boss was talking about, meow..."

"Huh? Isn't that right? But I saw that its whole body was filled with blackish-purple smoke, and we were hit by it just from being grazed by an attack..."

"That should just be a monster cat infected by that source..."

Dates sighed, thinking they could find the source directly and end this disaster.

Nia Lu recalled the monster that had separated her from her tribe. Although the memory was hazy, the image of the blackish-purple dust filling the sky was imprinted in her mind. So she added a sentence:
"The monsters that have turned into berserk dragons all seem to be like that, meow—irritable and aggressive, with blackish-purple dust emanating from their bodies to varying degrees. Lord Lin Lin said that they all seem to turn bloodshot-red..."

Although her body was severely weakened and she remained frail, Yoko's reactions were still quite quick:
"Although that guy wasn't the source, based on my observation, that dragon had a very strong sense of territory and basically only lingered in the deepest part of the unknown forest."

"Since it can be infected with the Mad Dragon Virus, does that mean that the source that infected it is also, or has been, in the Unknown Tree Sea?"

Dates slapped the cat's paw hard:
“That’s true, meow!” Yoko sighed. She was certainly angry and wanted to kill the Mad Dragon Pinecone Chicken that had caused her and Jumpy to be in such a sorry state. But now that she knew that the Mad Dragon Pinecone Chicken was also the source of the virus that had put her and Jumpy in that situation, she felt a growing desire to kill the source of the virus.

"Unfortunately, there are no more clues..."

Nia looked left at Yoko, then right at the dates, and timidly raised her hand:
"Um... I think I know a little clue, meow..."

Yoko and Date couldn't help but say in unison:
"Say it!"

Nia shrank her neck:

"Actually, I was just guessing, meow. Last night before I went to sleep, I thought I heard Lord Lin Lin talking in his sleep, meow..."

"Sleep talking? What could clues have to do with sleep talking?"

Yezao shook his head helplessly; it was all for nothing.

"'A dragon clad in black,' meow! I heard Lord Lin Lin say that word, meow. The reason I think this is a clue is because after hearing that word, I vaguely recalled the scene when the tribe was attacked, meow. I feel like that guy back then seems to fit the description of that word, meow!"

Yoko slowly stood up, her eyes narrowed, and her body tensed.

"A dragon clad in black? Niaru, was the one that attacked your tribe completely black, with four legs and two wings, the wings like a cloak, constantly covered in scales, and without eyes?"

Nia repeatedly recalled the keywords Yoko had mentioned, and the more she thought about it, the clearer the memories became in her mind:

"That's right, meow! That's right, meow! It was the one that attacked the tribe back then, meow! Lady Yoko, how did you know, meow!"

Nia looked at Yoko with admiration. To be able to recreate the monster's image with just that simple description was amazing! She was even more amazing than Lord Lin Lin!
"Because that thing just flew right over our heads..."

Yoko gripped the Horned Dragon and Horned Insect Staff on her back tightly with her hand, then released it again after a moment.

So what if she sees him? In her current weakened and exhausted state, what can she do to that guy?
Date quickly looked up, but the dragon was flying very fast, and there were large trees overhead that blocked its view. By the time they looked, the dragon was nowhere to be found.

However, although the dragon flew away and disappeared, something else remained.

Date raised its paw, caught the fine, dark purple powder falling from the air, examined it closely for a while, and then gently sniffed it.

"Night Cat, you just said that dust was constantly falling from that monster's wings, meow?"

Ye Zi looked nervous and was about to walk to one side when she heard this and nodded slightly.

She had just checked repeatedly, and the direction that guy flew in seemed to be the same direction Lin Lin was going to find Tiao Tiao.

"That must be it, meow!"

Date waved its paws vigorously, showing off the dark purple dust it had caught:

"This is the Mad Dragon Virus, meow! I noticed some vegetation with this stuff on it when I was on the road earlier, meow! The Mad Dragon Virus is essentially the scales on that guy's wings, meow!"

But as soon as he turned around, he found that Yoko didn't seem to be paying any attention to what he was saying. Instead, she walked into the depths of the forest and quickly followed after her.
"Yoko-neko, where are you going, meow?"

"That dragon in black just flew in the direction Lin Lin went. I'm worried, I have to follow it and check it out."

……

At this moment, Jump had eaten all the Dispelling Fruits that Lin Lin had brought, and its symptoms of the Mad Dragon Disease had improved a lot. The black dust that dissipated with its breath had disappeared, and the scarlet in its eyes had faded a lot. If you didn't look closely, Jump was almost no different from before.

Lin Lin sat by the river and casually flicked his wrist. The flat stone in his hand spun and flew out, landing on the river surface and bouncing "piu~piu~piu~" a long way before finally hitting the pebbles on the opposite bank. After a few more bounces, it landed on the rocky beach on the other side.

"Gah! Awooo!"

Jump Jump let out two joyful howls, as if cheering for his performance.

Lin Lin was speechless:
"You rascal... let's hurry up and go since you're almost done. I was just worried about you; I haven't even had time to date yet!"

Tiaotiao stretched its head over again and rubbed hard against Lin Lin's back, almost pushing Lin Lin into the river.

Turning back, seeing the playful smile in Tiaotiao's eyes, Lin Lin shook his head helplessly and tapped Tiaotiao's head hard with his finger:
"You, you're still acting like a little dragon..."

Jump Jump let out two high-pitched cries, deliberately squeezed past Lin Lin, stuck its head out of the river, and lowered its head to drink.

Lin Lin was jostled and landed hard on his backside in the mud. He patted his bottom, stood up, and sighed.

"Jump Jump, you've been corrupted by Da Kong! You weren't this naughty before..."

After drinking a few sips of water, Tiaotiao was no longer thirsty. She turned to look at Lin Lin, her gaze revealing a hint of dissatisfaction.

What do you mean by "learning bad habits from the sky"? Couldn't it be that it learned from me? I was the one who came here first!

Lin Lin: ...

This unfounded competitive spirit is truly typical of Tiao Tiao's style.

"Whoosh—" "Whoosh—"

A rhythmic gust of wind reached their ears, sounding somewhat out of place amidst the chaotic yet harmonious sounds of nature, and simultaneously alerting Lin Lin and Tiao Tiao.

Both the man and the dragon looked up, their gazes simultaneously locking onto the slowly descending, dark figure.

"Black Eclipse Dragon..."

Lin Lin's heart began to pound. After waking Ye Zi and hearing her brief account, he learned that it was the Ultimate Thousand Blade Dragon, whose ultimate form was unknown. He had subconsciously assumed that the Black Eclipse Dragon would no longer appear in the Unknown Tree Sea and pose a threat... He never expected that Ye Zi was just lucky and didn't encounter it!
Unlike Lin Lin, when Tiao Tiao looked at that guy, all his muscles tensed up, and he bared his fangs and claws.

It felt an instinctive hostility toward this huge, dark creature. The moment it saw it, the Mad Dragon Virus within its body, which had been calming down, began to stir again, and the crimson hue in its eyes, which had been suppressed, intensified once more.

(End of this chapter)