Monster Hunter: I can hear the monsters' thoughts

Chapter 439 Promotion to a higher position...?

"me?"

Sofia pointed to herself, then said somewhat uncertainly:
"Can I do this?"

Lin Lin glanced at Sophia, then looked down at the little dragon she was holding in her arms, and twitched the corner of his mouth.

Although it had only been a few days, a very deep bond had already been formed between the human and the dragon. Perhaps Sophia herself did not realize that the little dragon was quite attached to her.

"If you can't do it, then I guess no one else can."

The guild leader glanced at Lin Lin with surprise, not expecting him to give such a high evaluation to Sophia, an office worker. As the first rider to come into the guild's view, Lin Lin's opinion undoubtedly had considerable reference value.

"If that's the case, then that would be perfect."

……

Lin Lin, with Tiao Tiao in tow, led by the supervisor to the temporary accommodation, while the other members of the group dispersed to do their own things, with only the group leader and the blacksmith staying on the airship.

Lin Lin was initially pondering what kind of place would allow Tiao Tiao to stay temporarily, but as he walked, he suddenly realized that the route was strangely familiar. Looking up, he saw the magnificent Grand Hall standing in front of him.

Lin Lin: "Huh?"

"What's so surprising? With Jumpy's current size, even a building of average size couldn't accommodate it, right?"

"But……"

This is, after all, the Grand Hall, the highest authority of the Hunter's Guild, the core of East Dorma, and the seat of the Grand Elder. Why is Jumpy staying here temporarily?
"What's there to 'but' about? This was personally ordered by the Grand Elder. Is there anything you're not satisfied with?"

"……No."

Upon entering the Grand Hall, Lin Lin naturally saw the Grand Elder, who was still sitting upright in the center of the hall, seemingly unchanged from their last meeting.

"Whew—our great hero is back..."

The Grand Elder seemed to be in a good mood. After all, he had been quite worried ever since he learned about the appearance of the Mad Dragon Disease, fearing that it would turn into a huge disaster. But in less than a month, a series of good news came one after another, and the heavy weight on his heart was lifted. Naturally, he seemed much more relaxed and was now making jokes.

The elder stroked his beard, reviewing the decisions made during this period. Thanks to early detection, high attention, and swift action, the spread of the Mad Dragon Disease had been effectively contained. The antidote for the virus had also been initially developed. According to information sent back by the elite team a couple of days ago, they had also found the source of the Black Devouring Dragon. He believed that news of the successful extermination would arrive soon.

The spread of the virus has been contained, and even if there are other Black Erosion Dragons besides it and the "Jumping One" in front of us, with the intelligence and experience we have now, we can quickly suppress them if they come out to cause trouble again.

"Great Elder."

Just as the Grand Elder was lost in thought, Lin Lin bowed, bringing him back to his senses.

The elder stroked his beard and said with a smile:
"Your supervisor said you haven't decided what kind of reward you want yet?"

Lin Lin nodded helplessly.

"Haha, no rush, take your time thinking it over. You can come to me anytime you've decided to cash in!"

The elder looked at his wakizashi and thought that if this kid was using a katana, he could give him the [Old Man Slayer Sword] as a sign of honor—of course, a replica, the size that a normal human could use. No one but a dragonman like the elder could wield the wakizashi in his hand.

After a pause, the elder looked at Tiaotiao, who was standing next to Lin Lin.

Sensing the Elder's gaze, Tiaotiao subconsciously tensed up, its muscles involuntarily tightening. Even without sight, it could still sense that the dragonman in front of it was quite formidable.

Noticing the subtle change in Tiaotiao, Lin Lin quickly reached out and stroked the scales on Tiaotiao's head, soothing it in a soft voice:
"It's alright, don't be nervous. The Grand Elder is a very good person and won't do anything to you."

Under Lin Lin's gentle touch, Tiao Tiao quickly calmed down, no longer focusing its attention on the Grand Elder. Instead, it swept its tail and settled down in the main hall.

"Whew—although I've seen it in reports many times, seeing such a scene in person for the first time is still quite surprising..."

The Grand Elder smiled, his tone tinged with emotion:

"Don't worry, there's no risk to Jumpy here. My place is big enough that it won't feel cramped."

"By the way, I just heard that the receptionist Sophia, who was traveling with you, also had a baby dragon with her?"

Lin Lin thought the Grand Elder also wanted Bao Bao to stay in the Grand Hall like Tiao Tiao had done, so he quickly coughed lightly.
"That little guy is less than a meter long. With Sophia watching over him, he won't cause any problems."

The Grand Elder couldn't help but burst out laughing:

"I was just asking to get a sense of the situation, why are you so nervous? Do I look like an unapproachable person?"

Lin Lin had no choice but to force a smile to hide his embarrassment.

At this moment, the guard at the entrance of the main hall suddenly jogged over, approached the Grand Elder, and whispered something to him.

After listening, the Grand Elder exclaimed "Oh?", a hint of a smile in his eyes, and nodded slightly.

"Let him in."

Just as Lin Lin was wondering who was asking to see the Grand Elder, he turned around and saw a muscular man walk in.

"Huh? Master?!"

The person Lin Lin addressed as "Master" was none other than Kevin, who was still recuperating in Dongdoruma. However, it had been over half a year since he was severely injured by Lanlong, and his injuries should have healed by now. Kevin's surprise was no less than Lin Lin's. After all, he had been cooped up at home for too long and, feeling his body was almost healed, was just about to come to the Grand Elder to ask for a mission to stretch his muscles. Who would have thought that upon entering, he would see his ever-restless disciple standing before him—he had assumed the kid was out wandering around on some mission!
"Phew, Kevin, you've come at the perfect time."

The Grand Elder didn't give the master and disciple in front of him time to exchange pleasantries, saying that they could catch up later outside the Grand Hall.

Kevin was taken aback. He had come to see the Grand Elder to see if he could ask for a mission, but it sounded like the Grand Elder also had something to ask him.

"Lin Lin is your disciple, and there are some things that require your opinion."

The elder slowly began to speak, briefly explaining to Kevin the turmoil caused by the Mad Dragon Disease.

At first, Kevin was confused. He was just injured and couldn't enter the hunting grounds for the time being, not retired. He had a general understanding of these things, so why did he have to go through it all again?

Then he heard about the role Lin Lin had played in this turmoil that had not yet completely subsided, and he was momentarily bewildered.

No, you little rascal, you've accomplished so much in less than two months?
And this battle frequency? You really don't value your life! Others would consider it diligent to take on one hunting commission a month, but you've taken on three in a month, not to mention the Mad Dragon, the Fire Dragon, the Ultimate Thousand Blade Dragon, and the Black Eclipse Dragon, all of which are deadly if you're not careful. What kind of hunter plays like this?

Well, Kevin didn't know that in the remaining two months, Lin Lin had hunted Ghost Frogs, Shadow Spiders, Armored Dragons, Red Armored Beasts, and captured a Broken Dragon in Naguli Village. He even fought a Golden Lion along the way. If he knew, he would doubt whether this kid was even human.

However, Kevin was still too narrow-minded, looking at the problem solely from the hunter's perspective, completely ignoring Jump, who was lying idly by the side, already dozing off. With such a young Elder Dragon as a helper, Jump shouldered a considerable portion of the pressure in these battles.

Kevin was lost in thought, but the Grand Elder in front of him didn't stop talking:
"...According to Julius's assessment, that Ultimate Thousand-Blade Dragon possessed strength no less than that of an Ancient Dragon. Six people directly participated in the subjugation, including Lin Lin."

"Before this, Lin Lin had also participated in two of Lokrak's Peak Dragon ambush battles, and had a brief head-on confrontation with the Lanlong on the front of Lingfeng."

Kevin snapped out of his daze, his eyes widening as he listened to the elder's words. How could he not guess what the elder meant?

"Could it be... that you intend to promote this kid to six stars?"

The elder nodded slowly, “Lin Lin has faced ancient dragons more than once, proving his courage. This successful subjugation of the Ultimate Thousand Blade Dragon has also proven his strength. He already possesses all the qualities required to advance to the rank of high-level hunter.”

"But... isn't this a bit too early... this kid is still too young..."

If directly refuting the Grand Elder wouldn't have made the situation look awkward, Kevin certainly wouldn't have used such tactful language. To outsiders, becoming a high-ranking hunter at such a young age must seem incredibly prestigious, but he himself was a high-ranking hunter, and the Grand Elder was the highest authority in the guild. They were both very aware of one fact:
High-ranking hunters often spend their lives with Elder Dragons. No matter how talented or powerful they are, every mission involving Elder Dragons is fraught with danger and death. Even if you do everything perfectly, if luck doesn't smile upon you, you can't escape death. It's safe to say that less than one or two out of ten high-ranking hunters can live a peaceful life until retirement.

His disciple was only in his early twenties; he should have plenty of years to enjoy and shouldn't be spending the rest of his life fighting against the ancient dragon so early.

The elder remained silent for a moment. What Kevin said was exactly what he was thinking. From a small seaside town to a major city on the continent, Dongdoruma had become increasingly prosperous under his rule. How could he not understand the meaning behind the promotion?

However, time is running out... All the signs in recent years indicate that the dark clouds hanging over Gu Xiu Red are showing signs of resurgence. The last Lingfeng incident also concealed another unknown taboo. Humanity really doesn't have much time left. All in all, it's probably less than twenty years...

Faced with an imminent threat, the "rider training program" mentioned by the guild leader is a new path they are trying. In addition, before the threat arrives, it is also of paramount importance to enhance the guild's strength as much as possible.

and……

The elder's gaze fell on Lin Lin again. This child was probably connected to that unknown taboo in some way. Even if he was not in a hurry to promote him, his future fate would probably be entangled with the ancient dragon.

The Grand Elder hesitated for a moment, then spoke again:
"So, Lin Lin, what are your thoughts?"

ah? I?
Lin Lin pointed to himself, and the Grand Elder slowly nodded.

Lin Lin's brows furrowed involuntarily.

To be honest, if it were just adding a star to the Hunter's Notebook and keeping his current freedom, he definitely wouldn't refuse. But in this world, promotion means more responsibility and less free time.

Danger was a secondary factor; he had courted death more than once or twice. The main reason was that he didn't want to become a firefighter and put out fires all over the continent so soon. In the beginning, when his hunter rank was not high, he refrained from revealing his abilities for the same reason.

He loves freedom.

But that's definitely not how you say it. Lin Lin pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his words:

"In fact, in my opinion, my strength and experience are not enough to meet the threshold of a high-ranking hunter. The reason why I have such and such achievements is mainly due to the help of my partners. I don't think that the power of the Sky Jumper and the others can be counted as my ability."

Is this so...

That's true. It's said that before that Thousand-Blade Dragon reached its ultimate form, it was this dark creature in front of us who fought it one-on-one for a long time.

The elder turned his gaze to Tiaotiao, who was fast asleep and completely uninterested in their discussion, and nodded slightly, acknowledging this statement:

"In that case, you can train for a while longer. When Kevin feels ready, I'll add another star to your Hunter's Notebook."

"Well, that's enough for now, I'm getting a bit tired."

The elder waved his hand and began to shoo people away.

Lin Lin and Kevin exchanged a glance, bowed, and turned to leave the main hall. Before leaving, Lin Lin gently woke the sleeping Jumpy and whispered a few words of advice to it:
"You'll stay here for the next couple of days. Remember to behave yourself and don't upset the Elder. We'll come back for you once we've prepared your things."

"Ah woo~"

Jumpy rested its head on its crossed front paws and gave a long yawn to indicate that it understood.

It's just about letting it stay here, doing nothing but eating and sleeping. Simple. That big beetle is good at that, and I can do it too.

(End of this chapter)