Monster Hunter: I can hear the monsters' thoughts

Chapter 443 Ancient Ballad
"So, you were the main characters at that celebration?"

After gaining a general understanding of the Lingfeng incident, Tolo sincerely expressed his admiration and gave Lin Lin a thumbs up.

"Awesome, bro!"

Elder dragons are creatures that only the best hunters out of thousands can handle. For a low-ranking hunter to get caught up in the chaos, face an Elder dragon head-on, and still manage to escape unscathed is a legendary feat that deserves our utmost respect.

"It's a pity we left early that time and only watched the excitement. If we had known it would turn out like this, Todd and I would have definitely come over for a good drink with you!"

Ye Zi secretly rolled her eyes. That wouldn't do. Lin Lin was playing with her at the celebration. What would she do if you guys came to ask him for drinks?
Lin Lin, however, noticed another piece of information revealed in Tolo's words:
"Brother Todd?"

Tolo nodded:

“Oh, didn’t I say before that we came to Jiangbo Village together, but he ran back to the snow mountain later?”

"Upon hearing the news that Jieyun Village was going to hold a celebration, we traveled together from Jiangbo Village by boat to that place, and that's when we parted ways."

"Todd ran into some acquaintances at the celebration, um, the two who went up the mountain outside the village to set off fireworks later. They seemed to have come from Pokai Village as well. Todd chatted with them and then decided to go back to Pokai Village."

"He's always been so impulsive. I missed the second half of the celebration because I was seeing him off."

Tolo shook his head helplessly as he spoke, raising his glass to Lin Lin:
"Come on, cheers! Let's make up for the wine we didn't get to drink in Jieyun Village last time!"

Lin Lin: Cheers (゜-゜)つロ
……

Meanwhile, the village chief of Jiangbo Village, who was negotiating with the brigade commander, rubbed his unusually large nose and revealed a hearty smile:
"A team traveling around in search of the truth? How wonderful. Although we are all travelers, the meaning of our travels is different."

"how do I say this?"

"Exploring uncharted territories, increasing the number of outposts, and making it easier for people to move and communicate—this is the meaning and mission of my travels. Jiangbo Village was established under this belief."

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander's face immediately showed admiration. Humanity's ability to survive in this perilous world and grow stronger step by step is inseparable from the contributions of these great pioneers.

However, the village chief of Jiangbo Village suddenly paused, and the smile on his face faded slightly:

"Unfortunately, the area around the village has been rather unstable recently, which has interfered with the collection and transportation of supplies to some extent, so the fuel supply is also not very stable. You may need to stay for a few more days."

The brigade leader had previously inquired indirectly that Kevin and Rachel were coming to Jiangbo Village because of something that had happened there. Hearing this, he could no longer suppress his curiosity and asked:

"What happened? Is it a monster rampage? If so, perhaps our guild can be of some help?"

The village chief of Jiangbo Village sighed softly, "This is not a crisis that ordinary hunters can resolve; it is the result of an ancient dragon."

Ancient dragon?

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander's pupils contracted slightly.

I see……

Any Elder Dragon deserves such attention; the only thing that could draw two high-ranking hunters to come all this way is an Elder Dragon.

Seeing the brigade commander's expression change, the village chief of Jiangbo Village offered words of comfort:
"Don't worry, as of now, that guy doesn't pose a threat to the village's safety. It's just that the surrounding ecosystem has become a bit more turbulent because of his influence. As long as he doesn't leave the village and wanders around, there shouldn't be any major problems."

The village chief of Jiangbo Village smiled, glanced at the giant whale-shaped ship moored in the center of the village, and suddenly changed the subject:
"By the way, I haven't had a chance to ask. You're stopping in Jiangbo Village because you're planning to cross the sea, right? If it's convenient, could you tell me your next stop? Is it the Fenglong area across the sea?"

"What's inconvenient about this?"

The brigade commander smiled, took off his hat, and took out the pure white dragon scale hidden inside, showing it generously to the village chief of Jiangbo Village:
“Our next stop is the Kingdom of Xiqi across the sea. I’ve heard there’s a place called Xinard Village there, where someone might know the truth about it.”

Sinard Village?!
Upon hearing these words, the village chief of Jiangbo Village was momentarily stunned, revealing an indescribable emotion. However, when he saw the dragon scale in the leader's hand, this emotion was immediately replaced by an even stronger one, causing him to lose his composure, a rare occurrence for the usually cheerful man.

The emotions were quite complex; the brigade commander could glean from that expression a range of feelings including, but not limited to, shock, fear, bewilderment, and disorientation.

However, as the head of the village, Jiangbo Village Chief had experienced his share of ups and downs. After his initial loss of composure, he quickly regained his composure and regained his calm, though his tone carried a hint of regret:

"I never imagined that the legends were true; the cycle of fate has begun to turn again..."

Upon hearing this, the brigade commander's heart began to race. This reaction...

Clearly, unlike the countless people he had asked in the past who gave him answers like "It's pretty good-looking," "What is this? I don't know," or "Maybe someone in XXX will know," the village chief of Jiangbo Village in front of him definitely recognized this thing!
This was a completely unexpected surprise for the brigade leader. He had thought he would have to gamble, traveling thousands of miles to a remote village in a foreign land, and he might not even get the answer. But the surprise came unexpectedly and suddenly, appearing before him without any warning.

"You know where this thing came from, right? Please tell me! I've traveled all over the world for so long looking for this, and today I've finally found a clue!"

The village chief of Jiangbo Village paused for a moment, then reached out and took the dragon scale from the leader's hand. He raised it and aimed it at the torch above his head. The pure white scale reflected a beautiful and dazzling golden-red light under the firelight.

After a long pause, the village chief of Jiangbo Village sighed softly:

"Actually, according to your original travel plan, you would definitely have found the final answer when you arrived at the village of Sinard."

The brigade commander was taken aback. Why did this sound like he was about to become a riddle teller?
"However, if you are really itching to try it, I can tell you a legend, which is also an ancient folk song that has been passed down in the village of Sinard for thousands of years."

The village chief of Jiangbo Village cleared his throat and began to chant softly in an ancient and melodious tone. The unique rhythm not only attracted the attention of the brigade leader, but also drew the attention of several hunters who were eating nearby.

The village chief of Jiangbo Village appeared solemn, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were reciting not some ancient ballad, but a part of a distant and long history:

When darkness awakens, light is born on the other side.
The earth sprouts, and shadows appear in this world.
Light shines upon millions, darkness returns to the earth.
When the light returns, a new shadow will be born.

When the shadows return to the earth, a new destiny awaits to be awakened.

Let's reincarnate together, light and shadow.

Eternal Reincarnation of Light and Shadow
Turn into the same song
Return to the heavens of reincarnation

Let the cycle of time return.

The village chief of Jiangbo Village slowly fell silent. Just when everyone thought the folk song was over, they found that he had simply adjusted his breathing and began to sing the second half of the song:

When the soul awakens

Life will be born there
When the soul awakens

Will will be born in this place
The soul encompasses everything

Countless wills transformed into power

When life returns to the soul

A new will is born
The undying will returns to the soul, awaiting the breath of new life.
Reincarnation of Heart and Life

Eternal Reincarnation of Heart and Life
Turn into the same song
Returning together, singing songs
Souls and will to live together
Finally, the song stopped, and the village chief of Jiangbo Village was still standing there, his expression gradually shifting from solemnity during the chanting to calmness.

He opened his eyes, looked at the crowd who were frozen in silence, and smiled slightly:
"Alright, the song is over. The answer you're looking for is hidden within it."

"Sorry, I've been busy all day and I'm a little tired. Please make yourselves at home, and we'll see you tomorrow."

The brigade commander, immersed in the melody of the song, frowned as he pondered its hidden meaning and the symbolic significance of each word. Hearing this, he was suddenly jolted awake and quickly said, "Wait a minute!"
"Wait a minute, may I ask... how did you know all this?"

The village chief of Jiangbo Village slowly turned his head, casting his gaze towards the distant east:

"Because...Sinard Village is my hometown..."

He paused, then turned to the brigade commander:

"By the way, if you could, could you please deliver a letter to the village's head monk?"

Is this a letter written by a traveler to their family and relatives back home?
The brigade commander nodded vigorously. "No problem."

The village chief of Jiangbo Village smiled gratefully, then waved goodbye to everyone.

……

"I never imagined that such folk songs would still be sung in the village chief's hometown..."

After a moment of silence, Tolo subconsciously rubbed his arms:

"This song has a soul-stirring thrill; it gave me goosebumps."

"But what exactly do the words in the folk song mean?"

Yoko rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought:
"It felt a bit confusing, but I could tell it was a story about reincarnation."

So, does reincarnation really exist in this world?

Lin Lin put down his wine glass, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the Isana in the distance under the night sky. The black-clad dragon on board stretched its body, having slept all day, and was finally ready to get up.

"I'm afraid this cycle of reincarnation is not quite the same as the cycle of reincarnation you understand."

"Eh?"

Ye Zi was taken aback. "Brother Lin Lin, you seem to know a lot about this! Tell me, tell me!"

Lin Lin's lips twitched:
"I'm a believer in materialism. There's no way to prove things like the cycle of life and death, so the reincarnation in the song must be some kind of metaphor."

"Cut~"

Yoko pouted in disappointment.

"If you're really curious, you'll find out when you get to Xinard Village, right? The village chief of Jiangbo Village just said that we'll definitely find the answer in Xinard Village—and maybe we can even witness it with our own eyes?"

The hunters were engrossed in their discussion, while the guild leader didn't join in. Instead, he took out a small notebook and meticulously wrote down the lyrics he had just heard, intending to take them back to his room to study them carefully.

The truth he had been searching for was about to be unveiled before his eyes. If he didn't figure it out quickly, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Not long after the brigade leader left with his notebook, a burly man wearing yellow-brown armor with blue stripes barged into the tavern, loudly demanding food and drinks. Judging from the reaction of the young girl who worked as a waitress at the tavern, the burly man seemed to be a regular customer.

"Mr. Rickles, why are you back in the village so late today? Is there any progress in the investigation of that ancient dragon?"

The little girl named Petty approached the burly man, holding a menu in one hand.

The burly man took off his helmet and placed it on the table, revealing a shiny bald head. Without even looking at the other people in the tavern, he casually chatted with the young girl:
"No, that guy is a real problem. How can we expect to make any progress so easily?"

"We ran into a group of acquaintances from East Dorma. They were following the guild's orders to chase down some kind of 'Black Devourer Dragon.' Although that guy isn't as powerful as the Steel Dragon in direct combat, the trouble it can cause is no less."

These words startled the young girl, turning her face pale.
"Huh? We haven't even gotten rid of that ancient dragon yet, and now an even more troublesome guy has arrived?"

The bald, burly man then realized that his words might have been slightly ambiguous, causing the little girl to misunderstand, and quickly waved his hand.

"No, that Black Eclipse Dragon originally wanted to go into the dense forest, but it was driven away by the Steel Dragon. According to Julius and the others, it probably went to a slightly more distant primeval forest. Don't worry, with the dense forest as a barrier, that guy can't affect us."

The little girl looked enlightened:
"I see. So the terrifying storm the day before yesterday was caused by the battle between the Steel Dragon and the Black Dragon?"

Then, the little girl asked another question out of curiosity:
"What does that Black Eclipse Dragon look like?"

The bald, burly man waved his hand:

"How would I know? I didn't see it with my own eyes..."

Meeting Petty's slightly disappointed gaze, the bald, burly man paused, then changed the subject:
"However, Julius and the others shared some information with me, so I have a general understanding of it."

"It's said to have four legs and two wings, be entirely black, have no eyes, and its wings are covered with thick, hair-like scales, like tassels..."

As the bald, burly man spoke, he noticed that with each word he uttered, the little girl in green's expression grew increasingly strange.

Finally, he couldn't help but stop talking and asked:

"What's wrong? You look so strange."

The little girl asked him:
"When you came back, did you see an airship parked in the center of the village?"

The burly man was slightly taken aback:
"Hmm? I think so? I wasn't paying much attention. Have more travelers come to the village?"

The little girl asked again:
"So you didn't notice the deck of that ship either?"

"Ang, what's wrong?"

"If your description is correct, then the creature sleeping on the deck of that ship in the center of the village is probably a Black Devouring Dragon."

"what?"

(End of this chapter)