Monster Hunter: I can hear the monsters' thoughts

Chapter 545 The Sword in the Stone

After receiving the authorization form, Zack looked at it over and over again, carefully checking the guild emblem stamped on it. Finally, he had to look up at Brave, his head full of question marks.

"Hey bro, did you grab the wrong one?"

Samsung commissioned this!

Is this a request that someone like Karami, who didn't even pass the formal assessment, could handle?
Brave shook his head very seriously:

"That's right, this is the commission we think is most suitable for you after careful selection."

Seeing the look of utter disbelief on Zach's face—as if he thought, "Did you guys never even intend for me to pass?"—Brave took a deep breath and began to explain carefully:

"Although this is a three-star mission, it is not fundamentally different from those one-star gathering missions. It is only because there is a possibility of encountering male and female Rathalos along the way that the risk of death or injury is too great for ordinary one- or two-star hunters. That's why it was rated as a three-star mission."

Zack: ...

But I'm not a three-star hunter, I'm just an apprentice hunter who hasn't even received the Hunter's Handbook yet! Isn't this just deliberately making things difficult for me?!
Seeing the somewhat indignant look on Zack's face, Brave shook his head and suddenly asked:

"Why do you think your parents and I don't want you to become a hunter?"

Zack was slightly taken aback. His parents had emphasized this issue countless times before he ran away from home; he was practically sick of hearing it.
"They're afraid I'll die on the hunting grounds..."

Brave pointed to the document he was holding and asked again:

"In the hunting grounds... for example, in Schreitsen Hill, which we're heading to now, what is the most dangerous situation one might typically encounter?"

Zach looked down at the prominent "Leo Reus" on the receipt and replied:

"Encountered a male and female Rathalos at the same time?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to understand something and exclaimed in realization:
"So, if I can successfully complete this mission, it will prove that I have the ability to survive in most dangerous situations! Then you will approve of me continuing to be a hunter!"

If he were not capable enough and was driven into a desperate situation by the fire dragon, he wouldn't necessarily lose his life if he had five high-ranking hunters with him. However, in that case, he would have to leave the hunter profession.

Seeing that Zach finally understood, Brave nodded with satisfaction.

"I understand! Let's set off now!"

Zach looked down at the order form in his hand, his gaze gradually hardening.

This time, we must give it our all!

……

Since the destination is Schreitsen Hill, Zach's first stop will inevitably be Kokot Village, which is right next to Schreitsen Hill. It is said to be the village where the original hunters and Kokot heroes were born.

The distance from Minagard to Kokot village is not far. The group set off at dawn through a tunnel dug out by people who traveled there in the past, and by dusk they could see the cultivated fields around Kokot village.

The mission had a total time limit of one week. Subtracting the two days for travel, the remaining five days were still a bit tight. However, after much deliberation, Zack decided not to venture into the forest under the cover of night. Instead, he rested in the village for the night and took the opportunity to pay homage to the legendary Hero's Sword, which was stuck in a crevice in a rock and could be used to become a second-generation Kokot hero.

Of course, he only looked at it and didn't reach out to touch it.

Besides knowing his own lack of strength, it was also because he didn't care about the title of "second-generation Kokot hero". He was from Tangia Port, so why would he want to become a hero in Kokot?

Therefore, after paying his respects, he returned to the accommodations arranged for him in the village, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and forced himself to rest as soon as possible so that he could start his mission in the best possible condition the next day.

In contrast, the veteran hunters accompanying Zack seemed much more relaxed.

The mission couldn't be considered to have officially started until they entered Senqiu, so Lin Lin and the others rode in the same car with Zack the whole way.

The journey was boring, and Zack, who was eager to become a hunter, couldn't suppress his curiosity. He subtly inquired about the hunting experiences of Bref and Lin Lin. They talked a lot during the day, which sparked their conversation. The hunters had no intention of resting and just sat in the house chatting about their experiences.

The most excited one here is Shion. Even though she is already a "senior hunter" in the eyes of others, she still has that "mischievous" nature.

On the way, she didn't maintain her aloof demeanor for more than a few hours before this kid completely charmed her, calling her "sister" and "senior" repeatedly. She then revealed her true nature and began boasting about her glorious achievements, leaving Zack amazed and full of admiration. So much so that several times, Bref almost couldn't resist telling his little brother the story of a heavy crossbowman and two velociraptors.

Compared to the excited Shion, the other two huntresses were much quieter.

After all, Ye Zi's experiences were almost all with Lin Lin, so there was no need for her to repeat what Lin Lin had already said. Wen Shu, having been away from home for a long time, had finally met his younger sister from his hometown again, and he couldn't care less about Bref. He was focused on chatting with Ye Zi about everyday matters.

"Really? A new overlord-level tamarisk dragon has appeared in the abandoned shrine? Is this really okay?"

Manjushri seemed very worried.

Ye Zi comforted him, saying:
"No problem, Brother Lin has dealt with it directly. That guy is very smart and sensible. Besides, that guy is Puff's biological father. With Puff watching over it, there won't be any problems."

"Really……"

Wenshu still looked worried. It wasn't that she didn't trust Yezi, but it mainly concerned her beloved hometown, so she couldn't be at ease.

Yoko gently held Manjushri, just like the little girl who used to pester her older sister for stories, laughing and joking:

"If Sister Manjushri is worried, why don't you take some time to go back and see for yourself?"

Manjushri was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and looked down at his arm.

Yes, now that I've become a high-ranking hunter, even if I can't directly solve the problem of the Hundred Dragons Night Parade, I can still be of great help if I go back.

Then she smiled:
"You're right, I'll go back and visit when I have some free time!"

"By the way, Lin Lin, could you lend me Da Kong for a while?"

Lin Lin: ...

Sister, please watch your words. What do you mean by "I'll lend it to you for a moment"? It's as if the Sky Realm is some kind of magical artifact...

"Well, if nothing else comes up, Yoko and I would like to go back and take a look. Let Ooku take us with us!"

Lin Lin put down his wine glass, then gently patted his flushed cheeks, barely suppressing the dizziness of the intoxication, and stood up. He had been drinking one glass after another in a moment of excitement, and had accidentally drunk a little too much, now feeling a bit bloated.

"I'm going out to relieve myself. You guys continue your conversation."

After saying something casually, Lin Lin pushed open the door and stepped into the night sky shrouded in stars.

The night breeze cooled his face, making Lin Lin feel exceptionally comfortable. Instead of rushing to the outhouse, he strode off in the direction the breeze was blowing.

Being a hunter is a profession where you live with your life on the line, and the pressure is immense. As a result, most hunters have developed a bold and unrestrained style of drinking from large bowls and eating large chunks of meat, and Lin Lin is no exception.

However, most of the time, he is quite measured and only drinks until he is slightly tipsy. In this way, if he encounters any emergencies, he can enter a state of extreme intensity to increase his metabolism and instantly metabolize the alcohol without affecting his actions.

As for why they were so unrestrained today, it was mainly because they were a group of high-level hunters who had just defeated Lao-Shan Lung. Minagard was peaceful and calm. Even if a male and female Rathalos appeared in front of them together, they could easily handle them. Without pressure, they naturally acted with less restraint.

Following the direction of the night breeze, Lin Lin unconsciously strayed from the main road and entered a grove of low trees. The chirping of insects and birds only made the night seem more tranquil.

"Phew, phew, phew—"

A chirping sound, indistinguishable between cricket and grasshopper, rang out, causing Lin Lin's bladder to tighten. His dizzy mind then remembered that he had said he was going out to relieve himself, but had forgotten about it as he walked.

"Oh no! Where's the outhouse?"

Lin Lin looked around, but all he could see were lush plants and trees. In his haste, he couldn't even find the direction of the outhouse.

After running a few steps, seeing that there was nothing but grass and earthen slopes around him and no one else around, and with the feeling of his lower abdomen swelling more and more intense, Lin Lin had no choice but to give up struggling and loosen his belt.

Open the sluice gates and release the water!

"Well……"

With a satisfied sigh, Lin Lin shook his body, feeling that this release had dispelled most of the dizziness and drunkenness, and his mind had become much clearer.

Looking down at the earthen mound that had just been cleared, Lin Lin's gaze narrowed slightly. With the help of the faint moonlight, he could vaguely see something standing there.

"Wait, no way..."

An idea popped into Lin Lin's mind, and his drunkenness instantly lessened by another 30%, causing him to shudder.

Lin Lin hurriedly took a few steps forward and finally saw clearly the object in the crack in the rock on the earthen slope—a short sword. At this moment, the part of the short sword that was embedded in the crack was still emitting steam.

Clearly, this is the sword once wielded by the hero of Kokot, which he planted here, awaiting the arrival of its destined owner.

It is said that the heroes of Kokot fought against the Lao-Shan Dragon with this sword, making it a true hero's sword.

"Snapped--"

Lin Lin slapped himself, but when he looked up again, the scene before him remained unchanged.

"Oh no, this isn't a dream!"

If other people found out that I urinated on such a sacred relic left behind by a hero...

Lin Lin shuddered again, daring not to think any further; only one thing remained in his mind:

We need to clean and maintain this sword properly as soon as possible, so that no one will notice anything amiss!
Lin Lin strode closer and bowed deeply to the still-steaming short sword:
"Amitabha Buddha, Infinite Heavenly Venerable, I have sinned, I have sinned! Amen!"

Then, he reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword, gritted his teeth, and pulled upwards with all his might.

"Shh-"

Without the expected resistance, Lin Lin pulled out the sword from the stone, which was said to have been "never been pulled out by anyone," with almost no resistance at all. He even fell to the ground with a thud because of the excessive force.

Ok?
Lin Lin sat on the ground, looking at the short sword in his hand with a bewildered expression.

No, who said it couldn't be pulled out? The feel just now was so good that even a little kid could pull it out!

Without thinking too much, Lin Lin hurriedly grabbed his short sword and rushed out of the grove to the riverbank, intending to give this "sacred object" a thorough cleaning.

Then he finally noticed something was amiss.

Dark red blood was dripping from the blade of this sword. At first glance, it seemed like an extremely terrifying supernatural event, but upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the blood was actually scabs that had formed on the sword and had melted when they came into contact with hot water.

In that instant, Lin Lin finally understood why no one had pulled it out before!

It was obvious that the old village chief hadn't cleaned the sword when he stuck it in the rock. The sword was still stained with dragon blood, which slowly congealed after being inserted into the crack in the rock. Over time, it simply rusted and died there. Unless you were a superhuman hunter like Manjushri or yourself, who could wrestle with a blue bear beast, what normal hunter could pull it out?

After immersing the sword in the river and carefully cleaning it, Lin Lin picked it up again and examined it under the moonlight, and couldn't help but sigh.

Time flies, and the sword that once broke through the defenses of the Old Mountain Dragon and was stained with its blood has now rusted so badly that it has lost its sharpness. The extent of the rust is so severe that Lin Lin is worried that if he uses too much force, he might break it in two.

Lin Lin raised his hand and flicked the sword lightly, listening intently to the vibrations of the precious sword, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Wait a minute, if it's a sword that can break through Lao-Shan Lung's defenses, the materials used must be extraordinary. How could it rust so easily? I'm a regular at the workshop, so I'm quite familiar with the properties of weapons made from various materials.

However, no matter how you look at it, the main material for this sword is Swallow Sparrow Stone, with only a small amount of Spirit Crane Stone and Scarlet Iris Stone used for reinforcement. Although it can be considered excellent, it is far too plain and unadorned compared to the name "Hero's Sword".

"Hmm... young man, why aren't you sleeping at night? Why are you running to the river?"

As Lin Lin was staring at the sword in deep thought, an old voice suddenly sounded behind him. Lin Lin panicked and his hand trembled, almost causing him to drop the sword into the river.

Stiffly turning his head, Lin Lin saw an old dragon-man, his entire body almost wrinkled into a small potato, standing in the moonlight, scrutinizing him.

"Hey! Village Chief! What are you doing here!"

(End of this chapter)