Monster Hunter: I can hear the monsters' thoughts

Chapter 546 The Second Generation Kokot Hero, and the Sky's Troubles

Under the moonlight, the wrinkled old dragonman, almost curled up in a ball, stood there loosely, looking less threatening than an Elf cat. However, upon seeing this old dragonman, Lin Lin broke out in a cold sweat and subconsciously hid the rusty sword behind his back.

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

The old dragonman in front of him was naturally the village chief of Kokot Village. Lin Lin had visited Kokot Village before when he hunted the Mad Dragon transformed into a male fire dragon. This was his second visit here, so he naturally recognized him.

However, besides being the village chief of Kokot, what's more important is that Lin Lin clearly knows that the person in front of him is the former hero of Kokot, and also the former owner of the sword in his hand.

Having accidentally done something wrong, and by sheer coincidence, the person responsible caught him red-handed, Lin Lin felt incredibly guilty, as if he could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of his toes on the spot.

The old village chief seemed a bit dazed. Seeing Lin Lin standing there awkwardly, he assumed Lin Lin hadn't heard him clearly, so he tilted his head and repeated:
"Hmm... I mean, young man, what brings you to the riverbank so late at night?"

After saying that, he sniffed, catching a faint smell of alcohol on Lin Lin, chuckled, and gave him a word of advice:
"The young man looks like he's had quite a bit to drink. It's best to stay away from the river. If he accidentally falls in, the wind will be strong at night, and he could easily catch a cold..."

Lin Lin chuckled dryly, moving his stiff feet as he tried to shield the rusty sword behind him with his body.

Regardless, let's get through this hurdle first...

Unexpectedly, the seemingly confused old village chief, who appeared somewhat senile due to his advanced age, had surprisingly sharp eyes. He immediately noticed the object behind Lin Lin, and his already small eyes narrowed into slits.

"Um..."

Lin Lin saw the changes in the old dragon man's expression. The moment he opened his mouth, even before he uttered a single word, Lin Lin's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no! We've been exposed!

"Young man, could you please show me that sword you're holding?"

Lin Lin: ...

As expected, they couldn't hide it anymore...

With a sigh, Lin Lin's lips twitched twice. He felt that his luck was really bad today. Perhaps the only thing he could call lucky was that he had carefully cleaned the sword just now and there was no smell left.

In this way, if the old village chief asks, he can insist that he acted on impulse while drunk and forcibly pulled it out, so as not to be too embarrassed.

He handed over the rusty sword in his hand.

The old village chief took it, his fingers tracing the cold rust on the sword, remaining silent for a long time.

He kept his head down, and Lin Lin couldn't see his expression, but he guessed that he must have been reminded of the past by the sight of the object, hence the sighs and melancholy...

After waiting for a moment, Lin Lin finally couldn't hold back any longer and cautiously spoke:
"village head?"

At this soft call, the old village chief seemed to finally come to his senses. He raised his head again, glanced at Lin Lin, and a smile appeared on his wrinkled face, like a blooming chrysanthemum.

When Lin Lin and his group arrived at the village, Chief Kokot recognized them as the hunters mentioned in the message his younger brother, who was the guild leader in Minagard, had sent him the day before.

In the letter, the other party briefly described the entire process of the Lao-Shan Lung ambush and said that it was no longer like when he had just retired, when he, an old man, had to step in to fight a Monoblos. Minagard was safe, and the nearby Kokot Village was naturally safe as well. He didn't need to worry and could enjoy his retirement in peace.

Such a hunter, and yet, such a fate...

"Incredible! Incredible! This is the Hero's Sword that has been stuck in the village for years, and no one has been able to pull it out. Young man, if you can pull out this sword, it proves that you are the second-generation Kokot Hero!"

Lin Lin couldn't help but shudder.

Why does this sound like the dialogue of a regular NPC in a beginner's village?!

If Lin Lin didn't know the old man's true identity, it wouldn't be so bad. But he knew perfectly well that this was the first Cocoy hero. For the other party to say such things to his face, there was an indescribable... sense of unease.

"Ahem, you flatter me. I'm just an ordinary hunter passing through, not even a local resident of Kokot Village, and..."

Lin Lin's eyes darted around, and a quick idea struck him:

"Besides, as you can see, I use a shield and axe. A one-handed sword feels too light for me. If you ask me, it would be better to put this sword back and let someone destined to take it out come and do so... What do you think?"

Old Dragon Man chuckled twice, his lowered eyebrows obscuring his gaze:
"My child, the sword of a hero is not important; what matters is the person who wields it."

A one-handed sword made from ordinary ore, apart from being relatively durable, had nothing special about it. Under the long-term corrosion of the ancient dragon blood, it had long since rusted to the point of being unusable. In the old village chief's opinion, the symbolic meaning of this sword far outweighed its actual value.

The old dragon raised his aged arm and gently pointed to Lin Lin's heart:
"When a person stands up in times of crisis and fights against disaster to protect the people, he is already a hero, and the weapon in the hero's hand is called the hero's sword for this reason."

Looking at the hunter's youthful face, Chief Kokot couldn't help but recall a letter that had been sent from the Great Temple of East Doruma more than half a year ago.

At the time, the Mad Dragon Virus had spread across almost half the continent. Fortunately, some hunters had warned them in advance, allowing the guilds to prepare for the situation, which prevented a major upheaval. Otherwise, the number of small villages and towns that would have been wiped out by the rampaging monster attacks would have been far greater than the number mentioned in the report.

Before that incident, during last year's breeding season, a male Rathalos infected with the Mad Dragon Virus migrated to Forest Hill. If nothing unexpected happens, a huge wave of Mad Dragons will break out in Forest Hill within a few months. Even if the Mad Dragon monsters do not directly rush into the village, Forest Hill, which is suddenly many times more dangerous, will surely drive this small village that relies on the mountains for its livelihood to the brink of despair.

Fortunately, an unexpected event occurred beforehand. The hunter was hunted down before the Rathalos could spread the virus, and the situation was quickly reported to the guild, allowing them to prepare a response. And that unexpected event was none other than the hunter before them, along with the Felyne accompanying him.

So, this young man has saved Kokot Village from peril twice. Even though he is not a native of Kokot, it does not diminish his status as a hero of Kokot.

After learning the whole story and how Kokot Village had unknowingly escaped a great calamity, the elderly dragonman had always wanted to express his gratitude to the hunter. Unfortunately, Kokot Village was too small to contain this hidden dragon that was bound to stir up the world. The old dragonman always thought that he would never have the chance to see this young hunter again. Who knew that tonight, the opportunity would be presented to him.

However, this young man seems somewhat resistant to the title of "hero"...

"That's true, but I only did what I was supposed to do. Everyone else did it too. This credit can't be pinned on me alone!"

Lin Lin had long forgotten about the mad dragon that had transformed into a male fire dragon that he had hunted back then. If no one specifically brought it up, he wouldn't remember it for a while. He assumed that what the first Kokot hero was talking about was the incident of them defeating Lao-Shan Lung the day before yesterday.

"Hmm... In that case, I've been too nosy."

"However, now that you've drawn this sword, it's yours. Whether you want to take it as a souvenir or put it back in the crevice is up to you."

The old dragon looked at Lin Lin with a smile, mentally completing the sentence he hadn't uttered:
"No matter what you choose, in my heart, and in the hearts of all the villagers of Kokot, you are the second Kokot hero after myself."

Lin Lin hadn't expected the old village chief to have so many inner monologues. His ability to listen to inner thoughts, when applied to humans, could only serve the purpose of understanding language. Seeing that the old village chief agreed not to make a fuss, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, we managed to get through this mess. It's great that we didn't lose face!
Later, I'll fetch several buckets of water and wash the sword off the slope. Then I'll put it back and let it wait for its true destined owner...

……

The next day.

Zach pushed open the door and stepped out, stretching vigorously in the bright, shining morning sun, before his expression turned serious.

He had already eaten breakfast in the room, and he felt a continuous surge of energy emanating from his body.

However, compared to the opponents he might face next, this amount of power is probably nothing at all...

After stretching his muscles, Zack weighed the prop bag at his waist, tightened the small round shield tied to his right arm, checked the blade of the one-handed sword in his hand several times, took a deep breath, and stepped into the Hill of Schreitsen.

Although Kokot Village borders Forest Hills, the area near the village is mainly composed of rolling hills and small patches of plains, offering a relatively unobstructed view, making it impossible for a fire dragon to nest here.

However, Zack did not cross this area and hurriedly head deeper into the dense forest. Instead, he wandered around, observing the distribution of herbivorous dragons in the area.

After learning about the mission of this assessment, during his day trip from Minagard to Kokot Village, he didn't just pester the hunters with questions out of mere curiosity. The experience revealed in their stories was the most valuable knowledge. It was by getting information from the seniors (mainly Shion) that he had already drafted a detailed plan for this mission by the time he arrived at Kokot Village.

The first step is to lie in wait near the herbivorous dragon herd, observe the monsters that come to hunt, and choose your target from among them.

After all, searching for the fire dragon's lair directly in the vast mountains would be too time-consuming and also rely heavily on luck. Since his commission only had a seven-day time limit, he naturally had to choose the most efficient method.

Having found the largest and most prominent herbivorous dragon herd, Zack hid in a nearby dense thicket, raising his binoculars to intently observe the sky.

It must be said that although fire dragons are a species that can be found almost anywhere on the continent due to their strong adaptability, the area with the highest density of fire dragon populations is none other than Xiuretsen Hill.

Zach had only been lying down for less than half an hour when he had already observed at least three different male Rathalos flying by through his binoculars. However, after observing them briefly, Zach gave up the idea of ​​pursuing them.

The reason is simple: one's shell is old and has turned white, one's tail has long been broken off, and the other looks too thin.

The older one looks like it only has a few years left to live, so it's impossible for it to still be laying eggs during its breeding season.

The one with the broken tail pounced down and immediately began to enjoy its meal without taking any eggs back to its nest. This shows that it must not even have a permanent nest, let alone any eggs for it to steal.

As for that overly thin guy, who looked like he had just come of age, Zack saw him grab a herbivorous dragon and try to woo a female Rathalos. However, due to his lack of strength, he accidentally dropped the gift during the courtship dance, and the emerald Rathalos simply turned and left...

Clearly, this creature is not yet mate-free, so forget about getting a dragon egg.

Zach continued to lie prone in the bushes, patiently waiting.

Not long after, another male fire dragon appeared in his field of vision. Upon seeing it from afar, Zak's face lit up with joy.

This guy is physically strong, flies gracefully, and even his roars are full of energy. By the standards of a male Rathalos, he should be considered a very handsome man. It is impossible for him not to have a mate. His dragon eggs have been found!

However, after looking at him more closely for a while, his expression turned strange again.

He had only been observing for a few minutes when he saw two emerald fire dragons, probably in their adolescence or just reaching adulthood, approaching him with their newly caught prey to fawn over him. However, the male fire dragon merely roared impatiently before suddenly accelerating and leaving the other dragon behind, disappearing completely from his sight in just a few seconds.

Its speed was so great that even the female Rathalos, which was not good at flying, couldn't catch a whiff of its exhaust...

Moreover, he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that the male fire dragon had a dazzling metallic sheen, which was particularly dazzling when the sunlight shone on it... He had only seen this texture on the fire dragon he had caught a glimpse of during the battle against Lao-Shan Lung.

(End of this chapter)