Monster Hunt: Notes from a Hunter

Bouncing and leveraging between the jagged rocks, and occasionally using Wirebugs to assist in deceleration, Feng Ying quickly descended to the瘴气 (miasma) area located underground.

It was also the most core area of this island, the core area with the densest miasma.

The thick, almost liquid miasma had dissipated for the most part under the drive of some kind of force, but even with just what remained, it could still be described as so thick that one couldn't see their own fingers.

Feng Ying didn't panic. She raised the launcher on her left arm and fired the 미리 채워진 (pre-filled) torch pod. (She doesn't usually wear a launcher, but she wears it to ride the Wyvern).

The torch pod, made of resin and other flammable materials, landed on the ground, and flames ignited, like miniature bonfires, dispelling the miasma in the nearby area, and also dispersing much of the spore mist.

Visibility cleared up.

Feng Ying turned to look in a certain direction, towards an area that the firelight couldn't dispel.

“gegegege — —”

In a series of strange clucking sounds, the shadow slowly walked out from the depths of the miasma.

It wasn't as huge as it had seemed before.

The shadow that resembled a super-giant Elder Dragon was just a projection effect caused by the mist and light, and the terrifying ghost claws that sent chills down one's spine were just the shadows cast by its unfolded bone wings.

Its true size might not even be comparable to many large flying wyverns.

However, even disregarding the "size" factor, the creature in front of her was still as terrifying as something from a nightmare.

A body that seemed to be pieced together from bones wrapped in rotting flesh, overgrown with mold, thick and sticky hyphae, and spore sacs that pulsed slowly like a heart, filled with pus.

It was like a severely rotten corpse that had become a breeding ground for fungi.

Feng Ying's face scrunched up as she looked at it. "Eww! You guy, no matter how many times I see you, you're still super disgusting."

“gi!”

In an angry screech, a large cloud of miasma sprayed onto her face.

Fu Fu pouted, standing in front of the huge desk, glaring at her father with dissatisfaction.

Anxi Er acted as if he didn't see it, continuing to handle the official business at hand.

After waiting for a few minutes, seeing that this wouldn't arouse her father's guilt, Fu Fu could only choose to change her strategy.

She put on a pitiful, tearful look, muttering, "I'm not an adult yet, and I don't have a job. Besides, other children's expenses are provided by their parents."

Anxi Er temporarily put down his quill, looked up at her, "Stop trying to change the subject. Of course I'll be responsible for your daily expenses of food, clothing, housing, and transportation. When have I ever let you go hungry?"

"Everyone else has pocket money... Mu Di has it too."

Anxi Er chuckled, "Doesn't your aunt usually give you a lot of pocket money?"

"But she's not here now."

"What you say does have a point." Anxi Er paused, "I heard that Mu Di's monthly pocket money is 200z. I'll add some for you, 300z a month, okay?"

"But..."

"What? You think it's too little? It's enough for an ordinary family's living expenses for several days."

Fu Fu really wanted to say, but we're not an ordinary family, Aunt Jessica gives thousands of zeny for pocket money at a time.

However, she cleverly didn't say it, because she knew that saying that would get her a beating from her dad.

Anxi Er seemed to see through her thoughts, and said coldly: "Jessica's so-called 'elite education' has distorted your view of money.

Do you know that the reward for hunting a Great Jagras is only a few thousand zeny, and how many hunters are truly capable of hunting a Great Jagras alone?

The average monthly income of most hunters cannot reach five digits. You must know that hunters are already considered a high-income group.

Of course, if you have the Sterling family behind you, and leverage the family's capital, you can easily earn a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand times the money, but are you really ready to take over the family?

This is Jessica's purpose. Once you get used to spending five or six digits at every turn, you will have no other choice, because by then you won't even be able to support yourself."

Faced with her father's stern lecture, Fu Fu shrank her neck, not daring to speak.

"You want to thank the Grimalkynes for saving your life, of course there's no problem, but you have to rely on your own strength to obtain supplies.

I can advance you the money, and there are countless ways to earn money.

I can make an exception and let you take on one- and two-star gathering quests. There are so many of these quests that you can't finish them all, as long as you're willing to put in the effort, you might even earn more than three- and four-star hunters.

If you don't want to do that, of course there are other ways, such as working as a waitress in a bar."

Having been rebuffed, Fu Fu could only borrow a sum of money from her father first, not daring to borrow too much, just 3000z, any more and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to pay it back and would be stuck in the New World doing white labor.

After she left in a dispirited manner, the logistics team leader who had come with her glanced at Anxi Er, "You used to spend a lot when you were a hunter.

Not to mention all kinds of expensive special ammunition, your food, drink, and supplies were all the best, and that mansion between the 'Five Dragons', how could you support it with just your hunter's income?"

"It wasn't enough." Anxi Er put away that stern expression, leaned leisurely on the back of his chair, "But I have shares in the family business, and I get a lot of dividends every year."

"*? Then isn't Fu Fu the only heir to your family, doesn't she have share dividends?"

"Of course she does, but she's not an adult yet, so I'm keeping her money for her."

"...Are you human?"

Just as they were sneering, Fu Fu, who had only left a few minutes ago, ran back excitedly, and the two quickly shut up.

"Dad! I have a question, how much is the reward for a quest like gathering mushrooms?"

"Deliver twenty 특산 (specialty) mushrooms, 720z, this is a very important trade item, the demand is huge, the research team purchases it in unlimited quantities, what's wrong?" The logistics team leader, who was in charge of this, replied casually.

"Can I ask the Grimalkynes to help me gather them? I'll pay them with rations, ten rations for twenty mushrooms, they'll definitely be willing, after all, rations are durable and filling.

I just went to the store to take a look, rations are 30z each, maybe it's even cheaper to buy in bulk, so I can earn at least 60% as a middleman!

Hmm, I suddenly realized that this business is really doable, these kinds of specialties shouldn't just be in the Ancient Forest, right?"

The logistics team leader's eyes flashed with shrewdness, "Of course! The cacti and herbivore eggs in the Wildspire Waste are even more expensive than specialty mushrooms.

And there's the Hadori pearls in the Coral Highlands, this is a delicacy sought after by foodies!"

Anxi Er's mouth twitched, "It sounds like a good business, but aren't you afraid that I'll snatch your identity as a middleman?"

Fu Fu glared back without showing weakness, "The king of the Grimalkynes is my uncle, they only listen to me, try to steal my business?

Quick! Lend me some more money, I have to build a good relationship with the Grimalkyne brothers first, you can charge interest, just treat it as a commercial loan!"

Anxi Er: “…”

Fu Fu ran off with the money, “Gagagagaga”.

Looking at the equally excited logistics team leader, Anxi Er sighed softly, "Go and discuss with the researchers at the Ecological Research Institute to set a limit on the purchase quantity.

Business can be done, but there must be rules, especially not destroying the ecology."

"Okay!"

Watching the logistics team leader's back as he hurried away, Anxi Er pinched the corner of his eye.

"Jessica's business education, is it finally taking effect?"