The sharp blade sliced through the Seregios's trachea and blood vessels. Amidst a "hissing" sound of leaking air, the surging torrent of blood mixed with air into a crimson froth, clogging its throat.
The Seregios struggled in vain, its breathing becoming increasingly frantic, yet it could no longer take in enough oxygen.
Life ebbed away rapidly, soon leaving behind nothing but the weak, involuntary twitching of neurological reflexes.
"We won..." Altaïr lay flat on his back.
It wasn't just the wounds on his legs that had torn open again; he felt as if every inch of his body was screaming in pain.
The desperate struggle for survival when the Airship crashed, the agonizing effort of clinging to the Seregios's back to avoid being bucked off, the repeated battering from branches and vines as he fell through the canopy, and the high-intensity combat where he repeatedly activated Demon Mode despite the toll on his body...
As the searing pain of torn muscles washed over him, even he was somewhat surprised that he had managed to hold on until now.
"Are you okay, Boss, meow?!"
"You really know how to cause trouble for me, meow!"
Two furry Felyne faces appeared in his field of vision.
Sajji paced around Altaïr nervously, while Shalan impatiently pushed him aside and planted a canister into the ground.
Pale green medicinal mist billowed out, seeping into his wounds and skin, and entering his body with every breath, healing his injuries both internal and external.
"This is a Health Booster made from medicinal ingredients unique to the New World, meow. Every one we use is one less we have, they're very precious, meow! You owe Lady Shalan a huge favor, meow!"
Shalan grumbled incessantly, "Ugh, meow! These wounds have completely split open, meow! The sutures have shredded the edges of the skin, meow, it's going to be even harder to stitch back together now, meow!
Don't move, meow! If you don't want to be left with permanent complications, you'd better stay still for the next few days, meow!"
"Ri... right, where is Erik?" Stimulated by the intense pain, Altaïr's voice had turned dry and hoarse.
"Don't be stupid, meow. Since I'm fine, do you think I'd let that bookworm get hurt, meow?"
"I'm fine!" The silver-haired youth popped his head out from behind the slightly twitching carcass of the Seregios.
"By the way, this Seregios is quite large!" Erik trotted over and measured it by pacing.
"Its total length is nearly two thousand centimeters! Usually, the average body length of a Seregios is only sixteen hundred and seventy centimeters. Even if this guy isn't a Gold Crown-sized specimen, it's not far off.
And the carcass is extremely intact; the wounds are almost all concentrated on the legs and belly, and there are no missing limbs. It really is the perfect research specimen..."
The same words meant something entirely different to Altaïr's ears.
A massive size and an intact carcass, what did that mean?
It meant they could obtain more high-quality materials.
"Ma... materials!" Without the tension of battle to distract him, Altaïr, drenched in cold sweat from the pain, spoke with a strained voice as he reached a hand out toward the Seregios's corpse.
It was as if he wanted to snatch those materials out of the air.
Shalan "thwack!"-ed his reaching palm away. "Lie still, meow! Are you really that desperate for materials from a mere pinecone chicken, meow?
Fine... I suppose they really are precious to you types, meow."
As Shalan used a small knife and needle to deal with the mangled wounds on Altaïr's legs, she said casually, "Just let Sajji go do the carving, meow. We have plenty of time to carve it slowly, meow." "Understood, meow!"
Sajji wiped his paws and ran toward the Seregios's corpse.
He noticed that Erik was already impatiently unsheathing a knife, preparing for a dissection.
Erik was welcome to dissect and study the guts and flesh however he pleased, but the materials must absolutely not be damaged by him, meow!
Scholars and Felynes do not handle carcasses as violently as Hunters do; they followed the gaps between the scales, dismantling and slicing bit by bit.
Important parts like the horn, claws, and spear-like tail went without saying, but Sajji didn't even overlook those Bladescale Hone that had been fired off, fallen to the ground, or embedded in tree trunks, collecting every single one.
They formed a large, glittering golden pile.
Meanwhile, Erik held his portable camera, snapping photos incessantly of the Seregios's eviscerated corpse.
The Jungle was sweltering, and corpses rotted quickly; in just half a day, a foul stench had already begun to emanate.
The only reason no carnivorous Monsters had approached yet was simply because this area was this Seregios's territory, and its lingering aura still held sway.
However, if they stayed like this much longer, it wouldn't be long before some overly curious Monster came to investigate.
Altaïr's current condition was unsuitable for combat, and with a liability like Erik in the group, Shalan decided to move out.
Erik and Sajji, who had just finished the work of dissection and carving, were commanded by Shalan to go gather supplies; the Airship's gondola had crashed nearby.
Although it had long since been smashed to pieces and cargo was scattered everywhere, a careful search could always turn up something useful.
They remained busy until late at night, and surprisingly, they really did find quite a few useful items.
For instance, various vital supplies including food, medicine, ropes, and waterproof clothing.
Sajji even found his small handcart; the cart was naturally broken, but the wheels had somehow remained intact.
Combined with various parts from the "deceased" Rathalos Model-07 and materials like the gondola's wooden planks, he managed to cobble together a pedal-powered cart.
The mountain of Seregios materials was wrapped in silk fabric cut from the Airship's air sac and loaded onto the cart, and Altaïr, who had difficulty moving while recovering from his injuries, was also moved onto it.
It was impossible for Lady Shalan to walk herself, so there was naturally a spot for her on the cart. As the "primary power source," Sajji sat in front pedaling, while Erik had a rope tethered to him, serving as auxiliary power while simultaneously preventing him from wandering off.
Having lost their Airship and most of their supplies, they could no longer continue the investigation. Returning to Metapetatto on foot would take anywhere from ten days to two weeks, even if the journey went perfectly smooth.
But they had no other choice.
Wobbling along, the group disappeared into the Jungle, embarking on the journey home.
Dundorma Harbor.
A passenger Airship from the Western Continent descended slowly.
The gangway had just been lowered when a silver-gray shadow leaped impatiently from the deck.
It was a terrifyingly large Palamute. When the crowds at the harbor suddenly saw a "beast" whose back was taller than a man, they couldn't help but scream, nearly causing a riot.
Nymera, who had been left behind, hurriedly launched a Wirebug and reached her hunting partner in a few leaps. She pushed down his large, curious head that was looking around everywhere and apologized profusely to the people around them. Noticing the leather armor and saddle on the Palamute, the passersby finally realized that this was a domestic animal.
Even so, looking at the Palamute's mouth full of dagger-like fangs, the crowd found it difficult to feel entirely at ease. They backed away several meters, carving out a small empty pocket within the bustling harbor pier.
"Hibiki! What did you promise before we left? No running around everywhere!" Nymera tugged on the fur under Hibiki's chin, scolding him crossly. "And absolutely no causing trouble for others!"
"Woof!"
Hibiki stuck out his massive pink tongue and gave her a lick, his eyes full of the simple innocence of "I'm just a dog, I don't understand anything."
Nymera took a deep breath.
She might have been fooled when they first met, but after spending this much time together, she knew exactly how clever this fellow was.
Forget a simple reprimand like hers; he could even understand Master Kagero's haiku!
Giving Hibiki's snout two firm taps, Nymera tried to make her voice sound harsher. "If you act up again, I'm sending you back to Master Iori and letting him discipline you!"
"Awoooo..."
Hibiki shook his massive head vigorously. Having finally made it out, the last thing he wanted was to go back!
Seeing that her partner had finally settled down, Nymera took out a set of reins and fitted them onto Hibiki's large head.
Hibiki tossed his head in dissatisfaction, but under Nymera's glare, he could only let out a low "wululu" whine and allow her to fasten the harness.
Palamutes were not horses; an intelligence equivalent to an eight or nine-year-old human child meant that Hunters typically had no need for things like reins to command them.
This gear was purely for the benefit of others.
A Palamute of such enormous size, which looked more like a giant wolf than a dog, was simply too terrifying to have walking through a city.
However, if he wore reins and was led by a Hunter, the perceived threat level would drop significantly.
In reality, of course, if Hibiki truly bolted, Nymera wouldn't be able to hold him back even with the reins attached.
"Miss Yomogi and Master Iori asked us to bring some items to their friend. Apparently, it's someone of high status, so you absolutely mustn't misbehave later."
Nymera led Hibiki by the reins, emphasizing the point repeatedly as they walked.
"Woof woof!" Hibiki panted with his tongue out, as if saying "I know, I know."
Wary of causing a disturbance, Nymera led Hibiki through less crowded back alleys. After several twists and turns, they finally arrived in front of an exceptionally luxurious mansion.
Looking down at the letter in her hand and verifying the address, Nymera nodded. "This should be the place, the residence of that lord."
At the mansion gates, guards armed with Lances watched them warily.
Just as Nymera was about to step forward and present the documents to request an audience with the noble, Hibiki seemed to catch a scent and twitched his nose twice.
Then, under the horrified gazes of Nymera and the guards, he let out a loud "Awoof!" and smashed through the iron-barred gate, streaking like the wind across the courtyard and charging into the grand estate.
(End of chapter)
(Translated by yourtl.app)
─────────────────────────────────────────
TL NOTES — LORE SECTION
Some terms and creatures referenced in this story may be unfamiliar to readers new to the Monster Hunter universe. The following entries provide additional context.
ITEMS
Health Booster — A deployable canister that releases a sustained cloud of medicinal mist, healing wounds and restoring health both externally and internally to anyone who breathes it in. More powerful than standard Potions and particularly valued for treating severe or complex injuries in the field.
Bladescale Hone — Harvested materials from a Seregios: the razor-sharp scales it fires as projectiles during combat. Prized for their keenness and durability, they are highly sought-after crafting materials.
CONCEPTS & SYSTEMS
Gold Crown — An honorary designation awarded to monsters of exceptional size, typically those measured among the very largest or smallest ever recorded of their species. A Gold Crown specimen commands significantly higher value for both research and materials.