After resting, eating, checking his equipment, and bringing himself back to peak condition, Altaïr followed a Meowcenaries Felyne to a river valley nearly ten kilometers from camp.
Spring water tumbled from the mountaintop and broke against the rocks, filling the air with mist before gathering in the valley as clear, shin-deep streams.
The extraordinarily abundant groundwater fed a dense web of streams that flooded vast swaths of woodland like a swamp, creating an ecosystem unlike any other jungle. The region had earned the name "Flooded Forest".
Here, Ludroth squabbled with Jaggi over food, while Rathalos and Mizutsune fought over territory.
Even Leviathans that normally inhabited large bodies of water, such as Gobul and Somnacanth, occasionally appeared in this forest.
Walking through the valley stream behind Altaïr, Sajji felt something dart past his paws. He reached out a claw and scooped up a spear squid the length of his palm.
"Meow, is this really a forest?" Sajji muttered with a bemused look, stuffing the little squid into his mouth just before it could spray ink in his face.
"Is the Zinogre really here? In a place this damp?" Altaïr asked the Meowcenaries Felyne guiding them.
He had never Hunted a Zinogre himself, but he had read a great deal about them.
According to the records, Zinogre disliked excessively humid environments. The Monsters did not fear water, but they hated having their fur soaked.
Wet fur directly threatened the Thunderbugs that lived in close symbiosis with the Zinogre, making it harder for the Monsters to enter their charged state.
When Hunting Zinogre, many Hunters favored Water or Ice Element weapons. By targeting the Thunderbugs nesting between the plates of a Zinogre's shell, they could indirectly weaken the Monster.
But here...
Both his armor and Sajji's fur were already soaked through.
Fortunately, caution had prompted him to change into the Espinas Armor Set before setting out, though it had since been relegated to backup gear.
The set had excellent lightning resistance. It would not let him ignore the electrified attacks for which Zinogre were renowned, but it could at least keep him on his feet after an electrical surge.
The Brute Tigrex Armor Set was excellent in every other respect, but its lightning resistance was abysmal. In such a damp, waterlogged environment, even a stray current could paralyze him.
"It's just ahead, meow. You'll see it very soon, meow," the Meowcenaries Felyne replied earnestly.
"Monsters infected with the Frenzy Virus don't think clearly, meow. It's common for them to act against their own nature, meow."
Altaïr nodded in understanding.
Similar phenomena were hardly rare in nature. Some parasites could even seize complete control of a host's behavior, turning the victim into a mindless living corpse.
The group continued through the shallow streams until they reached a rugged cliff face. The Meowcenaries Felyne stopped. "We're here, meow. The target is just ahead.
"Once the Hunt is over, we'll recover the materials, meow. Good fortune in battle, meow."
Altaïr gave a word of thanks, then signaled for Sajji and Hibiki to proceed stealthily and led them forward with soft, careful steps.
Once around the protruding cliff face, they spotted the massive Fanged Wyvern about a hundred meters away, sprawled asleep on a bed of gravel.
A quick visual estimate put its body length at roughly sixteen or seventeen meters.
That might not have sounded especially large, but Fanged Wyverns and Flying Wyverns had fundamentally different builds.
Fanged Wyverns lacked the iconic long necks and tails of Flying Wyverns. Their torsos were thicker and more compact, while their limbs were sturdier.
At the same length, a Zinogre would weigh at least half again as much as a Rathalos, perhaps even more.
"Its shell is darker than a normal individual's, and its muscles look a little wasted. Food is clearly plentiful here... Could that be the Frenzy Virus?"
Altaïr murmured to himself, his wariness of the Frenzy Virus sharpening.
Compared with the mysterious microorganism that had already merged with his own body, the Frenzy Virus was plainly far more dangerous.
He could not let the former's "docility" lull him into lowering his guard against anything of this kind.
After silently warning himself, Altaïr took out a strip of gauze and tied it over his face. It was little more than a token precaution, but better than nothing.
"Judging by its musculature, it can't have much stamina left. We need to kill it as quickly as possible," Altaïr whispered to Sajji. "It's sleeping soundly. I'll set up the wake-up attack.
"Sajji, find a good place for a trap. I'll lure it there in a moment.
"Oh, right. You already know this, but just to be clear, don't use a Shock Trap. Use a Pitfall Trap..."
"I didn't even bring a Shock Trap, meow." Sajji held up his pack, then slunk away like a cat burglar.
"Hibiki, stay out of the fight. There's no point risking infection. Patrol the perimeter and wait for my signal." Before Hibiki could bark, Altaïr pinched his muzzle shut.
"Quiet."
"Mrrr..." Hibiki whined softly, as though answering, "Got it."
Only then did Altaïr release his muzzle. He took out several potions and downed them one after another, then pulled out a Might Pill, placed it in his mouth without chewing, and crept toward the sleeping Zinogre.
Even when Altaïr came within five meters of its head, the Zinogre remained sound asleep, purplish-black drool seeping from the corner of its mouth.
After judging the distance, Altaïr planted his feet and drew Tyrant Blade [Heaven Swallower], still locked to its sheath in Great Sword form.
He crushed the Might Pill between his teeth as he hoisted the Great Sword and began charging.
Astonishing strength gathered within his body. Each transition in his charging stance piled more power atop the last.
Some Monsters could sense approaching danger and wake even from a deep sleep. The gravely infected Zinogre before him, however, clearly lacked such keen perception.
Even when Altaïr completed his charge, the Zinogre slept on, breathing heavily.
In that case, I'm sorry.
With a low shout, Altaïr unleashed his attack.
Under his precise control, the point of Tyrant Blade [Heaven Swallower] struck the Zinogre squarely on the nose. Its bloodshot eyes, so crimson they seemed ready to bleed, snapped open.
Startled awake, the Zinogre began to lift its head. The opening strike had done its work, however, and the True Charged Slash itself came next, passing through the narrow gap between its horns and cleaving squarely into the crown of its skull. The impact smashed its head back to the ground.
"BOOM!"
The fighting spirit he had compressed again and again erupted together with the Dragon Element energy blazing along the sword.
The heavy blade split the virus-eroded, greenish-black shell. Flesh tore, and nearly black blood sprayed out. Although Altaïr twisted aside, a few drops still spattered his armor.
"Tsk."
Altaïr clicked his tongue and set the concern aside. He rolled to reposition, bringing Tyrant Blade [Heaven Swallower] in Great Sword form to his hip while disengaging the lock between blade and sheath, then settled into the Iai stance.
Badly wounded in its sleep and already driven mad by the Frenzy Virus, the Zinogre threw back its head and unleashed an enraged howl.
"GROOOOAAAAR!!"
The instant the howl began, Altaïr drew his blade in a flash. He used the momentum of the Iai Slash to shrug off the stagger from taking the roar at point-blank range, and the flashing blade carved two crossing slashes into the Zinogre's chest, cutting the roar short.
His Spirit Gauge filled rapidly. Without hesitation, Altaïr raised his Long Sword and entered the Focus stance.
Utterly enraged, the Zinogre raised an enormous claw to swat Altaïr into a meat patty. Altaïr was already a step ahead and thrust his sword forward.
He drove the point precisely into the bone-deep wound that the True Charged Slash had carved into the top of the Monster's head. As he swept the blade upward in a Rising Slash, its trident-shaped point ripped away a broad sheet of the Zinogre's scalp.
Amid the Zinogre's howls, Altaïr swung again. Gale-force sword energy burst from each cut in an unbroken flurry.
In little more than the blink of an eye, the Monster's head had become a mangled ruin of flesh and blood.