Because Lancer had only two days remaining, he erupted with enthusiasm and motivation far surpassing a normal Hunter's.
Having learned that the materials from the two Daimyo Hermitaurs were enough to craft a full "Hermitaur Armor Set" and a "Red Crab Lance," he decisively sold off the rarest item—the Monoblos Horn. Why? Simple—to forge the legendary "Crimson Lance," he'd need a Monoblos Heart, and just traveling to and from the desert required ten hours, plus hunting time almost meant another whole day.
Spend an entire day crafting a weapon only marginally better than the Red Crab Lance, or quickly craft a few weapons of comparable strength nearby?
The answer was obvious.
Since this was a welfare world, Lancer felt no need to hold back.
Of all the available hunting grounds, the closest were the jungle at the mountain's base and the snowy peaks above. But after two failed trips to the snowy peaks, Lancer decisively abandoned the area. Why? Simple—Tigrex!
Unlike the quest with two Low-Rank Daimyo Hermitaurs, where he could get lucky and fight them separately, Tigrex was a true High-Rank monster. After watching a single hunt from afar, Lancer immediately abandoned the snowy peaks—after all, he had no interest in dying a stupid, meaningless death.
Finally, as his time drew to an end, Lancer's third weapon was finished:
[KNIGHT'S LANCE | C+ ]
[EFFECT]:
NONE
...
[RED CRAB LANCE | C ]
[EFFECT]:
HARDNESS ENHANCEMENT (LARGE)
...
[GATLING LANCE | C- ]
[EFFECTS]:
FIRE ATTRIBUTE (MINOR)
HARDNESS ENHANCEMENT (MINOR)
The strongest among the three was undoubtedly the C+ ranked Knight's Lance. However, lacking special abilities, it could only be considered standard equipment. The Red Crab Lance came second; though its attack power was lower, it possessed the strongest durability due to its Hardness Enhancement, making it the most suitable for prolonged "Weapon Overload" usage. Finally, the Gatling Lance had the weakest raw damage but possessed fire attribute attacks, possibly offering special advantages in specific situations. It would serve as his backup weapon.
Yet now, there arose a glaring issue—
All three weapons were "Lance-type," which came paired with defensive shields. Carrying one set would've been easy enough, thanks to special mechanisms allowing the weapons to fold neatly. But the problem was: three whole sets...
There's absolutely nowhere to store all this gear!
Before crafting, Lancer simply wanted backup weapons. Afterward, he was utterly baffled—he had nowhere to keep them! Could he really only carry one set?
"Meow-meow-meow~!!"
Right then, strange meows sounded from the doorway—Tiger stood there, waving a paw urgently.
"Coming!"
Though the storage issue deeply troubled him, it clearly wasn't something he could resolve immediately—so why worry about it? Tonight, it was time to celebrate instead!
Over these two days, Tiger, Al, and Jack had accompanied him through multiple exhausting hunts. Lancer was completely worn out, and so were they. Since he'd be leaving the next morning, he'd treat these final hours as a grand celebration—a fitting reward for their efforts!
In addition to ordering a lavish all-fish feast at the Gathering Hall, Lancer bought a large jug of "Dragon Ale" and even splurged on a small basket of catnip.
A Hunter's job was dangerous, sure, but it paid handsomely too. Despite the extravagant feast, the expensive liquor, and rare catnip, the total cost wasn't even close to the reward from a single one-star hunting mission.
Seeing the three Palicoes gleefully clutching their catnip—especially the usually "aloof" Jack rubbing his face ecstatically against it—Lancer immediately felt every penny was well-spent!
"Everyone!! Tonight is on me!! One jug of Dragon Ale per person! And for my Felyne friends, a packet of catnip each!!"
Perhaps it was the joyous atmosphere, or maybe the alcohol talking—either way, a euphoric Lancer boldly slammed his remaining coin pouch onto the table. The entire Gathering Hall momentarily froze in shock, before erupting into loud cheers…
"Tiger! Jack! Al! Come—let's toast!!"
Lancer raised a foaming wooden cup high. After a brief pause, the three thrilled Palicoes lifted their catnip, leaped from the table, and enthusiastically "clinked" it with Lancer's mug.
"Hahaha—!!"
Even though they'd only fought alongside him for a short two days, they were true companions!
I wonder if they'll like the surprise presents I ordered for tomorrow?
Indeed, Lancer had secretly commissioned special Palico armor sets for his three temporary companions. Given the small size and modest material requirements, he had ordered a full set for each Palico as a proper farewell gift—two days of loyal, life-risking help couldn't possibly be repaid with just a single meal.
But thinking about that now had no meaning at all—tonight, all that mattered was the celebration!
...
His first transmigration happened inexplicably; the second, during an escape; but this third one… was while drunk.
Now, Lancer stood unsteadily, his head still dizzy from the hangover. People in this world had bodies enhanced to fight monsters, far surpassing normal human standards. And considering he'd drunk a potent "Dragon Ale," it was fortunate that his body was sturdy enough not to suffer alcohol poisoning outright.
[COMPLETED x1 FIVE-STAR QUEST | 400 POINTS]
[COMPLETED x2 THREE-STAR QUESTS | 200 POINTS]
[COMPLETED x5 TWO-STAR QUESTS | 250 POINTS]
[WELFARE WORLD COMPLETION REWARDS]:
HUNTER'S EQUIPMENT CHEST.
LANCE CRAFTING MANUAL.
[HIDDEN QUEST | TRUE HUNTER]
A TRUE HUNTER FEARS NO DANGER AND EARNS THE TRUST OF THEIR COMPANIONS.
[REWARDS]:
PALICO SUMMONING HORN.
Still dazed, Lancer stared blankly at the huge, scarlet chest that suddenly materialized in front of him.
[HUNTER'S EQUIPMENT CHEST | B ]
[USAGE]: CHANNEL FOR 30 SECONDS OUT OF COMBAT
[EFFECT]: STORES WEAPONS, ARMORS, CONSUMABLES.
[STORAGE CAPACITY]: 100 SLOTS.
...
[LANCE CRAFTING MANUAL]
[EFFECT]: ALLOW CRAFTING OF LANCES USING MONSTER BONES AND ORES.
...
[PALICO SUMMONING HORN]
[USAGE]: BLOW HORN FOR 5 SECONDS.
[EFFECT]: SUMMONS ONE PALICO TO ASSIST YOU IN COMBAT. MAX 3.
EACH PALICO CAN REMAIN FOR 2 HOURS PER DAY.
[DUE TO PALICO NATURE, THEY REFUSE TO APPEAR IF YOUR OPPONENT IS HUMAN.]
Truly worthy of being called a "Welfare World."
Though his head throbbed painfully from the hangover, Lancer still couldn't resist breaking into a small, satisfied smile.
At that moment, the system's mechanical voice echoed once more in his ears…
---
T/N: volume 1.5 end :D