"Master... can you feel that?"

Called by Becky, the old man calmly opened his eyes.

Obviously, he felt it. A strangely uniform tremor sent up from the ground to the chair.

A natural calamity feared by all- that thing.

"The news have just arrived. The Royal Armory's objective here is to test a prototype weapon. They confined us so that we wouldn't get in their way. And for the experiment, they also forcibly changed the direction of 'that thing' by startling it with hundreds of Large Barrel Bombs."

"Ooh...? That's quite elaborate."

"What should we do?"

"So, how powerful is this prototype weapon?"

"From the blueprints, its destructive power should be even higher than the Dragonator. However, there are major flaws."

"Hmm?"

"Each of the cannons are made from a large amount Fire Wyvern Marrows. Their barrels, forged from Machalite Ores, are only good for 3 shots."

"That's to be expected. The reason wyverns can use their fire attacks repeatedly is that they can rapidly recover their inflamed throats. Then, what about the effect of this weapon on 'that thing'?"

"Unknown... but I think the best they can do is just startle it."

Hearing that, the old man laughed in his throat. Becky narrowed her eyes and rubbed the elder's thin shoulder.

"However, there's one more issue."

"Hmm?"

"It's about the smell that the Fire Wyvern Marrows emit when they ignite. Judging from the amount of those weapons brought in, the smell should be strong enough to... attract swarms of fire wyverns."

"Because they'll mistake that for an invasion of their territory? Good grief..."

"What do we do?"

"...Let's just leave them to their own devices for a little longer. It'll be good to let them have a taste of failure. How are the hunters doing?"

Becky smiled wryly.

"Can you not hear that?"

The elder leaned forward and focused his ears, then broke into a laugh.

From the other side of the door, the hunters can be heard singing merrily. It looks like they were having quite a party.

The knights that keep watch on the guild masters don't seem to have any intention of stopping the ruckus.

"Let them have fun for a little longer... But make sure to charge them for the food and drinks later."

"Of course."

Becky answered immediately without any hesitation.

"I absolutely won't let them eat for free."

"Those people really are idiots... Thinking they can contain us just by putting us in here."

Elmeria let out a merry laugh while sitting cross legged on the floor.

During her time here, she has lost count of the amount of beer she drank.

After chugging down another, she banged the mug on the floor.

"What do you mean?"

Haring Zeeg's question, the girl stopped laughing and gave the boy a ridiculed look.

"What? You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Honestly... Even if you're a rookie, I can't believe you don't know this!"

"Ouch!"

Given a slap on his shoulder, Zeeg's upper body was knocked down flat on the floor.

The strike was so strong that his shoulder could have been dislocated.

Her brute strength shouldn't be surprising, since the girl can wield the ma.s.sive Diablos Maul without breaking a sweat.

However, her build doesn't give Zeeg that impression at all, causing the boy to let his guard down.

"You listening? This vet will get you up to speed."

Elmeria waved her finger in front of Zeeg's nose.

"In addition to the streets, every part of this city- be it the market, plaza, gathering hall, or even guest houses- is connected together by underground tunnels dug inside the mountain. That means we can escape whenever we want."

"...Then why is everyone still here, drinking like there's no tomorrow?"

"Well, we won't gain anything from opposing those knights, right? It's another story if they're here to kill us, but so far they only put us in here. The cannons they brought in aren't intended to be used on us either."

"How do you know all that?"

Zeeg got up and rubbed his shoulder.

To express her hopelessness for the boy, Elmeria shook her head.

"How, you ask? First of all, the weapons are pointed to the outside right? If they're going use it on us, there would be one pointed at the gathering hall from the beginning. They require the use of Aptonoths to move around, so they wouldn't do something inefficient like pointing the weapons outwards just to turn them back later. And of course, pointing the cannons at us from the start will work really well as intimidation. That means they're trying to use those weapons here to do something, and us hunters will get in their way- How's that for an explanation!?"

The girl swung her arm again, but this time Zeeg antic.i.p.ated it and dodged.

The force from her missed strike caused the girl fall over, and Gannon grabbed her before she hit the ground.

From the looks of it, she has been drunk this whole time.

"Ah, drunk already? That's a rare sight."

Feeling someone's presence and hearing a familiar voice, Zeeg instantly turned around.

"Fradio!"

Naked upper body and executioner's mask- there is only one person who could fit the description.

The man narrowed his eyes and laughed mischievously while sitting down next to Zeeg, causing a rubbery sound from the friction between his armor and the floor.

"Where have you been, Fradio?"

"I was in the room, you know? Spying on them in order to know their objective. Now that I have all of the necessary information, I've come here to make an announcement."

"Really?"

Elmeria's clear voice made Zeeg blink in confusion.

It was like she sobered up instantly. Even though her cheeks are still slightly red, she has a determined look in her eyes.

Fradio nodded, then stood up and walked up to the quest board.

He took out the roll of paper that was slipped on his waist, opened it up, and flattened it on the board.

"These are the schematics of the weapons they brought in."

The man's statement caused all the commotion to die down instantly.

Every hunter, Zeeg included, turned their heads to the quest board.

Fradio placed his Gypceros hide-covered hand on the paper.

"Apparently, this weapon is called the 'Dragon Destroyer'. In simple terms, they copied the mechanisms of the Rathalos's fireball attack and used scientific enhancements to increase its firepower. Its core is made from a large amount of Fire Wyvern Marrows, and the barrel is forged from high-purity Machalite. One cannon requires at least 200 Machalite Ores to create."

Someone whistled out in astonishment.

"These cannons are completely different from Dragonators in terms of both structure and power. Like normal cannons, this weapon's design is developed using bowguns as base. Simply put, it's a man-made fire wyvern."

"What are they trying to do with this thing here?"

A hunter asked the question, and Fradio let out a mischievous laugh.

"...You see, they're attempting to use these Dragon Destroyers to slay the Lao-Shan Lung."

The gathering hall was filled with silence for a moment- and then burst into laughter.

"Hey hey hey, are they for real!? They really think they can do that!?"

"For someone who haven't even seen the real thing, they sure cause a lot of trouble!"

"Man, it's been a long time since I heard something this funny!"

All of the hunters laughed merrily.

Lao-Shan Lung... Zeeg has also heard of that name.

The name means "Old Mountain Dragon"- and the cla.s.sification is completely different from the Rathalos.

Ancient creatures that have lived since the antiquity, their sheer size is what makes them a threat.

No one knows the exact measurements, but if one were to look up from the ground, they wouldn't even see its back, as if it were a mountain's summit.

If they tried to look at the monster's tail from its head, the distance would be so great that they would barely see it.

The Elder Dragon never stops, roaming the lands as if it's on an eternal journey.

Due to its sheer ma.s.s, villages or cities unlucky enough to be in its path would effectively be wiped off the map.

Rather than a living creature, the Lao-Shan Lung is considered by many to be a natural disaster, similar to earthquakes and sandstorms.

A force of nature that humans can never hope to overcome.

Of course, humans aren't the kind to be trampled on without putting up a fight.

New methods are always thought up in order to deal with it.

The Dragonators were also invented for that purpose.

But even if the spear can kill a Rathalos with a single well-placed attack, the Lao-Shan Lung's unimaginably hard sh.e.l.ls wouldn't even have a single scratch.

Currently, the method is to startle it using a large quant.i.ty of explosives or flash and sonic bombs, forcing it to change its route.

("Wait... If they're bringing the weapons meant to kill it here, then-")

Zeeg shuddered at the possibility of what could happen.

Raising his head up, his eyes met with Fradio's.

The look in the man's eyes under his mask confirmed Zeeg's fears.

Fradio slammed his hand on the quest board once to get the attention of every person present.

"Everyone, do you think this is the time to be laughing?"

He quickly cast his eyes over the hall.

"Why do you think they brought the Dragon Destroyers here? In that quant.i.ty?"

"Wait, don't tell me-!"

A mustached hunter stood up, pus.h.i.+ng the chair behind him.

"You're telling us that the Lao-Shan Lung is coming here!?"

"No way. According to the route prediction, isn't it supposed to go in a completely different direction?"

"R...right..."

The mustached hunter sighed in relief, but Fradio crushed that sense of security by shaking his head.

"Regrettably, the dragon has changed its path- No, it would be more fitting to say that it has been forced to change its path. I've confirmed it with my own eyes. Beyond the fog, I could see a moving mountain. That was the Lao-Shan Lung's back, no doubt. I don't know what method they used, but it seems like the Combat Engineer Division of the Royal Armory has successfully changed the monster's route."

"Gah!! What have they done!!?"

The man scratched his mustache.

"Fradio."

Elmeria stood up, put her hand on her hip, and tilted her head slightly.

"Where did you get all this information from?"

"Ah, about that. It's simple. Young Lady Wimberly has come to this city."

The mention of that name stirred up a commotion. It looks like everyone is aware of her and her organization's protests.

"It's a good thing that she came here to protest against killing the Lao-Shan Lung... But right now she's been confined in a guest house."

"That's what she gets for playing with fire."

Zeeg looked up at Elmeria, who let out an arrogant snort.

"Then, what do we do? Do we wait for that freaking huge dragon to come here? Or do we run away?"

"Let's see..."

Elmeria narrowed her eyes and stared at the quest board.

"It would be nice if someone were to make a request..."

"It's here!"

From the city wall, a soldier tasked with watching the sky hurriedly came down to report his news to Brandar.

"Its route is as we predicted! It will be in the effective range in approximately 20 minutes."

"Give me that."

Brandar s.n.a.t.c.hed the binoculars from the soldier's hands and looked into the fog. A mountain is clearly moving.

Uniform tremors can felt for quite a while now, the rhythm closely matching the mountain's movement.

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, the giant dragon's face appeared from beyond the fog.

Brandar could feel the strength in his legs being drained way.

Even though it's still so far away, the knight was so frightened that cold sweat appeared on his palms.

"S...Start the heating process!"

Brandar issued the order with his s.h.i.+vering voice.

"Starting the heating process!"

Powderstone fuel rods were inserted into every Dragon Destroyer at once.

Each cannon emitted Vespoid-like buzzing sounds as their Machalite barrels gradually turn red from the heat.

At the same time, a mysterious smell drifted all over the area.

Brandar closed his helmet's visor, letting the special cloth under the faceguard absorb the stinking smell away.

Another 10 minutes is needed for the cannons to be ready.

Moreover, each shot requires the precious fuel rod to be replaced, severely limiting the number of shots they can make.

("But we have prepared this many cannons! Just the first barrage should be plenty! With this, the age of those savage hunters will come to an end!")

Brandar clenched his fist, waiting patiently.

5 minutes...

10 minutes...

A commotion broke out among the soldiers.

Tearing through the fog, the Lao-Shan Lung's body could be clearly seen with a naked eye!

And then-

Suddenly, a roar echoed throughout the city. Not covering his ear in time, Zeeg was stunned by its sheer magnitude.

("Wha...What was that!?")

It was a sound that he has heard once before.

Not too long ago, in fact.

No doubt about it- the roar was from a Rathalos.

"They've come, as expected."

Fradio nonchalantly spoke up while looking at the sky from the King room's window.

Standing next to him is Narumi who, like Zeeg, has gone pale due to not covering her ears in time.

Looking at the girl, Elmeria let out her usual arrogant snort and shook her body as if to show off her Rathalos equipment.

After the meeting in the gathering hall, the hunters made their way to the guest houses using a secret pa.s.sage.

First of all, they took back their equipment and secured the area.

Since most of the knights and soldiers were outside, they didn't notice any change on the interior at all.

After putting on their armor and weapons, the hunters made their way back to the gathering hall using the same pa.s.sage.

Zeeg's group stayed behind for a discussion with Narumi.

"What do you mean 'as expected'?"

Looking away from Narumi, Elmeria asked up.

"You see, it's because the Dragon Destroyers are made from a large quant.i.ty of Fire Wyvern Marrows. The smell emitted when they ignite is what signals other fire wyverns in the area of its presence. Usually, it is used by Rathalos to attract females in the area... But of course, other Rathalos will take it as an invasion of their territory. They'll set out to drive the invader away- and that's what is happening right now."

Fradio pointed up to the sky.

Numerous flames can be seen, tearing through the fog.

Their numbers increase by the second, until tens of them filled the sky.

"Hehehe... A swarm of Rathalos and the Lao-Shan Lung... It has become quite an event."

"You sure it's the time to talk like it doesn't have anything to do with you?"

Elmeria turned back to Narumi.

"Well, what will you do? Will you put up the quest? Or will you not?"

"...There's no other option."

Narumi dropped her shoulders in frustration and let out a sigh.

"I have a request for the Hunter's Guild- to destroy the Dragon Destroyers. However, it will be under an additional condition that the Lao-Shan Lung must not be killed."

That moment, an explosion could be heard coming from the plaza, followed by a giant fireball flying past the window.

It flew straight at one of the Rathalos, the monster taking a direct hit.

Even with its high fire resistance, the wyvern's scales were blasted to pieces, engulfing its body in flames as it plummeted to the ground.

"Awesome..."

Zeeg unknowingly muttered to himself.

The destructive power was so great that it could have a chance at defeating the Lao-Shan Lung... that was the thought that popped up in the boy's mind.

But at the same time, Zeeg has mixed feelings about it.

He couldn't get the conflicting thoughts out of his head- that this method of killing is wrong.

That it makes the wyvern's death meaningless.

"Zeeg!"

Turning back to Elmeria, Zeeg could see the girl lead Narumi into the secret pa.s.sage.

"Hurry! We need to bring this girl to the Guild Master! No matter how urgent, every request need to be approved by the guild!"

"G...Got it!"

Zeeg followed Narumi into a tunnel hidden within the room's fireplace. He was followed immediately by Fradio, and then Gannon.

Each of them have their weapons equipped, with Zeeg carrying his trusty Buster Blade on his back.

"Hey, do you even know where the Guild Master is?"

Zeeg asked his question, and Elmeria gave her answer like it's a common knowledge.

"He's always been in the gathering hall's back room, of course? You never noticed?"

Zeeg was about to say he didn't notice, but gulped down his words.

Even though he was nowhere to be seen, two knights could be seen guarding the door in the back of the kitchen.

That means someone important is being confined inside.

Bending down to crawl through a narrow path, Zeeg and the group picked up their pace.

"It's here! Aim carefully!!"

Brandar issued his command while covering his ears to block the Rathalos' roars.

Even though there is a swarm of fire wyverns in the sky, only one cannon was used to intercept them.

Part of the reason was because of the weapon's weight, but it was mostly due to fear of the Lao-Shan Lung that the he didn't approve the use of other cannons.

In any case, everyone rejoiced the fact that the cannon's first shot was able to easily take down a Rathalos.

The Dragon Destroyer has exhibited even more power than expected!

However, they also knew as a fact that preparing the second shot will take time.

In addition to the time needed to change the fuel rod, they would also have to wait for the fire piston to cool down.

More importantly, the Dragon Destroyer isn't something that can be aimed as easily as normal cannons.

Seeing one Rathalos fall, the others in the swarm steered clear of the effective range.

"Sir!"

Turning to the voice that sounded more like a scream, he could clearly see the Lao-Shan Lung's body.

He never noticed that it got this close.

No- it actually isn't that close.

Its sheer ma.s.s is what made him think it is closer than it looks.

"It has entered the effective range! Sir! Your orders!"

"A...Alright! Fire!!"

Brandar gave his order, still covering his ears to block the Rathalos' roars.

All of the Dragon Destroyers on the wall were fired at once!

b.a.l.l.s of compressed heat tore through the fog, creating tunnels from the evaporated vapor and hitting the Lao-Shan Lung's back directly!

Following the explosions, a pillar of fire rose up to the sky.

"We did it!"

Brandar rejoiced. However-

-RRRRROOOOOOOaaaaaRRRR!!

The mountain didn't seem to have any intention on stopping its advance.

At the spot hit by the fireb.a.l.l.s, only earth and moss, built up on the dragon's body over the years, have been broken off.

There wasn't even a single scratch on the scales beneath that layer.

("Th...This is madness...")

Brandar could feel the strength in his knees being drained away, and is on the verge of collapsing.

Overhead, a Rathalos let out a roar and swooped down, shooting a fireball as it flew past.

It hit one of the Dragon Destroyers- the very one that shot one of its kind down.

The cannon was smashed to pieces in the explosion.

Fragments of Fire Wyvern Marrows burst into flames as they scattered in the air.

Sweeping away the fragments that got to him, Brandar shouted out his command.

"T...The second shot! Begin preparations! Hurry!!"

Back at the gathering hall, the knights have been tied up on the floor, surrounded by fully armed hunters.

Explosions could be heard coming from outside, the tremors causing dust on the ceiling beams to fall off.

"You guys did this?"

Elmeria asked, but the hunters shook their heads.

"We did some clean-up."

Holding a cane and laughing merrily, the Guild Master appeared from the back room, with Becky following him. He looked at Narumi with his wrinkled eyes.

"Well well, who could this young lady be?"

"A client."

Elmeria nudged the girl forward.

"This young lady is?"

Narumi nodded.

"I have request for the Hunter's Guild. Please destroy the Dragon Destroyers. But under the condition that the Lao-Shan Lung must not be killed."

"Hmm..."

The Guild Master rubbed his chin.

"That's good and all... but do you have the money? It's a big job. The reward can't be just 10-20 thousand Zenny, you know? Even for the daughter of the House of Wimberly, you shouldn't be able to spend money freely, right?"

Narumi's face clouded up with worry, and Elmeria squeezed her eyebrows together in annoyance.

"Wait a second! Is this the time to be saying that!? In those cannons are ma.s.s-produced, us hunters would be out of our jobs! And there's still the swarm of Rathalos to worry about!!"

"Hmm... Lao-Shan Lung and Rathalos... The city might be wiped off the map at this rate..."

Elmeria facepalmed in response to the Guild Master's carefree att.i.tude.

"Ugyaaahhh!!"

Accompanying the scream was the figure of a knight being blown in through the board that sealed the gathering hall's entrance.

Caught in an explosion, the knight rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire.

"Sir Brandar!"

One of the knights who were tied up on the ground shouted out in surprise.

It was the knight who provoked Gannon earlier.

Black burning spots appeared all over his armor, and his hair has turned to charcoal. His face also suffered quite a severe burn.

"H...Help... Please..."

Brandar crawled in a struggle and grabbed Gannon's leg, but the large man didn't take notice of him at all.

Successive fireball explosions can be heard coming from the plaza, with the hot wind occasionally blowing into the gathering hall.

"P...Please... Help... Please do something about them..."

The knocking sound of a cane can be heard as the Guild Master approached Brandar.

"Is that a request for the Hunter's Guild? To do something about the Rathalos and Lao-Shan Lung?"

Brandar nodded repeatedly.

The old man grinned, then reached into his pocket and took out a blank sheet of paper and a fountain pen.

Pa.s.sing the pen to Brandar, he whispered something into the knight's ear.

Brandar then nodded once.

With another person supporting his hand, he started signing his name on the blank paper.

"Becky, please patch him up."

"Understood."

Becky enlisted the help of a few hunters to carry Brandar into the back room.

Zeeg looked on, and debated whether or not the knight will survive.

He took direct hits from the Rathalos's fireb.a.l.l.s.

Wyverns' fire attacks are different from normal fire in that it will slowly eat away at the flesh until the body is completely incinerated.

Prompt medical attention is essential.

"Alright then... If he's paying, money wouldn't be an issue anymore. We can also charge the Royal Armory for more if it's not enough."

The Guild Master waved the paper with Brandar's signature for the hunters to see.

"With this, the request is approved. It's urgent, so there won't be any contract fee. A reward of at least 5,000 Zenny per person is guaranteed. The maximum party size will be 4 like always, but there will not be a limit on the number of partic.i.p.ating groups. The objective is to repel the Rathalos and Lao-Shan Lung. There's no need to kill any of them- well, you won't be able to kill the Lao-Shan Lung either way."

"Please wait!"

Narumi stepped forward.

"About the Dragon Destroyers-"

"They're what attracting the swarm of Rathalos."

Elmeria smiled fearlessly.

"How about we use the cranes to throw them away? If we aim carefully and they fall into the Lao-Shan Lung's nose, wouldn't it be hilarious? -Anyway, I accept this quest. Of course, Gannon and Fradio as well... you two with me?"

The two men nodded without hesitation.

After confirming their answers, Elmeria turned to Zeeg.

"What about you? Will you go with us?"

The boy's pulse pumped up.

The proposal was totally unexpected.

It was a miracle that he got to team up with Elmeria's group once. And now, she's inviting him to join them herself!

Zeeg trembled- not with fear, but with excitement.

"Of course I will!"

Elmeria nodded before turning to the Guild Master.

"Alright, all four of us will go. All of the others are free to join in, but if you don't hurry, we'll hog all of the glory to ourselves, alright? -Let's go!"

Raising her hands up in an empowering stance, Elmeria ran off.

Glancing at Narumi one last time, the other three chased after their leader.

Feeling left behind, all other hunters rushed to the Guild Master to make their contracts.

Hearing a commotion break out in the gathering hall, Zeeg heads to the plaza- which has now become the hunting grounds.

Hot winds constantly blew in the area. It's like he was in the volcano region which he has heard about.

("S...Scary...")

He got to see a Rathalos not too long ago, but this time, they come in large numbers.

Each of them swooped down to attack the Dragon Destroyers.

However, the wyverns' talons, which can tear through armor like paper, could not destroy the cannons' high-purity Machalite barrels and the Fire Wyvern Marrows inside.

"What now!?"

Elmeria shouted out.

"...Use the metal wires. I will draw their attention."

Saying that, Gannon readied his h.e.l.lfire lance, waving it around once. The weapon ignited as it made contact with the air.

The smell emitted from the ignition drew the attention of a few wyverns.

Additionally, Gannon took the Field Horn on his waist and blew it.

The instrument's sound echoed, the Rathalos swarm answering with their roars.

"...I leave the rest to you three."

After saying that, Gannon put on the Diablo Helm's mask and charged onwards.

All of the Rathalos turned to him and swarmed in.

"Zeeg. Young Lady Elmeria. The two of you please go find some metal wires in the armory, then tie them around the Dragon Destroyers tightly. I'll be operating the crane and drop down the hook. After tying them together, please attach the hook to them. Don't forget to slip in a Small Barrel Bomb as well."

"Understood."

"G...Got it!"

Fradio nodded, and then made a break for the crane tower.

Elmeria turned around and started running to the armory. Zeeg followed her so that he wouldn't get left behind.

Gannon valiantly stood against the Rathalos swarm, taking on their talons and fireb.a.l.l.s with his Rathalos-made s.h.i.+eld and horned wyvern armor.

Two groups of hunters ran out of the gathering hall. One headed to confront the Rathalos, and the other rushed to the market.

"They're running away!?"

"Of course not! They're trying to make the Lao-Shan Lung change its path by attacking its legs! In a situation like this, there's not much us hunters can do! -Found it!"

The armory's interior is as hot as outside due to the furnaces.

Without anyone to ask, Elmeria managed to find the metal wires and hooks.

She shoved a roll into Zeeg's hands, the boy almost collapsing from the weight.

"Focus!"

Given a slap on his waist, Zeeg strained himself and started running.

Elmeria, who is ahead of him, is carrying even a bigger roll.

Outside, groups of hunters are fighting against the Rathalos with all they have.

Quite a few have already fainted, but Gannon is still standing strong. He rushed into the fray, drawing as much attention as he can.

One of the Rathalos has already fallen, and another got its tail cut off.

GUOOOOOOHHHHH!!

Zeeg crouched down and covered his ears as the roars echoed throughout the plaza.

He and Elmeria hurriedly tied the metal wires around the Dragon Destroyers, making sure that they're as tight as possible.

("I'm scared! I'm scared! I'm scared! I'm scared! Dammit!!")

The presence of death thras.h.i.+ng all around him gave the boy gooseb.u.mps.

This experience has made Zeeg realize that his existence is so small.

He's scared to death- but he never stopped his hands.

A light flashed from the other side of the wall, followed by a thunderous explosion kicking up a large amount of earth and sand.

"That must be the parties on the ground detonating many Large Barrel Bombs at once."

Elmeria popped up beside Zeeg and helped him tie up the last Dragon Destroyer.

All of the wires were tied together with a hook.

A large hook was then dropped down from above, cracking the stone floor.

The two of the stopped and looked up, seeing a crane beyond the fog.

Then, they connected the crane's hook to the smaller one that tied the wires together.

("Oh yeah!")

Zeeg took out a Small Barrel Bomb from his bag and fastened it to the hook, just as Fradio instructed earlier.

"Alright!"

With Zeeg finis.h.i.+ng his task, Elmeria threw something up into the sky.

A few moments later, it exploded into a flash of light- It's a Flash Bomb.

Understanding the signal, the crane started moving, dragging the hook and the metal wires tied to it along.

Zeeg and Elmeria fled the scene so that they wouldn't get hit.

With enough power to lift whole wyverns, the crane dragged all of the Dragon Destroyers up in one go.

Some of them fell off and were destroyed when they hit the walls or the floor.

Noticing that, the Rathalos swarm spread their wings and broke away from Gannon and the hunters.

The wind pressure from their wings blew out the flames on the ground.

The crane started to spin, swinging the clump of Dragon Destroyers in an arc.

But at this rate, they will just rotate in place-

("Fradio!?")

On top of the still spinning crane tower, Fradio opened the control room's door and stepped outside.

He held the Tankmage in a firing stance.

A flame lashed out from the bowgun's barrel and broke into pellets, triggering the Small Barrel Bomb's explosion.

The metal wires were ripped apart, the centrifugal force sending the clump of Dragon Destroyers flying towards the Lao-Shan Lung, all of the cannons landing on its back.

The Rathalos swarm turned their attention to the giant dragon.

"We did it!"

Another explosion occurred, with a large amount of dirt kicked up.

When the dusty wind calmed down, an unbelievably huge face of the dragon appeared.

The sight caused Zeeg and even Elmeria to tremble in fear.

-The Lao-Shan Lung!

On the tip of its nose is a towering horn. On the sides of its rock-like face are incredibly huge eyes.

The moment Zeeg looked at one of them, tears spilled out of his eyes with no sign of stopping.

The moment lasted an eternity.

Slowly, the Lao-Shan Lung turned around, the city wall barely missing the impact.

The dragon moved its mountainous body away- with Rathalos swarming its back.

-RRRRROOOOOOOaaaaaRRRR!!

From beyond the fog, the dragon's roar could be heard one last time.

At this point, Zeeg was drained of all of his strength and has collapsed on the spot.

"Hah Hah Hah Hah!"

Zeeg caught his breath vigorously, as if he has been forgetting to breathe. His lungs ached.

He tried blinking repeatedly to fix his blurry vision, but his tears just wouldn't stop.

"What? You're crying?"

Sweeping away his tears and looking up, he could see Elmeria's snarky smile with the clear blue sky as a background.

The brilliance caused the boy's tears to well up again.

Two others stood beside her.

Gannon, who has injuries all over his body, one of the horns on his Diablo Mail broken.

Fradio, who has sustained light burn injuries on his bare chest.

"Yeah."

Strangely, Zeeg was able to admit his weakness.

"...I understand now."

"What is it?"

"That my existence in this world is so small."

Zeeg let out a smile before coughing to clear his throat.

"Hah... But no matter how small, every living thing is a functioning part of this world... something like that. The Village Chief used to say that a lot. Honestly, I never got what he meant, but now I think I'm starting to understand what he tried to teach me. That hunters live as a functioning part of this world like all forms of life- including me, the Rathalos, or even the Bitterbugs."

Elmeria, Gannon, and Fradio nodded to one another.

"Do you know why I called you to my room this morning?"

Zeeg shook his head.

"About that... If it's fine with you, I would like you to join us as a long-term member. It's because you seem to be quite promising."

Elmeria extended her hand towards Zeeg.

That was a ticket to a whole new world.

Zeeg raised his hand up and grasped it tightly.

Elmeria answered the boy with a wonderful smile and shouted out-

"Welcome to the world of Monster Hunter!"