★★★
"Tch!"
The longer they spent together, the more Xie Wen felt that this little yellow cat was getting cheekier.
But...
With Cat Cuisine in his mouth, he really had no grounds to argue with Sanji Meow.
Besides, the cat was just so cute.
A little cheekiness was fine. It wasn't as if it would cost him anything.
Returning spite with kindness, Xie Wen reached out and scratched Sanji Meow under the chin, successfully making him narrow his eyes in bliss.
Heh heh heh, foolish little kitty. My cat-petting skills are a divine art revered in the industry as Kato Cat's Paw!
Just as the little cat was really getting into it, Xie Wen suddenly withdrew his hand.
"Meow?"
Sanji Meow, who had only just started enjoying himself, was left painfully unsatisfied. But he couldn't swallow his pride and ask Xie Wen to continue, so he could only glare at him angrily. His tail whipped through the air behind him, even snapping the stems and leaves off several plants.
Xie Wen pretended not to notice any of that. He picked up the Carving Knife again and plunged it into the wild bird's carcass.
This time, however, the Carving Knife successfully damaged the carcass, and a little blood seeped out of the wound Xie Wen had made.
"So that's how it works..."
Xie Wen pulled out the Carving Knife and nodded.
In the game, small creatures like this-and even small monsters about the same size as a hunter-could only be carved once. Only large neutral creatures such as Popo and Slagtoth could be carved twice, while large boss monsters could be carved three times. If their tails had been severed, those could be carved once more as well.
After he explained the Carving Knife's ability to Sanji Meow, the little yellow cat, who ranked cooking second among his interests in life, immediately forgot Xie Wen's earlier "act of treason" and quickly dug all the ingredients out of his bag.
"Quick! Give each of them a stab, meow!"
No chef would turn down a free extra portion of perfectly prepared ingredients.
Xie Wen wanted to run more tests as well, so he was more than happy to oblige.
They ended up with all sorts of "extra materials," including meat, bones, feathers, and hides. Xie Wen even carved a scent gland from a weasel's carcass, leaving his hands reeking.
There was nothing he could do about that. Just like in the game, the materials obtained through carving were completely random.
Finally, Sanji Meow took out the largest chunk of Forest Sheep King meat and had Xie Wen try carving it...
As Xie Wen had expected, the attempt failed.
Afterward, he deliberately damaged an unprocessed wild rabbit's carcass and failed to carve that as well.
"It looks like the ingredients have to remain reasonably intact for materials to be carved from them." Xie Wen put away the Carving Knife and looked up at the sky, then told Sanji Meow, "That's enough testing for now. We need to pick up the pace. Who knows how long it'll take me to fight those two Bullfango kings."
"Don't worry, meow. They're not far now, and I remember their scent. We'll find them in no time, meow."
Sanji Meow was in a wonderful mood after getting so many new ingredients. Even his steps grew lighter as he led the way. His tail stood straight up behind him, its tip swaying playfully back and forth as though it had a mind of its own.
And Sanji Meow hadn't been boasting. Before long, he led Xie Wen to a spot near two enormous Bullfango.
Judging by their size, these two Bullfango kings were slightly smaller than the Forest Sheep King, but even the smaller one was definitely much bigger than an ordinary Bullfango.
They were rooting around in the ground for plant roots and stems, seemingly oblivious to Xie Wen and Sanji Meow's arrival.
Sanji Meow told Xie Wen that this was only because they hadn't entered the beasts' warning range yet. In fact, they had already been spotted.
"Once we get a little closer, they'll warn us, meow. If we don't leave quickly after that, they'll attack, meow."
During his earlier explorations, Sanji Meow hadn't merely familiarized himself with the terrain. He had also carefully gathered information on Xie Wen's future targets...
Even though Xie Wen hadn't actually asked him to.
What a little tsundere kitty.
A doting, fatherly smile spread across Xie Wen's face...
"Why are you smiling in such a creepy way, meow? And why are you getting so close, meow?"
Looking thoroughly disgusted, Sanji Meow pushed away Xie Wen's head with one little paw as he leaned in to nuzzle him.
Xie Wen: "..."
It's only because this isn't the right time. Once I'm done with those two Bullfango, I'll pet you until you're a Sphynx!
Forced to pull his head back, Xie Wen made fierce threats in his mind, but aloud he said, "Just stay here. Leave the rest to me."
"I may only be a chef cat..." Sanji Meow pulled out a frying pan and swung it twice. "But I can fight too, meow!"
"Don't worry." Xie Wen reached out and stroked his little head, trying again to persuade him. "I killed the Forest Sheep King without taking a scratch, and it was about as strong as they are. There's no need to put you to the trouble. If you get hurt, who'll cook for me?"
If Sanji Meow had been as strong as the original Sanji, or if he had been a combat-oriented companion cat, Xie Wen wouldn't have turned down his offer. But since he wasn't good at fighting, there was naturally no need to put him at risk.
Fortunately, Sanji Meow stayed true to his "character." As long as no beautiful older Palico ladies were involved, the little yellow cat could think calmly. So, although he was somewhat reluctant, Xie Wen managed to talk him down.
"All right, here I go!" Xie Wen first popped a meatball into his mouth to restore his stamina, then gripped the hilt of Fresh Knife: White Calm and charged toward the smaller Bullfango king.
Just as Sanji Meow had said, Xie Wen had taken fewer than five steps before the two Bullfango stopped feasting, turned toward him in unison, and let out low warning growls.
According to the hunter legacy Xie Wen had received, even early bosses like Bullfango kings would spend a moment sizing up an enemy after encountering one.
After all, as creatures at the top of their local food chain, they rarely encountered anything that dared to attack them first. Even when they met another boss-type monster, they would generally face off for a while first, assessing whether a fight was worthwhile.
That habit gave hunters an excellent opening to attack. Hunters skilled with dual blades, in particular, could unleash an entire combo before the monsters reacted.
With the memories and experience of those veteran hunters, Xie Wen naturally wasn't about to waste that opportunity. As he charged, he also activated Demon Mode.
But things didn't unfold as they had in his inherited memories. Neither Bullfango king paused to assess him. Instead, both charged the instant they saw him.
"Tch! What kind of rotten luck is this?!"
Although this was rare, the veteran hunters in his inherited memories had encountered it before.
Just as every person had a different personality, monsters of the same type could have very different tempers. Even among the relatively timid Arzuros, there had been individuals more irritable than a Golden Lion, let alone Bullfango kings, which were naturally reckless.
Xie Wen immediately decided to deactivate Demon Mode. Without a good opening to attack, keeping it active would be nothing but a waste of stamina.
Before that, though, he still had time for one slash.
So, an instant before he collided with the smaller Bullfango king, Xie Wen dodged its attack with a sliding sidestep while drawing Fresh Knife: White Calm from his back. Holding the blade in both hands, he twisted at the waist. Demon Mode plus Spirit Blade...
Hunter Style Secret Technique: Leg-Cutting Sword Style!
Well... since hunters mostly faced monsters far larger than themselves, almost every hunter had developed the habit of cutting at their legs first and waiting for them to fall.
And then...
Shhk, shhk.
Xie Wen sliced both legs on the Bullfango king's right side clean off.
???!!!
Were Bullfango kings... really this fragile?!
The unexpected result left Xie Wen stunned for a moment. He instinctively deactivated Demon Mode, then stopped and leaned on the Salted Fish Long Sword, staring at the legless Bullfango king as it lay on the ground howling.
Granted, he had activated Demon Mode, used Spirit Blade, and borrowed the force of the Bullfango king's own charge. Fresh Knife: White Calm was also a fully upgraded Long Sword. But cutting a Bullfango king's legs clean off was something only those legendary Long Sword masters wielding the Supreme Heaven-and-Earth Blade had accomplished in his memories.
So this really isn't the world of Monster Hunter!
Xie Wen grew increasingly certain of that.
"What are you spacing out for, you idiot, meow?! There's still another Bullfango king, meow!"
Just as Xie Wen sank into thought, Sanji Meow's anxious warning suddenly rang out from nearby.
"...Huh?"
Before you continue