Chapter Summaries

Gordon hunted a Great Bullfango in the Schrade Hills and returned to camp to eat and prepare for his final qualification quest. He had one more Great Bullfango to subjugate before becoming an official Monster Hunter, and he set out to finish the hunt before dark.

• Gordon ambushed a Great Bullfango at a mushroom-covered stump, crippled its hind legs, and killed it.
• Gordon carved raw meat and a fang from the Bullfango, then returned to the Hunter's Camp before predators were drawn to the carcass.
• Gordon stored the fang as proof of his hunt and roasted the meat while checking his quest notes.
• Gordon realized he had hunted four of the five Great Bullfango required and looked forward to becoming an official hunter and eventually hunting Rathalos.
• After eating, Gordon left camp to hunt the final Great Bullfango before sunset.

Gordon pursued a Great Bullfango into the night and killed it, completing the hunt. As he prepared to collect its tusks, a huge Bulldrome appeared, leaving him facing a far more dangerous monster.

• Gordon chose to continue tracking the Great Bullfango after dark instead of returning to camp.
• Gordon found fresh tracks and stealthily approached a lone Great Bullfango.
• Gordon fought the Great Bullfango, blocked its counterattack with his shield, and killed it with a series of slashes.
• Gordon sensed a hostile presence and turned to face an enormous Bulldrome emerging from the trees.

Gordon fought the Bullfango King after it charged him in revenge for the female Great Bullfango he had killed. Badly injured and facing another attack, he was whisked away by a group of small, white-and-brown-furred creatures, leaving the Bullfango King roaring in confusion.

• Gordon marked the Bullfango King with a Paintball to provoke it into charging.
• Gordon dodged the Bullfango King's charge but was struck by its tusks and badly injured.
• The Bullfango King rammed into a massive tree and was briefly stunned.
• Gordon cut into the Bullfango King's hind-leg tendon but failed to sever it, and the monster struck him again.
• A strange horn sounded, and several small creatures carried Gordon away on a wooden cart.

After being rescued from the Bulldrome by a tribe of Felynes, Gordon paid the rescue fee and thanked them with felvine. Injured and facing an unfinished quest, he considered whether to abandon it or hunt the Bulldrome, leaving the decision uncertain.

• Gordon woke in the hunter camp with a splinted arm and learned that the Felynes had rescued him from the Bulldrome.
• The Felyne leader, Beefsteak, collected 100z from Gordon as their agreed share of the quest reward.
• Gordon gave the Felynes several felvine twigs as thanks and promised to help them if they came to Kokoto Village.
• Gordon drank his remaining Potions and weighed returning to the village against hunting the Bulldrome to complete his quest.
• Gordon inspected his damaged shield and knife and wondered whether he could really hunt the Bulldrome.

After retreating from the Bullfango King, Gordon overcame his fear and resolved to fight again. He prepared potions and mushroom bait for the rematch, then slept to recover before dawn.

• Gordon reflected on the hunters who had faced monsters before him and found the courage to stand against the Bullfango King again.
• He returned to camp, gathered his supplies, and brewed a large batch of Potions to heal his injuries.
• Gordon mixed Poison Mushrooms, Parashrooms, and Sleepyshrooms with honey and chopped giant matsutake to disguise them as bait for the Bullfango King.
• He coated his Hunter's Knife with Poison Mushroom juice and went to sleep before dawn to recover his strength.

Gordon set a poisoned mushroom trap for the Bullfango King, using the Paintball trail and his knowledge of the Schrade Hills to predict where it would feed. The Bullfango King ate the bait and began roaring in pain, leaving Gordon hidden nearby as the trap took effect.

• Gordon confirmed that his injuries had healed, prepared his gear and poisoned bait, and set out to hunt the Bullfango King.
• Gordon followed the fading Paintball scent northeast and spotted the Bullfango King, noticing that its left hind leg was still injured.
• Gordon buried paralysis and poisonous mushrooms disguised as giant matsutakes at a likely feeding spot, then hid downwind in nearby bushes.
• The Bullfango King followed the mushroom scent, uncovered the bait, and swallowed it despite noticing other smells.
• The Bullfango King began roaring with abdominal pain and a numb mouth.

Gordon used poisoned mushrooms and a Paintball to weaken and distract the Bullfango King, then reopened its leg wound and fought it head-on. He learned to evade its charges and tusk sweeps, striking during its brief openings while keeping his distance.

• Gordon lured the Bullfango King with a Paintball after the poisoned mushrooms began to impair its body.
• Gordon crept up on the resting Bullfango King and repeatedly slashed its wounded hind leg, worsening the injury and hindering its healing.
• The enraged Bullfango King regained control of its body and kicked Gordon, but he recovered and narrowly dodged its tusks.
• Gordon recognized that he could outmaneuver the Bullfango King in tight spaces and learned to roll past its charge and follow-up tusk sweep.
• Gordon struck the Bullfango King during the opening after its attacks, then retreated before it could counterattack.

Gordon and the Bullfango King exhausted themselves through hours of fighting, as Gordon kept pursuing the poisoned and badly wounded beast. During their final clash, the Bullfango King turned mid-charge and nearly trampled Gordon before crashing into a tree and breaking its tusk.

• After resting and sharpening his knife, Gordon tracked the Bullfango King to a stream and provoked it into another fight.
• Gordon and the Bullfango King clashed repeatedly throughout the afternoon, worsening their injuries and exhausting their strength.
• Gordon's shield-bearing right arm fractured again, while his Hunter's Knife became badly chipped and cracked from the poisonous juices.
• In their final clash, Gordon dodged the Bullfango King's charge, but it turned sharply and pursued him.
• Gordon narrowly escaped being trampled, and the Bullfango King crashed into a tree, snapping its tusk.

Gordon returned to Kokoto Village after killing a Bullfango King with its own broken tusk, earning astonishment from the villagers and his instructor Ernest. After recovering from his injuries, Gordon began remedial lessons on hunting tools.

• Gordon used the Bullfango King's broken tusk as a greatsword and beat the monster to death after his Hunter's Knife shattered.
• Gordon rode back to Kokoto Village with the Bullfango King's tusk, and the villagers celebrated his hunt.
• Ernest questioned Gordon about the hunt, then arranged for a physician to treat his injuries and ordered him to rest.
• Ernest brought Gordon a cartload of Aptonoth meat and cared for him during his recovery.
• After Gordon recovered, Ernest made him study hunting tools, including Sonic Bombs, Flash Bombs, and the rare Thunder Rod.

Instructor Ernest told Gordon to choose a new weapon after his recovery and assessment quest. Gordon tried several options at the training ground, chose the Great Sword, and asked to borrow it, but Ernest refused because hunters had to earn their own equipment.

• Instructor Ernest congratulated Gordon on becoming a true hunter and explained that the Sword and Shield did not suit his strength, recommending that he consider four heavy weapons.
• At the training ground, Gordon ruled out the Lance and Gunlance and tried the Dual Blades, Long Sword, and Hammer, finding the Long Sword more comfortable than the Hammer.
• Gordon picked up the Great Sword and instinctively brought it down, smashing the wooden weapon rack.
• Gordon chose the Great Sword and asked Instructor Ernest to lend it to him, but Ernest refused and said hunters had to forge their weapons and armor from materials they obtained themselves.

Gordon chose to forge a Buster Sword and trained with the Great Sword while the Workshop made it. Meanwhile, a nervous Felyne arrived in Kokoto Village and fled from a craftsman it mistook for a demon.

• Instructor Ernest explained why hunters needed both personal ability and equipment, then recommended the Buster Sword for Gordon’s materials and supplied him with ice crystals.
• Gordon spent his savings ordering the Buster Sword, which the craftsman estimated would take four days to forge.
• While he waited, Gordon trained with Instructor Ernest and quickly learned the Great Sword’s basic techniques, resolving to master the advanced slashes someday.
• A white-and-gold Felyne arrived at Kokoto Village with a large bundle and asked a Workshop craftsman for directions.
• The Felyne panicked at the craftsman’s appearance, apologized, and fled.

Porkchop found Gordon in Kokoto Village and asked to train with him as his hunting Palico. Gordon accepted Porkchop as his partner, and they headed home to celebrate before beginning their training.

• A kindhearted woman guided Porkchop to the training grounds after he struggled to find Gordon.
• Porkchop introduced himself as Beefsteak's eldest son and explained that he wanted to become Gordon's hunting Palico.
• Porkchop told Gordon he had witnessed him defeat the Bullfango King and chose him as his own trainer.
• Gordon and Porkchop signed the Palico contract with bloody prints, becoming partners.
• Gordon carried Porkchop home and teased him about his weight and their planned fried pork chop dinner.

Gordon welcomed Porkchop into his home, then learned that his finished Buster Sword was ready and hurried to the smithy to collect it. The smithy owner showed Gordon the massive weapon and asked if he had figured out the mechanism hidden in its hollow edge.

• Gordon cooked dinner for Porkchop and learned that Porkchop and Beefsteak were named for patches of fur on their bellies.
• Gordon found Porkchop training with his Felyne Pickaxe at dawn and joined him in practicing his strength.
• Ernest told Gordon that the smithy owner had finished his Buster Sword, and Gordon rushed to the smithy with Porkchop following.
• The smithy owner led Gordon and Porkchop to the back room, where Gordon examined the broad, hooked Buster Sword and noticed its hollow cutting edge.
• The smithy owner asked Gordon whether he had figured out the mechanism concealed inside the blade.

Gordon learned how to use the Buster Sword’s retractable claws, tested its power, and accepted a quest to slay ten Blue Velociprey. He and Porkchop prepared to hunt for the materials needed to make a Blue Velociprey Armor Set.

• The Blacksmith showed Gordon how to extend and retract the Buster Sword’s metal claws.
• Gordon tested the Buster Sword at the training grounds and split a leather-wrapped wooden post in two.
• Gordon accepted the quest to slay ten Blue Velociprey in the West Schrade Region.
• Gordon reassured the nervous Porkchop and explained that they would gather materials to craft Blue Velociprey armor.

Gordon hunted an Aptonoth for meat and used its carcass to lure Blue Velociprey out of the forest. He killed one of the three with a brutal Great Sword strike, leaving the other two cautiously facing him.

• Gordon and Porkchop found a herd of Aptonoth, and Gordon killed an elderly one for meat.
• Gordon left the carcass behind and returned to camp with Porkchop to store the meat.
• Three Blue Velociprey arrived to feed on the carcass, and Gordon charged them while testing how Porkchop would respond.
• Porkchop chose to fight alongside Gordon, who trusted him to watch his back.
• Gordon split an attacking Blue Velociprey in two with the Buster Sword, frightening the remaining pair.
• The two Blue Velociprey cautiously approached Gordon as he slowed down and waited for an opening.

Gordon and Porkchop hunted Blue Velociprey while seeking an intact hide for Gordon’s armor, improving their teamwork along the way. They found fresh Great Bullfango blood and tracked it to an unusually large lone Blue Velociprey.

• Gordon killed three Blue Velociprey, with Porkchop helping him stop one from biting him.
• Gordon discovered that his heavy sword blows had ruined the corpses, leaving him with too few useful hides for his armor.
• Gordon continued hunting after completing the quest requirement, hoping to find a larger Blue Velociprey whose hide would remain intact.
• Gordon and Porkchop coordinated their attacks, with Porkchop distracting lone prey and guarding Gordon against packs.
• Porkchop scented fresh Great Bullfango blood and led Gordon northwest to an unusually large Blue Velociprey standing over 170 centimeters tall.

Gordon defeated a skilled Blue Velociprey, then spent weeks completing low-paying quests until his and Porkchop’s Blue Velociprey armor was finished. As winter snow covered the Schrade Region and hunters stayed out of the dangerous hunting grounds, Gordon prepared to spend the season with Porkchop.

• Gordon killed a Blue Velociprey with a chained Great Sword attack and collected its materials.
• Gordon learned that he lacked the money to craft the armor, so he took more quests to earn enough.
• Gordon completed gathering and hunting quests for weeks, gradually strengthening his body and improving his skills.
• Two weeks later, Gordon paid for Blue Velociprey armor for himself and Porkchop, along with an Ore Felyne Pickaxe.
• Gordon and the Instructor spent autumn bringing meat to Kokoto Village, then Gordon rested after nearly half a year of work.
• Winter arrived early, and Gordon faced the season with Porkchop as his companion.

After winter ended, Gordon and Porkchop resumed training in Kokoto Village, where the village chief received an urgent Hunter's Guild dispatch. Instructor Ernest gave Gordon a two-star urgent quest to hunt a Blue Velociprey King, and Gordon accepted eagerly, hoping to earn promotion to a two-star hunter.

• Gordon and Porkchop trained outside their cabin, with Gordon pushing Porkchop to complete six hundred iron-rod swings.
• A peregrine falcon delivered an urgent Hunter's Guild message to the village chief, who decided to leave it to Gordon.
• Instructor Ernest asked whether Gordon and Porkchop could depart immediately for a hunt.
• Gordon learned the urgent quest targeted a Blue Velociprey King and eagerly accepted it.
• The quest notice identified a migrating pack threatening the trade route between Minegarde City and Melchita City and gave Gordon five days to hunt its leader.

Pine led his caravan from Minegarde City with his niece Hayata, hoping to reach the safer stretch of road before nightfall despite the nearby West Schrade Hills. The caravan continued slowly over snow-covered roads as Pine worried about traveling without a hunter escort.

• Pine's background as a traveling merchant was revealed, along with his plan to save enough money to settle Hayata in Dondurma.
• Hayata complained about the long journey and eagerly climbed down from the cargo wagon, while Pine worried over her safety.
• Pine's companions reassured him that the trade road had remained safe for years, though he remained anxious because he could not hire a hunter during the hunting ban.
• Pine checked the caravan's position on a map and estimated that it would reach safer terrain before sunset.
• The old wagoner urged the Aptonoth forward, but residual snow kept the caravan moving slowly.

Pine’s caravan was ambushed by a Blue Velociprey King and two Blue Velociprey, exposing how helpless the traders were against the monsters. The King broke through their wagon barricade, leaving the terrified caravan trapped with the predators inside.

• Pine and the old driver feared that hungry monsters might attack the caravan on the supposedly safe route.
• The Aptonoth panicked, and Pine ordered the caravan to form a defensive circle of wagons and arm themselves.
• The Blue Velociprey King approached with two adult Blue Velociprey, terrifying the caravan members into losing hope of fighting back.
• The King turned away, but Pine recognized its mocking expression and warned the others that the danger had not passed.
• The Blue Velociprey King smashed through a wagon wall with an Iron Mountain Lean, and its two companions leaped into the caravan’s enclosure.