Crisis

"Is it because of the threat from Dah'ren Mohran?"

Li Le offered his guess.

"I didn't expect you to know so much about the situation over there."

Sara was a little surprised.

Judging by Li Le's age and experience, he was very unlikely to have visited Val Habar.

"If they're preparing to open up hunting grounds, of course it'll draw plenty of attention."

"Then I'll leave things at the research institute to you from now on. There's something you'll need to pay particular attention to."

As Sara spoke, he took a scroll from his desk.

Li Le unrolled it and found an activity observation report on the Kinsects being raised.

"Their activity suddenly dropped over the past few days..."

"That's right. Their absorption of insect feed and their food intake have both dropped noticeably, but compared with even earlier records, they're actually closer to normal levels."

Sara's words left Li Le a little confused.

Changes across an entire population like this were generally related only to the ecological environment.

But within Dondorma, unless an elder dragon attacked,

the environment couldn't possibly fluctuate so dramatically in such a short time.

"Look at when it began to decline."

"It started on the day Sisi and I went out hunting!"

Li Le understood.

"Whether it's stimulation from Ahtal-Ka pheromones or some other cause, I haven't found any theoretical support yet. But with her nearby, the Kinsects' activity did increase greatly, and they became more aggressive and vicious."

Sara sounded certain.

"It should be related to the low-concentration fragrance Sisi unconsciously releases in her daily life."

"It can get more concentrated?"

Sara asked excitedly.

"If it's too pure, that won't work. Breathing it in actually makes the Kinsects listless."

"I see. Once they inhale too much, not only does it fail to increase activity, it also causes all sorts of unknown negative effects."

Looking thoughtful, Sara immediately began taking notes.

"Director, are you really planning to go yourself?"

Li Le asked for confirmation.

"You're a one-star hunter, and Holo is only an insect researcher. Not only is it extremely dangerous over there, the Guild is still in the expansion phase. I wouldn't feel at ease sending you."

"But there'll still be lots of hunters gathering in Val Habar, right?"

"Of course. There are vast unexplored areas nearby, unknown monsters and ecosystems. Discovering and investigating them could bring unimaginable wealth and fame... along with potentially terrifying dangers."

Listening to Sara, Li Le felt that the caravan hunter probably appeared around this time.

The next moment, a possibility suddenly struck him.

"Director, suppose a highly lethal virus is spreading widely through the ecosystem. Are there any effective ways to deal with infected insects?"

Li Le's question startled Sara.

"Your thoughts certainly jump around. How did we suddenly get onto viruses? Generally speaking, the best approach is isolation. If a Kinsect shows symptoms of a viral infection, for instance, immediately separate it from the swarm and observe it on its own."

"Then, based on the observed symptoms, try preparing insect medicine to feed it. If it unfortunately dies in the process, dissect it to build up reliable knowledge for treating other insects of the same species."

"What if there's only one insect of that species?"

"You mean Ahtal-Ka? Well... we don't have any particularly good methods yet. I've also posted contracts to collect Ahtal-Ka sighting reports from various places, but I've had no responses so far. She'll probably have to rely on her own strength to pull through."

Sara understood what Li Le was worried about.

But at present, viral prevention and treatment for Ahtal-Ka remained a blank slate.

"Can a powerful hunter defeat an elder dragon alone?"

"More than just elder dragons. Back then... impossible!"

Sara's sudden change of tune left Li Le puzzled.

"I'm getting senile. It's impossible! Those are only legends and stories. Even if you become a top hunter in the future, never try approaching one alone. At most, finish observing it from a distance and submit your findings to the Elder Dragon Observation Post."

"Your questions have been jumping all over the place today, and you seem anxious. Did hunting Cephalos in the wild this time make you feel how harsh nature can be?"

Sara asked with concern.

Having been through it himself, he knew very well the shock an inexperienced hunter felt when confronting a monster for the first time.

"Probably."

Li Le lowered his head and sighed.

"Keep a level head. There'll be plenty of monsters more terrifying than Cephalos in the future."

"Cephalos?... Hmm, you're right. Director, I want to go to Val Habar."

"You're serious? This isn't the time to act on impulse. Even the Guild's top hunter team only decided to set out after careful planning."

After his initial shock, Sara gave him a solemn warning.

"I think it's an excellent opportunity for Sisi and me to train. We're both still too weak."

Li Le spoke firmly.

"All right. The Guild does offer pay subsidies for transfers providing Kinsect technical support. But we can't use your gathering officer title for this. I'll come up with something more suitable for you later."

"Thank you, Director."

"No need to stand on ceremony with me. Just be careful in everything you do once you get there. Honestly, rather than seeing the Insect Glaive's use spread, I'd prefer to see you alive and healthy."

Sara spoke from the heart.

"I'll make sure of it."

"Oh, before you leave, could you collect some more fragrant dust from Ahtal-Ka? Since I'm not going to Val Habar, I'll be able to focus more on my research."

"No problem."

"Good. Hurry and get ready. A lot of people are heading there lately, and traveling together will be safer... Speaking of which, how did your leg muscles get so much bigger all of a sudden?"

Sara asked in puzzlement.

"Probably from riding the pedal cart for so long."

"Leg strength is important for Insect Glaive users. That's a good training method. I hope you keep it up."

As he left the research institute, Li Le still looked somewhat grave.

He didn't know how the Ahtal-Ka of the past had avoided infection when the Frenzy Virus swept through.

Perhaps she was naturally immune, or perhaps staying in the ruins for long periods had kept her isolated.

But as the Val Habar Guild expanded into the surrounding areas,

there wasn't much time left before Gore Magala, the spreader of the Frenzy, appeared.

Would Sisi get infected? Would she go berserk?

There were too many questions to test and consider.

And Director Sara's attitude toward whether one person could defeat an elder dragon was also very strange.

He seemed to have witnessed or heard of certain events, yet didn't want to reveal them.

After lunch.

With Kaluo and Holo working together, the hunter armor encrusted with mud and sand was washed clean and hung out to dry in the courtyard full of insect cages.

Li Le, meanwhile, resumed his aerial Insect Glaive training with the aid of two towering wooden posts.

Beside the shack, Sisi began a new creation as the Felynes helped and watched.

From midair, Li Le watched the wooden head, body, tail, claws, and other parts gradually take shape, joined together with insect silk.

By the time the sun was about to set, the assembled monster's outline

brought a familiar monster image to Li Le's mind.

"It's that old geezer Cephalos!"

Undoing the rope, Li Le flipped down, and the Felynes immediately cleared a path.

"This is the first time we've seen Sisi take so long to finish a piece, meow!"

Kaluo explained in astonishment.

Rumor had it that Ahtal-Ka built Ahtal-Neset in the image of the strongest creature she had seen, giving rise to the claim that the mechanical behemoth resembled Lao-Shan Lung.

The old geezer Cephalos had nearly been killed by the special-recipe paintballs. Surely he shouldn't have warranted such attention...

Right, mastering and applying any skill happens in stages.

Perhaps Ahtal-Ka was born with the instinct to assemble Ahtal-Neset, but she still needed continual practice to develop the associated abilities.

Sisi was still young, at the introductory stage, so it wasn't strange for her to recreate the old geezer Cephalos.

Clang, clang!

A sickle claw tapped lightly against the wooden dragon's back.

Upon inspection, Li Le discovered that a rectangular protrusion on the Cephalos's back was actually a long bench.

"Haha, you even saved a seat for me?"

Li Le excitedly sat down.

Thump!

Sisi leaped onto the dragon's back as well, landing on her four insect legs.

"Old geezer! Start up!"

Shing! Shing!

The sickle claws on either side rose, and the taut insect silk connected to the joints steadily retracted.

The wooden legs kneeling on the ground slowly extended, hauling the body upward.

"It's so steady. Could she actually make it walk...?"

Just as Li Le was wondering,

Sisi raised her left sickle claw slightly, then quickly lowered it.

Thump!

The wooden old geezer's foreclaw really did move forward a step in coordination.

Clack, clack.

The fins beside Li Le's feet also swayed twice.

"Ahhh! Meow!"

The Felynes, who had spent all day watching and helping, cheered excitedly.

"A lot of things really do need to be nurtured from childhood..."

Li Le remarked.

Thump, thump, thump!

The wooden Cephalos advanced step by step, picking up speed.

Creak, creak...

The dry cracking sounds of rubbing wood kept coming from its shell and joints.

The entire wooden Cephalos began to shake.

Sisi tried to suppress it, but rather than slowing down, she pulled harder to strengthen her control.

Rip!

The taut insect silk cut into the wood.

The shaking stopped, but the wooden Cephalos also went rigid.

Crack!

Unable to withstand the immense constricting force, the wooden leg pieces burst apart first.

The neck and tail followed, sending showers of wood chips falling.

The wooden Cephalos's head sank, bringing its body crashing belly-down onto the ground.

The previously excited, lively scene immediately fell silent.

On the dragon's back, Sisi lowered her head, her compound eyes dim, looking utterly dejected.

Li Le didn't rush to comfort her. Instead, he flipped down to the ground.

He carefully examined the places that had burst apart.

"Kaluo."

"Here, meow!"

Kaluo, who was equally dejected, immediately answered when his name was called.

"The teaching board."

"Leave it to me."

Soon, the pedal cargo cart, now completely unloaded, was parked beside the awning.

Li Le drew the outline of a Cephalos on the board.

"Sisi, there wasn't much wrong with your assembly or construction. Your problem was choosing the wrong material."

Scratch!

Li Le drew a large circle around the entire outline.

"So the material was the problem? What should we do, then, meow?"

A Felyne chimed in.

"I'm teaching Sisi. You... actually, it wouldn't hurt for you to learn too."

Remembering how the Felynes had watched and helped, Li Le decided not to drive them away.

Hearing this, several Felynes hurried off to fetch benches and chairs, then sat down to listen attentively.

Knock, knock!

Li Le rapped his knuckles against the pedal cargo cart's frame, then drew its outline on the board as well.

"When you built the wooden Cephalos, you calculated the material strength based on the pedal cart, right?"

"That's right, meow."

Kaluo confirmed it.

"The raw material used to build the pedal cart wasn't ordinary lumber. It was Yukumo Wood bought at a high price. The wood everyone provided Sisi was... fairly ordinary lumber. It's fine for making models, but if Sisi actually wants to control them and move them around, its strength falls far short of the requirements. Of course, everyone's contributions weren't meaningless. At least they gave Sisi more chances to experiment."

Even inferior lumber represented the cats' hard work.

Li Le felt that everyone's contributions should not be dismissed.

With illustrations and Li Le's gestures and explanations, Sisi tilted her head, seemingly deep in thought.

Before long, she looked up at the city's towering buildings.

"Ahem... Sisi, pay attention."

Li Le's reminder brought Sisi's attention back.

"Materials strong enough are crucial, but you also need to be careful about how you obtain them. Take the buildings in the city, for example..."

After saying that, Li Le crossed his arms in front of him to form an X.

"These are absolutely off-limits. If you touch them, there'll be..."

Li Le drew the outline of a Giant Wyverian on the drawing board.

Pfft! Splat!

A lump of silk plastered itself over the outline's face.

"Don't be so rebellious. This isn't a joke."

Li Le crossed his arms again, his tone solemn.

Realizing the seriousness of the issue, Sisi lowered her sickle claws to her sides and began listening obediently.

"But it's different out in the wild. As long as it's an abandoned place where no one lives, whatever you see is yours for the taking. Unfortunately, the ancient ruins best suited for this are still very difficult for you to assemble into a structure right now. You can start by trying..."

As Li Le spoke, he drew a bone pile.

Seeing this, Kaluo handed him a rod-shaped bone at just the right moment.

Li Le gave him a thumbs-up, then lightly tapped the back of his hand with the rod-shaped bone.

"Bone materials gathered in the wild are guaranteed to have a certain degree of strength, even if their types and quality vary. And identifying and using the bones of different monsters will also help everyone understand monster anatomy more clearly from the inside, deepening your understanding of how to replicate and build them."

He saw that Sisi looked a little confused as she stared at the rod-shaped bone.

Li Le explained, "Don't push yourself too hard. This is advanced material for assembling Ahtal-Neset in the first place. Having you try it out now is a little too early anyway."

Sisi hesitated, then dropped to the ground and dug briefly before winding an exposed strand of silk around her sickle claw.

With a forceful tug, she dragged a silk net bag filled with bone materials over in front of her.

Since the pieces of bone inside were all very small, Li Le guessed, "These were gifts from the cats, weren't they?"

"That's right, meow!"

After Kaluo confirmed it, the cats scattered.

When they returned, they piled a great many small bone fragments of all different shapes in front of Sisi.

"All right, that's it for today's little lesson. Don't stay up too late, everyone."

Seeing how eager Sisi and the cats were to get started, Li Le put away the drawing board.

"I thought the Felynes only liked you because of Sisi."

Holo, who had been listening the whole time, smiled in approval.

"I don't know why either. It seems like both Felynes and Melynx really like what I talk about."()