Real Monster of Multiverse

After my fight with the Kulu-Ya-Ku and the Pukei-Pukei, nothing particularly interesting happened, except that I discovered I can use [Liquid Accumulation] to drink large amounts of water and then spit out a considerable-sized water ball.

Although somewhat situational, it might be useful at some point.

Besides that, I spent the night in a cave, where I proceeded to evolve. Since I was evolving through my offensive abilities, I was excited about the result.

So, I covered the entrance with a rock and fell into the familiar sleep that comes with evolution.

…

I woke up the next day with a new ability called [Boiling Blood]. In short, it's a berserk state where, by expending a significant amount of stamina, I accelerate my blood circulation, increasing my reflexes and strength.

I can't maintain it for long since it causes severe strain on the body, but it's still quite useful.

—Now seems like a good time to think about the future —I said to myself as I sat on a rock.

In this forest, the only large monsters I haven't hunted yet are the Tobi-Kadachi, Anjanath, Rathalos, and Rathian.

—Rathalos and Rathian are out of the question. I might have a chance against the Rathian, but there's a risk that the Rathalos could join the fight —I paused to think about my options.

The best plan would be to fight a Tobi-Kadachi first, then an Anjanath. From there, I could head to the Wildspire Wastes to hunt the monsters there (including the Rathian), and then return to the forest to hunt the Rathalos.

…

POV Lyra

It has been two days since the Commander ordered all hunters to return to their usual duties. I thought this meant I would stay at the base making preparations for the arrival of the Fifth Fleet, not that I'd have to go hunt a damn Anjanath!

Apparently, the fire-spitting lizards are in mating season, so they're going crazy in the forest, causing all sorts of trouble.

One of them, in particular, has been lurking too close to Astera. It's rare for an Anjanath to get so close to the base, but it seems this one suffered a severe injury to its right eye, which has forced it to stay near the forest's outskirts.

In other words, a one-eyed monster is dangerously close to the base, looking for a mate… and our mission is to make sure it never finds one!

—Do you have all your gear? —asked my partner, Leo. It was just the two of us for this mission. Normally, we'd go in teams of four, but with preparations delayed by two weeks due to the search effort, we were a bit short on personnel.

—Yeah, narcotic meat ready, potions ready, emergency flares ready, explosive barrels ready, and Mancas is ready too.

—Nnhaaa —Mancas is my Felyne companion.

—Alright, let's move out.

…

It didn't take long to find the Anjanath. It was drinking from a river where we usually collect water for the base, and we immediately recognized it as our target due to its missing right eye.

—You know what to do —Leo whispered to me. I nodded in response. As we had done before, I placed the narcotic-laced meat about thirty meters away from the Anjanath.

This wasn't our first time hunting an Anjanath—my armor alone should be proof of that.

The Anjanath took a few minutes to catch the scent of the meat, but once it spotted it with its good eye, it didn't hesitate to eat it.

The meat we use as bait has various seasonings that make it more enticing for monsters, helping to mask the smell of the narcotics.

At first, the Anjanath walked away from the river, so we followed. After a few minutes, its movements grew sluggish until, with a loud thud, it collapsed asleep.

We waited for about a minute to make sure it was fully sedated. When it didn't move, we carefully approached and placed the bombs right in front of its face.

Then we moved to a safe distance, prepared our weapons, and with a mutual nod, I said:

—I love this part.

I fired my slinger at the barrels, detonating them.

—Rrhhaaa!

The Anjanath roared in fury, its face burned by the explosion.

After roaring, it looked around until it spotted us. Its nasal crest flared up, and its wings extended as it roared again.

We weren't intimidated by the display. Leo and I split up, running to its flanks, making it hesitate for a moment before fixing its attention on me.

It opened its jaws and unleashed a stream of fire, which I dodged by rolling to the side. Seeing an opening, I struck with my longsword. In response, it stopped breathing fire and tried to bite me.

I dodged the same way, but this time, Leo landed a heavy blow to its left leg with his hammer.

The Anjanath turned to face Leo after the hit, giving me the perfect opportunity to plant my sword into its side and use it as leverage to climb up, delivering a downward slash to its back. (This is based on a longsword attack from the game.)

It growled in pain from my strike, then again as Leo smashed its chest.

The beast staggered back a few steps and opened its mouth. Instead of a continuous fire breath, it launched several fireballs, forcing us to block them.

Mancas seized the moment to attack with its weapon. It didn't do much damage, but it was enough to distract the Anjanath.

Leo and I rushed in again, targeting its head and left leg.

That was enough to bring the monster down. We didn't waste the opportunity and unleashed everything we had on it while it was down.

After a few seconds of relentless attacks, the Anjanath managed to get back up.

Letting out another roar, it turned and started running deeper into the forest.

Just as I was about to chase after it, I felt an intense gaze fixed on me.

I turned around, but saw nothing.

I tried to focus my sight better, but then Leo shouted:

—What are you waiting for?! The monster is getting away!

So, I set that feeling aside and joined the pursuit.