After hearing Commander's introduction and giving it some thought, Bai Mo agreed to Leonard's proposal for him to become a researcher.
This was indeed a quick way to integrate into this world.
Moreover, based on the introductions from the Commander and Director Leonard, Bai Mo came to understand the capabilities and immense influence of the Dragon Research Institute.
If he could join the Dragon Research Institute, gathering ingredients might become much more convenient for him.
After Bai Mo accepted the invitation, Director Leonard's aged face broke into a smile as he explained:
"Actually, you're not the first person who can communicate with monsters, Xiao Bai~"
Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai~
Bai Mo suppressed the urge to complain, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
This elderly Wyverian was over three hundred years old—being called "Xiao Bai" wasn't entirely inappropriate. Given his seniority, it was... acceptable.
"In fact, our Wyverian race once had someone who could communicate with monsters. She was known as the Dragon Speaker. According to records, with her help, some Wyverians formed bonds with monsters. The Knight profession, which exists today, is one of the legacies left behind by that Dragon Speaker~"
Knight?
Bai Mo recalled another Monster Hunter game he had played, where players could collect eggs from various monsters, hatch them, and raise them as companions. Those characters were called Knights!
From Leonard's explanation, it seemed to align closely with what Bai Mo already knew.
However, unlike Bai Mo, most Knights could only communicate with monsters they had raised from infancy or those with whom they had formed bonds through specific circumstances.
It was absolutely impossible to replicate the game's mechanics—like hatching a Basarios in seconds and forming a bond with it.
Due to the rarity and reclusive nature of Knights, the Dragon Research Institute's records on them and their companion monsters were incomplete.
In Leonard's eyes, Bai Mo—who could communicate with the Nargacuga and even use it as a mount—might very well qualify as a Knight.
Bai Mo neither confirmed nor denied this.
After all, being a Knight meant little to him compared to the importance of a good meal.
The only reason he had kept this Nargacuga was because it was as docile as a big cat and the first monster he had encountered, so he had gone easy on it.
Soon, under the effects of Leonard's potion, the slumbering Nargacuga quickly woke up.
Seeing its unfamiliar surroundings, the Nargacuga immediately began to struggle. But after some reassurance from Bai Mo, it gradually calmed down.
However, its gaze toward Jasper and the others remained wary.
After all, it had seen these two-legged creatures hunting other beings before—and it had even been attacked by them!
Hearing the Nargacuga's response, Bai Mo's expression turned somewhat strange.
In this world, monsters hunting each other, hunters hunting monsters, and monsters attacking humans all seemed to be part of the natural order. Thus, in the eyes of the Commander and the others, it wasn't something worth dwelling on.
Upon learning that the Nargacuga had never eaten humans, the Commander and the others were even more relieved.
As the chains on the Nargacuga were removed, the slightly stiff creature stretched its body. The Commander promptly had someone bring over a batch of roasted Aptonoth meat for it to eat.
Seeing that everything had gone smoothly, Director Leonard took out pen and paper and began having Bai Mo act as a translator, attempting to converse with the Nargacuga to uncover its secrets.
This process lasted two hours. The well-fed Nargacuga held nothing back, answering all of Leonard's questions to the best of its knowledge.
Looking at the densely packed notes in his notebook, Leonard couldn't contain his excitement.
Now, the way he looked at Bai Mo was as if he were gazing upon an unparalleled treasure.
He had indeed read about the power of the Dragon Speaker in ancient texts, but only when witnessing such power firsthand did he truly understand how incredibly useful the ability to communicate with monsters could be.
Thus, after recording the Nargacuga's information, Director Leonard turned to Jasper, who had been sitting nearby the entire time, and said:
"The Ecological Research Institute is assigning a new batch of commissions to the Investigation Team!"
"We hope you can capture a number of monsters—preferably one or two of each species. With Xiao Bai's help, we can quickly gather knowledge about these monsters and perhaps even uncover the true reason behind the Elder Crossing!"
Jasper immediately nodded in agreement to Leonard's request.
The Investigation Team had handled many such capture missions before, so there was no need for lengthy explanations.
However, at this moment, Bai Mo proposed joining the Investigation Team on their missions.
Director Leonard was firmly against this idea. After all, Bai Mo had already proven his abilities—such a treasure needed to be carefully protected!
The Investigation Team often faced dangerous situations in the wild, and casualties were not uncommon.
Yet Bai Mo disagreed. In his view, all his training so far had been to become a Gourmet Hunter. Now that he was in this world, learning to become a true hunter was the perfect opportunity.
In future worlds, he might not always encounter traces of civilization as he had in the first two. When that time came, gathering ingredients would rely entirely on himself.
Therefore, now was the best time to learn!
Moreover, the New World was fraught with dangers, and with the appearance of various Elder Dragons imminent, Bai Mo needed to seize every moment to grow stronger.
Faced with Bai Mo's unwavering stance, neither Leonard nor Jasper could dissuade him.
But when Bai Mo suggested sparring with Jasper to prove whether he had the skills to join the Investigation Team, they reluctantly agreed.
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T/N:
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