He thought he could just follow the map without using his brain, but it seems he still needs to put in a little effort…
Kayne scratched his head. His casual expression slightly retracted, and he began to observe his surroundings carefully.
As a dignified High-Rank Hunter, an elite from the Guild in Dundorma, if he couldn't even complete a one-star gathering quest, he would be laughed off the map!
Sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, forming pillars of light in the woods. The ground was covered in red leaves, deep or light in color. A gust of north wind would instantly cover up any possible footprints.
But for an experienced veteran Hunter, tracking traces of this level was no difficulty. Kayne just glanced around, walked into a forest clearing, looked up at the subtle scratch marks on the branches above, then bent down, parted the surface leaves, grabbed a handful of black soil from underneath, and carefully sniffed it.
"There's the smell of wood ash, and a faint residual warmth. A fire was burning here recently."
The image of large, fire-breathing monsters like a Rathalos flashed in his mind and quickly vanished. Kayne shook his head. There was no pungent sulfur smell, and such a monster wouldn't come to this place to dig out a honeycomb, much less do so without leaving obvious traces.
Could it be a wild Felyne tribe?
Kayne had a bit of a headache. If those little guys had picked all the honey clean from this area, what would he take back to fulfill the quest?
Ugh, I'll search the vicinity again. If I really can't find any honey, I'll just go and buy some from the Felyne tribe that took it!
Half an hour later.
Kayne was scratching his helmet in exasperation. In this short time, he had found traces of at least four honeycombs, but, without exception, they had all been beaten to the punch by the "Felynes."
Grandma's whiskers, since when did Felynes love honey so much?
Kayne gave up on searching for honeycombs and instead followed the various traces unintentionally left behind by the "Felynes."
Broken dead branches, bent red leaves—these inconspicuous signs slowly guided Kayne into a reed marsh where Thunderbugs flew scattered about.
Pushing aside a cluster of reeds in front of him, the bonfire burning by the nearby lake caught Kayne's eye. More accurately, the figure sitting by the fire, clad entirely in clothing woven from leaves and vines, drew his attention.
Judging by the physique, it wasn't a Felyne or Melynx as he had initially guessed; it seemed like a person.
The reason he didn't state it definitively but used the word "seemed"… Hmm, a normal human wouldn't operate in the wilderness wearing such uncomfortable and defenceless clothing, would they?
Under Kayne's strange gaze, the person skillfully skewered several Sushiphish on wooden sticks and began to roast them. Every now and then, he would use a brush made of blue fur to dip into a pile of honeycomb remnants nearby, brushing a layer of glossy honey onto the surface of the grilled fish.
'Ugh, this guy is completely reckless… No weapon, and he's not worried that this delicious smell will attract nearby monsters?'
Kayne wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, stood up, and prepared to speak to him.
Based on his brief observation, he could now drop the initial "seemed." This was just a somewhat strange person. He should try to communicate and buy some honey from him.
Just as he stood up, a slight tremor came from under his feet, and Kayne's expression immediately changed.
A large monster was approaching! This guy is in danger!
The tremors rapidly closed in. Kayne didn't have time to think. He quickly dashed forward, leaping past the bonfire, and with extremely quick movements, unslung the Sword and Shield from his back. He gripped the Long Sword in his left hand and hooked the Shield over his right arm. Simply standing there, he exuded a steady, dependable aura.
Kayne squinted, watching the greenish beast that was rapidly bursting out of the jungle. He let out a slight sigh of relief, then turned his face half-away and spoke in an urgent tone.
"Hey! Stop grilling the fish! I'll hold off this Arzuros, you get out of here quickly!"
Ethan was fully engaged in grilling the fish, a wooden stick in each hand, when he suddenly felt a gust of wind blow past. A tall Hunter appeared in front of him, maintaining a drawing stance, confronting the Arzuros who had followed the scent—Bear Bro was the name Ethan had given the Arzuros, as its gluttonous, sleepy, and somewhat clumsy personality was quite fitting.
The Hunter he had been yearning to see had suddenly appeared before him. Ethan's first reaction was naturally joy, but the next moment, realizing what was happening, his face instantly changed.
"Holy hell, big brother! Wait a second! That's Bear Bro, my friend!"
Kayne heard something the person behind him said, but it was gibberish. Although the tone was urgent, he couldn't understand it at all; it wasn't the continent-wide common Hunter language. Maybe he was worried about his own safety?
Kayne felt a slight warmth in his heart. The Arzuros, sensing the hostility, was already standing on its hind legs, raising its claws in a warning roar. He still had the presence of mind to reply to the person behind him.
"Don't worry! A mere Arzuros can't hurt me. You need to run now!"
"Ehhh no, big brother! You didn't understand my wor—"
Ethan's words suddenly stuck in his throat. Only now did he realize that the language the other person was speaking was not Chinese, yet he had completely understood its meaning without any impediment.
Damn! Language barrier! I can't explain it!
Ethan quickly grabbed the grilled fish in his hands and rushed out, bypassing Kayne, inserting himself right in the middle of the two who were facing off.
First, he tossed the grilled fish to Bear Bro, then quickly turned to the Hunter, frantically waving his hands and mixing in all sorts of gestures.
"Me, it, friend! Safe!"
Kayne stared blankly at Ethan, the strange man in plant-weave clothing, who was constantly gesturing and occasionally sputtering incomprehensible syllables. He watched the Arzuros, which had just been feigning ferocity, now completely ignore him, squatting down to happily gnaw on the fish. Kayne felt his worldview, honed over more than ten years as a Hunter, completely shattering.
"Ugh… I must have drunk too much Mega Demondrug. Am I hallucinating?"
Kayne took two steps back, ensuring he wouldn't be suddenly attacked by the Arzuros, and re-slung his Sword and Shield onto his back.
He saw that with this action, the strange person opposite him visibly let out a long sigh of relief. "Ah."
Then, the person quickly walked to the bonfire, picked up two grilled fish, and offered one to Kayne, speaking again in that incomprehensible yet mysteriously rhythmic language.
"Aiya mamiya, big brother, you finally understood! You scared me half to death… Here, big brother! Try the grilled fish I just made! Isn't it better for everyone to get along?"
Kayne hesitated, glancing strangely at the Arzuros on the other side, who was devouring the grilled fish. In the end, he took the offered fish.
He wasn't afraid of the heat, taking a direct bite out of half the grilled fish, chewing it with an expression of pure bliss.
"Gulp."
His Adam's apple bobbed. Kayne gave Ethan a thumbs-up. "Bro, your cooking skills are absolutely amazing, hey!"
He paused, then added a little cautiously, "Uh… you can understand me, right?"
Ethan twitched the corner of his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he just silently nodded.
He had seen the first light of leaving the wilderness, and he had met the first human from this world. These were two genuinely happy events, so why was his mood so complicated?
P.S.: If he can understand the heart-voice of monsters, it's completely reasonable for him to understand the Hunter language, too.