Chapter 2: Peculiar Abilities
Could these things… actually contain skills?
Li Ming crouched beside the glowing orb, its mist swirling like a miniature storm trapped in glass. He hesitated, then tapped it twice with his finger.
At once, the mist stirred spinning faster before rising into the air and forming words of faint light.
[Apceros Headbutt] ★
A skill used by an Apceros. It lowers its head, gathers momentum, then charges forward with crushing force.
Li Ming's eyes widened slightly. "So this is a skill orb."
He quickly checked the other two floating beside it.
[Apceros Tail Whip] ★
Spins the body and swings the heavy tail to strike surrounding enemies.
[Apceros Carapace Reinforcement] ★
Transmits nutrients to the carapace, increasing its density and enhancing defense.
Each skill was clearly drawn from the same beast the thick-shelled herbivore he had slain earlier. They were all practical, straightforward abilities. Yet, the problem was obvious.
Li Ming sighed. "…I don't have a tail. Or a carapace."
Even if he absorbed them, he couldn't use them. But free skills were free skills. He reached for the Tail Whip orb first, intending to take all three back to study later.
However, as soon as he picked one up, the other two began to fade—like mist evaporating under sunlight.
"Wait—!"
He quickly let go, and the orb floated back into the air. The others regained form, stable once again.
So he could only choose one.
Li Ming hesitated, then exhaled softly and grabbed the Headbutt orb
At least, he thought wryly, I do have a head.
The remaining two orbs shimmered weakly before bursting into gray smoke.
Li Ming frowned. "…Guess that's that."
As he pondered how to carry the remaining orb, something strange happened.
A faint glow appeared on his chest a hollow, misty imprint roughly the same size as the orb.
He froze. Then, slowly, he brought the orb close.
It fit perfectly.
A slot? For skills?
Driven by curiosity, Li Ming pressed the orb into the hollow.
Whoosh—!
The mist sank into his chest like flowing water, and glowing letters appeared before his eyes.
[Skill Loaded: Apceros Headbutt]
Then, the orb and the hollow vanished completely.
Li Ming rubbed his chest. No pain. No change. Just… normal.
"What a bizarre ability," he murmured. "But no time to study it now."
He turned to the corpse of the Apceros.
In the Monster Hunter world, valuable monster corpses were usually transported back for professional carving every piece could be turned into armor or weapons. But Li Ming had no team, no cart, no backup. Only his knife.
For now, this entire carcass was a goldmine he couldn't afford to waste.
Blood splattered across the sand as he carved away at the hide. His movements were clumsy but determined. When the scent of iron filled the air, he finally managed to separate several slabs of meat.
After a quick rinse, he bundled the cuts with rope and slung them over his shoulder. Then his gaze fell on the massive, oval carapace nearby its surface gleaming faintly under the sunlight.
"Too heavy," he muttered. "But… it'd make a perfect shield."
For a while he stood there, torn. Finally, gritting his teeth, he lifted the shell onto his back. His knees nearly buckled, but he managed.
The trek back was slow. At the edge of a long, steep sand dune, Li Ming stopped.
If he slipped, the carapace would crush him before gravity ever could.
Then, an idea flickered.
He stared at the shell. Then at the slope.
Moments later, Li Ming sat snugly inside the carapace, gripping its rim tightly.
Scratch—whoosh!
The shell slid down like a sled. Sand sprayed behind him as the wind howled past.
"Heh… this is actually fun!"
His laughter echoed across the dunes as he sped down, bouncing and swaying.
It was reckless. It was dangerous. But it was also the first time he'd felt alive since arriving in this brutal world.
By the time he reached camp, Li Ming was drenched in sweat, utterly exhausted.
He dragged the carapace through the small wooden gate and collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.
"So… this is what real hunting feels like," he said between breaths.
"Brutal… but worth it."
The Apceros hunt had been a success. He had meat, a potential shield, and a new skill. His confidence surged just a little.
After resting, he stashed three and a half cuts of meat into the tribe's underground well, where a block of Ice Crystal ore kept things cool year-round. The Melu Cats had always used it as a natural refrigerator.
Then he returned to the surface to roast the remaining piece.
It was supposed to be easy just light a fire and cook.
But the Melu Cats treated it like a sacred ceremony. Some blew horns, others beat drums, a few danced around the fire. Their leader, Mi Duoduo, once told him that "roasting meat in rhythm prevents it from burning."
Li Ming had always laughed that off. "Nonsense," he muttered as he turned the skewer carefully.
Sizzle… sizzle…
Golden fat dripped, smoke rose, and the aroma filled the air.
"Mmm, not bad"
Hiss!
Black smoke erupted suddenly. Half the meat was charred before he could react.
Li Ming stared blankly. "…Mi Duoduo might actually be right."
Even burnt, the smell made his mouth water. He hadn't had a proper meal in over a month. He took a deep breath, then paused.
"I should… offer the first bite to the Meow God."
He tore off the worst bits and placed the rest on the altar. "Thank you, Meow God, for watching over this hunt. Please don't mind the taste."
When no divine notification appeared, Li Ming only shrugged. "Still mad, huh?"
Then he dug in.
Mmm… woo…
The meat disappeared in moments. He blinked. "Wait… why am I still hungry?"
Even after half a huge slab, he was only half full. His appetite had grown.
That wasn't good.
"If this keeps up, I'll need twice the food each day…" he muttered grimly. "One bad hunt and I'll starve."
He sighed. Maybe he should've carried more back those four thick legs, even if it killed him. But it was too late now. He lay back on his straw mat, trying to rest.
Thump
A low, muffled boom echoed overhead. He sat up instantly. A red flare, shaped like a cat's paw, glowed in the sky.
"A signal flare… something's happened."
The rescue team was calling him. In the Sandy Plains, few monsters actively hunted Melu Cats most followed the laws of nature: eat, breed, defend territory. The cats were small, quick, and clever, so few creatures bothered with them.
But sometimes, smaller pack monsters like the Velociprey posed real danger.
That was when the tribe called for him—to pretend to be a hunter, scaring them off by exploiting monsters' instinctive fear of humans.
Li Ming knew the tribe couldn't afford real hunters. Their leader, Aileron, once told him:
"We don't break a Hunter Team's contract. No matter what happens, once they take a job, they must complete it without interference—even if it means death."
So, it was up to them to fend for themselves.
Li Ming stood, tightening his gear. His exhaustion vanished, replaced by resolve.
He filled his waterskin, grabbed a cut of meat as rations, and turned toward the door.
Then his gaze caught on the carapace leaning by the wall.
He hesitated… then smiled faintly. "You might come in handy."
When he lifted it, his eyes widened in surprise it felt lighter. Much lighter than before.
"…Now that's interesting."
And with that thought, Li Ming set out toward the red flare unaware that the real beginning of his adventure had just quietly started.