Altaïr sprinted back to camp and quickly swapped the weapon in the item box for the Taikun Katana [Crape Myrtle].
The Cool Cleavers could only inflict superficial wounds on the Brute Tigrex and relied almost entirely on their elemental energy to damage it.
The Taikun Katana, by contrast, was a genuinely lethal weapon. Even without its powerful Thunder element, its Sharpness and sheer destructive force could tear through the Brute Tigrex's defenses and kill it.
Next, he put on his newly acquired Hero Talisman.
The value of an Earplugs Talisman against a Brute Tigrex was undeniable. If he could, he would have gladly worn both Talismans, one on each wrist.
Unfortunately, that was not possible. Wearing multiple Talismans at once caused the mysterious energies within them to interfere with one another. Not only would their blessings fail to activate properly, but they could also trigger unknown negative effects. It was an utterly foolish risk that no one should ever take.
Fortunately, whether due to its severe loss of stamina or the earlier crash cracking its skull and disrupting the resonance of its roar, the Brute Tigrex was slightly quieter than it had been at the start of the battle.
Without the Earplugs Talisman, the Disposable Earplugs alone might not completely block the roar's shockwave, but it probably would not cause irreversible damage to his hearing.
As for the muscle stiffness caused by being caught in the shockwave at close range, he should have a way to handle that as well.
After changing his gear, Altaïr quickly ate a ration and drank a dose of Nutrients to replenish his energy. Once he had restocked his supplies, including Potions, Whetstones, and the like, he ran straight out of camp without stopping to rest.
He did not want to give his prey too much time to recover.
The sharp, pungent scent of Paintballs hung in the air, mingled with the suffocating stench of Dung Bombs...
The trail was unmistakable. Altaïr did not need to examine it closely before racing toward the source of the odor.
When he caught up with the Brute Tigrex, it was careening around like a headless fly, occasionally clawing at its own head and gouging its face bloody with its hooked talons.
The Dung Bombs had worked surprisingly well.
Thanks to the Brute Tigrex's highly developed cardiopulmonary system, each breath drew in an enormous amount of air, funneling vast quantities of foul-smelling matter into its sensitive nostrils.
For a creature with such a keen sense of smell, this was absolute torture... It seemed close to choking itself to death.
Morgan, hidden behind a slope as he kept watch on the target, looked at Altaïr as though he were staring at a demon.
As for Sajji beside him...
As a Felyne with an equally keen sense of smell, Sajji had stuffed two wads of paper into his nostrils. He breathed through his mouth as much as possible to lessen the stench, but even then, he could not stop sticking out his tongue and dry-heaving, his face twisted in misery.
"So, has it eaten anything?" Altaïr asked quietly as he crept over to Morgan's side.
"What do you think?" Morgan shot him a sideways glance. "You threw those Dung Bombs right into the Brute Tigrex's face, and Sajji ended up like this from a faint whiff at a distance. I wouldn't be surprised if that thing coughed up its own stomach."
"Good." A satisfied smile spread across Altaïr's face.
He no longer felt any need to press the attack. Instead, he lay down beside Morgan and slowly let the tension drain from every muscle in his body.
Although the Dash Juice kept him from feeling too tired, muscle fatigue and lactic acid buildup were unavoidable.
Reeking of Dung Bombs, the Brute Tigrex could not stop to eat or sleep, much less catch its breath. It could keep running around for a while longer; Altaïr would get himself back into fighting condition first.
In the distance, the Brute Tigrex rampaged with a series of thunderous crashes while Altaïr reclined behind the slope and slowly relaxed. Several minutes into this short rest, the Brute Tigrex suddenly kicked off and broke into a frantic sprint.
Altaïr's heart skipped a beat. Where was this thing going?
"Sajji, scout from the air and warn us if you spot any danger. Morgan, we're going after it!"
The Hunters leaped out from cover and gave chase. The Brute Tigrex ran at a blinding speed and vanished from sight in an instant.
Between the lingering odor, the clear tracks on the ground, and Sajji and Hakucho scouting from above, there was no danger of losing the trail.
After a pursuit of two or three kilometers, Sajji suddenly dropped lower and landed beside the Hunters.
Folding his glider, he said, "Hot springs, meow! There are some up ahead. The Brute Tigrex rushed into the water, probably to wash the stench off itself, meow!"
Altaïr's pace faltered.
Because of the local geology, clear, clean water was almost impossible to find in the Volcano. The underground hot springs could approach boiling temperatures and contained large amounts of dissolved sulfur, sometimes even sulfuric acid.
Yet these hot springs were also among the only precious sources of water in the Volcano, making them likely gathering places for all kinds of Monsters.
"Any Large Monsters? Did you see any others near the hot springs?" Altaïr pressed.
Sajji shook his head. "Not right now, meow. But I spotted a few Slagtoth. The Brute Tigrex might prey on them, meow."
Altaïr relaxed slightly. At least the target was not heading into a more dangerous area. At the same time, he quickened his pace.
He did not care if the Brute Tigrex washed off the stench. The Dung Bombs had already done more than expected, and he had no desire to fight an opponent that reeked of that nauseating odor.
But he absolutely would not let the Brute Tigrex bathe and then hunt down two Slagtoth for a hearty meal. That would undo most of his earlier efforts.
With that thought, he downed a bottle of Dash Juice, activated Demon Mode, and sprinted at full speed toward the distant hot springs veiled in steam.
At a full sprint, he covered several hundred meters in less than a minute and spotted the Brute Tigrex thrashing in the hot springs.
A Brute Tigrex was not human; it had no habit of taking slow, leisurely baths. Naturally averse to water, it only endured splashing around in the hot springs for half a minute because the stench had become unbearable.
Once most of the foul substance had washed away and the pungent, sulfurous smell of the hot springs had masked what remained, the Brute Tigrex practically leaped out of the water.
Just as Altaïr had expected, once it was rid of the stench, the exhausted and hungry Brute Tigrex immediately roared and chased the panicked Slagtoth. The slow-moving herbivores had not managed to get far.
It set its sights on the largest and fattest member of the herd.
With a roar, it lunged and snapped at the Slagtoth. A single swipe of one foreclaw crushed the head of the massive herbivore, which weighed more than five tons.
Bone fragments, blood, and brain matter splattered everywhere. The thick, coppery scent of blood whetted the Brute Tigrex's appetite. Without a moment's hesitation, it opened its maw to take a bite.
At that moment, a pale, oddly shaped giant scythe thrust between its jaws and braced against its rows of sharp teeth with a crisp clang!
As the blade swept sideways, the astonishingly sharp scythe sliced through the flesh and tongue along the Brute Tigrex's upper jaw. Dazzling lightning erupted amid the spray of blood and exploded inside its mouth, sending it stumbling backward.
Altaïr pulled back the giant scythe and raised it into a ready stance.
"Hungry, aren't you? Stay hungry."
* * *
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