Ancient Forest, Area 2.
The Great Jagras, having been knocked back, finally steadied itself. Its orange eyes glared venomously at Flora, and it opened its massive maw—nearly as wide as its own body—letting saliva pool on the ground.
A second later.
It charged straight at Flora, its heavy claws crushing fallen leaves and withered branches as its thick tail swept through a large patch of woodland.
Its savage momentum felt powerful enough to level a stone house!
Flora bent her knees, her gaze as sharp as a hawk's.
"Meow, meow, meow!! Coco is here to help!"
A furry figure burst from the bushes behind Flora. It was her Palico partner—
[COCO].
Coco was a black cat with white paws and a distinctive white patch over his right eye. He pulled out a Hunting Horn and stood atop a tree trunk. With a flick of his tail, the horn began to play.
The melody was stirring, like the thunderous beat of war drums.
A faint reddish glow flickered around Flora as her attack power received a slight boost!
"Good job, Coco!" Flora cut into the Great Jagras's blind spot on its right side with a swift slide.
Her movements were crisp and clean.
Simultaneously, she swung the Blooming Knife. The blade sliced through the air, coated in toxin, and landed an upward slash directly on the right side of the Great Jagras's belly!
*Splat!*
The blade carved through scales, leaving a gash where deep purple venom quickly seeped into the wound.
"Roar!"
Writhing in pain, the Great Jagras let out a furious roar and spun in place, sweeping its tail in an attempt to knock its enemy away.
"Awoooo!"
Dumpling let out a roar of his own and tried to rush forward, but as soon as he got close, the shockwave from the beast's movement knocked him over, leaving him flailing on his back!
"I... I want to help, meow..." Dumpling struggled to get up, his short legs kicking wildly. He was full of spirit but couldn't get near.
Coco leaned casually against the tree trunk with his Hunting Horn in hand and snorted. "Don't just add to the chaos. Stay back and be good, just like your master, meow."
Flora had already predicted the Great Jagras's attack. She blocked with her Scale Shield and used the momentum to slide and roll. Her movements were incredibly light as she slipped through the wind trailing the tail.
Leon watched, dumbfounded.
He had never seen such a fluid combat rhythm.
There were no wasted movements, not a hint of hesitation. Every step looked like a perfectly choreographed sequence!
What was even more impressive was the flexibility of the Sword and Shield. While neither its offense nor defense was particularly outstanding, it was exceptionally balanced, allowing for a seamless transition between the two in the face of sudden changes.
*Bang!*
The tail collided with the Scale Shield, and Flora firmly blocked the Great Jagras's sweep.
A downward slash, a horizontal slash, and a shield-and-sword combo—a four-hit flurry erupted instantly. As she finished the final blow, Flora transitioned into a roll, once again circling into the Great Jagras's blind spot.
The Blooming Knife had carved several gashes of varying sizes into the Great Jagras's belly.
Potent toxin immediately invaded its flesh.
The Great Jagras roared in pain as its tail swept around again!
Flora anticipated the move once more and braced her shield.
*Clang!*
Sparks flew.
"Hmph, a waste of effort..." Flora took two steps back to absorb the impact, then aimed her Clutch Claw at the monster's body. With a quick hook, she vaulted herself onto its back!
With the whistling sound of wind, she raised the Blooming Knife high and plunged it into the vital spot behind the Great Jagras's neck!
"Die!"
The toxin flared. The Great Jagras let out an agonizing wail, its body twitching violently as it struggled, crashed into trees, and rolled!
Yet, Flora remained firmly planted on its back like a dragon rider, dominating the battlefield.
She gathered strength in her right hand and drove the Blooming Knife down once more, burying the blade completely in the Great Jagras's body.
Dark purple poisonous blood sprayed from the Great Jagras's mouth and nose. Its footsteps faltered, and after a desperate half-turn, it collapsed with a crash that shook the woodland floor.
*Boom!*
Leon and Dumpling stood not far away, staring blankly at the massive carcass.
"Ma... Master..." Dumpling's jaw nearly hit the ground. He pointed a trembling paw at Flora and said, "She's a hundred times more fierce than you, meow!"
The entire battle had lasted less than three minutes.
From the moment Flora struck to the monster hitting the ground, the Great Jagras hadn't managed a single decent counterattack.
Only then did Leon realize that this woman—who seemed a bit cold and had a bit of a temper—
Was truly strong.
Ridiculously strong.
"Done." Flora jumped down from the corpse, casually flicking the blood droplets off her blade before walking toward Leon.
Coco leaped onto her shoulder and let out a proud meow.
"What are you two staring at?" Flora glanced at Leon and snorted. "Never seen a real hunter before?"
"I have, but..." Leon's mouth moved, but he couldn't find the words to finish.
Flora ignored him and bent down to begin carving materials, her movements as efficient as if she were doing simple household chores.
Nearby, Coco happily tapped at some withered branches with a small hammer, while Dumpling secretly rubbed against one of the Great Jagras's claws.
Before long, the Great Jagras's carcass had been stripped clean. Not a single usable material was wasted.
Having packed the materials, Flora sheathed her carving knife and turned to Leon, scolding him. "You two were making such a racket earlier that I lost track of my actual prey!"
"Lost track of your prey?" Leon didn't know why Flora was there, but facing the unexplained accusation, he countered, "I was just hunting Jagras, how could..."
"What do you think the Ancient Forest is, your backyard?" Flora's gaze pierced Leon like a blade. "Do you even know the habits of the Jagras?"
"They... they live in packs..." Leon scratched his head, unsure if his answer was correct.
After all, in the game, Jagras were very weak, and most players never paid attention to their ecology.
The more Flora thought about it, the angrier she got. "That old geezer the Commander is really... how can an amateur brat like you even become a hunter?"
She sighed, suppressing her anger. "Jagras never act alone. There are always others nearby. More importantly, where there's a pack of Jagras, there's a Great Jagras. You should have hidden after killing a few, but you were shouting and carrying on. Are you stupid?"
Leon lowered his head as the recent events flashed through his mind—he really hadn't considered the possibility that hunting Jagras would draw out a powerful foe.
Dumpling didn't dare make a sound either. He pulled his head back, his snow-white ears drooping.
Seeing this, Coco flashed a contemptuous smile.
"You'd better etch what I'm about to say into your memory." Flora cleared her throat and spoke solemnly. "A true hunter doesn't rely on brute force or luck. They rely on two hundred percent preparation. Knowledge is the most vital part of that. Only by understanding a monster's habits can you hunt successfully or make it back in one piece!"
"Knowledge..." Leon knew that there was a Biological Research Center in Astera where scholars gathered monster intel for hunters to reference.
Flora's tone softened significantly. She sighed and continued, "This knowledge is the legacy of veteran hunters. If you don't bother to learn it, then don't come to the hunting grounds just to throw your life away."
"Also, look at those Jagras you killed. Either their skulls are shattered or their teeth are broken. Don't you know those are valuable materials?"
Leon lowered his head, a heavy feeling in his chest.
Just as he tried to explain himself, Flora suddenly frowned and snapped her head toward the depths of the woodland.
Coco's ears twitched. He immediately stopped tapping his hammer and whispered, "It's here, meow."
"The... the ground is shaking, meow..." Dumpling instinctively hid behind Leon, his eyes wide with fear.
Leon also sensed the strange atmosphere. The earth vibrated with a faint but steady rhythm, like the beating of a drum.
A moment later, a thicket in the distance exploded as a massive figure charged into view like a bulldozer.
—Anjanath!
It was a monster resembling a Tyrannosaurus, with thick, muscular legs, a protruding nasal bone, and exposed fangs. Its skin was reddish-brown, and it had black bristles along its spine.
The Anjanath raised its head and let out a low, savage roar, as if declaring itself the true king of the forest.
"No... way!" Leon's eyes widened, his throat tightening. "This thing is your target?"
"Exactly." Flora gripped her Sword and Shield. Her expression remained calm, even showing a hint of impatience. "I've been tracking it for a while. This Anjanath has been hunting that Great Jagras. Now that your task is done, get back to camp. Don't stay here and get in the way of my hunt."
The Anjanath didn't give them much time. It lowered its head to sniff the air, spotted the remains of the Great Jagras, and its eyes immediately flared with rage as it stomped the ground and lunged!
*Boom!*
Its massive body surged forward like a rockslide.
"Go, now! Don't be a nuisance!" Flora leaped into the air like a bolt of lightning. Her Blooming Knife traced a graceful, meteor-like arc through the sky.
Leon only felt a blast of hot air hitting his face. He looked up to see Flora enveloped in flames, flying backward and slamming into the ground.
"Oh no..."