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"How curious. To think someone would come here. Did you lose your way, perhaps?"
Ethan felt the words were somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had heard them before.
He smiled. "Ha, no, no. I'm a Hunter. I stayed here for a while some time ago, and since I was passing by, I just dropped in to check."
"But how is an old man like yourself out here alone? The wilderness is very dangerous. Do you need me to escort you out?"
The old Wyverian stroked his beard, a look of realization crossing his face. "So that's it! I knew there were signs of life here!"
"Young man, thank you for your kind offer, but as you can see, I am a traveler…"
He patted the large basket beside him and spoke slowly with the particular kindly smile of an elderly person:
"Traveling in the wilderness is commonplace for me now. Young man, don't worry about me. If we encounter danger, I might not run slower than you."
He paused, noticing that Ethan was quietly looking around the cave. He cleared his throat, a touch embarrassed, and his already reddish old face grew redder.
"Ahem, well, if you're looking for those materials you left here, they might have been sold by me…"
Ethan looked at him, blinking. This stare made the old Wyverian quite uncomfortable. He turned his head and rummaged through his basket, as if avoiding Ethan's gaze.
"Ah, here. Take this. You must cherish it…"
A moment later, he pressed a yellow paper packet into Ethan's hand.
"What is this?"
Ethan gently squeezed the packet with his fingers. It was small and very light, looking like an old-fashioned pill wrapped casually in paper.
"That is an Ancient Potion. Eat it, and it will cure most injuries."
The redness on the old Wyverian's face had faded slightly. He was stroking his beard, looking slightly smugly at Ethan.
Ethan was instantly filled with reverence. He carefully put it away close to his body and quickly thanked him:
"Thank you, Old Man."
An Ancient Potion! What an incredibly generous gift! This was an invaluable life-saver! In the game, eating it instantly maximized both his health and stamina bars. Even if it wasn't that overpowered in reality, the effect would certainly be incomparable to Potions or Mega Potions.
"Mm-hmm, don't mention it!"
The old Wyverian nodded, hoisting the huge basket onto his back again:
"Alright, I should continue my journey now. Young man, if we meet again by chance, I might have more good things to give you."
Ethan felt he had a strong suspicion about this old Wyverian's identity, but he didn't dare confirm it.
"Uh, if I may ask, how should I address you?"
"Just call me Mountain Sage. Hmm… Since I'm so old, it's not like I'm taking advantage, is it?"
Eek! It truly is the Mountain Sage!
He hands out items at the drop of a hat. I love this old man too much!
"Safe travels, Mountain Sage!"
"Mm-hmm, I'm off. Bye-bye!"
Watching the Mountain Sage disappear, Ethan happily pulled out the yellow paper packet again. He cautiously opened a corner, revealing the large, brown pill inside.
He leaned in for a good sniff. A slightly bitter medicinal fragrance entered his nostrils, instantly revitalizing him. Even the faint fatigue brought on by the trek through the wilderness was completely dispelled. In that moment, the unpretentious appearance of the pill seemed to be coated in a shimmering golden light in Ethan's eyes.
Putting the Ancient Potion away again, Ethan completely discarded the thought of the Bnahabra materials he'd intended to retrieve. He left the cave happily and headed toward the waterfall.
If he remembered correctly, following the waterfall downstream for about four or five kilometers would lead to a patch of forest. That area produced an abundance of wild flowers and fruits, attracting large numbers of bees. As long as no one had recently scoured the area, the honey he could gather there would be more than enough to complete the quest with a large surplus.
(Kayne: ?)
After gathering the honey, he could just walk a little further to the lake. He could then bring Bear Bro's favorite honey for a barbecue feast. Slurp…
However, ideals were rich, but reality was lean. As Ethan walked through the tall reeds, fragrant with honey, and arrived at the place where he once slept nestled against Bear Bro's stomach, he saw two or three "bananas" lingering there. Bear Bro was completely gone.
"Roar!"
One of the "bananas" spotted Ethan's figure. It immediately twisted its elongated body and rushed toward him. Sensing its "heart-voice," Ethan knew the creature was eager to sample the taste of the unfamiliar organism before it.
Where is Bear Bro? Why is it a Ludroth?
Ludroth-infested areas often mean a Royal Ludroth is present too. Could Bear Bro be…
Worry for his friend immediately put Ethan in a foul mood. Especially since this "banana" didn't even have the sense to leave and was trying to attack him. Ethan had no intention of retreating. He immediately drew his Sword and Shield, ready to teach the creature a lesson.
As a Leviathan-type monster, the Ludroth's unique body structure gave it far greater mobility in water than on land. This monster relied on gliding through the water to accelerate, leaping out of the water like an arrow shot from a bow to pounce on Ethan.
Ethan neither dodged nor raised his shield to defend. He just kept his eyes locked on the Ludroth's movements. Only when it had completely left the water did he make his move.
He inserted the sword into the shield. Amidst the slight mechanical vibration, the sword and shield locked together. Before the axe head could fully emerge, the Ludroth's pouncing attack slammed heavily into the surface of the shield. Claws and teeth scraped against the hard bone shield, producing a harsh, screeching sound.
The force of the impact transmitted from the shield, distributed evenly via the sword hilt and the back of the shield into both his arms. Even though the force was no less than the Jaggi's previous attack, Ethan felt that this impact wasn't even enough to make him lean back.
'This is what a Guard Point feels like… No wonder they say GP's defensive performance is greater than a normal guard…'
However, Ethan still took one step back with the force. He arched his arm, and the Charge Blade fully morphed into Axe Mode. The next instant, it swung in a full circle, slamming down diagonally onto the Ludroth's head.
It was like chopping into fragile foam; there was a slight feeling of lag, but this did not affect the swing of the axe at all. In the blink of an eye, red and white fluids splattered onto the ground.
"Yuck…"
Ethan looked at the Ludroth carcass, whose head had turned to mush, with a look of distaste. He curled his lip and did not approach to carve it.
It wasn't that he was so disgusted that he wouldn't take the materials. It was because the other Ludroths nearby had spotted him. They howled and prepared to gang up on him.
Tsk, what a pain!
Ethan frowned. He decided to retreat for the moment. If it came to a fight, he wasn't afraid of these creatures, which were no different from Jaggi in terms of ecological niche. But his goal was to find Bear Bro, not to return with a pile of Ludroth materials and the risk of being suspected of poaching.
It has absolutely nothing to do with hearing the Royal Ludroth roaming nearby in my mind.
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