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Hunting Quest (Urgent Quest): Rogue Leader Threatening the Trade Route (★★)
Quest Objective: Hunt Great Jagras
Reward: 1800z
Acceptance Fee: 150z
Quest Location: Stream
Time Limit: 7 Days
Client: Drunken Guild President
A Hunter has reported back, hiccup—there is an aggressive Great Jagras leader near the Stream trade route. It is judged that this Great Jagras leader poses a serious threat to caravans and travelers heading to and from Yukumo Village. Gulp. To ensure stability around Yukumo, Hunter, please go and hunt it down!
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Ethan's decision to accept the Great Jagras leader quest was not spontaneous, or rather, not entirely spontaneous.
First, having previous combat experience, and with his physical stamina having improved since the last encounter, Ethan was certain that hunting the Great Jagras leader was still within his capability. Second, after confirming that the monster was the culprit that forced him to jump off the cliff, he regretted not being able to carve it up himself. Now that the opportunity was back in front of him, he couldn't let it slip away.
However, Ethan did not simply accept the quest and immediately depart. To avoid repeating Old Man Kia's mistake, he still needed to make some preparations.
The Farm.
"Wait a minute, meow. I didn't hear clearly, meow. What do you want, meow?"
The farm housekeeper rubbed its ears. Either its ears were faulty, or the person in front of it was, because why would anyone ask for dung?
"Didn't the farm acquire a lot of manure to fertilize the fields? I would like to take some. That should be allowed, right?"
"Meow! Why do you want that, meow!"
The housekeeper's fur bristled. The Felyne responsible for tending the fields had to wear several layers of masks before work and shower three or four times afterwards. Why was this person actively asking for the stuff?
"To make some items, to give me an extra layer of protection for this hunt."
Ethan wasn't particularly keen on handling the stuff either, but against the potential interruption of a monster, a Dung Bomb, or Deodorant Bomb, was an indispensable countermeasure.
"Alright, meow. The stuff is in that wooden barrel over there. Help yourself, meow…"
Ethan followed the housekeeper's direction and found the large wooden barrel. He was prepared to scrub his skin raw that night, but found that upon opening the barrel, it wasn't as utterly foul-smelling as he had anticipated.
"This doesn't smell strong enough… Will a Deodorant Bomb made with this actually be effective in driving monsters away?"
"This is all Kulu-Ya-Ku dung, meow. Although Kulu-Ya-Ku are omnivores, they mainly eat grass, meow. The smell won't be strong, of course, meow…"
"Carnivorous monster droppings would certainly meet your requirements, Ethan, meow, but the farm doesn't have any, meow…"
Ethan's mouth twitched. "That will have to do. What it lacks in quality, I'll make up for in quantity. I refuse to believe that hitting it with five or six Deodorant Bombs won't smoke the monster out!"
…
Combining a Deodorant Bomb was simpler than other complex items. If you could tolerate the smell, you could just mix the dung with sticky Herb sap, cover a small stone, and slap it all into a nasty ball. However, Ethan certainly wouldn't adopt such a primitive combination method.
Thanks to a Combination Book left behind by Teacher Kayne, Ethan's item combining skills were much more refined than when he was struggling to survive in the wilderness, no longer needing to rely on crude mixing based on guesswork and basic understanding of material properties.
For instance, with this Deodorant Bomb, Ethan followed the book's guidance and used a sealing method, injecting the Kulu-Ya-Ku dung into a Material Ball and sealing it shut. This way, the stink would be firmly locked inside unless the outer casing shattered due to a severe impact, preventing it from affecting the carrier's movement.
To be safe, Ethan made over ten Deodorant Bombs in one go. By the time the last one was sealed, his expression had gone from the initially twitching eye and furrowed brow to one of complete, placid indifference, as if he had been deadened for some time.
Sorry, nose. There's no going back now…
That night, Ethan fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from repeatedly washing himself until his skin was nearly raw. Fortunately, he hadn't worn his armor while making the items, or the task of cleaning the gear alone would have driven him insane.
The following day, Ethan repeatedly checked the items he had prepared. He placed his secret weapon in a separate small item pouch, confirmed that everything was in order, and that his own condition was at its peak before dressing completely and formally preparing to depart.
"Meow? Hunter, are you heading out for a quest?"
Under a small awning at the village entrance, a Felyne wearing a red apron and a bowl of spring water on its head noticed Ethan walking out. It quickly ran up to stop him, then bowed politely.
"Yes, is there something you need?"
"I am the proprietor of the Gathering Hall Drink Shop, meow. I recently developed a new beverage and wanted to find someone to taste it and tell me what they think, meow. Would you like to try it, meow?"
Ethan's eyes widened. He had almost forgotten that before setting off on a hunt, one should eat a Felyne Meal. In Yukumo Village, the function of the Felyne Meal was replaced by drinks and the hot spring. The drinks provided skills, while the hot spring raised the health and stamina bars.
So, what kind of miraculous drink has this Felyne proprietor developed?
Ethan was momentarily caught in a brainstorm and didn't speak, which the proprietor cat seemed to misunderstand. Its voice grew slightly louder:
"Although I am not sure what kind of changes this new beverage will bring to the body, I can guarantee that it will not have any negative effects, meow! It will definitely help the customer in their hunt, meow!"
Ethan rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment. "I'll try it then… What is your new product called?"
"I call it Yukumo Milk Coffee, meow! Using Yukumo Village's high-quality spring water to extract the specialty coffee beans from Loc Lac, and then mixing it with fresh milk from Bherna Village, it will surely help the Hunter increase their vitality, meow!"
Milk? Does the Monster Hunter world have dairy cows besides the Mosswine? And it comes from Bherna Village?
It seems the world I saw in the games was too narrow…
"That doesn't sound cheap…"
"Because this is a trial taste of a new product, it is completely free, meow!"
Ethan took the large wooden mug offered by the proprietor cat and gulped it down. The rich aroma of the coffee and the full-bodied milk exploded into a unique sweetness in his mouth, instantly revitalizing his spirit.
Closing his eyes to carefully assess his body's condition, Ethan nodded. "I can feel my body is full of a very vigorous vitality. Although the increase might be small, my strength and reaction speed seem slightly enhanced, and the taste is great as well… If you don't mind my asking, if you decide to launch this drink, how do you plan to price it?"
"Thank you very much for your feedback, customer, meow! As for the price, it is currently set at 200z, meow, since the transportation of fresh ingredients is quite expensive, meow! However, it might be further refined later, so the price isn't final yet, meow…"
The proprietor cat nodded while noting down the feedback in a small notebook, answering Ethan.
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