Without giving Leon any time to think, a Jagras pushed off with its hind legs and lunged forward.
"No arrows? Then I'll just bash you with the bow!" Leon gripped his Iron Bow, his eyes turning cold.
Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, ducking to evade the strike before swinging the Iron Bow in a wide arc.
Thump!
The heavy blow landed squarely on the Jagras's head, knocking it off balance. It tripped over a piece of deadwood and tumbled to the ground.
Leon knew he couldn't show any weakness; otherwise, these four Jagras would attack without hesitation.
"Nice work, meow!" Dumpling was about to charge at the other Jagras when his collar was suddenly yanked back.
As the Felyne kicked his legs and tried to turn around, he heard Leon say, "Leave it to me. Don't interfere yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, Leon tossed Dumpling onto a tree trunk.
"You... You don't need Dumpling?" The Felyne was clearly struck by the gesture. His ears drooped as he sat slumped on the trunk, staring at Leon with watery eyes.
"Of course I do. I'm trusting you with my back. Keep an eye out for ambushes, and only step in if I'm about to die."
Leon didn't want his experience points split again. He had to hunt these four Jagras alone to level up.
"Got it, meow!"
Hearing that, Dumpling regained his energy. Holding his bone club, he stood on the branch with a sharp gaze, staying alert for any movement in the woods.
In that moment, the remaining three Jagras quickly circled Leon's flanks, forming a pincer maneuver.
Unfazed, Leon raised his Iron Bow and delivered a heavy strike to the head of the Jagras on the ground.
[SYSTEM: HUNTED: JAGRAS]
[SYSTEM: EXP GAINED: 100]
[SYSTEM: LEVEL: LV.1 (250/500)]
The system notification confirmed the target was dead.
Leon flicked the blood off his Iron Bow and scanned the three surrounding Jagras with a grim expression.
One Jagras roared suddenly and leaped at Leon, its claws glinting as it aimed for his throat.
Leon shifted his stance to evade the pounce. Ducking low, he swung the Iron Bow upward with all his might!
Boom!
The bow acted like a hammer, slamming into the Jagras's belly and sending it flying into a tree. Bark shattered and splinters flew everywhere.
Before Leon could follow up, the other two Jagras lunged from the left and right, snapping their jaws to bite him.
'I can't lose my rhythm.' Leon's gaze remained steady as he performed a floor roll, instantly moving out of the Jagras' attack range.
Mid-roll, he swung his arm out. The Iron Bow struck the back of one Jagras's leg. A clear crack of bone rang out, and the creature shrieked as it lost its balance and collapsed.
Immediately after, Leon pushed off the ground, jumping high into the air and bringing the Iron Bow down like a heavy hammer!
[SYSTEM: HUNTED: JAGRAS]
[SYSTEM: EXP GAINED: 100]
[SYSTEM: LEVEL: LV.1 (350/500)]
Up on the tree, Dumpling squinted as he watched Leon hunt the Jagras so efficiently. He couldn't help but click his tongue. "Is this roo... rookie an old hunter reincarnated, meow?"
Leon held the Iron Bow vertically to block, kicked away a Jagras charging from the right, and then swung his bow at the one on the left.
Every movement was incredibly fluid. His special forces training and combat experience allowed him to adapt to the fight quickly.
Crack!
A sickening snap came from the Jagras's jaw as its entire body was flipped over. After a few twitches, it went still.
[SYSTEM: HUNTED: JAGRAS]
[SYSTEM: EXP GAINED: 100]
[SYSTEM: LEVEL: LV.1 (450/500)]
Just as Leon was preparing to finish things up, the last Jagras suddenly leaped down from the trees, aiming for his back!
"From above!!!" Dumpling's eyes widened, but he was too far away to help in time.
It was a critical moment.
Leon spun around and raised his bow to block!
Clang!
The impact sent Leon crashing to the ground, and he nearly lost his grip on the Iron Bow.
Gritting his teeth, he rolled and stood up immediately. Though his arms were trembling, he still held the scratched Iron Bow in a death grip.
"Only one of you left! Come on!" Leon shouted to psych himself up, swinging the bow once more.
Startled birds scattered through the forest. The sounds of Leon's clash with the Jagras echoed like war drums through the woods.
Finally, as the last Jagras collapsed with its head crushed, silence returned to the forest.
[SYSTEM: HUNTED: JAGRAS]
[SYSTEM: EXP GAINED: 100]
[SYSTEM: LEVEL: LV.2 (550/1500)]
[SYSTEM: UNASSIGNED STAT POINTS: 5]
Seeing this, Dumpling jumped down and checked the still-twitching Jagras. "For a rookie, you didn't do too bad, meow."
"Four Jagras..." Leon panted, his face pale from the exertion.
He hadn't expected mere Jagras to drain so much of his stamina. Reality was clearly different from the game.
It wasn't just about clicking fingers anymore; he had to physically wield a weapon in a life-or-death struggle against monsters.
'This is what it means to be a hunter...'
"Go rest over there, meow. Dumpling will handle the carving now." Dumpling grinned and pulled out his carving knife to get to work on the Jagras carcasses.
Leon sank to the ground and opened his status panel. He tried allocating one point into Strength.
[SYSTEM: STATS: STRENGTH 17, AGILITY 19, CONSTITUTION 15, PERCEPTION 14. (UNASSIGNED POINTS: 5)]
[SYSTEM: STRENGTH +1. CURRENT STRENGTH: 18]
At that moment, it felt as though a shackle within Leon's body was being forcibly pried open by an unknown power.
He could clearly feel his fatigue fading, and even the minor scratches on his body were healing.
'Allocating stat points can recover stamina?' Just as Leon was about to examine the panel further, a heavy, familiar roar echoed through the forest.
"ROAR!!" A ferocious aura surged from deep within the trees.
"Waaa-meow!" Dumpling's fur stood on end as he stopped what he was doing. "It's... it's a G-Great Jagras, meow..."
Leon's gaze sharpened.
From the dense foliage, a massive beast several times larger than a normal Jagras stepped out.
A Great Jagras... again.
It was a monster larger than an adult rhino, covered in coarse yellow-green scales. Its limbs were thick, its head massive with a wide mouth, and its bloated belly sagged, giving it a bizarre appearance.
The Great Jagras moved like the ruler of the forest on patrol. Its cold, orange-red eyes scanned the dead Jagras on the ground before locking onto Leon.
Leon's pupils constricted. A chill ran down his spine, and his instinct told him to run, but his legs felt as if they were nailed to the spot.
A tree at his back, a monster in front.
He had no choice.
A moment later, the Great Jagras lunged with crushing force!
Because it was so fast and its size covered such a wide area, there was no way to dodge.
'I can't avoid it!'
Leon's heart raced, his gaze becoming sharp as a blade.
Instead of retreating, he raised his Iron Bow and dug his feet deep into the mud, anchoring himself in place.
'Even if I'm torn to shreds, I'll die on my feet!'
"Come on!" Leon roared, burning with a warrior's resolve as if facing his final battle.
Just as he gritted his teeth to brace for the impact—
Clang!!
A flash of silver streaked out from the forest like a shooting star. A dark green shield slammed into the Great Jagras's bloated belly, sending the beast flying!
The Great Jagras tumbled into the bushes, kicking up a cloud of leaves and broken branches. The air seemed to go still.
"Are you insane?!"
A woman with a long ponytail, dressed in a full set of silver-white armor, appeared before Leon.
Both Leon and Dumpling froze in surprise.
He stared blankly, still standing his ground, though his hands trembled involuntarily and sweat slicked his palms.
If that attack had actually landed...
'I really would have died...'
Holding a sword and shield, the woman stood with the posture of a wolf. Her eyes flashed with impatience as she scolded him, "For a hunter, you sure make a lot of noise! Was your brain kicked by a Jagras?"
"Hey, lady... who are you?" Leon frowned, stepping back cautiously.
Leon recognized it at a glance: she was wearing a full Alloy Set and wielding a Bloom Knife.
The Bloom Knife...
A poison-element weapon. The materials required to craft it were Pukei-Pukei scales and feathers. Newbies couldn't even take on that quest.
It required a hunter of at least three stars.
"You called me lady?" The woman's face darkened with displeasure. "Listen up, rookie. My name is Flora! I'm a three-star hunter, born and bred!"
"Born and... bred?" Before Leon could process this, Flora sheathed her sword and shield, then used her slinger to fire a stone at the Great Jagras.
Struck by the stone, the Great Jagras immediately shifted its attention.
"I don't care who you are, rookies have to follow the rules of the hunt." Flora drew her dark green sword again and said, "Let me show you how a real hunter gets the job done!"