Chapter Four: Ferocious Jackals Stir Trouble, the Sea Dragon Emerges!

The flying dragon had already soared far away, and only then did the alert little creatures cautiously peer out, returning to the clearing with tentative steps. The herbivorous dinosaurs, disgruntled, went back to grazing.

Stepping out from the thicket, Su Yi sighed, “So that was the female fire dragon? Truly beautiful and captivating.”

He had to admit, witnessing the ferocity of the female fire dragon’s hunt, Su Yi found himself holding his breath, nerves taut, afraid of attracting the attention of such a formidable predator.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but yearn—when could he tame such a monster and make it his companion?

The very thought was thrilling!

But everything must proceed step by step.

Su Yi turned his gaze to the herbivorous dinosaurs, now leisurely munching away. He opened the book he had named “Hunter’s Manual,” flipped to the [Companion Beasts] page, and tapped lightly. A Poké Ball appeared in his palm.

“Please stand by for support! Chansey!” Su Yi tossed the red-and-white ball, and a round, pink Pokémon materialized before him.

“Lucky!” Chansey appeared with joy, then curiously looked around.

This was what Su Yi wanted to test, and it proved that the capture balls from the “Hunter’s Manual” functioned the same as Poké Balls—they could capture both Pokémon and monsters. He wondered if Poké Balls from the Pokémon world could capture monsters; that remained to be verified.

Moreover, captured Pokémon could be stored in the [Companion Beasts] section and carried along, which could hold multiple Pokémon and companion beasts. However, only six could be set as active, much like the Pokémon box in Sword and Shield, allowing the team to be swapped at any time.

That is to say, only six could appear simultaneously, but they could be switched at will with any from the [Companion Beasts].

“Aibo, I’ll count on you as well.” Su Yi nodded to the Felyne named Aibo.

“Leave it to me, meow!” Aibo, brimming with energy, drew his bone dagger.

Su Yi smiled, then pointed to a nearby herbivorous dinosaur and called, “Aibo! Use Cat Attack!”

“Time to try my new power, meow!” Aibo swung his dagger excitedly. Instantly, a white light enveloped the bone blade, extending slightly beyond its edge; what was once an ordinary strike now radiated impressive force.

Swish!

The blade sliced across, blood spraying, leaving a long, narrow wound on the herbivorous dinosaur.

A pained cry rang out as the creature staggered backward and then fled, its agony sparking chaos—herbivores all around panicked and bolted.

Yet their speed was lackluster.

Such herbivores had little aggression, unlike the armored dinosaurs of the Great Ant Mound Wasteland, which would charge when provoked.

The ensuing battle was unsurprising: the chosen herbivore was chased and repeatedly struck by Aibo’s Cat Attack, left whimpering and barely alive.

Though the enemy offered no resistance and the fight was one-sided and simple, it was Su Yi’s first time commanding a battle, and he could now confirm Aibo had become a true Pokémon.

“Alright! My first genuine capture!” Su Yi, full of enthusiasm, drew a capture ball.

But just then, disaster struck.

Roars erupted!

From the nearby thicket, a giant yellow-green lizard, claws bared, lunged at Su Yi.

“Lucky?!” Chansey, startled by the monster’s ferocity, jumped back.

“Aibo! Chansey! Fall back!” Su Yi shouted sternly and immediately fled from the beast.

Roar!

The green lizard, its back adorned with two tufts of mane like braids, pinned the injured herbivore down, bullying it off its prey.

“It’s a Great Jagras, meow!” Aibo exclaimed.

“Yes—and it’s after our target,” Su Yi said, brows furrowed.

This iguana-like monster was the first large creature players encountered in the game, and the first to be hunted—the Great Jagras.

This fanged beast was one of the lower-tier monsters in the Ancient Forest’s ecology. Its powerful digestive system could even harm its own stomach lining, so it needed to feed frequently, bringing it into regular conflict with other monsters and hunters.

Roars!

Watching Su Yi’s group retreat, the Great Jagras promptly bit down, killing the herbivore, then opened its jaws and swallowed it whole. Its flexible stomach quickly ballooned.

Huff! The Great Jagras exhaled, sounding like a satisfied burp, then, with its distended belly, let out a challenging roar.

Meanwhile, from the trees behind it, five or six smaller, leaner Jagras burst forth, circling their leader and barking menacingly at Su Yi and his companions, emboldened by their boss’s presence.

“Don’t panic; retreat step by step,” Su Yi whispered. Aibo and Chansey followed him, facing the Great Jagras as they slowly backed away.

Now, the Great Jagras, belly bulging, crawled back toward the thicket, clearly intending to return to its lair to digest its meal. Its pack, after a few more barks, scampered after it, much like little thugs strutting behind their crime boss.

“Whew!” Su Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Though these monsters were easy prey for players in the game, they posed real threats to him now.

Looking around, the herbivores, scared off by the gang’s disturbance, had vanished into the forest. The clearing was empty.

“Unlucky.”

After a moment’s thought, Su Yi realized what had happened: the commotion from the female fire dragon’s hunt must have startled the Great Jagras while it was foraging. Arriving, it found an easy meal—the wounded herbivore—and claimed it, leading to the scene just now.

The Great Jagras couldn’t have picked a worse time—right when Su Yi was ready to throw his ball. Truly unfortunate.

“Middle-Part Brother (the Great Jagras’s nickname among players), just you wait!” Su Yi grumbled.

In the game, if a monster interrupted his hunt, he’d chase it down in a heartbeat.

If it tried to flee home to sleep? Don’t sleep too soundly—you’d soon find a G Bomb Barrel at your doorstep!

But that was only in the game.

...

In a grove on higher ground near the coast, Su Yi parted the branches, revealing a hidden corner—a long-neglected camp, tent askew, the firepit scattered, stove uncleaned, scraps littered around a battered chest.

“Ah, it really exists.” Su Yi had followed the game’s logic, searching for the idle camp found by the Handler after landing in the New World atop Zorah Magdaros’s back. He hadn’t expected to actually find such a place.

“It’s well-hidden. Though neglected, the materials aren’t ruined; a bit of tidying and it’ll be a fine camp.”

He set to work. It was simple enough—repairing the tent, clearing debris, tidying the surroundings. In half an hour, the camp was renewed. At that moment, his “Hunter’s Manual” at his waist buzzed, the Azure Star on the cover glowing.

Curious, Su Yi checked: on the [Map], his current location was automatically marked as a camp, and the manual indicated he could next arrive at this coastal woodland camp, rather than at his previous departure coordinates.

All in all, his next arrival in the Monster Hunter world would be much safer.

“I’ll spend tonight here. Aibo, go take care of your business—the camp isn’t far from the Star Base.” Through the trees, Su Yi gazed into the distance. From his vantage point—a woodland cliff by the sea—he could faintly see the Star Base, constructed from massive ships.

“Su Yi, aren’t you coming with me to see the Star Base, meow?” Aibo tilted his head.

Su Yi shook his head. “Not yet.”

This wasn’t the Pokémon world. There, he could claim to be from another continent, and his unfamiliar ‘Pokémon (Companion Beasts)’ would testify to his story. His identity would withstand some scrutiny.

But in the New World, aside from the ancient dragonfolk, there were no native humans. The only humans were members of the Star Base investigation team, all registered and accounted for. A sudden unknown human like Su Yi would arouse suspicion. Now wasn’t the time to appear before the investigation team.

Su Yi’s initial plan was to wait until he had captured enough powerful companion beasts or Pokémon, then present himself as a ‘Trainer’ from another continent. Even if the team doubted him, they wouldn’t be able to do much.

“Alright, I’m off, meow!” Aibo waved to Su Yi and Chansey, then bounded away on all fours.

“It feels strange with Aibo gone,” Su Yi said with a wry smile. Unconsciously, Aibo, the trustworthy Felyne, had become Su Yi’s solace against loneliness in this other world.

“Lucky!” Seeing Su Yi’s slight melancholy and unease, Chansey took the egg from her pouch and handed it to him.

“For me?” Su Yi asked, surprised.

“Lucky!” Chansey replied with a smile.

Su Yi accepted the smooth egg, smiling gratefully. “Thank you, Chansey, for coming to this strange place and helping me.”

Though Chansey was nominally captured, in truth Su Yi had asked her for help. Besides verifying whether Pokémon could accompany him into the Monster Hunter world, he wanted Chansey, as a healer, to offer some extra security.

“Good things are meant to be shared. Tonight’s dinner is on me.” Su Yi grinned, pulling out a large bundle of fragrant mushrooms.

He’d found these using the guiding insects while cleaning the camp—a regional specialty, valuable in the game for points, but here, they were delicious ingredients. Though he hadn’t found the rare Moonlit Fungus or Luminous Mushrooms, it was still a treat.

Using flint from the camp to light the cleaned stove, he roasted the specialty mushrooms. The moisture evaporated, concentrating their aroma.

There was no seasoning; after cooling, he tasted them. The natural freshness spread through his mouth—not as filling as a slab of roast meat, but deeply satisfying.

“Lucky!” Chansey chewed the mushrooms slowly, savoring the flavor—quite a change from her usual berries.

“Tomorrow I must find some for Aibo to try. When I have time to explore, I’ll taste all the ‘delicacies of the New World’.” Su Yi’s anticipation for this continent grew.

Finally, after sharing Chansey’s nutritious egg, Su Yi finished dinner and retired to his tent.

...

“Su Yi! I’m back, meow!”

Early in the morning, returning from gathering specialty mushrooms nearby, Su Yi saw Aibo waving excitedly at the camp.

“Did you finish your errand?” Su Yi set down the mushrooms.

“All done, meow! And I brought you a gift, meow!” Aibo, like a treasure-bringing cat, handed over two items from his small pack.

One was familiar—a telescope, expanding his view.

The other...

“This is...” Feeling the weight of the metal item, Su Yi was surprised.

“It’s a sword and shield, meow. I saw you had no hunter’s weapon. You may not need it, but I hope you can protect yourself.” Aibo scratched his head.

It was a basic iron sword and shield. Su Yi, recalling hunter basics, donned them piece by piece—the light sword easy to wield, the small round shield ready to block.

For a complete novice, this weapon was ideal—easy to use, offering some means of defense and counterattack, even if Su Yi didn’t plan to hunt in person.

He hadn’t imagined his first hunter’s weapon would come from a Felyne.

“This must have cost a lot?” Su Yi asked, since Aibo didn’t seem wealthy.

“Not much, meow. And I thought it was something you might need,” the cat replied.

...

Su Yi scooped up the cat, rubbing his forehead against Aibo’s. Seeing the cat’s puzzled gaze, he smiled, “Then let’s head out, Aibo!”

“Meow!”

...

Back at the coastal clearing, the herbivorous dinosaurs appeared once more, as if always repeating the same cycle—leisurely grazing, getting hunted, fleeing, then returning to graze again.

“This time, let’s target the Pachycephalosaurus. The herbivores are just too harmless—their only real use might be as beasts of burden.”

Setting out, Su Yi passed through thick grass, the terrain sloping down, sand merging with the ever-rushing sea. Near the vegetation, a family of Pachycephalosaurus rested: two males, three females. The males bore bone domes like those of a dome-headed dinosaur, with plates extending to protect the neck, while the females had far smaller features.

“At least they’re a bit more combative,” Su Yi thought, moving closer—when a familiar roar sounded.

“Damn it! You again?!” Su Yi retreated into the grass, looking toward the sound. The Great Jagras had burst from the treetop slope, its muscular limbs propelling it toward the Pachycephalosaurus.

The pachys raised their domes defensively, pounding the ground to intimidate, but to little effect. The Great Jagras lunged, jaws wide, ready to bite.

Just then, as predator stalked prey, the sea exploded with a splash—a massive, slender form broke the surface, roaring fiercely at the Great Jagras, towering in the sunlight and instantly cowing the lizard.

“Oh! Is that a Lagiacrus?!”