Monster Hunter Monster Girl Story

0011 Hunter Qualification

Li Ai woke up in the tub at dawn.

Even with the incredible restorative power of sleep, it couldn't fully bring it back to its best condition; its arms, which were gripping the sword and shield, were still incredibly sore.

"I fainted outside the tub yesterday, and someone brought me in and even gave me a pillow... I don't have a pillow yet."

Feeling the warmth on the back of her head, Li Ai suddenly sat up and found that it was Cecilia lying face down on the side of the barrel.

Cecilia slowly opened her cat eyes: "You're awake, meow, that's great."

"Have I been sleeping since yesterday noon until now?"

"Yes, meow, you look so tired."

"You didn't go to that job yesterday that could have earned you 400 zol?"

Li Ai asked with concern, after all, this amount of money was not a small sum.

"It doesn't matter, I'm just glad you're okay, meow."

"Didn't we say before when we were working together that if you had a partner, you couldn't stay at Granny Cat's place? What are your plans with Mitsuha?"

"Well... Kokot Village is indeed very safe, but the accommodation and other expenses are just too expensive, so we plan to go back to the Ailu tribe in Mitsuba and come here occasionally to work and earn money."

"Isn't it very dangerous to travel back and forth in the wild?"

"Yes, meow, but this is how Ailu lives without long-term employment contracts."

Li Ai stroked her chin and began to ponder.

In the story, the construction of Sheep Village and Wolf Castle was completed by Palicoes and Merlins.

Instead of letting the two cats wander and adventure in the wild, it would be better to settle them in the nearby sheep village.

"I'd like to recommend a place to you."

The man and the two cats soon left the village. After traveling along the trade route for about half an hour, they turned into a dense forest and continued for a while until a vast expanse of open land with clear blue skies and clouds came into view.

A gentle breeze carrying the scent of grass and trees swept by. Li Ai took a deep breath and then pointed to the dilapidated hut in the fields: "This is the sheep village I was talking about."

"This location is great, meow! It's not as far from the tribe, and the environment is very open... Li Ai, can we build our own little house, meow?"

Cissell asked tentatively.

"Of course, and it won't be long before many powerful neighbors move in here, at which point the security issue will also be resolved."

"A powerful neighbor... what's that, meow!"

Mitsuha asked in confusion, but before Li Ai could answer, a roar came.

"Oh no! The herbivorous dragon is charging at us! Run!"

Cecilia and Sanye hadn't run far when they saw that Li Ai hadn't moved an inch, and were about to call out to remind her.

But then a white spot of light flashed, and the charging herbivorous dragon transformed into a running human.

Li Ai put one hand in her pocket and turned her head to the side: "Don't be nervous, it's okay..."

"I can't stop!"

Bang!

With a muffled thud, the two collided.

The two cats that peeked out from the bushes exchanged a glance and quickly approached to help.

Two crisp snapping sounds came from inside the dilapidated wooden house.

Two pieces of broken ice were broken into four sections, with each of the two people and two cats holding one section.

"So sweet and delicious, meow... Cecilia, why is your popsicle a different color, meow?"

Mitsuha asked curiously.

"I'm a yogurt-flavored cat, let's try each other."

"Sorry, I got so excited to see you that I rushed over..."

The drooping grass, holding up half a piece of broken ice, let it melt, showing no interest in tasting it.

Li Ai, rubbing her chest with a grimace, waved her hand and said, "Don't worry about it. Monster girls transforming into dragons isn't easy to master. Besides, your collision with me has given me some inspiration."

"Inspiration?"

The green grass remains uncomprehended.

"I'm working hard to become a hunter. My instructor once said that the biggest reason why novice hunters are seriously injured or killed is because they lack practical experience, and you can help me... Of course, you should let me know before you come."

"Okay, I'll cooperate with you... You should eat more herbs. I took these when I was injured before, and the more you take, the faster your injuries will heal."

As Qingcao spoke, he picked up a bundle of herbs as thick as a bowl and was about to stuff it into Li Ai's mouth.

"Stop, I need to crush this and eat it little by little."

Faced with a lethal dose of herbs, Li Ai quickly stopped them.

"Oh, okay, then I'll set some aside for you."

"Where did all these herbs come from?"

Although herbs are not high-value items to collect, they are not readily available either, especially since Sheep Village is so close to towns and villages.

Villagers will collect as many items as possible if they have room left in their baskets.

When regional ecosystems become unstable and the risk of harvesting increases dramatically, prices will also rise accordingly.

"I can find it by following the scent of the herbs."

"Is this the innate ability of herbivorous dragons...?"

Li Ai took out the seaweed sheets she had accumulated over the past two days, then unfolded them into three folds, marking out the location for building the house for Cecilia and Mitsuha.

The two cats, armed with their little axes, set off with great enthusiasm.

Qingcao wanted to help Li Ai train as soon as possible, but was told it wasn't possible yet.

The reason is that the muscles in his arms are still sore from overuse, and his chest was hit by an impact, so his body is not suitable for actual combat training at the moment.

Seeing that the two cats were having some difficulty pushing the log, Qingcao stepped forward to help and lifted it onto her shoulder.

Because of Aoko's very friendly personality, Cecilia and Mitsuba quickly accepted the existence of the monster girl.

Li Ai tidied up her backpack and found two cell phones that she had saved while working on a model bug, in addition to a bunch of snacks and cigarettes.

I had intended to leave one for Qingcao for emergency contact, but unfortunately, she couldn't understand the existence of a mobile phone at all. After half an hour of learning, she still couldn't get used to even the tap and touch controls.

Li Ai then thought of Sissel, who wanted to settle down in Sheep Village, so she handed over the POOPa5pro to him.

A strong sense of curiosity, coupled with years of experience working in the village, allowed Cecilia to quickly master how to use a mobile phone.

With a touch of its paw, it skillfully took photos and initiated video connections.

But when Li Ai was about to hand over the phone, Cecil backed down.

"This thing called a cell phone is far too valuable, it's practically a treasure. I feel unworthy of it."

"Even the most valuable things only show their worth when they can be used effectively, and right now, the one who can make them valuable is you, Cecily."

Li Ai placed her hands on the other person's shoulders, speaking in a solemn tone.

"Meow... I'll cherish it, meow!"

"That's right. If you need anything, just turn on video or voice to connect with me. I can receive your messages even when I'm in Kokot Village."

"Okay, meow... By the way, could you put a sturdy case on the outside to protect this phone, meow?"

Cissell looked at the POOPa5pro and shared his ideas.

"Your idea is quite advanced... Ordinary phones would certainly need it, but this phone's material is stronger than anything I've ever seen. As long as it's not lost in a high-risk area and can't be recovered, it shouldn't be a big problem."

"Got it, meow!"

Li Ai sent a copy of the sheep village design to Xisel, then said goodbye to Qingcao and returned to the village.

After settling the sheep village, Li Ai, chewing on some herbs, felt somewhat lost.

My body hasn't recovered yet, so I can't work or train, and there are no clients coming to my dating coaching job. Everything has come to a standstill.

I went to the village's traditional Chinese medicine clinic for a consultation, and they could provide quick treatment and recovery. The problem was that, except for emergency injuries that could lead to disability or death, they would charge a fee.

Even with a discounted hunter status, the cost for a single treatment starts at 1000z.

Li Ai sold most of the herbs given to her by Qingcao, and with the remaining balance, she only had 533 z in total.

However, considering Li Ai's situation, the other party did offer a suitable suggestion.

Soon, Li Ai arrived at the entrance of the hot spring shop in the village.

After inquiring about the ticket price, which was only 45 z, I paid for it without hesitation and went in.

Taking a bath can also help to heal the body, so Li Ai felt that the money was well spent.

After showering, Li Ai hung a towel around her neck, entered the steamy pool, and closed her eyes to relax.

"Oh! It's Li Ai Miao!"

Jim the cat's familiar voice rang out.

When Li Ai opened her eyes, she saw that Senegal and Jim were standing together by the pool.

"What a coincidence."

They moved to the side, and the person and the cat sat down next to each other.

Sene's strong, full muscles bore various scars, including puncture wounds, lacerations, and burns.

Some of the wounds were even a combination of old and new ones, making them look particularly horrifying.

Seneca, however, did not seem to care, his expression remaining as calm as ever.

"Li Ai, the one named Furongwang... Cigarette, is that her name? Do you still have any?"

"Yes, how do you know about Furongwang?"

"Land gave me one."

"To be precise, they took away a cat."

Jim, who had swum on his back, told the truth.

"The power boost from the Hibiscus King shouldn't be as significant as that from the Super Strength Seed, right?"

Cigarettes are only a buff item for one-star hunters, and Li Ai didn't give them a very high value.

Since Sene is already a six-star hunter, Li Ai felt that any buff that could interest him should at least be a G-grade Demon Drug, a high-level concoction buff.

"Indeed, but the Hibiscus King can work simultaneously with the Super Strength Seed, and there is no conflict between them."

Seneca revealed the key point.

Li Ai suddenly realized that all the attack-enhancing potions were currently made from the Seed of Super Strength.

If you use similar-effect ingredients too often, your body will inevitably develop drug resistance, but items from the in-game store don't have these problems.

"It's a pity that I can only unlock the Sunflower Liver Protection Tablet in the store when I reach three stars, so as to get rid of drug resistance. Otherwise, I might be able to greatly reduce the difficulty of the Hunter Exam just by taking the limited-time buff."

Senegal, unaware of Li Ai's thoughts, assumed she was facing difficulties and tentatively asked, "Is it inconvenient?"

"No, I'll bring you two boxes after you've finished washing them."

"No, 2000z per box. Also, please don't spread this around."

"What's the point of talking about money? Without you and Jim, I might already be eaten by a blue Velociraptor."

"I must accept the money; that's my principle as a hunter."

Seeing that Seneca was adamant, Li Ai did not insist any further.

"What kind of monster caused those large, old stab wounds on your chest?"

These injuries are unusual even for a hunter who has suffered severe injuries, Senge asked curiously.

"It was too horrific to recall. You can think of it as the consequences of a monster called Hundred-Ton King crashing into me when I was a child."

"But a dragon charge wouldn't leave these kinds of injuries... Wait, is this why you insist on using a shielded weapon?"

Seneca seemed to have sensed something.

"Yes."

"But didn't you initially insist on using a katana?"

"I think that as hunting skills continue to develop, the katana will definitely have similar defensive and counter-attack techniques, but unfortunately, there aren't any in the village."

"So it seems you also want to protect someone with a shield. Then I won't advise you to change your weapon."

"Huh? Someone came to you to persuade me... Was it Instructor Lang?"

"Yes, he thinks that with your physique, the chances of passing the test with a one-handed sword in the future are very low."

"I know he meant well, but facing a king weighing hundreds of tons, the dual swords simply couldn't stop him."

Time passed day by day.

Li Ai spends her days moving between three places: the training ground, the hot spring resort, and the large tub under the tree.

He returns to the sheep village once a week to conduct practical exercises with the grass.

In November 389, after a month of intensive training, the rating finally improved to -3.2 stars.

After inhaling all the cigarette smoke, his physical strength was no different from that of an ordinary young adult.

His one-handed sword slashes, under Sene's guidance, also exceeded the average level of the students.

Through extensive practical experience, the shield-wielding attacker gained more experience than novice hunters.

The astonishing speed of progress greatly changed Instructor Lang's attitude.

But only Li Ai knew that her physical improvement had reached a bottleneck, and there was no progress in taming her monster girl companions.

"Just by eating seaweed chips, Grass has already reached the 1.3-star limit of the herbivorous dragon race bonus. I have to hold back during training so that I don't get knocked to the ground after a few rounds... It's so uncomfortable."

Looking at the three-folded structure inside the bucket, Li Ai felt somewhat helpless.

In fact, if equipped with a real hunting one-handed sword, even the most basic mineral or bone sword, he would perform better.

However, due to not having hunter status, he could only use the wooden one-handed sword he was training with, and his armor offered no ability enhancements whatsoever.

"I am a hunter of love, so my evaluation system is definitely different from that of ordinary hunters. The existing assessment system will only hold me back."

Li Ai looked at the pink heart-shaped hunter's medal for a moment, and suddenly an idea popped into her head.

Guild hall, in front of the notice board.

As usual, receptionist Becky posted numerous notices of commissions early in the morning.

The hunters gathered around and began selecting suitable commissions for their team.

Li Ai glanced around the hall and, seeing that no one was paying attention to her, squeezed to the front of the notice board.

After observing for a moment, his gaze settled on the one-star commission titled "[Raging Hum]".

The client was an elderly coachman who said that a grumpy little wild boar often appeared in the woods near the village entrance, frightening the herbivorous dragon pulling the coach several times. He hoped that the Hunter's Guild could eliminate it.

The reward of 1200z is only 400z more than the lowest reward of collecting specialty mushrooms.

However, because it is near a village, the danger level is very low, and there is not even the usual suggestion to go in a small team of four. It can be said to be the simplest hunting mission.

Li Ai reached out and took it off, then went to the counter where Becky was.

"Becky, you look so beautiful today."

"Really? Thank you."

Becky smiled sweetly, looking very happy.

But the thought that the receptionist uniforms were the same every day made me wonder.

"hey-hey."

"Do you need my help with something?"

Becky bent down and leaned closer, asking in a low voice.

"right."

"Okay, I can lend you 800z, but you have to pay me back next month."

"Thank you... I didn't say I wanted to borrow money."

"So what are you going to do?"

Becky was confused.

"I'd like to take on this commission."

"Huh? You became a hunter? I was on duty at the counter during the assessment half a month ago. Although I didn't go to watch, I remember that when the village chief was awarding medals in the hall, yours wasn't among them."

"That's because you didn't notice me. I told you, the day I become a hunter, I'll only accept commissions from you."

"Congratulations! With your addition, I believe the forest ecosystem will become even more stable."

Becky took the commission as she spoke.

"You have a good eye for selection. This kind of small monster hunting commission is perfect for novice hunters."

Becky took out the guild's dragon seal from the counter and pressed it on the bright red seal base.

"Show me your hunter's badge."

Li Ai placed her clenched hand on the counter.

"Um?"

"My hunter's medal fell into a pink paint bucket. Will it still be valid?"

"Sure, the counter has a dedicated cleaning and maintenance service. Of course, some hunters prefer their medals to be a little dirty to show off their seniority."

Becky tried to take out the medal, but Li Ai's hand remained unmoved.

"Don't worry, I know Hunter's Medals are hard to come by, I'll clean them carefully."

Seeing that things had come to this point, Li Ai had no choice but to withdraw her hand.

Upon seeing the pink heart-shaped badge on the counter, Becky was taken aback at first, then sighed helplessly, "I know you really want to become a hunter, but this fake badge is just too obviously fake..."

The moment Becky touched the medal, she stopped moving.

Then, he cupped it in both hands and carefully observed the details.

"The materials and craftsmanship are exactly the same as the real thing, how is that possible?"

"Yes, what happened?"

Li Ai also sighed in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Li Ai, I can't determine the authenticity of the medal either. I can only report it to the village chief for a judgment."

"it is good."

Although she failed to fool the inspection, Li Ai felt more confident after confirming that the materials and workmanship were indeed genuine.

Becky called over an Ellu, gave it a few instructions, and then the Ellu quickly scurried out the door.

Soon, an old, hunched dragon-man was invited into the guild hall by Ailu.

The seated hunters immediately stood up, and the hall fell silent.

Li Ai knew that the other party was none other than Alvin, the first person to hunt a Monoblos, obtain the Crimson Horn, and be known as the first generation of hero hunters.

"Village chief, I've come across an unidentifiable medal. I have no choice but to ask you for help."

Becky said, handing over the medal with both hands.

Alvin took it with his claw-like four fingers, looked at it for a moment, and one of his white, mustache-like eyebrows twitched twice.

"This is the Love Hunter's Medal, and it's brand new... Becky, which hunter submitted it to the counter?"

"Uh...it's this hunter, Li Ai."

Alvin had already given his opinion, so Becky naturally changed her tune as well.

"Oh, so you're an outsider who runs a mushroom-themed dating advice shop."

"You are my village chief. It's an honor that you remember me."

Li Ai stepped forward.

"You're the one who found Seneca a girlfriend, so of course I remember her well. If you have time, chat with this old man; it might be of some help to you."

"it is good."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Alvin led Li Ai up to the second floor of the guild building.