Sometimes, Hajime had to wonder how Usami worked. She managed time and time again to make impossibilities come into fruition with their time on the Island, even with the endless summer they were confined to on Jabberwock Island…not that he minded.
One of her impossibilities; bringing about another game console for each student in their bungalows, and with it, a few games…one Hajime picked up on fairly early.
Monster Hunter World.
It seemed to be the latest incantation of the game they had played a few days ago; Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate Edition…everything that game had was far better…it was amazing. Sure, there was the mystery of the Island to be…y'know, figured out…but that could wait.
And even then, Hajime had literally no idea where to start. So…Monster Hunter was a good time waster until he uncovered how to do that. If he uncovered how to do that.
"Huh, this looks…breath-taking." The Unknown Ultimate stood outside the Southwest camp; where the game first showed off the map that everyone began their game in…the Ancient Forest. The lush wildlife, the calming music, and the amazing scenery; it was breathtaking. Even in the games he played with Chiaki, he never found the graphics to be such an amazing quality; merely a supporting feature. Hajime, like with the previous game they played, was working with the Insect Glaive once more; the starter Iron Glaive on his back with the beginner Kinsect on his arm. His avatar was clad in the Origin Armor set, something he discovered he had when the game started, though it did seem odd; he liked the fact it had no weaknesses, though. And with the same miracle as before, he got his avatar to look just like he did in outside the game; a bit of humanism.
Hajime was locked in his stupor for so long, he momentarily forgot something; watching Souda unload clip after clip at the harmless herbivores, screaming the entire time. The Mechanic had opted for the Heavy Bowgun this time; with the console controls the gun was far more fluid now…and he decided to waste time shooting the wildlife. The Mechanic's character was also clad in beginner armor; the Leather helmet of goggles and the Bone Mail and Vambraces, with the Chainmail Trousers and the Bone Faulds; decent armor for things.
"Souda, the fuck're you doing?" The irked voice of Fuyuhiko chimed in; the Yakuza walking with his Gunlance once more; Nagito somewhere else working to gather once more. The Yakuza was clad in the entire set of Hunter Armor, and Nagito the same in the Chainmail Set; they were both working with what they had. "Stop shooting the…eugh…the fuck're they—"
"They're Aptonoth, Fuyuhiko…they're the basic monsters." Hajime noted, moving to leap off the edge and start walking, taking note of the classic Insect Glaive and making notes of his combos. "You've seen them a lot. In fact, they're the first thing we have to kill off in the previous game."
"I need Raw Meat! I wanna make some Well-Done Steaks! Y'know, so I can keep moving and have a larger Stamina Bar."
"You don't even have the BBQ Spit—"
"Actually," Nagito returned from his gathering site; holding one of said items in hand; a Green Herb. "It's always on us. They changed the game now. Seems like picks are infinite now also, and we start with a Capture Net as well, though what it's for, I'm unsure."
"What?! They finally patched that?!" Hajime just…sighed, at Souda's jubilee, noticing something. Something was highlighted in green; something the game identified as ? Tracks.
"Hey guys…I think I found something. Footprints for…something; probably this 'Great Jagras' we're supposed to be Hunting."
"Wait, we don't just…go somewhere and hope that the damn thing's in the area? It's something else now?"
"Fuyuhiko, didn't you notice there aren't any areas now? The map's all interconnected now, and there's a new mechanic…Scoutflies. You find tracks and other clues from the Monster and you follow it soon after." The Yakuza's face contorted into that of irk in response.
"Well that's a dumb mechanic; we gotta just…hope we find clues? That's stupid—" Fuyuhiko hit the wall seconds later, with various curses being spouted the entire time he did. The creature they saw looked like a giant yellow lizard with a scaled mane, and a girthy grey belly…no doubt the Great Jagras.
Hajime assumed that, because he'd seen normal Jagras and just connected the dots considering it was a huge version of that…and there was intense music. That sorta gave it away.
"Souda, covering fire! I'm going in!" The Gunner was already pelting the Great Jagras with Normal Shots as Hajime sprinted towards the beast, swinging it downwards and slamming it down on the creature's head. Nagito was already swinging his Sword and Shield for it as well, the two of them beginning to put work in and attack the creature; Fuyuhiko returning soon after and jabbing at the Great Jagras as well, screaming the entire time.
"Hey guys…what's this bar above my ammo count? I'm gonna try and see—" Souda's screaming was more prominent than Fuyuhiko as he literally mowed the Great Jagras with a barrage of bullets! Hajime rolled to the side to avoid the attack as game notified them that something was broken on the Monster. "I have a fucking minigun?!"
"No, I think it's that every weapon has a newer ability now with World; I remember the Weapon's Control saying my Sword and Shield allows for me to lunge as well, and the Gunlance can do some sort of slamming attack; I don't know for certain. There seem to be many innovations and changes here…seems it has so much Hope put into it and…"
Hajime just learned the second Nagito said the word Hope, he'd go on a rant about it, case and point with now. Still, the Great Jagras was fleeing, and Hajime sheathed his weapon, beginning to follow the creature as it started to recede and delve into its dark den…said den filled with mob Jagras.
All of said Jagras very clearly saw him.
"…great." The unknown Ultimate did notice something; a glowing fly. There was also a button prompt for it as well, and when mashed, he swung his carving knife, and was amazed to watch a bright flash erupt; said flash blinding and disorienting the entire room of Jagras, and the Monster too! While impressed, Hajime kept his wits about him enough to swing for the Jagras, and with a good strike, he brought the Monster down, just as the others arrived.
"Woo! We did it! We took down that fucking iguana thing!" Hajime…just let Souda have that; he did help with his Heavy Bowgun earlier, though by far, he didn't deliver the Killing Blow whatsoever. "Still, this game's awesome! They added so much shit!"
"Agreed, though I am a tad upset the story mode and the multiplayer aren't directly separate anymore. I tried to join a Quest with Chiaki earlier and it barred me; said I wasn't that far in the story. Even the game knows trash like I am isn't fit to play with someone holding the title of Ultimate Gamer." That…that wasn't something Hajime expected, but still, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Really, it just reinforced the idea of them exploring the game for themselves…or at the very least, sticking together through it.
The four of them worked to carve from the downed Monster, and as the Quest came to an end, Hajime expected to be taken back to the Gathering Hub to select another.
"…wait…we're back here…?" He was not in the Hub; he was back at the camp the Hunt started from, with the Handler nearby and everything roughly the same, with the exception of the Item Box being devoid of any items this time. As he read over the onscreen info, Hajime's brow lifted as he connected the dots.
"Expeditions…? I thought that was a MH4U thing?"
"Doesn't seem like it," Nagito's character was dropped off via Wingdrake as well, the Luckster still clad in his Chaimail Armor set. "It seems like now we can manually choose to either return to the Gathering Hub or stay here on an Expedition."
"Four-man expeditions? Huh…I can honestly get behind that." Fuyuhiko was next, and Souda was last. "So, I guess this means we can just…gather, for the time? Do random shit like in the previous game? Didn' really do a lotta expeditions. Never needed to since Peko helped me grind for what I needed."
"Basically, yeah. You just move about gathering and doing other things with no life limit nor risk, though the creatures on said expedition will be at full strength…tougher and respawning as well. And hey, just noticed there's a canteen here; we can get a meal here for added benefits on the expedition."
"They really make it so we don't have to ever go back to the Hub, apparently." Nagito was already moving, gathering from various things on the way while the others started to follow, gathering and doing various other things to…before they found a different track.
One far bigger than the Great Jagras.
"…guys…what made this?" Souda was already panicking, as Hajime checked the footprint, and watched the Scoutflies illuminate something else now on the wall…sickly, yellow mucus; investigating it as well soon gave him a level up…and gave him a name.
Anjanath.
"Anjanath? What is—" A piercing roar got their attentions; the group turning to see some sort of pink fleshed, furred T-rex staring them down, almost like a vulture. It threw its head back to let out another roar, as a surreal crest sprouted from its head, as well as two fins on its lower back; clearly communicating the most danger possible.
It didn't help that the game said this was the Anjanath as well.
"Alright, let's try and—"
Hajime was fucking worried when Souda was basically one-hitted; the Anjanath spinning on a dime and cracking him with its tail, sending him careening into the distance, to be carted no doubt. It charged soon after for Fuyuhiko, and with one slam, it broke his block, and gave him the same treatment as Souda.
Complete with him spitting curses the entire time.
"Okay, Nagito, this thing's pretty dangerous…but if we focus, we can—" Hajime didn't even finish; the thing's throat started to glow orange, and with a sudden twist of fate, it unleashed a literal torrent of flame at both him and the other…neither lasted.
Sure, it was an expedition…but clearly, they were out of their league in the very beginning of things.
"…so…we got fucked." Fuyuhiko said, as the four of them sat in the diner again, with slightly irked looks. "Like…without a condom for that one, and no lube either—"
"Thank you for that…well said statement, Fuyuhiko…seems the game's not giving us any training wheels or benefit of the doubt, even early on. It means we'll have to be very tactical with our Hunts." Nagito's remark was fairly spot on. "We're going to have to plan things out accordingly."
"Agreed…I sorta like the Heavy Bowgun, to an extent…kinda…hate the reduced mobility…"
"Then why not use the Light Bowgun, then?"
"No minigun mode. How the fuck would I impress Miss Sonia without some badass gun to shoot creatures with?"
Hajime let them all talk among one another, a grin on his face at the future that lay ahead of them. A new world to experience, and a new game to enjoy together. It'd allow for new experiences, new fun, and for them to all go home with new memories to cherish and savor for years to come.
…and one thing hung above all else.
This could be the first game that Chiaki won't exceed him in.
…like…this is a fucking milestone. Still, he did make a note to ask her about the game; she could perhaps give some good tips to help out.
(So, picked up MH: World. It's every bit of fun as I originally planned with the time I spent in the Beta. And as such, it's time I do something with the game and Dangan Hunters…because why not? This chapter's a bit weirder because I've not had time to really play around with all the weapons in a proper situation, and as such, get a proper readout for the weapons the cast and crew will be using. And even then, I'm still exploring the game myself; I just got to HR13 a few days ago and have been exploring that and enjoying what the game has to offer. I'll have to see about updating when I can. Until then, strap in. Because it's gonna be an absolute trip.)