Monster Hunter: The Telepathic Hunter; Ch17: The Ruler of the Snow
February 12th, 2098. 6:50 PM. The Still Swamp Hunting Zone Basecamp.
"Man! I can't believe you got to finish off that Gypceros," whined Kotaru. "This was supposed to be my quest…"
"I'm sorry, buddy," Alex tried to comfort his best friend.
"Ah, what's done is done, so don't sweat it. Thanks for saving me from the poison."
"Hey, only returning the favor," replied Alex with a smile. "What're friends for?" Kotaru smiled at that. "Now, how about we get out of here? I'd really, really like to get back to Pokke Village right about now. Or this place will be the death of me."
"Well, sure. You pack up here and I'll get the boat ready."
"Sounds good to me."
Snowy Mountains Hunting Zone Area 8.
A powerful blizzard had started raging all of a sudden. One could feel the tension in the air as a troop of Blangos looked around apprehensively. In their midst was their large leader, a fearsome battle hardened Blangonga. This was Blanco, the Ruler of the Snow. He looked calm, for he knew what was going on. His face was stoic and betrayed no emotion, like a tough leader should.
From the heavens descended what could only be summarized as a powerful dragon. Interestingly, metallic warping sounds could be heard with every flap of its wings. Finally, it touched down hard with a displacement of snow. It flapped its expansive wings twice before folding them to its back, and the blizzard ended abruptly. "That newcomer is more resilient than I thought. He's still alive…"
"Metal, you have had your fun. Leave this to me. Compared to Maxwell, this upstart should pose no threat to me. It is time to reclaim our stand here. The Furahiya is no place for humans. I will destroy that pathetic Pokke Village, once and for all."
"Have it your way, Blanco. You had better not lose, or I shall have to step in." The dragon took out his wings and took off into the air. Soon, he was nowhere in sight.
"It is time to announce my return." Blanco the Blangonga went to the cliff of the mountain. He faced the direction of Pokke, and roared fiercely. Avalanches came down from other mountains within range.
The village of Pokke shook and rumbled. Lights turned on in every home. Various voices screamed "Earthquake!" at the top of their lungs. But two souls knew better. Their sharp wyverian ears had picked up on a sound the human villages probably did not.
At the humble abode of the Village Chief, the front door flew open and a short wyverian man with a yellow sun hat walked in. Our equally short Chief went to greet him. "Brother Treshi," she started.
"Yeah, Sister, I'm back… and so is he," replied an aged voice.
"Blanco, the 'One that Got Away'," whispered the Chief.
"Have you heard any word from that strapping young lad?"
"No, not a thing. I'm worried sick about him. I hope nothing bad happened to him…"
"I hope he will be up to the task, or our village may finally come to an end…"
February 13th. 8:00 AM.
"Home, sweet HOME!" exclaimed Alex as he sluggishly entered the main gate of Pokke. He was nothing short of dead tired. Kotaru had taken him to a port, where they had to split and go their separate ways. Alex had then purchased a ride to the bridge over the Canyon of Great Evil, and walked the rest of the way to Pokke.
"Alex! You're back!" exclaimed two voices. Alex looked up from catching his breath to see Anna and the Chief rushing towards him. "What happened to you? Where have you been?"
"Slow down!" Alex waved them off. "First off, I'm glad to see you again. I was involved in a rotten accident, and got stranded in the Still Swamp. I'm sorry to say that the Blimp King Nathan gifted me is ruined."
Anna and the Chief gasped. "Oh, no… It sounds like you had it really rough," said Anna.
"But thanks to the assistance of an old friend of mine who I chanced upon, here I am safe and sound. I'm back even from the brink of death!"
"I'm glad to have you back," said the Chief with a smile. But the smile soon vanished. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we have a big problem."
"Problem? Is the village in danger!? Tell me!"
"Slow down, busybody!" said a another voice. Alex turned to face it. "Hello, Alex. It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Treshi, the founder of Pokke!" Alex exclaimed. "Our first meeting was a bit rushed; I was tired, and you immediately threw a party. I'm Alex Kasai, and it is an honor to to have a proper conversation with you!"
"You are a Kasai? Can you do this?"
"COOL!" Treshi nodded. Alex said, "So you have the Telepathy Skill too!?"
"Yes, but not by blood. I'm not a Kasai. I learned it from Koto, Chief of Kokoto. We're the tightest of friends, you see."
"I understand. So, can we get back to the matter at hand?"
"Yes, of course. Follow me. Anna, you come, too."
Treshi led Alex and Anna to the Guild Outpost. On the short walk there, he explained. "A Blangonga that once fought with Maxwell has returned. Though we like to call him "The One Who Got Away," his more accurate title is "The Ruler of the Snow."
"Blanco?" suggested Alex.
"That's the one. There is no doubt that he is here to finish what he started. He wants to drive out Pokke from the Furahiya."
"Well, I won't let him. I'll defend this fine village with my life!"
"I admire your courage. Due to the strength of this particular Blangonga, I filed a request to the Guild Headquarters."
"I've just received word," said September, calling upon the group's attention just as they were entering the hall. "Alex, Anna, you will both receive a Rank Up promotion for completing this urgent quest!"
"Awesome! Now I'm even more determined!"
"My first Rank Up… I can't wait…" whispered Anna.
Patricia spoke up, "Please come sign yourselves up, you two!" Alex and Anna went to the counter, and did as they were told. They paid the quest fee. "There, all set! Good luck out there, you two."
"Anna, this will be our toughest challenge yet. Is Corra around?"
"No, she's off on another quest. She won't be back for a while. We're on our own."
"Okay. Well, let's go see Vance. We're going to need to be in tip top shape for this."
"Speaking of shape, you just got back from a long expedition yourself. You should take at least two hours of rest before we set out."
"Do we even have that much time?"
"As dire as things stand, I think Anna is right," Treshi spoke up. Alex turned to him. "I wouldn't want you to lose because you are tired."
"Hmm. Using that wacky ability I obtained really did take a toll on me," Alex thought. "Okay, I'll get some rest, but after Anna and I see Vance."
"In that case, let's get going," said Anna.
Alex nodded, and the two went out of the hall.
10:41 AM.
Alex woke up with a mighty yawn capable of swallowing a Plesioth whole. "Man, I really needed that rest. Welp, it's time to get ready." Alex went to his storage box. He put on parts of the Blango Armor Set, except for the helmet and arm parts, which required the materials from a Blangonga in order to complete. To compensate, he used the helmet and arm parts of the Mafumofu. This way, he could maintain the Cold Negate Skill. Finally, he strapped the scabbard of Grace onto his back. "Ready to rumble!"
Alex exited the house. There was Anna waiting for him. "You look great, Alex! Are you ready to get this underway?"
"I'm all rested up. I'm brimming with energy and confidence!" Alex replied.
"Awesome. Then let's set out.
Hunter Stats
1. Alex Kasai (HR2)
Weapon: Iron Katana Gospel Longsword + Fire Gem Decoration (Limited Fire Element)
Armor: 3/5 Blango Blade Master and 2/5 Mafumofu
Skills: Telepathy, Kasai Potential, Cold Negate, Snow Defense, Heat Increase
2. Anna Frost (HR1)
Weapon: Twin Kut-ku Dual Blades (Fire Element)
Armor: Battle Blade Master + Psychic Gem Decoration
Skills: Auto-Tracker, Strength Up, Sword Sharpener
Snowy Mountains Hunting Zone Basecamp. 12:45 PM.
Alex and Anna were undergoing their final preparations. "Alex, I've been putting on a brave face so far, but I feel I must tell you now before we go out there… I'm actually pretty scared. Our opponent is pretty strong. Maxwell once told me about Blanco during one of my practise hunts with him. We're going to need our absolute A-game for this…"
Alex looked at her with a neutral face. He already knew she was afraid. He himself was both daunted and excited at the prospect of squaring off with a foe that even Maxwell couldn't defeat. Plus, he had a secret weapon. "Anna, I understand. Well, if things get to hairy for you, just try to hang back, but just shy of harm's way in case I need you to bail me out. Try not to worry, I have a plan."
"Huh? You do? You're not afraid?"
"A little. But, I see this as a test. If I can't prevail over this, then I will never be able to defeat the Tigrex that took Maxwell from us." Alex smiled as Anna gasped. "Have faith in me, as well as your own power. You're not a rookie. We've been on quite a few hunts together already, so I know that you are capable."
Anna wiped a tear away. "Thanks for that, Alex. I'm ready."
"Then let's go show that overgrown ape who's boss!"
Snowy Mountains Area 8. 2:00 PM.
Alex and Anna arrived on the summit to find nothing there. "Huh? I'm pretty sure Blanco was up here," said Anna. She had the Auto-Tracker Skill, which was hundred of times more accurate for detecting the location of monsters than Alex's Telepathy, and fifty times more accurate against the Detect Skill.
"I think I sense him nearby," replied Alex as he looked around.
A powerful roar sounded, and the two looked up. There on the ledge was the beast they were seeking. "Alex Kasai, I presume? Hmph, I can't say I'm impressed. Maxwell was far more formidable."
"Why don't you come on down here and I'll show you just how formidable I am," Alex replied. He had a hand on Anna to allow her into the link.
"Well, you pass the guts check. Alright, let's see what you got." Blanco the Blangonga leapt impressively and landed near the cliff. Alex and Anna turned to him, weapons at the ready. "Two on one, eh? Let's change the math." Blanco roared, and three Blangos emerged from the hiding spots beneath the snow.
Alex gasped. "You had all this set up!? Fine, have it your way. Your defeat will look even worse now!"
The situation had just escalated, and without further ado, the battle commenced. Blanco kept his distance and observed Alex and Anna for now as they faced his minions. Alex quickly noticed that these Blangos were much stronger than regular ones. They were nimble and hit hard. Even Anna with her Dual Blades was having a hard time landing any of her attacks. The trio coordinated themselves in such a way that they kept our hunter duo on the back foot.
"What's with these guys!?" exclaimed Anna as she was dodged yet again.
"Grrr… I was hoping to save this for later…" Alex knew what he was about to do was risky, but his opponents weren't giving him much of a choice. He couldn't afford to be wasting energy on these small fry while his target was right there! "Time to turn the tables! Thunder Element: Khezu Cloak!" Blue lightning started enveloping Alex, much to everyone's shock. "Now you're gonna pay!" Quickly, Alex went on the offensive, slashing three times on each Blango. "Anna, finish them off! I'm going after Blanco!"
"Okay!" Anna, to her credit, realized the urgency in her leader's voice. She just knew that what Alex was doing must have been draining him down. She got to work.
"Kasai scum!" exclaimed Blanco as he leapt at Alex.
Alex smirked as he made no move to get out of the way. He jumped just as Blanco was about to land on top of him. Grace was glowing red with energy. "Take this! Thunder Element: Lightning Spirit Sword Attack!" Alex expended a ton of his chikara as he scored devastating damage on Blanco.
'ROOOAAARRR!' Blanco thrashed in pain and struck Alex with one of his limbs. The Khezu Cloak vanished as Alex rolled across the snow. Grace struck upright into the ground infront of him.
"Ow… That hurt." He tried to get up, but he was too low on strength. "Okay… that idea was better in my head…"
"Grrraaahhh! You're mine now, you scum!" Blanco ripped out a boulder from the ground, and prepared to smash Alex with it.
"Oh, no, you don't! Dual Blades Fire Dance!" exclaimed Anna. Blanco howled in pain as Anna delivered a graceful barrage of blazing attacks behind him, causing him to drop the rock. She ended up snipping off his tail! "Whoa!" She jumped back as Blanco tried to swat her away.
"You little…! I'll destroy you! Ice Element: Frost Breath!" Blanco reared up and then released an icy blast.
"Ice is my castle, you beast!" Anna charged straight through the attack and cross slashed Blanco's face. Blanco reared up in pain and Anna delivered the finishing blow to his exposed chest, "Fire Element: Dual Fire Thrust!" Explosions of fire went off as Anna pierced his chest.
"NOOO!" screamed Blanco. Anna backed away as the defeated pelagus beast collapsed, never to get up again. "No… To think that I… the White Darkness… would go out… like this. Felled by… a couple of rookies… ugh."
Alex got up shakily. "Way to go, Anna! You're the greatest!" Anna ran to catch him as he began to stumble.
"You were just as incredible… So, what was that?"
"I'll tell you when we get home. I'm beat."
"No kidding. Well, let's carve him up first."
"Yeah."
The duo got out their carving knives and got to work.