Monster Hunter: The Telepathic Hunter; Ch49: The Lurking Lava Monster
March 29th, 2099. Dede Desert Area 7.
Alex, Anna and Ismarelda were waiting as Corra was carving materials from the defeated Plum Daimyo Hermitaur. All seemed to be calm, until Alex picked up a strange feeling.
"Alex?" started Anna as Alex suddenly began walking off in a random direction. "Is something the matter?"
"This feeling… this awful, dreadful feeling!" Alex turned to the others. "Corra! We NEED to leave RIGHT now!" Alex began running.
"What!? But there's still so much… Oh, my…!" Corra became afraid, HG Telepathy finally warning her about what Alex was sensing. "This is giga-bad!"
"Huh? What's going on?" asked Ismarelda.
"Run now! Explain later!" exclaimed Alex as he went right past them. "C'mon, Anna! We're all dead meat unless we can make it back to basecamp if what I'm feeling is correct!"
"That doesn't sound good!" Anna took off.
"I am so confused." Ismarelda gave chase.
Corra got in just one more carve before she broke out into a run. Little did she know that this would cost her dearly.
The four made their way across the sandy plain of Area 2.
"NO!" Alex almost screamed as he was forced to come to a sand sliding halt. A shadow landed before him. Anna and Ismarelda stopped behind him as the shadow was revealed to be everyone's favorite Flying Wyvern, a Tigrex! Alex immediately drew his sword, knowing that escape was impossible without a fight.
"Lookie what I found!" went an almost jovial voice.
Whoosh! "Huh!?" Alex turned to behind him. "CORRA!"
"Huh!?" Corra looked up only to be crushed into the ground by another shadow slamming into her from a kamikaze dive. "AAAHH!"
"Oops, did I hit something?" said a voice we all have not heard in ages.
Alex became confused within his shock and anger. "What the…!? That voice… You can't be…!"
"It is me, Young Novice! I've been reincarnated! And I see you are no longer the same as when we last fought. No matter, my power has grown as well!"
Alex… help me… Can't breathe…
Alex's Khezu Cloak flared on. "Tiggy, I'm asking you really nicely to get off of my Aunt that you're sitting on."
"And what if I don't feel like it, huh?"
The three standing hunters scattered as the other Tigrex attacked with a flying leap. "Anna, distract that Tigrex while I try to save Corra. Ismarelda, you help Anna!" Alex ordered. He then dashed towards the reincarnated Tiggy.
"Aren't you eager? Fine, I'll comply!" Tiggy leapt at Alex, causing him to divert his path.
Alex glanced at Corra, who lay unconscious on the ground, before quickly turning back to Tiggy. Honestly, I am not mentally prepared for a fight with HIM right now. The best I can do is look for an opportunity to get away. They chose too well a time for an ambush, when we're spent from the previous battle. Alex held Grace resolutely.
"That sword in your hands brings back so many unpleasant memories."
"Such as your defeat at its blade?"
Tiggy snarled. "Don't remind me. Now, while I would love to rip you to shreds right now, there are some strict conditions that were set on me for my revival. I must follow them, or what was given shall be easily taken away without you having to swing that loathful sword of yours. Come face the two of us in the Sekumeaya Desert at a later date."
"Huh!?"
Tiggy gave a huge roar as he spread out his wings. "Tyram, we're leaving!"
"Now? Okay." The other Tigrex, known as Tyram, halted from charging at Ismarelda. He too spread his wings in preparation for flight.
"Tiggy, what are you talking about!?" demanded Alex.
"Trade secret, I'm afraid. You'd better come prepared next time! Later!" Tiggy and Tyram leapt into the sky without further ado.
"Corra." Alex filed the two wyverns for later and began running to his downed Aunt. Anna joined him. "Corra, Corra, please wake up," pleaded Alex as he took out a potion.
"Alex…" Corra murmured. It was then that he noticed she was bleeding.
"Crap! I don't think a Mega Potion will be enough for this! I'll have to use the Healing Spring. But first, I need to get her back to camp." Alex put away the potion and took out a First-Aid Med. He made Corra drink a few sips to keep her a little longer. Then, he carefully picked her up, armor, weapon, hunter pack and all. "Whoa. I think I've become stronger than Ai now."
"I think you always were," answered Anna as the group began walking. "Don't forget, you once carried both me and Kotaru to escape from that Shogun Ceanataur. Even if you were using the Khezu Cloak, it was still an impressive feat."
"Huh. I guess you're right. I guess I never thought of it like that."
"You really are an interesting sort, Alex," commented Ismarelda.
Alex hid his blush. "I suppose I am."
Rekusara Health Center, afternoon
As it turns out, Corra had taken such damage that Alex could not fully heal her with the limited Chikara he had left after the quest. She was awake, but resting comfortably. Anna and Ismarelda were at the ship, and Alex was speaking to Viridia.
"As touted, one new Dragonite Pendant Talisman. Only two million Zenny," said the princess, holding up the item in question.
"Yikes! You weren't kidding about the price," Alex replied. He dug around his Hunter Pack for the funds. "Now I'm even more upset about losing the first one. Curse you, Kimara!"
Miles away, the same Princess of Wandoreo sneezed out of the blue, probably startling her servants.
"You probably won't like hearing this, but that's actually a 35 percent discount from the actual price. I'm sorry, but half-off is totally out of the question. And don't tell my dad, or I'll be done for."
Alex gasped, and then smiled conspiratorially. "My lips are sealed, M'lady." Viridia gave a short giggle at that. "I wonder what Skill this will grant me."
"I couldn't find another Divine Protection one, which is usually the cheapest. This one grants Extra Sharp Fencer, or 'ESP-F' for short. This Skill allows your attacks to never bounce, regardless of how dull your weapon becomes during combat or how tough the monster's hide/armor. It is the stronger version of the Skill ESP, which does not work on High-Rank plus Elder Dragons or G-Rank Yian Garuga, Rathalos, Rathian, Shoguns, Daimyos, Basarios, Gravios and Shen Gaorens."
"Whoa, what a list! Considering I'm in G-Rank now, this is probably way more useful. Divine Protection is cool and all, but avoiding unfortunate circumstances in my own opportunities to get a hit in is most probably more important at this point."
"I'm sure you should know best by now," Viridia replied. Alex just shared her smile with his own.
Hunter Stats
Alex Kasai (HR7)
Weapon: Imperial Sword Long Sword
Armor: Cephalos 'S' Blademaster + Dragonite Pendant Talisman
Skills: HG Telepathy, Kasai Potential, ESP-F, Spirit's Whim, Heat Negate, Hunger Halved, Cold Increase, Ice Damage Increase
April 2nd. South Elde District Hunting Grounds Basecamp, The Volcanic Belt. 11:00 PM.
"Okay, I still have some materials from that White Monoblos Anna, Corra and I stumbled upon a while back. I just need to mine for some Eltalite Ore, some Nova Crystals, and I need to take down a lava powered distant cousin of the Plesioth for its special Heavy Piscine Fangs. Today ought to be fairly interesting."
The target of today's hunt was the super rare Lavasioth, a lava dwelling Piscine Wyvern, of the same family as Cephalos and Plesioth. It was a G-Rank exclusive monster due to how dangerous it was. Alex had caught wind of this via a letter from Takahashi. As one who owned an Atlantica Longsword, he knew best what materials were required for the weapon family tree.
Once Alex was done with his preparations, he made his way to Area 10. There was an unmistakably large Chikara signature that he could feel all the way from basecamp, perhaps about half as strong as Titan the Shen Gaoren from last year. Upon entering, he crouched and began scoping his surroundings. Near the east lava pool, there were two Apceros' minding their own business. After seeing nothing else in the area, Alex began to focus on the territorial herbivores.
"I don't get it? Where is the giant lava fish with legs? Wait, something's wrong." Alex noticed as the herbivores suddenly looked perturbed and began running away from the lava pool. GREAT FATALIS! thought Alex as his target revealed itself, launching from the pool and taking down one of the Apceros by landing on top of it. It got up quickly and spun a 180 to slap down the remaining Apceros with its tail fin. That one was finished off by the Piscine Wyvern spitting out a glowing hot rock at it that exploded into flames and chunks of rocks upon collision. Holy Tsukami… For once, Alex was just flabbergasted. The creature was dark, with a muddy brown underside. Its entire body occasionally glowed orange. It stood eight feet tall, and was eighteen feet long, nose to tail fin. Just what have I gotten myself into?
The Lavasioth began eating one of the fallen Apceros. It seemed to have not noticed Alex. Alex decided to go in for a closer look, silently drawing out his upgraded longsword. He could feel some heat emanating from the fish-like monster, but not anything as bad as the heat aura from Lunastra and Teostra. Alex noticed that the monster seemed to be mindless. Not every foe he encountered had "increased, human-like" intelligence, so he could not talk telepathically to everything.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Alex as he jumped back, the danger sense giving him a split second warning. The Lavasioth had suddenly spun around to him, almost hitting Alex with its tail as it turned. Alex was then staring into beady fish eyes that seemed to swell with animalistic instinct. He was prey to be taken down and eaten. I know that look. The look of hunger. "Come on! Let's go!" Alex challenged, holding his sword resolutely.
The creature screeched as it launched itself at Alex. Alex rolled to the right. He got up and made a downward slash. He noticed as his blade left a cut that the blade glowed yellow before it glowed red. The yellow glow was to indicate that he did not put enough strength into his attack and would have bounced off had it not been for the ESP-F. Alex retreated quickly as the Lavasioth got up.
"I need to stop feeling this out and be serious starting right now. I was a bit curious before, but I'll get myself killed if I maintain that," Alex analyzed. He rolled away as a flaming rock was spat out at him. He dodged the subsequent shrapnel that was released when the rock missed and hit the ground. The lava wyvern reeled back in pain as Alex unleashed an impaling thrust to its mouth.
"Screeech!" The Lavasioth hopped into the air on recovery.
"Huh!?" Alex jumped back, but not far enough. The lava fish missed in trying to crush him, but also generated a tremor wave that had Alex tripping off his feet. "What the!?"
The Lavasioth got up and prepared to do a hip check attack. Alex stayed on the ground and quickly rolled himself out of the path. He got up as soon as he was clear, rushed in and jumped to attack with all his might, leaving a horizontal wound on the right side. "Haaarrrssshhh!" the Lavasioth screeched in pain. Alex retreated as it turned to him. It did a taunt before turning around and running towards the east lava pool.
"What is it planning to do?" Alex sheathed his sword, as a gut feeling told him he needed to dedicate to evasion for the next few seconds, as the Lavasioth jumped into the lava. He waited for a moment, and they wyvern poked its head once, before doing a flip. Three flaming rocks flew up into the air before raining down onto the battlefield. "Whoa!" Alex dodged them and the debris they exploded into when they hit the ground. The attacks were repeated two more times, and then the Lavasioth seemingly disappeared for a couple of minutes. "Don't tell me it gave me the slip?" Alex looked down as the ground beneath him started rumbling. He felt heat on the soles of his feet as a circular spot under him next began glowing red. "WHOA!" Alex dashed forward as the Lavasioth burst forth from the ground, spewing rocks and lava in its wake. I need to defeat this thing as quickly as possible.
Alex decided to really go on the offensive now. He attacked resolutely, making sure to dodge the Piscine Wyvern's attacks, but he did get hit occasionally as even with Danger Sense the Lavasioth was faster than it looked and Alex had neither Grace nor his Kirin Armor so he could not use Khezu Cloak to boost his speed. After scoring sixteen more clean hits, the orange glow of the Lavasioths body had ceased, and it was moving more slowly. With a screech, it jumped into the lava pool and fled to another area. Alex rushed to Area 7, knowing his target was low on vitality.
Upon entering, the lava fish launched itself at him in a last ditch attempt to defeat Alex by trying to eat him! But Alex stood firm, his Imperial Sword Longsword glowing white as he focused his Chikara intensely. "Time to sleep with the Plesioths!" Alex exclaimed as he unleashed a Super Spirit Sword Attack, reusing a washed out pun before he did so. The Lavasioth cried in pain one last time as it was finally defeated. Alex caught his breath as he sheathed his sword. "Man… I don't think I'd like to fight another one of these again if I can help it. Now, time to carve this thing up so that I can get to stage two of my expedition here." And with that, Alex took out his carving knife and got to work, starting at the head for the fangs.
Author Note
I think I've reached a good middle ground on Alex's plot armor. Although, I think my made up "ESP-F"(Not to be confused with the canon "ESP") skill might be very broken upgrade compared to Divine Protection.
I'm sure anyone can relate to fighting a Gravios with a GS/LS/SnS/DS/Lance in the games and having your attacks just bounce off, leaving you open to take a free hit from your foe. It's just annoying.