A severe shortage of Hunters was the greatest weakness of the Metapetatto Guild.
Altaïr kept saying they would "find a way," but with only a handful of local 4★ Gunners available, no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't conjure a solution out of thin air. He could only pin his hopes on the letter Isis had sent out a few days prior.
Whether it was the approval process for the Duramboros hunting quest or the correspondence with Francesca, everything required time.
Four days passed. The quest review was not yet finished, and Francesca's reply had not arrived. However, their new equipment was completed ahead of schedule, thanks to the workshop owner, Arman, and the other craftsmen working at a pace that far exceeded the normal custom production cycle.
It was important to remember that these were not beginner pieces like the Hunter's Armor or High Metal set; the pre-processing of the materials alone involved multiple stages and procedures.
To finish in such a short time, the workshop owner and his team had clearly exerted an enormous amount of effort.
Following Balina, who had come specifically to notify them, Isis and Altaïr arrived in the inner room of the "Meta Great Iron Hammer" Workshop to see their new gear.
Hanging on an iron humanoid rack was a set of heavy full-body armor that looked far more massive than Isis's original Barroth armor set.
This armor used a high-strength alloy forged from rare ores like Dragonite Ore, Carbalite Ore, and Firestone as a base lining. The thickness of this alloy inner layer alone exceeded that of at least half the Hunter armors out there.
Not to mention the overlapping layers of Basarios Shell inlaid upon it, looking like greyish-white rock, yet far harder and more resilient than any stone.
The entire set looked incredibly heavy just by sight, but the sense of security provided by such a dense structure was far beyond what ordinary light armor could provide.
"Aha, you're finally here! This is our proudest work, you know. Quick, try it on!" the workshop owner said with a wide laugh, crossing his thick arms.
Balina pulled Isis toward the changing room to try on the armor. Shifting his gaze, the workshop owner looked at Altaïr with a smile. "Your two weapons are finished as well. Over here."
He tilted his head toward Altaïr and led him to a weapon rack. On the rack rested a Long Sword and a pair of Sword and Shield.
Altaïr's first impression of these two weapons was simple: beautiful.
Both weapons were themed in pale white and orange-red, giving off a vivid and bright impression.
In fact, these were the natural colors of the Nerscylla Carapace. Because Nerscylla have a habit of draping themselves in Gypceros hide, many people mistakenly believe the monster is pitch black, but that is not the case.
Their shells are primarily white, while the tips of their limbs and the edges of various shell segments fade into a bright orange-red, just like these two weapons.
The Long Sword was crafted using Nerscylla talons as the primary material. It was slender and long, with a relatively complex hilt structure that concealed a special mechanism made from a Coma Sac. It could secrete a sleep toxin capable of inducing slumber in even a Large Flying Wyvern.
"This blade is called 'Blood Cry.' There are training dummies in the clearing behind the workshop to test its power; feel free to give it a go."
Altaïr caught the underlying meaning; he could test the feel of the weapon, but it was best not to do it indoors. He couldn't help but find it a bit amusing; it was a common occurrence for a Hunter to get their hands on a new weapon and, in their uncontrollable excitement, accidentally demolish the workshop's equipment or even its walls. The smiths had grown wary of it.
Altaïr reached for the Long Sword, while Arman helped carry the Sword and Shield pair as the group headed toward the clearing where the training dummies stood.
The moment his hand closed around Blood Cry, Altaïr's movements stiffened for a second.
"This..."
"Surprisingly light, isn't it?" the workshop owner explained with a smile as he led the way. "Nerscylla Carapace is incredibly lightweight, weighing less than half of an equal volume of metal. Because of that, it's very easy to handle and well-suited for executing intricate techniques. When you're targeting a Monster's weak points, you don't have to worry about your form breaking due to the weapon's weight. To put it simply, it is a high-precision weapon."
"I see..."
Following the owner and Arman to the training dummy, Altaïr signaled for them to step back a bit and delivered several quick slashes against the target.
Sword light flashed rapidly, leaving several intersecting gouges on the training dummy.
Altaïr halted his movements and looked at Blood Cry in his hand with some surprise.
Just as the workshop owner had said, the sword was exceptionally light. The blade's dimensions, the distribution of its center of gravity, every aspect was superb. Even a novice Long Sword user would find their attacks becoming much more accurate with this blade.
However, the weapon was not without its drawbacks.
Altaïr sheathed Blood Cry and reached out to touch the sword marks.
The workshop owner saw through his thoughts immediately. "With such ultra-light weight, the weapon's power inevitably takes a hit. In terms of raw physical destruction, Blood Cry is slightly inferior to other Long Swords of the same grade."
"Mm."
Altaïr nodded. This was exactly the flaw he had noticed; the marks on the training dummy were shallow. In terms of pure destructive power, this sword was an entire tier below the Iron Gospel.
He rubbed his fingertips together; they were stained with a bit of pale green slime, the Coma Sac venom of the Nerscylla.
Was the lack of destructive power meant to be compensated for by more precise strikes, faster attack speed, and the effect of the sleep toxin?
There were always trade-offs, and this result was within his expectations. It was just like seeking out lightweight Armor; the Defensive Ability would inevitably suffer. One couldn't have it both ways.
But truth be told, he felt that the opportunities where he would actually use Blood Cry might be few and far between.
Sleep-attribute weapons were mostly support-oriented. Building up toxicity to force a Monster into a deep sleep and creating openings for teammates was indeed the role of a skirmisher.
The problem was, if he had to perform those duties for tactical reasons...
Why wouldn't he use a Sword and Shield, which had a higher attack frequency, accumulated toxins faster, and was better suited for support combat in every regard?
Feeling a faint twinge of regret, Altaïr cast his gaze toward the Sword and Shield in Arman's hands.
Arman dutifully took the sheathed Blood Cry from Altaïr and handed over the Sword and Shield. They were just as exquisitely designed, no, arguably even more ornate than Blood Cry.
Altaïr looked down to examine them. The sword was a classic knightly straight sword design, with a blade nearly a meter long. To an ordinary knight, this would be a typical two-handed sword, but in the hands of a Hunter, it was merely a featherweight "one-handed shortsword."
The shield was a round shield, constructed from multiple composite layers of Nerscylla Carapace; it was remarkably sturdy.
After performing a series of rapid slashes against the training dummy followed by a practiced Perfect Rush, Altaïr lowered the sword and shield, satisfied.
Like Blood Cry, this Sword and Shield was exceptionally light. However, the Sword and Shield was a light weapon class that prioritized agility by nature; for such a weapon, a light blade was purely an advantage rather than a flaw.
Lightweight, precise, and capable of accumulating toxin, it shared every strength Blood Cry possessed. Furthermore, the reduction in destructive power caused by its light weight was far less noticeable on a Sword and Shield than it was on a Long Sword.
Even disregarding the effects of the sleep toxin, this was still an outstanding Sword and Shield. Overall, he was even more pleased with this weapon than he was with the Long Sword, Blood Cry. Serl's recommendation had indeed been correct!
"What is her name?" Altaïr asked, looking up at Arman as he lightly stroked the blade.
"Nerscylla Shield & Sword."
"...Huh? Why is it so generic?"
Since the Long Sword was called "Blood Cry," he had expected the Sword and Shield to be named something like "Cold Bone" or "Setting Sun."
The young craftsman shrugged. "I don't know. The naming conventions for the Nerscylla weapon series vary wildly. Most of them are quite literal, Nerscylla Great Sword, Stealth Glaive, Shell Gunberd, things like that.
Only the Charge Blade and the Long Sword were given poetic names. For what it's worth, the Nerscylla Charge Blade is called 'Arachnoscale.'"
Altaïr: "..."
His inner perfectionist was screaming.
—--
While Altaïr was grumbling internally, Isis emerged from the dressing room, having finished changing with Balina's assistance.
The moment he saw the fully equipped Isis, Altaïr's eyes jumped.
Isis was already tall, and with the addition of the horned helmet, she appeared over two meters tall. The exaggerated Pauldrons made her tall, lean frame look nearly two people wide; as she walked toward them, she looked like a literal wall.
"All set? How is it? Does it feel heavy?" the workshop owner asked with a smile.
"Not at all!" Isis gave him a thumbs-up. "The solid weight of it is actually quite reassuring!"
"Ho ho, the greatest strength of this armor is its Defensive Ability, but it is also very heavy. As long as you have the strength to adapt to it, that mass will make your attacks even more forceful."
"Is that so?" Isis unfolded her Gunlance, swinging it with a loud whoosh. "Oh! It really does feel like my strikes have more weight behind them now!"
Altaïr quickly pulled the others back a few steps.
"This armor really does seem like it was tailor-made for you..."
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES — LORE SECTION
Some terms and creatures referenced in this story may be unfamiliar to readers new to the Monster Hunter universe. The following entries provide additional context.
ITEMS
Coma Sac — A specialized organ harvested from certain monsters, most notably the Nerscylla, that produces a potent sleep-inducing toxin. When incorporated into weapon mechanisms, it allows blades to coat themselves in a soporific venom capable of accumulating in a target's system with each strike, eventually forcing even large monsters into a deep, involuntary slumber. Weapons built around a Coma Sac are primarily support-oriented tools, valued for creating tactical openings for teammates rather than for raw destructive output.
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
Perfect Rush — A signature combo technique unique to the Sword and Shield weapon class. It consists of a rapid sequence of slashes flowing seamlessly into one another, culminating in a powerful finishing blow. Because the Sword and Shield prioritizes speed and agility over raw power, Perfect Rush rewards precision and timing, making it an ideal showcase for the weapon class's philosophy of continuous, controlled aggression.