The enormous hives arced through the air toward them.
Even Isis, who could charge fearlessly at legendary Elder Dragons, wore a rare look of terror.
They had encountered these creatures many times since arriving on Tidal Island. They were hornet-like insects that, much like Thunderbugs, could emit light.
For convenience, the members of the advance team had named them "Toxic Glowbugs."
These damned creatures could not simply be stopped by a Large Shield or armor. As a Gunner with an exceptional ability to track moving targets, Morgan also spotted the approaching hives. His finger went to the trigger, but he checked it at the last possible moment.
He was absolutely certain he could blast the hives out of the air with Spread Ammo before they struck.
The hives themselves were not the problem. The real danger lay in the Toxic Glowbugs nesting inside them. Shattering the hives would only make matters worse.
Just before the hives crashed down at the Hunters' feet, Altaïr suddenly drew his blade from near the rear of the formation and activated Demon Mode. His entire body accelerated in an instant, and he dashed forward.
He was not abandoning his companions and fleeing alone.
The moment he saw the hives, Altaïr understood the still-hidden Lolo Gougarf's true intent.
Did a swarm of Toxic Glowbugs pose a serious threat to them?
It certainly did. No larger than a palm, the Toxic Glowbugs could easily slip through gaps in a Hunter's defenses, crawl beneath their armor, and sting them.
These creatures, glowing an ominous pale purple, were no ordinary bees. Even a Hunter's physical resilience could not prevent several stings from poisoning them.
Even so, the swarm was hardly a lethal threat.
An Antidote could easily neutralize the poison. As for the pain of the Toxic Glowbugs' stings, how could it compare to fighting on after suffering grievous wounds from a Large Monster?
Even if their heads were covered in welts, they could grit their teeth and endure it.
The Toxic Glowbugs were not the true threat. They were the equivalent of a street thug throwing sand into an opponent's eyes during a brawl, a dirty tactic rather than a finishing move.
He could not believe a Lolo Gougarf clever enough to lay an ambush and weaponize the hives would throw them simply to annoy the Hunters.
Just as he had expected, the hives struck the ground and dozens of Toxic Glowbugs rose like a dark cloud, radiating a sinister purple light. Then a strange howl sounded from deep within the forest.
"Waaaah!"
A Lolo Gougarf burst from the forest shadows and charged ferociously at the Hunters. It was not much longer than an average member of its kind, but its body was nearly twice as broad, with exceptionally developed muscles across its back and arms.
Altaïr drove himself even faster and charged to meet it without hesitation.
The swarm's assault had thrown Isis and Morgan into chaos. Altaïr had to intercept the Lolo Gougarf's first attack, or his companions could be severely injured.
The Lolo Gougarf had no intention of yielding to the Long Sword user blocking its path. It howled wildly and swung its unusually thick steel claws with all the force of its leap.
Altaïr raised his Long Sword and braced it before his companions.
The Tempered Spirit Blade was useful, but stopping a charging Large Monster head-on with such a parrying technique was extremely difficult. More likely than not, both Altaïr and his blade would be sent flying.
A Great Sword's True Charged Slash might have knocked the Monster down, but it required far more time to prepare.
With the Monster charging straight at him, he had only one second, perhaps two, to ready himself. Despite the risk, he decided to use a technique he had recently mastered but had never tested in real combat.
He reversed his grip with both hands and pointed the blade forward. Every muscle in his body tensed as his focus narrowed to a single point.
A second later, he blurred and vanished from the spot.
Poised to kill its enemy in a single blow, the Lolo Gougarf saw only a flash as the opponent before it suddenly disappeared. Its wildly swinging claws struck empty air, throwing its balance off.
A sharp pain shot through the joints of its hind legs. Its muscles twitched reflexively, and its knees buckled.
Its already unstable balance gave way completely. Carried by the tremendous momentum of its full-speed charge, it crashed heavily to the ground.
Altaïr, who had lunged past the Lolo Gougarf and emerged behind it, flicked his blade. Only then did blood spray from the wound in the Monster's leg.
Instant Slash!
Seeing the fallen Lolo Gougarf exposed, Altaïr swung his blade to build momentum, then dashed forward in long strides and brought his Long Sword down in an overhead smash.
The Lolo Gougarf pushed off the ground with both claws and sprang nimbly back to its feet. It evaded Altaïr's Step Slash while retreating a short distance to safety.
Its dark golden pupils, so different from those of others of its kind, fixed on the Hunter before it. The unusual Lolo Gougarf let out a series of low growls.
Altaïr was equally tense.
Although he had gained the upper hand in their first exchange, the Lolo Gougarf's intelligence, strength, speed, and astonishing resilience, demonstrated by how quickly it had recovered from the fall, all combined to set him on edge.
This was a fearsome opponent.
While Altaïr and the Lolo Gougarf stood locked in a standoff, each intent on killing the other, Isis fought frantically to clear the Toxic Glowbugs around her.
The Glavenus Gunlance could effortlessly slice through even the thick carapace of a Large Flying Wyvern, yet it felt hopelessly cumbersome against Toxic Glowbugs no larger than a palm.
Within seconds, several Toxic Glowbugs had slipped past her wildly swinging Gunlance, crawled through gaps in her armor, and stung her repeatedly.
She tried blasting the clustered Toxic Glowbugs with shelling, but quickly realized how inefficient it was and what a waste of Ammo it would be.
Out of options, she disengaged the Gunlance's recoil brake and fired, using the amplified recoil like a Blast Dash to rocket out of the swarm.
Perhaps because the hives had landed right beside her, with one even shattering against her Large Shield, the entire swarm had fixed on Isis and closed in again almost instantly.
Dropping the Large Shield might have helped, but even if the Toxic Glowbugs stung her to death, she would never abandon her indispensable shield.
Frantic with worry, Clawdia activated Beast Mode and sprinted to Isis's side. Her sharp steel claws blurred into a frenzy as she slashed at the Toxic Glowbugs darting chaotically through the air, but to no avail.
"Cover your face! Don't let them sting you in the eyes! Give me half a minute!" Morgan roared.
The swarm's attention was focused almost entirely on Isis. Morgan ignored the few stray Toxic Glowbugs buzzing around him.
He crouched and rapidly pulled several items from his Item Pouch.
Among them were dried, processed Toadstools used to Craft Poison Ammo and several unfinished Bomb Casings.
Bomb Casings were essential components for Crafting thrown items such as Flash Pods and Sonic Bombs. Had Altaïr not reminded him before they set out to carry more materials and fewer finished items, Morgan would not have had any on hand.
For a Gunner, rapidly Crafting Bowgun Ammo in the heat of battle was practically an essential skill. Putting together a few simple tools on the fly was no challenge for him.
Ignoring the guideline that toxic materials should be handled with gloves, he crushed the dried Toadstools in his bare hands and stuffed them into the Bomb Casings.
Within moments, he had assembled several emergency Poison Smoke Bombs. With no time to seal or finish them properly, Morgan took a few quick steps and hurled them toward Isis.
"Poison Smoke Bombs! Hold your breath!" Morgan shouted.
Isis held her breath as Toxic Glowbugs crawled all over her armor. The Poison Smoke Bombs detonated beside her, releasing clouds of thick purple smoke.
The Toxic Glowbugs carried their own venom, but that did not make them immune to other toxins. Shrouded in the poisonous smoke, the swarm around Isis fell in droves and carpeted the ground.
Those that had escaped early or remained outside the smoke no longer posed a threat.
The crisis was over. Isis had no idea how many times she had been stung. She only knew that her entire body burned as though flames were raging beneath her skin.
Those were symptoms of poisoning. She quickly pulled out a bottle of Antidote and drained it in one gulp.
As she felt the Antidote neutralize the toxins in her body, Isis drew a deep breath.
Her eyes were already beginning to swell as she glared viciously at the distant Lolo Gougarf locked in combat with Altaïr.
Isis was usually good-tempered. Even when a charge sent her flying, she would only conclude that she was not strong enough or that her Defense had faltered.
This time, however, she was truly furious!
She raised her Large Shield and broke into a charge, each stride faster than the last. A deafening blast erupted behind her, and flames sent her hurtling toward the distant Monster like a shooting star.
-----------------------
We didn't hit the goal... again... My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
Next goal is 90ps I guess