They returned to Astera.
Flora immediately explained the whole situation to the Commander, hoping to clear up any misunderstandings the Research Commission might have about Leon.
"This is indeed a misunderstanding," the Commander sighed, his voice low and gravelly. "However, Leon did kill three hunters from Schrade Village. Even if it was in self-defense, I have to give them an explanation."
Flora said nervously, "But he's—"
"Don't worry," the Commander said, waving his hand to silence her. "I'm not trying to make things difficult for him. But as you know, in the world of hunters, strength is everything."
He looked up at the sky and said calmly, "As long as Leon wins the Arena Challenge, the matter will be settled. The hunters of Schrade Village have always respected those who are truly strong."
Flora felt a wave of relief, yet a lingering worry remained.
Although Leon had shown impressive potential, defeating Retos on such short notice would be no easy feat.
But...
The Arena Challenge couldn't be canceled.
There were too many differences in lifestyle and philosophy between the two groups, leading to constant friction.
It was a fact that Leon had killed local hunters; if the matter were simply brushed aside, it could become the spark that ignited a full-blown conflict.
The silver lining was that if Leon could win the tournament, the opposition would have no grounds for complaint.
The Arena Challenge was also known as 'Arena Quests,' and participation requirements varied depending on the type of mission.
Astera held an Arena Challenge every three months, selecting the top three hunters in three different ranks—Low Rank, High Rank, and Master Rank—to receive rewards.
Low Rank hunters were those with a star rating below six, limited to Low Rank quests, while High Rank hunters ranged from six to nine stars and could take on High Rank missions.
Master Rank hunters could accept all quests and were even assigned 'exclusive missions' by the Hunter's Guild.
From Flora's explanation, Leon learned more about the competition.
Retos was the three-time reigning Low Rank champion, while she herself had taken third place in the previous tournament.
As Leon sat with Flora in the canteen, he began to feel more prepared after the brief rundown.
Even though Retos was a Low Rank hunter, his skills were far from ordinary. His record of three consecutive championships was proof enough of his prowess.
As for himself...
He had only just become a provisional hunter for the Commission and hadn't even experienced a real Arena Challenge yet.
"Don't worry!" Noticing Leon's grim expression, Flora patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Retos is incredibly strong, but I can see the potential you have."
??
Leon looked up with a conflicted expression. He didn't quite understand what she meant by that...
Flora didn't notice and continued, "However, the equipment used in the Arena Challenge is standardized. You have to choose from what's provided on-site."
"In other words, the strength of your gear isn't the deciding factor. What really matters is your understanding of monster behavior and your ability to adapt on the fly."
While you could eventually kill a monster by focusing solely on dodging, it would take far too much time.
Only hunters who could dodge precisely and exploit every opening to deal damage stood a chance at a fast clear time.
Leon nodded, quickly processing the information.
He wouldn't be able to rely on familiar weapons in the Arena; he had to prove his worth under restricted conditions.
"More importantly..." Flora's expression turned serious. "The target monsters aren't announced until the day of the competition. For Low Rank, it's usually the Great Jagras, Pukei-Pukei, Tobi-Kadachi, or Anjanath."
"That's the hardest part—you have to make a split-second decision on which weapon to use and what hunting strategy to employ."
She looked intently at Leon. "If you want to increase your odds, I'd recommend using a high-damage weapon instead of the Sword and Shield. Setting aside the complex ones like the Switch Axe, Charge Blade, or Insect Glaive..."
"I think you should try the Great Sword, Hammer, Long Sword, or the Bow."
Leon asked, "Why?"
"Because those weapons deal more damage, and the Bow provides consistent DPS," Flora explained. "The Arena Challenge is all about efficiency. While the Sword and Shield is agile, its main advantage is applying status ailments. Dealing massive, decisive damage in a short window is much harder with it."
Leon fell into thought at her words.
He was used to the fluid, free-form combat of the Sword and Shield, but he understood that under these rules, a weapon capable of heavy, deciding blows would be a better choice.
Flora asked, "Do you have any experience with the Great Sword or the Long Sword? I can teach you those two, but I'm useless with a Hammer."
Leon answered bluntly, "No."
Most of his past training involved firearms or knives, which was why he chose the Sword and Shield. If he really had to switch, the Dual Blades seemed like a natural alternative.
Following that train of thought, Leon asked, "What about the Dual Blades?"
He remembered that Dual Blades had 'Demon Mode.' It shouldn't be difficult to burst out a massive amount of damage in a short time.
Flora thought for a moment before replying, "Dual Blades are an option, but they drain stamina incredibly fast. Maintaining Demon Mode requires immense physical conditioning. I still think the Great Sword or Long Sword would be better suited..."
Physical conditioning?
Leon thought of his Constitution stat. Perhaps if he invested points there, he could sustain Demon Mode for much longer.
Then and there, Leon made up his mind. He would enter the Arena Challenge using the Dual Blades!
Three days wasn't a long time, but it wasn't exactly short either.
Leon didn't waste a second. On the first day, he went to the Workshop to order a pair of Bone Hatchets LV.2. Then, with help from Flora and the Sword Master, he spent his time in the Training Area drilling the basic movements of the Dual Blades and studying the attack patterns of the four potential monsters.
On the second day, Leon headed to the Ancient Forest to find monsters for practice and to raise his level.
By the end of the day, he had slain three Great Jagras and an Anjanath.
On the third day, Leon returned to the Ancient Forest, where he tracked down and successfully hunted a Kulu-Ya-Ku.
He reached level five and amassed a significant amount of monster materials, though he hadn't had the time to organize them yet.
Unfortunately, he hadn't seen a single sign of a Pukei-Pukei by nightfall. However, Leon was certain of one thing: the Ancient Forest was far more vast than he had imagined.
It was nothing like the maps in the game; the entire forest was like a treasure trove of unknown monsters, where life and danger existed in equal measure.
[NAME: LEON]
[LEVEL: LV.5 (5200/8500)]
[TRAIT: LONE WOLF]
Description: When hunting alone, experience gain and material drop rates are increased by 100%.
[STATS: STRENGTH 22, AGILITY 23, CONSTITUTION 16, PERCEPTION 15. (UNASSIGNED POINTS: 10)]
[EQUIPMENT: BONE HATCHETS LV.2, BONE HELM, BONE MAIL, HUNTER'S VAMBRACES, HUNTER'S COIL, BONE GREAVES]
[EQUIPMENT SKILLS: HEALTH BOOST LV.1, ENTOMOLOGIST LV.1, TRACKER LV.1, STEALTH LV.1, ATTACK BOOST LV.1]
[QUEST LIST]
No active quests.
Night fell.
Moonlight flooded the ground like liquid silver, casting a cool frost over the world.
Leon returned once more to the edge of the Training Area, Bone Hatchets in hand, repeatedly drilling his attack rotations.
He swung the blades again and again—evading, countering—fast as lightning and steady as a mountain.
Though he occasionally overshot his mark due to the speed boost from Demon Mode, he practiced relentlessly, desperate to master the weapon before tomorrow's Arena Challenge.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]