Hearing this, Lighter asked in surprise:
"Did you just come up with that name? As its conqueror, you certainly have the right to name it."
Andrew knew at once that Lighter had misunderstood something and quickly waved his hands, saying:
"No, no, that's not it. I didn't make it up myself; it comes from the Guild's bestiary. Although this is the first time I've seen this subspecies, it's far from the first time I've encountered this monster."
And as for fighting the Odogaron, Andrew felt it was completely natural.
"Besides, even if it wasn't to help you all, hunting it is my duty. After all, I'm a Hunter."
Hearing this, Lighter's eyes widened a little behind his sunglasses.
For a moment, Lighter was speechless. After a brief silence, a slight smile appeared on his face.
"Regardless, thank you so much for your help. I'm sure the rest of the people in Blazewood feel the same way about you."
Seeing the two finish their chat, Belle, who had satisfied her curiosity by carefully examining the Vicious Claw Wyvern's corpse, jumped triumphantly in front of Andrew, placed her hands on her hips, and said:
"I was the absolute MVP this time! We rescued a total of four hundred eighty-seven people! In cooperation with the Silver Squad and the Sons of Calydon, we brought out four hundred and twelve people. Another fifty-eight were saved directly when the Hollow disappeared. This time, we can say it was a complete and total victory!"
The Outer Ring is different from the city. Those who survive here have some degree of fighting ability. While there may not be exceptionally powerful individuals, it's no problem for a few of them to cooperate to ensure they're safe from low-level threats.
On top of that, Andrew and Caesar dealt with the Hollow with enough speed to guarantee such a high survival rate.
If it had taken just half an hour longer, the number of deaths from Ether corruption inside the Hollow would have skyrocketed.
With the mission objectives perfectly completed, a happy Andrew crouched down and gave Eous a gentle high-five. For a Hollow disaster, to have such a high survival rate was nothing short of a miracle.
Picking Eous up and holding him in his hands, Andrew gazed into Belle's eyes through Eous's electronic ones and sighed,
"I feel like it's been a long time since I last saw you..."
"It hasn't even been half a day!"
Not long after, a tall porcine Thiren cast a shadow over Andrew, who was busy mining away. Nearby, Caesar had somehow procured a helmet and was using the pot Andrew had given her, grunting with effort as she scraped at the Ether crystals growing from the ground.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Caesar turned and saw the figure with distinctive red skin, cool leather jacket, and sunglasses, and shouted happily:
"Big Boss! What are you doing here? Is everything okay back in Blazewood?"
The grim-faced Big Boss turned to Caesar, looking her up and down carefully. After confirming that aside from some torn clothes, she didn't have a single wound on her, he couldn't help but nod slightly.
"The Hollow has vanished. Having Kasa in Blazewood is enough, and the rescued wounded have all been stabilized..."
But his serious expression didn't relax. Big Boss kept a stern face as he said to Caesar:
"But Caesar, I don't recall ever teaching you to let a friend face such a dangerous enemy alone! In that kind of situation, you should have chosen to retreat immediately and look for another opportunity, not ignore the potential danger!"
Big Boss's tone softened unconsciously as he earnestly advised his somewhat reckless adopted daughter, who had once again put herself in harm's way:
"Always remember to protect your comrades—they are your greatest strength."
Although if it weren't for Caesar's support in the previous battle, Andrew's fight would have likely taken twice as long, and the danger level would have been much higher, Caesar had no intention of refuting Big Boss's lecture.
She simply lowered her head before Big Boss, accepting the rebuke.
Andrew, standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch. After all, the battle had only started because he had insisted on fighting.
Caesar had merely supported his decision.
But just as Andrew was about to speak up for Caesar, he noticed Big Boss subtly shaking his head at him, signaling him not to speak.
After a somewhat dejected Caesar had left, Big Boss finally turned to Andrew, nodded, and said:
"First, thank you for perfectly fulfilling your promise. Second, thank you for not speaking up to defend Caesar just now."
Andrew, however, found Big Boss's gratitude a bit hard to accept. He frowned, explaining that Caesar was taking the blame for him.
"The fight with the Vicious Claw Wyvern only happened because I insisted on it. Fighting it alone was also my request. This whole thing, in the end, is my fault; it has nothing to do with Caesar."
Big Boss peeked slightly, and only after confirming Caesar was far enough away did he shake his head and continue speaking to Andrew:
"Of course I know that."
"Then why?"
"Because she is now the leader of the Sons of Calydon. And one thing she must understand is that not all comrades are like you, young man."
Big Boss's eyes were profound, revealing the wisdom of a former leader.
"As a leader, she must be responsible for everyone's safety, not rush into danger on a whim and ignore the well-being of the comrades accompanying her."
After a brief silence, Andrew understood why Big Boss had come to see them right away.
With everyone in Blazewood hailing Andrew and Caesar as the heroes who destroyed the Hollow, any contact Caesar had with others would only result in endless praise. This was extremely dangerous for a new leader.
Big Boss had to ring a warning bell for Caesar before anyone else's adulation could reach her. After this, the praise from others wouldn't make her lose her way. Big Boss's earnest words would serve as a constant reminder for her. As for how to console Caesar, the praise from others would take care of that for him.
This porcine Thiren, who claimed to be retired, cared for Caesar in his heart more than anyone else.
However, when facing Andrew, the face that had been somewhat stern completely softened.
Big Boss carefully looked Andrew up and down again. Seeing that his clothes, apart from some scorch marks from explosions, were otherwise perfectly intact, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Caesar has really been in your care. Without you, I don't know how many people would have died in this Hollow disaster, and salvaging the refinery would have been impossible."
The more Big Boss looked at the young man before him, the more pleased he was. He had to admit, that silly daughter of his had always been a good judge of character.
"Regardless, thank you for helping us."
Big Boss didn't say much more, because he knew that words could never compare to actions.
Being thanked so solemnly by an elder like Big Boss made Andrew a little embarrassed, and he quickly waved his hands.
"No, no, it's what I should do as a Hunter. If you encounter monsters like that in the future, just leave them to me! I'd be more than happy to take them on!"
Seeing the genuine look on the young man's face, Big Boss's expression became even more satisfied.
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