However.
After discovering that the invading monster this time was a Paolumu, Andrew was actually less anxious than when he had first heard the news about a large monster invasion.
After all.
The Paolumu actually belonged to the very harmless category among all monsters. coupled with the fact that its current location could be described as rarely visited by humans.
So Andrew was even less in a hurry.
In Andrew's assessment, the threat the Paolumu posed to New Eridu didn't even match the threat of the Jagras found in the garbage dump near the Ballet Twins.
At least those meat-eating Jagras would actively attack humans as prey immediately upon seeing them.
But fortunately.
The citizens of New Eridu, who faced danger every day, still had strong vigilance when facing creatures they had never seen before.
Coupled with Meow-Da discovering it in time.
So when its traces were found, this Jagras hadn't actually hurt any surrounding humans.
As for what it ate...
This Jagras had taught itself how to dumpster dive in just a few short days.
Especially since the Ballet Twins was a high-end building, the variety of food residues in the ingredients discarded by the back kitchen was extremely rich.
Moreover, through Meow-Da's observation, several people had already started coming here every day to try and feed it from afar after discovering the Jagras.
By the time Andrew actually found it.
This Jagras had already eaten to its heart's content.
In Andrew's line of sight, the Jagras looked like it was addicted to the trash can and couldn't extricate itself.
It completely had the look of being happy right where it was.
Compared to when it first arrived.
The footprints it left behind now were even a full size larger than back then.
So much so that Andrew's first reaction was to consider whether he should raise a Jagras just like the Bugtrappers of the Grimalkynes in the Ancient Forest of the New World.
Although it looked quite ugly.
But according to Andrew's habits, if he didn't have to kill, it was better not to.
Waiting until it grew into a fully formed Great Jagras, riding it out for a stroll would actually count as a form of recreation.
What a pity.
Such thoughts were decisively abandoned when Andrew discovered while trying to approach it that it not only guarded its food but also hissed, possessing a very strong desire to attack.
For such a Jagras.
Andrew evaluated it as having crossed the line—it needed to be put down.
Afterwards, Andrew found several other Jagras in different locations in New Eridu, but the situation was even worse than that one.
There was even one that, when found, had already started actively attacking humans because it couldn't find food.
However.
Among the existences found in these few days, not all were ones that had to be beaten to death.
He still encountered Felynes or Grimalkynes that could communicate.
And now, they had been settled by Andrew into Silver City.
It just so happened that the Ancient Tree there had thoroughly sprouted; the living environment there would also make them feel more at ease.
As for the Paolumu.
If a Paolumu was discovered back in the New World...
According to Andrew's previous habits.
As long as the Guild didn't need the materials on its body to make airships, Andrew would basically leave this kind of monster alone even if he encountered it.
Whether it was Andrew or the Sapphire Star, it was the same.
Hunters weren't gods of slaughter.
So even if he accidentally provoked it while passing by during a hunt and got attacked by the stressed Paolumu.
Andrew would basically just use a Dung Pod to drive it away and leave it at that.
After all, not to mention that it was hard for the Paolumu to fight with other monsters itself, even if it encountered the few monsters that would fight it, like the Legiana and Odogaron...
When that fight started.
Rather than calling it a battle, it was better to say the Paolumu was being unilaterally crushed.
At least in all the time Andrew stayed in the Coral Highlands of the New World, Andrew had never seen a single existence that the Paolumu could beat.
Of course, novice Hunters were an exception.
As the first monster capable of true, long-duration flight arranged by the Guild for novice Hunters in the New World during their hunting career.
There were still many Hunters who would suffer a bit because they weren't proficient in using Flash Pods.
But as long as they recalled the existence and correct usage of Flash Pods.
Then the Paolumu would once again become a piece of cake.
It could be said that a Paolumu monster invasion during a commission provided absolutely no help to the hunt, while also leaving the Paolumu covered in injuries.
The only function was perhaps allowing the Hunter to take some medicine to recover their state during this period.
So in Andrew's memory, the Paolumu couldn't possibly pose any threat to the ecology.
It didn't even pose much of a threat to the surrounding animals.
But no matter how weak the Paolumu's strength was compared to other monsters, that was only weak relative to other monsters.
Leaving aside the massive body size placed there, the Paolumu, as a wyvern capable of entering the Large Monster Field Guide, was not some non-aggressive pet.
As long as an ordinary person entered its living area and accidentally angered it.
Then what followed would be a pure disaster.
Moreover, there were organizations like the Military, TOPS, the Exaltists, and so on—if they discovered it, there would definitely be problems.
In order not to suddenly discover after some time that some organization in New Eridu had created a 'daddy' (master) for themselves to deal with, Andrew, as a Hunter, would have no mercy to speak of for these invading large monsters.
Including those small monsters killed previously, Andrew collected and took away all their body parts.
Absolutely nothing was left behind.
In Andrew's material box right now, the materials from the small monsters hunted previously had piled up to the point of overflowing.
The fertilizer for the Ancient Tree had also increased by quite a lot.
He couldn't use it up; he simply couldn't use it up.
So, even if it was a Paolumu, Andrew wouldn't let it off at all.
Just right, the new weapon and equipment for hunting had also been made. No one would recognize his original identity and crowd around trying to take photos or ask for autographs.
The feeling of being enthusiastically surrounded by a huge pile of people.
It was really too uncomfortable.
He really couldn't understand why Astra Yao could handle being surrounded by a huge crowd with such ease.
Or rather, when facing a crowd of fans, Astra Yao was in a state of complete contentment.
He could only say that in this aspect.
Andrew was willing to call Astra Yao the strongest.
Shaking his head, flinging the chaotic thoughts out of his mind.
After Andrew first put on the full set of Magic Diablos equipment neatly, he also took out Meow-Da's equipment that he had made earlier and placed it in front of Meow-Da, who had been waiting eagerly for his crafting.
He said:
"Kept you waiting, Meow-Da! Just right, stop wearing that old set all the time, come try your new equipment!"
"My new equipment, meow?!"
Hearing this, Meow-Da immediately picked up his equipment with incomparable excitement, but as he carefully examined the armor in his hand...
His movements couldn't help but slow down.
After carefully scrutinizing the armor in his hand from head to tail, Meow-Da subconsciously grumbled:
"Boss, how come this equipment looks a lot worse in terms of refinement compared to the previous armor, meow? The craftsmanship of the person who made this armor is so shoddy..."
Bonk!
The next moment, just as his voice fell.
Meow-Da's forehead made incredibly intimate contact with Andrew's fist, subsequently letting out a crisp and pleasant muffled sound.
As the saying goes.
A good sound is a good head.
"Meow-ouch!!"
Looking at Meow-Da clutching his forehead, Andrew said somewhat huffily:
"You don't look at who made our equipment before."
"Back in the New World, because of that Old Geezer, our equipment was made by the leader of the Second Fleet who was also the Workshop boss."
"Later in the Forbidden Land, the attendant artisan Gemma who went with us was a top-tier artisan sent by the Guild. And she was the type who was responsible solely for us and 'The Lone Bird' the entire journey, crafting whenever there was a need."
Saying this, Andrew couldn't help but reach out and furiously rub the cat's head twice, incidentally kneading the spot he had just knocked as consolation.
Amidst Meow-Da's movement of squinting his eyes comfortably because he couldn't help it.
Andrew continued:
"Besides, although your Boss's craftsmanship isn't top-tier and the workmanship might be a bit rough, craftsmanship that can be acknowledged by Gemma counts as upper-middle at least."
"And being rough doesn't affect the effect and defensive capability when worn on the body, yet you're nitpicking here?"
Hearing these words, Meow-Da still couldn't help but whisper:
"But shoddy workmanship is shoddy, meow..."
"Hmm? What did you say?"
Hearing this, Meow-Da, feeling a chill on his scalp which was being petted by Andrew, stiffened instantly. The words he was halfway through speaking changed instantly:
"Didn't say anything, meow! I said the equipment Boss made is really too awesome, meow! What rough workmanship? This is clearly retaining the original ecological beauty of the raw materials, meow!"
"And looking at it this way, the armor simply looks as handsome as living materials, meow!"
Hearing this, Andrew nodded with satisfaction immediately.
Then he rubbed Meow-Da's head again and said:
"Very good! You are teachable! Put on the equipment, we should also prepare to set off!"
The equipment made from Paolumu materials was basically of no use or improvement to the current Andrew.
However, the incredibly soft yet extremely tough hide and fur on its neck collar were excellent leather materials for making scarves and backpacks.
Coupled with the fact that in Silver City, whether it was the Ancient Tree, Lucy, or the Silver Squad.
They were all currently in need of nutrition.
As a Paolumu that fed on the spores emitted by the corals of the Coral Highlands, although the meat on its body couldn't compare to absolute authorities like the Diablos and Rathalos.
It actually counted as decent meat.
Plus, he could try out the newly made weapon.
In the end, it wouldn't be a wasted effort.
While Andrew prepared to set off.
In the office of Hollow Special Operations Section 6.
Hoshimi Miyabi was sitting formally in her seat at her workstation.
And in front of her workbench stood Tsukishiro Yanagi, who looked exhausted but had her eyes fixed dead on her.
It was as if she was afraid Miyabi would secretly run away in the next second.
At the same time, behind Tsukishiro Yanagi, not far away, Asaba Harumasa was already lying completely flat on his desk, his soul leaking out from his mouth.
Meanwhile, Soukaku was circling around Asaba Harumasa with a worried look, constantly trying to gently push him while shouting:
"Harumasa-mas! Are you okay?! Don't die, wah!"
Looking at Hoshimi Miyabi, who had been blocked and brought back with great difficulty but had absolutely no realization on her face that there was any problem, let alone any sign of repentance.
Regarding her own single-minded Section Chief.
Tsukishiro Yanagi couldn't help but cover her forehead with some helplessness.
At the same time, combined with Asaba Harumasa who had fabricated various reasons to try and ask for leave a full twenty-one times in just these short seven days.
Tsukishiro Yanagi couldn't help but feel even more helpless.
Could it be that in this huge Section 6, she was the only reliable person holding it up?!
After sighing with emotion, Tsukishiro Yanagi looked at Hoshimi Miyabi in front of her again and persuaded her earnestly once more:
"Chief, the things on that website are really all fake, why just won't you believe it?"
But regarding Tsukishiro Yanagi's persuasion, Hoshimi Miyabi still said incomparably firmly:
"Yanagi, intelligence that hasn't undergone actual verification cannot be confirmed as true or false."
Seeing Hoshimi Miyabi still maintaining this stubborn attitude.
Tsukishiro Yanagi, who was already at her wit's end, couldn't help but say with a bit of a breakdown:
"But Chief, among the news you went to verify these past few days, was there a single one that was true?"
Saying this, Tsukishiro Yanagi began to list them.
"Whether it was the interior of the companion Hollow beneath Epis Port, or the monster resembling an extra-large lizard beneath the Ballet Twins rumored afterwards... when we went, we didn't find any traces at all."
"In Lemnian Hollow, the Ethereals gathering there performing a bizarre dance were indeed found."
"But only after you, Chief, directly took action and destroyed the Ethereals in that area along with the ground completely, did we discover that it was the electricity leaking from Porcelumex's cables collecting Porcelain that was shocking them. The so-called bizarre dance was just the Ethereals twitching from the electric shocks."
Recalling that scene which could be called utter chaos, Tsukishiro Yanagi felt even more mentally exhausted.
"Afterwards, because the malicious destruction of the circuits caused Porcelumex's large-scale mining equipment to shut down for a day before it was fixed, it took a long time to calm things down just to negotiate compensation."
"For the past week, out of the top ten most popular grotesqueries on the website 'The Grotesque Shack', we verified nine. Up to now, is there a single one that is true?"
Hearing this, Hoshimi Miyabi suddenly couldn't sit still.
She no longer maintained her formal sitting posture, but immediately took out her phone and brought up The Grotesque Shack's website.
Then, tapping her finger lightly, she quickly brought up the article about the Monster's Vengeful Spirit again.
Pointing at this article, she said seriously:
"This one! Afterwards, many people left messages below saying they really encountered it, and even attached photos!"
But Tsukishiro Yanagi did not agree with Hoshimi Miyabi's view.
She continued to speak earnestly:
"Chief, I've already explained the meaning of 'Doujin' (Fanfiction) to you. It isn't some previously unseen intelligence type, but fictional creative works."
"The author of this article, Strawberry Parfait, already issued a statement the next day saying the article content was purely fictional."
"So this is likely just people imitating the article content to gain attention."
"Ugh..."
Facing Tsukishiro Yanagi's explanation, which was far more reasonable than the versions spreading online, Hoshimi Miyabi was momentarily at a loss for words.
She raised her head.
Seeing Tsukishiro Yanagi's dark circles that were faintly revealing their green hue despite her best efforts to cover them with makeup, and recalling how Tsukishiro Yanagi and Asaba Harumasa not only had to be responsible for Section 6's work but also had to clean up after her during her investigation period...
Hoshimi Miyabi finally wavered in her original determination to investigate all the grotesqueries.
But to just let Hoshimi Miyabi give up on the efforts of this period directly still made her feel somewhat unwilling.
In the past.
Training that she had resolved to complete only ever resulted in failure or success; 'giving up' had never appeared before.
For a moment, Hoshimi Miyabi, caught in a dilemma, fell into hesitation, unable to make a decision immediately.
____
New Story: Frieren: Junji Ito: I Shall Smash Hellstar Remina
✅ Unlock a 40-chapter backlog for ALL my series.
✅ Receive exclusive content and regular updates!
Help us reach these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 universal bonus chapter
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters for ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan