The first two days of travel are always exciting, but after a week, it starts to feel dull and monotonous.
Of course, this also has to do with the environment.
In the vast desert, the speed of a merchant caravan loaded with goods naturally cannot compare to that of a lightweight and fast Sandship. Covering twenty kilometers a day is already considered quite smooth progress.
The distance they had traveled in this week was less than what a small Sandship could cover in a single day at full speed.
Take the area they were currently passing through, for example. Altaïr had been here multiple times before while on missions, and he felt a sense of frustration, as if he had been circling around for days without ever leaving his doorstep.
Moreover, nothing had happened over the past few days. The only exception was when they stopped at a small oasis the day before yesterday and encountered a wandering Genprey, which they casually dealt with.
How boring!
While he found it dull, the others in the caravan felt differently. For them, nothing happening and safely delivering the goods to their destination was the best outcome.
The journey from Loc Lac to Val Habar would take almost a month, and only a quarter of it had passed so far.
Altaïr suddenly understood why escort missions like this offered decent rewards but few hunters were willing to take them; they were simply too time-consuming.
It seemed he would have to consider a different way of traveling in the future. After all, Val Habar and Loc Lac were both within the Great Desert. If he were to travel all the way to the Furahiya Snowy Mountains where Pokke Village was located, wouldn't it take an entire year?
Glancing at Sajji, who was lying on top of the cargo pile tinkering with small mechanisms to pass the time, Altaïr decided to find something to do as well.
He began swinging his weapon in rhythm with his steps as he walked, considering it a form of training.
The result of this was a significant increase in energy consumption, and his appetite grew accordingly.
However, the caravan's food supplies were strictly calculated. To avoid putting pressure on the food rations, Altaïr specifically hunted an Aptonoth in an oasis, obtaining a large amount of fresh raw meat.
The caravan feasted for several days, and the portion they couldn't finish was preserved by Karim as bacon and smoked meat. Altaïr volunteered to carry this extra weight, treating it as additional training.
Every day, he trained until his limbs were sore and his muscles swollen with blood. He would then devour a large meal of meat, supplemented with honey and herbs gathered along the way to replenish his nutrients, before resting properly to recover.
The feeling of his physical abilities gradually improving was utterly addictive.
Even the caravan leader couldn't help but remark that there was a reason this kid had managed to advance to 2★ before even reaching adulthood.
—--
Once he found something to occupy himself with, the journey no longer felt boring. Time seemed to pass more quickly, and before he knew it, most of the journey was behind them.
The caravan passed through the Dead Sand Sea in the central part of the Great Desert, an area teeming with Cephalos and Delex, making it the most dangerous stretch of the entire journey.
In just a few short days, Altaïr repelled several attacks from Delex or Cephalos, much to the caravan leader's relief.
If they hadn't hired a hunter to accompany them, these attacks might not have wiped them out completely, but they would certainly have lost a significant amount of goods and livestock. This further endeared Altaïr and his companions to the rest of the caravan.
—--
After crossing the Dead Sand Sea, the merchant caravan finally entered the region north of the sand sea.
Compared to the central and southern areas where Loc Lac is located, the sand in the northern region is coarser, and landscapes like gravel deserts and rocky shores began to appear more frequently.
From this point onward, small Sandships were almost unusable. Only large Sandships specially built for specific purposes could navigate these rough sandy terrains.
This was the main reason why merchant caravans did not use lightweight and fast Sandships but instead relied on human and animal labor to transport goods.
—--
Another day passed, and the caravan passed by an oasis that had almost completely dried up. The caravan leader glanced at the sky and decided to set up camp there for the night.
The once-existing lake had shrunk to a shallow muddy marsh. Most of the larger trees had withered, with only a few drought-resistant low-lying plants remaining around the marsh.
To be honest, camping in such a place had more drawbacks than benefits.
After all, in the gravel deserts, muddy marshes were valuable water sources, and the presence of drought-resistant plants could attract herbivorous animals, potentially turning the area into a hunting ground for carnivorous Monsters.
Having traveled the desert for many years, the caravan leader was well aware of this. However, there truly was no more suitable camping spot nearby.
Traveling at night was far more dangerous than camping here.
He had no choice but to lead everyone away from the muddy marsh and set up camp among the jagged and chaotic rocks. They lit a bonfire and arranged for people to take turns keeping watch.
At the same time, he instructed Karim not to cook any food. For dinner, everyone would make do with dry rations to avoid the smell of food attracting any nearby Monsters.
Chewing on cold, hard rations, no one felt much like talking. After hastily filling their stomachs, they wrapped themselves in blankets and went to sleep.
—--
Late into the night, Altaïr, who had not been sleeping deeply, felt a furry paw gently pushing his face and immediately opened his eyes.
It was Sajji who had woken him. "I heard some cries, meow. Monsters have come nearby, meow."
Altaïr quickly got up and shook the person next to him awake. Everyone woke each other up, and soon, the entire caravan was alert.
"Everyone, stay quiet," Altaïr whispered, then turned to Sajji. "Go scout and see what's approaching. It might not be targeting us. Try not to alert them if possible."
Sajji nodded and slipped away as silently as a ghost.
The temporary camp fell into silence again. Everyone held their breath, and faintly, Altaïr could hear the cries Sajji had mentioned.
"Squeal–"
"Screech!"
Hearing these sounds, the Aptonoth and camels, which had been lying quietly on the ground, grew restless.
Altaïr frowned.
Genprey? But it didn't sound quite the same.
A few minutes later, Sajji returned from his scouting mission. He approached Altaïr and whispered, "It's a type of Monster I've never seen before, meow. It looks like a Genprey, but its skin is purple, meow. There are four of them in total, of varying sizes, but none seem to be at the level of a pack leader, meow."
Hearing Sajji's description, Altaïr immediately realized what they were.
Jaggi, a Monster distantly related to Genprey. They were similar in size and habits but were not found near Loc Lac. However, they seemed to be quite common in this area. As for the size variation Sajji mentioned, it should be the difference between male and female Jaggi. According to written records, female Jaggi are noticeably larger than males by a full size.
"Four of them," Altaïr murmured to himself.
Jaggi and Genprey were quite similar in all aspects. With his current abilities, dealing with them wouldn't be difficult.
However, he preferred to avoid combat whenever possible. The scent of blood could attract other Monsters. While escaping alone would be relatively easy, he had to protect the merchant caravan.
"Grawr–"
The Jaggi's cries grew closer. A startled Aptonoth stood up, emitting low "mooing" bellows.
The cart driver in charge tugged hard on the reins, trying to calm it, but unexpectedly, other Aptonoth began struggling too, throwing the campsite into chaos.
Altaïr sighed in resignation.
The Jaggi had likely tracked the Aptonoth's scent here, and with this commotion, their position was undoubtedly exposed.
"Let's go, Sajji. We'll make this quick."
Before his words faded, another furious roar reached their ears.
"Groooaar–!!!"
Altaïr jolted in alarm. This wasn't a roar that could come from a creature the size of a Jaggi. Were there other large Monsters nearby?
Note: The Monster Hunter series has vague official map divisions, and there are conflicts between early and later titles in official settings. Here's a simplified explanation (specific to this novel's setting):
The Old Desert, also called the Great Desert, can be understood as the general term for the entire desert region.
The central area of the Great Desert has fine sand texture, allowing Sandships and creatures like Cephalos and Delex to navigate freely. This is what's called the 'Dead Sand Sea' or 'Sand Sea region,' with Loc Lac located in the southern part of the Sand Sea.
Further north of the Sand Sea, the sand becomes coarse with more diverse terrain like oases, Gobi, and rocky beaches (beyond which lies the Ancestral Steppe). The mobile city Val Habar roams around this area.
Due to the coarse sand, Dah'ren Mohran living in the northern desert possess thicker carapaces and horns than Jhen Mohran.