During Gordon's recovery, Instructor Ernest had been pondering something.
The little guy needed a new weapon.
Instructor Ernest had known for a long time that the Dunjian (Shield Sword/Sword and Shield) wasn't suitable for Gordon, so why did he insist on Gordon using it as a training weapon?
It was simply because, before a Trainee Huntercompleted their training and grew stronger, the Dunjian (Shield Sword/Sword and Shield) was the most convenient weapon for self-preservation! — That light, small round shield was truly too useful.
In fact, there were more than ten types of hunter weapons with mature systems.
Heavy Bowgun and Hunter's Bow aside for now; on one hand, Instructor Ernest couldn't teach them as he didn't know how to use them at all, and on the other hand, Gordon had already expressed that he wasn't interested in ranged weapons, believing close-quarters combat was a man's romance.
As for melee weapons...
The Dunjian (Shield Sword/Sword and Shield), Dual Blades, and Katana leaned towards agility, requiring hunters to attack monsters quickly and precisely.
The Lance and Gunlance were steady and defensive, often requiring teamwork.
The Great Sword and Hammer were powerful, aiming for a decisive blow.
As for the Hunting Flute, let's not even consider it; that child was tone-deaf and had no musical talent whatsoever.
And the Insect Glaive, Shield Axe, and the Shield Axe—which had only been developed in the past two years, and was still in the experimental stage with its technology not yet fully mature—were clearly even less suitable for a beginner.
What was Gordon's greatest advantage? Without a doubt, it was strength.
Instructor Ernest never doubted this.
What kind of child uses a millstone to train their body at such a young age? He had only ever seen Gordon do it; innate divine strength was not a figure of speech when applied to him, but a fact.
Picking up a hundred-kilogram giant tusk and smashing the Great Wild Boar King to death—could an ordinary teenager do that?
Coupled with Gordon's burly physique, over 180 centimeters tall and still developing, theoretically the most suitable weapons for him should be chosen from the Great Sword, Hammer, Lance, and Gunlance.
Because they were all heavy weapons that required "strength" to unleash their power.
The final choice would still depend on Gordon's own thoughts.
When Instructor Ernest found Gordon, the latter was doing recovery training.
Instructor Ernest had always been very satisfied with Gordon's diligence; lazy individuals with only talent had no future, only hard work could lead one to the peak.
"Gordon, first, congratulations again; having successfully passed the assessment mission, you are now a true hunter."
Hearing this, Gordon excitedly prepared to speak, but Instructor Ernest waved his hand, stopping him.
"You must have noticed it yourself, the Dunjian (Shield Sword/Sword and Shield) isn't suitable for you; it cannot perfectly utilize your physique and strength advantages."
Gordon nodded, a bit dazed, at the words.
He cherished his Hunter's Knife very much; even the shattered pieces from his battle with the Great Wild Boar King were carefully collected as a memento.
But during the battle, he had indeed felt that awkward sensation of not being able to exert his full strength.
"In my experience, the Lance, Gunlance, Great Sword, and Hammer—these four heavy weapons—are most suitable for you and can better leverage your strength advantage.
Of course, this is just my personal judgment.
The choice of a suitable weapon will directly impact your entire hunter career, and the final decision can only be made by you."
Instructor Ernest's expression was very serious, which made Gordon also become serious.
"Instructor Ernest, I've also considered this issue, but I haven't had any contact with weapons other than the Dunjian (Shield Sword/Sword and Shield), so how can I judge?"
Instructor Ernest heard this, crossed his arms, and nodded, "Come with me, we're going to the training ground."
The so-called training ground was merely an open space with several thick wooden stakes, located on the back mountain not far from Kokoto Village.
As the only Trainee Hunter—oh, former Trainee Hunter—in Kokoto Village, having such a space available for training was already quite luxurious.
On the weapon rack at the training ground, various weapons were placed.
These were all training tools made of crude iron, not even sharpened; besides being durable, they had no other advantages.
On the way, after listening to Instructor Ernest's detailed introduction and analysis, Gordon focused his attention on four weapons.
Katana, Dual Blades, Great Sword, Hammer.
The Lance and Gunlance, which should have been more suitable, were excluded by him early on; the steady, turtle-like fighting style did not suit his approach.
He preferred to attack proactively.
Gordon first picked up the Dual Blades, swung them around wildly a few times, almost slicing his own head, then sheepishly put them down.
This wasn't just a matter of proficiency; using Dual Blades required very high coordination and flexibility. The "Wild Dance," which was the core of its moves, would unleash dozens of slashes in a short period.
For Gordon, who could barely touch his own back with his hands behind him, this was almost an impossible task.
Excluded!
He then picked up the Katana.
This tall, slender weapon wasn't heavy, but swinging it gave him a special sense of power—swift and sharp yet not lacking agility. He was very interested.
At least, the feel was much more comfortable than the Dunjian (Shield Sword/Sword and Shield); it was a provisional candidate.
The third weapon he tried was the Hammer.
To be honest, he didn't quite like the Hammer's appearance, always feeling it was a bit clumsy, but he had a special fondness for this weapon.
The source of this fondness was simple—the weapon Instructor Ernest excelled at using was the Hammer.
He swung it, smashed it, then grabbed the handle and spun around like a whirlwind a few times, using his feet as an axis, finally putting it back on the weapon rack.
How to describe it? It had a strong sense of power, but it wasn't very smooth to use, and the feel was worse than the Katana. If he had to choose between the two, he would pick the former.
Finally, he tried the Great Sword.
The moment he picked up the Great Sword, he instinctively used both hands to lift it.
This heavy and solid feel reminded him of that giant tusk.
This weapon was slightly shorter than the Katana but many times wider and much heavier. For others, this extra weight might be a burden.
But for him, this weight made him feel secure.
Without any instruction, he instinctively stepped forward half a pace with his left foot, placed the Great Sword on his right shoulder, and shifted his body's center of gravity backward, adopting a "carrying" posture.
As he maintained this posture, an indescribable power condensed and accumulated within his body, to the point where it had to be unleashed.
"Hyaah!"
His right foot stepped out, and the heavy Great Sword, carried on his shoulder, was driven by that power, cleaving down with a momentum that seemed to cut through everything, utterly demolishing the wooden weapon rack in front of him.
"Uh, Instructor Ernest, I'm sorry! I'll take responsibility for repairing it!" Gordon didn't know why he had chopped the weapon rack, but Instructor Ernest's expression didn't seem angry at all.
Instead, his face held a mix of relief and excitement?
"It's fine." Instructor Ernest waved his hand with a smile, "Do you want to try the Katana again?"
"No need, the Great Sword it is!" Gordon grinned. He liked this heavy feel and the momentum of cutting through everything.
He felt that after holding the Great Sword, any other weapon would feel incredibly awkward.
"Um, Instructor Ernest, can I borrow this Great Swordtemporarily?"
Gordon shamelessly requested, "You know, my Hunter's Knife is damaged, and I don't have any other weapons for now—"
"No!" Instructor Ernest immediately put on a stern face.
"As a hunter, there are several unbreakable principles.
One of them is that a hunter's weapons and armor must be crafted from materials obtained by the hunter themselves. The act of gifting or lending weapons and materials is strictly forbidden!"
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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