Realizing that this Blue Velocidrome was unusual, Gordon didn't send Zhu Pa to lure it out again, but instead challenged it himself.
Facing the sudden appearance of an enemy, the Blue Velocidrome stopped eating. It didn't immediately pounce but instead kept its gaze locked on the Hunter, with a fierce yet cautious look.
Gordon rested his right hand on the hilt of the Great Sword behind his back but didn't immediately draw it. Being in a sword-wielding stance would greatly affect his movement speed, making it unsuitable before the distance between them closed.
Ultimately, Gordon made the first move. He began to sprint, rapidly closing the distance between them.
The Blue Velocidrome hissed, also moving its legs, its blood-stained long beak and sharp claws appearing particularly menacing.
Just as the target's head was about to enter the Burst Blade's Attack Up range, Gordon decisively drew his sword, unleashing a vertical slash.
This move, which was almost always effective against Blue Velocidrome, actually failed this time. The Blue Velocidrome stopped in time, leaping back a short distance, easily dodging the powerful blow.
The heavy Burst Blade slammed into the ground. Gordon needed time to raise it again, and the Blue Velocidrome seized this opportunity, swinging its powerful long tail towards Gordon's side.
Gordon frowned, temporarily stopping the action of raising his Great Sword. He gripped the hilt with one hand and spun to the other side of the Burst Blade.
Block with the sword!
"Clang!"
The Blue Velocidrome's long tail struck the blade of the Burst Blade, and the considerable force caused Gordon's hands, which were maintaining the block, to tingle slightly.
"Indeed, it has extensive combat experience."
Gordon pursed his lips, shedding his complacent attitude. He leaned forward slightly, using the strength of his waist and legs, and swung his sword horizontally towards the Blue Velocidrome's legs.
The Blue Velocidrome once again leaped back in time, successfully evading.
However, this time, Gordon's Attack Up didn't end there.
Dispelling the excess inertia from the horizontal swing, after completing a full arc, Gordon immediately stepped forward again with an upward slash.
The Blue Velocidrome, thinking the Hunter had entered an Attack Up interval and was about to pounce and bite, had a large hooked claw precisely embedded into its lower jaw, penetrating its brain, and its massive body slumped to the ground.
Killed instantly.
Gordon put away his Burst Blade and let out a light breath.
Indeed, actual combat is the most effective way to improve martial arts. In just two days, he had honed his originally unfamiliar Great Sword techniques to perfection.
A missed slash? No problem, the next sword strike, fueled by the momentum, would only be stronger!
Looking at the perfectly intact Blue Velocidrome corpse in front of him, Gordon's mouth curved into a satisfied smile.
Without him needing to remind it, Zhu Pa instinctively began to guard the surroundings.
Taking almost twice as long as usual, Gordon carefully peeled off the large and complete Blue Velocidrome hide. Of course, he wouldn't let go of the high-quality scales, claws, and teeth either.
The materials for the Blue Velocidrome Set were collected!
"Alright, Zhu Pa, let's go home!"
"Meow!"
Returning to Kokoto Village, after delivering the quest and settling the reward, Gordon immediately went to the workshop with the large pile of Blue Velocidrome materials.
Then he received a terrible piece of news.
He had collected enough materials, but not enough money.
The Blue Velocidrome Set includes five parts: head, torso, waist, arms, and legs. The manufacturing cost for each armor part was 1150z, totaling nearly 6000z.
Furthermore, Gordon hoped the workshop owner would use the extra materials to make a set of armor for Zhu Pa, which would add another expense.
The 2000z quest reward he had just received, a portion of which still needed to go towards paying off his debt to the instructor, was nowhere near enough.
In his helplessness, Gordon had no choice but to hand over the materials and all his money to the workshop owner, asking the latter to start making his armor first, as unlike weapons, a full set of armor required a much longer production time.
Meanwhile, he and Zhu Pa took on new quests and once again headed to the Hunting Field.
Over the next period of time.
He accepted anything as long as the price was right: gathering quests to find special Mushrooms, hunt for meat, or collect deer hide, and crusade quests to defeat Great Wild Boar, Blue Velocidrome, and Qimian Tribe.
Initially, these "mob" one-star quests, which were neither lucrative nor challenging, made Gordon feel frustrated.
But the instructor told him that this was the daily life of Hunters.
The ores and materials for crafting armor and weapons, the countless ingredients for combining various hunting tools, and the money that was essential for everything.
None of these fell from the sky.
They could only be accumulated bit by bit.
Take the Burst Blade in Gordon's hand, for example.
It seemed as if all the materials were collected easily, but those massive quantities of Iron Ore and Earth Crystal, didn't Gordon chip them out one pickaxe at a time over the past two years?
Without going through this accumulation phase, how could one craft stronger armor, and how could one hunt more powerful monsters?
Better to just honestly do the quests!
Two weeks later, the Blue Velocidrome Set was completed. After paying the final installment, Gordon finally put on the new armor he had longed for day and night.
It was a full set of armor with a subtle design, yet it gave a very reliable feeling.
The brightly colored Blue Velocidrome hide had been tanned into an inconspicuous dark gray, and although it was leather, it subtly carried a heavy, metallic texture.
The chest, joints, and other vital areas were adorned with a large number of Blue Velocidrome scales and metal armor, providing maximum protection while not affecting the wearer's movement.
According to the workshop owner, the defensive performance of this armor was at least two to three times better than the most basic Hunter Set.
Paired with the heavy and sharp Burst Blade, Gordon now finally no longer looked like the "naive country bumpkin" he used to be.
It wasn't just Gordon who changed outfits; Zhu Pa did too.
The Nut Set, which only had the advantage of being "lightweight," was replaced by a brand new armor also made primarily from Blue Velocidrome materials.
And a "Mineral Cat Pickaxe" meticulously forged from several melted minerals.
All of this made Zhu Pa, who was also in its "adolescence," incredibly excited.
After paying the remaining balance for his and Zhu Pa's armor, Gordon, once again penniless, helplessly returned to his busy and somewhat tedious questing life.
However, even he didn't notice.
Through these unremarkable one-star quests, his body was trained, his martial arts and sword skills improved, and even the characteristic youthful impatience in his mindset gradually calmed down through the Sharpening of Mushrooms and minerals.
Summer and autumn passed quietly.
Throughout autumn, everyone was preparing for the upcoming winter. As the only two Hunters in the village, the instructor and Gordon constantly traveled between the village and the Hunting Field, hunting the essential meat for the villagers for winter.
After the tenth full moon of the year, Gordon, who had been busy for nearly half a year, finally temporarily put down his armor and weapons.
In the Shureido region, located in the northwest corner of the continent, winter arrived earlier. Under the cold winds from the northern Akura region, all things withered, and the activities of all living creatures slowed down.
Humans were no exception.
During this season, Hunters generally did not enter the Hunting Field.
Firstly, the hungry monsters in the Snowy Forest were more aggressive and extremely dangerous. Secondly, it was also to give the pregnant female beasts, who bred during autumn, some time to breathe.
Heavy snow fell, covering the mountains, forests, roads, and villages.
In previous years, Gordon, out of pride, was unwilling to spend winter at the instructor's house and was always alone.
But this year, he had a cat!
--+--
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!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.