Nearly an hour passed, and the weather showed no signs of clearing, but Gordon's mood had improved considerably; even the gloomy sky seemed a bit lovely in his eyes.
"Finally learned how to move quickly in this muddy terrain!"
However, compared to him, Oshura, who was leading the way, was not in such a beautiful mood.
The huntress found it increasingly difficult to pull away from Gordon; of course, with less weight, she could run faster, but that would also consume more stamina, which wasn't worth it.
"We're not here for an off-road race."
Oshura felt genuine envy for Gordon's learning ability.
She knew that unlike hunters who had undergone full training camp programs like herself, Gordon was a traditional hunter, trained in a one-on-one apprenticeship.
Often, as long as the master was reliable enough, traditional hunters could learn deeper levels of experience and knowledge, but when it came to overall ability, the training camp faction definitely had the advantage.
Both methods had their pros and cons, but Gordon was able to quickly make up for his shortcomings through learning.
Take, for example, the footwork he had just "secretly learned."
This footwork was taught to her by an instructor skilled in wetland combat; it wasn't difficult to learn, but even she had spent several hours gradually mastering it under the instructor's guidance.
How could he be like Gordon, who learned by imitating and practicing in real combat, mastering it in no time?
No wonder this guy could advance to Two-Star at such a young age; give him another year or two, and he might even catch up to her, advancing to Three-Star?
Both had their own thoughts, but their pace didn't slow.
Gordon noticed that the terrain beneath their feet was gradually rising; unlike the steep slopes of hilly areas, the incline here was very gentle.
Only by looking back and comparing it to the path they had taken could he notice the increase in elevation.
But it was this small difference in elevation that caused the water in this area to diminish, the soil to become solid, and the environment to become more suitable for woody plants; not far ahead, they could already see the lush forest belt.
"Does it feel a bit like the dense forest near Metabe?" Oshura slowed her pace and turned her head with a smile.
Even powerful hunters, fully armed and running for extended periods, would get tired; they needed a short rest before truly entering the dense forest.
Gordon slowly stopped, took two deep breaths, and nodded, saying, "It does a bit, but I think the plant species seem a bit different."
"It's good that you noticed that."
Oshura re-tied her hair, her tone slightly solemn, "The forest belt here is a rainforest; there are more ferns, vines, and broadleaf plants than in Metabe and the Shuleite Mountains, so we need to be careful of snakes and parasites.
I know you're in your element in the Forest and Hills and dense forests, but this is a new area, don't let your guard down."
"I understand, Eshu La Senior." Gordon obediently replied.
"How's Zhu Pa doing?~"
When facing Zhu Pa, Oshura's voice became hearty and bright again.
Zhu Pa, in turn, vigorously shook off the water droplets from her body, raised her Ore Cat Pickaxe high, and loudly responded, "I'm fine, meow!"
"Let's eat something. After we're full, we'll enter the forest." With that, Oshura pulled out some Portable Ration and began to chew it vigorously.
Gordon and Zhu Pa also took out food from their respective satchels.
Due to the continuous rain, the oiled paper wrapping the Portable Ration was already soaked, and the Portable Ration inside was a bit damp; fortunately, it didn't affect consumption, though it became harder to chew.
Zhu Pa's dried fish was the same, but having grown up in the wild, she didn't mind these things; she held the damp dried fish with her small paws and gnawed at it quickly.
In just over two minutes, they finished eating and collectively drank a few gulps of water; their full stomachs were enough to sustain them for most of the day.
"About a kilometer or so from the edge of the forest belt, there's a low rock mountain. There are some small caves eroded by wind and rain there, which are the best dens for Peach-hair Beast packs.
The geology near the rock mountain is relatively hard, and the vegetation is relatively sparse. If we encounter a King Yian Kut-Ku, we should try to fight there; the lush rainforest isn't very suitable for me to operate in."
Oshura, having filled her stomach, squatted down and drew a simple map of the nearby terrain with her finger on the ground.
"Okay."
Gordon agreed with Oshura's judgment, but out of curiosity, he still asked the question on his mind, "Eshu La Senior, have you hunted a King Yian Kut-Ku near that rock mountain before?"
"Yes, three or four months ago. Why?"
"After a King Yian Kut-Ku dies, a Peach-hair Beast pack shouldn't be able to support another one in such a short time, right?"
Gordon was a bit worried they might come up empty-handed.
Oshura smiled and said, "Then you underestimate the brutal ecology of the wetlands. When that Peach-hair Beast pack lost its leader, it couldn't occupy that prime nesting spot for long.
Nearby Peach-hair Beast packs will come to take over this territory. Some of the Peach-hair Beasts in the local pack will be killed or exiled, while others will be absorbed into the new pack, forming a larger group.
In short, as long as there are Peach-hair Beast packs in the vicinity, it can generally be confirmed that a King Yian Kut-Ku is also nearby."
"I see. It would be great if we can find the target smoothly. Shall we depart now?"
"Let's go, let's go!"
Gordon nodded and was the first to enter the rainforest.
As a swordsman, it was natural for him to take the lead and clear the path.
Just as Oshura said, this rainforest seemed similar to the mountains of Shuleite, equally dense and green, but in reality, the differences were significant.
He needed to exert more effort to be wary of the surrounding environment, to avoid attacks from venomous snakes and other creatures, so his speed was not fast.
The lush, broad leaves shielded them from the continuous rain, but the extremely high humidity made Gordon and his companions feel as if they were constantly submerged in water, feeling both stuffy and hot.
Suddenly, Gordon noticed something; he stopped and raised his fist, and Oshura, who was not far behind him, immediately stopped and became alert.
This was a bamboo forest, with countless bamboo stalks as thick as thighs pointing straight to the sky. Gordon found something unusual near several of these bamboo stalks—the soil near the bamboo roots had clearly been disturbed, with numerous traces of wild beast claws turning over the earth.
Gordon squatted down and inspected it carefully, finding that the traces were still relatively fresh.
Oshura also came closer; she glanced at it and confidently stated, "These are Peach-hair Beast claw prints. They were probably left when they came here to dig for bamboo shoots to eat.
This kind of bamboo is very resistant to moisture, and there are many distributed in the nearby forest. Its tender shoots, like mushrooms, are also a favorite staple food of Peach-hair Beasts."
"Foraging, huh? In that case, the Peach-hair Beast pack won't be too far from here."
"Mm, these pink gorillas like to move in groups; once encountered, there are at least two or three of them. We can clear out some of them first, so they don't cause trouble when we fight the King Yian Kut-Ku."
Oshura's statement might seem somewhat cruel to some, but Gordon, also a hunter, understood perfectly; in the perilous wilderness, they had no luxury to sympathize with monsters.
"Let's follow the tracks and see."
--+--
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.
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