Led by the Arcanine, Zhang Tian and Minoto arrived at a frozen cave.
"Minoto, the Arcanine says the Gore Magala is inside," Zhang said.
"Wait for me," she nodded, then got to work setting a series of traps outside the cave. At the same time, Zhang released all his Pokémon, instructing them to use their buffing skills to prepare for battle.
Minoto, having finished her preparations, was stunned when she saw a bunch of Pokémon beside Zhang. She knew that he had recovered many monsters, but she didn't expect to recover so many. And from the point of view of breath, they were all very powerful and had reached the level of a Rathalos. Minoto was curious, how did a low-level monster like the Great Izuchi cultivate to the level of a male fire dragon?
"Minoto, are you ready?" Zhang Tian asked.
"I'm ready, the trap at the door can stop the Gore Magala from escaping," she replied.
"Then let's go," he said.
"I'll take the lead. I'm stronger than you," Minoto stated, then took up her lance and shield and walked to the front.
Zhang followed on his Arcanine, with Gardevoir sitting behind him. Gengar and Feraligatr hid in his shadow, while the Rathalos and other dragons trailed carefully behind.
Deep inside the cave, in a place the size of a football field, Minoto came to a stop.
"It's not the Black Eclipse Dragon, it's the Goss Harag," Minoto frowned slightly as she looked at the monster on the opposite side.
The creature resembled a bear with long white fur, but its head looked like a demonic mask from a stage play. It stood six meters tall and seven meters long, roughly the same size as the Redhelm Arzuros. This was a Goss Harag. Despite its size not being as imposing as a Rathalos, its ecological rank was a level higher, placing it in the same tier as Glavenus—an Elite Four-level monster.
Led by the Arcanine, Zhang Tian and Minoto came to a snowy field.
"Zhang Tian, look at the Popo carcass on the ground," Minoto said softly, pointing to the half-eaten remains.
"It seems you've identified the culprit: Gore Magala," Zhang said after glancing at the carcass.
"That's right. The bite marks are exactly like the ones I've seen in books," she confirmed. "We're lucky. The second target the Arcanine found was the Gore Magala itself."
"Minoto, this area is too open," Zhang said, frowning as he scanned the surroundings. "If the Gore Magala is nearby, it will be hard to hunt. It can fly."
In the games, flying monsters would often land to fight, but reality was different. Most flying creatures weren't foolish enough to give up their aerial advantage.
"I know. That's why we need to find a cave and use something it likes to eat as bait," Minoto said, pointing to an underground cavern in the distance. "That one will do."
"Alright," Zhang nodded and followed her.
"Roar!" The moment they jumped down, they startled a resting monster inside—a Great Izuchi.
"Sakura Air Blade Slash!" Zhang drew his Nargacuga Long Sword, a Wirebug pulling him forward in a flash.
Slice! The blade descended, and the Great Izuchi was instantly diced into more than a dozen pieces. Zhang felt a pang of nostalgia. A monster that once required careful planning to defeat was now dispatched in a single strike. Time really flies, he thought.
"Good luck. With the Great Izuchi's body, it will be easier to attract the Gore Magala," Minoto said with a gentle smile. She began to prepare the bait, pouring a black liquid over the carcass that emitted a strange, sweet fragrance.
"What is that?" Zhang asked curiously.
"This is called Dragon's Incense," she explained. "It's something the Guild developed specifically to deal with Gore Magala. It's a mixture of its favorite foods. Once a Gore Magala eats it, the Frenzy Virus in its body will be temporarily suppressed, and it won't be able to enter its frenzied state. Without that, its strength is no greater than a normal monster like a Diablos."
"That's really useful stuff," Zhang praised.
A Gore Magala unable to enter its frenzied state was on par with a regular Diablos. A frenzied one, however, was equivalent to a Diablos infected with the virus—two completely different levels of threat. It was just like the Barioth; without the virus, it was on par with a normal Rathalos, but with it, it could fight a Rathalos that had used Dragon Dance six times.
"It has to be. The Guild wouldn't have given it to me if I hadn't accepted this quest," Minoto said. "After all, it's very valuable."
After a few more moments of preparation, the bait was ready.
"Let's go back outside. We'll come back in once it takes the bait," Minoto said. She led Zhang back to the surface, where they dug a pit and covered themselves with snow to wait. Her Palamute did the same. Zhang recalled all of his Pokémon to their Luxury Balls.
A cold wind howled, and heavy snow continued to fall. They were fortunate not to be ordinary people; anyone else would have frozen to death long ago.
Half an hour later, a black shadow descended from the sky. It was seventeen meters long, a size smaller than a Rathalos, and covered in black scales. It had four legs and a pair of huge wings, resembling a Western dragon. This was the Gore Magala.
Gore Magala
Level: 73 (Champion Tier)
Unlike a Rathalos, the Gore Magala had a distinct pair of forelimbs, a characteristic of Elder Dragons. Most Elder Dragons had four legs and two wings, while wyverns like the Rathalos were bipedal. The Gore Magala had no eyes; to perceive its surroundings, it had to spread a fine scale-like powder.
They had hidden themselves well, and the eyeless dragon did not detect the two humans and a Palamute.
Thud!
It jumped down into the underground cave. Seeing this, Minoto immediately climbed out and began placing traps around the entrance. The ground was littered with some of the Gore Magala's scales, so she had to move with extreme caution to avoid being detected. The scale powder was, in essence, the Gore Magala's eyes.
At the same time, Zhang released all his Pokémon, signaling them to silently buff themselves. The disobedient Goss Harag remained in its ball.
Once the traps were set, Minoto beckoned to Zhang before leaping down into the cave. She was incredibly brave, not even waiting for him to join her.
"Let's go!" Zhang mounted his Arcanine and, after guiding his Pokémon around the traps, followed her down.
Inside the cave, the Gore Magala had already eaten most of the Great Izuchi's body.
Thud!
Hearing Minoto land, the Gore Magala spread its huge wings, and a cloud of black scale powder filled the entire cavern. It had sensed the danger.
"Flowing Spurt!" Minoto raised her lance and charged. Now that the ground was covered in its scale powder, the Gore Magala could "see" her. It didn't understand why such a small creature was so dangerous, but it trusted its instincts and launched a serious counterattack.
"Roar!" The Gore Magala opened its mouth and spat a purple mass of energy at her—its unique skill, the Black Poison Cannon. This was no ordinary projectile; it was a glob of the Frenzy Virus. A direct hit would not only cause injury but could also lead to infection.
Minoto immediately raised her shield.
Bang!
An explosion sounded, and she was pushed back more than ten steps, while the Gore Magala was completely unaffected.
"Roar!" Seeing its ranged attack was useless, the Gore Magala charged forward with Dragon Rush, a move common to most large monsters.
"Anchor Rage!" Minoto half-knelt, raising her shield high. Green-blue strands of silk shot out from it, forming a large net that anchored itself to the ground.
Boom!
The moment the Gore Magala hit the shield, the net repelled it with incredible force.
Bang! Bang!
The dragon stumbled back several steps before falling to the ground.
"Flowing Spurt!" Minoto thrust her lance.
Thud!
The thick weapon slammed into the Gore Magala's head, piercing a massive wound.
"I'm here!" At that moment, Zhang arrived with his team.
"Awooo!" The Arcanine let out a long howl, unleashing its Intimidate ability. The Gore Magala's attack power was reduced by 10%. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.