"Three-star and two-star large-monster quests—gone?"
The hunter sitting across from Ira blinked in disbelief.
Ira(receptionist) smiled politely, her tone professional as ever.
"Yes. Every single one's already been taken."
"...You serious? Don't tell me the Commander organized a massive strike team or something! I'd have heard about that!"
Ira lifted a small vial of recovery medicine, took a sip, and exhaled softly.
"Sorry, sir. They're really all gone. You could check again at six tomorrow morning for new postings—or perhaps look at investigation or escort missions. Or…"
Her smile deepened, light and patient.
"...try your luck with the four-star hunts."
The hunter twitched.
Four-star hunts? That wasn't "luck," that was suicide. He only needed quick work for coin—nothing that would take a week.
He sighed.
"Fine. Two one-star small-monster quests, then."
"Apologies again," Ira said. "All one-star delivery and hunting missions have also been claimed."
The hunter froze.
"...What?"
"You're the twenty-fifth hunter to ask. The others took everything already."
The man's breath hitched. Once upon a time, one-star quests gathered dust for weeks.
"Then what about two-star or three-star investigations? Special tasks?"
"We have one three-star investigation remaining," Ira began, flipping a page. "It's to—"
"I'll take it!"
He slammed a pouch of coins onto the counter, eyes burning.
"Register it. Now."
"Would you like to see the details first—?"
"No need! Please, just register it! Thank you!"
He'd spotted another hunter entering the hall—one of his rank. No way he was losing this.
Ira blinked, still smiling.
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
Within a minute, the registration was complete.
The hunter snatched his quest slip and bolted for the elevator, hugging it like treasure.
"Er, drinks tonight?" another hunter called after him.
No response. Only the rattle of chain links as the lift carried him away.
The man left behind frowned.
"What's his problem? Did he get fined for missing a deadline or something?"
He turned toward Ira.
"Hey, Ira—any new three-star large-monster hunts?"
Ira took another sip of recovery potion and replied cheerfully:
"Sorry, but everything below four-star's been taken. That includes all special, investigation, and escort missions."
The hunter stared.
"Huh?"
And at that moment—
A green signal flare blossomed in the sky above the Ancient Forest.
Ira glanced up, eyes calm and knowing.
"Once you accept that man is a walking natural disaster," she murmured, "everything suddenly makes sense."
She took another delicate sip.
"Mmm. The base feels unusually peaceful today."
Peace on the Starship didn't extend to the ground.
At Astera's west gate, chaos reigned.
"Somebody stop the Barroth! The tranquilizer's wearing off!"
"Where are the hunters?! We need backup!"
"The Palico transport's late, meow! He's still out there waiting!"
"Another signal flare! Hurry up, meow!"
The Barroth began to stir—until a flash of light streaked through the air.
A capture sphere struck it square in the snout.
A hunter in azure armor landed beside the creature, movements swift and precise, tossing capture spheres one after another.
"Teacher!"
A nearby hunter shouted, recognizing the newcomer.
"Swordmaster!"
"Silence."
The Commander's voice cut through the panic.
He climbed onto a crate, his tone steady and commanding.
"From here on, I'll take command."
Under his direction, order returned to the chaos. Palicoes hauled in captured monsters, hunters organized the yard, and the last shouts of confusion faded into disciplined motion.
By midnight, the west gate finally settled.
The Commander wiped his brow.
He'd already decided: the logistics division would need a full overhaul. If things continued like this, they'd collapse under the next surge of captures.
Inside the command tent, the Swordmaster stood across from him.
"So many captured monsters… did you organize a mass hunt?"
"If I had, things wouldn't be half this messy," the Commander said, handing over a stack of papers.
"This was all one man."
The Swordmaster glanced down.
Every single completion slip bore the same signature.
Bai Chen.
Bai Chen.
Bai Chen.
Twenty-six completed quests.
The earliest timestamp: last night.
The latest: ten minutes ago.
"Two days and one night?" The Swordmaster's voice dropped a pitch. "He did all these alone?"
"That's right. Average time per hunt — ninety minutes. And by my estimate, a third of that was spent waiting on the Palico transport carts."
The Swordmaster exhaled, half laughing.
"So the mushroom knight finally decided to get serious."
He remembered the eccentric hunter vividly — the "recommended knight" who spent more time gathering fungi than fighting.
"Should we limit his quest intake?"
"Why?" the Commander asked, genuinely curious.
"We used to beg people to take assignments. Now, thanks to him, every sub-four-star quest is gone. Hunters are fighting over slots. I'd say we owe him thanks."
The Swordmaster nodded slowly.
He'd watched the Commander agonize over quest assignments for years. Now, one man had solved the problem overnight.
The Commander tucked the receipts away and turned serious again.
"And your report? Any signs of anomalies?"
"Plenty," the Swordmaster replied. "Steel Wyvern traces in the Ancient Forest. Several high-tier monsters were displaced from their nests. I recommend suspending all forest hunts for now."
The Commander frowned.
"Steel Wyverns… we tracked one forty years ago when the First Fleet came to the New World."
The Swordmaster continued, reaching into his satchel.
"I also found this."
He held up a faintly glowing pink gem.
The Commander took it, turning it in his hand.
"A monster secretion gem?"
"Exactly. I've seen similar ones in Rock Wyverns — this one was left behind in a territorial fight between a Tobi-Kadachi and a Rock Wyvern."
"A Rock Wyvern…" the Commander muttered. "I didn't think we'd find those in the New World. Keep this quiet — the black-market price for their materials is too high. We don't need reckless hunters stirring trouble."
The Swordmaster nodded.
"Understood."
Author's Note:
Rock Wyverns don't appear in the official World/Iceborne timeline, but the New World here is an expanded version, so certain monsters from other titles (Zinogre, Mizutsune, Brachydios) may appear if the plot demands.
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