Perhaps because of the satisfying meal before the hunt, Isis appeared full of energy, even somewhat exhilarated.
Like a tin toy wound half a turn too tight, her footsteps were slightly faster than usual.
The two jogged all the way to the muddy swamp where the Barroth resided. The scent of Paintberries lingering in the air indicated their target remained here, having not departed.
This time, instead of stealthily concealing their tracks, they approached openly. When they were just a few dozen meters from the swamp, Altaïr halted and made a "please" gesture to Isis.
As previously agreed, Isis would first "solo" the Barroth. When she made a mistake and revealed an opening, Altaïr would then charge in to take over the battle.
The same would apply in reverse, the two would take turns engaging, using the Barroth as live combat training.
If Ms. Sophia learned of such an arrangement, she would undoubtedly seize them both and give them a thorough scolding.
Hunting should be an all-out effort, committing full strength to steadily eliminate the target was the only proper approach.
While some hunters did use Monsters as whetstones to hone their skills and practice new techniques, they typically chose smaller Monsters as subjects.
At the very least, they should find opponents with threat levels lower than their own, ensuring they could rely on superior strength if accidents occurred.
How could these two dare use a Barroth as training practice?!
How dare they? They dared precisely because they wouldn't let their elders find out.
Altaïr planted his Iron Katana, still in its sheath, to one side, fastened the round shield to his forearm, and horizontally tucked the Hunter's Dagger behind his waist.
Indeed, he had brought two weapons this time, prepared to use them as the situation demanded.
Meanwhile, Isis had reached the swamp's edge. Rather than stepping directly into the mire, since fighting in muddy terrain was far less ideal than luring the Barroth out, she remained outside.
Seeing the Barroth still dozing, Isis picked up a small stone at her feet and threw it toward the exposed head crest at the swamp's center.
She missed. Despite being only twenty meters from the Barroth, she still missed.
Was this the consequence of overusing the Slinger? She hoped nobody had seen.
Feeling somewhat guilty, Isis glanced back, only to find Altaïr standing in the distance, observing through binoculars.
Noticing her look, he gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.
Deeply embarrassed, Isis picked up another stone. Before she could throw it, the Barroth, awakened by the vibrations of the previous stone hitting the swamp, opened its eyes, twisted around, and stood up.
Its gaze naturally fell upon Isis at the swamp's edge.
"Hey!" Isis threw the stone in her hand. Surprisingly accurate this time, the stone struck the Barroth directly on the forehead, bouncing off its hard, thick head armor.
Faced with such blatant provocation, the Barroth's breathing grew heavy, white steam puffing from the air vents on its head.
Seeing this, Isis quickly covered her ears.
"Groooaar...!"
After enduring the piercing roar, Isis immediately turned and fled.
Though nicknamed "Child of the Mire," the massive and heavy Barroth struggled to run quickly through the several-meter-deep muddy swamp.
In the few seconds it took for the monster to twist its body and push through the mud to reach the shore, Isis had already sprinted dozens of meters away.
The first step of their strategy was to lure the Barroth away from the swamp.
The most troublesome aspect of hunting Barroth was its thick, sticky Mud Armor. While the armor would gradually break off during battle, it would completely restore itself if the monster returned to the swamp for a quick roll.
Therefore, they absolutely couldn't engage the Barroth near the muddy waters.
Chasing after the fleeing intruder without hesitation, the Barroth, being a Brute Wyvern of limited intelligence, had forgotten the terror these "bipedal small creatures" could bring.
Its simple mind only thought of quickly impaling and crushing her before returning to the cool swamp for more sleep.
Watching the Barroth chase after Isis until they nearly disappeared from view, Altaïr grinned. "Long legs sure make you fast."
Picking up his Iron Katana that was leaning nearby, he gave chase as well.
Weaving left and right, Isis led the Barroth to a dry rocky shore before stopping.
This was one of the several alternative battlefields they had scouted yesterday, relatively flat terrain that wouldn't hinder movement or combat, with some rock platforms and walls that could be used as tactical features, making it perfect for sword fighters.
Facing the rapidly approaching Barroth, Isis didn't immediately draw her weapon, but instead threw a Flash Pod.
Intense light bloomed before the Barroth's eyes, robbing it of vision while simultaneously stunning it.
What happens when a running creature gets stunned goes without saying, the Barroth flipped sideways and crashed to the ground, its shovel-shaped head crest cracking a large section of the rocky surface.
Seizing the opportunity, Isis quickly closed in to the Barroth's side, drew her sword, and executed a Step Slash!
The strike landed on the Barroth's hind leg.
As a Brute Wyvern, the Barroth relied entirely on its powerful hind legs for movement. This area featured thick bones, developed muscles, and substantial carapace, making it hardly a weak point.
But their previous battle had proven that repeatedly attacking this area to accumulate damage could significantly impair the Barroth's mobility.
This formed the core of the combat plan she had devised for herself.
After the Step Slash opened a bleeding wound on the Barroth's thigh, she immediately raised her sword again for an Overhead Slash!
The two consecutive strikes landed with almost no deviation. The Monster Bone-honed blade precisely cut into the existing wound, deepening it further.
This was followed by a Thrust, Rising Slash, Fade Slash, and Side Fade Slash, an entire combo unleashed in an instant.
"Textbook standard combo," Altaïr remarked while observing from a distance.
While this might sound like faint praise at first, these combos represented the accumulated wisdom of countless Long Sword users refined through practical experience.
How to most smoothly and quickly inflict maximum damage on monsters? This was the optimal choice.
As the Side Fade Slash concluded the combo, Isis leaped back several meters, creating some safe distance.
The Barroth, stunned by the Flash Pod, hadn't suffered too severe a fall and was now slowly rising, using its head to support its body.
This scene made Altaïr somewhat uncomfortable. If it were him, he would seize the opportunity to land a few more strikes with his Long Sword, dealing as much damage as possible while the Barroth was still getting up, after all, it couldn't retaliate during that time.
But could Isis's choice to end her attack early and retreat to a safe distance be considered wrong? Of course not. Any hunting instructor would praise such a decision, it was the essence of "caution."
If you're going to be this cautious, why even use a Long Sword?
The Barroth had gradually recovered from its daze as it stood up, but its vision had not yet returned to normal. Driven by survival instinct, it began spinning in place, whipping its tail and occasionally tossing its head to prevent enemies from closing in.
But it was clearly overthinking, Isis had no intention of taking such risks. Instead, she quietly circled to the other side of the Barroth, bent down to pick up a small stone from the ground, and loaded it into her Slinger.
Thwack!
The stone fired from the Slinger was far more powerful than one thrown by hand. It shattered upon impact with the Barroth's head.
The Barroth immediately turned toward the source of the attack, lowering its head and scraping its powerful hind legs against the rocky ground. The next moment, it roared and launched into a charge attack.
Impaired vision did nothing to diminish the force of the charge. Faced with the rumbling Barroth barreling toward her, Isis quickly dove out of the way, avoiding its path.
But the Barroth, with its blurred vision, didn't realize this. It continued charging at full speed, and slammed headfirst into a boulder larger than its entire body.