The sails billowed full as the Sandship broke through the waves of sand, sailing at high speed across the sand sea.
This type of Small Sand Skiff, no more than eight or nine meters long, was a unique mode of transport in the Great Desert.
Its hull was built from lightweight wood, making it very nimble. The sides and keel were inlaid with long, narrow, and sharp metal plates, like knives, allowing it to cut through the sand waves with minimal resistance and sail at high speeds.
In the Great Desert, especially in the sand sea region at its core, the sand was extremely fine and dry. Wheeled vehicles were completely unable to travel, and even walking normally was very difficult for those unaccustomed to the desert environment.
There were only three options for long-distance travel in the Great Desert.
The first was the Airship. It was fast and efficient, its only drawback being the high price. Only well-off travelers and merchants transporting precious goods would choose this mode of transport.
The second was caravans composed of Aptonoth and camels. They could transport large quantities of goods at a low cost, but their disadvantage was their slow speed and the risk of being attacked by Monsters. However, this was currently the most mainstream method of commerce.
The third was the Sandship. Large Sandships were difficult to build, very rare, and generally not for civilian use.
Medium-sized Sandships were extremely bumpy and had limited areas of operation, only able to sail in the windy sand sea regions where the sand was finest. They generally existed as fishing vessels for Delex catching.
The problem of bumpiness was even more pronounced in Small Sand Skiffs, making them difficult for ordinary people to handle. They also had very limited cargo capacity and were complex to operate, requiring an experienced pilot to constantly adjust the sails and rudder.
But they were the most beloved and most frequently used mode of transport for desert hunters.
A journey of dozens or even hundreds of kilometers could be completed in a single day. On foot, it would likely take a week.
Altaïr and the two others were currently riding in such a Sandship.
To save a bit of money and to free up more carrying capacity for supplies and ammunition, as well as to bring back more valuable materials on their return trip, they had not hired a professional boatman, choosing instead to pilot it themselves.
"My sailing skills are pretty great, huh!" The one currently piloting the Sandship was the loudmouthed Heavy Bowgun user, Asa. He laughed heartily as he adjusted the sails.
"Yeah, yeah," Altaïr replied perfunctorily, but he had to admit to himself that the brothers' Sandship piloting skills were indeed outstanding, even professional.
He himself knew how to pilot a Sandship. Teacher Haifa had taught him, but only to the extent of being able to sail it normally. A slightly sharp turn would cause him to lose speed and stall the vessel. He was no match for them.
"Our father was a fisherman in the Fishing Fleet," said Nuri with a smile. He was deliberately sitting in the middle-to-rear section of the skiff to adjust the center of gravity and keep the bow from being weighed down.
"Piloting a Sandship and throwing harpoons are things we've practiced since we were kids. It's a 'family heirloom,' you could say, though this kind of heirloom isn't worth much, haha."
"Not at all. It's a very practical skill in the sand sea," Altaïr said in all seriousness.
Nuri helped his brother adjust the ropes on the sail. "When we were little, my brother and I never thought about becoming hunters or anything.
But one year during the Harvest Festival, we saw the Sandship Fleet returning fully loaded. We thought the hunters on board looked so impressive, and that's when the idea first came to us."
Asa laughed and continued, "We ran back and told our parents about it. Mom was dead set against it, saying being a hunter was too dangerous.
Dad, on the other hand, wasn't opposed. He said he originally planned for us to take over his profession and join the Fishing Fleet, but being a fisherman who does Delex catching didn't seem much safer than being a hunter, so he agreed to let us try.
Unexpectedly, we both passed the screening and entered the training camp. Mom chewed Dad out for that for years.
Ah, right, I haven't asked you yet, Altaïr. Why did you want to become a hunter?"
Altaïr adjusted the straw hat on his head. "I wasn't born in Loc Lac. I'm a nomad from a nearby oasis.
When I was a child, my settlement was attacked by a Monster. My family and friends didn't make it. I was rescued and adopted by my master.
As for why I became a hunter, it was mainly because I look up to people like my master. Of course, part of it is for revenge, too. I have to give the dead some closure."
Silence fell over the Sandship. Sajji, who had been curled up at the bow, lifted his head to glance at him, while Nuri kicked his younger brother.
Snapping back to his senses, Asa stammered, "S-Sorry. I didn't know. I didn't mean to open old wounds."
"It's fine." Altaïr's expression didn't change. "I moved on from that a long time ago. It's not exactly a rare occurrence, so there's nothing to hide."
The atmosphere on the Sandship had grown a bit heavy. After a moment, Nuri spoke up. "Actually, I met a few people with similar experiences back in the training camp.
You give off a different feeling from them."
"Yeah," Asa's voice was much quieter now. "Those guys were all full of hostility and didn't interact with people much. They just trained like their lives depended on it all day.
The instructors often told us to take the initiative to approach them, befriend them, and reminded them that if their only reason for becoming a hunter was revenge, they would sooner or later get themselves and their teammates killed, or go down the wrong path.
You don't give off that feeling, Altaïr. It always feels like you're calmer and much more rational than we are."
"It's probably because I have a good master," Altaïr said after a moment of thought.
—--
The mission area wasn't too far from Loc Lac. Traveling by Sandship, they arrived at the camp near the quest zone in just over two hours.
When they arrived, several hunters were already waiting in the camp.
As the eldest of the trio and the one with the highest hunter rank, Nuri naturally became the team leader and shouldered the responsibility of external communications.
He took the initiative to walk forward. "We're the Loc Lac Rangers. Apologies for our late arrival, seniors."
From under the low brim of his hat, Altaïr's gaze quietly sized up the other hunters.
It was a three-person team, with the same composition as theirs: two blademasters and one Gunner.
The leader was a Dual Blades user, wielding the 'High Giaprey Claws.' They were an outstanding set of Dual Blades forged from Giadrome materials and repeatedly upgraded, possessing considerable ice element power.
His master was also a Dual Blades user, so he had a deeper understanding of this type of weapon. He couldn't identify the other two's weapons in such detail.
The Hammer behind the Hammer user was likely a Carapace Hammer forged from Barroth materials. He didn't recognize the Light Bowgun user's weapon, but Asa, being a Gunner himself, did.
He turned his head and whispered to Altaïr, "Tail String. It's a Light Bowgun crafted from Blango materials that can rapid-fire Freeze Ammo."
Their weapons varied, but most focused on Ice element attacks. Their armor, however, was a uniform 'Cephalos S' set.
As the name suggested, this was armor primarily made from Cephadrome materials. It wasn't just an ordinary Cephalos set, but the 'Cephalos S,' meticulously crafted by selecting only the best from a large collection of high-quality materials.
In terms of defensive capabilities, it was nearly on par with high-level armor like the Rathalos set.
Coupled with the three men's graying hair and slightly aged faces, the name of a hunting party leaped into Altaïr's mind.
Desert Fins.
He had heard of this hunting party, though not for having a particularly good reputation.
For thirty years, this party had been active in the Great Desert and its surrounding areas. Their presence could be seen from Rekusara in the north to the Port Tanzia in the south.
The reason their reputation wasn't the best wasn't because they had done anything wrong, but because this hunting party only ever hunted one type of Monster: the Cephadrome.
Some busybodies had estimated that the number of Cephadromes that had fallen at their hands was likely over a hundred, and the number of regular Cephalos could be over a thousand. They were 'Cephalos Slayers' in the truest sense.
Some people thought, these guys were hunting Cephadromes twenty or thirty years ago, and now they're still hunting Cephadromes when they're almost at retirement age. Are they really just stuck in their comfort zone with no ambition at all?
Of course, this was just the opinion of some hunters. The Guild actually held hunters like them in high regard.
They didn't cause trouble, didn't act recklessly, and focused on hunting a single Monster to become experts. When a Cephalos problem needed solving, you could contact them and be 100% certain it would be handled properly. What could be better?
While Altaïr and Asa were secretly sizing them up, Nuri had more or less finished his conversation.
"We'll go make some preparations first and hit the Cephadrome with a Paintball. When you're fighting the Cephalos, pay attention to the scent of the Paintball. If you detect the Cephadrome approaching, retreat as quickly as possible."
With that, the three old hunters prepared to leave the camp.
As they passed by Altaïr and the others, the lead Dual Blades user glanced at Altaïr's almost excessively youthful face, turned his head back, and added another sentence.
"Like the Cephadrome, the Cephalos's weak points are its neck, belly, and back. You can use sound to blast them out of the sand.
They aren't good at walking. Focus your attacks on their legs to force them to fall over, and they'll no longer be a threat."
While Altaïr was still stunned, the three had already reached the camp entrance. He quickly raised his voice and shouted.
"Thank you for the advice!"
The old hunters didn't stop walking, merely waving a hand in acknowledgment.