Marydan slammed her hammer into the training dummy. Even though she didn't use her full strength, the solid wood dummy was still left with a conspicuous crater.
Then came the second strike.
At Marydan's reminder, Altaïr, who had been watching her waist and thighs, discovered that the muscles in her legs and waist tensed like springs.
With each descending strike, the taut muscles of her front leg would store the excess 'inertia.' The moment she lifted the Hammer, the muscles in her front leg would release, accelerating the Hammer's upward motion. At the same time, the muscles in her back leg, waist, and back would repeat the process, storing power in preparation for the next strike.
It was like a seesaw.
"Hah!"
As Marydan spun and swung the Hammer, she gathered all her strength to deliver a finishing blow. Wood splinters flew as a crack the width of a palm split open the training dummy.
She slammed the Hammer heavily onto the ground. "Did you get it?!"
Altaïr nodded thoughtfully. He felt this technique of 'recycling power' was very useful, and perhaps not just limited to the Hammer.
"Good, as long as you get it! It might not look hard, but it takes a lot of work to master. You can practice it on your own from now on."
Unaware of what Altaïr was thinking, Marydan satisfactorily set the Hammer aside. "That's all for today's training. Loosen up your muscles, then come back inside. I have something to tell you."
"Ah, yes!" Altaïr quickly did a few sets of stretches, then followed her into the house.
When he entered the living room, Marydan was sitting cross-legged on a surprisingly large floor mat, drinking tea. Seeing him approach, she pointed to another cushion beside her.
Altaïr obediently sat down.
"You've been doing quests quite frequently lately, kid. You should be close to meeting the requirements for promotion to 2★, right?"
"Mhm," Altaïr said with a nod. "I have enough quests. I plan to prepare a little more and take the promotion quest soon."
"Hurry it up." Marydan put down a massive teacup that a single teapot couldn't fill and said pointedly, "The monsoon season will be here before long. If you can get promoted to 2★ before then, I can pull some strings and arrange an opportunity for you to see the world."
"The monsoon season?" Altaïr was confused for a few seconds, then it dawned on him. "You mean...?!"
"That's right! It's exactly what you're thinking." Marydan grinned widely. "Feeling a sudden surge of motivation to get promoted?"
"Yes! I'll go accept a quest right now!" Altaïr stood up, his face alight with excitement. After bidding farewell to Marydan and Lamarck, he left in high spirits.
"Now that's more like a kid. I don't know why he keeps a straight face all day," Marydan said, picking up the giant teacup again and taking a huge gulp as if she were drinking liquor.
Lamarck walked over with a worried expression. "You're planning to have Altaïr participate in the Autumn Harvest Fest? Isn't it a bit too early for him?"
"It's not too early." The smile on Marydan's face faded slightly. "That kid isn't the type to walk steadily up the steps, following the footprints left by his predecessors. With that strange talent of his, he can only take great strides forward when he's under immense pressure. What could be more stressful than an 'Elder Dragon'?"
"That's an Elder Dragon! A walking natural disaster of an Elder Dragon!" Lamarck's tone grew heavier, as if he were getting angry.
"Yes, but that one is also the Elder Dragon humanity is most familiar with, the one with the lowest casualty rate upon encounter."
"Lowest casualty rate is only relative! Is there ever a year the Sandship fleet doesn't suffer casualties?!"
"Once you become a hunter, is there such a thing as being completely safe?" Marydan glanced at her husband, putting an end to the argument. "Stop with this useless talk. Any hunter with drive wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this. If he can withstand the pressure and pass this test, his state of mind and his will are going to be different. If he can't take it and breaks down, then retiring early is also a good thing. It saves everyone from worrying about him."
—--
"You're planning to advance to 2★ now?" Joda stared at him. "How long has it been since you became a 1★ Hunter? Four months? Or three? Have you accumulated enough 1★ quest completions... okay, it seems you actually have."
If you had to name the person who knew best just how many 1★ quests Altaïr had completed in these few short months, it would definitely be him. After all, for most of the quests Altaïr completed, the request forms had been handed out by him.
"No, what's the rush? You just turned seventeen this month, right? People your age are still in training camps, and you're already thinking about advancing to 2★? Wouldn't it be better to polish your skills a bit more?" Joda couldn't help but nag.
He had a clear understanding of Altaïr's strength. Advancing to 2★ wasn't a stretch for the latter; it could even be said to be a natural progression.
But over the years, he had seen too many arrogant young hunters whose excessive drive had led them to be battered and broken by the cruel forces of nature.
As a senior, he still hoped Altaïr would choose a more stable path.
Altaïr was in a bit of a bind. According to his original plan, he had also intended to let his skills settle for another month or two, waiting until he had mastered the new Hammer inertia techniques he had learned before advancing.
But the 'carrot' that Lady Marydan had dangled in front of him was simply too tempting; he had to give it a try, no matter what.
So, he decided to tell the truth. "Actually, it was Lady Marydan who suggested I advance as soon as possible."
There was no need to mention things like the monsoon season, doing her a favor, or broadening his horizons. That would just make him sound like he was showing off.
"Marydan? Which Marydan?"
Altaïr tried to describe her. "Well, she used to be a hunter, she's retired now, looks to be almost seventy, skilled with the Hammer, very tall, very strong, covered in tattoos, and has very sharp teeth..."
"Stop." Joda held up a hand in a 'wait' gesture.
Altaïr wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt like Joda's neck had shrunk a little.
"Ahem, since it's that senior's suggestion, then it is undoubtedly the correct one." Joda stopped discussing with Altaïr whether he should advance now and instead began to seriously consider how to increase Altaïr's chances of success.
"There aren't too many 2★ danger-level Monsters in the desert region, and even fewer near Loc Lac. The more common ones are the Gendrome, and if you go further north, there are also Seltas and Volvidon. But to be honest, I don't recommend you pick the latter two. The Seltas can fly, and you don't have experience dealing with that type of Monster. I'm afraid you'll be at a disadvantage. As for the Volvidon, for a long time in the past, this Monster was classified as a 3★ threat level. It was only in recent years, as hunting records accumulated and methods for dealing with it were gradually compiled, that it was updated to a 2★ threat level. Even so, the Volvidon is still one of the most troublesome of all 2★ Monsters. It's recommended to hunt it in a team, so it's really not suitable as your choice for a promotion quest."
Joda's advice was detailed and objective, and Altaïr made his decision without much hesitation. "The Gendrome, then. I'm relatively familiar with that Monster."
As for the other two, forget it. His goal was to get promoted to 2★ as quickly as possible to get a recommendation, not to make things difficult for himself.
"A wise choice." Joda nodded in satisfaction. "You can't accept a promotion quest directly from me. You'll need to go to the Guild Hall and apply for it yourself. Although you'll be undertaking the quest not as a member of the Rangers team, but as 'Altaïr, 1★ Hunter,' you can keep wearing this Ranger's Armor set for now. It's tougher than your old Hunter's Armor, and I'm sure the Guild won't mind. As for other things, let me think... Just in case, how about this."
With that, Joda stood up, walked to the door, and raised his voice to shout, "Sajji! Are you there? Get over here!"
"Coming, meow!"
Hearing the call, Sajji came over at a trot. "What is it, Boss, meow?"
"You two have partnered up so many times, you're familiar with each other. So, Sajji, you'll temporarily act as Altaïr's hunting partner and accompany him on his promotion quest."
Altaïr opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Joda cut him off. "Sajji isn't quite a seasoned Palico yet. I'm having him go with you not to lower the quest's difficulty, but to give you an extra layer of insurance. If you're careless and get knocked out by a Monster, he might be able to drag you back."
"Boss, isn't it a bit unlucky to say that, meow?"