Altaïr began the hunt.
Experienced hunters could even track skilled Flying Wyverns over long distances by relying on the faint traces and scent left by a Paintball.
Altaïr admitted he didn't possess that level of tracking skill, but if the target was a Gendrome that could only flee on its two legs, he was confident he wouldn't lose it.
Perhaps because it was confident in its speed, or maybe because it had never been chased as prey, the Gendrome didn't flee very far.
After reaching the rocky area north of the oasis, it slowed its pace, preparing to eat, rest, and recover from its injuries.
But it didn't know that the hunter, arriving just a few minutes later, was already nearby.
Altaïr hid downwind, behind a large boulder several dozen meters away, secretly observing the Gendrome's movements.
If the Gendrome was about to summon its pack, he would definitely charge forward without hesitation to interrupt it.
But the Gendrome seemed to think it was already safe. It relaxed and quietly approached a herd of Apceros that were strolling about and foraging, preparing to hunt.
This made Altaïr's expression a little strange, and an odd thought flashed through his mind.
The Gendrome was sneaking up to hunt the Apceros, and he was sneaking up to hunt the Gendrome. Could there be something lurking behind him, planning to attack him as well?
Altaïr glanced back warily. The view was fairly open, and there was nothing unusual in the sky. It should be safe enough, but there was a Konchu clinging quietly to a nearby rock wall, which made him uneasy.
He looked back at the Gendrome. Its attention was completely focused on the herd of Apceros; it likely wouldn't notice him for a short while.
Just in case, he decided to take care of that Konchu first.
Keeping some of his attention on the Gendrome, he periodically glanced back to confirm its position and status. Altaïr lowered his body and tiptoed to the rock wall where the Konchu was perched.
The Konchu seemed to sense the approaching danger and clung even tighter to the rock wall.
A typical Monster seeing this might have found it impossible to attack, but the advantage of humans lay in their skill with tools.
Altaïr took out his carving knife, inserted it into the crevice between the rock wall and the Konchu, and pried it off without much effort. Before it could curl its body up, he swung his knife and finished it off.
Very good. The safety of the battlefield was now secured.
Altaïr had no time for carving. After sheathing his weapon, he quietly returned to his previous hiding spot. In the time he had spent eliminating the hidden threat, the Gendrome had also emerged from the shadows and launched its attack on the Apceros herd.
The Apceros bellowed and gathered together, protecting their young within the circle. They shielded each other with their broad carapaces while uniformly pointing their tails, which were tipped with ferocious, mace-like bone growths, outward.
For a moment, the Gendrome was at a loss for where to attack.
As the leader of its pack, it rarely hunted alone. After circling the Apceros herd for a while and finding no opening, it began to call for its packmates.
Observing from the shadows, Altaïr's eyes narrowed slightly, and he temporarily suppressed the urge to launch his own assault.
A herd of Apceros was a tough nut to crack. The Gendrome was naturally unwilling to take them on by itself, but even if it called its companions, it wouldn't be easy to break the herd's formation. Otherwise, this group of Apceros living within the Genprey's territory would have long since been hunted to extinction.
He and Sajji had taken care of twelve Genprey one after another, so there shouldn't be many left in this pack. Those that had yet to appear were the only remaining hidden danger in this hunt.
If he could use the "help" of the Apceros herd to lure out and eliminate this last hidden danger, the rest of the battle would become much more secure.
Although he would occasionally choose to rush in headfirst on a whim, when conditions allowed, he still preferred this method of hunting... eliminating variables step by step and bringing the situation completely under his control.
After waiting patiently and quietly for some time, the summoned Genprey finally appeared in the hunter's line of sight.
This time, the Genprey pack arrived exceptionally slowly, and there were only a pitiful three of them. One was even a smaller, immature individual.
Altaïr let out a soft "Heh." These must be all the forces this Genprey pack had left.
Under the Gendrome's command, the three newly arrived Genprey began launching harassing feints at the waiting Apceros herd from different directions.
Their goal was to make the Apceros panic. Once the herd broke its defensive formation and scattered, their opportunity would come.
The adolescent Genprey, not yet mature and severely lacking in hunting experience, was the first to be unable to restrain its bloodlust, recklessly pouncing onto the back of an Apceros.
Before it could even open its mouth, another Apceros turned and swung its tail in a horizontal sweep.
The tail club, covered in bone spikes, scored a direct hit. Amidst a cringe-inducing crunch of shattering bone, the Genprey was sent flying several meters like a rubber ball. It landed on the ground, wailing, clearly not long for this world.
The Gendrome roared in anger. It had clearly realized that if it continued to watch from the sidelines, not only would it fail to hunt any food, but its last two subordinates would probably be lost here as well.
Seizing a tiny opening the Apceros herd had revealed during the recent commotion, it took a risk, leaping to avoid the tail strike of one Apceros and forcing its way into their defensive circle.
Now it was the Apceros' turn to panic.
Even a well-trained human army would fall into chaos when an enemy broke through its ranks, let alone a herd of Apceros defending on instinct.
The other two Genprey also seized the opportunity, attacking from other directions. The Apceros herd's formation was on the verge of collapse.
It was at this moment that Altaïr activated Demon Mode and charged out from behind the large rock where he was hiding.
Noticing the hunter's approach, the Gendrome let out an angry roar, but trapped within the Apceros herd, it could hardly move freely. A careless swipe from a massive Apceros's tail or a stomp of its foot would be more than it could bear.
However, Altaïr's target was not the Gendrome, but the other two Genprey that were also hopping and dodging amidst the panicked Apceros herd.
Relying on his agility, he weaved through the chaotic throng of monsters.
He rapidly closed in on one of the Genprey, swung his blade to slash it, and carved a bloody gash in its side while simultaneously raising his round shield and smashing it against its head.
The Genprey was dazed by the blow, its footing unsteady as it staggered back two steps.
A rush of wind came from behind him, and Altaïr quickly ducked, lowering his body. An Apceros's clubbed tail swept over, solidly smashing the unsteady Genprey to the ground.
Before it could get up, another Apceros ran past in a panic, one of its feet caving in the Genprey's chest.
Looking at the poor Genprey with its guts spilling out, Altaïr grimaced. He braced himself and charged toward the last Genprey.
By now, the Apceros herd had scattered in all directions and was almost completely gone.
The remaining Genprey, still cautiously dodging the rampaging Apceros, didn't even have time to react before Altaïr was upon it.
He deflected its attack with his shield, then his blade danced in a flurry. Two quick slashes followed, and after a familiar combo, the last Genprey collapsed in a pool of blood.
Having dealt with his opponent, the young hunter immediately dove to the side in a flying roll.
Boom!
A massive, yellow-and-green figure pounced, its landing cracking the rocky ground where the hunter had stood just a second before.
Having failed to catch its prey, its underlings dead or wounded, and its sneak attack thwarted, the Gendrome stared with scarlet, slitted pupils and let out an angry growl.
Quickly getting to his feet, Altaïr raised his shield and Sword and Shield, his eyes fixed on the final, and strongest, opponent before him.
"Now, it's one-on-one."