Having eaten and drunk his fill, and with everything that could be done already in motion, there was nothing left to do but wait for news and let time pass. Wayne shifted his attention back to the game.
He didn't rush to take on the next quest. Instead, he pulled Rainier into the training grounds in the wild.
He told Rainier that with their current attack power, taking down the Lao-Shan Lung wouldn't be a huge issue—after all, Wayne could practically solo it. However, facing the Fatalis (Black Dragon) directly would be a major problem.
Furthermore, if Rainier didn't master the core combat mechanics, he would run into serious trouble later when soloing or leading his subordinates, even if they managed to clear it now by chance.
Since it was only Rainier's second day playing Monster Hunter, he was essentially being power-leveled through late-game monsters by Wayne. Although this VR version of Monster Hunter G allowed any player to join a quest as long as the party leader's Hunter Rank met the requirement, Wayne decided it was time for Rainier to learn the ultimate secrets of the Dual Blades—
Demon Mode and Archdemon Mode.
Wayne brought two pairs of training Dual Blades and began a demonstration for Rainier.
First, while at full stamina, a Dual Blade player can use a focused meditation to instantly enter "Demon Mode." In this state, both their hands and the blades begin to glow with a flickering red, lightning-like aura.
In Demon Mode, the attack movesets change, movement and attack speeds increase, and the standard dodge roll is replaced by a more agile and rapid "Demon Dodge" (sidestep).
Rainier watched with an open mouth as Wayne, his hands coursing with red lightning, executed a fierce "Demon Six-Sized Slash" and dashed around with Demon Dodges.
"This... this is just like a Warrior's Recklessness!"
Rainier knew that "Recklessness" was a Warrior's strongest damage-dealing skill. Once activated, all attacks within the next 15 seconds become critical hits. For a Fury Warrior, critical hits increase attack speed, turning them into a bloodthirsty harvesting machine that swings weapons faster and faster to tear the target apart.
However, Wayne's reply shocked Rainier even further: "What you're seeing in Demon Mode is only the beginning."
Next, Wayne performed a combo on the training dummy: "Demon Reverse Slash" into "Demon Double Slash" into "Spinning Slash." He followed up the "Spinning Slash" with an advanced move, a full body rotation into a "Double Spinning Slash."
This move not only increased damage but allowed the player to adjust their facing direction during the rotation, improving their positioning and allowing for a balance of offense and defense.
"Quick, quick! Mil is doing one-on-one coaching!"
The other three quickly took off their goggles and crowded around.
Verdan grumbled, "Exactly! Teaching the Captain and not us."
Hudson countered, "You can't say that. Once the Captain learns it, he'll definitely teach us."
Hicks turned to ask Little Tess, "Little girl, did he pay an extra tip? Why is your boss giving him special treatment?"
Little Tess shook her head. "No. Our boss isn't the type of person who only cares about money."
Hicks laughed loudly. "Little girl, you have excellent judgment."
Tess huffed, "You're not allowed to speak ill of the boss."
Hicks stopped teasing her and joined the others in focusing on the screen.
At that moment, Wayne sheathed his blades and began to sprint. After a short distance, he suddenly drew his blades and lunged forward with a rapid thrust, followed by two slashes, a spinning "Whirlwind" slash, and a final double-forward strike.
The entire sequence was seamless and incredibly fluid.
This time, it wasn't just Rainier—the other three also stood with their mouths agape. "This... this is way better than a Charge!"
The "Charge" they referred to was a signature Warrior skill—a sudden high-speed dash toward a target outside of combat to catch them off guard and close the distance.
Verdan exclaimed, "If this could be combined with a Charge, the opponent might just die the moment you reach them!"
Hicks added, "Exactly! Dammit, watching Wayne's set makes me feel like I've wasted my last few days playing Dual Blades!"
Hicks then realized something: "Wait, you're a Warrior too!"
Hudson nodded, "Yes, we should all learn this seriously."
The group watched with excitement, and Little Tess squeezed through the gap to watch as well, clapping and shouting "Boss is so cool!" whenever Wayne pulled off a particularly stylish combo.
Wayne's combos grew increasingly complex as he explained how to utilize them in different scenarios. Rainier memorized them earnestly, mimicking Wayne's movements.
Fortunately, this was a game; the weapon's moves and skills were built-in. Rainier felt as if he were divinely assisted while practicing. As long as his input sequence was correct, he could perfectly replicate Wayne's actions, though he lacked the fluidity and smoothness of the master.
Wayne noted, "That's basically it for Demon Mode. Once it's active, your stamina constantly drains. You'll need to craft plenty of Dash Juice to prevent that drain for short periods."
Rainier nodded with a look of reverence.
"But that's not all," Wayne added. "Watch closely."
He entered Demon Mode once more and began a frenzied assault on the dummy.
The Dual Blades in his hands were like fluttering butterflies or flashing meteors. The four men watching were so stunned they couldn't utter a word, barely even daring to breathe.
The blades in Wayne's hands grew redder and redder until the slender edges were completely covered in a red glow. Only then did he stop. He told Rainier that he had now entered "Archdemon Mode."
In this state, the player receives further enhancements. However, performing moves and Demon Dodges consumes the red glow on the blades. Once the glow is exhausted, Archdemon Mode ends, and the player must return to Demon Mode to attack and build up energy again.
Although later versions of Monster Hunter would adjust the Dual Blades' mechanics and expand the moveset, the core pattern was established right here.
"This is the final move. Watch closely."
The group didn't expect there to be more. Wayne, in Archdemon Mode, unleashed a series of slashes that were even faster and more powerful than before.
"This is called the 'Demon Dance'!"
"Demon Dance..." the four men repeated under their breath.
Wayne explained to Rainier that when a monster is staggered, paralyzed, or sleeping, landing a Demon Dance on its weak point followed by subsequent combos could deal explosive damage in a very short window.
He had Rainier repeat the moves and mechanics he had just taught. Rainier complied; though he swapped a few sequences, he generally performed very well.
Wayne was pleased. "Let's go! Next quest!"
Rainier was startled. "I just learned this. Should I practice a bit more?"
Wayne waved him off. "Practice my foot. If hitting a wooden dummy was useful, would you even be here? Go practice in real combat."
This was a pun—the Westbrook quartet was exactly because practicing on dummies at Westbrook Garrison was useless that they had come to the net cafe.
Seeing Rainier's hesitation, Wayne pulled him toward the Hunter's Gathering Hall. "Don't worry. The next boss is a total pushover."