One man and one dog, wandering in the world of Monster Hunter

The battle was over quickly.

The return journey was very smooth. On the howling sandy sea, Link's ship, the "Sand Lion", braved the wind and waves and returned safely.

Finally, when the huge ship cast in gold by the setting sun slowly sank into the sea level, the port of Lokrak, which was somewhat unfamiliar to Link, appeared before his eyes.

In the east, the moon girl also started to work, revealing her smooth forehead and bringing the dim night.

The 'Sand Lion' docked safely at the port, and the hunters got off the ship in groups of three or five in an orderly manner.

Link and Soren said they met at the gathering, then took Chuchu and left first.

The first thing he did after getting off the boat was to bring back the Matsutake mushrooms that were being kept at someone else's home.

Because the dog was not needed to help carry the luggage in this operation, Link did not bring it with him, but entrusted it to someone else to help take care of it.

Empty Tavern

"Boss, I'm back. I hope my matsutake mushrooms haven't caused you any trouble?"

Following the melodious sound of a wooden shaft turning, Link gently pushed open the door of the tavern. He held Chuchu's hand tightly and greeted the girl sitting at the front desk with a smile.

"It's Mr. Link, and Miss Chuchu, welcome, Matsutake is very well behaved."

The one who responded to Link was Ying, the sister of the tavern owner Kong.

She was holding a feather pen and carefully making notes on a clean account book. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses were firmly resting on her nose. The lenses reflected the candlelight, illuminating her focused and gentle face.

Kong was lying in a casual posture with his head buried deeply in his arms. He seemed to have fallen asleep due to exhaustion because he had not had a good rest for a long time.

Since almost all the residents of Lockrak went to participate in the Fengshan Dragon Festival, the Kongying Tavern seemed a little strange today. The hustle and bustle of the past had been replaced by tranquility.

The pub, which is usually busy, is now quiet for a rare time.

The Elu Cat waiters were lying on the tables and chairs in the restaurant in twos and threes, resting leisurely and snoring from time to time.

The cook, Miss Ying, did not wear the chef's uniform, but changed into casual clothes that were more convenient for movement.

It was a refreshing belly-baring dress. The white fabric was thin and breathable, outlining her slender waist and small belly, perfectly showing her youthful and energetic sexiness.

The crop top was detailed with tropical florals in vibrant colours and was paired with a pair of high-waisted shorts that made her smooth calves appear even longer.

Overall, it can be evaluated in two words.

Very moist.

"Wang."

Hearing his owner's call, the furry dog Matsutake jumped out from the restaurant's kitchen, his ears standing straight up and his tail wagging like a phantom.

"Strange, is this dog a little bigger?"

Link squatted down and raised his hand to rub the dog's head which felt very good.

It’s only been one day since I last saw him, and I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but Link always feels that the dog has gained weight.

There is some tendency towards a spherical shape.

"Uh, hahaha, how could that be? You must have seen it wrong, Mr. Link. It's only been one day, how could it grow so fast?"

Ying smiled unnaturally, and her golden eyes looked away guiltily.

But Link didn't care about such trivial matters. It would be a good thing if the dog really gained weight.

That way you can carry more stuff.

"By the way, Miss Ying, this is the reward for your help in taking care of the matsutake mushrooms. Please accept it."

Link's fingers slid lightly over the edge of the pocket and then reached in expertly. A moment later, a few coins clinked in his palm.

He walked to the counter and gently placed the small metal discs into Ying's palm.

Asking someone for help is not like getting it for free. You have to pay them. Only by giving and taking can you maintain long-term interpersonal relationships.

Ying did not refuse nor act pretentiously, but nodded and accepted the reward frankly.

After all, she deserves it.

She gently retracted her fingers and the coin slipped into the small bag on her waist.

Well, this was the first time Link had seen a woman from Lokrak put things into her bag normally, instead of stuffing them into weird places.

It could also be that someone's breasts are too small and have no cleavage.

"..."

"..."

Link and Ying looked at each other, and the atmosphere became subtly awkward.

"Sorry, I have to go back to the meeting place to attend the celebration banquet. I'll visit you next time."

Finally, Link scratched his head in the silence, said goodbye and left.

Ying nodded silently and watched his back as he left.

They are closed today and there is nothing much to talk about with customers. They can't just ask you if you have eaten.

That's too awkward.

Turning her head to look at Kong who was lying on the table, Ying patted his shoulder to wake him up, seeing that he was sleeping soundly.

"Um, it's Ying, what's wrong, are there any guests?"

Kong looked up confusedly and looked around the restaurant, only to find that there were no customers and looked a little dazed.

"It's okay, I just want to wake you up and let you go back to the bedroom to sleep."

Ying rolled her eyes at her brother in annoyance.

She clearly told him to go to the bedroom and sleep, but he ended up saying he wanted to settle the score with her.

When it was time to settle the bill, he fell asleep on the table again.

"Ah ha ha."

Sora suddenly remembered his original purpose and let out a silly grin.

"What are you laughing at? Go back to your room and go to sleep."

Ying's eyes suddenly widened with anger, and she put her hands on her hips, and told Kong to get out of here as usual with the same momentum she used to command the Felyne cats to do things.

Seeing this, Kong smiled helplessly, he was helpless against this somewhat fierce sister.

"Okay, okay, since we're closed today, let's close early and rest."

The night was as dark as ink. Kong glanced out the window, walked lightly behind Ying, put his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her into the kitchen.

This pub is divided into two floors, the first floor is for business, and the second floor is for living. There is a staircase leading to the second floor in the back kitchen.

-

On this side, Link, who had returned to the meeting place, was in a bad situation.

Standing at the door of the meeting hall, listening to the laughter and the music with a heavy bass coming from the other side of the door, Link seemed to have returned to the day when he first came to Rocklark.

That day, it was because he pushed open the door without any preparation that he ended up running naked.

"Humph, since I know you guys are drinking in here, I won't be polite."

Link snorted coldly, exerted force on his feet, turned around, and led Matsutake and Chuchu around the brightly lit and bustling front door of the assembly hall and went straight to a dark alley behind it.

This alley seems to be a hidden wound behind the city. It is deserted during the day and even more desolate at night with only the cold wind to accompany it.

On both sides of the alley, the mottled walls are covered with traces of time, and moss and cracks are interwoven into a silent picture.

The moonlight sprinkled weakly in this long and narrow space, mottled and casting a mysterious and eerie shadow on the quiet alley.

Link's footsteps echoed in the empty alley, breaking the tranquility of the night, appearing particularly abrupt and clear.