(This chapter was uploaded on Thursday 20/May/2024 8:00 PM, timezone GMT+3)
WARNING!!! Starting here, Nephelont will venture into the world of Monster Hunter: World. Be warned that things may get spoiled for you if you read far into the volume before playing the game to its end.
('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the chapter's footnotes.
"..." small moment of silence.
"Talking"
[Different Language Dialogue] (What language it is: Accent if necessary)
"He-" Someone was interrupted.
'Inner Dialogue'
{Skills' names, chanting, spell keys and spells' names}
(PoV)
(Flashback, including the text)
Don't shy from commenting on typos and/or inconsistencies. That and/or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
(Line Break)
'Devour the sapphire star...' An ever-distant voice whispered to Nephelont's subconscious.
'Who was that? Allen, do any of you have an idea?' Nephelont heard the voice. He asked his instincts for an answer but was met with silence.
'Allen? If this was a joke, then know that it isn't funny!... Allen? ALLEN!' Nephelont screamed into his mind, calling his instincts again.
'Slee... py...' That was all he could get from them. It was very static.
'When are you waking up?' Nephelont asked. He was on edge. How could he not? His instincts were a saving grace for 14 years at this point. He became reliant on them.
'... yea... rrr-r...' Allen said.
'Then I'll await your return' Nephelont said.
(Nephelont's PoV)
'Now that I know that Allen isn't waking up for a year, however absurd it is for instincts to be capable of sleep, I'll need to break out of this egg I'm in... No! I can't allow my mind to slip into unconsciousness! I need to break out!'
I thrashed around inside the egg. But I was too weak to break the shell, it seems. I later surrendered to my sleepiness. When I woke up next, I felt my body having some extra energy.
'My chance to try again!' And try I did. I made use of my horn nubs to bash the egg's shell from the inside. For chickens and other birds, they have a small protrusion on the tip of their beaks. For me, I only had my horn nubs.
I bashed the shell. It rattled my tiny brain inside my head. I ignored the pain and the possible concussion and bashed it again. This time, I heard some creaking sounds. It didn't crack open, however. I bashed it again. This time, it developed some cracks. Another bash did the trick. The egg finally opened and I had my first breath of fresh air.
'Isn't it night right now?'
(3rd Person PoV)
In a bustling town, alone on the island it was built in, there was an alert. A new fleet was supposed to join the residents of the town. But due to an unfortunate event, a ship of theirs was lost. A monster with a mountain on its back surfaced under the ship, taking it off the water then capsizing it.
While fleeing, members who were tasked with the care of a very important delivery were troubled to bring said delivery to safety. From 5 units, only 2 were rescued. Fortunately, aside from slight injuries, no life was lost. Not a hunter nor a palico were lost to the monster that capsized their ship.
The commander overseeing the 5 fleets gave out a little welcoming speech before launching a feast for the 5th fleet's semi-successful arrival with no casualties. After celebrating with them until noon, he was shown the units that were saved from the incident.
"Good work staying alive, hunters" The commander emphasized the fact they remained alive. "I was told that a special shipment is to arrive with the fleet. Is it these eggs?" The commander was about to brush his hand over the egg. He was lucky to have been stopped by a hand holding his.
"Sorry for the disrespect, commander. But the eggs have an outer layer that is invisible. It is full of small serrated spikes. The first and only person to touch them needed some time to completely recover, even with potions and medicines" The person removed their armored hand from the commander's.
"Is that so?" The commander said while cupping his chin in thought.
"Whatever level of lighting we used, the spikes never showed. But one thing is for sure. The creatures inside the eggs are winged dragons. With enough care, they could become loyal to us. And if not, they could be eliminated later, before they mature" The armored hunter said.
As the commander was observing the eggs, he noticed when one of them shook ever so slightly.
"I think they may hatch soon" The commander smiled at the thought. 'With the elders approaching, a dragon of our own could be of great help'
"Keep watch over the eggs. We will display them in town so they will imprint on one or more of us when they hatch!" The commander ordered.
His order was carried. A good amount of dirt and stone was moved to make an area in the center of the town's tradeyard. A fire was started to keep the eggs warm, with special measures against fire spreading in place. The residents observed as they went over their daily life. They were admiring the size of the eggs, as they were the size of 3 ostrich eggs stacked atop each other.
A comedic moment passed by when a hungry palico approached the eggs, ready to crack them over an over-sized frying pan, spoon in hand, and was promptly dragged away by their hunter companion.
*Crack!* When night fell upon the town, the bustling townspeople heard a crack. Silence quickly spread across the crowd as they gathered around the eggs, which appeared to float to their eyes.
They watched as a dark blue dragon with minimal green scales crawled out of the egg, making an effort to push against the shell from the inside. Once the little dragon opened its eyes, all saw the heterochromia golden and crimson sclera, with a black slit in the middle.
One of the residents wanted to help but the Commander stopped him.
"Remember? The invisible layer will shred your skin and you would be of no help for the little critter" The commander said that, but his smile was prevalent. He was enjoying the sight of a new life striving to flourish.
Nephelont broke the shell and gathered the yolk away with what little wind he could muster. He looked at the night sky and then turned his vision to his surroundings. He saw people gathered around him.
Nephelont assumed a wary stance with his tiny teeth on full display.
"Cue!" He wanted to test his voice but was disappointed when he heard a rabbit's sound.
"All hunters, step back. Give the little critter its space" The commander ordered and Nephelont was given some space to feel at ease. The gesture assured Nephelont enough so he drops his wariness.
'Now that the humans are dealt with, should I eat the remaining yolk and the egg shell?' Nephelont was tempted. He was really tempted to do just that. But as he was going back to gather the shell, he noticed the other egg, its shell pristine.
"Cue! Cue!... CUUEE!!" Nephelont shook the egg while calling for the presence he felt inside it.
'It couldn't be... right? Could my Clea have been brought here like this as well? Please! Let it be her! I've had enough of the burning loneliness! Please!' "CUE!!" Nephelont was desperately shaking the egg until it finally shook from the inside.
'... Why is it so dark?... That is not important right... now... I should try to move and find Bunbun...' Eucleia's consciousness was drifting between the boundary of dreams and reality. That was until she heard Nephelont's little, cute cues.
'Bunbun? Wait! This is an egg I am inside, right? Break!' Eucleia thrashed around inside her egg. 'Break and let me see him! He has suffered far more than I did! Let him be at peace!' She bashed the egg's shell with her horns, or what is in their place. 'I do not want either of us feeling like that again!' Eucleia was finally seeing results.
*Crack!* She started hearing cracks from in the shell.
"The other one is also hatching!" The resident of the town celebrated the hatching of both eggs, quietly.
Nephelont looked around since he did not understand their language. He overlooked it when he saw their expressions. Except for one cat, which was restrained, nobody looked at them the wrong way.
When Nephelont looked back at Eucleia's egg, her horn nubs were peeking out of the shell. Without so much as little hesitation, Nephelont gripped the edges of the shell and ripped it open.
"Cue!" Nephelont ignored the gooey yolk covering Eucleia and hugged her.
"Cue!" Eucleia's voice was a little bit higher pitch but sounded just as happy.
They coiled their tails with the other's as they hugged. Their wings were too small to wrap around their own body. They gave that part up and settled to simply flap them around.
At a very random whim, Nephelont had the urge and licked Eucleia's face.
"Cue!" Eucleia happily returned it.
"How cute they are!" One of the onlookers swooned over them. A friend joined them.
"How curious. They seem to have already chosen each other as mates, judging by their tails. It's sad how there are no other examples we can compare them to" A researcher said as they were recording the shape and behavior of the two.
Eucleia looked similar to Nephelont in general form. But their skin had a different color as Eucleia's was a bright crimson. Her scales were a shimmering ice blue under candle lights.
The proportions of their bodies had made their limbs, including the tail, be very short. Their snouts were small. Their horns, talons and teeth were blunted nubs. Their muscles could barely carry them around much as they just exerted themselves.
Seeing their exhaustion, one researcher overstepped a line and tried to take parts of the broken shells to conduct a study on them.
The researcher's effort was met with something slapping him loudly across the face.
"Who was it?" He looked around but did not find the culprit. He was slapped again. "Who wAs IT?!" Enraged, he looked around more frantically. The others were just as confused as he was.
"None of us did it" The researcher was told.
"Grrrrrr!" Nephelont growled at the man. His next attack was a bluff, as it drained him of his remaining energy. He cut the back of the researcher's hand open, the hand the researcher used to attempt steeling Nephelont's precious egg shell.
"You little rascal!" The researcher did not take another step further before his other hand sustained a similar cut.
"Grrr!" It was Eucleia this time. She joined Nephelont in antagonizing this particular person.
Both little dragons brought the shell's broken pieces closer to them protectively.
"Did you try to rob them of their shells? Seriously? You very well know how some species eat the shell of their egg when they hatch. Come with me. You need an extensive lesson to freshen your knowledge" An elderly man dragged the researcher away, calming Nephelont and Eucleia.
Seeing no further intention to interfere from the locals, Nephelont pushed his share of egg shell and yolk over to Eucleia. He put the yolk in the lower half of his shell, which resembled a bowl.
Eucleia reluctantly took some of it but left him more than half of his share. She knew that he would not back down when he wanted something. Indulging him, at least partially, was for the best.
Nephelont drank the yolk and then ate the crunchy shell. The crystalline outer shell did not hurt them as their paws and digestive track were conditioned to take it without much harm, only if the material was made of crystal.
He later fell asleep, not knowing that his tail was yet again coiled around Eucleia's. They were both very tired.
(End of Chapter)
This chapter is short. It just came this way. I reached a natural end and I found no possible way to extend it without making it look bad.
Anyway, how was the chapter?
I admittedly decided to put this in the story after defeating the final boss, name emitted for spoiler reasons, on my first try. It was weak, anticlimactic, and every bit underwhelming. For something that did what it was thought to have done, it did not act smart. Let's ditch that fact and say that it was a hardware or software limitation then move on. I will try to make it a better fight as a way to satisfy myself then move on to the next world.
Now, let's being up the flow of time within the world. You could normally take on any quest repeatedly or stand idly by for real-life days on end and nothing hapoens. Here, every time night and day switch, a day passes. Am I captain obvious? Sure. Just know that hunts take a day or more in this world, not under 1 hour, not unless overwhelming power was invloved. Say, something like a master-ranked hunter coming down to hunt low-ranked Great Jagras.
The last thing to tell you here is that I will not write about Naofumi's world, since not a single person told me that they wanted it. Just know that Naofumi met Augustus and the bunch and was helped by them, with the other two heroes being Motoyasu and Itsuki.
Eucleia appeared at the unfair trial, near the end of it, made sure her children were fine, entrusted them with their younger brothers, then went away, not before using her arcanum to transform Aultcray into a werewolf as a punishment for what he said. She made him the type completely covered in fur from head to toe and looks more like a bipedal wolf than a man.
Have a nice time, ladies and gentlemen.