Chapter Fourteen: The Bait Cat

After several members of the Desert Fin departed, Nuri waved to Oran, Asa, and Sea Thorn.

The three, along with the cat, gathered together to discuss their next course of action.

The first to speak eagerly was Asa. "They’re the 'Desert Fin'? The hunting party rumored to specialize only in hunting Sand Dragons?"

Indeed, they recognized the name. In a desert region frequently plagued by Sand Dragons, this hunting party's reputation was quite prominent.

Oran glanced at Asa and corrected him, "It's not 'only hunt Sand Dragons,' but 'specialize in hunting Sand Dragons.'"

"What’s the difference..." Asa said dismissively.

As the team leader, Nuri keenly sensed a hint of dissatisfaction in Oran’s tone and quickly interrupted his brother. "There is a difference. Saying that is like claiming fishing boats only fish in the sand sea."

"That’s true," Asa finally realized his words carried a tinge of disdain. There are more fish in the sea—why would a fishing fleet not fish there?

Faced with such doubts, fishermen probably wouldn’t bother to explain, and the Desert Fin hunters were no different.

"Ah, I didn’t mean it like that," Asa hastily waved his hands. "I’m just a rookie hunter, promoted less than a year ago. Those veterans are seasoned elite hunters ranked three or four stars—I have no right to look down on them. I was just repeating the rumors I’d heard..."

"You better watch what you say next time," Nuri sighed at his brother’s careless tongue. "Luckily, you didn’t say that in front of them, or I wouldn’t be responsible for the beating that’d follow."

Asa laughed awkwardly. "I’ll be careful next time! Definitely!"

"Alright, let’s discuss tactics." Nuri pulled out a map, and the four pairs of eyes—three humans and one cat—focused on it.

"The Desert Fin veterans have already scouted ahead; their intel should be reliable. Our strategy will be based on their recommendations. After all, their mission is more critical—we’re the supporting squad for the Citadel Guerrillas," Nuri explained, glancing at his companions.

Oran and Asa nodded in agreement.

"Using our current camp as the center coordinate, the Sand Dragon King should be active in the area from due north to northwest. Based on Sand Dragon herd behavior, the king will be accompanied by several Sand Dragons acting as escorts."

"So our job is to lure away those Sand Dragons to clear a path?" Asa, a bit impatient, jumped in.

Nuri gave him a mock reprimanding tap on the palm. "Don’t overestimate our role in this operation. The combined levels of the three of us might not even surpass that of a single veteran. The Sand Dragon King and its escorts are off our scope. Our target is here."

Nuri pointed to a southwestern area on the map near the camp. "Sand Dragons are sizable creatures. To satisfy their hunger, they hunt dispersed across the dunes. There are signs of Sand Dragons roaming this dune cluster. We’ll go there, lure them out one by one, and hunt them down. If all goes well, we won’t need to approach the Sand Dragon King’s territory to complete our task."

"Doesn’t that mean we’re basically useless?" Asa muttered. "Feels like we’re just here to split the rewards."

"I told you, the veterans don’t need our help," Nuri’s tone grew firmer. "Besides the Sand Dragon King, this herd has about ten to twenty Sand Dragons. While the veterans hunt the King, they’ll take down a few others incidentally. The rest scatter after the King’s death, leaving the nearby trade routes at risk. Our job is to reduce the herd’s numbers before the King falls and the dragons disperse. Got it?"

Faced with his elder brother’s stern tone, Asa obediently replied, "Got it."

Oran glanced at him and said, "Actually, we’re not entirely useless. During the battle with the Sand Dragon King, it will summon the scattered Sand Dragons to aid it. If we can eliminate or intercept some of them beforehand, it will ease the pressure on the veterans."

Asa’s face lit up. "You sure know how to talk!"

Sea Thorn gave him a sly look. "You’re like a child, meow. Always needing coaxing, meow."

"Who are you calling a child?"

Glancing at the bickering pair, Nuri walked over to a supply box beside the tent and took out the provisions provided by the guild.

"Five sonic grenades. When detonated, they emit high-frequency noise that can blast Sand Dragons out from beneath the sand. They’re very effective against the Sand Dragon King and are the key tools for this hunt. But be careful—these grenades are useless when the dragons are on the surface. Time your use well; don’t waste them."

Each of the three took a sonic grenade; the remaining two were handed to Sea Thorn to use when the moment was right.

The rest were standard supplies like emergency medicine, whetstones, and rations. Of course, they carried their own, but naturally, they’d use the guild’s free provisions first.

"The tactic is simple. The three of us will lie in ambush; Sea Thorn will act as bait to lure Sand Dragons to the trap. Once they’re in position, we detonate the sonic grenades. In combat, I’ll hold the front line. Oran will move tactically, attacking their legs as the veterans advised. Asa will attack from a distance and keep watch for any threats. Any questions?"

"Nope."

"None, meow." Oran and Sea Thorn shook their heads.

"As the bait, I have no complaints, so I’m good," Asa grinned.

"Meow—" Sea Thorn swatted him playfully.

"Enough with the noise," Nuri scolded their childish antics and turned to Oran. "This is your first time cooperating with us. Be mindful of the firing arcs for your blunderbuss and heavy crossbow. Other than that, stay calm. Last check of gear and supplies—we move out."

...

Between rolling dunes lay a low-lying area where faint, grayish-yellow fins shimmered beneath the fine sand.

To the unfamiliar, these fins might be mistaken for sand fish.

But experienced hunters knew better; what swam beneath the dunes was a far more dangerous creature.

Sea Thorn tightened the oak-cat armor snugly, crouched low, and raised its rear like a leopard stalking prey, silently inching toward the hollow.

When it got within twenty to thirty meters, it dared not advance further.

Sand Dragons are highly sensitive to vibrations. Even an Elder Cat born and raised in the desert like Sea Thorn couldn’t risk approaching unnoticed.

It pulled out a nut-sized pebble, weighed it in its paw, and hurled it forcefully.

The pebble struck a dorsal fin precisely. The dragon that owned the fin paused its aimless movement and turned its body toward the source.

Sea Thorn remained calm and quietly retreated along the same path.

The other Sand Dragons in the hollow were undisturbed, but the one hit turned its triangular head, directing its sensory organs on either side of its skull toward Sea Thorn.

The slight vibrations caused by paw pads brushing sand were detected faintly.

With eyes nearly degenerated and almost blind, the Sand Dragon couldn’t be certain if the disturbance was caused by prey or merely the wind stirring sand.

Regardless, it was worth investigating.

The dragon wiggled its body like a fish, separating from its companions, gliding through the fine sand toward Sea Thorn.

Seeing the distance close steadily, Sea Thorn stayed composed. It knew it was still within the alert range of other Sand Dragons in the hollow.

Jumping up and fleeing would only alarm the others, escalating danger.

Finally, it reached a safe distance from the hollow, with less than ten meters between it and the dragon.

That was close enough.

Sea Thorn rose on all fours and started running swiftly.

The dragon, now certain of prey, excitedly swayed its finned tail and limbs, accelerating in pursuit.

They ran—one fleeing, one chasing—gradually moving away from the Sand Dragon cluster.

Near an unremarkable dune, an inconspicuous small round object was tossed before the dragon.

"Buzz—"

A high-frequency noise exploded. The dragon, previously eager in its chase, convulsed violently like an electrified fish, leaping from the sand and thrashing on the ground.

"Yah-ha!" Asa called out from atop the dune, leaping to his feet and raising his heavy crossbow.

Oran and Nuri, hidden in the sand, sprinted swiftly to the struggling dragon.

Though only classified as a small monster, the six to seven-meter-long Sand Dragon was still intimidating—larger even than some Gold Rathian Kings.

Nuri raised his large shield and blunderbuss near the dragon’s head, glancing at Oran.

Without hesitation or fear of the dragon’s size, Oran took a step forward, drew his hunter’s dagger, and slashed fiercely at the dragon’s hind leg, leaving a bleeding wound.

Relieved, Nuri smiled and plunged the muzzle of his Iron Knight blunderbuss into the dragon’s open mouth, pulling the trigger.

"Dragon Blast!"

"Boom—"

With Nuri’s shout, the blunderbuss erupted in blazing flame, the deafening roar echoing through the surroundings.

Oran was left speechless.