Real Monster of Multiverse

I quickly finished devouring the Great Jagras, then stared directly at the hunter.

The hunter and I locked eyes, time seeming to freeze as we stared at each other. She hadn't drawn her weapon yet, but her hand rested firmly on the hilt, ready to draw it at any moment.

I didn't take a defensive stance, ready to leap away if necessary.

We kept staring at each other for several seconds until I decided to make the first move.

I released a cloud of yellow smoke, turned halfway around, and ran off.

"It's not time to interact with hunters yet."

…

POV Lyra

I sheathed my weapon when I saw that the monster only fled after releasing the yellow smoke, which reminded me of the paratoad's paralyzing mist.

I recalled a recent report from hunters who had gone to investigate a rather large explosion. They said it was probably caused by a monster that had recently entered the ecosystem—and I think I just found the monster.

"I need to report this."

…

"A humanoid monster? Is that even possible?" the commander questioned me, and honestly, I couldn't blame him for not believing me. Even I would doubt my words if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

"Yes, it was a strange being… it was over three meters tall, with a large crest like a Kestodon's, but larger. It had some kind of cloak or mantle that covered its upper body. At first, I thought it was made of plant leaves, but I later realized it was its own skin."

"How do you know it's a she and not a he?" asked the commander's grandson.

"… It had breasts and wide hips."

"…"

"…"

"A reptilian being with mammalian traits? Aside from us Wyverians, I never thought I'd see such a creature. But those characteristics… why do they feel familiar?" commented the head researcher, a Wyverian who, like most his age, was quite short.

"Yes, it almost seemed like a fusion of a monster and a person. It was very strange, like… like a chimera," I said. My comment seemed to jog the researcher's memory because his head shot up with a horrified look.

"Oh no, no, no… is it one of them? How?! No ancient ruins have been found in the Old World—it's impossible!" The head researcher was one of the most composed people I knew, so seeing him lose his nerve like that stunned everyone present.

"Old man! Calm down. What's going on?" asked the commander's grandson.

"I-I'm sorry. It's just that… if I'm right, capturing that monster is priority number one, even more important than the Elder Dragons' migration."

"How could it be more important?!" I couldn't help but question.

"… As you all know… thousands of years ago, there were several ancient civilizations whose remnants we still find scattered across the world. And as you're aware, they were far more advanced than we are today," he paused.

"But, as is known, they waged war against wyverns and Elder Dragons, a conflict that ended with the destruction of those civilizations and the extinction of countless monster species. That's why the Guild was founded—to protect the ecosystem and prevent such a war from happening again," he continued, recounting the story we'd all heard as children.

"What not everyone knows is that… those ancient civilizations created a weapon—an aberration. An ancient storage site contained it. The Guild called it the 'Dragon Equivalent Weapon,' a chimera made from parts of over thirty different wyverns and Elder Dragons." We were all visibly shocked by this revelation, which seemed to be one of the Guild's greatest secrets.

"Before coming to the New World, I saw it… it was an aberration of flesh and metal that defied all of nature. The Guild still keeps that being's remains at the main headquarters for study," he paused again as if to give us time to process the information.

"But it's known that they made more, only we haven't found them—or perhaps no traces remain. Yet, there's a theory circulating among scholars. From what we've analyzed of the Dragon Equivalent Weapon, it could use all elements at once. And as you know, the only monster capable of wielding all elements is…"

"The Alatreon," said the commander.

"Yes, which is why the theory arose that some of these aberrations survived the war, evolved, and thus the Alatreon was born. Considering that there's no mention of the Alatreon in the records of that era—though other Black Dragons are referenced—this theory is further supported," he paused again.

"It was always believed that all Dragon Equivalent Weapons were made from monster parts, but… what if they made one from a humanoid being?"

A sepulchral silence fell. Nobody said anything, but we all shared the same thought.

"Finding this monster is our top priority! I want all of Astera's hunters in the Ancient Forest searching for her!" shouted the commander, spurring us all into action.

Writing all that information was more fun than I expected, but I think some clarifications are necessary. If you've played any Monster Hunter game, you'll know that story isn't the franchise's strong suit, so I decided to add a few things.

The Dragon Equivalent Weapon, as far as my knowledge goes, is a concept that became quite popular but was never used in any game or official product. To be honest, the part about ancient civilizations is official, but I'm unsure about the Great War (the humanoid species vs. monsters conflict).

The idea of the Alatreon being an evolution of the Dragon Equivalent Weapon is even less canon. It's a theory I heard once and really liked, so I included it.

I know this chapter was mostly exposition and history, but I hope you still enjoyed it.