Hunting: The Dawning

Chapter 10: The Choice of Weapons

Chapter 10: The Choice of Weapons

During the period when Gordon was recuperating, the instructor had been pondering over one thing.

It was time for the little guy to change his weapon.

The instructor had known for a long time that the shorts word wasn't suitable for Gordon. Then why had he insisted that Gordon use the shorts word as a training weapon?

It was simply because before novice hunters completed their training and grew up, the shorts word was the most convenient weapon for ensuring one's survival! — That handy little round shield was really useful.

In fact, there were more than ten kinds of weapons in the well-established system of hunters' armaments.

Let's set aside the light and heavy crossbows and hunting bows for the moment. On the one hand, it was because the instructor himself didn't know how to use them at all and couldn't teach Gordon. On the other hand, Gordon had already indicated long ago that he wasn't interested in ranged weapons. Close combat was the romance of men.

As for close-combat weapons.

The shortsword, dual blades, and longsword were inclined towards agility, requiring hunters to launch attacks on monsters quickly and precisely.

The lance and gunlance were more about steady progress and defense, often requiring the cooperation of teammates.

The greatsword and the hammer were powerful and forceful, capable of deciding the outcome with a single blow.

As for the hunting horn... forget it. That kid was tone-deaf and completely lacked musical talent.

As for the Insect Glaive that had been developed only in the past two years, the Switch Axe, and the Charge Blade, which was still in the experimental process and whose technology hadn't been fully matured yet, they were obviously even less suitable for novices.

What was Gordon's greatest advantage? Without a doubt, it was his strength.

The instructor had never doubted this.

Which kid in his teens would use a millstone to exercise his body? Anyway, Gordon was the only one he had ever seen. The phrase "born with extraordinary strength" wasn't just a figure of speech when it came to Gordon; it was a fact.

Was it something an ordinary teenager could do to pick up a huge tusk weighing a hundred kilograms and smash the Great Wild Boar King to death?

Coupled with Gordon's burly physique, which was over 180 centimeters tall and still growing, theoretically, the weapons that were most suitable for him should be chosen from among the greatsword, the hammer, the lance, and the gunlance.

Because they were all heavy weapons that required "strength" to exert their power.

Ultimately, which one to choose would depend on Gordon's own thoughts.

When the instructor found Gordon, the latter was doing recovery training.

The instructor had always been quite satisfied with Gordon's efforts. A lazy guy with only talent had no future. Only diligence could lead a person to the peak.

"Gordon, first of all, congratulations again. Since you've successfully passed the assessment task, you're already a real hunter now."

Hearing this, Gordon was so excited that he was about to speak, but the instructor stopped him by waving his hand first.

"You should have noticed it yourself. The shortsword isn't suitable for you. It can't fully bring out the advantages of your physique and strength."

Upon hearing this, Gordon nodded rather blankly.

He cherished his Hunter's Dagger very much. Even the fragments that had shattered when he fought against the Great Wild Boar King were carefully collected by him as souvenirs.

However, during the battle, he did indeed feel that awkward sense of being unable to exert his strength properly.

"Based on my experience, among the four heavy weapons, namely the lance, the gunlance, the greatsword, and the hammer, they are the most suitable for you and can better utilize your strength advantage.

Of course, this is just my personal judgment.

The choice of a suitable weapon will directly affect your entire hunting career, and the final decision can only be made by you yourself."

The instructor's expression was very serious, which made Gordon become serious as well.

"Instructor Ernest, I've also considered this problem, but I haven't touched any weapons other than the shortsword, so I have no way to make a judgment."

Hearing this, the instructor nodded with his arms folded and said, "Follow me. Let's go to the training ground."

The so-called training ground was just an open space with several thick wooden stakes erected in it, located on the back mountain not far from the village.

As the only apprentice hunter, well, the former apprentice hunter in Kokoto Village, having such a piece of land for training was already quite luxurious.

On the weapon rack in the training ground, there were various weapons placed.

These were all training tools made of crude iron and hadn't even been sharpened. They really had no merits other than being sturdy and durable.

On the way here, after listening to the instructor's detailed introduction and analysis, Gordon had locked his target on four weapons.

The longsword, the dual blades, the greatsword, and the hammer.

The lance and the gunlance, which should have been more suitable, had been excluded by him long ago. The combat style of steady progress like a turtle didn't match his style.

He preferred to take the initiative to attack.

Gordon picked up the dual blades first, waved them around randomly a few times, and almost cut his own head. He put them down sheepishly.

It wasn't just a matter of proficiency. Using the dual blades required extremely high coordination and flexibility. The "flurry" that was the core of its moves would s***h out dozens or even scores of strikes in a short time.

For Gordon, who couldn't even touch his back with his hands behind his back, it was almost an impossible task.

Excluded!

He then picked up the longsword.

This slender weapon that was as tall as a person wasn't heavy, but when swung, it gave a special sense of power. It was fierce and agile at the same time, and he was quite interested in it.

At least, the feel in the hand was much more comfortable than that of the shortsword. So he put it aside as an alternative for the time being.

The third weapon he tried was the hammer.

To be honest, he didn't like the shape of the hammer very much. He always thought it looked a bit clumsy, but he had a special fondness for this weapon.

The source of this fondness was quite simple — The weapon that Instructor Ernest was good at using was the hammer.

He swung it, smashed it down, then grasped the handle and spun around several times like a whirlwind with his feet as the axis, and finally put it back on the weapon rack.

Well, it did give a strong sense of power, but it wasn't very handy to use. The feel in the hand was a bit worse than that of the longsword. If he had to choose between the two, he would choose the former.

The last weapon he tried was the greatsword.

The moment he picked up the greatsword, he subconsciously exerted strength with both hands and lifted it up.

The heavy and solid feel in the hand made him involuntarily recall that huge tusk.

This weapon was a bit shorter than the longsword but was many times wider and thicker and much heavier. For others, this extra weight might be a burden.

But for him, this weight made him feel at ease.

Without being taught, he took a half step forward with his left foot, put the greatsword on his right shoulder, shifted his body's center of gravity backward, and made a "carrying" gesture.

When he maintained this posture, an indescribable power was gathering and accumulating in his body until he felt an irresistible urge to release it.

"Haah!"

He took a step forward with his right foot, and the heavy greatsword on his shoulder, driven by that power, slashed down with a momentum that seemed capable of cutting through everything, smashing the wooden weapon rack in front of him to pieces.

"Uh, Instructor, I'm sorry... I'll be responsible for repairing it!" Gordon didn't know why he had chopped the weapon rack, but the instructor didn't seem angry at all from his expression.

On the contrary, there was a look of gratification mixed with a hint of excitement on his face?

"It's okay." The instructor smiled and waved his hand. "Do you want to try the longsword again?"

"No, I'll choose the greatsword!" Gordon grinned. He liked the heavy feel and the momentum of being able to cut through everything.

He always felt that after picking up the greatsword, it would be very awkward for him to pick up other weapons.

"Well, Instructor, could you lend me this greatsword for the time being?"

Gordon asked cheekily, "As you know, my Hunter's Dagger was damaged, and I don't have any other weapons for the moment..."

"No way!" The instructor immediately put on a stern face.

"As a hunter, there are several principles that must not be violated.

One of them is that a hunter's weapons and armor must be crafted from the materials obtained by the hunter himself. The act of giving, lending weapons or materials is strictly prohibited!"