Making Game: CH 151 – Zorah Magdaros (Patreon)

Several days had passed since the launch, and it seemed Levi the Palico did not stir up much chaos in the Kepler household. Having a menagerie of powerful Pokemon roaming around the estate was already weird enough for the family, so the existence of a bipedal cat was simply seen as yet another eccentric addition.

The most surprising thing about Levi was that he acted exactly like a proper, highly disciplined butler. Every single household task John or Dorian taught him was absorbed incredibly fast. At the current moment, he was even actively serving as a sparring partner for Marcus down in the courtyard.

Dorian sat comfortably under the shaded veranda, sipping his morning brewka while watching the duel. He was genuinely impressed by how vicious the small cat became in the heat of battle.

Levi wielded dual daggers. In his tiny paws, they looked more like standard combat blades, and he used them with terrifying efficiency.

Down on the grass, Marcus stomped his foot and summoned a heavy, overlapping photon shield, showcasing his newly refined Aegis branch path abilities. The thick golden plasma locked into place just as Levi launched himself into the air.

The Palico did not just attack directly. He utilized everything in his chaotic roster. Levi threw a miniature smoke bomb at the ground, engulfing Marcus in a thick grey cloud. A second later, a shock trap clamped onto the grass right outside the smoke. Marcus cautiously stepped back, successfully blocking a barrage of tiny throwing knives with his solar shield.

Suddenly, Levi burst out of the smoke from a completely blind angle. The Palico spun through the air like a lethal buzzsaw, his dual blades scraping aggressively against the heavy photon barrier. The sheer kinetic force forced the bulky teenager to slide back a few inches.

Watching the acrobatic, spinning combat style triggered a very specific mnemonic echo in Dorian's mind. The relentless speed and precise blade work heavily reminded him of a certain Levi from a classic anime in his past life.

Marcus grunted, pushing his shield forward to break the feline's momentum. Levi gracefully backflipped off the plasma barrier and landed perfectly on his feet, letting out a challenging meow.

Dorian smiled and looked back down at the glowing holographic newsfeed projected from his wristband.

He tapped into the entertainment section. A massive headline covered the rise of a brand new musical group called the Norva Park band. Composer Percival had written two tracks for their debut album. The media had already coined them a "rock band," heavily attributing the birth of this gritty, high-energy genre to the working culture at the Mord Tida mines.

It seemed the galaxy was finally beginning to explore the rock genre on its own. Dorian chuckled softly. Reading the critical breakdowns of their raw instrumentation and aggressive vocal phrasing brought a deep sense of satisfaction. 

He really hoped legendary groups resembling Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC would eventually rise organically in this universe. The scene was still very much in its infancy, and the local musicians were still trying to find their footing. However, their rebellious attitude and heavy guitar riffs were already on the exact right track.

Who knows, perhaps the galaxy would soon rediscover the intricate acoustic dynamics of electric blues, boogie-woogie, and vintage R&B entirely on their own.

The next entertainment headline highlighted how Spirited Away was currently making massive rounds across the Outer Rim. The animated masterpiece was continuing its theatrical releases, hopping from planet to planet and system to system. Audiences across the stars were being captivated by the detailed scene composition and the heavy emotional themes of the movie.

"So that is exactly why my Resonance Points jumped several times this week," Dorian murmured to himself.

He scrolled further down and found a highly speculative rumor piece regarding a brand new Pokemon cartoon series. Dorian chuckled again. It seemed Elah Tan had officially chosen her preferred method of marketing. She was intentionally letting the studio leaks spread through gossip to build up the fans' absolute eagerness.

"They will get the episodes soon enough. Please be patient," Dorian said to the empty air, laughing at himself.

He genuinely enjoyed reading these articles once in a while. It gave him a much broader perspective on how the galaxy perceived his various personas. Perhaps the news was entirely lacking in actual facts sometimes, yet it was still a highly entertaining read.

He swiped to the technology sector and saw a piece of news he had been looking forward to all month. It was the official exhibitor announcement for this decade's Stellar Tech Expo.

Raja had already aggressively booked a prime spot for their Clarent OS and the Caliburn VR seat. The bold news headline read: Game Company RTS Books Premium Spot at Stellar Tech Expo. The subheading heavily questioned what kind of revolutionary hardware a gaming studio could possibly show to rival the massive tech conglomerates.

Dorian took another sip of his brewka and minimized the article, turning his attention back to the sparring match. They were all about to find out exactly what Round Table Studio could do.

…

Across the galactic net, the initial wave of novelty had transformed into an absolute obsession. With several days having passed since launch, dedicated day-one hunters were clawing their way through the rank tiers, forging early sets of armor, and sharing terrifying tales from the field.

The Avalon forums were overwhelmed with traffic. Players were documenting their first expedition into the Wildspire Waste, where a routine hunt against a mud-caked Barroth abruptly spiraled into pure horror when a horned Diablos burst violently from the subterranean sands to claim its territory. Similar chaotic turf wars were being captured in the Ancient Forest, with Rathalos swooping down to batter an overextended Anjanath into the dirt.

On paper, this gameplay loop sounded exhausting. Game journalists initially wondered why anyone would spend hours gathering bitterbugs, mining rough ore veins, and plucking medicinal herbs just to craft shock traps and tranq bombs for a single quarry. Yet in practice, the rhythm proved utterly addictive.

The strategy sub-forums turned into a bustling exchange of survival knowledge.

[ThunderStrike]: Does anyone have a reliable route for Thunderbugs in Area 8? I need three more to craft extra shock traps for this capture investigation, and every time I get close, a pack of Kestodon charges my blind spot.

[MossSwamp]: Climb the northern ridge near camp two. You can grab two Thunderbugs off the high tree trunks, and there is a cluster of Godbugs right inside the hollow log. Drop a smoke bomb if the herbivores aggro you.

[ShellBreaker]: If you are going after Barroth, please bring water weapons or use the slinger with watermoss. Stripping the hardened mud off its ridges makes your weapon bounce far less. My heavy bowgun squad wasted fifteen minutes chipping away at bone armor before we realized water dissolves the outer layer.

[HerbGatherer]: The southern cavern in the forest has four respawning patches of Blue Mushrooms right beside the honey hives. Run that circuit twice between hunts and you will never run dry on Mega Potions.

The official community wiki was an active construction zone, constantly being edited, amended, and updated around the clock. Moderators scrambled to categorize elemental weaknesses, item drop percentages, and carves. 

Round Table Studio maintained a completely hands-off philosophy, choosing to release zero official strategy guides. Arthur preferred to let the player base map the wilderness together through shared discovery.

Beyond the crafting tables, the narrative hooks had sparked intense speculation. A pinned megathread titled "The Elder Crossing: Theories and Lore" was growing by thousands of replies every hour.

[AstroScholar]: The sheer mass of that mountain creature in the prologue defies standard biological physics. If an Elder Dragon of that scale is migrating toward the New World, what is drawing it there? Normal predators move for food, yet something that size could consume an entire mountain range.

[DeepVoid_9]: Look at the crystalline formations on its shell. It behaves like a walking tectonic plate. My theory is that the New World acts as a massive graveyard or energy crucible. These ancient beasts are traveling there to release bio-energy back into the ecosystem when their life cycle ends.

[ScaleWatcher]: If that volcanic behemoth is just one migrating entity, imagine what kind of apex predator lives at the final destination to feed on that kind of energy.

Meanwhile, the creative sections of the community exploded with artistic tributes. A dedicated corner of the board was claimed by illustrators and crafters who fell in love with the gear aesthetics, especially the Palico armors. 

Digital galleries were flooded with crossover fan art. Popular sketches depicted Zagreus clad in battle-scarred Anjanath plate mail, while other pieces showed the Stardew Valley farmer attempting to cultivate herbs while wearing full Rathalos scale armor.

Cosplayers were already sharing work-in-progress logs of hand-carved foam greatswords and articulated leather gauntlets. 

Pet lovers took the trend into reality, tailoring miniature Commission vests and acorn helmets for their domestic animals and hounds, proudly sharing photos of their real-life companions lounging on living room rugs.

The general board was dominated by pure comedic relief. Memes spread across social feeds within minutes of being posted.

A high-resolution screenshot of a Barroth staring directly into the player camera with an expression of blank bewilderment went viral under the caption: Me when I watch my cousin get turned into a pair of waterproof boots.

Weapon rivalries quickly turned into affectionate mockery. Heavy Bowgun users shared clips of Long Sword wielders repeatedly tripping their teammates mid-combo, labeling the blade an occupational hazard. Greatsword players posted montages of missing every single True Charged Slash while a monster slowly took a step backward, and Charge Blade mains were mercilessly roasted with infographics comparing their complex phial-charging rotations to advanced orbital calculus.

From technical theory-crafting and gripping lore debates to humorous skits and vibrant fan creations, the community was flourishing in every direction. 

Monster Hunter had firmly embedded its roots into the galactic consciousness, proving without a doubt that the hunting lifestyle was built to endure.

…

Several days had passed since the launch, and the player base was surging forward at an astonishing pace. Many veteran gamers had already clawed their way to the monumental milestone quest titled 'One for the History Books', which tasked the hunters with capturing the walking volcanic mountain known as Zorah Magdaros.

Over on the Stellarcast platform, Roric was just about to attempt the legendary mission live.

His streaming room was completely unrecognizable. He had fully decked out his physical background in official Monster Hunter merchandise. The walls were decorated to look exactly like the rustic, wooden interiors of the Astera gathering hub. To top it all off, Roric was currently wearing a custom-fitted physical armor set that bore a striking resemblance to the heavy metal hunter gear from the game.

On his main display, the quest board glowed with the massive assignment.

Roric pushed his gaming chair back and stood up. He walked dramatically toward a wooden armor stand positioned just in view of the camera. He picked up the metal helm with both hands, slowly slid it over his head, and turned to face the lens.

"This is it, chat. Zorah Magdaros."

The live chat instantly flooded with an endless wall of hype, emojis, and cheering text.

Roric flipped open the front slit of his physical helm and leaned in close to his microphone. He cleared his throat and put on his absolute best, gruff Commander voice.

"At dawn we will attempt what no one in history has dared. Capture an elder dragon! Make your preparations and proceed to the site."

He threw his fist into the air and screamed from the absolute top of his lungs. "May the Sapphire Star guide us all!!"

The chat somehow became even more hyped than ever. The screen blurred with a rapid cascade of repeating messages echoing his battle cry.

Roric sat back down and initiated the quest. The cinematic cutscene finished playing, and the massive, volcanic shell of Zorah Magdaros finally appeared on the horizon. The sheer scale of the beast was completely breathtaking.

"Let's go!" Roric shouted. He immediately made his character sprint toward the nearest loaded cannon. He slammed the firing mechanism, sending five heavy iron cannonballs crashing directly into the rocky hide of the elder dragon. "Eat this!"

He scrambled to pick up more heavy munitions to reload the empty artillery. The chat quickly began to scream at him.

[Gamer_Dad]: Take out the little ones Roric! [SkyWatcher]: the flying things are breaking the cannons! [No_Scope_King]: look up!

Roric abandoned the cannon and ran his character over to a nearby ballista. He aimed up at the sky and began firing heavy bolts at the flock of smaller flying beasts that were actively harassing the NPC artillery crews.

Suddenly, the in-game Commander's voice boomed over the chaotic audio. "Ready your binder!"

Roric started violently spinning his camera around in pure panic. "Where is the binder?! Chat, where is the binder?!"

He finally spotted the glowing golden ballista ammo resting near a supply crate. He grabbed it, loaded it into the ballista, and fired the restraining rope directly into the monster. The massive beast roared, yet the sheer momentum of the elder dragon was entirely too much to halt. A loud crack echoed across the barricade as Zorah Magdaros brutally breached the first defensive wall.

"Fuck!" Roric cursed loudly, slamming his hand on his desk.

Following the new on-screen prompt, he ran his character toward the hitching post and took a leap of faith. The wingdrake carried him across the massive gap and dropped him straight onto the craggy, volcanic back of Zorah Magdaros. It was time for a hands-on approach. He drew his massive Charge Blade and began to brutally hack away at the glowing magma cores erupting from the monster's shell.

The mission seemed to be going incredibly smoothly. He was executing his phial bursts perfectly and managing his health well.

Then, the cinematic camera suddenly ripped control away from him.

A terrifying roar echoed through his headphones. A completely unknown, spike-covered monster dropped directly out of the sky and landed heavily onto the volcanic shell of Zorah Magdaros. The new arrival let out a deafening screech and immediately charged straight toward his hunter.

Roric was consumed by sheer, unadulterated panic. He reached up and violently ripped the physical metal helm off his head, staring at the monitor with wide, terrified eyes.

"WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Roric screamed.

The chat went into an absolute frenzy.

[DragonSlayer]: NERGIGANTE!! [Void_Walker]: RUN RORIC RUN [Star_Lord_42]: RIP Roric. [HealPlz]: You are so dead right now.

With zero time to prepare and his heart hammering in his chest, Roric was suddenly forced into a brutal duel against an unknown, wildly aggressive apex predator while standing directly on the back of a moving mountain.

The spiked dragon roared, its massive black horns gleaming under the searing glow of the magma core.

"Move, move, get out of the way!" Roric shrieked into his headset.

He leaned violently to his left, jerking his entire torso in his gaming chair as though physically contorting his real body would grant his hunter an extra foot of dodge distance. In the virtual space, his character tumbled across the craggy obsidian surface, narrowly slipping under an outstretched, razor-sharp claw.

The beast whipped around instantly, its spiked tail churning up hot ash.

Roric mashed the phial discharge buttons, frantically swinging his Charge Blade in its expanded axe mode. "Take that! And that!"

The heavy blow bounced cleanly off the hardened black scales. A horrifying, hollow clang echoed through the speakers. The monster did not even flinch. It reared back on its hind legs, spread its massive, leathery wings, and hovered in the air for a single terrifying heartbeat.

"Wait, wait, timeout!" Roric yelled, leaning backwards so hard his chair squeaked in protest.

The dragon plummeted like a falling boulder. A massive spiked forearm slammed downward from above, flattening Roric's hunter directly into the rocky crust. The health bar vanished instantly.

You fainted.

The screen faded to black, followed by the muffled chime of the felyne rescue cart dumping his character onto the wooden floorboards of the makeshift supply camp.

The silence in Roric's streaming room was absolute and deafening.

Roric stared blankly at his monitor, his mouth slightly open. For five agonizing seconds, he could not form a single coherent sentence.

Then, the chat exploded into a raging cascade of mockery.

[No_Scope_King]: F [Star_Lord_42]: F in the chat boys [Void_Walker]: LMAO THE FLATTENING [Gamer_Dad]: what did I say? bro got sent to hades [DragonSlayer]: damn he really ded [Salty_Spitoon]: chat called it within fifteen seconds

Roric let out a deep, trembling exhale. He grabbed his controller, shoved the shame down into his gut, and ran straight back toward the hitching post. "I am not done. I am genuinely not done with this lizard."

The wingdrake carried him back onto the smoldering shell of Zorah Magdaros. This time, Roric abandoned all the theatrical yelling. He sat completely rigid, his spine straight, his eyes entirely locked onto the screen. Every ounce of his focus converged on his weapon combos. He charged his sword, stored energy into the shield, and relentlessly hacked away at the beast's flanks.

Yet no matter how clean his guard points were or how many super amped element discharges he landed, the creature kept relentlessly pushing forward, shrug after shrug.

"Why won't this thorny fuck die?!" Roric groaned through clenched teeth. "My sharpness is down to green and he is still roaring!"

A scripted horn blew across the ravine. The game suddenly seized camera control, yanking Roric out of his combat stance as a cinematic cutscene triggered.

From the high wooden scaffolds along the cliffside, the Commander raised his arm and bellowed an order. Heavy ballista batteries unleashed a synchronized barrage of tethered iron harpoons, whistling through the smoke and sinking deep into the winged monster's hide.

Roric let out a bewildered scoff. "Damn, so I barely did any real damage to him."

The dragon roared in sheer irritation. With a violent, sweeping swing of its muscular neck, it tore through the ballista lines and swept aside the frontline Commission hunters like autumn leaves. Roric's character went tumbling across the cracked stone, landing in a dazed heap near the edge of the carapace.

Before the dragon could stomp forward and finish the fallen hunters, a lone figure charged through the drifting sulfur.

It was the veteran Huntsman from the First Fleet. Clad in ancient, battered Rathian armor, the old warrior sprinted along a narrowing ridge, drew a massive iron katana, and executed a blinding running slash across the monster's snout. A fountain of sparks erupted along the scales.

"LET'S GOOO!" Roric screamed, slamming his hands onto his desk. "OLD MAN WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!"

The chat went wild over the sudden entrance.

[Crit_Role]: THE HUNTSMAN IS HIM [Iron_Fist]: Main character entrance right there! [BladeMaster]: Long Sword mains eating good tonight

The dragon staggered backward, shaking its horned skull. As it snarled, several thick, bone-white thorns visibly erupted from its hide, instantly regenerating where the old man had severed them.

Roric pointed an excited finger at the screen. "Chat! Look at the thorns! Those are the exact same spikes we saw earlier!"

The elder dragon coiled its muscles, preparing to unleash a devastating counter-strike. Before it could pounce, the ground beneath them tilted violently. The titanic body of Zorah Magdaros groaned, shifting its tectonic bulk as it forced its way deeper through the barrier. The seismic tremor completely ruined the predator's footing.

Seeing its feeding opportunity slip away, the spiked beast spread its wings, caught an updraft of superheated ash, and soared into the sky, vanishing into the clouds above the Great Ravine.

The dust slowly settled over the smoldering battlefield. Roric's hunter pushed himself off the ground and jogged over to help the old Huntsman back to his feet.

The veteran leaned heavily on his long blade, coughing against the smoke. "I am getting too old for this."

Behind them, the colossal, burning mountain of Zorah Magdaros dragged itself past the ruined wooden barricade, disappearing into the winding canyon beyond.

The golden banner flashed across the screen with a triumphant fanfare.

QUEST COMPLETE

Roric slumped back into his gaming chair, blinking at the rewards screen. "Well..."

The chat rolled its eyes in unison.

[SkyWatcher]: welp [CouchPotato99]: Task failed successfully! [Donut_Hole]: You basically got carried by a cutscene bro [Void_Walker]: "Capture the Elder Dragon" -> Dragon walks away freely. 10/10 plan Commander.

Roric held his hands up in mock defense. "Hey, it is definitely not my fault! The game literally took the controller away from me! That was entirely scripted, okay? The Commander's ropes snapped!"

The chat continued to jokingly blame him for the catastrophic failure, flooding the screen with memes of runaway giant turtles.

Once his hunter loaded back into the Astera base camp, Roric navigated the timber walkways toward the Research Base to debrief. He approached the Chief Ecologist, who was standing beside a towering pile of scorched rock samples and monster scales.

The dialogue box opened, and the scholarly Wyverian stroked his chin with a grave expression. According to the preliminary field analysis, this specific specimen of Zorah Magdaros was fundamentally anomalous. Its physical mass, thermal output, and shell diameter were drastically larger than anything recorded in historical Commission archives.

Roric leaned closer to his microphone, his playful attitude fading into genuine curiosity. "Wait, so something out there made it grow that massive? Or is it dying and gathering energy?"

Across the galaxy, millions of other hunters were reaching this exact same narrative crossroads. The grand mystery of the Elder Crossing was only just beginning to unfold, and the players were diving headfirst into the wilderness to unearth the truth.