Monster Hunter in League of Legends

Upon waking up in the morning, Tallinn also did some stretching exercises.

Tarlin then turned his gaze to Nidalee, who had just regained consciousness, and asked, "How's your recovery going?"

"……fine."

Looking at her own body, Nidalee, in her female leopard form, nodded and said, "The medicine is more effective than expected."

Nidalee in her beast form can speak, but it's very uncomfortable for her. After a night of reflection, Nidalee felt that for the sake of her people, she needed to adapt to things she wasn't used to before.

Although Nidalee has little knowledge of civilization, she grew up in this wilderness and has a deep understanding of the uses of plants.

In the game, its human form's E skill, Wild Rush, can heal the target while providing a large amount of attack speed. Although it looks like some kind of enhancement magic, it is actually a healing ointment made by the user from honey candy.

This is why Nidalee was so comfortable letting Tarin apply the medicine to her last night.

Although the ointment, after being chewed up and mixed with saliva into a paste, looked somewhat unrefined, Nidalee had already identified the herbal ingredients before Tarlin even chewed it up.

But now it seems that perhaps it's because of the special saliva that's added, which can numb the whole body while simultaneously boosting one's mental state? So the drug's effects are much better than expected.

Tarlin didn't seem to care about that, and instead asked, "What does the herd need now?"

"food."

Upon hearing this, Nidalee added, "It's always been about food. A few years ago, the group had thirty jungle cats, and there wasn't much pressure then. But after the last breeding season, the number of jungle cats that survived has reached forty, and the food consumption is increasing every day."

"Simply relying on hunting in the forest cannot support such a huge amount of consumption."

Tallinn shook his head.

A herd of forty cheetahs is unimaginable in the wild.

Although powerful individuals in Runeterra can easily manipulate stars with their bare hands and destroy celestial bodies, and some powerful beings can create countless constellations of celestial creatures in a year, the majority are still mortals and powerful individuals who have mastered some magical or supernatural powers.

Even Ryze, the wandering mage, is not much stronger than a regular mage if he doesn't unlock the World Rune. He still has to dodge artillery fire.

After all, Runeterra doesn't offer him Hextech power like Overflow, Mind Over Matter, Physical to Magic Conversion, Return to Fundamentals, or Vampiric abilities.

However, once the world runes are unleashed, that's a different story.

The True Emperor Ruitian.

In general, Runeterra is a mid-level medieval fantasy world, somewhat similar to the Battle of the Five Armies in the movie version of The Hobbit.

In this situation, aside from some special monsters, according to Tarin's observation, even the wilderness of Ixtal maintains its own ecological balance.

In this situation...

"Have you considered the situation and pressure the population will face when the next breeding season arrives?"

Upon hearing Tarin's question, even in his jungle cat form, Tarin could clearly see a complex, human-like expression on the face of the giant Paka jungle cat.

It's obvious that Nidalee knows this, but she doesn't know how to solve it, so she can only let things slide.

But meeting Tarin's gaze, after a moment of silence, Nidalee still said firmly, "No matter what, I will not abandon my people... I will do everything in my power."

"A commendable belief, but it doesn't solve the fundamental problem."

Tallinn shook his head.

Upon hearing Tarin's words, Nidalee seemed to realize something as well. She then walked up to Tarin, lowered her head, and said, "Then how should we solve this? Please teach me."

Although this might give the impression of submission or surrender, there's no doubt that what Tarin said has been a persistent problem troubling Nidalee's mind.

However... coming from the wilderness, Nidalee didn't know how to solve this problem.

Nidalee's foster mother did teach her how to hunt and how to keep the pack alive, but even when her foster mother was alive, the pack, including the cubs, numbered only a little over ten jungle cats.

Now, the cost has quadrupled, and the enormous consumption has forced Nidalee to alleviate the food crisis by increasing the frequency of hunting...

Thinking it over, Nidalee added, "No matter the cost."

She was willing to give everything for the sake of the herd.

Tallinn shook his head at this.

This caused a flicker of sadness and tension to cross Nidalee's eyes. But then, Tarin added:

"I will help you, but I won't ask anything of you in return."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of joy flashed in Nidalee's eyes, but this was quickly followed by an intuitive suspicion: "...Then, why did you do this?"

"Because I, Tarin, the Odogaron, am the lord of the beast pack." Tarin glanced at Nidalee with a hint of helplessness, then crouched down and patted the submissive cat's head, which was still covered in metallic stone armor, and said:

"Do you think I wanted to become your leader just for enslavement and pleasure?"

Upon hearing this, Nidalee subconsciously looked away, a hint of human embarrassment appearing on her cat-like head.

Frankly speaking, if a ferocious beast that looks exaggerated and cruel suddenly appears, and then this beast cruelly cripples you and demands that your tribe submit... no matter how you look at it, your tribe will face cruel exploitation and enslavement.

Even though she didn't understand human society, Nidalee had seen the living conditions of domesticated animals... In the eyes of wild animals, such living conditions were utterly devoid of dignity, and they had even forgotten how to extend their claws to hunt. They were simply a disgrace among beasts, the scum of the animal kingdom.

Nidalee thought that the jungle cat would also become the slave of this guy who called himself Tarlin... although she didn't know how to enslave a jungle cat.

The body structure of felines is not adapted to arable land.

But now it seems that things are not developing as I expected?

Sensing Nidalee's thoughts, Tarin said earnestly, "Since I am going to become the Lord of the Horde, then I will take on the responsibility that belongs to the Lord of the Horde and lead our people to prosperity."

Hearing Tarin's words and feeling his gaze, Nidalee remained silent for a moment before respectfully nudging Tarin's feet and saying:

"...Then I will obey you."

Tallinn accepted this without hesitation.

This is the way the wild communicates, and it is also the etiquette of the beasts.

After expressing her submission, Nidalee asked, "So... what should we do?"

"First, make good use of our resources."

Tarlin pointed at Nidalee and said, "You tell me first, what are the strengths of the beastmen? And what do they rely on for survival?"

"Strength," Nidalee said without hesitation. "The Paka Jungle Cat is one of the most powerful predators, and unlike other predators, it knows how to cooperate."

Not to brag, but even without Nidalee, the Paka jungle cat is definitely one of the most powerful wild animals in the Ishtar jungle.

Although they have lost their half-human, half-beast form as Vastaya, the legacy from their ancestors still grants them abilities far exceeding those of ordinary wild animals. Furthermore, they can use primal magic under certain circumstances to enhance their physiological functions, unleashing bites and pounces far beyond the limitations of ordinary felines and their original size.

This can be seen from the fact that the flesh-toothed beasts want to hunt them—the flesh-toothed beast race is keen on hunting powerful prey. The fact that the Paka jungle cat was targeted by the flesh-toothed beasts, and that the flesh-toothed beasts even came out in full force to ambush and attack it, already shows how dangerous the Paka jungle cat is.

Or rather, it is precisely because the Paka jungle cat possesses such great strength and cooperative nature that it has been able to maintain its population without being greatly affected, even when the herd has multiplied several times over, by increasing the amount of hunting and using this brutal method.

"That's certainly one of the strengths and advantages of the Paka Jungle Cat," Tarin nodded, then looked at Nidalee and said, "So, that's all for the Paka Jungle Cat. What's the rest? Yours?"

"……I?"

Nidalee was taken aback by his words, and instinctively said, "I am the jungle... huh?"

As she said this, Nidalee realized something and looked at Tarin with some uncertainty. Tarin didn't disturb Nidalee, but simply met her gaze quietly.

After a moment, Nidalee also withdrew her gaze and said with some doubt, "I...I can still turn into...human...but I'm not good at it."

"I'm indeed not very skilled."

Hearing Nidalee's words, Tarin shook his head and said, "I didn't notice it when we first started fighting yesterday. But after you turned human, I realized there was something wrong with your fighting style."

"Simply put, you've completely overlooked the most important ability of a Shapeshifter—the advantage of being able to switch forms at any time during combat."

Tarlin tries to guide Nidalee to realize the true advantage of a shapeshifter.

Although Tarin is not a Vastayan, he calls himself a Shapeshifter because of his ability to transform into a Odogaron at any time, and even Ryze couldn't tell the difference.

Through a system born from the very essence of Tarin, Tarin is compatible with any worldview and any form of power. This means that if Tarin so desires, it can also draw upon the magical power of Runeterra and channel it into its body.

The risk is a bit high.

Because the magic of Runeterra has its own will and can erode the mind and will of its users, this is the primary cause of the rampant Rune Wars.

During his previous battle with Nidalee, Tarin discovered that although Nidalee had extensive combat experience as a Paka jungle cat, her combat experience in human form was relatively weak.

If Tarin remembers correctly, in the story, although Nidalee did demonstrate "the speed of a Pakka jungle cat and the dexterity of a human" when she first awakened her shapeshifter talent, in reality, Nidalee only truly learned to control her power and switch freely between the two forms after a period of accumulation.

In addition, by utilizing the available resources around them, they can create traps and weapons that Paka Jungle Cat has never seen before—namely, the human form's W skill, Jungle Ambush, which sets a hunting trap that causes continuous damage if stepped on.

Of course, there are only hunting traps in the game, but that may not be the case in real life.

In summary, Nidalee is currently in a stage where she has mastered the ability to shapeshift, but hasn't fully grasped the connection between her human and beast forms. Her fighting style remains that of a Paka Jungle Cat; her strength stems only from her awakened power, which far surpasses that of an ordinary Paka Jungle Cat.

It's like evolving from a ferocious jackal dragon into a great ferocious jackal dragon.

"Solving the problem of the beast herd once and for all is not something that can be done overnight. Let's start by making use of the resources at our disposal."

"What resources are available?"

Upon hearing this, Nidalee paused for a moment, then stared at Tarin, who remained in human form, and said with difficulty, "You mean... transform into human form."

"Yes," Tallinn nodded.

Nidalee pursed her lips, her expression somewhat reluctant, dawdling like a big cat that wanted to stay in bed.

Seeing this, Tarin said, "Nedri, you don't want the beast horde to decline, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Nidalee's expression faltered slightly, then she gritted her teeth as if she had made up her mind, and slowly transformed back into the wild and fierce Honeyskin Huntress she had been before.

Shapeshifters can transform their clothing and equipment simultaneously, so along with the transformation, Nidalee also acquires a sharp bone spear in her hand. Judging from the marks on it, this is not Nidalee's weapon, but rather a spear she seized from the Flesh-toothed Beast Hunters during her first transformation.

Holding a spear, Nidalee lowered her head, her left forearm crossed across her chest and resting in the crook of her arm, her expression full of embarrassment.

Feeling Tarin's gaze, and even when a gentle breeze blows by, Nidalee's body trembles slightly involuntarily.

After staring at Nidalee for a while, Tarin nodded in satisfaction and said, "Although she says she's unwilling, her actions speak louder than words."

"There is not a trace of its beast form."

Whether there are remnants of previous forms between the transformations of a shapeshifter is a very important criterion.

In response, Nidalee propped herself up on her chest with her arm, then tugged at the hem of her hunting skirt with her other hand, crossing her legs and saying with a look of discomfort:

"Without fur, it's like being stripped naked, and the wind feels very uncomfortable."

"This means that your senses are more acute in human form."

As he said this, Tarin placed his hand on Nidalee's forearm, feeling the subcutaneous muscles that were several times denser than those of an average person, yet still maintained softness and elasticity. Tarin nodded thoughtfully.