It’s 6:30 AM. The coffee pot is burbling, and the first sunlight is sneaking through the blinds. I sit by my tiny table, toast in the toaster, Switch in hand. First stop of the day? Monster Hunter Rise.
Today’s daily quests: hunt a Tobi-Kadachi, slay 10 Izuchi, and perform a Wyvern Ride finisher on any large monster. Classic.
Now, I used to approach these like they were chores—check the list, halfheartedly mash through—but something changed. I started treating them like part of my morning ritual. Like brushing teeth or sipping that first cup of coffee.
Before even booting up the game, I glance at the quest screenshot I saved on my phone last night. If I see a thunder beast like Tobi-Kadachi on the list, I prep my thunder-resistant gear and pack a shock trap. My route is set before I even enter the quest. No guesswork, no detours. Just smooth hunting.
A buddy of mine, Ken, does the opposite. He jumps in blind, wastes time swapping armor mid-quest, then wonders why he faints twice and runs out of time. I always tell him, “Would you wear dress shoes on a mountain hike?”
Efficiency, for me, is all about multitasking. If I’m hunting in the Flooded Forest, I swing by Area 1 and Area 3 to knock out the Izuchi quota before I even touch the big guy. It’s like grocery shopping with a plan—you wouldn’t grab milk, check out, then come back for eggs, right?
As for that Wyvern Riding task—many players skip it. Not me. I see it as a shortcut. If Tobi is in Area 6, I lure a nearby monster like Great Izuchi over with a Stinkmink, force a turf war, mount one, and ram Tobi into the wall three times. Bam—quest progress and a head start on damage.
And when it comes to gear, I always pick what’s fast, not necessarily the strongest. My go-to is the Long Sword or Light Bowgun—quick to draw, easy to move, and perfect for small monster cleanup. I once tried clearing small mobs with a Heavy Bowgun—took me 15 minutes. Swapped to LBG? Done in six.
There was a time when work stress wrecked my routine. I’d sleep at 3 AM, wake up foggy. So I made a simple rule: no social media in the morning—just clear my Monster Hunter dailies first. Somehow, slaying monsters gave me back a sense of control.
That’s the beauty of these quests. They’re small, doable wins. On days when life feels overwhelming, it’s oddly comforting to wake up, plan a quick hunt, knock out a few tasks, and start the day feeling like I’ve already accomplished something.
Of course, some mornings I skip the game entirely. That’s fine too. Rise isn’t a second job—it’s a quiet ritual, like a walk at sunset or reading one page before bed.
So if you ever feel like dailies are a drag, maybe shift your mindset. Treat them like a warm-up, not a checklist. Plan ahead, ride monsters into walls, shoot from a distance, sip your coffee.
Monster hunting doesn’t need to be stressful. Sometimes, it can be as calming as your morning brew.
