In the days that followed, with the death of the Deviljho, the tension that had gripped the forest gradually faded. The ecosystem that had been ravaged by the Deviljho quickly began to recover.
No one knew exactly how many monsters that Deviljho had killed on its rampage, but now, herbivores were experiencing a sudden population boom. The previously fragile food chain seemed to have been reborn, and once it stabilized, it even appeared more resilient than before.
Territories in the Ancient Forest that had been monopolized and long entrenched by powerful monsters were now vacated. Creatures from other regions began flooding in, bringing new vitality to the area.
For Logan, life had become quite relaxed. The living conditions in the Ancient Forest were excellent, with resources in abundance. Aside from the occasional territorial skirmish, there were few battles sparked by survival pressure.
Aki's injuries had fully healed, leaving behind no hidden ailments.
The leftover medicine was partially stored by the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne as reserve supplies. The rest was distributed to other groups among the Fire Wyvern clans of the Ancient Tree to foster greater unity.
However, during this period, aside from Logan, it was the Rathalos that had the roughest time.
The reason? It was hatching season for the Fire Wyvern eggs!
During this time, the Rathian were especially irritable and on edge. Even if a Rathalos made too much noise, he'd be driven out of the nest by his mate.
The eggs being incubated were strictly off-limits—sacred and untouchable. Even the Grimalkyne had to endure the intense vigilance of the Rathian as they cleaned around the outskirts of the nests. The moment anyone stepped too close, they would be driven off immediately.
Not even the most reckless Kulu-Ya-Ku would dare try to steal eggs during this period.
Each Rathian typically laid between 8 to 12 eggs per clutch, but only 3 to 5 of those would successfully hatch.
And of those hatchlings, barely half would survive to adulthood.
Even so, Fire Wyverns remained the most populous apex Flying Wyvern species in the world.
As time passed, the eggs began to hatch one by one. The newborn wyverns, with their oversized heads and loud cries, filled the Ancient Tree with a lively, chaotic energy.
The Rathalos began to increase the frequency of their hunting trips, while the Rathian took on the role of feeding. During this time, the spines beneath their lower jaws would grow larger and develop into hollow, tube-like structures.
The food brought back by the Rathalos would be shredded and carefully chewed into minced meat by the Rathian, then fed to the hatchlings through those tubular spines.
But this year, a small change occurred.
Near the tree canopy of the Ancient Tree, a particular pair of Fire Wyverns—one of the second couples to begin receiving regular service from the cats—were about to do something different.
This time, their luck was truly unbelievable—seven hatchlings emerged from a single clutch of eggs.
The Rathian found herself overwhelmed, unable to keep up with the feeding demands.
Every day, the hatchlings would chirp incessantly like baby birds, mouths wide open, waiting to be fed.
But chewing meat paste was a delicate task. The Fire Wyvern's jaw structure was designed for tearing flesh, not for grinding it down. As a result, each feeding left at least one hatchling hungry.
It didn't take long before two of them began to weaken. The signs of malnutrition were obvious to the naked eye. During this critical period of rapid growth, they had already become visibly smaller than their siblings from the same clutch.
But whenever the mother came to feed them, they were always outcompeted by their stronger brothers and sisters.
By the time their turn came, it was already too late.
Like all hatchlings, they needed to eat several times a day. Once they missed a feeding window, there was no making up for it.
It became a vicious cycle.
One day, a female Grimalkyne who had been tending to this Fire Wyvern pair could no longer bear the sight.
She had helped the Rathian care for the eggs even before they hatched.
Now, seeing the newborns suffering this way broke her heart.
So, mimicking the consistency of the meat mash the Rathian chewed, she quietly took some pieces of meat and minced them herself.
Then, while the Rathian was too busy to pay attention to the two scrawny hatchlings, the Grimalkyne—suppressing her fear—approached with a wooden bowl modeled after the Rathian's hollow jaw spines and gently offered the food.
Under normal circumstances, such an action would have guaranteed an immediate attack. Fire Wyverns were notoriously sensitive, especially when it came to threats near their offspring. They would never tolerate anything suspicious approaching their nest.
But perhaps because she had grown so familiar to them, or perhaps because she had already earned the full trust of this wyvern pair… or maybe the Rathian had come to realize she simply couldn't care for so many hatchlings alone—
Whatever the case, when the Rathian noticed the Grimalkyne's actions, she merely lowered her head and gave the wooden bowl a cautious lick.
The Grimalkyne trembled with fear.
But after tasting the meat broth and finding it harmless, the Rathian turned away and continued feeding the rest of her brood.
Seeing that the Rathian made no further moves after tasting the food, the Grimalkyne realized she had silently approved.
A look of joy lit up her face as she carefully extended the wooden bowl and began gently feeding the two scrawny hatchlings. Watching them gulp down the meat eagerly, the female Grimalkyne smiled with the warmth of a mother tending to her own young.
When Logan heard the news from the leader of the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne, he was equally astonished.
The extreme protectiveness that mother wyverns displayed toward their offspring was practically an instinctual behavior shared by all monsters in this world that possessed a concept of familial bonds. Even if the hatchlings died under such obsessive protection, the mother would never allow another creature near them.
And yet now, a Grimalkyne had broken that deeply ingrained instinct—successfully participating in the feeding of the hatchlings. Without a doubt, this was a remarkable development. It signaled a deepening of the symbiotic relationship between the Fire Wyvern clans of the Ancient Tree and the Fire Wyverns themselves.
If this continued, the two species might become inseparable.
While this was still just an isolated case—most Fire Wyvern families remained highly vigilant toward the Grimalkynes during nesting—Logan was confident that, given time, such events would become more common… and eventually, the norm.
At that moment, a sly thought crept into Logan's mind.
If this trend continued, then one day, when that legendary Hunter from the Sapphire Star finally arrived in the New World and came to the Ancient Tree seeking Fire Wyvern materials to forge equipment…
Would he be ambushed by a cat backstab?
A mixed beatdown from Fire Wyverns and Grimalkynes… just imagining it made the Logan's blood stir with excitement.
...
While things on the Ancient Tree side were steadily progressing in a new direction, deep within the Wildspire Waste…
This time, the Research Commission had dispatched a total of sixteen hunters, each with their respective Palicoes, along with four field researchers, all heading deep into the Wildspire Waste in search of the Teostra's whereabouts.
By nightfall, the evening breeze had swept away the last traces of heat from the wasteland. The temperature across the entire Wildspire Waste dropped sharply. Creatures that had long adapted to life in the arid landscape retreated early into their dens, curling up to conserve body heat.
The members of the Commission gathered around a bonfire, chatting casually. Compared to other parts of the Wildspire Waste, this particular area wasn't as cold at night—likely due to the Teostra's presence.
As an Elder Dragon of flame, the Teostra radiated intense heat. Without even trying to suppress its power, merely remaining in an area was enough to raise the local temperature.
During the day, anyone unaware who accidentally wandered into its territory might even mistake the searing heat for an extreme heatwave.
"Hey, Falcon! Are these Canynes common where you're from?"
The Dual Blades hunter known as Falcon looked up from where he was grooming his Canyne, nodding gently.
"There are plenty. Canynes are naturally gentle and loyal. Back home, they're every hunter's best companion—an indispensable partner in every hunt."
Hearing this, the Canyne with a cross-shaped mark on its forehead affectionately licked the back of its master's hand, then rested its head on Falcon's crossed legs.
"Huh? So… does that mean you guys don't have Felynes over there?"
"We do, of course. In our village, there are professionals who specialize in training Canynes. Felynes are also trained as companions by designated instructors."
"Whoa! So you're saying hunters in your village can go on hunts with both a Felyne and a Canyne? That must make the job way easier, huh?" the hunter exclaimed with a hint of envy.
His eyes sparkled as they drifted to the calmly resting Canyne.
Ever since they had left the base and arrived in this region, Falcon had practically been riding his Canyne the entire time.
This small Fanged Beast wasn't just fierce—it also had remarkable stamina and endurance. No matter the terrain, it could keep up with the team while carrying Flacon.
On flat ground, it even had enough strength to sprint.
They'd been out here for quite a while now, and most of the hunters were already exhausted from searching on foot all day. But Falcon? He still looked completely at ease, a striking contrast to the rest of the group.
Having such a companion dramatically reduced pre-hunt fatigue, giving hunters more energy to focus on the battle ahead.
Falcon simply smiled kindly at the envious remark.
For the hunters of Kamura Village, having two companions truly did make daily hunts much easier.
But even so, the nightmare that returned every fifty years still hung over the village like a sword poised to fall.
Every time the Rampage occurred, the village suffered devastating losses.
That's why—despite the advantage of having both types of companions—Kamura Village had never truly flourished, even after all these years.
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