The Grimalkynes—especially those that once lived in the Ancient Tree—had undoubtedly been the most insignificant species in the Ancient Tree.
The upper, middle, and lower layers of the Ancient Tree were all filled with beings the Grimalkynes could never afford to provoke.
Their only response to all of this was simple: run!
Keep running!
If they ran too slowly, they would become nothing more than food for monsters.
Under such grueling conditions, over the course of centuries, Grimalkyne civilization stagnated. Their population could only be maintained at a dozen or so. Any excess had to be driven out, left to fend for themselves.
But everything changed from the moment of that decision years ago.
Now, the Grimalkynes were not only well-equipped, numerous, and highly specialized in their roles—
They had also formed a unique and solid symbiotic relationship with the Fire Wyverns of the Ancient Tree.
It could even be said that the nest site a Rathalos occupied in the Ancient Tree was no longer the primary factor for a Rathian when choosing a mate.
Whether or not they could enjoy the services of the cats, how many would serve in a single day, or whether a cat would be assigned exclusively for service—these had all become key parameters for Rathians when choosing a partner.
With the protection of the Fire Wyverns, the cats could go out hunting and gathering materials, and even call upon wyverns for direct support.
And with Logan's approval, they could now make sweeping transformations to the most vital region of the Ancient Forest itself.
"It can be said that the cats of the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern clan have now become one of the most formidable species in the Ancient Forest.
The ecological chain of the Ancient Forest had, imperceptibly, undergone a complete reordering.
On reflection, this was Logan's greatest achievement besides his own strength!
He had directly and indirectly altered the ecological chain of a massive environment on this continent.
In the future, as his power advanced and as his clan grew and changed, he might even influence the ecological balance of the entire New World.
And such changes were positive, progressive—not destructive. For the world, as long as the negative effects never outweighed the positive, it all remained within the range of ecological self-adaptation.
After hearing the cats' report, Logan spread his wings and soared into the clouds.
The Coral Highlands were indeed rich in nutrients, but the drawback was the monotony of the food. For a pure carnivore like the Fire Wyvern, the prey available was pitifully scarce.
If it were only about survival, it wouldn't be a problem. But with Logan's current strength, eating merely to survive was far too miserable!
After all those years of effort, could he not afford a little enjoyment?
Over a month of dining on nothing but Raphinos, the occasional Wiggler, and sometimes barnacle snails—his mouth was about to go bland from boredom!
"Mosswine! Mosswine! Here I come!!"
With that thought in his mind, Logan shot off toward the hunting grounds where the mushrooms grew in clusters.
He hadn't tasted Mosswine in over a month!
Today, he would eat his fill—no matter what!
Not long after Logan departed, Aki too spread and folded her wings as she stepped out.
Her scales shimmered in the sunlight, her graceful figure steady as she strode along the main path formed of trunks, vines, and soil. Her eyes glistened with a watery sheen—her bearing proud, yet without the slightest hint of savagery.
At a glance, she was clearly a Rathian well-nourished and thoroughly content.
The other Rathians of the Ancient Tree, upon seeing Aki's state, could not help but gaze at her with deep envy.
There was no helping it. After all, their own mates were all keeping harems.
Ancient Tree canopy—
The Flame Rathalos watched the tempered Rathalos leaping and weaving through the branches. With disdain, it tilted its head aside and bit off a slightly itchy scale from its wing. Gazing at the old scale as it hardened, it folded its wings back with satisfaction.
On a nearby branch, the tempered Azure Rathalos—still somewhat weakened—wore a completely different expression, its eyes brimming with envy as it watched those tempered Rathalos.
Or rather, as it watched the flames burning at the tips of their wings.
For high-tier predators like Rathalos, there were three things of utmost importance:
First, survival.
Second, reproduction.
Third, strength!
From the moment Logan had returned yesterday, stirring up such a commotion, these tempered Rathalos, like Aki, had begun secreting combustible fluids at their wing tips. Drawing upon the Ancient Tree's air, rich with overwhelming fire energy, they had succeeded in igniting them.
This meant the tempered Rathalos had gained new offensive methods, and their flames had grown all the more powerful.
Aside from the Flame Rathalos, a rare breed already possessing its own formidable firepower, the rest of the Rathalos could do nothing but burn with envy at the tempered ones' transformation.
Especially the tempered Azure Rathalos—when it saw one of the tempered Rathalos imitating Logan, flaring its wings to cast a small blaze onto the ground, its weary eyes reddened further with envy.
After all, it was still the third strongest among the Ancient Tree's Fire Wyvern pack. But with so many tempered Rathalos advancing while its own progress lagged behind, a deep sense of crisis swept over it.
Suddenly, the Azure Rathalos that had been the very first to join the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern pack returned from a hunt. Before the disbelieving eyes of the tempered Azure Rathalos, it flew straight into the group of tempered Rathalos who were practicing their new combat methods—and then, flames actually flared up at the tips of its wings as well.
The tempered Azure Rathalos could no longer contain itself. It threw its head back and let out a roar filled with envy, jealousy, and frustration.
In an instant, every Rathalos present turned its gaze toward it.
Five tempered Rathalos and one Azure Rathalos soared over, their wing tips blazing with fire.
At that moment, the tempered Azure Rathalos and the Flame Rathalos—both with wings folded—looked completely out of place.
But in the very next second, the Flame Rathalos took flight, both of its wings erupting in roaring flames. Compared to it, the fire burning on the tempered Rathalos' wings was utterly insignificant.
At least now, the scene looked consistent.
The only one left out was the tempered Azure Rathalos, lowering its head in silence, its sky-blue eyes unable to meet theirs.
Its massive body, 24 meters long, seemed utterly pitiful, weak, and helpless among the gathered Rathalos.
Deep within the Ancient Forest—
The Admiral crouched down, pushing aside the grass, and touched the faint, shallow footprints shaped like the front of a small foot.
"Whew~… As expected. So there really are Wyverians in the New World!"
Beside him, the vigilant Tonkotsu frowned slightly. "I don't know, meow. Our tribe has no record of Wyverians. Could it just be an unknown species that looks similar to them, meow?"
"Perhaps." The Admiral rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his hands.
"These prints are too old. They no longer hold much tracking value. That's enough for today. Tomorrow we'll head back to the Ancient Tree and see if the Fire Wyverns have any news about the Gore Magala."
After more than a month, the scholars of the Research Commission had finally managed to piece together information on the Gore Magala. Though the scraps were pitifully few, they confirmed that the monster besieged by the Fire Wyvern pack had indeed been a Gore Magala.
As for Logan's claim—that the monster's frenzy was linked to the Gore Magala—this point still remained to be proven.
After all, from the scale dust the Admiral had brought back, all of it was inorganic matter. No matter how one thought of it, there was no clear connection to an organic virus.
For the Elder Dragon Research Team of the New World, the only tangible material they had to study the Gore Magala was the scale dust the Admiral had once managed to collect.
Even the rough sketch the Admiral had drawn of the Gore Magala was extremely abstract. The scholars had to rely on his written descriptions of its features to identify it.
As for that tiny amount of black scale dust—compared to what experiments required, it was no more than a drop in the bucket.
On top of that, the existence of the Pink Rathian infected with the Frenzy Virus gave the scholars the chance to examine firsthand how the Frenzy Virus converted into organic matter.
Because of this, the precise connection between the Gore Magala and the Frenzy Virus became like a fishhook soaked in spice, luring the scholars of the New World beyond reason. One after another, they approached the Commander, begging him to deliver a message: no matter what, the Admiral had to secure a Gore Magala—even just a corpse would suffice!
Thus, with Logan gone and nothing better to do, the Admiral—who had been idling at the Ancient Tree each day, watching over and studying the Fire Wyvern group's ecology—took the initiative. Together with Tonkotsu, who had been diligently honing his strength, he ventured into the depths of the Ancient Forest to search for signs of the Gore Magala.
Unfortunately, the Gore Magala in the Coral Highlands had begun to suffer relentless assaults from other monsters. Their already meager numbers had dwindled to the brink of extinction. Trapped, unable to escape, they had no chance of crossing the Great Ravine to reach the Ancient Forest.
And so, the Admiral and Tonkotsu wandered through the forest for over a month, stumbling across many primal forms of life he had never before encountered.
It was during this aimless wandering, like headless flies, that they came across traces of the Wyverians.
Since Logan was away, there was no way to learn anything about the Gore Magala directly from him. The Admiral thought to settle for second best: seeking out the Wyverians of the New World in hopes of finding some opportunity there.
Yet after all their searching, they still lost the trail in the vast forest. Realizing they had been out for quite some time, they turned back.
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