The main food of the Fire Wyverns was still the fresh flesh of Aptonoth, not cat meals.
It was only that cat meals had all kinds of excellent effects, which had caused the Fire Wyverns to habitually have one before going out. But given the Fire Wyverns' size and appetite, the quantities involved were simply too much for the cats to sustain with their logistics.
Even later, when the Research Commission opened the passage from Astera to the Ancient Tree, it would still not be possible.
In these days, as the order was carried out, the cats at the Fire Wyvern and Cat Pavilion had somewhat less extra "income," yet some Fire Wyverns that, according to the rules, gave surplus Aptonoth meat to the cats in exchange for cat meals, when in high spirits eating, would still leave behind some of their own scales.
Seeing that the great Fire Wyverns, after giving "payment," left their scales behind in satisfaction, the cat chefs suddenly felt happier! Compared to how they felt before when receiving scales, this now made the cats even more delighted!
With no ulterior purpose mixed in, this pure recognition was something the cats had not felt for a very, very long time.
The last time they had felt something like this was back when they had first served as housekeeper cats, cautiously caring for others without asking for anything in return…
And when the cold and indifferent Fire Wyvern lords finally gave them recognition.
Only then, when the cat chefs received the gratuities left behind by the Fire Wyverns, did they truly begin to carry out Logan's order in earnest, and that little sense of loss from having less "income" in their hearts completely vanished.
The cats were still the same simple cats; they had never changed from beginning to end.
What they wanted had always been the recognition of the Fire Wyverns. Everything else was irrelevant.
That day, at the highest canopy of the Ancient Tree, with the help of the Azure Rathalos and Pink Rathian couple who had returned from the Research Commission, a gap was quickly opened up, and the already-prepared cats followed right behind to lay down planks one by one.
Soon, an unobstructed platform at the canopy layer was built.
This would be the new facility of the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern group—the new base of the Grimalkyne Resource Gathering Team!
Yes, although the Ancient Tree was suitable for planting, and the cats were vigorously developing cultivation of plants and insects, some special materials like ores and spider webs still required them to go out and gather.
So, under the suggestion of the Research Commission, by studying books such as History of Village Construction and Qualified Base Building, the cats successfully established a resource gathering team.
These cats were all professionally trained personnel, led by a Palico.
Within the relationship of Symbiosis, besides Tonkotsu, two more cats successfully became Palicoes, and their Palico training had all been managed entirely by Tonkotsu.
In non-deliberate combat situations, while gathering resources in the Ancient Forest, they could still ensure their own safety.
Because those resources were scattered throughout the forest, in order to save travel time, the Grimalkynes, following the technology kindly provided by the hunter Falcon from Kamura Village, developed the "Cat Wingsuits" to use as transportation tools.
"Please, meow!"
At this moment, Steak, the captain of the first resource gathering team, spoke seriously to the Azure Rathalos at his side.
Then he pulled down his wind mask, spread open the wingsuit frame, and a total of six cats neatly stood at the edge of the newly built platform.
Below the platform was a thick layer of clouds!
Although it could not understand the cats' request, the Azure Rathalos, having spent some time with the Research Commission, still knew a bit about courtesy. Without saying much, it spread its wings, and then gave a full-force flap.
A gust of wind pressure burst forth, and the cats with opened wingsuits were instantly blown upward by that force.
"Meowhoohoo~~~!"
With cries of excitement, the 6 cats flew through the sky like kites, riding the air currents as they began flying off into the distance.
At the canopy, a cat accompanying a newly born Fire Wyvern hatchling in prey-chasing training heard the sound and looked up.
"They… they're flying, meow!!"
The cat was astonished!
From this moment on, the Ancient Tree renovation plan finally had its beginning.
As the Cat Resource Gathering Team brought back various ores and materials, the construction of windmills and cable cars would also be placed on the schedule.
Near the cliffside, the cats' processing house and carpenter's workshop also began construction.
According to the agreement, members of the Second Fleet of the Research Commission would come to reside here.
There was no helping it. After all, this was a technical job. Even though the cats had been working very hard at learning and absorbing a great deal of knowledge from the Research Commission, this kind of skill could not be mastered overnight. What's more, given the cats' size and strength, they were destined to be unable to handle such work.
Unless… the Ancient Tree had new groups of races join!
And they would have to be intelligent races that could integrate into the Ancient Tree's new ecosystem.
...
On the other side, in Astera.
The Commander stopped the Admiral, who was carrying his pack and preparing to set out again for the Ancient Forest, and handed him a piece of parchment.
"What is it?" The Admiral took it with puzzlement and carefully looked it over.
"According to the reports from our investigators left in the Wildspire Waste, the former settlement of the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern group there was destroyed by an unknown creature. Every decent building on-site vanished, including that waterwheel."
Carlos paused, then continued: "In addition, through their in-depth investigation in that area, they discovered an Old World Rathalos whose wing had suffered a penetrating wound. Based on the information provided by their squad, the scholars analyzed that the penetrating wound on that Rathalos's wing was very similar to the damage caused by a Dragonator."
"You mean…?"
The Admiral put down the parchment, frowning, his thoughts churning.
"I've already dispatched a hunter squad to conduct a field investigation. Hopefully it's just an unknown monster, and not the official fleet of some kingdom. Otherwise, we'll have to prepare a rescue plan." Carlos sighed.
The Dragonator—ah, that was a weapon forged by the Hunter's Guild and various kingdoms through archaeological work, specially designed to deal with Elder Dragons!
"So, do you want me to go over to the Waste to investigate? Or do you want me to capture that injured Rathalos and bring it back?" the Admiral asked.
The Commander shook his head. "No need. While that hunter team is investigating, they'll also swing by and notify the Wyverian hunter who set out for the Wildspire Waste a few days ago. Leave the Rathalos capture to him."
"At the moment we're inclined to think all this was caused by an unknown monster, and that abandoned habitat of the Fire Wyvern group happens to sit right at the border between the Forest and the Waste. The Waste has the Wyverian hunter and that hunter team on it. On the Forest side, see if you can ask the Grimalkyne of the Ancient Forest Fire Wyvern tribe to assist with the investigation, or sound out the Sunblaze Dragon and see if He has any leads."
"So that's the plan you had in mind," the Admiral laughed.
He shook his head, put the parchment away, gave the Commander a nod, then let out a whistle to summon over a pack of Jagras loaded down with supplies. Mounting the biggest one, he waved and set off toward the treeline.
...
In a flash, several days passed.
Deep within the Ancient Forest, at the same moment that Falcon slipped past a pounce with a well-timed foresight, the long Rathian Longsword he held traced across the Nargacuga's foreclaw with a faint red glow, while the Canyne flicked out a Large Shuriken that broke the Nargacuga's attempt at a consecutive chase.
Seizing the chance, Falcon sheathed his blade and lowered his body, his eyes like a hawk's, locked hard on the Nargacuga as he watched its every move.
"Roar~"
With a roar as deep as leopard or lion, the Nargacuga's pitch-black form lunged again. Already maddened, its scarlet eyes drew a red afterimage across Falcon's sight.
"Now!"
At a highly dangerous angle, Falcon brushed past the lunging Nargacuga.
The Nargacuga's massive talons, carrying rending wind, skimmed past Falcon's cheek and sheared off a lock of hair behind his head.
The great longsword came free in a red gleam, it split the black belly fur of the Nargacuga and tore open that exceedingly tough hide.
In a spray of blood, they flashed past one another.
Bursting into a sprint, Falcon twisted his body and forced himself to brake on both legs, carving two long tracks into the muddy ground.
After the Nargacuga landed and started to twist around, the wound on its abdomen suddenly ripped open a second time where the blade had marked it.
That unguarded secondary damage made the Nargacuga's body shrink reflexively, forcibly breaking off its next move.
A chance not to be missed!
Raising the long greatsword with both arms level, the tip aimed at the Nargacuga that could not exert its strength for the moment.
Stamping both feet hard into the ground, the great longsword shrouded in red energy tore the air at high speed with an ear-piercing hum.
At this instant, Falcon and blade were one, surging forward again with an unstoppable momentum.
This was a blow in which the Longsword user condensed all momentum and the strength of the whole body, and also the pinnacle of Longsword technique in this world!!
With a roar laced with anger and pain, the longsword pierced into the Nargacuga's forearm.
He then lifted upward as he leaped high.
With a twist of his wrist, Falcon raised the Longsword behind him, unleashing all of the energy at once. Aiming at the Nargacuga's head, he drove every muscle in his body into a full-power slash.
"Roar!"
The shadow of death loomed over the Nargacuga's head. Under such life-and-death pressure, it finally forced itself to endure the wound in its abdomen, and with the sheer power of its muscle groups, its massive form sprang back in a swift full retreat.
"Damn!"
[Clang!]
His slash struck only air. Falcon's balance faltered, and he staggered a few steps forward.
That strike, which had gathered all his momentum and battle will, missed. The blade he had maintained all along could no longer hold; the red glow along the Longsword dissipated.
"Woof!"
The Canyne's urgent bark rang out. Falcon didn't even have time to look. His body instinctively rolled forward.
A series of black feathered spines stabbed into the spot where he had just stood, each thudding into the ground like razor-sharp throwing knives, faint glints of cold light flashing off them.
As he sheathed his blade in one smooth motion and lifted his gaze, he saw the Nargacuga's long tail bristle out like flared fur, lifting high. With a powerful whip, several more feather spines shot forth in a burst.
Rolling again, he barely dodged, then gripped his hilt and reentered a state of extreme focus.
That drawn-blade stance alone made the Nargacuga, which had been about to charge, abruptly halt. Holding at less than 10 m away, it locked into a tense standoff with Falcon.
And that left Falcon in a bind!
Maintaining that high-focus state consumed a tremendous amount of stamina. He hadn't expected the Nargacuga to actually stop its assault out of caution, holding back instead at a relatively safe distance.
For a monster, that distance was nothing more than a single pounce or dash. But for a hunter, it was a range where his blade could not reach.
There was no helping it—Falcon could only abandon the drawn-blade stance and begin trying to close the distance.
Today, no matter what, he had to drive off this Nargacuga that had suddenly intruded, otherwise the Cats and Aptonoth hauling camp construction supplies in the forest ahead would likely be in danger.
But this Nargacuga's battle wits were beyond Falcon's expectations. As he closed in, it merely gave a token tail swipe that forced him to halt, then followed with a leap, landing at his side again at just about 10 m away.
"What, seriously, buddy? You fight like this?"
Falcon, utterly baffled, was at a loss for words. He blew a sharp whistle.
The Canyne broke loose and sprinted around from the other side, charging toward the Nargacuga's rear.
To this Nargacuga, the harmless Canyne wasn't worth its attention. Even letting it circle behind was no big deal.
But this was exactly what Falcon had wanted.
When the Canyne reached a certain spot, Falcon suddenly stretched out his right arm and fired the Clutch Claw.
The claw shot out at high speed and hooked onto the ring by the Canyne's gear. Just as the Canyne's sprint carried it behind the Nargacuga—
Falcon triggered the claw's mechanism.
The powerful pull yanked him off the ground, blasting him through the air toward the Nargacuga's rear.
At the same moment, Falcon gripped the hilt of the Longsword. As the Nargacuga sensed something was wrong and tried to counterattack—
Falcon's body brushed past it once more. With a crisp humming note, the Longsword carved a flawless arc.
Like cherry blossoms bursting into bloom, the blade tore open the place it struck, blood blooming like petals.
Landing, Falcon slowly sheathed his blade without turning his head back.
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