After slaying the turtle snake, the team began stashing their loot.
Len brought out a hand-sized mirror that began shining a black light on the turtle snake's corpse. Gradually, the turtle snake's body started disappearing, its image reappearing inside the mirror until the large beast was completely gone.
"Oh! You have a storage boon?" Courage asked as he approached her, intrigued by the item.
"Oh yeah, we have this storage boon. However, it's not mine alone - it's shared property of the entire team," Len responded.
"Each of us had to chip in and contribute a portion of our shares in the total hunting profits for several months to save enough to buy it. Boons aren't cheap, you know," Ran added.
"Heh, tell me about it," Courage said as he stared at the [Squirrel Cheek Pouch] hanging on his waist.
With his curiosity satisfied, Courage turned his attention elsewhere - specifically toward Fogi.
He approached the team leader who was tending to his beast. "Is it going to be okay?" he asked.
He was talking about the Bloodmane Lion's leg that had been clamped in the turtle snake's jaws. Although they'd been quick enough to save the limb, looking at it now, it appeared slightly bent, clearly injured.
"Don't worry," Fogi said, giving a reassuring smile. "Watch this," he then added.
Giving his beast a small whistle, the Bloodmane Lion proceeded to elongate the hair of its mane like before, wrapping them around the injury like a cast. Then, seemingly activating some other ability, blood vessels began to bulge and throb on the lion's limb, and cracking sounds started emitting from it.
After a minute or two, the strange phenomena stopped, and the Bloodmane Lion retracted its hair, revealing the limb again - only this time, the previous injury was gone.
"It healed!" Courage exclaimed in surprise. The lion's limb, which had been previously bent, was now back to normal as if nothing had happened.
" well don't be too shocked my beast is a Corpus type after all " said fogi
" Corpus type..." Courage muttred to himself and began to recall his knowledge.
In the world of beast catalysers, there exists a myriad of types that every beast be it a totem or not has to fall into.
A beast type determine what aspect of the world they are most associated with, and since the world and everything in it is comparised of many aspects there naturally existe many types that a beast can belong to
These many types include the typical elemental aspects such as fire water earth wind and the like but there also existe other more specialized types that cover other more unique aspects
From what courage learned from his father's notebooks about the types of beasts, when it comes to the aspect of a creatures physical being, there are two types associated with it, those being vigor type and corpus type .
The two types both covered the aspect of the body or the being but there existed a difference between them
Which is that while vigor type beasts and abilities relayed and were based on the power derived from Thier bodies that being mainly physical strengths , corpus type on the other hand relayed on and utilized the body itself for Thier abilities.
To explain further here's an example, courage's beast, kabuto is a vigor type beast and if you look at all of it abilities you'll see Thier all related to the force generated by it's body one way or another and so the physical strength of kabuto was it's weapon and the basis of it's capabilities
Now look at fogi's beast , the bloodmane lion unlike kabuto that uses the force derived from it's body , it uses the body itself as a basis for it's power , take it's hair tendrils for example Thier an ability that manifest relaying on the beast's hair which is part of it's body
And so put simply vigor type utilized the power derived from the body whilst Corpus type utilized the body itself
But that's where the comparison ends. Another difference between The two types is how they differ fundamentally in how they develop. For Vigor types, the core of their development process lies in the cycle of strengthening and refining their bodies—accumulating raw power, then expanding their capacity to accumulate even more strength. Corpus types, on the other hand, focus on increasing their bodies' capabilities rather than pure power. Their cultivation revolves around body modification, granting new functions rather than simply enhancing existing ones.
This is why Corpus-type beasts tend to possess more abilities and traits than others—all those modifications add up over time to make the beast stronger. But what makes Corpus types truly unique is their near-universal applicability. Even beasts that aren't Corpus-types often use Corpus-type catalysts because of their specialized focus on body modification and the incredible variety of effects they can produce.
Courage had noticed this firsthand when searching for a body modification catalyst for Kabuto. Every option he'd encountered was dual-typed with the corpus type, like the [Rock Shell] catalyst for example which was both an Earth and a Corpus type , proving how widely these modifications could be applied across different beast types.
Corpus-type beasts possess tremendous vitality—maybe not quite as much as Vigor types , but they compensate with superior control over their bodily functions. An injury like this is nothing for any decent Corpus-type beast to heal on thier own, Courage finally concluded.
He couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy. While Kabuto's Vigor-type vitality granted strong natural recovery, it lacked the immediate self-healing capabilities Fogi's beast had demonstrated. That kind of regenerative ability would be invaluable for any Beast Catalyst.
"Maybe one day we'll be able to do something like that too," he murmured to himself
After resting for a bit, the party continued on their hunt. With the help of Len and Ran, they easily found more targets.
Their first prey was another earth-type creature called the Granite Snail - it had incredible defense but weak offensive capability. With Kabuto's domineering strength that could shatter even the toughest shields, plus help from the rest of the team, it was only a matter of time until the beast was defeated.
Then their next target was a flock of birds called the Hay Turkeys. These plant-type beasts had hay grass growing on their backs, weaving itself with their tail feathers. In a field of tall grass, these beasts were well camouflaged - but apparently not camouflaged enough.
The moment the flock of turkeys was discovered, they immediately started fleeing, each turkey scrambling in a different direction like a flock of frightened chickens (which they kinda were).
In this hunt, Rolf's Bolt Hummer came in clutch. Using its incredible speed, it struck down several of the fleeing turkeys, knocking them down and stopping them from escaping. From there, dispatching them was fairly easy. The party caught five turkeys before deciding to move on to something else.
As the party continued hunting, they gradually crept closer to the central areas of the meadows. After several more beast confrontations, they now stood before a peculiar field filled with large, corn-like plants.
The plants had reddish-brown stalks with cones of bright red corn that resembled clusters of pomegranate seeds upon closer inspection. Black and brown corn silk sprouted from each ear. These were Firecracker Corn plants - named for their unique trait of explosively ejecting their mature seeds with a sound resembling firecrackers.
Clinging to the stems of these plants was their next prey
They were large grasshopper creatures, and there were several of them around. These beasts were called Bullet Grasshoppers - a fire-type beast.
These beasts are actually one of the well-known and most common seasonal beasts that come to the Shifting Meadows each season, specifically during summer.
They come to feed on the abundant plants that grow here, and they have a particular preference for the Firecracker Corn. Thanks to the abundance of food in the Shifting Meadows, these grasshoppers can reproduce rapidly, increasing their initial numbers hundreds of times - but that can lead to a certain chain reaction.
You see, with a massive increase to their population, the available food begins to dwindle rapidly, which triggers a transformation in these grasshoppers. They start to become larger and more aggressive, and soon after, their hunger leads them to begin committing cannibalism, with the weakest grasshoppers becoming nourishment for the stronger ones. Finally, the surviving grasshoppers transform into a different beast called the Wildfire Locusts. While the Bullet Grasshoppers are Level 1 beasts, the Wildfire Locusts are Level 2.
The Wildfire Locusts then start swarming together, devouring everything that comes in their path - not just plants but also any creature weak enough for them to kill. Any knowledgeable Beast Catalyst knew to stay clear of the Shifting Meadows during the end of the summer season, because that's when the food for the Bullet Grasshoppers runs out and the Wildfire Locusts begin appearing. A Level 2 Beast Catalysts stood no chance against a swarm of these beasts. And understandably so , a large enough swarm of Wildfire Locusts could threaten even Level 3 beasts.
The Bullet Grasshoppers' transformation into Wildfire Locusts was a marvelous display of a complicated combination of factors and conditions that work together to form a rather unique habitual catalyst for these beasts.
After the team positioned themselves properly, they began their attack. John's Silver-Eye Archer Fish opened first with several water arrows. The grasshoppers, alert in an instant, sprang into movement - most of the targeted grasshoppers managed to avoid the shots by hopping away quickly.
"Tsk, they're fast," John remarked.
The first attack had now alerted all the grasshoppers nearby. Immediately they all started hopping around on the stems of the large corn plants, making them even harder targets to hit.
"Forget about trying to snipe them. We'll wait for them to come to us," Fogi relayed to the rest of the team. "Once they're in close enough range, we'll pick them off."
"Roger that," everyone responded.
One grasshopper on a stem adjusted its position, aiming itself toward the team before launching into a powerful jump that made it shoot forward like a bullet. This was the signature ability of the Bullet Grasshoppers - [Burst Charge]. The ability allows them to condense fire power in their bodies and release it through their hind legs, enabling high-speed movement over short distances. Combined with their tough head chitin and well-developed legs, they can become living projectiles - slamming their hardened skulls into targets at high speeds. This is how these beasts got their name.
A direct hit from one of these attacks could cause severe damage to unarmored beasts, with impacts strong enough to shatter bones easily.
That grasshopper was flying straight toward Rolf, but luckily Courage was close enough to protect him.
Kabuto jumped in front of the attacking grasshopper, shielding Rolf behind him. The grasshopper slammed violently into Kabuto - a loud, crisp *CRACK* echoed from the impact. Kabuto stood its ground, tanking the attack perfectly, while the grasshopper bounced off and fell to the ground twitching, clearly staggered.
It seemed Kabuto's chitin was much harder than the grasshopper's, and because of that when the grasshopper slammed into it, the grasshopper was the one who ended up suffering from the impact.
"Thanks for the save," Rolf said, "but is your beast okay? That looked like one mean strike to take."
"It's alright," Courage assured him. Though if you inspected Kabuto closely, you'd find a faint crack where the impact happened. Courage saw this and cursed under his breath.
"So even though [Jade Bone] grants huge resistance to physical strain and impact - to the point of making Kabuto nearly immune to them - it seems too much force concentrated in one narrow point can pierce through [Jade Bone]'s defense ", Courage analyzed, making a mental note for future battles. But for now...
"Well, in this case," Courage muttered before commanding: "Kabuto! [All Out]! [Flux]! Put it all into defense!"
Never slow to follow his master's orders, Kabuto unleashed every ounce of power it had with [All Out], then used [Flux] to channel all that energy into reinforcing its body. In an instant, Kabuto's already stalwart defense soared to new heights.
"Let's see you break through THIS now," Courage thought fiercely.
"Fogi!" he called to their leader. "My beast will draw their attention and tank their assaults. The rest of you finish them off while they're staggered!"
Fogi, quick to assess the situation, responded: "Understood. Everyone, follow Courage's plan!"
Kabuto succeeded in drawing the grasshoppers' attention. As it charged straight at them, the creatures felt instinctive caution toward this approaching threat. One by one, they began pelting Kabuto with their attacks.
With its current enhanced defenses, Kabuto withstood this barrage. Loud *CRACKS* echoed rapidly as the Bullet Grasshoppers slammed into its now near-unbreakable shell, only to bounce off and collapse to the ground, twitching in pain. Many cracked their skulls upon impact and died soon after. Those that survived were quickly finished off by the rest of the team while they remained staggered.
Rolf and John coordinated together, combining their attacks to eliminate the dazed grasshoppers. Meanwhile, Fogi commanded his Bloodmane Lion to use [Bloodmane Weapon] again, conjuring razor-sharp tendrils that impaled the immobilized grasshoppers, finishing them off instantly.
After half of the grasshoppers were slain, the remaining ones finally wised up. They abandoned their [Burst Charge] attacks, instead using the ability to close distance before switching tactics. At close range, their hind legs began moving so fast the limbs blurred, emitting a loud buzzing noise - this was their second ability, [Buzz Saw].
The grasshoppers discharged fire energy from their hind legs continuously rather than in bursts, creating rapid back-and-forth motions. Combined with the natural serrations on their legs, they essentially transformed them into living saw blades.
However, this ability had a major drawback: it drained energy rapidly. Normally, bullet grasshoppers only used [Buzz Saw] for cutting tough vegetation, not combat. But with their primary attack method ineffective against Kabuto's defenses, they had no choice but to resort to shredding their enemies instead.
Ear-piercing screeches filled the air as the grasshoppers attempted to saw through Kabuto's body - but to no avail. His defenses remained impenetrable.
Kabuto crushed and punched through the swarming grasshoppers with ease, yet their overwhelming numbers meant some inevitably slipped past. The creatures redirected their assault toward the rest of the party.
John's Silver-Eye Archer Fish fired water arrows frantically, but the grasshoppers' speed and close-quarters combat left it at a severe disadvantage. Forced to prioritize dodging and protecting its master, its offensive contributions dwindled.
Rolf and his Bolt Hummer fared slightly better, supporting John's retreat but struggling to thin the swarm quickly enough to matter.
Fogi's Bloodmane Lion had it worst. Its massive size made it a prime target. Though it retaliated by ensnaring grasshoppers in mane-tendrils and impaling them, the swarm's numbers overwhelmed even this tactic. A few persistent grasshoppers broke through, inflicting scattered wounds despite Fogi's desperate efforts.
Minutes ticked by with no improvement in their dire situation. The party found themselves completely surrounded by grasshoppers, their formation shattered as each member fought desperately against the overwhelming swarm. A single falter now would mean certain death.
Sweat streaming down his face, Rolf yelled to Fogi, "Fogi! We can't keep this up - we need to do something!" His voice trembled with urgency.
Fogi didn't respond verbally, but he was already acting. At his command, his Bloodmane Lion threw back its head and unleashed an earth-shaking roar - loud enough to startle their enemies, though not enough to drive them away. But that wasn't the point.
From some distance away, thunderous stomping sounds began echoing through the meadow, as if something massive was charging toward them. Then suddenly, an enormous lizard beast emerged from the grass, standing nearly as tall as a one-story building. The creature's sheer size made its sudden appearance impossible - it should have been visible for miles, yet somehow it had remained hidden until now.
The monstrous lizard glared with bloodthirsty red eyes, its maw full of razor-sharp teeth opening to release an ear-splitting screech that nearly deafened Courage. The grasshoppers immediately froze in terror before scattering in panic, completely forgetting about the party as they fled for their lives.
Within moments, the team stood alone facing the giant monster... yet unlike the grasshoppers, they showed no fear. In fact, they seemed relieved.
"Len, Ran - that's enough. Well done," Fogi said calmly once the danger had passed.
Immediately, the massive illusion dissolved into nothingness. From nearby grass emerged Len and Ran - the entire terrifying spectacle had been their handiwork. When they heard Fogi's prearranged signal (the lion's roar), they'd sprung into action.
Combining their beasts' abilities, they'd created a flawless illusion: Len's Evoker Fish projected and animated a monstrous image from its memory, while Ran's Mime Parrot provided perfectly synchronized sound effects. The result was terrifyingly convincing - from the creature's fluid movements and bloodcurdling screeches to even the subtle sounds of its ragged breathing and thunderous footsteps.
This illusion would have fooled humans, let alone this simple grasshoppers. Courage found himself reminded of the Mirage Piper bats' tactics after witnessing this clever deception.
Now safe, the team slumped to the ground in exhaustion, each tending to their beasts. Kabuto's once-pristine carapace was now riddled with scratch marks, but fortunately, that was the extent of its damage - unlike the others. Rolf's and John's beasts had sustained moderate injuries, while Fogi's lion bore the worst wounds. Yet the mighty creature refused to show weakness, standing proud despite its injuries. Fogi, of course, still administered treatment.
Once everyone had finished tending to their wounds, Fogi announced they'd done enough and proposed ending the hunt. The team voiced no objections - Courage included - and so they began gathering their gains.
As they prepared to leave, Courage approached one of the large corn plants and cut it down, harvesting the cones from its top. Holding them in his hand, he examined the Firecracker Corn - seemingly unremarkable, but in truth, this was the catalyst he'd been after all along .