This change in his pupils was different from the green glow commonly seen in the eyes of Grimalkynes and Felynes in the dark.
If he moved quickly through the shadows, Heiguo could even leave a long, trailing line of faint blue light behind him.
In truth, the "Energy Vision" had been identified for him by the Wyverian scholars. When he first started seeing those blue-white currents of air, Heiguo thought his eyes were failing him or that he was seeing ghosts; it had nearly scared the cat to death. After all, the other Grimalkynes and humans couldn't see a thing.
Faint blue-white currents swirled around the roots of the Great Tree and throughout the Ancient Forest. When hunters swung their various weapons, they also left behind different colored trails: red, orange, blue, yellow, and cyan.
Clearly, these corresponded to the Dragon, Fire, Water, Thunder, and Ice elements. It was only after Heiguo described the traces left by the hunters' weapons that the Wyverian scholars confirmed he possessed Energy Vision.
Could this provide some kind of assistance during investigative activities?
As if they had discovered some rare treasure, the scholars of the Resource Center and the Research Base swarmed around Heiguo. They asked him to observe the internal energy states of certain specimens and requested his help in investigating the source of the "Blue-crystallization" phenomenon using his new ability. They kept him busy, though they did provide him with excellent food and drink.
However, as time passed, the changes in his eyes became the least significant of the transformations occurring on Heiguo's body.
The crystalline patterns that had previously appeared on the tips of his claws, ears, and tail were no longer just a thin, tattoo-like layer. They had begun to grow, gradually solidifying into translucent, deep blue crystals that covered those areas like a suit of exoskeleton armor.
When Heiguo used these exoskeleton claws to scratch a surface, they would leave behind a layer of deep blue energy residue. After meticulous testing by professional hunters, it was discovered that these energy fragments possessed a powerful corrosive effect, capable of effectively lowering a target's defense.
The most dramatic change, however, was on Heiguo's back. As the first part of his body to show aggressive abnormalities, his back now grew a layer of hard, sharp crystalline spikes even in his resting state. These spikes were the same "hairs" that Heiguo had once accidentally used to attack the Wyverian scholar's thesis papers.
By now, they bore no resemblance to fur at all. They grew among the normal fur on Heiguo's back but were much longer, possessing a translucent, glass-fiber-like luster in a dark navy blue. With a conscious effort, Heiguo could make them stand on end and emit a deep blue fluorescence.
It looked as though he were wearing a glowing mantle of crystalline quills. Heiguo's shoulders were also covered in these crystalline spikes. According to the Wyverian scholars' tests, this fur possessed exceptional heat resistance and physical durability. As their state matured and their forms stabilized, Heiguo finally gained the ability to voluntarily control whether to fire the crystalline spikes, meaning he no longer had to worry about accidentally injuring his friends and family.
The extra crystalline material on the "Blue-crystallized" Grimalkynes was heavy. Unlike the Dragon-Chosen Warriors, their physiques didn't grow larger or more muscular; in fact, their agility had even decreased slightly, and they could no longer jump as high.
It was a trade-off. But if Heiguo had to rate it himself, he would rather have remained a normal Grimalkyne. Now, he could only sleep on his side, and even then, he constantly shredded his bedsheets until they were full of holes. The furniture at home had also suffered; over this period, almost everything had been replaced at least once.
Once their flesh, fur, and surface crystals settled into a somber, deep blue, the abnormal changes in the Blue-crystallized Grimalkynes finally seemed to reach an end. At least, Heiguo hadn't experienced any new changes for quite some time.
After much discussion, the scholars at the Research Base finally gave a name to this high-concentration energy that had eroded and contaminated many plants and animals throughout the Ancient Forest. Given its prevalent deep blue color, they named it "Xeno."
"Xeno-element energy"—this happened to match the name Asterion used. It wasn't surprising, though; after all, in the original world, it was the hunters who had named the Xeno'jiiva, and Asterion was simply using the "Xeno" prefix.
Naturally, the Blue-crystallized Grimalkynes changed their name as well, now calling themselves the Xenocrystal Grimalkynes.
But the scholars' research didn't stop there. Over two years of investigation, they had systematically summarized and categorized the unique characteristics of the plants and animals in the Ancient Forest that exhibited the Blue-crystallization phenomenon.
Lifeforms infused by Xeno-energy weren't just changed in color; they had undergone an unknown evolution—yes, an evolution!
At the start of the investigation, the scholars believed the Blue-crystallization was a harmful environmental anomaly. After all, most mutations in nature are deleterious, like tumors.
The sights the Research Commission first encountered upon arriving in the Ancient Forest certainly seemed to support this theory. There were vines, trees, and leaves growing ugly nodules, and previously gentle small animals became irritable and aggressive after being affected.
But as the investigation continued and their understanding deepened, the scholars were shocked to find that the phenomenon was not merely disordered, uncontrollable, or mostly harmful. It could, in fact, be called a miracle of natural evolution!
Those plants with exaggerated mutations only looked "ugly" because they didn't fit people's past memories, causing a sense of unease. In reality, the "Xeno-fied" plants were more competitive than their original counterparts, better able to protect their living space from other plants or from being eaten by herbivores.
The ugly nodules were actually nutrient storage organs for the plants, or even defensive mechanisms. When scholars gathered samples and compared them to the original flora, they discovered that the inherent properties and medicinal potency of these plants had been significantly enhanced.
Take the most common and basic Herb, for example. Hunters use Herbs to craft Potions and Mega Potions to heal themselves during hunts.
While the Xeno-vein Herbs looked eerie—their veins having turned completely into crystalline deep blue and their roots sporting several ball-like nodules—their concentration of active medicinal essence was at least three times that of a normal Herb. Some heavily affected specimens even possessed ten times the potency.
Furthermore, the Xeno-vein Herb possessed another unique trait. Compared to the original, it had a powerful "cellular awakening" effect. Not only did the medicine allow a hunter's wounds to heal rapidly, but it also kept the hunter in a state of high energy for a long duration, as if they couldn't feel fatigue, granting a "Dash" effect... In game terms, it provided an instant massive heal plus a temporary period of infinite stamina.
Of course, great power always comes with risks. Since the herb had moved from being a simple healing agent to something akin to a stimulant, there was a price to pay.
Because the medicinal effect was so violent, once the duration ended, the hunter would suddenly collapse into a state of extreme exhaustion—the kind where even standing up from a chair would leave them gasping for breath.
The scholars named this plant the Xeno-vein Herb, and the corresponding medicine was dubbed the Xeno-Potion.
Given that the side effects were so severe—potentially leading to a hunter "carting" or even dying if used during intense combat—it was temporarily mothballed, awaiting further development.
There were many other Blue-crystallized plants like the Xeno-vein Herb. The scholars and technicians had to test and verify each one to discover their new properties before using them to create new draughts.
New materials, and even new equipment!
To the scholars and technicians at the Research Base, it felt as though they had discovered a "New World" within the New World itself—a brand-new frontier that no one had ever explored. Every step forward was a grand discovery.
This feeling of exploring the unknown fascinated them so much that they refused to rest for even a moment.
In contrast, the hunters responsible for going out to investigate or gather samples seemed more like "normal" people, as they were the ones who had to face the dangers brought by the Xeno-fied plants and animals.
The level of danger was rising steadily over time. The hunters could clearly feel it. The Blue-crystallization phenomenon had initially only affected low-level plants like moss or small animals like rats, but slowly, even small monsters began to show signs of it.
By now, even some large monsters had begun to manifest Xeno-energy crystals on their bodies. Who knew when a fully "Xeno-fied" monster might emerge?
"By the way, Captain?" pushing aside a branch blocking his path, Alan asked the Field Team Leader ahead of him, "Did you see the scholars' latest research report? They said those small animals didn't actually become more irritable after the Blue-crystallization—they became smarter."
"Smarter?"
"Right," Alan said with a smile. "Those little critters we used to think were gentle, the ones that wouldn't even hide if you touched them and would only run away at most? They were actually just too stupid to flee before getting hurt."
"And the Blue-crystallization made them smarter?" the Field Team Leader responded. "Let me guess... they've developed a sense of territoriality? They threaten or attack when they see strangers now?"
"Oh! As expected of you, Captain. You nailed it in one go," Alan clapped his hands.
"Stop that, it wasn't hard to guess," the Field Team Leader said irritably. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"Wait, you're not an idiot, meow?" Kankan said without looking back.
"I am definitely not an idiot! I can't be an idiot!" After a brief protest, the Field Team Leader pushed aside another branch and spoke to Mirrorblade up ahead. "Speaking of which, did you know? Partner, the Third Squad came back yesterday. They reported spotting an Anjanath with its thighs and back covered in a large amount of Xeno-energy crystals."
"Roar."
"The young boss says he knows, meow," Kankan shouted, sitting atop the middle section of Mirrorblade's tail.
"I didn't expect even a big guy like an Anjanath to get Xeno-fied," Alan said, rubbing his chin. "I'd really like to see what an Anjanath looks like when it's completely transformed, and what new traits it would have."
"I'd rather it just had a few extra stones on its body and stayed the same as before... though I know that's impossible," the Field Team Leader sighed, shaking his head.
"The monsters in the Ancient Forest were already stronger and more numerous than those in the Wildspire Waste. After the Xeno-fication, their power will only increase. Meanwhile, our fighting force is getting stretched thin. Many hunters have to return to the fray before their injuries have even fully healed... we can't keep going like this."
"What does the Commander say, meow?" Kankan asked.
"Grandfather has no other choice; he has sent another request to the Guild," the Field Team Leader said seriously. "Even if no Elder Dragons have decided to cross the sea from the Old World yet, the Fifth Crate must set sail. Otherwise, we won't even be able to continue our investigation."
"The Elder Crossing..." Alan sighed deeply. "Who would have thought that the natural phenomenon that lured us across the sea to discover this New World would one day just vanish?"
"Are you feeling lost?" Slowing his pace until he was level with Alan, the Field Team Leader patted him on the shoulder. "Who knows what's going on with the Elder Dragons? Maybe they're just late. Monsters don't have the same sense of time as we do."
"True," Alan shrugged. "And I'm not really lost. This life of constantly discovering new things is pretty fulfilling, isn't it? It would just be better if it were a bit safer."
"Hahahaha, safety is the one thing the New World lacks most," the Field Team Leader laughed. "Once the Fifth Crate arrives, maybe we can—"
"Shhh!!!"
With a low hiss, Kankan quickly waved his hand behind him, signaling the two men to be quiet. Simultaneously, Mirrorblade came to a halt, his heavy footsteps ceasing as he waited silently.
There was a commotion up ahead.
The soil and small stones on the ground were vibrating slightly—a sign of very heavy monsters charging. Further away, birds could be seen taking flight from the trees, and the sound of heavy running quickly became clear.
Shring!
Clatter!
Mirrorblade instantly dropped into a combat stance. The Field Team Leader drew the Great Sword from his back. Alan had already scrambled up a tree, pulling out his Light Bowgun and aiming forward. Even Kankan had produced a Large Barrel Bomb nearly as tall as himself from somewhere, standing ready.
Years of combat experience had already forged them into a unique team. Two men, one dragon, and one cat spread out, waiting for whatever was about to burst through.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
The footsteps grew louder and more frantic. It seemed it wasn't just one monster running for its life, but many?
"Alan?" the Field Team Leader whispered.
"Can't see clearly, the leaves are in the way. But there's a lot of dust. This definitely isn't the noise of just one monster."
"ROAR!!!"
Just as Alan whispered his reply, a resonant wyvern roar echoed from the distance, followed immediately by a cacophony of various other roars, both large and small.
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)