The Thunderbugs had begun to lay eggs. Just as Logan had anticipated, the eggs were deposited within the pile of fermenting sawdust. Each egg was white and translucent, looking quite a bit like grains of millet.
Whether it was a natural trait of the beetles in this world or because they had consumed enough sugar crystals, the Thunderbugs—which should have died off after spawning—remained full of vitality. Their appetites had even increased, and they began frequently shuttling between the water tank, the sawdust pile, and Logan's back.
Logan didn't pay them much mind, only occasionally splashing some nutrient solution onto the sawdust to keep it fermenting and moist. He also took the opportunity to clear away the mushrooms growing there. The dark, damp environment, combined with spores carried in from unknown sources, caused mushrooms to grow wildly on the sawdust—red, yellow, blue, and green; every color imaginable was represented.
If left unchecked, these mushrooms would grow incessantly, some reaching over a meter in height within days, and most were highly toxic.
For Logan, however, this was good news. In his spare time, he used these mushrooms as snacks to replenish the toxins in his venom gland. After evolving his tail stinger into a tail blade, he hadn't lost his ability to inject venom. The irregular edges of the blade, which looked like meticulously knapped obsidian, were covered in microscopic pores connected to slender tubes leading straight to the venom sac at the base of his tail.
Whenever Logan wished, he could coat his tail blade in venom.
...
Zhu Peiniang had disappeared early in the morning and didn't return until dusk, dragging the carcass of a Kelbi in her mouth. After dropping her prey, she slumped by the water tank to drink greedily.
Although Logan wasn't particularly hungry, he didn't want to waste her efforts and began to eat slowly. After a few bites, the hydrated Zhu Peiniang excitedly leaned in, emitting a series of low growls.
Logan listened quietly, and once he deciphered her meaning, he was stunned.
"What? You found the Rathian that bullied you?"
This was an interesting discovery. His interest piqued instantly, and he abandoned the Kelbi meat to press her for details.
It turned out that for the past few days, Zhu Peiniang had been scouting deep into the Wildspire Waste. One day, she stumbled upon a massive karst cave. Upon entering, she immediately caught a familiar scent. Though she didn't see the Rathian with her own eyes, she was certain it lived inside that cave.
Logan decided then and there to head to the cave the next morning. It was the perfect chance to test the effectiveness of his newly evolved tail blade. He had already distributed his surplus evolution points into his physical attributes; his body had grown further, now approaching a length of 15 meters.
...
As the morning sun rose, sunlight filtered through the cracks in the cave ceiling, casting mottled pillars of light.
Logan slowly opened his bright yellow eyes, stretched his limbs, arched his back, and let out a satisfying yawn. The mattress made of Anjanath feathers was indeed excellent—soft and comfortable—making him feel that his sleep quality had significantly improved.
He nudged the sleeping Zhu Peiniang awake with his tail. The two giant beasts exited the cave and stepped onto the coarse, hard yellow earth, heading deep into the Wildspire Waste.
Along the way, they saw numerous mounds and hills, with more and more Carrier Ant nests appearing. These towering anthills looked like fortresses, with countless ants lined up in long columns, busily collecting seeds and various foods.
Logan's peripheral vision caught a flash of green inside a withered tree stump. He walked over and peeled back the rotting bark with a claw, revealing a plump Vigorwasp.
This was an insect similar to a bee or a honeypot ant. Hanging beneath its fist-sized body was a basketball-sized abdomen filled with pale green liquid that shimmered as it swayed.
This was a prize. Logan was quick; before the Vigorwasp could take flight, he snatched it in his claws and popped it into his mouth. With a gentle bite, a burst of sweet liquid exploded in his mouth, making him narrow his eyes in delight.
Brewed from various pollens and plant juices, Vigorwasp nectar not only helped creatures recover from injuries but was also incredibly sweet. In nature, this was a rare delicacy—the literal taste of happiness.
The unexpected snack was just a brief interlude. The two beasts continued at a jog; their pace was fast, each step covering several meters. Even so, they ran from dawn until noon before they finally heard the faint sound of flowing water.
A vast body of water appeared before them. The yellow sandy soil at the bottom had been soaked for so long that it had formed a thick layer of brown silt. The banks were lined with aquatic plants like water bamboo and calamus. Due to the cooling weather, some had withered, making the area look like a replica of a swamp.
Following the stream, a gargantuan cave appeared ahead, hundreds of meters wide and tall, with its ceiling draped in conical stalactites. This was clearly the karst cave Zhu Peiniang had mentioned.
This place is quite a distance away, Logan thought. He wondered how Zhu Peiniang had wandered this far. Comparing the landscape to his memories of the game, the place looked strangely familiar. This cave seemed to be a mandatory passage connecting the swamp region with the Wildspire Waste, and there appeared to be a narrow canyon on the other side.
If this was the place, a certain platform inside the cave was indeed a Rathian's nest. It seemed they had found the right spot.
Following a small stretch of beach beside the swamp, Logan followed Zhu Peiniang deeper into the cave. Inside the massive cavern where sunlight couldn't reach, there were unique fungi and glowmoss distributed among the forest of stalactites. They emitted dim purple or green light, barely illuminating the interior.
The riverbank underfoot was slick. With every step, his claws sank deep into the silt, and thick mud squeezed into the gaps between his toes, making Logan feel rather uncomfortable.
Just then, he noticed a large patch of bubbles rising from the swamp to his side. A ridge appeared in the fine silt, as if something was moving rapidly beneath the surface.
The creature was extremely fast, darting straight toward Zhu Peiniang. As the distance closed, the bulge in the mud grew larger before suddenly exploding upward.
A massive, grayish-brown creature lunged out from beneath the silt. It looked like a monstrous fish with well-developed fins and a powerful tail. In its wide-open maw were two rows of sharp, plate-like teeth, which it used to snap at Zhu Peiniang's shoulder.
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