Deep within the Ancient Forest, inside a narrow mountain crevice that could barely fit a single person, three humans and one Palico stared intently at the entrance.
Suddenly, a wave of scorching heat surged in from outside.
The man wearing Great Jagras armor and wielding a sword and shield instantly grabbed the two people beside him and yanked them against the wall. He stepped forward himself, raising his shield in front of them.
Sure enough—
A stream of flames shot in the next second, grazing past them and leaving behind a burning stench in the air.
After the flames passed, a shrill roar echoed from outside the crevice.
Then… silence.
"Phew… Ruby, go check the entrance. Be careful."
The man instructed the gray-furred Palico in leather armor, who had nimbly dodged the flames earlier.
As soon as he finished speaking, he clutched his waist and collapsed against the ground, his face twisted in pain.
"Vid, are you okay?!"
Seeing his condition, his two companions hurriedly dragged him into the corner.
One of them quickly rummaged through his satchel and pulled out potions and bandages.
The other helped remove the waist armor.
Both worked frantically to treat his wound.
They were a research squad assigned to the Ancient Forest—made up of an editor, a scholar, a hunter, and a Palico.
Their mission today was to investigate the abnormal activity of Jagras deep within the forest.
Some time ago, scouts had discovered strange phenomena.
Many monsters that normally lived in the depths had begun appearing near the outskirts, threatening members conducting fieldwork there.
The abnormality caught the Commission's attention.
As a result, three squads—including theirs—were dispatched to investigate.
Unfortunately, as soon as their squad entered Jagras territory, they ran straight into an enormous Great Jagras.
Just looking at Vid's Jagras armor made it clear he wasn't unfamiliar with the species.
But this one was completely different.
Its length was at least twenty meters.
Normally, a Great Jagras was around eleven meters long.
This one was nearly twice that size.
Its aggression and appetite were equally terrifying.
During their investigation, they discovered that it fed at an alarming frequency.
Since Jagras territories often overlapped with other predators, food was already limited.
This oversized Great Jagras simply couldn't be satisfied.
So, under its leadership, the pack began expanding their territory.
And Vid's team happened to run straight into them.
The sword and shield that normally cut through Jagras hide with ease could barely break the skin, even with full force.
His small shield couldn't withstand its charge.
With several Jagras joining the attack, the team was quickly overwhelmed.
They barely escaped using dung pods and other tools, fleeing to the forest's outskirts.
Just as they were looking for a place to rest…
They stumbled into the territory of an equally abnormal Anjanath.
And the worst part?
This Anjanath didn't act like one at all.
It hid in the trees and launched ambushes.
The moment they encountered it, they were sent flying by its charge, crashing hard into a rock.
Vid's waist wound had been torn open by a sharp edge.
Fortunately, his Palico partner had bravely drawn the monster's attention, giving them time to hide inside this crevice.
Whoosh—
A flare shot into the sky.
All three let out a sigh of relief.
There were simply too few members in the First Fleet.
Even with a full ship, they were barely a drop in the ocean on the New World.
Now that their only hunter was injured, waiting for rescue was their best option.
"Glutton, you really got us into trouble this time," the Wyverian scholar said with a smile as he wiped the blood from his hands.
"When we get back to Astera, you'd better treat us with all those mushrooms you've been hoarding this year."
"Hey, don't be like that!"
The man called Glutton waved his hands frantically.
"I've barely collected any, and they're not even dried yet! You're already eyeing them? How about I treat you to a big meal at the canteen instead?"
"Ha! If you hadn't stuck your head out, would that Great Jagras have spotted us?"
The scholar refused to let him off.
"The canteen's stew is good, sure. But after eating it for years, it's nice to change things up once in a while."
"Alright, alright!"
Glutton sighed dramatically.
"Fine, fine. It's just some mushrooms. Eat all you want, okay?"
Though he looked heartbroken, they both knew he was pretending.
Despite his huge appetite and obsession with food, he loved sharing rare ingredients with his teammates.
When off duty, he usually hovered around the canteen—snacking on free fruit or buying roasted meat while reading borrowed notes.
Sharing his collections was part of his joy.
"By the way, Nori," the scholar asked curiously, "why did you suddenly peek out earlier? That's not like you."
Although Nori was gluttonous, he was a reliable editor.
As Vid's partner, he had never been careless during investigations.
Today's mistake was unusual.
"Well…"
Nori scratched his head awkwardly.
"I'm not sure if I saw it wrong, but when I was observing that abnormal Great Jagras, I noticed something while it was regurgitating. Besides food, there seemed to be some kind of crystal inside. It looked a bit like a Wyvern Gem…"
"My position wasn't good, so I got excited and accidentally exposed myself."
He looked embarrassed after speaking.
But his words made the other two frown.
"A Wyvern Gem… can it be spat out like that?" Vid asked uncertainly.
The scholar shook his head.
"I don't know. None of the books mention anything like that."
"Normally, Wyvern Gems are obtained through dissection, and even then, the chance is low. Not every large monster has one."
"What you saw might've just been some special kind of crystal. We can report it when we get back."
The three reached an agreement.
At that moment, Ruby crawled back in from below, her face gloomy as she shook her head at Vid.
"Meow… meow…"
"Ruby says the Anjanath is still outside," Vid translated gravely.
"It doesn't look like it's leaving anytime soon."
They had been focused on discussing the abnormal Great Jagras.
But the Anjanath in front of them…
Was just as unusual.