This clash between Fire Wyverns was no small matter for the Ancient Tree region—but for the entire forest, it wasn’t really that big of a deal.
The only thing that stirred up any real waves was that brief five-minute moment when Logan had accessed a power that belonged solely to Elder Dragons.
Lately, Logan had been feeling out of sorts.
After experiencing that greater power, he kept getting this impulsive itch in the back of his mind—a craving to do it all over again.
Fortunately, reason held him back.
Thanks to that, the Flame Rathalos was spared a future where it would get smacked around every other day, with the beatings escalating every third.
But sometimes, things just take strange turns.
That morning, Logan and Aki were snuggled up together, wrapped in each other’s warmth, still too lazy to crawl out of the cozy nest.
Then—
A loud roar outside startled them both, completely ruining Logan’s peaceful mood for the day.
When Logan stormed out with a dark look on his face, he saw the Flame Rathalos once again wreathed in flames, hovering just outside his nest.
That roar?
That bastard was the one who let it out!
The Flame Rathalos’s eyes lit up the moment it saw Logan, and it immediately initiated a provocation.
That was the final straw for Logan.
Without saying a word, he entered combat mode and lunged straight at it, holding absolutely nothing back.
What followed was a full-on beatdown.
And strangely enough, the Flame Rathalos didn’t even try to retreat.
It actually leaned into the fight, engaging Logan in close-quarters combat like it wanted it.
This brawl—one that couldn’t even really be called a proper fight—ended with a completely predictable result: Logan’s total victory.
With the Flame Rathalos pinned underfoot, bearing several fresh wounds, Logan didn’t hesitate to drain every last bit of its flame in the process.
And then—
The thing let out a low, satisfied growl.
A chill ran down Logan’s spine.
He took off into the sky like he’d just stepped on something filthy.
He didn’t even dare look into the Flame Rathalos’s eyes… eyes gleaming with contentment.
“Is this thing sick? Don’t tell me Fire Wyverns can develop kinks too…”
Logan muttered curses under his breath as he returned to the nest, completely unaware of the strange look Aki was giving him.
Aki stood at the edge of the cliff, her cold gaze fixed on the retreating figure of the Flame Rathalos flying back to its own nest.
She was thinking—given her current strength, was there any way to drive that thing out?
Unlike Aki, who radiated a chill of pure malice, the Admiral was brimming with excitement, scribbling furiously in his little notebook.
Muttering to himself, he said, “Triple wing bones, body wreathed in bright flames—suspected to be a special specimen migrated from the Old World.”
“Combat style similar to the ‘Fire Wyvern Alpha.’ Suspected to be the original strain of the very first ‘Fire Wyvern Alpha’ to migrate from the Old World. Based on my assessment, the battle between the original strain and the current strain just now was likely a contest for the leadership of the Ancient Tree’s Fire Wyverns.”
At this point, the Admiral paused his writing, replaying the fight between the Flame Rathalos and Logan in his mind. Then a detail came to him.
“The New World’s ‘Fire Wyvern Alpha’ has undergone further mutations over the years. Aside from differences in skeletal structure, it seems to possess the ability to absorb the flames of the original strain. Cause of mutation unknown—possibly linked to the New World’s ecological environment. Further specifics require investigation.”
Setting his pen down, the Admiral closed the notebook with satisfaction. When they returned to the Astera outpost, he would hand it over to the scholars for research—then they’d see who still dared to say he was nothing but a brawler.
Feeling quite pleased with himself, he looked up—only to catch sight of Aki’s cold, unblinking stare at the Flame Rathalos’s fading silhouette. After a moment’s thought, he opened the notebook again and added another line: “The contest for leadership among the Fire Wyverns of the New World’s Ancient Tree may involve the victor expelling the loser. The mate of the ‘Fire Wyvern Alpha’ displayed strong hostility toward the challenger from the original strain after the battle’s conclusion.”
Right now, Logan had no idea just how many wild ideas the Admiral was spinning in his head after witnessing the fight between Logan and the Flame Rathalos.
Still, the Flame Rathalos’s actions had undeniably left Logan feeling unsettled.
Once he’d cooled down, he realized the Flame Rathalos had simply been using him to absorb the excess flames it couldn’t fully control.
And the reason it had gone through the whole charade of a mock battle instead of directly asking for help? That was pure pride getting in the way.
Understanding it was one thing—but that didn’t mean Logan could just accept it.
The moment he thought back to that low growl, those satisfied eyes, paired with the Flame Rathalos’s battered and scarred appearance… Logan felt his very soul had been tainted.
It wasn’t until Aki returned to the nest with a dark expression that Logan hurried over to her. After some time snuggling close, the discomfort finally eased.
That was when the Admiral walked in, accompanied by Tonkotsu, acting as a temporary interpreter.
“I’m here to say goodbye. Considering the bond we’ve built, I’d say we’re friends—so I came to tell you in person.”
After Tonkotsu translated, Logan thought about it. The Admiral had already been at the Ancient Tree for more than half a month; all the discussions they’d needed to have were already done. In fact, the cats transporting supplies to the Astera Base had set out two days ago.
The only thing left unfinished was one particularly important cooperative project.
The Astera Base had hoped the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern clan could establish a specialized Grimalkyne companion team at the base. The Research Commission would formally hire cats from the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern clan, who could either accompany Hunters on assignments or form Grimalkyne-only teams to complete Commission requests—helping to make up for the shortage of Palicoes in the field.
Unfortunately, the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern clan was still too small. The Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne chief and the sage Grimalkyne had made it clear: until the clan’s numbers were enough to cover all Fire Wyvern families, they wouldn’t consider sending cats elsewhere.
Still, mindful of their alliance and future cooperation, they hadn’t outright refused. They promised instead to speed up the clan’s growth, and revisit the proposal in the future.
The Admiral accepted this outcome. Over these days, he had learned much about the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern clan’s symbiotic relationship with the Fire Wyverns—and he knew there were still wyverns eagerly waiting for their own cats.
One example was the Fire Wyvern who’d gifted him a scale earlier; it still had no cat attendant, and could only watch the upper- and mid-level wyverns’ spotless, well-kept nests with envy each day.
His extended stay at the Ancient Tree had simply been to better observe the habits and ecology of its residents. After all, the chance to watch so many Fire Wyverns up close—and even openly enter their nests—wasn’t one that came often.
Delaying his departure until now… he’d dragged it out long enough.
“Roar~”
“Meow, boss is asking—where do you plan to look for that Elder Dragon?” Tonkotsu translated.
“No idea. I’ll just wander around the forest for now, maybe sketch a few maps along the way,” the Admiral replied, scratching his head. He didn’t have a specific destination in mind.
Although on impulse he’d planned to chase after Nergigante’s trail alone,
Nergigante wasn’t like those Elder Dragons that commanded natural disasters. The New World was vast, and its whereabouts were far too difficult to pin down.
Seeing the Admiral looking a bit troubled, Logan recalled the direction Teostra had taken when it left. After a moment’s thought, he decided to share that information.
Even if it was just a direction, at least it would give the Admiral something to aim for.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, the Admiral’s eyes lit up. He laughed heartily. “Now that’s what I call a friend! This is more than enough!”
He looked genuinely pleased. Then, realizing it felt wrong to receive such valuable information without offering anything in return, he thought for a moment and said, “Next time I come back, I’ll bring you some Astera Jerky. That stuff is something else!”
He didn’t bother explaining what Astera Jerky was. With a nod to Tonkotsu, he followed a narrow path and left Logan’s nest.
His next step was to make his way on foot to the nearest temporary camp, make a few preparations, and then begin his solo investigation.
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