After Logan launched his surprise attack, the nearby herbivores panicked and bolted in every direction. But before they could get far, a deep green wyvern-like truck suddenly barreled out of the nearby woods!
A massive frame rammed directly into a large herbivorous, slamming it aside. Before the poor creature could get up, a heavy foot came down on its neck—crack!—a crisp snap of bones echoed across the grassland, and the herbivore went still.
Aki dipped her head and effortlessly bit through the creature's neck, digging into her lunch with gusto.
Over these past five years, Logan had grown at a shocking rate—but Aki's second growth phase had been even more outrageous. Her body size had exploded to 15 metres during that time, and though it had slowed recently, she was already nearing 16 metres.
Her contours had grown sharper, her spines had fully developed, and her coloration had deepened. Her sleek physique exuded pure power. Most striking of all—her scales shimmered like color-shifting ink in the sunlight, the deep green gleaming with hints of gold!
And yet the life force flowing through the terrain beneath their nest wasn't particularly vibrant—far weaker compared to the inner depths of the Ancient Forest. So how had Aki managed to develop such a Tempered appearance in an environment like this?
Little did Logan know—Aki saw him as equally extraordinary. In her eyes, bathed in sunlight, the deep crimson edges of his scales glinted faintly with silver light.
In terms of size, Aki had clearly reached a sub-adult state. She was even larger than some undernourished adult Rathians. But in terms of age, she was still in her youth.
She was a truly rare and exceptional individual among all Rathians.
He remembered a few months back, when they were out on a routine co-op hunt in the Wildspire Waste. Just as they were about to finish their kill, another Rathian suddenly burst onto the scene. Taking advantage of the disarray they'd caused in the shell-armored herbivore formation, it swooped in and poached one of the kills.
Such behavior was nothing short of provocation—and Logan was instantly furious, ready to drive this Rathian away.
But Aki trotted up to the newcomer, and with the utmost affection, gave its head a gentle lick.
After the other Rathian had finished eating and exchanged a brief farewell with Aki before leaving, Logan finally learned that she was actually Aki's younger sister from the same clutch of eggs.
He was stunned.
Aki was nearly 16 metres long—an entire size class larger than her sister. Her sister, at most, was around 12 metres, with dark green scales tinged with pale gray, which was the normal coloration for a Rathian.
Same clutch. Born barely a day or two apart. And yet the size gap was that massive. If Aki kept growing into adulthood, wouldn't she be heading straight toward a whopping 20 metres?
Sensing Logan's eyes lingering on her, Aki tilted her head and looked up at him with curiosity.
"Oh~ My poor maiden heart!!"
Struck by that unintentional display of adorable cluelessness, Logan quickly lowered his head and busied himself with eating.
It had been five years. His preferences had been completely reprogrammed—he could now appreciate Aki's beauty from every possible angle.
Seeing that Logan had no further reaction, Aki put aside her confusion.
Truth be told, in Aki's eyes, Logan was just as much a striking, eye-catching heartthrob of a wyvern. Especially now that he had grown so handsomely, she deeply admired her past judgment.
She had only taken in a dying baby Rathalos out of pure sympathy… and ended up picking up a treasure.
Five years ago, when Aki found Logan, she herself had just reached 8 metres in length—and that was already considered impressive. Yet now, five years later, Logan had grown to 9 metres—larger than she had been at the time. Normally, Rathians tended to be bigger than their male counterparts under the same conditions, but Logan clearly defied that standard.
And with his utterly unreasonable combat prowess for his age, Aki couldn't help but feel a growing sense of pressure.
This meal would be their last hunt in this territory.
With both of their bodies having grown so much, their current nest had become far too cramped and was no longer suitable for living.
After discussing it, Logan concluded that their combined strength was more than enough to venture into the depths of the Ancient Forest—or even up into the trees themselves. So, after finishing this meal, they would begin their migration.
A new nest meant a new territory. And that also meant fierce, life-or-death battles.
If Logan were still alone, he would've chosen to stay in the Wildspire Waste, lie low for a few more years, let his body grow further and pick up more traits, and then head for the Ancient Forest.
But now, Aki was a full 16-metre Tempered Rathian. Paired with Logan, a Rathalos whose combat strength far outstripped what his size would suggest—why shouldn't the two of them be able to establish a nest in the heart of the Ancient Forest?
...
In the Ancient Forest, inside a narrow crevice in the mountain that could barely fit a single person, three humans and a Palico kept a vigilant watch on the entrance.
Suddenly, a wave of heat surged from the mouth of the cave. One of the men, clad in Jagras armor and wielding a sword and shield, instinctively yanked his two companions to the side, pressing them against the rock wall. He raised his shield, bracing himself in front of them.
Sure enough, the next moment, a stream of fire shot through the entrance, narrowly missing them and scorching the air with its searing breath.
After the flames died down, a sharp, furious roar echoed from within the cave—but then everything fell silent.
"Phew… Ruby, check the entrance. Carefully."
The man who had dodged nimbly to the side gave a command to the gray Palico clad in leather armor. Then, with a grimace, he clutched his waist and collapsed to the ground in pain.
"Wade, are you okay?"
Seeing him in such pain, his two companions immediately dragged him to the corner of the crevice. One quickly rummaged through a leather pouch and pulled out some medicine and bandages.
The other helped remove the armor around Wade's waist as both scrambled to treat his injury.
The three of them—plus the Palico—were part of the investigation team assigned to the Ancient Forest. Their squad consisted of an editor, a scholar, and a hunter.
Today's mission was to investigate a recent Jagras disturbance deep within the forest.
Not long ago, members returning from expeditions had noticed unusual behavior—many wyverns that typically resided deep within the forest were appearing near its outskirts, posing a serious threat to researchers operating in those outer zones.
This abnormal activity caught the attention of the Research Commission, which dispatched three teams—including this one—for investigation.
Unfortunately, upon entering the Jagras territory, their squad had the misfortune of running into a Great Jagras—one far larger than usual.
Just looking at Wade's Jagras armor made it clear he wasn't unfamiliar with them, but this one was something else entirely.
Its body was estimated to be at least 20 meters long!
For reference, a typical Jagras only measures about 11 meters. This one was nearly double the size—and not only was its build colossal, but its aggression and appetite were also off the charts.
Their investigation revealed that this Great Jagras fed constantly. Its territory overlapped with that of other carnivores, and the food within its range could no longer satisfy it.
As a result, the Jagras pack had begun expanding their territory under this giant's lead.
Wade and his team had the misfortune of crossing paths with them head-on.
Normally, a sword-and-shield combo could easily pierce Jagras hide—but against this beast, even full-powered strikes barely managed to break the surface.
And the small round shield was utterly incapable of withstanding the monster's brutal charges. To make matters worse, other Jagras had joined the ambush, and the team was quickly overwhelmed.
Only with the help of stink bombs and other diversion tools were they able to escape, retreating all the way to the outer edge of the forest.
Just when they thought they could find a place to rest—they stumbled into another problem.
They'd accidentally wandered into the territory of an Anjanath—also abnormally large for its kind.
The worst part? This Anjanath didn't behave like any normal specimen—it had been lying in ambush in the woods!
The very moment they encountered it, it rammed into them with a full-speed charge, sending them flying.
Wade had landed hard against a rock, tearing his waist open on a jagged edge. Fortunately, his Palico partner had put up a fierce fight to draw the Anjanath's attention, buying them just enough time to flee into this narrow crevice.
[Fwoosh—!]
A flare shot into the sky. The three of them exhaled in unison.
There were just too few First Fleet members left. Even though they'd arrived on a whole ship, in this New World, their numbers barely made a dent.
Now, with their only hunter injured, the best course of action was to wait for nearby rescue.