Astera Outpost—
The Chameleos, who had been dozing lightly, suddenly opened its eyes, a cold gleam flashing as it gazed toward the forest. A pair of Azure and Pink Fire Wyvern were flying straight in its direction.
This left it conflicted. Though its ties with the outpost were already close to being laid bare, it still preferred not to reveal its existence unless necessary.
And those Fire Wyverns were top-tier among the flying wyverns. Even for a Chameleos, it was impossible to deal with them quietly the way it had with the Pukei-Pukei.
If it came to a fight, it could dispatch them easily—but the commotion would surely be noticed.
Besides… it was so very tired. The new lock had indeed been a tricky one, and it had taken considerable effort to break free.
Right now, it was in a state of pure laziness, slothful and unwilling to move.
But ignoring them altogether? This was its new territory. To let them enter unchecked would be a loss of face.
After wrestling with itself, the Chameleos decided to take the middle ground.
It wouldn't fight—but it also wouldn't allow the Azure and Pink pair to come in. Instead, it would raise a white mist to intimidate them. Any monster with sense would surely retreat.
And if they were truly witless creatures and dared to intrude regardless, then within this white mist, weakened, they would find themselves facing that dangerous presence in Astera Outpost—the one who carried a massive, crimson-and-silver-tinged slab of a shield. He could easily take care of the pair.
A faint mist rose. Just as the Chameleos was about to unleash its aura of dominance, the Azure and Pink pair drew closer—and it suddenly noticed the large basket dangling from the Azure Rathalos's claws looked strangely familiar.
When a cat's head poked up from the edge of the basket, the Chameleos quietly dispersed the white mist and lay back down again.
Up in the sky, the Azure Rathalos stiffened. It felt as if something was watching it. The sensation was all too familiar—back in the Elder's Recess, when it accidentally strayed into an Elder Dragon's territory, that was exactly what it felt like when caught under their gaze.
Fortunately, the feeling vanished almost instantly, as though its senses had simply played a trick on it. Relieved, the Azure Rathalos pressed on. Otherwise, it truly wouldn't have dared to keep flying forward.
Soon, a signal flare shot up from the basket. Hunters at the outpost spotted them. Though no one understood why an Azure and Pink Fire Wyvern pair had come this time, since they had arrived, aside from necessary precautions, everyone went about their duties as usual. No confusion broke out.
As the wyvern pair landed, the two cats meant for liaison stepped forward naturally, communicating with the waiting Felynes. Only the wyvern couple themselves remained wary, shifting uneasily as they took in the strange buildings and the hunters whose attention subtly leaned their way.
Thanks to the cats' mediation, the people at Astera quickly grasped the situation. The scholars, barely restraining their excitement, were eager to rush in and begin their research immediately.
Thankfully, the Commander stopped them in time. For the sake of safety and to prevent any unnecessary misunderstandings, he decided to first let the Azure and Pink pair acclimate to the outpost. Examinations and research would have to wait.
...
For three days, the Azure and Pink Fire Wyvern pair remained at the Astera outpost, gradually adapting. It wasn't until the scholar approached with a blade, intending to draw blood from the Pink Rathian, that the Azure Rathalos could no longer contain himself. Instinctively, he assumed a defensive stance, prepared to counter.
But in the very next moment, an invisible pressure descended. The Azure Rathalos instantly regained clarity, his eyes clearing. Under the soothing coaxing of the cats, he began to communicate with the Pink Rathian, allowing the scholar to proceed with the incision and blood extraction.
From the cliff of the outpost, the camouflaged Chameleos watched with satisfaction at the Azure Rathalos' surprisingly disciplined behavior. Confirming that no problems would arise, it then scampered cheerfully off to the warehouse to begin its daily lock-picking escapade.
Through the scholar's tireless research, it was finally determined that the Pink Rathian's body still carried the virus capable of driving monsters into frenzy. However, these pathogens had been forced into a dormant state by her immune system's counterattack. As long as her body did not weaken, they would not flare up.
This research also confirmed once and for all that the Nulberry could not completely cure the virus.
After a heated debate that nearly escalated into a brawl, the scholars devised a treatment plan based on the Pink Rathian's constitution: a regimen combining Nulberries, a specially prepared Fire Wyvern Felyne Meal, and intensive physical activity.
Through such means, her body and immune system would remain in a prolonged state of activity, steadily flushing out the latent virus.
Still, accounts had to be settled clearly. Under the cats' mediation, the Azure and Pink Fire Wyvern were required not only to provide rare materials such as scales and sharp claws but also to cooperate in data collection and ecological observation.
Though reluctant, when reminded of Logan's orders before their departure, the Azure Rathalos—proud subspecies, apex predator, and king of the skies—was left with no choice but to sign this "indenture" with tears in his eyes.
...
Summer passed, and autumn arrived.
Yet thanks to its mysterious life force, the Ancient Forest remained lush and verdant. Though yellowed leaves occasionally drifted down, new buds sprouted out of season on fresh branches.
With the excess Rathians leaving, the Fire Wyvern population in the Ancient Tree returned to stability. Though new members had joined, Logan's Symbiosis trait had greatly strengthened the original group. The newcomers, who had entered with pride, quickly found themselves crushed in battle, their arrogance shattered.
Their youthful vigor had not secured them a place; instead, beatings from veteran wyverns put them in their place. Meekly, they filled the lower levels of the Ancient Tree's upper tier. And with their presence filling the gaps, some families that had long dwelled below were able to rise higher at last—once again enjoying the cats' service.
Aki had resigned herself. At night, she no longer clung to Logan, draining him completely before letting him go.
It was a pity, but not conceiving had already become a fact. Autumn and winter were ill-suited for raising offspring; during these seasons, the female Fire Wyverns' bodies instinctively produced hormones preventing conception.
At long last, Logan was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
He had never felt so drained and haggard. Though still young, and his body able to keep up with Aki's demands, the price was steep—half of every day left hollow and exhausted.
The same was true for that tempered Azure Rathalos.
In fact, during this period, the state of all the male Fire Wyverns of the Ancient Tree was far from ideal. Each day, the females went out to hunt, while the males merely patrolled their territories nearby.
All except for one Flame Rathalos.
Fortunately, this situation lasted only about half a month. Once life returned to normal, things gradually settled down again.
Whether by chance or by the will of nature itself, the consciousness of the land seemed to understand this was the Fire Wyverns' breeding season—thus it remained quiet.
Just as Logan was finally recovering, his boss sent him a new assignment.
Yet this one was different from any he had ever received, and it immediately put him on alert.
Normally, a request came with a general direction and a designated area, with the assurance that there was only a single target. The range wasn't too large—searching for a few days would usually suffice.
But this time, the assigned area was massive—so vast that Logan wondered if his own senses were failing him. And the targets weren't singular; the entire region seemed overrun.
A suspicion rose in his mind. After soaring high into the sky to confirm the direction, his doubts were proven correct.
It was the Coral Highlands.
Things there must truly be spiraling out of control. Otherwise, there would never be such an urgent and wide-scale mobilization.
Yet, when he remembered the Frenzy Virus, Logan abandoned the idea of letting Aki tag along for this mission.
He wasn't sure if she could withstand exposure to the virus.
Besides, for the Coral Highlands to be in such a state, it could hardly be the work of an ordinary Gore Magala. More likely, it was one on the verge of completing its final molt—or worse, one that had already transformed into a Shagaru Magala.
After returning to the nest, Logan explained the situation to Aki and Tonkotsu, then had Tonkotsu spread word through the cats that he would be away for a while. Under Aki's worried gaze, he soared high into the skies, heading toward the Coral Highlands.
Not long after Logan's departure, Aki, who had restrained her impulse to chase after him, suddenly sensed a calling.
It was her first time feeling what Logan had once described—the call of nature itself!
Not every monster could respond to such a summons. Those lacking strength, or whose bodies were not in tune with life energy, could not even perceive the call, much less accept a mission.
Now, Aki's transformation and strength had finally brushed against that threshold. But unlike Logan, her destination was different—she was being drawn to the Wildspire Waste, near the Great Ravine.
She recalled Logan's words: answering and fulfilling the call of nature would bring her great benefits.
Feeling herself falling further and further behind Logan, Aki did not hesitate. She answered the call at once, spreading her wings and leaving the Ancient Tree, while Tonkotsu let out a startled "meow" behind her.
What Aki hadn't expected was that she was not alone. That tempered Azure Rathalos, along with another tempered Rathalos that had returned from the Elder's Recess, had already departed—and both were flying ahead of her.
Their destination was the same.
Meanwhile, in the forest outside the Astera outpost, the Chameleos lay sprawled on the ground, forelimbs clasping its head in a curiously humanlike gesture.
Or rather—covering its ears.
For two days straight, the summons of nature had left it unable to sleep!
But that place was far away, unfamiliar, and it really didn't want to go!
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