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Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: The Chaos of the Coral Highlands

The distance from the Ancient Tree to the Coral Highlands was still quite far. Even with Logan using the Wings of Gale to manipulate the airflow and accelerate, it still took him five full days of flight before reaching the Great Ravine.

Just as he was planning to descend, hunt some prey to fill his stomach, and then push on across the Ravine in one go, he suddenly saw from afar—a Gore Magala, looking like it wore a cloak, gliding down from the cliffside of the Ravine. Judging from its angle, it could easily clear the small platforms dotting the cliffs and make its way straight into the forest.

That gave Logan quite a shock. If that Gore Magala managed to slip into the forest, things would become very troublesome.

Just as he was about to stir up the air currents to rush forward—

A black silhouette leapt down right after the Gore Magala, landing close behind it. The figure stretched out its hands, seized the Gore Magala's wings, and under its terrified screeches, forcefully yanked it out of its glide. Both of them came crashing down onto one of the Ravine's platforms.

"Flying too long—am I seeing things? Is a Rajang pummeling a Gore Magala?"

With a beat of his wings, Logan rushed closer.

And indeed, he hadn't seen wrong!

At this moment, the Rajang had already entered its Rage Mode. Its golden mane streamed wildly, and its crimson arms, radiating heat, were clenched into fists that slammed mercilessly into the Gore Magala's head.

Amid its wails, the Gore Magala was driven straight into the ground.

It tried to struggle free, but the Rajang pressed its neck down, completely pinning it in place.

Then Logan saw the beast thump its chest with one fist. A second later, a massive pillar of highly concentrated lightning roared from its mouth.

After taking the brunt of that breath point-blank for five whole seconds, the Gore Magala's struggles ceased entirely.

When the Rajang dragged it back up by the neck, more than half its head was already carbonized.

Perhaps knowing how tenacious this creature's vitality was, the Rajang did not simply toss away the corpse. Instead, it clenched its fist once more and swung down hard, blasting the charred head into pieces.

After finishing this brutal display, the Rajang exited its Rage Mode. Casting a cold glance at Logan—who hovered by the cliffside—it showed no intention of interaction. With sheer arm strength and leaping power, it dug its claws into the cliff's protrusions and began climbing upward.

Wherever there was no foothold, it simply smashed out a pit with brute force, using it to climb further.

Such was its efficiency that within mere minutes, it had scaled the cliff and disappeared from Logan's sight.

"Could this guy be here to respond to the call as well?"

That thought flickered through Logan's mind. He was about to breathe fire to burn away the Gore Magala's corpse—just in case—when a flock of Raphinos swooped down, happily feasting on it.

Well, it seemed there was no need for his flames anymore.

Turning back toward the forest's edge, Logan spotted a group of Kelbi drinking at a stream. Though he wasn't particularly fond of their taste, for the moment he had no better prey to be found.

After filling his stomach with a larger kill, drinking some water, and catching his breath, Logan finally turned his gaze toward the towering Great Ravine not far ahead. With a beat of his wings, stirring violent gusts, he soared high into the sky.

The Great Ravine was a barren wall of cliffs encircling the Coral Highlands, dividing the New World into its outer and inner regions. Because of this barrier, the ecology of the two zones differed notably.

The only place where the terrain dipped lower was a long passage leading through the Wildspire Waste.

For monsters lacking strong flight capabilities, that route was the only way to bypass the Ravine.

As Logan flew among the cliffs of the Great Ravine—jagged and crowded like dense spikes—he spotted the corpses of several monsters, most of them Flying Wyverns. A host of Raphinos circled overhead, as though holding some kind of joyous feast.

Flying at full speed, two hours later, Logan finally saw the cliffs begin to slope downward in the distance.

Before long, a sprawling coral forest came into view.

The Coral Highlands—an expanse dominated by shades of blue, marked by dramatic variations in elevation, with colossal land-borne corals sprouting everywhere, creating an environment that resembled an "ocean on land."

Because the Rotten Vale lay beneath, powerful updrafts surged through this region. At the uppermost level of the Highlands, the pink coral groves shed coral spawn that, carried by the rising currents, drifted about like countless falling cherry blossoms.

These coral spawn were rich in nutrients, serving as staple food for Bird Wyverns and Raphinos.

This abundant nutrition allowed Raphinos to grow larger than other wingdrakes, with more flesh on their bodies, making them prime prey for carnivorous monsters such as Tzitzi-Ya-Ku and Pink Rathian.

In a way, Raphinos were the "Aptonoth" of the Coral Highlands.

But before Logan could take in the scenery for long, his sixth sense flared a warning.

Turning his head, he saw it—on a coral reef platform nearby, crouched low among the coral, a Odogaron with a slain Kelbi clamped in its jaws, its body coiled and ready to strike.

Its crimson body, like that of a mane-wolf, lowered into an attacking stance. Because of its degenerated eyesight, it kept sniffing at Logan's scent, making its final adjustments to locate him.

From its nostrils poured black breath, and in its scarlet pupils, the killing intent was clear—leaving no doubt about its current state.

"A Frenzied Odogaron right off the bat… it seems the situation here is really grim."

Odogaron was a high-tier predator, and it normally resided down in the Rotten Vale. Only when food was scarce below, or when driven by hunger, would it willingly climb up into the Coral Highlands.

And yet, even such a creature had become infected by the Frenzy Virus. It was easy to imagine just how chaotic the Coral Highlands must be by now.

Without the slightest prelude, Logan ignited his flames and launched the first strike.

For these monsters, already lost to madness, death was the greatest mercy.

As expected, in terrain with such dramatic rises and drops, flight reigned supreme.

Almost toying with it, Logan crushed the Odogaron under absolute strength. It never even touched his body before its form was engulfed in fire.

When it tried to leap from a high ledge to attack, Logan manipulated the air currents, sending it tumbling down to a much lower platform.

Caught off guard by the fall, and then struck midair by Logan's follow-up assault, the Odogaron was practically dead the moment it hit the ground.

Grabbing its corpse, Logan tossed it down into the miasma-thick depths of the Rotten Vale. He needed do no more—the carcass would soon become nourishment for the New World.

That place was the final resting ground for Elder Dragons. Compared to them, the body of a mere Odogaron was insignificant, and the Frenzy Virus within it had no chance of taking root.

Elsewhere—at the Ravine passage of the Wildspire Waste.

Various high-tier large monsters had gathered along the canyon path, slaughtering every Frenzied beast that tried to break through and escape.

Before such powerful monsters, dispatched here on purpose, the ordinary Frenzied creatures didn't even last a single exchange.

But for so many high-ranking predators to be stationed at this choke point… it was clear the matter was far from simple.

On a mountain peak, Aki stood still, quietly savoring the night wind as her gaze stretched into the distance.

There—that was the direction Logan had left in earlier.

...

At the Astera Outpost—

The atmosphere within the Research Commission was a little tense. On the newly built conference platform, Carlos handed the report in his hand to the Huntsman.

"According to eyewitness reports from our survey members in the Wildspire Waste, more than a dozen high-tier monsters of various species have gathered near the Great Ravine. Traces of battle are frequently left behind. And according to the latest information, our people even spotted the mate of the King of the Fire Wyverns—that female Fire Wyvern that seems to be undergoing transformation into a rare subspecies."

"Since we have yet to conduct much surveying inside the Great Ravine, whether the King of the Fire Wyverns himself is within remains unknown. This kind of abnormal phenomenon must be taken seriously. It may be related to an Elder Dragon. Therefore, Huntsman, I must ask you to deploy."

The Commander glanced toward the Huntsman, who sat silently to one side. Only after the man nodded his agreement did he turn his gaze to the Provisions Manager and the Second Fleet Master.

"The logistics of this mission will trouble you two. You must ensure the Huntsman's squad reaches the depths of the Great Ravine smoothly. Supply of medicines and food must also be guaranteed."

Both of them accepted the task at once, declaring that it was only their duty.

"However, with the Admiral now deep within the forest, the Wyverian Hunter having gone far to the Wildspire Waste, and the Huntsman heading to the Great Ravine—most of our hunters are currently busy expanding routes in the Ancient Forest. As for that pair of Azure and Pink Fire Wyverns at the outpost, shouldn't we consider them as well?" The head of the Research Team, a young Wyverian scholar who also handled manpower coordination, adjusted his glasses as he spoke with implication.

"It's fine. I'm still here." The Commander waved his hand. He was still in his prime. Though not a legendary hunter like the Admiral, with the fixed weaponry of the outpost and the support of its personnel, taking on a pair of Azure and Pink Fire Wyverns would not be an issue.

It could be said that within the First Fleet, Commander Carlos's combat ability ranked just below the Admiral, the Huntsman, and the Wyverian Hunter. He had once solo-hunted a Rathalos and even faced a Kushala Daora with a team.

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