The entire Ancient Tree area became different because of Logan's power. Under winter, all kinds of plants showed a different kind of activity, only these plants newly born from his power seemed, compared to the past, to have just a little bit of difference.
As the core of the Ancient Tree area, the great existence that supplies countless creatures here—the Ancient Tree—was the first to display its adaptability.
At the top of the Ancient Tree, silver particles glowing ice-blue, as life energy merged into Logan's body, were also, because of the power he was spreading at this moment, once again absorbed by the Ancient Tree below.
The environment where an Elder Dragon stays for a long time will, as time passes, gradually become the environment most suitable for the Elder Dragon.
This is a long and passive process, and it will not change because of the Elder Dragon's will.
Unless this Elder Dragon leaves this place for a long time.
The change in climate naturally drew the attention of the research base on the Ancient Tree.
The Third Fleet Master, who had volunteered to come and preside over the work of the Ancient Tree Ecological Research Base, and the Wyverian girl walked slowly along the main path of the Ancient Tree.
After the news of the Sunblaze Dragon's return spread yesterday, the Third Fleet Master had a premonition that the Wyverian girl might be about to leave. Sure enough, as soon as the Wyverian girl returned to her residence yesterday, she began packing her things.
Learning that the Wyverian girl had already completed her mission, and happening to be free, the Third Fleet Master came to see her off for a while.
"Ahh~ so this is the ability that other scholars have often mentioned over the past year—the Sunblaze Dragon can change the ambient temperature? It's truly incredible~ It was obviously so cold just now, and now it suddenly became warm."
Speaking in that same lazy, charming tone as always, the Third Fleet Master took off the fluffy cloak draped over herself, stretched out her hand to feel the cold wind that blew, and showed a somewhat troubled expression on her face.
At her side, the Wyverian girl, who had put on a camouflage outfit, could not help but let out a soft laugh.
After living together for more than a year, she certainly knew what the Third Fleet Master was struggling with.
This frail Wyverian scholar feared the cold the most.
But now the temperature had only just started to rise, and it was still in the stage of alternating cold and warm. Given her constitution, without a cloak it was a bit cold; wearing the cloak was too hot.
"Alright, you head back. I know how to walk the road ahead from here. Don't worry, we'll definitely meet again in the future." The Wyverian girl turned her head and said to the Third Fleet Master, then silently added in her heart, 'Provided you are still at the Ancient Tree.'
After a night of thought, the Wyverian girl still wanted to try whether she could have her tribe relocated up onto the Ancient Tree. For this, she had even specially gone to find Tonkotsu this morning to inquire about their attitude toward it.
"Show value?"
This was Tonkotsu's answer. Although because the Boss Fire Wyvern had promised to grant her a small wish, such a matter should be able to pass on the Boss Fire Wyvern's side, if they could also show value, it would make the Grimalkynes on the Ancient Tree and even the other Fire Wyverns more accepting.
After all, the reason the Ancient Tree could have a stable environment and make other monsters dare not covet it—apart from Logan's existence—the group of Fire Wyverns was likewise key.
After thinking for a long time and still not figuring out what contribution her tribe could make to a place like the Ancient Tree, the Wyverian girl, as always, chose to lie flat.
"If I can't think of it, then I won't think about it. This kind of thing that needs brainwork is better left to those few elders back home."
As for whether her tribe would agree to move over, those elderly Ancient Wyverians might not agree, but the remaining majority of young Wyverians would definitely be willing.
On this point, the Wyverian girl still had confidence.
Hugging the woolen cloak, the Third Fleet Master watched the figure of the Wyverian girl disappear at the downhill bend, softly offered a blessing from her mouth, then turned her head to look toward the topmost level of the Ancient Tree.
"Hopefully I can get some news of Kushala Daora from the Sunblaze Dragon. Sigh~ the Sunblaze Dragon investigation project and the Kushala Daora investigation project—so hard to choose~"
Time flashed by.
A few days later, in the forest under the Ancient Tree area, a steel behemoth spread its wings and, amid a thunderous roar, ran forward, directly ramming away the Astalos that had not yet managed to take off.
The sound of bones and scales breaking and shattering rang out together with a miserable howl.
Insect-like transparent wings snapped amid the violent high-speed collision. The Astalos forced itself, with the injuries on its body, to try to climb back up, yet saw that steel behemoth "Annihilator No. 1" give a heavy dip of its head, and several lance-shaped sharp objects blasted out.
The tremendous impact, together with the piercing of the sharp objects, directly sent the yet-to-rise Astalos flying once again.
The Astalos's body heavily struck a massive tree trunk, knocking down a large cluster of leaves.
Several cats riding Jagras charged out from the side, swiftly delivering finishing blows to the severely wounded and powerless Astalos.
Having already lost the ability to move, the Astalos could only watch helplessly as several Palicoes, wielding weapons tinged with flames, continuously struck its body, while those Jagras—creatures that, just an hour ago, were fit only to serve as food—kept biting at its weak spots.
The dignified Astalos was thus pitifully finished off by a few small beings, and afterward, under their skillful carving techniques, it was turned into pieces of material.
The steel behemoth disassembled amid the golden threads winding around it, turning into metal components neatly stacked to one side.
Ahtal-Ka felt both satisfied and dissatisfied with this warm-up-level battle.
Satisfied because the walking fortress Monster, composed mainly of refined metal and supplemented by a small amount of woodwork, did indeed fulfill its initial expectations for such a creation.
This effortlessly crushing clash proved that its original thinking was correct, and its choice as well—far stronger than that pile of "junk" it had once pieced together from excavated ancient ruins.
Dissatisfied because the metal spikes it had planned to use for the finishing blow were far too weak; even under such immense force, they still failed to pierce through the Astalos.
Those imitations of hunters' weapons, the "lances," were still too feeble compared to the Dragonator!
It was a pity that one of its Dragonators had been disabled by scholars of the Research Commission—the Research Commission had only promised to produce a new one within ten years.
The other one had been left behind in its nest within the Ancient Ruins Basin and had not been brought out.
"Chirp-chirp~"
A dragon cry like a sigh came from Ahtal-Ka's mouth. It had been more than a year, and it wanted to go back to digging again.
Since that ancient ruin had once produced an ancient Dragonator, perhaps it could produce a second, even a third.
In Ahtal-Ka's mind, endless fantasies flickered. The warm air, unseasonal for this time of year, caused its mood to stretch out once again along with those fantasies.
...
As usual, scattering light and heat and even making a circuit to patrol outside, Logan flew over the forest. Although only a few days had passed, the plants in the Ancient Tree area looked as if they had been injected with hormones: those portions of withered leaves that ought to have fallen in winter had not yet completely dropped, and new buds were already sprouting.
The weeds on the ground were working hard to break through the soil, letting the places that had been damaged by the battle back then be covered by vegetation once more.
As the initiator of all this, Logan felt no ripple in his heart; he could even, from time to time, sigh over the difficulties of that battle, recalling and reflecting on issues such as the fighting approach he chose at the time.
Logan, who was immersed in his memories, had his attention drawn by a loud crash and a wail.
Curious about what kind of monster could make such a big commotion in the forest, and faintly expecting that it might be a monster with the potential to damage the ecology, Logan flew toward the source of the sound.
Very soon, he saw in the forest a large steel behemoth, strikingly similar to Nergigante, disassemble within his field of view, revealing the Ahtal-Ka inside.
Although he had only seen it once before, Logan still confirmed the other party's identity at the first moment: this was the very Ahtal-Ka that had come to the Ancient Tree back then, and also the culprit that had squeezed the Research Commission's labor force for a full year and more.
Logan, who had originally planned to fly over, halted his body in time; just as he was about to fly back, a few crisp meows came.
"Meow! It's the Boss Fire Wyvern, meow!!"
"The Boss Fire Wyvern is back, meow!!"
"Chirp-chirp!!"
Mm, amid a pile of meows, there seemed to be something else mixed in.
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