"Ahem." Nadia cleared her throat softly. "Mr. Kral, we're getting a little off topic."
"Oh, right. Sorry!" Kral clapped his hands. "Anyway, let's get back to Chameleos.
"Chameleos is a relatively common Elder Dragon species, but its ability to turn invisible means there are surprisingly few recorded sightings.
"Many peoples who live in jungle regions have legends about a 'Hidden Dragon' or an 'Invisible Dragon.' The mountain folk of the Fonron Great Forest even frighten misbehaving children with warnings like, 'If you don't behave, the Hidden Dragon will come and take you away!'
"That should give you some idea of how extensive Chameleos's habitat is.
"As for reproduction, Chameleos is one of the few Elder Dragon species whose breeding ecology has been confirmed.
"Males and females mate deep in the jungle, and the female lays between five and ten eggs at a time.
"They do not stay to care for their young. Instead, they use poison to rot the surrounding vegetation before burying their eggs. The heat from the decaying plants accelerates incubation, while the potent toxins deter Monsters like Kulu-Ya-Ku from preying on them.
"Newly hatched juveniles already possess a rudimentary ability to turn invisible, which helps them survive in the perilous jungle.
"Fewer than one in a hundred survive to adulthood, yet Chameleos still has the largest population of any known Elder Dragon species."
Altaïr scribbled notes in his notebook at breakneck speed, while Isis had already begun to zone out, wondering when they would finally get to its elemental weaknesses...
"Our target this time is a male Chameleos that has just finished mating.
"According to observations from the Elder Dragon Observation Team, the female it mated with returned to her habitat deep in the Telos Jungle after laying her eggs.
"The male's behavior, however, is somewhat unusual. It appears to want to explore the world beyond the jungle, which poses a serious threat to the forest city of Grom-Baum.
"We had best send it back."
"Has Grom-Baum begun preparing its defenses?" Altaïr raised his hand to ask.
An Elder Dragon approaching a human settlement was always a serious incident, no matter where it happened.
"Of course," Nadia replied. "But relying on the city walls and fighting a defensive battle would be the worst-case scenario.
"Chameleos is an unusual Elder Dragon. It can release vast clouds of deadly poison, so walls and superior numbers mean nothing against it.
"If that toxic mist spreads into the city, the casualties will be horrific. Rather than organizing a defense around Grom-Baum, our best option is to send a few elite Hunters to drive it back before it draws near."
Altaïr nodded in understanding. No wonder the quest form recommended using whatever force was necessary to repel the target.
"In that case, why don't we move on to the combat-related information?" Isis suggested tentatively.
"Oh, certainly. An adult Chameleos is around twenty meters long, roughly the size of a large Flying Wyvern.
"It possesses several dangerous abilities: it can blanket a vast area in dense fog, wield potent poison, and turn invisible.
"Those three abilities compound one another. The fog obscures vision, making it even easier for Chameleos to conceal its movements.
"It can also atomize its venom together with moisture from its body, creating a terrifying poisonous mist that penetrates the skin and poisons its victims directly.
"Ordinary Antidotes are not potent enough to purge the poison completely. You must bring ample supplies of Antidote G and Herbal Medicine."
"Herbal Medicine..." That sort of high-grade medicine could not be bought just anywhere.
"The Guild will prepare all of those supplies for us." Nadia's reassurance put both Altaïr and Isis at ease.
"Ah, right!" Kral suddenly added. "There's one more thing you need to watch out for!
"Chameleos is highly intelligent. It even knows how to steal..."
"Steal?" Isis had trouble imagining an Elder Dragon creeping around and stealing things.
"Yes, steal. During one Chameleos investigation, the creature did not harm us, but it used its sticky, elongated tongue to snatch away all our bags.
"We lost most of our food and equipment and had no choice but to abort the mission." Kral covered his face. "My advice is to split your supplies between several bags. At least then, you won't lose everything at once."
Altaïr's expression turned a little strange.
From Kral's description, the Chameleos's theft sounded more like a prank than an attack.
If it could use its tongue to steal the Royal Paleontology Scriveners' food, it could just as easily have snatched up the Scriveners themselves as a meal.
Yet it had not done so. This creature truly seemed remarkably good-natured.
"What about its elemental weaknesses? What is Chameleos weak to?" After listening to all that, Isis finally asked the question she cared about most.
Even though she only had one primary weapon to choose from...
"High-temperature flames and Dragon Element energy are both highly effective against Chameleos. Thunder Element is somewhat less effective, but it still works," Nadia added.
"Perfect!" Isis exclaimed excitedly.
The Glavenus Gunlance already dealt Fire Element damage, and the intense heat generated by its overheat attacks would let her exploit Chameleos's weakness even further.
"Fire, Dragon, and Thunder, huh," Altaïr murmured.
He owned weapons of all three types, but he still needed to confirm a few things before choosing one.
"Mr. Kral, since Chameleos can release several different toxins, is it immune to poison itself?"
"Immune? Apparently not. Chameleos can tolerate the toxins it produces, but foreign toxins can still poison it.
"Its resistance to poison is quite high, however."
"I see." Altaïr silently ruled out Rosenzahn, his Fire-and-Poison Dual Blades.
"Ms. Nadia, if a fight breaks out, how would you like us to support you?"
Nadia gave Altaïr an approving look.
Working with someone who understood the division of roles was far more pleasant than teaming up with reckless hotheads who charged ahead without thinking.
"I'm a mobile Gunner who specializes in hit-and-run tactics. You don't need to worry too much about me, and I don't need a Blademaster protecting me at close range.
"If I had to ask for anything... Hmm. Keep the target visible for as long as possible, tie it down, and create opportunities for me to attack."
"Understood." Altaïr nodded and turned to Kral. "Mr. Kral, you mentioned earlier that Chameleos's invisibility is linked to electrical currents.
"Would striking it with a Thunder attack disrupt its invisibility and reveal its body?"
"In principle, yes." Kral nodded emphatically. "A few shocks may not dispel its invisibility outright, but the struck area will still become visibly discolored and distorted, giving away its position."
"That's enough for me." Nadia smiled faintly.
The Guild Manager had chosen Nadia to lead the mission precisely because of her exceptionally keen senses.
After hearing that, Altaïr made his decision.
The Dragon Element Tyrant Blade [Heaven Swallower] was clearly better suited to an offensive role, but he was not the main attacker this time. Focusing too heavily on offense might put him in Nadia's line of fire and interfere with her shooting.
For this operation, he therefore chose the Thunder-element Taikun Katana, which was better suited to hit-and-run harassment.
As for Isis, letting her keep charging around recklessly was fine. That was another effective way to force the target to reveal itself.
"We've covered just about everything." Nadia rose from the conference table. "Hurry and change weapons, then check your equipment.
"Don't worry about medicine or other supplies. The Grom-Baum Guild will prepare everything for us.
"We'll assemble outside the Gathering Hall in two hours and take an Airship to the forest city of Grom-Baum."