Kael's inner complaints were naturally unheard by the herbivores.
They had gathered around out of pure curiosity—wondering why a half-dead-looking hatchling had suddenly appeared in this once-peaceful lake.
After watching for a while and realizing that Kael wasn't moving at all, they gradually lost interest and dispersed, resuming their leisurely wandering nearby.
As for whether he was dangerous or not…
They didn't care in the slightest.
This type of herbivorous wyvern was emotionally stable, gentle by nature, and lived by a simple philosophy: as long as I'm alive, that's good enough. If I die, so be it.
When a strong enemy appears, I run.
When the enemy leaves, I eat grass.
Purely laid-back.
The only reason they hadn't gone extinct was their astonishing reproductive ability and their large amount of meat. Even massive brute wyverns could usually only eat half of one at most.
On top of that, their species migrated periodically. If powerful carnivores fought over territory and reduced predator numbers in a region, they could even breed new groups elsewhere.
Kael didn't care about what they were doing.
After confirming that they posed no threat, he closed his eyes again and focused on recovering.
Although he looked miserable, none of his injuries were fatal. The real problem was his exhausted stamina.
And whether it was because he was special or because all wyverns in this world were like this, once he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could sense the leyline energy deep underground.
Guided by his will, thin streams of this energy passed through thick layers of rock and entered his body, accelerating his stamina recovery and wound healing.
At this moment, his body was like a dried-up sponge.
The leyline energy was water.
And it was being absorbed rapidly.
Mixed in with that energy were tiny silver particles, flowing into Kael's body together with it.
Around the lake stretched a vast plain.
Lush green grass covered the land. Plump berries and juicy plants grew everywhere.
For herbivores, this was a natural, delicious buffet.
For flying wyverns, it was also a perfect hunting ground.
High in the sky, a dark green figure weaved through the clouds, using them as cover.
Layer upon layer of overlapping scales reflected dazzling colors under the sunlight.
Eyes as sharp as an eagle's scanned the land below.
Soon, it locked onto a suitable target.
Its beautifully patterned wings trembled slightly as fierce winds roared past its ears.
Then, the entire dragon dove downward at breathtaking speed.
Before any of the herbivores could react, the giant wyvern had already seized its target's neck with powerful talons.
Relying on the tremendous impact of its dive, it slammed the prey into the ground without effort.
Boom!
A dull crash echoed as the earth shook violently, as if it were about to split apart.
Sharp claws sank deep into flesh.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The sound of shattering bones rang out like the high notes of a symphony, reverberating across the plain.
The kill was brutal.
Cruel.
Yet, at the same time, it carried a terrifying beauty born of pure power.
Every movement was precise and decisive.
No hesitation.
No wasted effort.
This was the aesthetics of strength—enough to leave anyone in awe.
Only now did the surrounding herbivores finally react.
They cried out in panic and fled toward the distant forest.
The victorious predator didn't care in the slightest.
It had already obtained prey worthy of its satisfaction.
Raising its head proudly, it surveyed the surroundings.
Its powerful tail, lined with intimidating spikes, swayed from side to side.
It was checking whether any foolish creature dared to challenge the authority of the Queen of the Land at this moment.
And with that glance—
It saw Kael lying by the lakeshore.
At this moment, he was staring at it with wide eyes.
This caught the proud queen completely off guard.
When she had been flying earlier, she had thought that this juvenile Rathalos was already dead.
Who would've guessed he was still alive?
From Kael's perspective, this Rathian had a slender, graceful physique.
Her muscles were smooth and elegant.
Every scale looked like a flawless treasure, gleaming brilliantly under the sun.
The venomous spikes on her back draped over her like a regal mantle, enhancing her noble aura.
The symmetrical patterns on her wings were mesmerizing.
Even after such a high-speed dive, her powerful body remained perfectly stable.
Standing atop her prey's corpse and gazing around, she displayed her flawless proportions to the fullest.
That commanding, disdainful gaze—
Even though she wasn't fully grown yet, she already carried herself like a true queen.
Yes.
This Rathian was still immature.
Her body length was only a little over eight meters.
Translated into human terms, she would be a proud, athletic, stunningly built young beauty.
More importantly, judging from her clean and decisive hunting technique, she was no empty showpiece.
She was the real deal.
Every aspect of her perfectly matched Kael's aesthetic preferences.
If he were choosing a future partner…
He wouldn't hesitate for even a second.
"Wait—what am I thinking?!"
Kael snapped back to his senses.
He must be starving.
How else could he find a Rathian this pleasing to look at?
He hadn't even been here that long—how had his tastes changed so completely?
Besides…
He was a hatchling!
What was a hatchling?
A dragon that hadn't developed anything properly yet!
How could he be having such impure thoughts?!
He absolutely refused to admit that he was secretly a pervert!
The Rathian watched as this half-dead hatchling shook his head from time to time, then looked at her with strange expressions.
She couldn't understand his behavior at all.
But since he wasn't dead…
Where was his mother?
Normally, hatchlings this small weren't allowed to leave their nest, let alone end up in such a miserable state.
If a hatchling were injured like this, its mother would go berserk.
Yet after scanning the area, she didn't see any other Rathian besides herself.
Driven by curiosity, she released the completely dead prey beneath her feet, folded her wings, and walked over to Kael.
After observing him for a moment, she leaned in and sniffed him.
"Hm? No other scent?!"
She was surprised.
There was no scent of an adult Rathalos or Rathian on this hatchling.
Could it be…
Like her when she was young, his mother had met with an accident, forcing him to survive alone?
But even so, it didn't make sense for him to only carry his own scent.
Back then, even her nest had more than just herself…