Chapter 191 - 145

Kulve Taroth quickly glanced at Logan, and its extended tongue, with lightning speed, instantly scooped up the frosting from the ground into its mouth. In that instant, a strong sense of satisfaction rose from its heart, causing it to involuntarily narrow its eyes, yet it maintained a nonchalant expression, as if nothing had happened.Unfortunately, this amount of frosting was insignificant for its massive body. The feeling of satisfaction had barely risen before it rapidly receded like a tide, and the immense disparity even stirred a deep sense of emptiness within its heart.Logan keenly noticed that the vigilance and anger in Kulve Taroth's eyes were slowly dissipating, replaced by a subtle, almost imperceptible look of intoxication. Seeing this, he immediately understood that the fish had taken the bait.He then threw out a second piece of frosting, followed by a third, and a fourth. Initially, Kulve Taroth would feign alertness, but later, it didn't even bother to pretend, simply opening its mouth wide to catch them.Before long, most of the frosting Logan had brought was fed. When Kulve Taroth looked at Logan again with anticipation, he slowly shook his head, then opened his mouth and let out a series of low roars.As colossal beings wielding extraordinary power, almost all Elder Dragons possess intelligence no less than that of an adult human.A peculiar convergent evolution, coupled with a deep resonance with Leyline Energy, allows them to easily discern the information contained within each other's voices.Kulve Taroth heard the intention of exchange in Logan's roar, and when it saw Logan's fingertips pointing to the curved horns hanging on either side of its head, flames of anger instantly ignited in its eyes. But as Logan continued to express himself, it understood that Logan did not want its horns, but rather the special metal that composed them.These rare metals must be collected deep underground, and they are not only pitifully scarce but also require a great deal of time to gather even a tiny bit. Should it really exchange them for those peculiar crystals?A look of struggle appeared on Kulve Taroth's face, but having personally experienced the satisfaction that spread from within, it couldn't give it up no matter what. Moreover, these crystals also had an excellent beneficial stimulating effect on its body.After much deliberation, it finally steeled its heart and nodded heavily.Then, the giant beast, radiating golden light, plunged into the ground. The gold, already melted by the high temperature, immediately rippled in wide waves, instantly engulfing its body. After a period of time, it emerged from underground again, opened its large mouth, and spat out a large, irregularly shaped piece of metal towards Logan.Logan merely looked at this gold and silver mixed metal block, and a faint craving instinctively surged through his body. He immediately threw all the remaining frosting on him to Kulve Taroth. At the same time, an invisible magnetic force quietly emanated from his front claws, steadily drawing the metal block on the ground onto his paw.Immediately after, the two giant beasts almost simultaneously put the acquired items into their mouths, and expressions of contentment appeared on their faces, undoubtedly proving that this was a successful and mutually beneficial transaction.Before leaving, Logan again let out a series of low roars at Kulve Taroth, indicating that he would return after some time and would still trade various metal substances for frosting. Having already tasted the sweetness, Kulve Taroth no longer had its initial anger and vigilance. It also let out a low roar in response, and then quietly watched the white giant beast disappear into the cave above.Eating a large amount of frosting made Kulve Taroth's body feel a surge of vigorous vitality, as if it had traveled through time and returned to a vibrant adolescence. Its body even began a secondary development. This unique change showed it the possibility of further self-improvement, and it no longer cared about continuing to sleep. With a gentle flick of its tail, it disappeared underground.It intended to go to the depths of the Leyline, using the abundant energy and extreme environment there to further transform its body, and at the same time, collect more rare metals.In the forest around Astera, a giant beast over 18 meters long was quietly strolling.It had the classic four-legged, two-winged skeleton, its body covered in pale purple scales. The tip of its triangular head protruded forward, appearing exceptionally sharp, and its tail fanned out like an umbrella. Its protruding eyes looked somewhat dull and lifeless, yet they could rotate independently in different directions with the flexibility of a chameleon, as if constantly scrutinizing everything around it.This was a Chameleos, one of the most cautious and timid Elder Dragons. Normally, they primarily feed on various small animals and insects. By distorting the light around their bodies and continuously emitting toxins that interfere with biological senses, they spend 23 out of 24 hours in an invisible state. As a result, even monsters that have lived in the same forest for decades may not even be aware of their existence.It followed the Hunters all the way from the other end of the forest to Astera, its sole purpose being the special crystals that it found irresistible. However, recently, the frequency of these things appearing had become increasingly rare.It seemed to have been completely depleted, which caused a surge of anxiety in its heart.It wasn't until the unexpected arrival of a furry creature that it successfully stole that special crystal again. But with the departure of that creature, everything returned to its original state.Although this area still had potions and various ingredients, far more delicious and nutritious than untreated insects and small animals, having already tasted the wonderful flavor of the crystals, when it ate these things again, it only felt like chewing wax, completely unable to bring it the ultimate satisfaction of its body gradually evolving.After lingering for a while longer and confirming that there were no more of those special crystals here, this Chameleos decisively changed direction and flew towards the direction the furry creature had left.Even while flying in the air, it perfectly maintained its invisible state. Its broad, fleshy wings flapped rhythmically and silently, like a ghost from another world, swiftly gliding over the Ancient Forest.A towering giant tree gradually came into view. Its gnarled branches intertwined, and its crown, spreading out in all directions, blotted out the sky, looking like a majestic small mountain from afar.Chameleos remembered that this seemed to be the territory of Rathalos. These were not monsters to be trifled with; once they gathered in groups, the raging flames they spewed could turn the entire forest into a sea of fire.Normally, it would certainly not easily venture into such a dangerous place. But when it saw a few Grimalkynes climbing on the tree trunk from afar, an idea immediately sparked in its mind.Chameleos silently landed on a thick branch. As the special organs within its body slowly began to operate, an invisible force field emanated quietly from it, gradually resonating with the water vapor in the air.As a close relative of Namielle, although Chameleos cannot summon torrential rain and monstrous waves at will like Namielle, it also possesses a unique ability to control water.As the water vapor in the air began to gradually increase, a faint white mist also quietly formed. As time passed minute by minute, the white mist became denser and denser, quickly forming a thick fog capable of completely enveloping the entire Ancient Tree.At the same time, invisible toxins continuously emanated from Chameleos's body at this moment, silently mixing with the fog and spreading rapidly in all directions. Several Grimalkynes, who were processing ingredients, instantly felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if they had drunk too much fruit wine, and their consciousness began to blur."How strange, why is the big tree suddenly spinning, meow!""Why is this fog so thick, is it going to get colder, meow!"Before they could finish speaking, they collapsed limply to the ground, quickly falling into unconsciousness. The sounds on the entire Ancient Tree seemed to be gradually swallowed by the thick fog, falling into a deathly silence.Only some Wingdrakes circling in the air were lucky enough not to be affected. Looking at the vast fog below, they dared not descend rashly, only continuously cawing and emitting piercing alarms.Zhu Peiniang, at the top of the tree, suddenly straightened up, her head constantly turning, vigilantly surveying her surroundings.However, apart from the gradually spreading dense fog, she found no trace of any living creature. The pure white, veil-like mist gradually covered her entire body from her paws, blurring her vision. Humming sounds constantly echoed in her ears, and the large tree beneath her feet seemed to start shaking violently, her entire body uncontrollably wanting to fall downwards.Unknown fear made her throat involuntarily let out an angry roar. Her entire electric sac suddenly opened, and golden-blue currents, like long whips, frantically shot out in all directions, indiscriminately lashing at the surrounding air.Under the illumination of the flashing electric light, a blurry figure seemed to faintly flash in the distance, and in the next instant, it was quickly swallowed by the dense fog. A sharp popping sound suddenly rang out in the air, and then, a fleshy long whip drew a conspicuous white streak like a banner through the dense fog, lashing out fiercely.Zhu Peiniang, whose five senses were severely affected, was completely unaware of this sudden attack until a piercing pain came from her back, and she suddenly reacted. Then, countless invisible long whips seemed to appear simultaneously from all directions, lashing at her body like raindrops. The recently healed wounds instantly burst open, spilling large amounts of crimson blood.Unable to see the enemy's figure, unable to hear the surrounding movements, the intense pain was like a fire, igniting the anger in her heart, yet she didn't know where to vent it.Zhu Peiniang could only frantically release large-scale currents in all directions, carrying out indiscriminate bombing without a target, while struggling to endure the opponent's rain-like attacks.It was unknown how long passed, as the surrounding dense fog gradually began to disperse, and the attack from an unknown source finally ceased.At this time, Zhu Peiniang's body was almost entirely covered in wounds. Her azure scales were shattered and broken, and her golden electric sac was also cracked. Blood had almost completely dyed the ground beneath her feet red.She panted heavily, forcing herself not to collapse. Her crimson eyes seemed to burn with solidified rage as she fiercely scanned her surroundings, yet still found nothing. She had never experienced such a humiliating battle, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration, yet she had no way to deal with it.When her gaze inadvertently swept towards the nearby pool, the rage already burning in her heart immediately intensified as if a bucket of oil had been poured on it. All the crystals on the pool wall had completely disappeared, and even half of the pool water was gone.Undoubtedly, this must have been stolen by some detestable creature when the fog was thick. This shameless act made her grit her teeth in hatred, wishing she could devour the little thief alive.When Logan returned fully loaded and descended towards the top of the Ancient Tree, what he saw was the heavily wounded Zhu Peiniang, raging in impotent fury.The blood all over her body made his heart skip a beat. He quickly examined her carefully and found that they were all superficial wounds. With Zhu Peiniang's powerful physique, some areas had even begun to scab, and his hanging heart finally eased slightly."What exactly happened? What on earth occurred?"He let out a series of low roars, beginning to inquire about the events.The accumulated anger in Zhu Peiniang's heart instantly roared out like a flood finding its outlet, and she eagerly reported the situation."The pervasive dense fog, the invisible attacks, and the frosting in the pool—all were stolen!"These words combined gave Logan a strange sense of déjà vu, and he immediately thought of a monster—Chameleos. In his previous life playing games, he had often had his recovery potions stolen by this fellow.How did this guy get onto the Ancient Tree? But now was not the time to consider that question. The immediate priority was to first ascertain if there were any casualties.Zhu Peiniang continued to clamor insistently. Logan could only rub her head with his paw to comfort her, then he let out a long howl towards the sky, beginning to gather the members on the tree.The first to arrive was the Grimalkyne named Mao Mao. As a creature that primarily inherited Logan's toxin and resistance abilities, the toxic fog released by Chameleos had very little effect on it, not even causing it to fall unconscious.Then Lulu and Fish Ball also rushed over, followed by the Grimalkynes Logan had brought from the Wildspire Waste. As for the remaining Bugtrappers, because they had followed for a shorter time and their physiques were relatively weaker, they were still unconscious at this moment.However, fortunately, the toxins released by Chameleos mainly affected the senses. For now, their breathing was still stable, and there should be no danger to their lives.After a careful count, it was found that apart from a few Wingdrakes accidentally falling from the tree in a panic, there were no other casualties. This was a blessing in disguise.As for the stolen frosting? In Logan's opinion, it was just some sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, not something he would dwell on.But this did not mean that the matter was over. Logan was never soft-hearted towards those who actively sought him out.At the same time, with the huge appetite of an Elder Dragon, it certainly wouldn't be satisfied with this. Before long, that Chameleos would definitely come again, and then it would be time to settle the score.