Chapter 198 - 172

The speed of freefall was much faster than climbing. In just a blink of an eye, thousands of meters were covered like a gust of wind. Before long, a thick, bulging root appeared in the eyes of the cloaked middle-aged man.He spread his limbs with all his might, just to allow the cloak behind him to catch as much air as possible, thereby creating strong wind resistance to further reduce his falling speed.The moment he landed, he twisted his body sharply, cleverly making his toes touch the ground first. Immediately after, his knees quickly bent, and his spine arched, completely dissipating the impact of the fall through several agile rolls."Success!"After getting up, he instinctively sprinted towards the forest, his eyes gleaming with excitement. However, he did not notice that some tiny dust had, at some point, adhered to the dragon power crystal wrapped around his chest.The pristine white scale powder, like a high-speed rotating drill, quickly bored a large number of tiny, almost invisible holes in the waterproof fabric.And the pale yellow dragon power crystal, as if undergoing some peculiar chemical reaction, was gradually turning crimson.To counter the frenzy virus and the spreading effluvium, almost all creatures in the entire Ancient Forest contained Logan's immune cells.When the dragon power crystal, originating from the same source, underwent a slight alteration and began to emit its own aura, it was immediately received by these immune cells, causing them to become extremely active.Within the dense fog beneath the Ancient Tree's roots, a previously slumbering Nargacuga suddenly opened its eyes. Despite having just eaten its fill, a strong sense of hunger continued to well up within its heart.Foul-smelling brine dripped from its mouth. Its pupils, engorged with blood, turned crimson. A mysterious guidance appeared in its heart, prompting it to move its feet and charge out like an arrow shot from a bow.It wasn't just this Nargacuga; two Apceros hiding in the shadows also displayed the same symptoms, recklessly rushing out from their hiding places.Even beetles and wyverns perched on trees, ants and rodents burrowing in the ground, and fish swimming in a nearby stream became restless because of this.Centered around the cloaked middle-aged man, a strong sense of hunger surged within the hearts of animals within a radius of several kilometers. This hunger, like a raging fire, continuously scorched their brains and nerves, causing them to uncontrollably rush towards the direction from which the pheromones emanated.As the cloaked middle-aged man was moving at high speed, a wild boar suddenly darted out in front of him. It was over two meters tall, and with its massive tusks, it looked like a small elephant.Omnivores like this, which primarily fed on plants, would generally not actively attack humans unless provoked. But this wild boar, as if insane, charged directly at the cloaked middle-aged man, its eyes crimson.He swiftly dodged upwards, leaping seven or eight meters with his powerful jumping ability. He reached out, hooked, and pulled himself steadily onto a thick tree branch.However, a giant rhinoceros beetle was clinging to the branch. Its iron-black carapace had red edges, and the single horn on its head was as sharp as a spear. It unexpectedly lunged at his calf.Fortunately, as an experienced adventurer and bounty hunter, the cloaked middle-aged man maintained a high level of vigilance. He reached out and grabbed the rhinoceros beetle's sharp horn, then flung it off the branch.But before he could even let out a sigh of relief, the wild boar below, as if possessed, frantically slammed into the tree trunk.From the tree canopy above, a great flapping of wings echoed, and from a natural hollow in a nearby tree trunk, a swarm of thumb-sized fiery red ants crawled out."Damn it! What in the world is going on? Why are all the animals attacking me as if they're insane?"At this moment, the cloaked middle-aged man suddenly felt an intense malice. This malice was pervasive, coming from all directions, enveloping him like deep water and bringing with it a strong sense of suffocation.He desperately fled through the forest, while also having to keep his nerves constantly tense to deal with dangers from all directions.The ordinary creatures were manageable; though troublesome, they weren't fatal. However, when he saw two crimson streaks of light suddenly appear behind him, heard a Rathalos roar from above, a tall Anjanath crossing the stream and approaching him, and bright electrical flashes all around, his heart instantly turned cold.Why were so many top predators gathered in this small area? And why were they all attacking him at once?Before he could figure it out, several massive fireballs rained down from above, slamming around him. Surging flames, accompanied by shockwaves, swept through the area, directly sending his body flying.While airborne, he saw several distorted arcs suddenly appear in the dense smoke behind him, approaching rapidly like blades.Relying on his powerful reflexes and body coordination, at the critical moment, the cloaked middle-aged man finally managed to draw two curved daggers from behind him and hold them in an X-shape in front of him.A tremendous impact struck him head-on, pushing his body backward through the air. Before he could even land, his vision suddenly flashed bright, and a giant, lightning-infused claw heavily slammed onto his shoulder.The irresistible force sent the cloaked middle-aged man smashing into a thick tree trunk like a volleyball, then bouncing off due to the recoil. All the bones in his body seemed to crackle, and he couldn't help but spit out a large mouthful of fresh blood.After landing, he gasped for air, looking at the constantly approaching monsters around him, a deep despair welling up in his eyes."It seems I'm going to meet my end here this time. I clearly succeeded in stealing the dragon power crystal, but I never expected such an accident.How unwilling I am!"Thinking this, he couldn't help but touch his chest, wanting to feel the object that cost him his life. Instead, he felt a large tear in the fabric, and the crystal inside seemed to have shrunk in size.He quickly glanced down and saw that the pale yellow dragon power crystal was now glowing with a reddish hue, as if burning, and shrinking in size.Like a flash of lightning in his mind, combined with the scene before him, he instantly understood everything. He hastily reached to untie the package on his chest, but found it was tied too tightly and couldn't be undone immediately.To prevent the rope from breaking, it was even interwoven with Congalala King sinews, requiring considerable effort even with a knife."Wait! I'm willing to return it, please don't…"The next moment, surging flames and electricity flew towards him, completely engulfing the cloaked middle-aged man's unfinished words. Violent explosions and high temperatures incinerated everything around him. When it subsided, only half of a charred tree remained.When the remaining dragon power crystal, along with the hunter's body, completely turned to ash, and without its interference, the surrounding monsters that had gathered suddenly seemed to awaken from a deep dream. They eyed each other warily, then quietly dispersed.The colossal Ancient Tree continuously produced tree fruits rich in Celestial Marrow Energy. With the number of Logan's dependents, they couldn't even consume one-tenth of them.When these tree fruits ripened, they would naturally fall from the sky. Some lucky individuals could even pick up fruits from the higher layers.Not only herbivores, but even carnivores considered these upper-layer tree fruits a rare delicacy. Coupled with the fact that herbivores that consumed these fruits long-term had superior meat quality and nutrition, it naturally attracted a large number of top predators.Under normal circumstances, they would certainly engage in fierce territorial disputes to determine the ultimate victor.However, it was unfortunate that the ecosystem nearby was dominated by even more terrifying creatures. They were merely opportunists, daring not to make too much noise.Of course, there were also some stubborn or mentally unstable individuals, but they usually didn't live for more than a few days.Over time, these predators, at the top of the normal food chain, even formed a tacit understanding, actively maintaining order in the surrounding area to avoid attracting the attention of the terrifying monsters in the trees.When everything settled, Logan also withdrew his gaze from above the clouds.The fate of the cloaked middle-aged man was not unexpected to him. After all, humans, compared to monsters, had an advantage in their smaller size and agility, but their absolute strength was incomparable.As for whether the other party was acting alone or under the command of certain organizations, carrying out a mission, Logan had no intention of investigating this, nor would he take it out on anyone.Bears eat honey, wolves hunt sheep. In nature, good things are naturally coveted, so there's nothing strange or to be angry about.In fact, if that human's strength was sufficient to escape Logan's interference range with the sugar frost in time, Logan would not have pursued him further. The remaining items would have been considered his reward.Unfortunately, while his stealth methods were outstanding, his strength was merely mediocre, at most that of an elite hunter, which ultimately cost him his life.However, his arrival also served as a reminder to Logan: was his security system too lax?The enemy had already reached the treetop, and the dependents below hadn't even reacted. But then, thinking of some monsters in games, where hunters would walk right up to them while they were still sound asleep, requiring an attack to initiate combat, he felt relieved.After all, for monsters that are typically around 20 meters in size, humans are no different from mice at a tiger's feet. If they haven't fought before, they wouldn't pay much attention.And those Grimalkynes usually dealt with various massive monsters, so they wouldn't even consider tricks like stealth.It seems he would have to train them later, or perhaps subdue some alert small animals.With various thoughts swirling in his mind, Logan, who had no immediate desire to sleep, simply looked down at the Kushala Daora below.This creature, already on the verge of death, had suffered severe injuries after battling his subordinate wyverns, and its life was nearing its end.However, the abundant nutrition and vitality within that single tree fruit had revitalized it. After more than a month of recuperation and accumulating sufficient strength, it was now beginning to shed its skin.A long crack appeared along the spine, from the Kushala Daora's head to the tip of its tail. A milky-white figure was wriggling inside, slowly pushing its way out.To Logan, this process was much like a cicada nymph emerging from its shell. Could it be that the Kushala Daora also contained some insect genes?After completely breaking free from its old steel hide, the Kushala Daora's unhardened, milky-white body appeared to be a size larger than before.This was likely the most vulnerable period of its life, making it somewhat irritable, emitting suppressed roars from time to time, filled with destructive desires.Then, it felt a gaze cast down from above. Turning its head, it saw Logan's vertical pupils, like molten gold.An intense majesty permeated its heart at that moment, followed by a profound sense of security. Its irritable emotions gradually receded, and it became calm.Then, Logan extended his claw and casually pressed it against a small metal mountain nearby. Blue-white high-temperature plasma condensed in his palm, and the contact point immediately began to melt, dripping down as drops of orange-red molten iron.As they gradually cooled, a layer of iridescent metal pellets appeared on the ground. Logan flicked his claw, and they rained down into the Kushala Daora's nest below.Creatures like the Kushala Daora, whose bodies are largely composed of metal, would certainly require a large amount of mineral supplementation after molting.Some similar insects replenish nutrients by eating their shed exoskeletons, while creatures like crabs and shrimp need to supplement calcium from water.If the density of artificial breeding is too high, and the pond owner does not replenish minerals in the water in time, soft-shell disease will occur, leading to a severe reduction in yield.The same is true for the Kushala Daora. It usually lives on high mountains, in places with naturally exposed mineral veins. These mineral veins are generally copper and iron ore, with iron ore having the highest yield. Is that why its entire body appears to be made of steel?So, if it is supplemented with large amounts of other rare metals during this process, will it develop a different appearance? It is said that there is a Kushala Daora called the Gold Dust Dragon on the border, which is a powerful Subspecies formed by ingesting minerals different from steel.Logan now wanted to see if, with the help of the sugar frost he provided, the Celestial Marrow Energy rich in Ancient Tree fruits, and these rare metals extracted from various monster bones, he could create a new Subspecies.In his opinion, this undoubtedly had a high chance of success. The only question was whether the Kushala Daora's digestive system could handle metals other than steel.However, these metal pellets had been cut small enough by Logan, so even if the Kushala Daora couldn't digest them, they could still be excreted.