Boom!
The dispersed flammable dust exploded violently upon contact with the Zinogre.
Flames flared, and thick smoke billowed.
As the Nargacuga swiped its claw-wings, another cloud of flammable dust was expelled from its abdomen.
Concurrently, the Zinogre unleashed its third, powerful claw strike.
Boom! Crack!
As the flammable dust exploded once more, the scales on the Zinogre's claws and legs began to burn.
The third claw that struck the Nargacuga's back shattered a piece of its rock-like carapace, scattering countless stone-like fragments.
Both creatures paused for a moment to catch their breath. The Zinogre's left claw gripped a piece of the Nargacuga's back carapace, using it for balance and leverage as it prepared to strike again with its right claw.
The Nargacuga lowered its head, attempting to push forward.
However, its raised foot hovered for a moment before landing backward.
Hiss! The sharp horn piercing its chest was pulled out, leaving behind a few scales stained with blood.
This retreat caught the Zinogre by surprise, and its left claw, which was pressing down for leverage, lost its grip.
To maintain its balance, the Zinogre's right claw, which had been gathering draconic energy, swept across the ground.
Crack! A burst of red and black light exploded on the ground.
Did the Nargacuga retreat intentionally?
No, the Nargacuga probably didn't want to fight anymore.
It detested the intrusion into its territory and was disgusted by the draconic energy.
However, it was clearly not at the point where it needed to risk its life for a decisive battle.
But as the Nargacuga continued to retreat, the Zinogre, which had been so imposing moments before, suddenly began to tremble.
Crackling!
The draconic energy within several of its Thunderbug shells shattered on its own.
The Zinogre's back, which it was desperately trying to straighten, suddenly collapsed downwards, bringing its entire body to the ground.
It pushed forward with its forelegs, propping up its collapsing body.
"Although its Supercharged state is still active, its body is clearly failing... The Nargacuga seems to have changed its mind, mischievous! Quickly stop the Nargacuga!"
Seeing the Zinogre's condition, the Nargacuga immediately stopped retreating.
What was intended as a long-range test with its Flame Breath was interrupted by a fireball exploding on the ground in front of it, immediately restoring its vigilance.
Roar! Accompanied by wind pressure and a roar, a Rathalos descended from high above.
The Nargacuga gazed upwards for a moment, then chose to retreat further.
Although both the Rathalos and the Nargacuga were five-star monsters, their different attack styles and habits meant they rarely fought each other, unless under very specific circumstances.
Therefore, the Nargacuga's retreat was likely not out of fear, but rather to observe the situation.
"Stop looking, go home now," Li Fan waved them away.
The Nargacuga, which had stopped at a distance, remained unmoved, projecting an attitude of "I'm just going to watch."
"Fine, don't move then." xxs
Li Fan said as he threw three Poké Balls to the ground.
Zhan Zhan, Paofu, and Xi Xi appeared.
Roar!
Paofu felt the warmth from the ground and saw its body's moisture rapidly evaporating, letting out a displeased roar.
Xi Xi looked up at the sky, seemingly searching for something.
Zhan Zhan's gaze quickly locked onto the Nargacuga, and its fighting spirit surged.
Boom! Boom! Boom! ...
The Nargacuga's heavy steps seemed to become agile in an instant.
With the speed of a sped-up movie, it leaped into the lava pool.
Crack!
A crisp sound came from behind.
Li Fan turned to see that the Zinogre's Supercharged state had ended, and the accumulated draconic energy, along with the swarm of Endemic Lifeforms, had scattered into the air.
Upon closer inspection, the blue scales near its Thunderbug shells had a slight blackish tinge.
Ingesting substances outside its diet, stimulating draconic energy similar to its electric properties.
Then, it used external release to lure the Endemic Lifeforms, entering its Supercharged state.
What kind of mutation was this?
Li Fan pondered for a moment, feeling that it was more akin to adaptive mutation.
At this moment, the attention of all the dragons was focused on the Zinogre.
Roar?... Roar!
Paofu, whose gaze was becoming increasingly familiar, quickly recognized the opponent's identity.
It was the same Zinogre that had soundly defeated it in Kalos Village!
"Paofu! Attacking now would be taking advantage of its weakened state. If you want revenge, you can fight it properly once Brother Lei has recovered. I'll be the referee."
After speaking to stop it, Paofu's emotions gradually calmed down.
The volcanic environment was not suitable for Paofu to stay in for long, so Li Fan put it back into its ball.
"Brother Lei? Is that the Zinogre's name, meow?" Dede asked curiously.
"That's right. Judging by the development of its carapace and fur, this Zinogre has entered middle age, older than the Barroth in the Sand Plains," Li Fan explained.
"No wonder it's called Brother Lei, meow."
"Furthermore, I suspect... Brother Lei is the leader of a certain Zinogre pack, but because it lost its key activation ability, it was expelled by its pack," Li Fan speculated.
The Zinogre, sensing a great threat, did not give up hope of survival. It dragged its injured right hind leg and began to climb the rocks behind it.
A Silver Crown Ball was thrown, capturing Brother Lei within it, and then it fell to the ground.
Tsk! Bang!
The ball merely trembled in place before exploding.
The Zinogre found itself back on shallow ground, and after a moment of confusion, it tried to turn and flee again.
"Wait a moment."
Hearing Li Fan's call, Brother Lei turned to look, surprised to see the hunter emerging from between the Zinogre and the Electric Dragon.
Bang! A flare shot up and exploded!
The Flame Fire immediately lowered its flight altitude. Brother Lei no longer fled but stared blankly at the swarm of Endemic Lifeforms on the ship's hull.
When the Hellblade Wyvern activated its Supercharged state, it could also transform the Endemic Lifeforms into Supercharged Endemic Lifeforms. This was the fundamental reason for their symbiotic relationship.
However, for the Endemic Lifeforms, Brother Lei was simply a black factory. After contributing the collected draconic energy, not only was there no reward, but there was also the risk of being electrocuted.
Therefore, without mastering bidirectional activation and completing the mutation of its Thunderbug shells, Brother Lei held no attraction for the Endemic Lifeforms.
And without any Endemic Lifeforms willing to approach and provide energy to promote its own activation, the mutation would remain stuck at the stage of mastering activation until death, without any breakthrough.
This was the predicament Brother Lei faced.
Li Fan pointed at the Flame Fire and then patted his chest.
"The airship is mine! Follow me! Hiss! Hiss! Countless Endemic Lifeforms will surround you every day, singing songs of love for you."
Li Fan flapped his hands, likening himself to the Endemic Lifeforms, and ran back and forth in front of Brother Lei.
"Understood?"
Seeing Brother Lei still hesitating, Li Fan took two steps back, and Zhan Zhan strode forward.
Roar! Roar! Roar! ...
Brother Lei let out a series of urgent cries, seeming to understand instantly.
Li Fan threw a Silver Crown Ball.
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!
Capture successful!
[Zinogre?] Male (Unnamed)
Health: 309/5611
Status: Critically injured, severely fatigued, exhausted, extensive necrosis of the dorsal Thunderbug shells, fracture of the right hind leg's bone joint, mild puncture wound on the chest, high-temperature burns on the neck, extensive moderate charring of the scales on the lower body, unsuitable environment, homeless, mocked by fate, possessing nothing, longing for offspring, unyielding.
No way, could it get any worse?
Li Fan had speculated about Brother Lei's past, but seeing the long list of negative statuses still shocked him.
Level: 61
Strength: 288
Agility: 301
Intelligence: 340
Skills: [Exceptional Intelligence] This monster is very intelligent.
[Disregarded - Advanced] Due to severe injuries and lack of abilities, this monster's deterrence is severely reduced, making it easily underestimated by enemies and ostracized by its own kind.
[Pica] This monster can ingest various objects outside its diet.
[Striving] This monster has a goal that urges it to become stronger.
[Middle-aged] More focused on the pack.
[Larger Build] Appears majestic, possesses greater deterrence, and has a certain advantage in close combat.
[Carnivore Sense] Particularly sensitive to the scent of meat.
[Skilled Hunter] Adept at hunting.
[Mutating] The monster's abilities and characteristics are undergoing some form of change.
[Ability Deficit - Supercharged Activation] Due to extensive necrosis of the dorsal Thunderbug shells, it has lost the ability to perform bidirectional activation with Thunderbugs.
[Supercharged Activation - Unknown Version] An incomprehensible method of activating activation.
[Thunderclap Strike] The Zinogre strikes with its sharp claws. In a Supercharged state, it will also gather electric energy around its foreclaws, delivering both physical and elemental damage.
[Thunderbug Control - Advanced] Can guide swarms of Thunderbugs to attack enemies in various ways. (This skill is unusable)
[Insect Pheromone Adherence] The monster's body is covered with a large amount of warning pheromones from Thunderbugs and Endemic Lifeforms.
Description: A Fanged Beast monster.
A gregarious creature that inhabits areas with dense Thunderbug activity.
Its strong limbs allow it to easily climb mountains and forests.
In combat, it can enter a Supercharged state by gathering Thunderbugs, a presence that strikes fear into many hunters.
Due to extensive necrosis of its dorsal Thunderbug shells, Supercharged Activation became ineffective, so Brother Lei attempted another form of energy accumulation and activation.
The draconic energy, which had a similar form to electric energy, quickly became the preferred choice.
However, this extensive necrosis did not mean complete necrosis, so a small amount of electric energy would still leak out, causing significant obstruction to the Endemic Lifeforms' activation.
The repulsive warning pheromones adhering to its body were also a thorny problem.
Li Fan pondered for a moment, not expecting Brother Lei's situation to be so complicated.
Returning to the Flame Fire, a new travel plan was formulated.
To promote Brother Lei's mutation, more Luminstone and Endemic Lifeforms would undoubtedly be needed as guarantees.
The Flame Fire could both search for Luminstone and attract a large number of Endemic Lifeforms.
This was also a volcanic region, and it would be a shame not to fill the cargo hold.
After flying back to the volcanic outpost to purchase net cages and insect nets, the Flame Fire set sail again, embarking on its collection journey.
Three days later, two irregularly shaped Luminstone ore veins, too large to fit in the cargo hold, had to be placed on the deck.
Inside the ship's cabin, apart from the dense buzzing of Endemic Lifeforms, no other sounds could be heard.
"Hey! Caught one, meow! Oh... it's just the shadow of the rope."
Dede, on the deck, waved her insect net and only realized it was empty when she lifted it.
Yudora, with dark circles under her eyes, came onto the deck carrying a mop, covering her ears with her hands and saying, "What time is it? Why are there insect buzzing sounds outside the cabin?"
Li Fan, feeling somewhat dispirited, noticed the abnormality in his team members.
He speculated that this state of mental confusion was caused by prolonged exposure to draconic energy, coupled with the monotonous and tedious insect-catching work, and the oppressive sky filled with dust that obscured day and night.
"Sigh, thankfully I'm still relatively clear-headed..." Li Fan sighed softly.
"Uh... Li Fan... can you give me back my frying pan, meow?" Leaf asked timidly as she approached slowly.
"Frying pan? When did I take your frying pan?" Li Fan asked, confused.
"On... on my head, meow! You said it was a transformation item and borrowed it."
Li Fan reached up and touched his head, indeed feeling the handle of a frying pan.
"Even I'm showing signs of abnormality. It seems we must leave... Oh, right, here's your pan, Leaf."
After returning the frying pan, Li Fan quickly went to the helm.
Perhaps due to his long flying experience and not participating in the insect-catching work, Firi, apart from looking tired, showed no other abnormalities.
"Understood, meow! We'll leave the volcanic area immediately!" Firi sharply turned the steering wheel, and the Flame Fire made a sharp turn.
Afterward, Li Fan organized the team to begin smearing mud on the surfaces of the two Luminstone ore veins on the deck.
Once the isolation layer was complete, the Scorching Carapace's absorption of Luminstone energy and dispersion of draconic properties would cease.
"The volcanic area is covered by a dust layer, so the Astalos in high altitude cannot detect the Flame Fire's draconic energy activation reaction. In other areas, only clouds can provide cover for the research vessel. Won't that be dangerous?" Yudora asked, washing the mud off her hands, thinking of a hidden danger.
"Those who travel by research vessel at this time are basically experienced veteran hunters. They should have taken precautions," Li Fan speculated.
After half a day of travel, the Flame Fire passed through the boundary of light and darkness formed by the volcanic dust and basked in the sunlight.
All the crew members cheered, as if reborn, and their mental state quickly improved.
Three Luminstone ore veins, a cargo hold full of Endemic Lifeforms, and a small amount of Crimson Ore and Azure Ore were the total harvest from this volcanic collection trip.
With intermittent jet acceleration, the Flame Fire returned to the Dragon Calendar Institute headquarters in just three days.
To the surprise of all the crew members, several giant combat airships were hovering in the airspace above the Dragon Calendar Institute headquarters.
"So many giant airships! Each one is about the same size as the Pioneer, meow!" Dede exclaimed, raising her binoculars.
"I want to see! I want to see, meow! Dede, let me swap with you!" Firi jumped up excitedly upon hearing this.
Dede knew Firi loved airships the most and quickly ran over.
Li Fan and Yudora exchanged glances, understanding that they were truly preparing to attack the Astalos.
Whoosh! Firi jumped onto the railing, extended its telescopic monocular, and aimed it at the area where the giant airships were gathered, observing intently.
"That's the Crimson Horn from Kokoto Village, meow! Its bow is equipped with twin Dragon Piercers, and its hull is fitted with twelve heavy ballistas that can fire sub-resistive rounds." Li Fan recognized the Crimson Horn symbol of Kokoto Village from the flag on top of the airship.
"Firi, what about that one with the golden sun flag?"
"That's the Clear Skies from Yun Village, meow. Its hull is entirely made of Yunwood, making it not only incredibly strong but also extremely light! I heard it's equipped with a Kushala Daora membrane at the bottom, so it uses a downward-facing airbag structure. It's currently the fastest-climbing giant airship." Firi explained.
"What about that one with the black and white intertwined flag?"
"That's the Cycle of Fate from Sinjard Village, meow. It's usually stationed near Sky Mountain and is quite mysterious... I really want to go up and take a look."
"Those two look similar, the ones with the Hunter's Guild flag?"
"They are the Hunter and Eternal from Dundorma, the Guild headquarters."
"The flag is a snowy mountain... uh, I can probably guess this one, it's from Pokke Village, right?" Li Fan asked tentatively.
"That's right, meow, it's the White God from Pokke Village. I heard it's a giant combat airship capable of adapting to all harsh environments."
"One, two, three... a total of six giant combat airships, plus the Dragon Calendar Institute's Pioneer and Natural Selection, making a total of eight." Li Fan thought, the Guild and the Dragon Calendar Institute must have mobilized all their top aerial combat forces. It was unrealistic to entrust the fate of the world to one person.
After the Flame Fire landed, Firi and Dede went to admire the giant airships up close.
Li Fan and Yudora, navigating through the crowded airspace, entered the headquarters. The headquarters lobby, which was slightly deserted before their departure, was now teeming with people. Not only had the number of hunters increased, but there were also several times more researchers with grave expressions and hurried footsteps. Li Fan speculated that this was due to the research vessel discovering the Luminstone reserves, and thus reporting to headquarters. Since there were no Luminstone ore veins for the Astalos to relocate to, the usual operations to repel Elder Dragons had lost their meaning at this point. The situation had developed in the worst possible direction. At this point, dedicating a large number of researchers to frontline ecological research was no longer significant. The priority now was to prepare for war! To concentrate all forces!
At the stairs leading to the Director's office, a long queue was neatly arranged.
"Young man, what are you waiting for?" Li Fan asked the researcher at the end of the line.
"Don't mention it. A report needs the Director's seal of approval," the researcher said helplessly.
"Isn't the Director's office on the third floor?" Li Fan couldn't understand.
"Yes, this queue is from the third floor."
"Alright, thank you." The Luminstone exploration and collection report could actually be submitted at the counter. Although there was a queue there as well, it was not as exaggerated as at the Director's office. Li Fan wanted to find Vegasha to requisition some Elder Dragon bones from the Guild. Even if they weren't free, he still had the Seregios broken horn and the Diablos broken horn, which could eventually be exchanged for some. However, it seemed this channel would be unavailable in the short term.
A series of hurried footsteps echoed from the spiral staircase, followed by several questions.
"No comment, no comment..." A familiar voice repeated, gradually approaching.
Soon, Devon, surrounded by several people, hurried down the stairs.
"No comment, no comment... Li Fan, Yudora, two o'clock in the afternoon, headquarters main conference room, joint operation deployment meeting." Devon shouted, waving his hand, and then quickly left.
"Uh... why were we invited?" Yudora asked curiously after a long pause.
"Perhaps because we are High-Rank Hunters," Li Fan speculated.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Li Fan and Yudora arrived at the headquarters' main conference room and took their seats on time. According to the order of becoming High-Rank Hunters, they were assigned to the last seats on one side of the long rectangular table. At the head of the table, Vegasha took the main seat, followed by various individuals taking their seats. Li Fan saw Devon, Todd, Sick, and a group of senior members of the Dragon Calendar Institute sitting on their side. The people opposite had different attire and demeanors, clearly from different regions. Sitting at the head was an elder Dragonborn wearing a white academic robe. Gukong, clad in an Odogaron armor set, sat in the second seat. A blue-haired woman in an Anjanath armor set, holding a small booklet and chewing on her pen, sat in the third seat. A Seven-Star Hunter badge? Upon seeing the star rating of the Hunter badge hanging on her bracelet, Li Fan was somewhat surprised. Before the deployment operation meeting began, a document was distributed to everyone. The hard cover bore only four simple words: Silver Winged Menace. Inside were the ecological research data on the Astalos to date. The self-introduction session began. The Dragonborn elder in the white academic robe was named Zudda, the highest-ranking official of the academic institution, the Elder Dragon Observation Institute, representing the Hunter's Guild at this operation deployment. Li Fan had interacted with Gukong before, but he still had doubts about his identity. The blue-haired Seven-Star female hunter, named Pazizi, said she was working hard to become a poet. This introduction surprised many people present. Afterward, it was the turn of the representatives from various villages who would be deploying their giant combat airships to encircle the Astalos. Li Fan looked at them one by one. Among them, only the Dragonborn female village chief from Yun Village had come in person. After the introductions, Vegasha began the meeting. "The joint operation deployment meeting begins. Let me summarize for everyone. Since the appearance of the Astalos, which has been dropping Scorching Carapaces from high altitude, the Guild's讨伐 (tǎofá - extermination) contracts have increased sixfold, three small villages have been forced to relocate, one medium-sized village has been destroyed, and the indirect damage is immeasurable. And this is while it's flying at high altitude..." The Hunter's Guild representative, the elder Dragonborn Zudda, suddenly interrupted by raising his hand and saying, "Director Vegasha, this report states that the Astalos drops its Carapaces to locate Luminstone ore veins. If this behavior is confirmed, did the Dragon Calendar Institute's previous collection of Carapaces cause the Astalos' flight altitude to decrease?" This Zudda, seeing the report for the first time, directly identified the Dragon Calendar Institute's problem? Li Fan couldn't help but admire him. "Director Zudda, the fundamental reason for the Astalos becoming a natural disaster is the depletion of Luminstone ore veins. I hope you will finish reading the report before making your arguments. Also, this is the Dragon Calendar Institute, and I am the moderator of this meeting. If you interrupt my speech again, I have the right to expel you." Vegasha, abandoning her usual kind demeanor, said impolitely. A heavy scent of gunpowder gradually spread across the table. Li Fan had only known that the relationship between the Dragon Calendar Institute and the Hunter's Guild had always been tense, but he never expected it to be this bad. The leaders were speaking without any regard for appearances. "Heh heh." Zudda chuckled and actually lowered his head to read the report. "According to the latest observational forecast, as its flight altitude gradually decreases, the Astalos will likely fly at an altitude that affects ground creatures in about 20 days. The draconic energy emanating from its body will cause widespread panic and migration among monsters, with the preliminary threat level defined as a natural disaster. The deployment of the airship cluster formation will be handled by Chief Researcher Devon. Devon, please explain the airship formation's operational deployment." Vegasha announced. Devon opened the prepared document and explained, "More specific operational details will be distributed to everyone in document form. I will outline the overall deployment here: eight giant combat airships will depart simultaneously from headquarters and head towards the airspace above the Remnants Ridge. Due to the difficulty of reaching the Astalos' habitat in the Sky Tower, we will use Luminstone to set up traps at appropriate altitudes. Before the Astalos becomes hostile, we will use single-shot restraint rounds to connect with it..." "Excuse me! I'd like to interrupt." Gukong raised his hand. Vegasha nodded in approval. "Using single-shot restraint rounds for connection, even if successful, how long can this airship withstand being dragged by the Astalos? The Guild cannot accept such unreasonable losses." Gukong offered his opinion. Zudda next to him gave Gukong a thumbs-up. "There's no need to worry about that. The first airship to be dragged will be the Pioneer." Devon said calmly. "Can the Dragon Calendar Institute's heavy ballistas fire single-shot restraint rounds?" Gukong questioned. "This requires technical support from the Guild. My requirement is at least six specialized heavy ballistas, deployed at the bow of the ship. This is recorded in the detailed operational report." Devon using the Pioneer to tether the Astalos left Gukong speechless. "The Astalos' flight speed will be greatly reduced, but it will also become hostile due to the embedding of single-shot restraint rounds into its carapace. At this point, to connect a second airship, support from ranged hunters on the deck will be needed. My deployment is to cluster-fire Level 2 sleep bombs to put the Astalos to sleep." Devon's words caused silence throughout the room. The idea of attaching a second airship was already astonishing, but putting the Astalos to sleep at high altitude was an even more incredibly astonishing idea. This time, Zudda raised his hand, and Vegasha nodded in approval. "Are the Level 2 sleep bombs conical or atomized?" Zudda asked. "In the test environment, conical projectiles are difficult to penetrate the Scorching Carapace, and it's even harder for hunters to hit and penetrate in a high-altitude moving environment. Therefore, atomized projectiles were chosen," Devon explained. "Even if the Astalos isn't flying at maximum speed, the atomized ammunition might evaporate before it even contacts the surface, right?" Zudda inquired. "In the detailed deployment, the first round of ammunition for the ranged hunter team will be Level 2 ice bombs, specifically to create conditions for the use of sleep bombs," Devon explained. "I have no further questions." Zudda said, and with a serious expression, began to take notes. "Is this the highest level of operational deployment meeting?" Yudora whispered to herself, feeling that the operational deployment meetings she had participated in before were a bit crude. "Each giant combat airship participating in the operation is a treasure of its respective village. If they were easily dispatched, the decision-makers would have no way to explain it to the villagers." Li Fan explained. The Astalos' threat level was defined as a natural disaster, second only to world-ending events. The wide area of impact meant that no large village or town could escape. Gathering giant airships from various regions to form a cluster formation for extermination was, of course, not a problem. However, the Dragon Calendar Institute, which was leading the operational deployment, would certainly have to bear some responsibility for the safety of the giant airships. If a plan worthy of a child prodigy were presented, the representatives of the villages present would surely find it unacceptable. "That's true. If Kara Village also had a giant combat airship participating, Chief Bazel would probably want to fight the Astalos himself." Yudora quickly understood.