The head resting on a thick forearm had a pair of horizontal horns on each side.
Glancing at the opponent's ape-like face, the great ape felt a vague sense of familiarity.
Despite constantly exploring various ecosystems with the Ignis, it had never encountered a similar monster.
However, judging purely by the most intuitive metric – size – the great ape felt the opponent posed little threat.
Creeping closer along the rock face, it extended a massive palm to try and pluck the object, only to find it out of reach.
Moving any further would disturb the sleeping monster's head.
After a moment of thought, the great ape turned its back, its curved, segmented tail gradually extending backward until it wrapped around the base of the giant blue mushroom.
Looking back, a triumphant grin spread across the great ape's face. But as it tried to lift its tail, the blue mushroom remained stubbornly in place.
The great ape let out a soft sigh, relaxed its body, then braced its palms on the ground, lifting its hindquarters to allow its tail to exert force more smoothly.
*Hiss... hiss...*
The root of the giant blue mushroom slowly began to rise from the soil.
The great ape's control over its tail's strength reached its limit.
A bead of sweat trickled down its cheek.
*Rumble... rumble...*
A loud growl emanated from its belly.
*ROAR!*
The great ape suddenly realized it had eaten too many mushrooms on its way here and quickly contracted its abdomen to regain control.
Its body began to tremble slightly, but seeing the blue mushroom on the verge of being uprooted, the great ape was unwilling to give up.
*Snap!*
The blue mushroom broke free from the earth, lifted into the air by the tail.
Feeling an immense sense of relief, the great ape, in its excitement, suddenly realized this elation wasn't solely from successfully pulling out the blue mushroom.
*Cough! Cough!*
A deep, violent coughing fit echoed through the cave.
Seeing black smoke wafting from behind, the great ape finally realized it had farted because it couldn't hold it in.
The golden lion, awakened by the stench, opened its eyes to see a large, hairy backside suspended above its head.
Having never been so insulted, the golden lion slammed a fist into the ground and sprang up.
The great ape felt the ground shake violently and knew it had caused trouble. It puffed out its belly to maintain balance and fled at top speed.
*Thump! Thump!*
The golden lion braced its paws on the ground, leaped into the air, condensed its massive paws into fists, and swung them back to build momentum.
Sensing the threat from behind, the great ape glanced back while running, preparing to dodge at any moment.
Upon seeing the great ape's face, the golden lion's pupils constricted. The massive fist it was about to deliver was reined in mid-air before it could be thrown.
*Cough! Cough!*
After landing, it coughed again.
The great ape, intending to escape, hesitated for a moment before the urge to return became too strong.
*Whoosh~ whoosh~*
*Hiss~ hiss~*
As it fanned away the black smoke with its massive paws, the great ape also flared its nostrils and inhaled deeply, hoping to help alleviate the situation.
Seeing the golden lion squinting at it, the great ape pointed towards the cave entrance.
*ROAR!*
It indicated that the cave was too enclosed and they should leave quickly.
*ROAR?*
The golden lion sat back on its haunches, as if asking if the great ape had also come for it.
The great ape glanced back at the giant blue mushroom coiled around its tail and nodded solemnly.
*ROAR!*
"This has been a perilous journey, and it took all my strength to corner it in this cave."
The golden lion spoke with a sigh. The great ape looked at the blue mushroom again, growing more confused.
*ROAR! ROAR!*
"I'm not entirely confident, let's team up."
The sudden invitation left the great ape bewildered.
However, it was certain that whatever the other party was referring to was definitely not the giant blue mushroom.
And it seemed there had been a misunderstanding about its own identity.
*ROAR! ROAR!*
"I'm severely injured and can't participate."
The great ape began to concoct an excuse to leave quickly.
*ROAR! ROAR!*
"I saw that long ago. Your horn was knocked off, so I'll be the main fighter in this battle, and you can assist."
"There's still a fight?"
The great ape hesitated.
*ROAR! ROAR!*
The golden lion assured it, "Don't worry, I've been trapped in here for a month and am very weak from lack of food."
With that said, the great ape found no reason to refuse.
After all, it had been forgiven for farting above its head, and the golden lion didn't seem to mind at all. This clearly indicated a creature of unusual temperament.
As the great ape pondered, the golden lion's fist extended towards it.
*ROAR! ROAR!*
"Sorry, I forgot to mention the most important part. After it's done, we'll each get half, and we'll advance together towards glory."
"Half... a mushroom? I prefer the cap."
The great ape still didn't understand what they were supposed to do or who they were fighting, but feeling the momentum, it unhesitatingly clenched its paws into fists and met the golden lion's.
*ROAR!*
"I'll release some water before we go."
With that said, the golden lion placed its paws on the ground and quickly moved to the rock wall where it had been sleeping, releasing a stream of water towards a small dirt pit.
The great ape suddenly understood why the blue mushroom was so enormous.
"Why hasn't the great ape returned yet?"
In the camp, Li Fan, somewhat worried, put down his skewer of roasted meat and checked his portable device.
"Teaming up... what state is this? Has the great ape gone on an adventure with other monsters?"
Seeing that its health was still good, Li Fan felt a sense of relief.
"Could it be that it found another group of Konchu? If I have time, I'll also communicate with the local Felyne tribes and give them some necessities, meow."
Dill suggested.
"That's impossible. Once a normal monster undergoes a mutation, it basically can't integrate into its pack or ecosystem. The great ape is an Ancestral Konchu with two mutation prefixes. Konchu packs would never accept it, and in the ecosystem of the Guiding Lands, it's very difficult for Konchu to survive."
Li Fan explained.
"I see, meow. It seems the great ape also has a lonely side."
Dill said with a sigh.
Due to its unique characteristics, the great ape not only struggled to integrate into a group but also found it difficult to make friends.
Coupled with its mutations, it was as if its connection to its own kind had been severed.
*Boom~ Boom~*
Both the person and the cat detected muffled sounds from underground and immediately fell to the ground, pressing their ears to the sand.
"It sounds like... thunder."
Li Fan speculated.
"No way, meow. How can there be thunder underground?"
Dill found it illogical.
Li Fan immediately took out his Storm Jade and held it in his hand to sense the vibrations.
"No mistake, that sound is thunder... it seems the battlefield isn't just on the surface; the underground is also quite lively."
"Shall we go take a look?"
Yudora inquired.
"Let's go. Although the great ape's condition is fine, I'm still a bit uneasy. Also, if the battle causes the rock strata to collapse, the Ignis and we will be at risk."
Li Fan felt that fighting elsewhere would be one thing.
After all, the entire Guiding Lands had this kind of atmosphere, but fighting directly beneath their camp was too much.
After deploying sufficient monsters to guard the Ignis, the team set off.
Following the great ape's scent, the two humans and one cat soon arrived at a cave entrance.
"What is this..."
Upon seeing the dark aura emanating from the cave, Yudora froze.
"A dark barrier. The great ape has indeed made a move."
Li Fan was certain that it was involved in this battle.
"But if it's going to fight, why didn't it contact the team?"
Yudora couldn't understand.
"Perhaps the great ape wants to re-enter the ecosystem in its own way and secure a place for itself, meow."
Dill offered a guess.
*ROAR!*
At that moment, a roar erupted from within the cave.
"That's the roar of a golden lion!"
Yudora immediately recognized it.
"A golden lion! That's too dangerous... wait, they're fighting so fiercely, but the great ape isn't losing health."
Li Fan checked his portable device and found no record of the great ape being injured.
"That means the golden lion is fighting another monster."
Yudora analyzed.
"To last this long, this monster must be powerful, and it's a thunder-elemental one... a Thunder Jaw Dragon, or perhaps... a Kirin!"
Li Fan made a deduction.
"Ah! Then isn't the great ape in the cave very dangerous, meow!"
Dill exclaimed.
If they were fighting in the open, the great ape could sense trouble and escape, but trapped in a confined cave, it was highly susceptible to collateral damage.
"Dill, get out the anti-miasma mask."
Li Fan said with a grave expression.
"You want to... alright, meow!"
Shortly after, the three, now wearing miasma masks, charged into the dark cave.
"Hmph!"
"Ugh!"
"Meow!"
As soon as they stepped into the area covered by the dark barrier, surprise flashed across the faces of the two humans and the cat.
Then, they simultaneously gritted their teeth and slowed their breathing.
"I'll clear the path."
Yudora, leading the way, waved her hand, and a gust of wind dispersed the dark mist.
As the slope of the cave continued downward, a circular stone cavern surrounded by lava appeared before them.
The team had expected to reach an open area where the dark barrier might be thinner, allowing them to breathe freely. Instead, the opposite was true; the dark barrier here was more intense than in any previous area.
In the center of the circular cavern, a horse-like monster with a single, horn-like protrusion on its forehead and a shimmering silver mane was confronting the golden lion.
The great ape, moving on all fours, was also quickly spotted by the team.
"Circling? What is the great ape doing?"
Yudora communicated telepathically.
"Hmm... the great ape is constricting the toxic zone."
Li Fan replied.
"What's a toxic zone, meow?"
Dill asked curiously.
"The dark barrier is the toxic zone. As the great ape continues to circle, the subsequent stench it releases will gradually compress the combat space, which is extremely advantageous for the golden lion, who excels at close-quarters combat."
Li Fan explained.
"There's such a fighting style? The great ape is so clever... but why is it helping the golden lion?"
Yudora couldn't understand.
"I'm not sure, perhaps they reached some kind of agreement."
Li Fan felt that the great ape wouldn't involve itself in a battle for no reason.
"When the investigation team visits later, they'll probably issue related investigation contracts."
Yudora speculated.
"Yes, but I'm not very interested in them."
Li Fan said, taking out a capture sphere, ready to assist the great ape at any moment.
If he had encountered the golden lion and the Kirin earlier, Li Fan might have considered capturing them, but now he had no need.
*Sizzle~ Sizzle...*
The Kirin, surrounded by crackling blue-green electricity, dragged its front hooves on the ground, as if gathering power for an attack.
The golden lion appeared fierce and savage, but the scorched, brown marks still smoking on its fur indicated it had not yet gained the upper hand.
The great ape completed another circular run, and the toxic zone tightened further.
Unable to create distance, the Kirin sensed that the situation was not in its favor. It let out a whinny and raised its front hooves.
*Clatter! Clatter!*
Opening the path with lightning strikes that lashed forward, the Kirin lowered its head, its horn pointed forward, and charged at the golden lion.
*ROAR!*
The golden lion roared and slammed both fists into the ground.
*Crack!*
Several fissures immediately split the ground.
The golden lion lifted the largest chunk of rock and heaved it overhead with brute force.
*WHOOSH!*
With a whistling sound, the rock was thrown and hurled.
Before it could check the result of the attack, the golden lion leaped up on all fours, tucked its knees, and somersaulted down diagonally.
*CRACKLE! BOOM!*
A flash of lightning exploded, and as the rock shattered, the golden lion appeared before the Kirin, completely catching it by surprise.
With a powerful stomp of its hooves, its silver-glowing body, combined with a nimble sideways leap, evaded the shockwave.
The golden lion, having landed in a roll, saw that the Kirin had dodged the shockwave's impact but did not give up. It began to swing its fists in wide arcs, sweeping the area in pursuit.
The Kirin, leaping left and right, had an opportunity to evade the attack.
However, seeing that it was about to brush against the encroaching toxic zone, it hesitated for a moment before deciding to stop twisting its body to avoid contact.
The golden lion would not let this opportunity pass.
It spread its arms to their maximum extent, then powerfully propelled itself forward with its legs, lunging and grabbing.
*CRACKLE!*
As its rough, massive paw touched the Kirin's luminous hide, countless electrical sparks erupted.
The golden lion did not falter despite the pain and completed its grapple with all its might, lifting the Kirin off the ground.
The Kirin, naturally, would not surrender. It continuously drew lightning, striking itself.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
With each lightning bolt that struck, the golden lion's shoulders sank a little lower.
After several strikes, the Kirin, with its four hooves back on the ground, began to struggle more fiercely.
*ROAR! ROAR!*
The golden lion let out a very unwilling roar.
It meant, "Sorry, great ape! I can't hold on much longer. I might disappoint you this time."
*SPLAT!*
A dark, gooey substance splattered on the side of the Kirin's face.
The struggle to break free and the locked grapple simultaneously came to a halt.
*WHOOSH!*
As the dark substance slid off the Kirin's equine face, its red eyes, as if capable of dripping blood, became visible. After a brief scan, a faint red glow projected from that eye locked onto the great ape.
The great ape, who was wiping its paws with its black fur, felt the Kirin's angry gaze. It quickly put its hands behind its back and looked up at the stone pillars on the cave ceiling.
"There are only three monsters here. How can I possibly get away with this..."
Li Fan sighed, holding his forehead.
*Hiss~ hiss~*
Seeing sparks flash above the great ape's head, Li Fan threw a capture sphere while shouting, "Dodge! Great ape!"
The great ape immediately lunged.
*BOOM!* A lightning strike exploded behind it.
*ROAR!*
The golden lion roared in fury, "How dare you attack my companion!"
It abandoned its pincer-like grapple and changed its posture.
One forearm wrapped around the Kirin's neck, locking it in place.
The other forearm, with its paw clenched into a fist, swung back slightly before delivering two heavy blows to the Kirin's chest.
*CLANG! CLANG!*
The ribcage bones, though not fractured, let out two resounding impacts, causing the Kirin to cry out in pain.
Sensing that it had inhaled a small amount of black mist, the Kirin painfully closed its mouth.