Swoosh~ Hiss~
The moment they broke free from the range of the Final Judgment, all abnormalities on the team aboard Huìhuì’s back vanished instantly.
Hiss~ Hiss~
Huìhuì slowed and hovered.
“Is this the strongest attack of the Black Blight Dragon, the Final Judgment?”
Yóudōrā looked back at the ground, seeing the expanding red and black arc that had already covered the clouds, her eyes filled with shock.
“Hmm… Little Ming probably won’t be able to survive this.”
The recovery ball Li Fán threw as he escaped was essentially just for psychological comfort.
“We failed again. I haven’t even fought it head-on. Are we just going to retreat after completing the observation?”
Yóudōrā said reluctantly.
“More than whether we should retreat, I’m worried about something else.”
“What?”
“When the Ruiner Nergigante was communicating with Little Ming, it said the Black Blight Dragon hadn’t fallen into chaos. If this chaos refers to behavioral disorder, then the current Black Blight Dragon clearly still has its sanity.”
Li Fán voiced his concern.
“Are you worried that after it loses its sanity… it will act according to abnormal monster instincts?”
Yóudōrā realized the seriousness of the situation.
Many small monsters with low intelligence are guided by their primal instincts.
Aside from tribal inheritance, distinguishing between beneficial and harmful can only form a vague understanding through repeated trials and tribulations within the natural ecosystem.
If this understanding fails to form, or if it deviates, the monster will perceive the world in an incomprehensible way.
It will indulge in actions that are detrimental to itself and dismiss danger with disdain.
For a relatively weaker monster, this abnormal instinct would likely lead to only one outcome.
Being unable to integrate into its pack and ecosystem due to excessively abnormal behavior, it would be eliminated by nature.
If this were a Fatalis, overturning the entire natural world might not be realistic, but for humans, it could very well cause a world-class catastrophe.
“For it, perhaps sanity is also a manifestation of order, and stripping it away is a pursuit.”
“Sanity should help monsters survive longer, yet it chooses to abandon it…”
Yóudōrā realized that what the Black Blight Dragon was pursuing was completely different from ordinary monsters.
Roar~
A grating metallic roar echoed in the air.
Boom!
The Dragon element explosion from the Final Judgment was not dazzling.
The crisscrossing red and black lightning caused no discomfort even when viewed directly, and there wasn't even a secondary shockwave.
But the sense of pressure, which was untouchable, was no less than that of the Crimson Fatalis.
“Little Ming… is still alive!”
Li Fán said excitedly.
The status indicators on his handheld device showed that Little Ming was in a very poor condition, but not only was he not dead, he wasn’t even in a near-death state.
“Huìhuì, closer to the ground!”
Following the command, Huìhuì retracted its side wing-cannons and dove towards a patch of dark, perpetually frozen land.
Hiss~ Boom!
As they plummeted, phenomena like snowfall, lightning strikes, rain, and volcanic eruptions simultaneously appeared on the ground.
Hiss! Hiss!
Roar!
Huìhuì completed its deceleration and let out a cry towards the center of the anomalies.
The team looked on as the Black Blight Dragon, facing the Ruiner Nergigante lying on the ground, slowly approached.
Crack~
With a crisp cracking sound, a fissure appeared at the base of its horn, and it fell to the ground.
Thus, both horns on the Black Blight Dragon’s head were broken. But the damage from the Crimson Fatalis was more than just that.
With every step it took, even with the slightest sway of its body, a large amount of shell fragments scattered.
The Ruiner Nergigante, lying prone with its wings spread, had its two transparent forelimbs, not covered by its shell, now filled with black energy.
Seeing its tongue hanging out of its mouth, the team reached a unanimous conclusion: the Ruiner Nergigante was dead.
Thump~
At this moment, the Ruiner Nergigante’s back bulged and lifted. The Black Blight Dragon stopped to observe.
Little Ming, beneath the Ruiner Nergigante, stood up on all fours.
“The Ruiner Nergigante protected Little Ming…”
Li Fán realized the key to Little Ming’s survival.
Looking at the Ruiner Nergigante’s head hanging from its shoulder, Little Ming fell into silence.
The Black Blight Dragon continued to advance, and clouds of powdery ash emanated from its shell.
“Li Fán, what are you thinking?”
Yóudōrā asked after observing for a moment.
Li Fán gazed for a long time, then sighed and said, “There’s no better opportunity than this.”
“It’s what I was thinking. Since we have to confirm the Black Blight Dragon’s condition anyway, why not try to eliminate this world-class threat right here and now.”
“You’ll die, and even if you succeed, given the current situation, you won’t be remembered.”
Li Fán warned.
“Even as monsters, the Black Blight Dragon and the Ruiner Nergigante haven’t abandoned their stance towards the world. It’s time for humans to make their voices heard and convey our will to them. If anyone is to risk their life for this, it can only be a hunter.”
“More precisely, two hunters, and a bunch of monster companions.”
Li Fán corrected.
“And an Felyne, meow!”
Dīlú raised her paw to remind him.
“Little Ming, can you hear me?”
In his consciousness, Li Fán attempted to establish communication.
Roar~ Roar… Roar… Roar…
“The other King, he’s dead… Wuwuwu… This King is so sad… Wuwuwu…”
Little Ming said, then suddenly burst into tears.
This… Alright, after all, he’s still a child.
Li Fán hadn’t expected Little Ming to have such a vulnerable side.
“Now is not the time to cry. Can you still fight?”
Roar~ Roar!
“Of course, I can. Also… this King isn’t crying.”
Little Ming’s roar suddenly became solemn.
“That’s good. The current Black Blight Dragon is not only heavily injured, but its elemental turbulence also seems to be out of control. I think this is a good opportunity to strike, but it requires you to create a diversion.”
Li Fán informed him.
Roar! Roar~ Roar!
“As long as I can kill it! This King will absolutely follow your guidance!”
Little Ming was incredibly resolute.
“Alright, you try to keep it occupied for now. I’ll deploy the team and be there to help you shortly.”
After speaking, Li Fán immediately began releasing monsters.
Sensing the dark ground flashing with red and black lightning, most of the monsters thought the battlefield had changed.
Only after guidance and explanation did they confirm they were still in the Frigid Expanse.
Just as Li Fán was preparing to attack, Huìhuì in the sky began to circle counter-clockwise.
“Another monster is coming to join the fight… Could it be a Paolumu?”
Li Fán asked doubtfully as Huìhuì alerted him.
“From the direction of the former coast, a gray mist is approaching, meow!”
Dīlú, observing with binoculars, gave a warning.
“Gray mist… What kind of monster is that?”
Monsters that can draw a large amount of surrounding matter while flying are usually elder dragons.
Li Fán picked up his binoculars to confirm.
“Kushala Daora… No, it’s a Mist Kushala Daora.”
Seeing the numerous white spore sacs forming on its body, Li Fán felt incredulous.
According to the ecological information previously obtained, after the Kushala Daora’s brain is completely invaded by fungi, it mutates and loses its self-awareness, becoming a zombie-like existence.
It still looks like an elder dragon, but its actions and thoughts are entirely controlled by fungi.
The advantage is that the spore sacs on its body can store a large amount of miasma, allowing the Kushala Daora to maintain its bodily functions for a long time even when away from the Rotten Vale.
Roar~ Roar~ Roar…
Low growls, meaning “I will kill you,” echoed from afar, growing closer.
“It hasn’t been completely invaded yet…”
Although these growls were repetitive, Li Fán knew very well that if the Kushala Daora’s consciousness were completely lost, the fungi would not be able to control its body to emit calls with clear meaning.
Who is it trying to kill? The team hadn’t provoked it. If it attributed its current state to Little Ming, it would make sense, but it wasn’t forced when they were in the Rotten Vale, was it?
As he pondered, Li Fán noticed the flight path of the Mist Kushala Daora.
“So it’s here for revenge…”
Roar! Roar! Roar!…
“The Black Blight Dragon is going crazy! This King is about to be beaten to death!”
In his consciousness, Little Ming’s cry for help came.
“King! Do you see the Kushala Daora? Lure the Black Blight Dragon over there! Then immediately disengage.”
Li Fán gave his deployment.
Roar~…
“This King cannot do such a thing.”
Little Ming refused.
“The Kushala Daora is here for revenge! It also wants to kill the Black Blight Dragon!”
Li Fán informed him.
Roar~ Roar~…
“Kushala Daora, don’t die! This King will assist you.”
After roaring, Little Ming dodged a volley of lightning strikes from the sky, flapped its wings forcefully, and flew towards the Kushala Daora’s location.
Hiss~ Hiss~…
As it flew over the gray mist, Little Ming felt its descending forelimb joints being eroded by miasma, creating countless tiny holes. It immediately retracted its forelimbs.
The Black Blight Dragon, which seemed intent on killing everything in sight, charging into the gray mist, collided with the Kushala Daora in the sky.
Splat! Rotting flesh fragments splattered.
The Black Blight Dragon and the Kushala Daora, pinned under its claws, plunged to the ground together.
Thump! Whoosh…
After being dragged across the ground for a distance, the Black Blight Dragon’s lightning-wreathed forelimbs were raised and slammed down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!…
Thick pillars of lightning descended continuously. The Kushala Daora’s repetitive low growls grew fainter until they disappeared.
Hiss~
After stopping its assault, flames appeared in the Black Blight Dragon’s mouth, but before it could spew them, a beam of light struck its back.
Splash~
A large amount of its inverse shell shattered and peeled off, and the Black Blight Dragon raised its neck and tilted forward.
Hiss~ Hiss~…
Spore sacs with countless holes continuously released miasma as they expanded and contracted.
The gray mist dispersed again. The Kushala Daora, climbing out of the crater, opened its hollowed-out lower jaw to its limit, and a miasma breath filled with countless fungi and dust erupted from its mouth.
Under the sustained attacks of the two breaths, even though the Black Blight Dragon stabilized itself, it was still forced to retreat.
Thump! Thump! Thump!…
At this moment, massive ice shards formed in the sky and continuously bombarded the ground.
After several impacts, the Kushala Daora could no longer hold on, and its miasma breath weakened and ceased.
Thump! Thump! Thump!…
The massive ice shards struck its shell, scattering countless ice fragments.
Little Ming, still struggling, had no intention of stopping its breath.
Little Ming felt that the current Black Blight Dragon, despite its fearless ferocity, lacked any strategic awareness in combat.
Its use of elemental abilities was entirely based on its mood.
It seemed as though all its actions were impulsive. While unpredictable, they also lacked targeted responses.
Swoosh~
Sensing something attacking from above, Little Ming glanced upwards and saw a giant ice shard hurtling towards its head.
Knowing it couldn’t dodge, Little Ming slightly retracted its neck, preparing to endure the impact.
Boom!
A blue flame fireball struck the ice shard first, shattering it in mid-air.
Then, another blue flame fireball followed, blasting the ice shard that was about to fall near its wing into ice dust.
Xiao Bendan and Wanpi, circling above Little Ming’s body, began to continuously detonate fireballs, repelling the incoming ice shards.
Roar~ Roar~…
“Thanks! After we defeat the opponent, this King will reward you.”
“Xiao Bendan and Wanpi can’t hear consciousness communication.”
Li Fán reminded him.
Roar~ Roar~
“If they can’t hear this King’s voice, isn’t that rather boring.”
“Fight seriously, and find an opportunity to defeat it in one fell swoop.”
Li Fán instructed.
At this moment, Little Ming suddenly felt something leap onto its back.
Roar… Roar?
“Who… Who is stepping on this King’s dragon back!”
“It’s a Hornetaur. There are more and more ice shards. It can help you block them over a wide area.”
Li Fán informed him.
Roar! The Hornetaur roared and leaped into the air, repeatedly stomping with its ghost fire, flashing back and forth in the air.
In a moment, the ice shards it touched entered a brief stasis, shattering and disintegrating together.
Roar~ Roar?
“Where did you find these monsters? Why are they all so strong?”
Little Ming couldn’t understand.
“Because in the life journey of monsters, everyone has taken a relatively correct path.”
Li Fán replied.
“Did that King and the Kushala Daora take the wrong path?”
Little Ming asked.
“It’s not their fault. When that King was still in its cocoon, it was cursed by the Black Blight Dragon due to the visit of a previous Zorah Magdaros. This would have happened to you again, but it was accidentally stopped by humans. As for the Kushala Daora… I guess many years ago, it participated in some organization and willingly became part of creating the ecosystem. Perhaps it knew this outcome long ago, but it held on until after you were born before shedding this responsibility. Also, the Namielle… should also be part of creating the ecosystem.”
Li Fán explained.
“That King gave everything, just so I could go to the deeper sea and re-establish a kingdom?”
Little Ming had never imagined its birth would carry such a heavy background.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me everything!”
“The Ruiner Nergigante told you. There can only be one King. Every help it gave you was a suppression of its instincts. If it had lost control, let alone receiving protection, you might not have even had the chance to be born.”
Li Fán informed him.
“Is this the benevolent path of a King… Li Fán! What is needed to create an ecosystem!”
Little Ming suddenly became agitated.
Li Fán saw that the other party’s emotions were fluctuating greatly, but its breath remained steady, so he said, “First, you need a leader. Then, you need a part that can construct ideal terrain and maintain the balance of the ecosystem. It probably requires two parts working together. Then, a cleaner to remove abnormal parts. That should be about it.”
“With five parts, an ecosystem can be created?”
Little Ming asked eagerly.
“If possible, add a touch of hope that can be looked forward to. Perhaps monsters also want to have their own Blue Earth.”