Upper levels of the Ancient Tree.
Early that morning, Logan heard the cries of Fire Wyverns echoing one after another, each call laced with longing, yearning, and desire.
When he walked to the entrance of the nest, sure enough, his sharp vision picked out one female Fire Wyvern after another flying toward the Ancient Tree.
And not only that—some of the younger male Fire Wyverns, hoping to prove themselves before the arriving females, were also challenging the resident males of the Ancient Tree for the right to live there.
If successful, they wouldn't just win the right to settle; with an outstanding performance, they might even become the coveted prize in the eyes of the young females.
Such events happened every year. Other than the males on the Ancient Tree, who kept harems, fully half of the Fire Wyverns living outside it had no mates at all.
It was, indeed, a tragic reality.
Scenes like this were almost annual occurrences before the migration to the Wasteland.
The cats had long since made their preparations, hiding safely below and waiting for the battles between male and female Fire Wyverns alike—ready to gather fresh scales and materials afterward.
Aki's figure appeared to the side. With a huge yawn, she was about to take off and hunt.
Logan quickly grabbed her tail. Under her puzzled gaze, he glanced up at the young female Fire Wyverns eyeing them from the branches of the Ancient Tree, then back at her.
The meaning was obvious, without need for words.
"Roar?"
Aki tilted her head, looked at the females, and—for reasons even she might not fully know—gave a low, generous rumble of her own, expressing goodwill.
The females' eyes flickered uneasily. In her current stage of transformation, Aki's scales hadn't turned wholly silver-white like Logan's, but shimmered half gold, half green.
The oppressive aura and sheer strength radiating from Logan made the newly grown female Fire Wyverns unable to meet his gaze.
Seeing this, Aki turned back with satisfaction. She let out a gentle rumble toward Logan before spreading her wings and flying off toward the hunting grounds.
"What? You really trust me that much? Aren't you afraid I'll bring you back a sister?"
Logan froze. He had thought Aki was only pretending not to care, but to see her so decisive now—she truly didn't mind!
A dull ache welled up inside him as he glanced resentfully at the young female Fire Wyverns.
Fine, he admitted it—he couldn't summon the slightest interest in them.
It was as if they weren't even the same species. The absolute gap in ecological standing left him with no thoughts about them whatsoever.
He shot them a cold glance before turning back into the nest.
Yet it was precisely this indifference that raised no suspicion. The nearby cats who witnessed everything didn't find it odd, and even the female Fire Wyverns themselves felt it natural. The oppressive presence he carried left them unwilling to approach.
Still, Logan spent the entire day sulking.
That night, watching Aki curl up to sleep as though nothing had happened, his temper flared. He decided to teach this female a lesson—
To let her know that he was truly angry today, and that tonight the consequences would be serious!
The intention was good, the process delightful… but the result was, unsurprisingly, not what he had hoped.
The next morning, Logan stood on unsteady legs, watching a radiant Aki head off to hunt. Facing the rising sun, he looked out at the female Fire Wyverns fighting tooth and claw for the position of "first wife." His heart felt no stir—if anything, he almost laughed.
What he couldn't understand was this: with such a strong body, with his very life level on the verge of transcendence, how could he still end up so utterly drained?
So it was true—beauty ruins men!
From this day on, he swore: no more gambling, no more indulgence!
...
This had been the most relaxed mating season Logan had experienced in recent years. Aki wasn't constantly on edge all day, and there weren't any young Fire Wyverns trying to sneak into his territory.
Each day followed its natural rhythm—hunting when hunting was needed, patrolling the territory when patrols were due. In his free time, he could even watch the female Fire Wyverns fight for amusement. Life was light and pleasant.
Before long, the female Fire Wyverns that were meant to find mates had all done so. Those still alone planned to wander through the forest, hoping to come across a young male Fire Wyvern with enough potential—though still too immature to have developed its true strength.
If even that failed, their only choice would be to return to the Wildspire Waste and try again next year.
That is, assuming they survived until then.
After all, they were still just Rathians. In a world ruled by such brutal laws of survival, even a high-tier monster without enough strength lived a difficult life.
Unsurprisingly, this year's "mating festival" left the Flame Rathalos single once again. Its shortened fourth wing bone was simply too much of a flaw. No matter how powerful it was, none of the female Fire Wyverns were willing to choose it.
Of course, the Flame Rathalos didn't care for them either. It was, after all, a uniquely special species of Rathalos. The only mate it could ever acknowledge would be a Scorching Heat Rathian of its own kind.
What Logan hadn't expected was that this year, a Pink Rathian had actually come here from the Coral Highlands—and single at that. It was almost unbelievable.
The Azure Rathalos, which Logan had assumed would remain single for several years, suddenly had a mate.
The news left Logan stunned for quite a while. What were the chances? In the very year an unattached Azure Rathalos came looking for an opportunity, a single Pink Rathian had actually arrived.
It wasn't that Pink Rathians never came along with the female Fire Wyverns to the Ancient Tree. In the New World, female Fire Wyverns hatched far more frequently than males, and the same was true for Azure and Pink Wyverns as a pair. By the numbers, there were quite a few Pink Rathians compared to Azure Rathalos.
However, the Ancient Forest wasn't a primary habitat for Azure Rathalos. Usually, only those Pink Rathians that had failed to find a mate elsewhere would come here every year or two to try their luck.
But this year, everything just happened to line up.
Whether it was luck or some other reason, Logan couldn't say.
He noted the pair with mild interest, then quickly set the matter aside.
Until one day, after returning from a hunt, Logan found the Azure Rathalos pacing anxiously outside his nest.
The moment it saw him, it gave a low growl, almost pleading.
Logan was puzzled, until he followed the distressed Azure Rathalos back to its nest. Only then did he understand.
There, perched on the surrounding branches, were the Ancient Tree's top fighters—including the Tempered Azure Rathalos and the Flame Rathalos—all staring warily at the unfamiliar Pink Rathian curled up inside the nest.
Even before touching down, Logan saw clearly that the Pink Rathian was in a dire state. Its body lay weak and limp against the ground. From the corner of its mouth dripped purple saliva, and with each labored breath, a black miasma seeped from its nostrils and lips. Apart from its eyes, which had yet to turn red, the symptoms were identical to those of monsters in the earliest stages of Frenzy infection.
Now Logan understood why the Azure Rathalos was so agitated—after all, his standing order to execute any Frenzied monster had never been withdrawn.
It had finally found a mate, only for her to become infected with the Frenzy Virus. Now she was on the verge of being torn apart. How could it not be desperate?
But Logan's orders were absolute.
Within the Fire Wyvern swarm of the Ancient Tree, all had to obey—including this Azure Rathalos.
"Wuu~"
The Pink Rathian, seeing her newly found partner return, forced her weakened body to let out a faint hum, her eyes filled with a desperate will to live.
She recognized her own symptoms. Back in the Coral Highlands, she had seen other monsters suffer the same, and she knew all too well what became of them in the end.
Before leaving the Highlands, she had watched the Legianas at the very top of the ecosystem—those dwelling on the highest peaks—manage a little better. But for creatures on the ground, life was far harsher. Frenzied monsters often fought each other in madness.
And there was that terrifying creature, its whole body covered in spines, wandering the plateau as if searching for something.
She had witnessed with her own eyes a Frenzied Nargacuga lunge at it, only to be ripped apart in an instant. That sight was one of the reasons she chose to leave the Coral Highlands and come to the Ancient Tree in search of a mate.
Yet this was the end she had stumbled into.
The Azure Rathalos responded with a pained growl of his own. As had always been said, the bond of Fire Wyvern mates was simple—once formed, it lasted a lifetime. That held true even for subspecies.
Though they had been mates for barely ten days, their bond had already taken root, and so they naturally leaned on one another.
Logan studied the Pink Rathian closely. Around him, the other Fire Wyverns fell silent, trying not to make a sound as they waited for his final decision.
If the order to attack was given, even though she could just barely be considered a member of the Ancient Tree swarm now, the Fire Wyverns would tear her apart without mercy.
Her condition was dire. From the looks of it, the Frenzy Virus was still in the stage of attacking her immune system, leaving her weak but still conscious.
But that was all. At this point, it was nothing more than a tug-of-war between her immune system and the virus. Whether she could hold on or not depended on her alone—Logan had no effective means to intervene.
If she couldn't endure, then she would simply die.
"Meow, Boss, meow—I have something to report, meow."
Just then, Tonkotsu padded up beside Logan, apparently noticing his hesitation.
"Boss, meow, I heard from the Admiral's side that when hunters get infected with this disease, eating a Nulberry can cure it, meow. I don't know if such a fruit would work for this Rathian lady, meow."
Logan's eyes lit up.
He hadn't expected Nulberries to have such an effect.
Could the Frenzy Virus really be dispelled with them?
But then another thought struck him—that remedy was meant for hunters. Whether it would work on monsters was uncertain.
He looked at the anxious Azure Rathalos, pacing around its mate and rumbling encouragement, then at the Pink Rathian, who clenched her strength to endure, her eyes still not yet turned red.
"Perhaps… it's worth a try?"
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