At the Ecological Research Center, once they learned that the Chameleos had actually accepted this quest and had set out toward the Ancient Tree, the Chief immediately decided to send the Deputy with several researchers to depart for the Ancient Tree at once.
Officially, it was to fully cooperate with the Chameleos in completing the quest. In reality, however, it was to see just how the Chameleos would resolve it, hoping to steal a few tricks, and also to take the opportunity to observe up close the birth and physiological data of the Fire Wyvern hatchlings.
All at once, the Ecological Research Center became lively. The scholars who usually buried themselves in research and seemed indifferent to matters beyond it were suddenly quarreling fiercely over a single slot.
...
At the Ancient Tree.
The Fire Wyverns still seemed somewhat heavy-hearted. Though Logan had already pacified them several times, each attempt proved less effective than the last, and the Fire Wyverns had even become less willing to go out hunting.
Knowing that even the Research Commission could not come up with a solution to this matter in such a short time, Logan, though inwardly anxious, outwardly maintained a calm demeanor.
As the leader of the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern group, his attitude also influenced the group's behavior, gradually steadying those Fire Wyverns whose resolve had begun to waver.
Yet while the Fire Wyverns' unrest was settled, the 10 newborn hatchlings had now become the treasures of the entire Ancient Tree. Whether Wyvern or Cats, all took great care with the little ones, fearful that they might bump or bruise themselves.
For a time, the surrounding monsters suffered. Any that approached the upper levels of the Ancient Tree were mercilessly driven off by the Fire Wyverns. Even the flocks of wingdrakes passing by the Ancient Tree had to endure a blast of flame.
That day, Logan and Aki had just returned from a hunt. Before they even entered the den, a chorus of croaks rang out from within the nest.
At the sound, Logan felt a throbbing pain in his head, while Aki's eyes flashed, her gaze faintly glinting with cold light.
"That annoying Chameleos again!"
With food still clamped in their jaws, they entered the nest, only to find that their water reservoir had been dyed red. A figure of the little Chameleos, its whole body dripping with water, shimmered faintly within.
And that familiar croaking sound was at this moment coming from the empty space beside the reservoir.
Inside the den, the Cats continued their patrols as usual. When passing by the reservoir, they oddly skirted around it, ignoring what was happening there. Upon seeing Logan and Aki return, they normally gathered around them.
Some handled the Aptonoth, some cleaned the nest, all exactly as usual—as though the Chameleos's croaks and the reddened reservoir were nothing but an illusion.
If this world were not the Monster Hunter world, where everything could be pinned on Elder Dragons, Logan might even suspect that he had transmigrated again—or that the very rules of this world had changed.
Horror Story: Struggling to Survive in the Monster Hunter World!
The scene before him was far too out of place: a pool seemingly stained red with blood, eerie croaks sounding with no creature in sight, patrolling cats ignoring everything, and himself, as though seeing through the truth of the world.
As it stood, this could already count as a small dungeon, couldn't it?
Inhaling through his nose, he faintly caught the scent of mandrake and unknown herbs. As he shifted slightly, letting sunlight stream through the gaps between his wings and body, Logan keenly noticed a thin wisp of pale mist.
"This fellow's poison mist—it's changed again! Is this really just a biological toxin?"
It was clear that all of this was Chameleos' doing. The cats seemed to have inhaled this mist, their consciousness affected, lightly controlled by Chameleos, which explained why they ignored the commotion at the reservoir.
This Chameleos—its danger level had risen yet again!
If it were released into a human city on the Old Continent, it might truly be able to wipe out the entire place without anyone realizing until it was too late.
As if noticing Logan's return, Chameleos let out an excited croak. Its tongue flicked out, scooping up the little Chameleos struggling in the reservoir—without the slightest trace of guilt for treating Logan's drinking water as its bath.
With Chameleos' cry, the cats in the nest seemed to receive a command. One by one, their eyes glazed over, they dropped what they were holding, and, like ordinary strays, they went on all fours and slowly padded out of the nest.
This sight made Aki's heart jolt. Instinctively she roused the flames within her Flame Sac—tiny sparks leapt from her slightly parted lips, her throat flushing red as though she would spit out a blazing fireball the next second.
Originally, Chameleos had arrogantly ignored Aki, but this sudden surge of heat drew its attention. From the fire in Aki's mouth, its large round eyes caught a faint tinge of bluish-purple.
In an instant, it shed its dismissiveness toward Aki.
That kind of flame could indeed harm even an Elder Dragon. Having survived by lying low for centuries, Chameleos would never foolishly give Aki the chance to wound it.
So, with its eyes rolling slyly, it halted its steps and let out a pitiful croak.
"Gwaa, Gwaa!" (I came all this way with my child to visit a friend, and yet you let your mate treat me like this, gwa! Truly, it breaks a dragon's heart, gwa!)
Chameleos' acting was superb, its roar dripping with grievance.
But unfortunately, while Logan could barely understand, he simply chose to ignore it.
As for Aki—she couldn't understand at all!
To her, this Chameleos with its pitiful act was plainly tattling on her to Logan!
"What status do you have! And now you even dare to act wronged!!"
Could Aki endure that?
Absolutely not!
An outsider, suspected of having an unusual bond with her husband, now playing the pitiful victim and tattling to him right in front of her!
This entire chain of logic instantly linked together in Aki's mind.
Having already reverted to her true nature, Aki's possessiveness toward Logan rivaled that of a Rathian from the Old Continent. In an instant she was triggered, and without hesitation, a bluish-purple charged fireball shot straight toward the spot where Chameleos had just let out its sound.
"Gwaa?!" (Why are you attacking me, gwa?!)
Startled, Chameleos flung the little Chameleos aside and spat out a stream of poison breath that collided squarely with Aki's charged fireball.
In that instant, the explosion of the fireball thundered through the Ancient Tree. Under the intense heat, the poison breath was vaporized into a thick smoke.
At the tip of his nose, Logan caught the scent carried in the rapidly spreading smoke—there was actually a trace of mandrake within it.
Without hesitation, Logan stepped in front of Aki. With a sweep of his wings, a fierce wind surged forth, driving the smoke into another passage of the nest.
This Chameleos was far too cunning. While using its poison breath to counter Aki's fireball, it had also exploited the collision to transform the poison into smoke under the high temperature. Any creature not remaining alert would instinctively assume it was ordinary smoke, unknowingly suffering Chameleos' counterattack without even realizing it.
The explosion of the fireball jolted the cats at the nest entrance awake. Bewildered, they exchanged confused looks.
Meanwhile, the Fire Wyverns faintly guarding near Logan's nest were the first to take wing, rushing toward it. In an instant, chaotic roars echoed throughout the Ancient Tree.
The Fire Wyvern group, which had already settled down to rest, suddenly grew vigilant. One by one, the Rathalos soared into the sky, flying toward this place.
At this moment, even if it were just an ordinary Kulu-Ya-Ku, the very instant it appeared in Logan's nest, it would face the frenzied assault of the entire Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern group.
Such was the tribal nature of the Fire Wyverns of the Ancient Tree today!
"ROAR!!"
Logan's roar boomed from within the cave, and the Fire Wyverns that had been rushing toward this place immediately halted. At his second roar, their tense bodies gradually relaxed, and they each flew off as though nothing had happened.
This commotion left the Admiral and the other members of the Research Commission stationed here utterly baffled. They had thought something serious had occurred—enough to alarm the entire Fire Wyvern group—but within seconds, everything had gone quiet again.
"That explosion just now seemed to come from the Sunblaze Dragon's nest. Stay alert on your own; I'll go take a look."
After arranging the others' duties, the Admiral slung his long lance over his back and leapt down, gliding toward Logan's nest.
Inside the nest, Aki jabbed the spines of her jaw against Logan's spread wing in dissatisfaction, as if reproaching him for blocking her fight against that shameless Elder Dragon.
On the other side, Chameleos—its face plastered with the air pressure Logan had blown—croaked indignantly, voicing its outrage at what it considered Logan's unfair behavior.
Logan couldn't be bothered with this chatterbox of a Chameleos. Fairness?
The fact that he hadn't joined Aki in immediately turning it into a two-on-one was already the greatest fairness he could offer.
"Roar!" (Why did you come here? And even bring this little thing along.)
Logan glanced at the little Chameleos, which had been tossed aside and now lay quietly to one side. It seemed too lazy to maintain invisibility, flopping there like a limp duck.
Truly, like mother like child—even the way they lay down was identical.
"Gwaaa!!"
As if displeased with Logan's scornful gaze, the little Chameleos let out a protesting cry.
Though still young, its genes already bore the arrogance of a high-tier ecological niche. Thus it took great offense at the disdain shown by a non-Elder Dragon like Logan!
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