At the lower levels of the Ancient Tree, a pack of Jagras that had been foraging suddenly heard a loud crash. When they scrambled quickly along the roots toward the source, they saw a pile of mangled flesh scattered in a pit.
The thick stench of blood drifted down along with a mist of gore that had yet to fully dissipate.
The pack of Jagras trampled through the bloody mud, each one rushing toward the slightly more intact chunks of meat. They had to eat their fill before other foragers arrived, drawn by the scent of blood—otherwise, there might not be any share left for them.
A gift from nature!
On the uppermost platform of the Ancient Tree, as the white mist faded, the Rathians all descended, each checking the condition of her eggs. Finding no abnormalities, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, pacing slowly while keeping their vigilance, continuing to patrol the surroundings.
For the tempered Kulu-Ya-Ku, perhaps this was already the best possible ending. Though false, before its death it had still "tasted" a delicacy it had never once experienced in its life, had it not?
This little interlude with the Kulu-Ya-Ku at last eased the boredom of the mother-and-child Chameleos. At this moment, the little Chameleos lay sprawled on the Chameleos's back, its eyes looking up at its mother's own with shining little stars within.
This kind of ability, to unknowingly manipulate another creature, making the other follow entirely the actions woven for it—wasn't that just amazing!
As the sun in the sky gradually sank, the Ancient Tree welcomed a new batch of Research Commission members.
The Admiral personally led the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne warriors down to the lower levels of the Ancient Tree to bring them up. Looking at this group of scholars—travel-worn, filthy from head to toe, their clothes even torn—the Admiral truly didn't know what to say.
He wanted to scold the two Hunters who had acted as escorts, yet seeing that these two Hunters looked even worse, for a moment he couldn't think of anything to say.
"Yah~~ why are you all in such a state?"
The Artisan, having eaten dinner at the Fire Wyvern and Cat's Seat, returned to camp and, upon seeing the appearance of the scholars, subconsciously blurted this out.
"Um, on the way here, we were attacked by an Astalos. Most of the Wingdrakes were killed or injured, and we plummeted from high in the air. If not for luckily falling into a small stream, we might have been smashed to death right then."
The Deputy Director of the Ecological Research Center, still shaken, explained this once more to the Admiral.
At the time, upon learning that the Chameleos had accepted the quest, the Ecological Research Center immediately selected a group of people. By issuing an escort quest, they hastily gathered two Hunters and set off on Wingdrakes, but unexpectedly, on the outskirts of the Ancient Tree area, they encountered an Astalos attack.
Fortunately, a small stream had cushioned the fall, and with the skill of those two Hunters indeed being formidable, after driving off the Astalos they managed to arrive here on foot.
"What about the Fire Wyvern eggs—did the Chameleos take care of that?"
Before the Admiral could say anything, the Deputy Director anxiously pressed on. Their purpose in coming was entirely because of the Chameleos. If the matter was already resolved, then had they suffered these days of hardship all for nothing?
"Ah, that—perhaps you've arrived at just the right time!"
Though he harbored some reproach for these scholars being so reckless—after all, the scholars of the First and Second Fleets combined were already few in number—if even one were lost, it would be a major blow to the Research Commission in its current state.
Even so, their arrival truly was at an excellent time. Whether the relationship between the Research Commission and the Fire Wyvern group of the Ancient Tree—stagnant since the Wildspire Waste—could progress further would now depend on these scholars.
The Deputy Director was somewhat puzzled, but after the Admiral explained the current situation one by one, the scholars too began to grow excited.
What is the greatest fear for those who do research?
No projects!
Well now, wasn't a project right before them?
...
The next morning, on the great platform.
The group of scholars was blocked before the sole passageway by the Rathians. If not for each of these chatterbox scholars holding in hand a Fire Wyvern identity scale, and with Grimalkynes accompanying them, these sensitive Rathian ladies would already have launched an attack.
At Logan's nest, Logan—who had originally intended to go out hunting with Aki—was stopped right by the Admiral. When he learned that the Research Commission had actually sent a group of scholars over, without hesitation he flew directly to the great platform.
From within the medicinal mist, the Chameleos slowly walked out, at a glance spotting the scholars at the edge of the platform, somewhat puzzled as to why they would appear here. Did they truly not fear that one of those clearly ill-tempered Rathians might suddenly lose her mind and roast them all in a single fiery breath?
At that moment, Logan's figure soared up with the raging wind. With a thunderous roar, only then did the Rathians cease their posture of imminent attack. Under Logan's command, they grudgingly opened a path.
With no further obstruction, the scholars did not hesitate in rushing straight to the edge of the medicinal mist. The Deputy Director took out a small bamboo flask, his eyes shining as he collected some of the mist.
"So this is the white mist the Admiral mentioned, that can maintain the life of Fire Wyvern eggs? Truly miraculous! To think that the Chameleos can actually accomplish such a thing. Is the Chameleos of the New World so different from those of the Old World? Or is it that the Chameleos here, due to this special environment, has undergone mutations unlike the Old World, or perhaps it is simply a unique individual?"
The Deputy Director muttered under his breath, but his hands did not slow, and before long he had collected three small flasks of medicinal mist.
Seeing that the white mist enveloping the Fire Wyvern eggs would not be dissipating anytime soon, the group of scholars simply sat around the edge of the mist, beginning to analyze the information they had gathered from yesterday until today.
As the scholars started letting their minds wander, exploring the solutions each had in mind, they did not realize that a Chameleos lay right beside them, listening to their words.
When it heard some conjectures that were too far-fetched, it would shake its head. When it heard solutions that seemed more reasonable, it would turn its eyes, sinking into thought. The whole dragon appeared to be participating in the discussion itself.
Until one young Wyverian scholar put forth a viewpoint—at which the Chameleos suddenly could not hold back, croaking aloud.
This scholar had not only analyzed the current problem but even come up with a preliminary idea for resolving it!
That cry startled the scholars, who had thought the Chameleos was within the mist—never expecting that it was actually right beside them.
But why had the Chameleos suddenly spoken? Could it be that it thought that scholar's words were correct?
To confirm this thought, that scholar reorganized his words and, with barely restrained excitement, once again restated his idea. When that cry came once more, the scholars immediately grew exhilarated.
No further conjectures were needed; they directly began discussing around this scholar's idea.
As time passed, the mist dispersed, and the scholars eagerly crowded around the Fire Wyvern eggs. While observing them, they further refined the treatment method they had just discussed.
...
When Logan returned from the hunt, before he had even rested, the Admiral once again came looking for him.
Arriving at the main platform, under the fervent gazes of the scholars directed at him, he uncomfortably lingered off to the side upon a tree branch.
"Oh, oh! The living Sunblaze Dragon!!"
The Deputy Director's eyes gleamed, and unlike the other scholars who had come specifically for the Fire Wyvern eggs, he had come here for Logan.
Within the Research Commission's Ecological Research Center, he was the chief person in charge of studying the Sunblaze Dragon's ecology. Now that he was finally meeting the Sunblaze Dragon itself face-to-face, it was only natural that he showed a bit of overexcitement.
Unable to stand the old fellow's gaze, Logan suppressed the urge to spit a breath of Dragonfire at him, urging the Admiral to quickly get to the main business.
Though he found it rather amusing to see this old friend display such a human side, the Admiral still very cooperatively calmed the agitated scholar, telling them to get on with their report.
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