Elder's Recess.
Logan watched as Aki once again returned covered in wounds. A trace of pity flickered in his eyes, though it was soon suppressed.
The gap in ecological status had completely spurred both Logan and Aki onward.
Thus, during this period, Aki would go out every day to seek out powerful monsters in the Elder's Recess for battle, often returning battered and bloodied.
Although Logan felt some reluctance, he deeply understood Aki's feelings. Therefore, except in crucial moments, he would merely conceal his own aura and silently watch her battles from high above.
For ordinary monsters, the only way to rapidly improve one's strength—aside from the slow passage of time—was through constant battle, fighting endlessly against strong enemies!!
For the monsters of the Monster Hunter world, battle was nothing out of the ordinary.
They fought for territory, for survival, for reproduction, and so on—but very few monsters would ever fight for the sake of becoming stronger. The main reason was that the reward was not proportional to the risk, and the likelihood of injury was extremely high.
For an ordinary monster, getting injured was no small matter in this chaotic world ruled by the law of the jungle.
An injury meant becoming prey to those "hyenas" that could smell blood from afar, attracting all sorts of creatures that didn't care about the taste of flesh—only whether there was food to eat.
An injury meant becoming a burden within the group, adding further risk to a tribe that was already struggling to survive.
If the wound was too severe, it could shorten one's lifespan and cripple any chance of growing stronger in the future.
Thus, under normal circumstances, no monster would ever choose such an extreme path to gain strength—risking becoming another creature's meal for the mere possibility of a slight improvement.
Now, however, Aki had chosen precisely that path. First, she had Logan as her safety net—allowing her to fight freely within an acceptable range of danger.
In a place like the Elder's Recess, where bioenergy was abundant and the environment harsh, battle could fully activate the cells and energy organs within the body, stimulating physical potential and allowing life energy to strengthen the physique to its utmost.
That was also why the monsters here not only possessed powerful bodies of energy but also possessed incomparably rich combat experience.
Secondly, under the influence of the Symbiosis trait, Logan had successfully completed his Elder Dragon metamorphosis. As someone residing on the second layer of the pyramid, Aki—who spent every day alongside Logan—had her vitality gradually increasing as well, with her regenerative abilities showing marked improvement.
In addition, the secret medicines and Mega Potions sewn into cloth pouches made from Ahtal-Ka silk by the cats, and carried by the Azure Rathalos at their departure, could prevent the occurrence of hidden injuries to the greatest extent possible.
That was the advantage of having a solid backing and proper logistical support.
This, too, was why, despite humanity's relatively low overall ecological position, they could still secure a foothold in this monster-dominated world—and even possess the strength to explore and develop new lands for survival.
Of course, that referred to present-day humans, not the ancient era of Schrade — a time when even a Black Dragon could be summoned to destroy cities.
Logan crouched at the edge of the basalt, watching as Aki skillfully used her claws to dig several Mega Potions out of the cloth pouch. With a flick of her tongue, she drank down bottle after bottle as if sipping small beverages.
The transparent bottles were spat out, and Aki slowly exhaled, then lay down quietly beside Logan, waiting for the medicine to take effect.
Although these Mega Potions were special versions that physicians and scholars had refined multiple times to suit the physiology of Fire Wyverns, concentrating most of the medicinal potency—to a Hunter, this level of potency would practically be considered poison.
But for Aki, even after swallowing several bottles, it only brought about a slow recovery. Compared to her current pace of fighting twice a day, it could barely be called sufficient; at times she even needed to supplement with one or two doses of Secret Medicine.
Looking at the battered Aki—her scales in slight disarray, the scent of blood mingling with sulfur—Logan instinctively suppressed the discomfort rising from deep within his body, then extended his wings to gently cover her.
There was no helping it. This was the limit of what Logan could do for now.
If it had been in the past, Logan would certainly have licked Aki's wounds, murmuring softly to soothe her and make her feel more at ease.
But now—
It could only be said that the instinctual gap born from differences in ecological niche was even more striking than the sense of separation caused by species alone.
Rubbing her head against Logan's warm neck, Aki stretched her wings, and after feeling she had rested enough, she kicked off the ground and flew once more toward the lava cave.
Whether it was a shared convention or because there was something peculiar about the area near the lava cave, one thing was certain: within the Elder's Recess, regardless of species, all monsters would choose that region to hunt—either to secure food for the coming days or to become another monster's food in the days ahead.
Such a biological habit was much like the relationship between the Ancient Tree and the Fire Wyverns.
Of course—except for a certain Dodogama.
Flapping his wings, Logan shed a few silver scales upon the basalt to make a perfunctory territorial mark, then spread his wings wide and took to the sky, flying high as he followed Aki from afar.
...
At Astera, the communication vessel had long been prepared within the bay, while the mixed escort team of Hunters and soldiers carefully inspected their respective weapons.
At the first level of the base, quite a number of people were preparing to return to the Old World this season—some were members of the First Fleet who had been forced to retire due to injuries, others were members of the Second Fleet who had completed their missions, and there were also personnel returning with new assignments. All of them were gathered here at this moment.
A latest-model Old World camera stood at the edge of the deck, with a scholar busily making adjustments.
Most of those returning to the Old World would not come back to the New World for several years—or even decades.
Considering that all of them worked on the front lines, to put it bluntly, they might encounter unexpected accidents or be caught in the path of passing Elder Dragons or migrating colossal Elder Dragons, and could lose their lives at any time. Therefore, this photograph would serve as a memento.
Amid a sea of forced smiles, the group of departing personnel took their positions.
As a flash went off, the Felynes who had long been prepared to develop the photographs immediately began their work.
The Provisions Manager, forcing a faint smile, watched the crowd disperse before sitting down directly on the ground. Beside him, a Grimalkyne dressed in simple cloth clothing was engrossed in reading a thick book on environmental biology and ecology.
Through continuous contact with the Research Commission, the cats were no longer simply divided into just three types—Palicoes, Companions, and Chef.
Under the influence of the Commission's complete civilization, a unique Grimalkyne had finally emerged—one deeply interested in scientific research and literature. With Logan's permission, this cat had remained at the Ecological Research Center in Astera, serving as an assistant to a Wyverian scholar.
This time, however, it had received a mission from its tribe: to go to the Old World as an exchange student cat, to learn more new knowledge, and upon returning in the future, to enrich the heritage of the Fire Wyvern tribe of the Ancient Tree.
Looking at this distinctive Grimalkyne beside him, the Provisions Manager recalled the Commander's instructions and couldn't help reaching out to tease the tuft of hair atop its head. But perhaps because it was too absorbed in its book, the cat didn't react at all—causing the Provisions Manager to feel a touch of disappointment.
"Ma–Manager! Look!"
Just then, a flustered Felyne came running over, holding a large photograph carefully in its paws and handing it over.
The Provisions Manager accepted it in puzzlement, took a closer look—
—and in the next second, his eyes widened as he stared in disbelief first at the Felyne, then at the photograph.
In the photo, behind him—where there should have been nothing but the background scenery of Astera—there were unexpectedly two Chameleos, one large and one small, both with their mouths open, posing in a playful manner as if about to bite him!
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