Yuno never imagined that his survival mode would suddenly switch from hard to easy. If there was one thing still bothering him, it was that he had… sort of lost his freedom.
In the Monster Hunter world, high-tier predators actually possess a fairly high level of intelligence. Those at the very top, like Elder Dragons, often surpass even human intellect. Rathalos didn't quite reach that level, but within their own kind, they still had methods for identification and communication.
The female Rathian who had carried Yuno away had her own name. If translated into human language, it would be Aki.
Ever since Aki brought him to her nest, Yuno had been treated like a real hatchling, watched over with motherly intensity. Meals were delivered daily, water was just a few steps away by the stream. All he had to do was open his mouth.
Good thing he no longer looked like the baby who had just crawled out of his egg. Otherwise, Aki might have tried chewing up food to feed him directly like some other Rathians do.
In short, under the care of this not-yet-fully-grown but undeniably beautiful female Rathian, Yuno was experiencing the full royal treatment a baby wyvern would normally receive.
Of course, that also came with restrictions. As a "hatchling," Aki wouldn't allow him near the cave entrance, afraid he'd fall and die, or be spotted and killed by other flying wyverns before he even had a chance to grow.
So, Yuno's days were, frankly... boring.
When he wasn't sprawled on the ground absorbing leyline energy, he was eating the meat Aki brought back, or reluctantly swallowing the poison mushrooms she insisted on including in his diet.
Poison in Rathalos is produced through special venom glands, but eating a limited amount of toxic mushrooms native to the Ancient Forest could enhance the potency of that venom.
Yuno could feel it, Aki was truly holding herself to the standard of a mother dragon, doing her absolute best for him.
And yet, he felt awkward about the whole thing.
It was like...
"I thought we could be mates, but you see me as your child?!"
That kind of situation.
...
Just like that, another month passed in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to his well-balanced meals and ample rest, Yuno had fully recovered from his injuries. His bones were stronger, his broken scales had shed, replaced by new ones, thicker and harder.
His claws had grown sharper. His wings stronger. The patterns on his wing membranes had begun to take shape. Even his internal flame sacs had started developing, he could now exhale thick smoke with tiny embers flickering in it.
The only disappointment was...
He had exited that early explosive growth phase. Back then, even when malnourished, he had grown from 80 centimeters to over 2 meters in just ten days.
Now, with proper nutrition, his body still hadn't broken the 3-meter mark. In front of Aki, he was still just a little shrimp she could pick up by the scruff of his neck.
Lately, Yuno had been feeling an itch in his wings. Unfortunately, Aki's cave, while decently sized, only allowed him to flap around in circles. But he had a feeling, a strong one.
He was about to fly.
Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next second.
...
Beyond physical growth, Yuno's cheat system hadn't stopped either.
The progress bar for his next trait had been charging this whole time, although far slower than the last time. But after a full month, it was finally almost complete.
After sipping some water and munching on the dried Kulu-Ya-Ku snack Aki had brought back, Yuno nestled into the leaf-and-twig nest, passively absorbing leyline energy while waiting for Aki to return.
But... something was wrong.
By this time, she should've been back.
Aki was extremely consistent in her daily routine. She'd hunt at specific times, eat quickly on her own, then kill a second prey and bring it back for Yuno. Sometimes, if things were tight, she'd bring back Yuno's food first, confirm his safety, then head back out to finish her meal.
But today?
She hadn't returned.
Time ticked by.
The progress bar finished charging...
But Aki still didn't come back.
Now Yuno was genuinely worried.
Could something have happened to her?
[Trait: Herculean Strength – Draw Complete!]
Herculean Strength?!
Yuno sat up in shock.
He hadn't expected this one at all!
This trait was... no, for most creatures in this world, it was practically a god-tier ability.
Physical attack power doubled.
What did that mean?
In a world where nearly every battle, save a few exceptions, relied on close-quarters combat, this was massive. Even those that fought with special abilities still had to use their physical body in the end.
With this trait...
Yuno's combat potential had skyrocketed beyond all expectations.
[Acceleration] + [Herculean Strength]?!
At this moment, Yuno felt downright terrifying.
As the draw completed, a rush of warmth surged through his body, enhancing his physique under an indescribable force. That itching in his wings intensified, worse than before.
Instinctively, Yuno spread his wings.
With no prior training, he gently flapped, and his feet left the ground.
His toes unfurled.
With a few flaps, he hovered midair.
He could fly!
With a burst of power, Yuno shot out of the cave, piercing through clouds and soaring into the blue sky!
He rolled, dove, twisted, performing all kinds of aerial stunts like it was second nature.
Flight felt like instinct.
And in that moment, he truly became a Rathalos, a male fire wyvern worthy of his title.
...
After venting his excitement with aerial acrobatics, Yuno finally slowed down.
He'd been flapping his wings constantly, but he wasn't tired at all.
Of course not. Rathalos were born for flight. And the ones in the New World had even more advanced flying abilities than their Old World counterparts.
Now, all he could think about was Aki.
He wanted to share this joy with her.
But... he didn't know where she was.
Calming down, Yuno decided to start his search near the nest.
Now that he could fly, this forest, and even the vast Wildspire Wastes, were no longer off-limits.
For the first time,
He had the ability to truly survive.