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The following day, early morning.
The morning moisture condensed into droplets on the surface of the leaves, rolling and merging with each other before falling from above, refracting a colorful arc of light.
"Plop."
A water droplet fell onto the white mane along the central spine of the gigantic beast, disappearing instantly. The enormous white Jagras suddenly lifted its head, letting out a roar laced with fury.
"Awooow Roar Roar~"
The Jagras leader's wide ears, known as the "King's Frill," stood stiffly erect. The heat emanating from its body caused the water droplets attached to its skin to evaporate into mist, clearly displaying the King's rage.
Around it, four corpses lay, near or far. Their flesh was mangled, and many areas had been gnawed down to bare bone by scavenging beetles and the hated Vespoid, but the dull orange scales were enough to confirm the identity of the bodies.
The Jagras leader was very angry, but not for the four dead Jaggi.
Since defeating the old leader and becoming the new King of this mountainside's ecological niche, all other creatures in its path had fled in terror. Now, a predator that dared to attack its pack had appeared, and this made the King feel threatened and uneasy.
And a threat, once sensed, must be eliminated.
The Jagras leader lowered its head, constantly sniffing, distinguishing every trace of scent left in the air.
The morning mist permeated the ground, making scent detection exceptionally difficult, but through its persistent efforts, it finally distinguished a slight anomaly within the thick, bloody stench. The scent molecules in its mind gradually formed a vague path, extending all the way down the mountain from the "crime scene."
The bloody scent was a tiny bit thicker in this direction…
The Jagras leader followed the scent, distinguishing the path until it finally reached the stream area at the foot of the mountain.
The scent completely dissipated here. There was no trace left by that predator, only a few silly Kulu-Ya-Ku fleeing in panic, squawking ugly calls as they ran.
With nowhere to vent its mounting fury, the Jagras leader targeted one of the Kulu-Ya-Ku, even though it wasn't hungry. The victim's bloated body restricted its escape speed, and it was easily caught up to and killed with a single bite to the neck.
With one paw planted on the fallen Kulu-Ya-Ku corpse, the Jagras leader stretched its neck and roared. It howled for twenty or thirty seconds before finally stopping. Feeling some of its anger released, the Jagras leader didn't even look at the Kulu-Ya-Ku carcass, slowly turning and walking back to its nest, marking its territory again with excrement along the way.
It had displayed its might and heavily marked its territory. Surely, that mysterious predator would know better than to stay?
…
Two or three minutes after the Jagras leader leisurely departed, a head wearing a straw hat suddenly poked out from the tall grass.
After repeatedly confirming that the Jagras leader had left, Ethan stepped forward and approached the Kulu-Ya-Ku corpse.
Because he simply couldn't endure the hard and dry texture of the Rations, he had planned to come to the spot where he first discovered the Kulu-Ya-Ku yesterday to forage for some fresh meat to improve his diet. He didn't expect to have just hidden himself deep in the vegetation when the Jagras leader appeared opposite him.
The fact that the monster had hunted a Kulu-Ya-Ku but left without taking a single bite, howling twice before leaving, was quite strange. Because he was relatively far away, the emotional voice he sensed was vague, only confirming a belly full of rage and a hint of self-aggrandizement.
"This guy isn't mistaking me for a monster trying to steal its territory, is it?"
Thinking this, Ethan used his carving knife to slice off the tenderest parts of the raw meat from the Kulu-Ya-Ku carcass, unceremoniously enjoying the fruits of the Jagras leader's labor.
Washing the blood off in the stream, Ethan carried the two large pieces of fine raw meat, totaling nearly half his height, back to the camp.
Before long, a plume of smoke rose from the camp. The fine white marbling within the raw meat meant it only needed a pinch of salt to sizzle with oil. It was savory and juicy, fragrant yet not greasy, perfectly satisfying the Hunter's craving.
"This is what a Hunter's life should be. Rations are a true misery…"
Ethan let out a contented sigh, "Ah." He then popped two freshly gathered berries into his mouth to counteract the greasiness.
Feeling his stamina fully restored, Ethan moved his arms and legs. The soreness from yesterday seemed to have vanished without a trace. He even had a vague feeling that he was more energetic today than when he was at his peak yesterday.
The weapon had been sharpened and checked, and his gear was meticulously worn. Well then… let's go!
…
The cliff face above the Jagras nest.
Ethan quietly poked his head out to observe, then frowned slightly.
Five Female Jagras were either lying down or sitting, clearly indicating that the pack he saw yesterday wasn't the total number. One or two very small Jaggi, which looked only a few months old, curiously explored the spacious nest. Aside from the Hunter's unspoken agreement to preserve the ecosystem by not hunting juveniles, their immature scales and claws were not acceptable as materials anyway.
Where was the Great Jagras leader? And where were the targetable Jaggi? Why were none of them in the nest?
I clearly saw the leader walking back earlier, didn't I?
Ethan retreated from the cliff top, confusion heavy in his mind. He cautiously concealed his movements, while diligently trying to find any traces the monsters might have left behind.
Flattened grass where they had stepped, broken branches, scrape marks on dead tree trunks, a few shed scales on the ground…
Some traces were very obvious, while others required intense scrutiny. At this moment, Ethan felt a nostalgic pang for the Scoutflies he had once hated in the game. If he had Scoutflies, why would he need to track traces so laboriously?
Walking on, he had almost reached the opposite side of the mountain without seeing a single Jaggi. Furthermore, judging by the tracks, the Jaggi seemed to be converging toward the Great Jagras leader, which suddenly gave Ethan a bad feeling.
At the same time, on the winding trade road in the mountains, a cart pulled by a Kulu-Ya-Ku slowly advanced.
"Customer, hold on tight, meow! This section of the road is a bit rough, meow!"
The Felyne driving the cart assessed the surrounding terrain and turned to address the girl inside the carriage who was flipping through a book.
The girl, about eighteen or nineteen, had fair skin, wore glasses, and possessed an air of refined beauty.
She nodded at the Felyne's warning, adjusted her sitting posture, but still held the Monster Compendium tightly. Her finger grazed the page, pausing over a diagram.
"The book says that the Stream area is one of the main habitats for the Jagras, eh? Little Felyne, do you think we might encounter one? I really want to see its magnificent 'King's Frill' with my own eyes…"
"What are you saying, customer, meow! This road was opened by the Merchant Guild, and Hunters are regularly hired to clear out monsters on the path, meow! How could a monster dare intrude on the trade road, meow!"
(Guess who has arrived? Hmm, it should be easy to guess, right?)
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