If an ordinary, large-scale Elder Dragon could be said to shroud the sky like a curtain when its wings unfurl, then the current Asterion looked more like a knight brandishing a pair of heavy lances. His twin wings, as thick as cannon barrels, pointed straight toward the heavens.
Each wing bone was as massive as a small boat. As Asterion landed and reared his chest, the two thick wings split outward simultaneously. Eight sharp, bifurcated wing bones fanned out in eight different directions, and pale blue Bio-energy began to jet continuously from their tips!
The energy pierced through the air itself! Upon contact with the atmosphere and the ground, it diffused rapidly, forming a faint, ethereal halo of blue-white light. In the vibrant backdrop of the Crystallized Forest, the color wasn't overly prominent, but the constant humming vibration emitted an aura of extreme danger. It was enough to make anyone's skin crawl and send a chill down their spine.
As the sunlight filtered through those eight wing bones, their elongated shadows stretched across the ground like a spider's web, causing the hunters to hold their collective breath.
What a magnificent, towering physique!
Even the tallest hunters had to crane their necks just to see the head of this behemoth. Three pairs of circular, bright orange organs on its chest pulsed with light, demanding attention.
Yet, the most striking feature was the monster's body itself—a flawless work of art. From head to tail, from its back to its belly, it was covered in a layer of crystal-clear, deep blue Bio-crystals. It looked as though it were wearing a suit of gemstone armor. Clusters of long, sharp crystal spines grew backward from its shoulders and the base of its limbs, possessing a beauty that did nothing to hide its lethality.
Deep blue at the base, the crystals grew brighter and whiter toward the tips, making the monster look as if it were covered in a coat of blue-white fur from a distance. However, the most bizarre detail lay there: those crystal "hairs" were melting.
The tips had become rounded and dull. Droplets of liquid, varying in shades of blue, flowed toward the ends of the spines before dripping onto the ground or the creature's crystal armor. The area even emitted a subtle, intense heat; a closer look revealed that the air was shimmering and distorted, as if being steamed by the temperature.
What was happening? Why were the Bio-crystals melting?
Such a phenomenon wouldn't be surprising on any Blue-afflicted monster, but it was baffling to see it on the creature standing before them. After all, he was the source of the Blue-affliction, the spreader of this Bio-energy, and likely its sole master.
The question then arose: What could cause the master of this energy to melt the very crystal armor he had shaped for himself? Was even this monster unable to fully control such power? Was it so intense that it could not be sustained or endured?
Unlike other Blue-afflicted monsters, the crystals on this creature showed no signs of being out of place. If one looked closely, they would notice the crystals were arranged in a hauntingly perfect symmetry.
Whatever appeared on the left was mirrored exactly on the right. It was incredibly orderly and harmonious, as if someone had meticulously embedded them one by one according to precise rules, rather than being the result of random growth or battle scars.
This sense of symmetry gave the beast a strange aura of order. It was a stark contrast to the chaotic, twisted forms of other Blue-afflicted individuals. It made observers feel that everything happening to its body was intentional—that this was exactly how it was meant to be.
"It's the Glavenus Boss!!"
"It's the Valstrax Glavenus!!"
The hunters' shouts mingled together as they recalled the information they knew by heart.
The veteran hunters were composed. Knowing the Glavenus Boss's style, they had already lowered their weapons. A few even began to back away—not out of fear, but to consciously clear more space while holding back their younger, still-reacting comrades.
Only the rookies of the 5th Fleet remained in a defensive stance. One young hunter stole a glance at a veteran beside him. Seeing the senior hunter had lowered his weapon, he hesitated for a moment before loosening his grip. He didn't let go completely, keeping his hand half-clenched in a state where he could react instantly without appearing too provocative.
It was understandable. A monster of this size could make a hunting party pay a blood price through sheer physical strength alone, let alone one whose entire body was currently radiating waves of energy.
One look was enough to know he wasn't to be trifled with.
Until they personally witnessed or experienced what made the Valstrax Glavenus different, they didn't dare lower their guard completely.
"Hiss—ROAR!!!"
With a powerful roar that ignored the hunters' presence, Asterion swept his gaze over the surroundings. Confirming the Bazelgeuse brothers and the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers were unharmed, he lowered his head and bit into the flesh of the Savage Deviljho—tearing and pulling!
The great dragon began to chew.
Ugh, to be honest, this doesn't taste good. The meat of a Savage Deviljho was actually bitter. Every piece was so saturated with Dragon Element that each bite felt like a blunt knife striking Asterion's tongue. Asterion, who had grown accustomed to a better quality of life, felt quite disgusted.
In his current state, he had actually moved beyond the physiological need to consume meat; eating was now purely for psychological satisfaction.
As an "Information Glavenus"—well, an "Information Valstrax Glavenus" now—he naturally recognized the identity of this "Pickle." He hadn't expected such a glutton to enter the Ancient Forest. Fortunately, it was dead. If the Savage Deviljho had eaten everything, what would be left for him?
"Yo, Boss! Long time no see!"
It was a greeting delivered with the typical, over-familiar style of the Admiral.
Just as Asterion was rummaging through the Savage Deviljho's carcass looking for a Gem to snack on, that lion-like man stepped up to him. He even had the audacity to reach out and touch the Savage Deviljho's corpse, his tone light and incredibly relaxed.
This man clearly had no concept of personal space.
"Roar."
Asterion let out a casual grunt. Only after roaring did he remember he hadn't brought a cat this time—well, no cat could have survived the flight speed he just reached anyway. Therefore, the Admiral wouldn't understand his reply.
Was this the dragon equivalent of winking at a blind man?
"The Glavenus Boss says: 'Long time no see.'"
Ptooey!
Spitting out the bitter Savage Deviljho meat, Asterion was about to give up on communicating and take flight to attend to his business when a deep male voice suddenly intervened.
It was Caly, of course.
Stopping his motion to take off, Asterion looked toward the source of the voice in surprise. He had indeed offered a greeting, but the one translating for him wasn't a Grimalkyne Shaman who hung around hunters, but a human?
Humans have Shamans now??
With that thought, Asterion lowered his head to study Caly.
In truth, he was curious about every creature that had pioneered a mutation. He had granted audiences to both Pot and Dot before. As for this human pioneer... well, he was quite handsome.
Dark skin, powerful muscles, and a handsome, steady face. He wasn't particularly tall compared to the other hunters, but his presence was incredibly stable. This wasn't a facade; it was a natural aura formed by surviving countless trials. It was obvious at a glance.
To put it plainly, Asterion felt this guy had "Protagonist Energy." Combined with the sheer number of hunters active around him—could this kid be the Sapphire Star?
Wait, now that he thought about it... from that perspective, this kid really did have that vibe!
A special person must have a special trait!
Asterion called it the "Dragon-Speaker Vibe."
"Gu—Gah!!!"
To make a long story short, the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers had finally snapped out of their daze. They came charging over excitedly, their bird-like legs blurring as they ran. Their long necks bobbed back and forth with a vigor that completely erased the memory of them being hunted by a Savage Deviljho moments ago. They nearly knocked over several hunters along the way—and then slammed right into Asterion.
Clang!
When Bio-crystal met Bio-crystal, it only produced a crisp, metallic ring.
If not for Asterion's massive size and weight, he might have been knocked over by these featherbrains. What was this? A Japanese-style Kulu-Ya-Ku 'stomach-first' tackle?
Cough, my bad, my bad.
"Gu-ga gu-ga!" (You're late, kid!)
"Gu-gu-gu-ga!!" (Good thing these people and your 'kid' killed this guy. You have no idea how terrifying he was—he was chasing us birds!!)
"Roar." (I know, I know. He's dead now.)
"Gu-ga!" (Good thing we birds run fast!)
"Roar roar." (Then don't go to dangerous places and stop running around.)
"Gua-gua-gu!" (Staying at home is nowhere near as fun as running around!)
To be honest, Asterion used to think Mirrorblade was a bit too human-like, but compared to the current Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers, Mirrorblade was just a novice in the art of personification.
These birds talked like they were performing a rap battle, squawking incessantly while their thin necks jerked side to side and their tail feathers shook happily.
These guys had lived for over fifty years, but it seemed all that time had gone into their stomachs. Aside from eating and sleeping, they just looked for fun. Their mentalities were incredibly positive and healthy. On the other hand, the Bazelgeuse brothers—well, the Bazelgeuse brothers seemed to have stayed the same too; they were looking for fights fifty years ago, and they were still doing it now.
Asterion couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He really wanted to cultivate some sophisticated hobbies for his "brothers," but unfortunately, they just weren't interested.
"Roar-on!" (Is it time?)
Unlike the rambling, affectionate chatter of the Kulu-Ya-Ku, the Bazelgeuse brothers were far more serious.
"Roar!" (It is.)
The Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers only needed to worry about eating and playing; no dragon or human would bother their lifestyle. But Asterion and the Bazelgeuse brothers had much more to consider. Especially with the Bazelgeuse—dealing with such battle maniacs required a different mode of interaction.
Because of this, the Bazelgeuse brothers knew Asterion's next target was that mountain-sized dragon. They knew Asterion's rare departure from his nest was the signal for battle.
That dragon was coming!!
In this forest rich with Bio-energy, the wounds on the Bazelgeuse brothers were healing rapidly. This special regenerative ability had only appeared after the Blue-affliction, and it had restored a significant amount of their stamina.
In fact, Asterion hadn't come because the Bazelgeuse brothers called him, nor had he sensed they were in danger. He had used the three pairs of sensory organs on his chest to detect that Zorah Magdaros was approaching the New World. He had set out from the Glavenus tribe and only landed after noticing the commotion below.
"Roar." (That direction. Fly over once you're ready.)
There was no need for persuasion; the Bazelgeuse brothers wouldn't back down from something like this.
Rotating his wing bones to point the way for the Bazelgeuse, Asterion then snapped the eight wing bones back into two solid "thrusters" aimed at the ground. Bio-energy began to vent from the wing tips. At this close range, the surrounding hunters could finally confirm that what propelled the Valstrax Glavenus wasn't fire, but pure energy.
It was nothing like the white flames recorded in the last sighting report. It was now clear that this Bio-energy was likely mixed with a large volume of air during the venting process. The proof was the way the Valstrax Glavenus's chest was inhaling massive amounts of air, creating an eerie whistling sound.
The crystal dust on the ground began to be pushed outward by the venting energy. The hunters standing closest involuntarily took several steps back as they felt a wave of heat creeping up from their feet.
"Wait!" Realizing Asterion was about to fly off again, Caly showed a rare flash of panic and raised his hand to stop him. "Glavenus Boss! We have something to say!"
With that way of speaking, it was a lucky thing the Grimalkynes of the Glavenus tribe weren't here, or Caly might have been poked by spears.
Knowing he wasn't the best with words, the young man shouted while pulling out his necklace. It must be said, this move was effective; Asterion immediately recognized it as a piece of his own former shell.
And for a piece of his shell to be in the hands of a human... was this a descendant of someone he once knew?
With that thought, Asterion lowered his head to examine Caly's features more closely. He actually did see a resemblance. Back when he was learning swordsmanship from the Sword Master, there was a "clumsy dog" of a human who looked quite like this kid.
Actually, it was the other way around—this kid's facial structure resembled that "clumsy dog" human. He couldn't remember the name; the man was quite foolish. He always made mistakes during practice and talked way too much, constantly approaching Asterion to ask for advice. He never seemed to stop and think about how a dragon was supposed to teach him.
Even though they had never had a serious, detailed conversation, someone that foolish left a deep impression on Asterion. That level of persistence was a trait in itself. To put it kindly, it was called perseverance. To put it bluntly... it was just being stupid.
So, this kid was the child of an old acquaintance?
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