The arrival of the rainy season has brought many changes to the Mara River due to flooding.
Including some abhorrent things.
In the dim, dark night, the moon was hidden behind black clouds. In the forest of the Green Marshland, Headscar rested on a tree.
The main area where Famu lived changed from the Black Swamp to the Green Marshland Green Marshland was not only rich in food but also had more waterways than the Black Swamp.
The Green Marshland is traversed by at least ten wide waterways, where ancient fig trees and massive buttress-rooted plants are submerged in the deep water. Underwater, dense root systems and aquatic plants intertwine, attracting an astonishing number of piranhas, giant catfish, and schools of hippos and capybaras.
No wonder Xing Rui was astonished by Famu's poverty when she saw the Blackwater Swamp; she indeed occupied a rich and prosperous place and could be considered a true noble lady.
Headscar followed them to the Green Marshland; it had no reason to refuse a place where it could simply plunge into the water and catch fish.
The air was humid, and even the hair on the Headscar was damp with water droplets; the night was dark.
"Splash--" Headscar's ears twitched. He heard the sound of water, woke up from his sleep, and looked up at the northwest corner of the Green Marshland.
The water surged silently to both sides, and a huge silhouette slowly glided across the bottom.
The deep red, broad spine parted the green algae.
Its Headscar bristled, and it smelled an unfamiliar scent. This wasn't Famu; it was a foreign Typhon!
An intruder!
Just as Headscar was about to roar, a tremendous force from its side and rear slammed it to the ground, pinning its entire Headscar to the earth and halting its next movement.
Red stripes and dark purple fur—it was Old Colin. He had somehow gotten close to Green Marshland and stopped Headscar from making threatening noises.
"Are you crazy? How dare you bare your teeth at a Typhon?" Colin said in a low voice, shoving Headscar to the ground.
Colin looked back at the swamp; the crimson shadow had vanished. If Headscar had dared to utter a sound, the kid would have become Typhon's food.
The other person left.
Colin breathed a sigh of relief.
Colin had a tough time during this transition from rainy to dry season.
Having lost his territory and his tribe, Colin dared not return to the area where the Black Typhon roamed. He could only wander the edge of the Akalai Mountains all day, surviving by hunting fish or ungulates. Colin sensed that his Furnace Core was beginning to decay. At thirty, he was indeed in his prime, but his body was starting to decline.
On days when the rain is pouring down, he would sometimes think of that scarred boy and feel as if he were seeing a reflection of his younger self.
But that kid was following a Typhon. Since that Typhon would attack him without warning, one day, that kid would also become food for the Black Typhon.
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Colin felt a pang of pity and reconnected with the Rainforest Messenger to try Headscar.
Rainforest Messengers are a collective term for a very special type of Furnace-Core Creature found in the Samei Rainforest.
They are a collective, but not from the same group. The messengers can be of any race, but most are intelligent primates and birds. They are often small in size, and even as Intelligent Species, they do not possess any of the fighting power that the Furnace-Core Creatures should have. They are almost indistinguishable from their Savage Species.
It is precisely because they are weak that even a tiny amount of Earth Vein Energy is enough to influence them, transforming them from Savage Species into Intelligent Species.
Species like the Nightmare Leopard and the Horned Giant Rhino must be in contact with the Earth Vein Energy day and night, constantly absorbing and accumulating it in order to gain the opportunity to become Furnace-Core Creatures.
Even a powerful creature like Golden-Horn Dute, in order to ensure his eldest son inherited the territory and prevent Colin from spying, had his eldest son, the giant rhinoceros, soak in the geothermal springs for a full ten years. Until Black Typhon tore its limbs apart with his giant jaws, that chubby little cub still failed to produce a true Furnace Core.
Colin met the messenger in front of a Sa Mei Su Mu.
A macaw, its feathers as vibrant as fire, gracefully folds its wings and paces back and forth on a branch.
"Your Excellency Colin," the parrot bowed slightly, "It's been a long time."
"Nar's messenger," Colin said.
"I once told you that you are a very suitable Furnace-Core Creature to serve as a messenger. The Nightmare Leopard is swift, adept at hiding, and stronger than most messengers, effectively avoiding predators. That's why I extended an invitation to you and left you this tree. If you've made up your mind, you can contact me here... Have you thought it through?"
"If you become the messenger, you can directly manage this entire forest, including the Akalai Mountains and the Mara River basin. Your eyes and ears will extend to the confluence of the Mara River and Samei Rivers, and all the messengers here will be under your command." Nar turned to look at Colin.
Colin had no concept of systems; he could only understand families and viewed the relationships between Rainforest Messengers through the eyes of the Nightmare Leopard Clan. In his understanding, the Rainforest Messengers were like a large family, united as one, helping and supporting each other.
However, he failed to realize that different groups had different biological habits. Before becoming Intelligent Species, most of them were predators. So how could these messengers be mobilized?
"I've come to ask you for some information," Colin said.
"Go ahead and I'll offer you a price based on the freshness and confidentiality of the information," Nar said; it was his job.
"A lone Nightmare Leopard with a face full of scars, an Alpha male," Colin said.
"Is there any other relevant information? For example, the activity range. As you know, I manage many areas, and it's not uncommon to see solitary Nightmare Leopards that have been disillusioned or driven out of the rainforest. Wait, are you referring to solitary male Alpha Nightmare Leopards?"
Yes, near the Mara River...
"Oh! You mean that ghost that follows the Black Death God!" Nar suddenly interrupted Colin, his wings flapping excitedly. "Of course I know! It's quite the little guy in our circle. There aren't many Savage Species that can hunt in Typhon's shadow. What would you like to know?"
I want to know where he is.
"Seven days ago, or now?" Nar blinked.
"Now."
Hopefully it hasn't already become Typhon's excrement, Colin thought; even with Typhon's digestive abilities, Headscar would only turn into a stinky fart!
"This will require a considerable amount of prey, Your Excellency Colin," Nar said, adopting an air of superiority. "The value of 'at this moment' is immeasurable."
"I can be the messenger." Colin stared at the parrot he could easily kill with a bite. This was his backup plan. To take Headscar away, he had to avoid that Black Typhon and prevent that terrible creature from causing him trouble.
"Exciting! This is the best news I've heard all season! Help from Lord Colin!" Nar covered his beak with his wings and cackled.
"Where is that Nightmare Leopard now?" Colin asked.
"South bank of the Green Marshland," Nar replied immediately.
Colin nodded, turned and left, and behind him came Nar's soft voice, "Since you've decided to become the messenger, I'd like to tell you one more piece of news 'at this moment,' as a testament to our friendship."
"A bloodthirsty Red Typhon has entered the Green Marshland area. She is a dangerous individual, an Abomination that feeds on its own kind. Lord Colin, be careful. I don't want you to die in the Green Marshland; otherwise, all my information will be lost."