Detel, Your King Has Returned!

"Oh my—"

Yano's voice trembled. Everything she had believed about monsters had shattered today. Even though she loved nature, she couldn't begin to imagine what it would mean for humanity if monsters could communicate peacefully with one another.

Compared to that dark possibility, the horrifying way Xingyan devoured Old Steel Dragon's body seemed insignificant.

But before Yano could piece her shattered worldview back together, she stared in shock as the monster that had eaten Old Steel Dragon began rapidly shedding its scales and armor plates, only for them to quickly grow back. The most obvious change, however, was in its forelimbs.

Its short foreclaws grew rapidly, like plants, becoming longer and thicker until they were only slightly thinner than its hind legs.

The miracle of evolution!!

At that moment, this was the only thought in Yano's mind—a miracle that normally took life thousands or even tens of thousands of years to achieve over countless generations had taken this monster only an hour or two??!

Why?!

The research log she had written earlier could no longer be verified, because the creature before her now had a body structure entirely different from Glavenus—Glavenus didn't have wings! Nor did Glavenus have forelimbs that looked like Kushala Daora's!!

This monster seemed to have brutally stolen Kushala Daora's forelimbs and grafted them onto itself. Based on her earlier observations, Yano had thought this Two-Named Monster of Glavenus was covered entirely in mirror-like scales, but that theory had now been overturned.

Why were there both armor plates and scales on a single monster's body, piled beside it where they had fallen? That made no sense according to the laws of evolution!

Could those armor plates and scales have been stolen too? Taken from the monsters it had defeated and eaten?

Elder Dragon.

The word suddenly surfaced in Yano's muddled mind—could this monster be a completely new Elder Dragon?

According to the Guild's classification system, organisms that couldn't be categorized were classified as Ancient Dragon Species. Most of them possessed extraordinary abilities on the scale of natural disasters, and many believed them to be incarnations of nature itself.

If this monster was an Elder Dragon, what kind of natural disaster did it represent?

Plunder?

Evolution?

Growth?

But its attack style was extremely similar to Glavenus's—was this an Elder Dragon disguised as Glavenus, or was it simply an unusual Glavenus??

Yano was lost. She had entered uncharted territory.

Xingyan only needed to focus on evolving, while hunter-scholars had plenty of things to think about.

Unlike Yano, whose mind was in chaos, Xingyan felt nothing but exhilaration. He couldn't have been in a better mood.

Although most of the dying Old Steel Dragon's body had already turned into pure metal, it still had Elder Dragon flesh inside. For Xingyan, that flesh had made the difference between having something and having nothing.

Going from zero to one and from one to a hundred were entirely different levels of difficulty. The former was far harder.

But from today onward, Xingyan truly had what it took to hunt a healthy Elder Dragon.

At last, he didn't have to stay in a godforsaken place like Miasma Valley anymore.

Though he hadn't gotten to test his strength by fighting Old Steel Dragon head-on, he had accomplished everything he'd set out to do on this trip. Just thinking about no longer having to remain in a sunless place like Miasma Valley made him feel lighter.

His heart was full of longing for the Bird Bro brothers, and he was starting to miss the feasts prepared by the Detel chefs too—it was time to head back and enjoy himself.

Xingyan strode toward the cave's exit and glanced at Yano, who was hiding outside. Then he left without looking back.

As long as he found the broad path he'd carved out, he could easily return from Miasma Valley to the Great Sand Sea.

Home!

Unlike when he'd first headed north to Miasma Valley, Xingyan was much more brazen now that he was returning to the southern Great Sand Sea.

Back then, he'd been cautious, doing his best to avoid pointless fights with powerful monsters. But now, convinced that his kung fu had reached a new level, Xingyan would slash even at rocks he passed along the way. He was outrageously overbearing.

What large monsters? What Horned Dragons, Royal Ludroth, and Brute Dragons? If they dared come over and take a look, they got a slash. If they didn't die or run after taking one, he showed them what he could really do and hacked them to death. Their warm corpses eventually became even warmer Life Energy.

Through all those battles, Xingyan had figured out where he stood in the ecosystem: without a doubt, he had Elder Dragon-level combat strength.

He could probably sit at the same table as the enraged Gold Rathian that had eaten a Kirin horn.

But Xingyan knew he had roughly the same weakness as the enraged Gold Rathian: neither of them had a special ability that could alter the world on a large scale. They weren't quite natural disasters yet.

Finally, as the sun set once more and the orange-red evening glow bathed the Great Sand Sea in crimson, Xingyan spotted the familiar little hill. The hole leading to the underground nest lay at its foot.

As Xingyan approached, he spotted two Detel sparring on a high stone platform. Their spears clashed as they gritted their teeth and exerted all their strength to force each other down. They hadn't even noticed him coming closer.

"Meow!"

In the end, as if they'd planned it, both Detel pushed at once and lost their balance at the same time, falling backward as though they'd run out of strength.

The two Detel warriors practiced as if they meant to kill each other, battling until the end of time, until even the Great Sand Sea had worn away—but seeing the little fellows' fluffy fur and white fur collars, Xingyan found them adorable.

His eyes were level with the Detel on the platform. Xingyan curiously studied the two exhausted Cats. They must belong to the Dragon Slayer Tribe that had sworn allegiance to him, since they were here. Had they been practicing their fighting skills?

Was the Cats' hunting party back again?

"Ah!! Monster, meow!! A monster's appeared, meow!!!"

The Detel warriors finally stopped focusing on each other and noticed Xingyan. But instead of the scene of admiration from the Cats that he'd expected, both warriors sprang to their feet in terror.

The Detel's paws weren't strong enough to dig through rock and escape, but they were agile enough. With a few leaps, they reached the opposite wall and disappeared into a crack in the blink of an eye.

Xingyan: "..."

What was that supposed to mean? They didn't even recognize the Dragon Slayer Boss anymore?

He'd had no need to look in a mirror. After spending months on the journey home, Xingyan had long since gotten used to his new body. Only when he looked down at his forelimbs did he belatedly realize that he looked completely different now. The Cats hadn't recognized him at all.

He shook his head and continued toward the underground nest.

It was understandable that the Cats hadn't recognized him, so he'd let them off this time.

He had no idea how long he'd been away, but it was clear that this Detel Tribe had remained loyal to the Dragon Slayer Boss. The route from the surface to the nest had obviously been renovated by the Detel. Glowing moss had been planted at regular intervals in the cracks overhead.

The Detel must have transplanted it from somewhere else. It served as a fine set of lamps, allowing Xingyan to see the murals on the stone walls on either side of the path.

Each mural told a story. The one closest to the surface showed a group of Detel hunting a Diablos. The next depicted a group of young Detel gathered around a large Detel, seemingly hinting that they had chosen their chief.

Xingyan understood. These murals depicted the history of the Detel Tribe. The closer he got to the nest, the more recent the murals became. He had already spotted himself: a giant beast with a pointed tail, surrounded by many Detel. Setting aside the Cats scattered around to watch, they were arranged in four groups.

There was no doubt that this mural recorded the day the tribe had sworn allegiance to Xingyan. Everything from the roast meat to the stewpot had been drawn.

He had to admit, the Detel were pretty good at painting. Their lines were simple, but a dragon could tell at a glance what they had painted and who was who. The images were very lifelike.

The murals showed not only Glavenus but also monsters like Female Fire Dragon and Horned Dragon, as well as other Glavenus. These monsters all appeared as enemies of the Detel Tribe. The Cats stood ready with weapons in hand. Only the mural featuring Xingyan had him at its center, with the Cats gathered around him in celebration.

It was also the last and most recent mural. The entire passage wasn't covered in paintings; they filled only about a third of it.

Before he even reached his lair, Xingyan could already hear a commotion. The Detel had gathered with gongs and drums, their meows all blending into a noisy jumble.

The Detel had already noticed him approaching. Xingyan looked up and spotted the shadows of Cats hiding in the cracks overhead.

Thud!!

A stone suddenly dropped from above and landed in front of Xingyan. At the same time, a Detel wearing wooden armor and holding a spear dropped down from above—it was Shanshan!

Xingyan remembered this Cat. Shanshan was currently the chief of the Detel Tribe.

Shanshan looked incredibly cool, especially with that irregular black cape draped over his back as he stood alone in Xingyan's path.

"N-no further, meow!!"

Cool as he was, Shanshan's voice gave away his nerves the moment he spoke. He tried to straighten his back and shouted at the Great Monster Dragon in front of him, "The Dragon Slayer Boss's lair is just ahead, meow! We won't let you pass, meow!!"

Loyalty!!

These Detel were so loyal!!

Xingyan couldn't help but lean back a little. He hadn't expected the Detel to be so devoted after spending less than half a year with him. Even while he was away, they were willing to risk their lives to stop an enemy from entering his lair.

Good!!

"That's right, meow! Leave now, meow!!"

"Stay sharp, meow! It's up to us to protect the Dragon Slayer Boss's lair, meow!!"

At Shanshan's words, more Detel emerged from their hiding places. Their voices mingled, and one Detel even blew a dart with all his might. It shot past Xingyan and stuck in the stone wall.

"Impressive, blow darts? I wonder how they compare to the Gajalaka?"

Xingyan glanced at the end of the dart protruding from the wall, feeling a little moved.

They were risking their lives to guard his home.

"Roar!!" (It's me. I'm back.)

To keep the adorable Cats from accidentally hurting themselves while protecting his lair, Xingyan stopped playing around and let out a roar.

"Huh? That roar, meow?" Shanshan stood bolt upright. "Why does it sound so familiar, meow?"

"Guga!!!"

Before Shanshan could figure out where he'd heard the roar before, a bird call rang out from Xingyan's lair deeper down the passage.

"Guga guga! Gugu!!!"

"No, stay calm, Egg Thief, meow! It's dangerous out there, meow!!"

"Hurry and stop him, meow!! We can't let the Dragon Slayer Boss's friend get hurt, meow!!"

"Ah! I can't hold him back, meow!!"

The Bird Bro brothers' familiar cries rang out, along with the shrieks of the Detel.

Amid the commotion, a familiar bird's head soon burst out of the nest entrance. The moment it saw Xingyan, its feathers quivered with excitement. It squawked and started racing toward him without the slightest hesitation!!

Several sturdy Detel held it back, but even the strongest Detel were no match for a Bird Wyvern. They tried to block Bird Bro with a rope, but the rope wrapped around his legs instead became a tool for dragging the Detel holding it along behind him.

"Meow!! Help, meow!!"

"Let go of the rope, meow!!"

"I can't! I'm tangled up, meow!! Help, meow!!!"

The whole place descended into chaos.

The lively, ridiculous scene made Xingyan want to laugh. Even his cold heart, occupied for years with killing and eating, couldn't help but warm.

No one could resist a cute Cat.

Thump!!

With a line of Detel trailing behind him, Bird Bro charged straight into Xingyan, hitting him with a sharp thud.

"Guga!!" (You're back!!)

"Roar, roar!" (I'm back. How did you recognize me?)

Xingyan—he was practically bursting with emotion.

Bird Bro had dashed out as soon as he heard Xingyan's voice. Even when he saw that Xingyan looked completely different, he hadn't hesitated at all. He'd immediately known it was him, and now he was affectionately rubbing his bird's head against Xingyan.

Tears in his eyes—my Bird Bro really was the best!!

Even after they'd been apart for so long, he hadn't forgotten Xingyan. Kulu-Ya-Ya-Ya wasn't exactly a highly intelligent dragon, but he had—wait?!!

"Roar?!" (You can talk now?!)

Xingyan hadn't quite phrased that right. He wasn't surprised that Bird Bro could speak; he was surprised that Bird Bro could now express his thoughts clearly instead of chattering away with a string of incomprehensible bird calls, leaving Xingyan to guess what he meant from his movements and expression.

Xingyan abruptly turned his head and studied Bird Bro closely. What was going on? Had Bird Bro evolved too?!