Deter, Your King Has Returned!

"Oh my god----"

Yano's voice trembled. Her past understanding of monsters had been shattered today. Even though she loved nature, she couldn't imagine what it would mean for humanity if monsters could communicate peacefully.

Compared to this dark fantasy, Xingyan's terrifying eating habits when devouring the old Steel Dragon's body were insignificant.

But before Yano could rebuild her shattered worldview, she watched with wide eyes as the monster that had consumed the old Steel Dragon's scales and armor rapidly shed and regenerated. The most obvious change, however, was its forelimbs.

The pair of short forelegs grew rapidly, like plants, becoming longer and thicker until they were only slightly thinner than its hind legs.

Miracle of Evolution!!

At this moment, Yano's mind was filled with only one thought: the miracle of evolution, which normally took thousands or tens of thousands of years and generations, had been completed on this monster in just one or two hours?!

Why?!

Her previously written research log was now useless, as the structure of the monster before her was completely different from a Dragon Slayer. Dragon Slayers didn't have wings! Dragon Slayers didn't have forelimbs resembling a Steel Dragon's!!

This monster seemed to have barbarically stolen the Steel Dragon's forelimbs for itself. Based on Yano's previous observations, she had thought this two-star Dragon Slayer was covered in mirror-like scales, but that guess was now overturned.

The scales and armor that had fallen off and piled up beside the monster – why would a monster's body have both scales and armor in its main body? This didn't conform to the laws of life's evolution at all!

Could it be that the armor and scales were also plundered by this monster? From the monsters it defeated and ate?

Elder Dragon.

The word suddenly popped into Yano's confused mind. Could this monster be a completely new Elder Dragon?

According to the Guild's classification, unclassifiable creatures were designated as Elder Dragons. Most Elder Dragons possessed special, cataclysmic abilities, and many were even considered embodiments of nature itself.

If this monster was an Elder Dragon, what cataclysm did it represent?

Plunder?

Evolution?

Growth?

But its attack patterns were extremely similar to a Dragon Slayer's. Was this an Elder Dragon disguised as a Dragon Slayer, or was it a special kind of Dragon Slayer??

Yano was lost. She had entered unknown territory.

Xingyan only needed to focus on evolving, while the Hunter Scholar had many more things to consider.

Unlike Yano, whose mind was in chaos, Xingyan felt exhilarated at this moment, his mood couldn't be better.

Even though a large part of the dying old Steel Dragon's body had turned into pure metal, its flesh and blood of an Elder Dragon still remained within. For Xingyan, this Elder Dragon flesh and blood made the difference between having something and having nothing.

Going from zero to one was completely different from going from one to a hundred; the former was much more difficult.

But from today onwards, Xingyan truly possessed the capital to hunt healthy Elder Dragons.

Finally, he didn't have to stay in a desolate place like the Miasma Valley anymore.

Although he hadn't been able to go head-to-head with the old Steel Dragon to test his strength, Xingyan had achieved all his goals for this trip. The thought of not having to stay in the sunless Miasma Valley made him feel lighter.

He was filled with longing for his Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers and also missed the grand meals prepared by the Deter chefs. It was time to go back and enjoy himself.

Striding towards the cave entrance, Xingyan glanced at Yano, who was hiding outside, and then left without looking back.

As long as he found the path he had forged, he could easily return to the Great Sand Sea from the Miasma Valley.

Home!

Unlike when he had traveled north to the Miasma Valley, Xingyan, now returning to the southern Great Sand Sea, was much more arrogant.

In the past, he had been cautious, avoiding unnecessary battles with powerful monsters as much as possible. But now, feeling that his skills had reached a minor success, Xingyan would even slash at passing stones. He was utterly arrogant and overbearing.

What large monsters, what Horned Dragons, Royal Ludroths, Brute Dragons—any that dared to take a look would receive a slash from him. If they didn't die after taking a blow and didn't flee, he would unleash his true power and kill them. Their warm corpses would eventually turn into even warmer Life Energy.

Through the battles along the way, Xingyan had figured out his current position in the food chain—undoubtedly Elder Dragon-level combat power.

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

But Xingyan also knew that his shortcomings were similar to those of the Gold Rathian; they both lacked a special ability to change the world on a large scale. They weren't quite cataclysmic enough.

Finally, as the sun set once more, casting the Great Sand Sea in the orange-red glow of the sunset, Xingyan finally saw the familiar small mountain. The entrance to his underground lair was at the foot of the mountain.

Approaching, Xingyan saw two Deters sparring on a high stone platform. Their spears clashed, and they gritted their teeth, putting all their strength into overpowering each other, not even noticing Xingyan's approach.

"Meow-ya!!"

Finally, as if by agreement, the two Deters exerted their strength together and both lost their balance, falling backward as if they had run out of energy.

The two Deter warriors sparred with the intent to kill each other, fighting until the universe was vast and the Great Sand Sea was worn away. What should have been a very serious matter, but seeing the fluffy appearance and white fur scarves of these two little guys, Xingyan only found them quite cute.

Their large eyes were level with the Deters on the stone platform. Xingyan curiously observed the two exhausted cats. Appearing in this place, they should belong to the Dragon Slayer Tribe that pledged allegiance to him. They should have been practicing martial arts just now?

The cat hunting team appeared again?

"Ah!! Monster meow!! A monster appeared meow!!!"

The Deter warriors, their attention shifted from each other, finally noticed Xingyan's presence. But contrary to the cat worship scene Xingyan had envisioned, the two Deter warriors were instantly terrified and jumped up from the ground.

The Deters' cat claws were not sharp enough to dig holes in the rock to escape, but their bodies were agile enough. With a few leaps, they reached the opposite rock wall and disappeared into a crevice in the blink of an eye.

Xingyan: "----"

What do you mean, even the Dragon Slayer Boss doesn't recognize me?

There was no need to look in a mirror. After spending months on the journey home, Xingyan had long since become accustomed to his current body. It wasn't until he lowered his head and saw his forelimbs that he belatedly realized he had completely changed. The Cats didn't recognize him at all.

Shaking his head, Xingyan walked towards the underground lair.

It was understandable that the Cats didn't recognize him. He wouldn't punish them this time.

He didn't know how long he had been gone, but it was clear that this Detel Tribe still maintained its loyalty to the Dragon Slayer Boss. The path from the surface to the lair had obviously been renovated by the Detels. Glowing moss was planted at regular intervals in the cracks above, illuminating the way.

Perhaps the Detels had transplanted it from elsewhere. It served as a good streetlight, allowing Xingyan to see the murals on the rock walls on either side of the path.

Each mural depicted a story. The one closest to the surface showed a group of Detels hunting a Diablos. The next one showed a group of young Detels surrounding a large Detel, seemingly hinting at the selection of their chief.

Xingyan could tell that these murals were the history of this Detel Tribe. The closer he got to the lair, the more modern the content of the murals became. Xingyan could already see himself in one, a giant beast with a sharply drawn tail, surrounded by many Detels. Setting aside the scattered Cats watching, it was generally divided into four groups.

Undoubtedly, this mural recorded the day this tribe pledged allegiance to Xingyan. Everything from roasted meat to stew was depicted.

He had to admit, these Detels were quite skilled at painting. Despite the simple lines, the Dragon could immediately recognize what they were drawing, who was who. It was very lifelike.

Not only Dragon Slayers, but also monsters like Female Fire Dragons and Horned Dragons appeared in the murals, even other Dragon Slayers. However, these monsters appeared in the form of enemies to the Detel Tribe. The Cats stood ready with weapons, while the mural featuring Xingyan was centered around him, with the Cats bustling around him as the main theme.

This mural was also the last and newest one. The entire passage was not filled with murals, only about a third of it.

Before he even got close to his old nest, Xingyan could already hear bursts of noise. The Detels were gathering with gongs and drums, their various meows and meows creating a chaotic mess.

The Detels had already detected Xingyan's approach. Xingyan looked up and spotted feline shadows hiding in the cracks above.

Thud!!

A rock thrown from above suddenly landed in front of Xingyan. At the same time, a Detel wearing wooden armor and wielding a spear descended from the sky—it was Shanshan!

Xingyan remembered this cat. It was the current chief of the Detel Tribe.

He looked incredibly cool right now, especially with the irregular black cape draped behind him, standing alone in Xingyan's path.

"No, you're not allowed to advance, meow!!"

Well, he was cool, but the moment he spoke, he lost his composure. Shanshan tried to straighten his back and shouted at the Great Monster Dragon in front of him, "This is our Dragon Slayer Boss's lair, meow! We won't let you pass, meow!!"

Loyalty!!

These Detels were too loyal!!

Xingyan couldn't help but lean back tactically. He hadn't expected that even though he hadn't spent much time with them, not even half a year, these Detels would be so loyal. Even in his absence, they were willing to risk their lives to stop enemies from entering his lair.

Good!!

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

"Everyone, cheer up, meow! We have to protect the Dragon Slayer Boss's lair, meow!!"

As Shanshan finished speaking, many more hidden Detels emerged. Their voices mingled together, and some Detels forcefully blew blowdarts that flew past Xingyan and lodged in the rock wall.

"Good heavens, blowdarts? I wonder how they compare to the skill of the Odd-Eyes?"

Glancing at the tail of the arrow sticking out of the rock wall, Xingyan felt a little moved.

They were risking their lives to defend his home.

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

To prevent the cute cats from accidentally injuring themselves while protecting his lair, Xingyan let out a roar without continuing the game.

"Huh? What kind of roar is this, meow?" Shanshan's entire cat body stiffened. "Why does it sound so familiar, meow?"

"Guaaaa!!!"

Before Shanshan could find a familiar source for this roar, a bird cry came from deeper within the passage, from Xingyan's lair.

"Gua-ga! Gua-gua-gua!!!"

"No, meow! Calm down, egg-stealer, meow!! It's dangerous outside, meow!!"

"Quick, stop it, meow!! We can't let the Dragon Slayer Boss's companion get hurt, meow!!"

"Ah! Meow, I can't pull it, meow!!"

The familiar calls of the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers, along with the screams of a group of Detels.

Amidst the commotion, soon, a familiar bird head rushed out of the lair's entrance. The moment it saw Xingyan, the entire bird trembled with excitement. It let out excited "Gua-gua" calls and was about to charge towards Xingyan without hesitation!!

It was stopped by a few sturdy Detels, but the sturdiness of the Detels was still far inferior to that of a bird wyvern. They tried to use ropes to stop the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers from advancing, but the ropes wrapped around the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers' legs instead became tools to drag the Detels holding the ropes along.

"Meow ah!!! Help, meow!!"

"Quick, let go of the rope, meow!!"

"No! It's tangled, meow!! Help, meow!!!"

A scene of utter chaos.

This joyful and comical sight also made Xingyan want to laugh. Even his cold heart, which had been occupied by killing and eating for the past few years, couldn't help but warm up.

No one could refuse good cats.

Bang!!

A flock of Kulu-Ya-Ku, with a string of Deter trailing behind its rear, charged straight into Xingyan with a crisp sound.

"Gua-ga!!"(You're back!!)

"Hoo hoo!"(I'm back, how did you recognize me?)

Xingyan—he was so moved he could burst.

The Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers rushed out at the sound alone. Even when they saw his completely changed appearance, they didn't hesitate at all. They even confirmed it was him and were affectionately rubbing their bird heads against his body.

Tears welled up. My Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers, as expected!!

Even after such a long separation, they hadn't forgotten me. Kulu-Ya-Ku aren't exactly high-intelligence dragons, but it—wait?!!

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

Xingyan's words weren't quite accurate. What he cared about wasn't whether his Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers could speak, but that they could now clearly express their thoughts, instead of just chirping a bunch of nonsensical squawks that he had to guess the meaning of based on their actions and expressions.

He abruptly turned his head, Xingyan carefully examining his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother beside him. What's going on? Did my Kulu-Ya-Ku brother evolve too?!