"Guga?" (Speaking?)
The Bird Bro tilted its head, completely unable to understand what Xingyan was saying.
The bird's foolish look made Xingyan sigh. Judging by that expression, it probably didn't even know what had happened.
Could it have gotten smarter from living with me all these years?
After all, dragons were mostly solitary creatures. Under normal circumstances, even if they wanted to communicate, they had no one to talk to. Whenever they met, they went straight to fighting, without even a greeting. It was a bit like people who lived alone for years forgetting how to talk.
"Roar, roar?" (How did you recognize me?)
Xingyan was more concerned about this. He was so moved he almost shed five hundred research points. He could understand why the Grimalkynes hadn't recognized him, but the Bird Bro had rushed straight to his side without even hesitating.
At last, he had a few real brothers!
"Guga!!" (Recognize you? Recognize what? You've grown up, kid!)
Well, it was smart, but not entirely smart. The Bird Bro's bird-talk was a bit muddled, but after a jumble of chirps, Xingyan more or less understood what it meant.
After this major evolution, the structure and organs inside Xingyan's head, neck, and body hadn't changed much. In other words, his roar sounded just like it had before. The Bird Bro had rushed out of its nest because it had heard that familiar roar.
Voice, smell, posture—even though the monster dragon at the entrance looked nothing like the hatchling in its memories, to the Bird Bro, this was simply its own kid all grown up.
It didn't care how he'd grown. A kid was still a kid.
"Roar!!" (Don't call me a kid!)
Xingyan roared irritably. Only today had he learned how the Bird Bro saw him. Damn it, I thought of you as a brother, and you thought of me as your kid?
Well, that wasn't really a problem, was it?
Why did their brotherly bond somehow feel even stronger now?
At last, he had forelimbs capable of embracing the Bird Bro. Xingyan carefully rested his left claw on the Bird Bro's back, giving him a little hug. He didn't dare use any force, afraid of crushing him. Meanwhile, the Bird Bro kept chirping away, complaining that Xingyan had been gone so long without coming back.
The atmosphere soon grew harmonious. Most of the Grimalkynes couldn't understand dragon speech, but they could see the close bond between Xingyan and the Bird Bro.
"Why is the egg-stealing cat so close to the Great Monster Dragon, meow?"
A Grimalkyne stared in disbelief. Somehow, they'd started calling the Bird Bro the egg-stealing cat. The name did sound a bit like what they called their own brothers.
"How strange, meow! The Great Monster Dragon didn't attack the egg-stealing cat!"
"What's going on, meow? What should we do now, meow?"
The chatter of meows filled the air.
But since the monster dragon that had invaded their nest hadn't attacked and seemed friendly, the Grimalkynes didn't dare attack first.
"All right, meow! Everyone, calm down, meow!"
An old voice silenced the Grimalkynes' discussion. Xingyan remembered this old cat. He was the former chief, who'd already stepped down—but, uh, what had happened to him?
If Shanshan, the new chief, was dressed like a cool cat, then the old chief looked like some kind of mystic.
He wore armor made from monster shells. Xingyan recognized them at a glance: they were pieces he'd shed himself. He hadn't expected the Grimalkynes to collect them.
The old chief also wore a huge hat, woven from some kind of vine. The hat itself wasn't anything special, but a long piece stood upright at its peak. It looked as if they'd cut Xingyan's shell into a blade and stuck it there.
It looked a little like a Roman helmet, and a little like Ultraseven's head dart.
The blade's shape was almost exactly like Xingyan's Sword Tail had once been.
Besides that, the old chief wore a bunch of glittering pendants around his chest. Xingyan couldn't tell whether they were minerals or something else. He also had a cape draped over his back.
Xingyan was stunned. White paint had been smeared across the old chief's catlike face, making him look as if he might start performing a ritual at any moment.
"I understand now, meow! This is the Dragon Slayer Boss, meow!!"
The old chief announced this loudly, and his words set the Grimalkynes murmuring and stirring.
"Quiet, meow!" the old chief shouted again. "Can't you see, meow? The egg-stealing cat has already proved it, meow! He is the Dragon Slayer Boss, meow! Hurry down and welcome the Dragon Slayer Boss, meow!!"
There was no denying that the Bird Bro's actions were persuasive. At the old chief's call, the Grimalkynes began emerging from the hidden crevices and gathering around Xingyan.
"Dragon Slayer Boss, meow!"
"Is it really you, Dragon Slayer Boss, meow?!"
"Wonderful! The Dragon Slayer Boss is back, meow! We're safe again, meow!!"
Under the Grimalkynes' welcoming crowd, Xingyan returned to his nest. The journey was rather difficult; he had to be careful not to step on the cats around him.
His cautious movements drew deafening cheers from the Grimalkynes. Only the Dragon Slayer Boss would pay attention to such details, so this had to be the Dragon Slayer Boss!
The Dragon Slayer Boss had grown even stronger!
For the Grimalkyne tribe that depended on Xingyan, this was definitely good news.
Settled in a corner of the nest, Xingyan listened carefully as the old chief reported what had happened in the tribe during his absence.
He was especially curious about the old chief's new look. Why was he dressed like that? It was because the Grimalkynes had divided up their duties.
As the tribe's elder, the retired old chief had taken up a new post. This time, he'd become the tribe's shaman. He no longer took part in day-to-day management, and answered only to the Dragon Slayer Boss. He passed on the Dragon Slayer Boss's orders and taught the younger Grimalkynes the wisdom of their ancestors.
That included the dragon lore handed down through generations, things to watch out for when traveling in the Wasteland, and stories of Grimalkyne heroes who had sacrificed themselves to protect the tribe. He also had to hold ceremonies during the tribe's festivals—
Besides that, the Grimalkyne tribe had formed a Dragon Slayer Boss Guard. The Dragon Slayer Boss didn't need their protection, but it was a show of loyalty. Most of them were former members of the hunting party. While the Dragon Slayer Boss was away from his nest, the Guard had once again taken on the task of hunting food for the tribe.
The Bird Bro had helped a lot, too. He was really good at stealing eggs, so much so that he'd earned the affectionate nickname "egg-stealing cat" among the Grimalkynes.
If the Grimalkynes felt awe toward Xingyan, then they felt at ease around the Bird Bro. They'd become good friends.
Honestly, Xingyan felt a little embarrassed as the Old Shaman described how the tribe had changed, though his dragon face didn't show it.
After all, the Grimalkynes had enjoyed less than half a year of prosperity after pledging themselves to him before he left. And he'd left without a word or any arrangements for the tribe.
Xingyan couldn't give up evolving just to look after the Grimalkynes who'd sworn loyalty to him. He hadn't even brought the Bird Bro along when he set off, and the Bird Bro had been upset for a long time. It had taken quite some effort to persuade the bird not to follow him.
As a result, the Grimalkynes had spent the year-plus he was gone living as they had before, risking their lives to hunt. Even so, they'd remained loyal to Xingyan and hadn't run off just because he was gone.
How touching. Such simple, kind cats.
"It was all right, meow. We had the shell you left behind, Dragon Slayer Boss, meow!" The Old Shaman stroked his beard. "Even though you weren't here, those nearby monsters didn't know that, meow. When we went hunting, we just had to bring your shell with us. With your scent around, nothing happened, meow."
"Roar?" (No dragons trespassed on my territory?)
Xingyan was a little surprised. A year was a long time, after all, and the monsters living in the Great Sand Sea weren't motionless NPCs. They were always trying to take over other monsters' territories.
"There were, meow! Of course there were, meow!" The Old Shaman looked angry and stamped his cane hard. "To scare them, we ground the shell you shed into powder and scattered your scent everywhere, meow!"
"Roar?" (Did it work?)
"At first, it did, meow. But you never came back, so they got bolder and bolder, meow." The Old Shaman sighed deeply. "The places where we could safely go grew smaller and smaller. We couldn't even travel far to gather seasonings for you, meow."
"Roar!!" (It's all right. I've returned.)
"That's right! You're back, meow!" The Old Shaman looked relieved. "Wonderful, meow!"
Xingyan had already sentenced any dragons daring to encroach on his territory to death. Tomorrow, he'd go on patrol. He'd kick every one of them to death.
"Oh, right, meow!" The old chief suddenly sprang up. "The festival is coming soon, meow! Everyone's worked hard all year. This time, we have to decide who's the greatest chef in front of you, Boss, meow!!"
"Roar?" (What?)
Xingyan was stunned.
"The greatest chef, meow! The Boss Festival, meow!!"
The Old Shaman shouted excitedly, calling out a term Xingyan had never heard before.
What the heck was the Boss Festival?
The Grimalkyne tribe's structure had changed because of Xingyan, and a new festival had appeared along with it. It commemorated the Dragon Slayer Boss accepting the Grimalkyne tribe, freeing them from having to die for food and safety.
The Boss Festival.
Well, the Grimalkynes were still at the level of a primitive tribe. Their cultural level wasn't very high. Being able to pass down their history and knowledge with some meaning was already good enough.
Xingyan had no idea how the Grimalkynes calculated their calendar, but he absolutely refused to let a ridiculous name like the Boss Festival come around every year.
What if he evolved into a Forbidden Species one day, with not just the Grimalkyne tribe but other intelligent monsters following him? A crude name like the Boss Festival would be embarrassing for a Forbidden Species. It had to be changed.
After thinking it over, Xingyan chose a name that suited him perfectly, one that would make his followers feel happy as soon as they heard it—
The Great Appetite Festival.
All they had to do was eat.
During the festival, the chefs would compete, showing off their skills and preparing the finest dishes to please Xingyan. It was a celebration of the tribe gaining his protection and living a good life from then on.
They really did live a good life. The day after Xingyan returned, he went out to clear away the monsters that had dared to invade his territory. He planned to turn every one of those insolent bastards into meat.
The Grimalkyne tribe had originally planned to hold the Great Appetite Festival in Xingyan's nest, just as they had the year before. But as Xingyan skewered more and more dragons, and dragged more and more carcasses back to his nest, the festival site was eventually moved aboveground.
It was held outside the underground passage, on a stretch of fairly flat rock.
Great Jagras, Female Fire Dragon, Earth Sand Dragon, Horned Dragon, Royal Ludroth, Mudfish Dragon—clearly, Xingyan hadn't just hunted monsters that had trespassed on his territory. At first, he'd only meant to kill those monsters for being too bold. Later, he'd decided to gather a wider variety of ingredients.
After all, even the cleverest cook couldn't make a meal without ingredients. Every dragon's meat had its own unique flavor, and the Grimalkynes needed a wide selection if they were going to show off their skills.
The monster corpses had even piled up into a small mountain. On the first day, the Grimalkynes had cheerfully sung as they prepared the carcasses, ready to enjoy the festival. It was sure to be the most prosperous festival they'd ever had.
But on the second and third days—every day or two, another dead dragon was added to the pile. By the fourteenth day, the Grimalkynes weren't smiling anymore. What were they supposed to do? There were too many corpses to handle.
After getting Xingyan's permission, the Grimalkynes hurriedly sent messengers to contact the other Wasteland Guardian Tribes living in different corners of the Great Sand Sea. They asked them to send cats to help process the carcasses and cook, so they could show off their tribe's culinary skills.
As payment, the Grimalkynes promised that the visiting cats could take all the leftover meat home. There was too much to keep for themselves, and it would rot if they didn't eat or process it quickly.
For tribes that could only rely on their hunting parties to get food, the news sent by the Grimalkynes of the Dragon Slayer Tribe sounded too good to be true.
They sent messengers of their own to investigate. Once they confirmed that what their kin had told them was true, the fluffy little creatures came out in full force and gathered there to process the monster carcasses.
Perhaps the Great Sand Sea had never been so lively over something like this, from ancient times to the present.
Any dragon flying overhead would have seen a huge number of black-and-white furry creatures moving around the wasteland beside the little mountain, as if the land had broken out in mold spots.
Without a doubt, the unusual gathering of so many Grimalkyne tribes had drawn the curiosity of the hunters who were mining and building a base in the Great Sand Sea. Well, to be honest, the hunters had first noticed something strange because an unknown monster was hunting other monsters on a massive scale.
After all, Xingyan's nest was at the southernmost end of the Great Sand Sea, and the hunters' base was under construction in the south as well. The area the hunters operated in was almost entirely covered by Xingyan's range.
Like the Grimalkynes of the Dragon Slayer Tribe, the hunters hadn't recognized Xingyan either. As far as they knew, the intelligent Glavenus had disappeared a long time ago.
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