According to the Investigation Team's current findings, the Great Jagras of the New World were not actually that different from those of the Old World. The only difference was that the Ancient Forest was more fertile, making the Great Jagras here larger. Besides Herbivore Dragons, Jagras and Great Rathians were also on their menu.
But the Great Jagras outside the cave was not merely large. It actually knew how to launch sneak attacks! And now it was even lying in wait!
Great Jagras were famous for their violent tempers and strong territorial instincts. Unless they were hunting, they would not deliberately remain in one area for long.
Generally speaking, a Great Jagras was either fighting or on its way to fight. Most of its time was spent patrolling and marking its territory, not hunting or resting.
So how had this Great Jagras managed to endure the boredom of waiting for them?
To a gigantic beast, relatively small humans should have been the sort of creatures it dealt with casually when it was in the mood, or drove away when it was not.
What had they done to deserve a Great Jagras both ambushing them and blocking their spring?
"Damn, this is trouble. The Sword Master and the others have gone to the Great Antlion Desert to investigate these past few days, while the commander has ventured deep into the forest alone. If anyone else comes to help and runs into this unusual Great Jagras, they probably won't get off easy."
Their First Expedition Team was indeed made up of elites, but even elites came in different ranks.
Hunters like the commander and the Sword Master, who had once faced the legendary Elder Dragons, stood at the very peak of the elite. Yet there were only a handful of people like them in the Investigation Team.
Most were like Wade: high-rank hunters who, through intelligence and more than ten days of preparation, had successfully hunted monsters on the level of a Female Fire Dragon.
Ordinarily, hunters of their level would have the strength to fight a Great Jagras. But this one was different. Its speed, attack power, and size all far surpassed those of an ordinary Great Jagras. Its fighting style also seemed honed through countless battles, with attacks that came fast and precise.
Who knew how such a brutish thug had trained itself like this?
Even high-rank hunters would suffer if they encountered it for the first time. Escaping alive would count as a success.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the rift grew heavy.
High in the sky, Luo Yun and Ya Ji were flying side by side when a red Signal Flare shot up from the forest ahead. Luo Yun recognized it at a glance as the Investigation Team's SOS Flare.
Over the past five years, the Investigation Team had gained a foothold in the New World. Relying on the Star Ship that had been washed onto the mountaintop, they had occupied that mountain, established a preliminary base, and begun exploring the outskirts of the Ancient Forest and the Great Antlion Desert.
Although Luo Yun had never met anyone from the Investigation Team, his nest was also located near the border between those two regions. Whenever he flew through the sky, he could see the Star Ship atop the mountain from afar.
Nor was this the first time he had seen this SOS Flare. During the chaotic period caused by the struggle between two Elder Dragons, all kinds of monsters had been busy claiming territory. The Investigation Team had taken advantage of the turmoil as well, but they often encountered even greater danger when venturing out.
But that had nothing to do with Luo Yun anymore. In this life, he was a dragon—an exceptionally dangerous Male Fire Dragon.
Yes, dangerous. Not just dangerous to the Investigation Team, but dangerous in his own right as well.
"A Male Fire Dragon's tail is a rare delicacy. A Male Fire Dragon's reverse scale is a legendary collectible. Hunting a Male Fire Dragon is the finest proof of a hunter's growth. A Male Fire Dragon's head is the best trophy." And so on.
Male Fire Dragons were the most common high-Ecological Niche wyverns, widely distributed and surrounded by countless legends.
The King of the Skies was often mocked as the Dead King of the Skies.
Any hunter with even a little ambition could not avoid the hurdle of hunting a Male Fire Dragon.
One could imagine just how difficult life was for a Male Fire Dragon.
Sigh. When would the Rathalos family finally rise up?
Thus, no matter what he thought of them, Luo Yun could not possibly take the initiative to contact the Investigation Team.
But this time was different. The SOS Flare had come from that Great Jagras's territory, and it happened to be along his migration route. He did not mind causing that Great Jagras a little trouble.
With a low growl toward Ya Ji, Luo Yun descended directly toward the SOS Flare. Of course, he had no need to personally fight the Great Jagras. He only needed to show himself. After all, the interactions between him and that Great Jagras over the past five years had not been for nothing.
In the woods, the Great Jagras lying in wait stared fixedly at the cave entrance. Ever since it had failed twice against Luo Yun, it had resolved to kill any enemy completely, regardless of size. It would never allow itself to repeat such a stain, such humiliation.
Suddenly, its heart skipped a beat, and a familiar feeling welled up within it.
It looked up, and sure enough! That damned Male Fire Dragon again!
Five years! Did anyone know how it had spent those five years?
It had gone from: You little brat, you dare show yourself again?!
To: We're all friendly neighbors here. Why resort to violence?
And finally: Get lost, you filthy thing!
At first, Luo Yun had merely wandered about overhead from time to time. He liked making noise while it hunted to deliberately scare off its prey, or hurling especially vicious insults from the sky while it patrolled its territory.
Then, after his size rapidly increased, he began timing it around mealtimes and occasionally blasting it with fire. Or he would pretend to dive down in an attack, then climb back into the sky once he got close enough, teasing its nerves in this way.
During that period, the Great Jagras had truly been irritable. Every day, it was either angry or on its way to becoming angry. On top of that, the Ancient Forest had been flooded with carnivorous dragons at the time, and territorial conflicts had become extremely frequent. Its heat-dispersing membranes had barely had a chance to fold back in.
In the end, Luo Yun gained Mind's Eye. He no longer limited himself to harassment, occasionally even coming down to fight a few rounds.
After enduring five years of such inhuman torment, this Great Jagras had been forcibly ground into its current temperament, and its fighting techniques were no longer crude.
After all, a crude fighting style could not hit Luo Yun!
Therefore, the instant Luo Yun appeared, the Great Jagras immediately stood up, turned around, and left. It could not hit him anyway, and aside from being disgusted, there was nothing it could do.
If it could not afford to provoke him, it could at least hide from him!
As for those four little things, it could not be bothered with them anymore. It was not the first or second time Luo Yun had ruined its plans and made it go hungry over the years. It would get used to it.
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Luo Yun could not be bothered to descend any farther. With a beat of his wings, he rose back into the sky. To him, this had merely been a trivial favor.
As for whether the Investigation Team would cause trouble for that Great Jagras afterward, he did not care. It would be best if they did, but it made no difference if they did not. What mattered most was that the Great Jagras was unhappy—and that made him happy.
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