Detel Tribe

Not long after Luo Yun and Ya Ji fell into slumber, a furry cat-like creature with a pair of long, pointed ears suddenly poked its head out from an opening in the nest. Upon discovering the two sleeping Fire Dragons, it was nearly scared to death.

This was one of the New World's native beastmen, named Detel. Because they had social habits and appearances similar to Felynes, they were also known as Mountain Cats.

"Mew?" (Why did you stop? Hurry up and go!)

The urging cry from behind almost made this Detel's small heart explode. It lightly kicked its companion below before stealthily retracting.

A short while later, two Detels crept onto the platform. The black cat paw patterns on their white belly fur trembled slightly with their unease, revealing their inner fear.

Their large eyes were fixed on the sleeping Fire Dragons, every subtle movement exceptionally cautious. They even tried to lighten their breathing, moving their bodies slowly and silently, eventually carefully carrying their prey to the other end of the platform.

They then swiftly climbed the vines, reaching a hidden crevice halfway up in the air, before landing on all fours and quickly rushing into the crevice.

On the platform, the sleeping Female Fire Dragon slightly opened one eye, watching the two Detels disappear into the crevice before closing her eye again.

Years of solitary survival had made Ya Ji extremely vigilant. Unfamiliar scents and strange noises would be detected by her, and she retained this awareness even in sleep.

This habit, formed over a long time, persisted even after Luo Yun's arrival.

Ya Ji judged the two 'tiny' Mountain Cats to be no threat. Therefore, after confirming they had completely left, Ya Ji leaned closer to Luo Yun, feeling the warm body temperature from her little Male Fire Dragon, and fell into a deep sleep once more.

The hollow corridors formed by the intertwined ancient tree trunks were extensive, resembling a natural labyrinth.

The two Detels skillfully navigated through passage after passage, finally arriving at a very hidden area in the outer canopy of the ancient tree.

This area was surrounded by the ancient tree's thick branches, with only narrow gaps allowing sunlight to penetrate. These branches not only better concealed the area but also blocked the prying eyes of Wyvern Species. Even if a Fire Dragon was fighting outside, the aftermath of the battle couldn't break through so many branches to reach inside.

The circle of thick branches on the periphery turned this canopy space into a semi-enclosed Eden. Inside, layers of smaller branches made the internal terrain even more complex.

Vines and leaves formed small platforms, though this was relative to giant beasts. For the Detels, these platforms were more than sufficient.

On these small platforms, some had huts built from leaves, while others had campfires, drying racks, and water storage tanks. The only similarity was that around these platforms were the totem symbols of this Detel tribe.

The two Detels ran quickly between the branches, soon reaching the largest platform. As soon as they put down the meat chunks in their mouths, two other Detels immediately came to take them away.

"Mew mew~"

A somewhat aged voice came from the large tent ahead. Immediately after, an elderly Detel, aged and with a white beard, walked out holding a dragon bone staff.

The top of this staff was the skull of a Tobi-Kadachi. However, due to the erosion of time, the skull was cracked in multiple places.

As the leader of this Detel tribe, this Tobi-Kadachi skull was obtained when he was young, through cooperation with the tribe's warriors, using traps and the help of Rathians to corner and kill a sub-adult Tobi-Kadachi. It was also a symbol of honor for this Detel tribe.

"Why did you return so late this time? Did something happen with the Rathian tribe again?" the old Detel sighed.

Detels had the ability to communicate with Rathians. As small creatures of the Ancient Forest, they had always gotten along very well.

Rathians compensated for the Detels' weakness in combat, while Detels enhanced the Rathians' hunting capabilities through command and traps. The two sides cooperated, living quite comfortably in this forest.

However, since a very powerful Great Rathian appeared in the Rathian tribe near the ancient tree some time ago, many Rathians followed the Great Rathian and left the lower levels of the ancient tree to expand their territory in other areas.

Many Rathians they were connected to, who could be summoned by horn, had also left. This not only significantly impacted the Detels' hunting but also greatly increased the danger for the Detels when leaving their homes.

As small creatures, these giant beasts generally did not regard Detels as a threat. As long as they didn't wander in front of them, there were usually no problems. After all, to put it bluntly, the meat of one Detel was not enough to even get stuck between the teeth of those giant beasts.

The real threat to Detels were usually those medium and small omnivorous or carnivorous creatures, only two to three meters in size. Yet, such creatures were abundant in the Ancient Forest.

And Rathians were at the top among these medium and small creatures. Therefore, the Detel tribes living in the Ancient Forest often had one or two groups of Rathians they had a good relationship with, who could be summoned by horn, serving as their protection.

Hearing their leader's question, the two Detels exchanged glances, nodded, and began to converse in meows.

"So you're saying that the Rathian groups we're connected to have all left, and on the path we had to take, a pair of Fire Dragons chose to build their nest?"

The leader was stunned by this news.

What is the meaning of misfortune coming in waves? This is it!

Without their familiar Rathian groups, it meant that the tribe's warriors would be greatly affected when going out to hunt, and establishing a good relationship with a new Rathian group was not an easy task.

But the most troublesome part was Luo Yun and Ya Ji, who had built their nest on that platform.

This Detel tribe was one of the largest tribes in the entire Ancient Forest. The reason they had so many members was that their living place was extremely safe.

There was only one entrance and exit to the entire settlement, and the environment within that passage was very complex. The outer area of the settlement was wrapped in layers of branches, making it both hidden and safe.

Moreover, the upper levels of the ancient tree were the territory of Fire Dragons. The Pterodactyls, which posed the greatest threat to the Detels, dared not approach this area. In such an absolutely safe place, they didn't have to frequently change their living locations like other tribes, so the tribe gradually expanded.

But now, right at their doorstep, a pair of Fire Dragons had built a nest, and the situation had completely changed.

Yes, Fire Dragons generally wouldn't attack Detels, but what about constantly wandering under their watchful eyes in the future?

And this was in their nest!

Even if those Fire Dragons were proud, they might tolerate this. But what about when they started to reproduce and hatch eggs?

No Fire Dragon could ignore creatures that threatened their offspring wandering nearby.

So, there were only two choices before the Detel leader.

One, migrate the entire tribe.

Take the entire tribe and move while there was still time, before Luo Yun and the others paid too much attention.

Two, attempt to communicate and submit, establishing a symbiotic relationship with the pair of Fire Dragons.

However, generally speaking, these giant beasts were extremely cold-blooded and arrogant. The Detels did not have the capital to negotiate with them, and they weren't even qualified to be emergency food.

As for driving away the pair of Fire Dragons.

Heh!

It's not crazy yet!

Although there are precedents of beastmen tribes successfully hunting large creatures, not to mention that the ecological niche of the creatures they hunted was not on the same level as a Fire Dragon, what kind of price would it take to complete a hunt?

And this isn't one, it's a pair of Fire Dragons that cooperate and attack simultaneously.

They couldn't even take their entire tribe to do it.

Then, should they ask for help from the Detel who also live in the Ancient Forest?

This is also unrealistic. The Ancient Forest is inhabited by more than just this one Detel tribe. Those living elsewhere generally have a difficult life, and accepting this tribe would be a huge burden.

The Detel leader crouched and walked to the edge of the platform, looking down at the platform where the tribesmen were performing their duties. Young Detel helped by the side of their elders, or played around.

This harmonious scene was brought about by their living environment.

Therefore, if they chose to leave, not only would the leader be reluctant, but it would also be a disaster for the tribe.

"So, we can only try to communicate?"

The Detel leader shook its head and squatted on the edge, thinking carefully.

In the end, it couldn't think of any other way. It finally had to summon its tribesmen, explain the situation, and make preparations for both outcomes.

It would personally lead people to try to communicate with the Fire Dragons, while the rest of the people would prepare to leave.

If the communication failed, staying would only be a slow death until they all starved.

But if the communication was successful, perhaps their lives could become more comfortable.

However, the possibility of this was very small. That was a Fire Dragon, after all. If Fire Dragons could be easily communicated with, other tribes wouldn't be living such hard lives.

Luo Yun knew nothing about the Detel tribe. When he was woken up, he found three furry creatures at the entrance of the nest. One of them, a Mountain Cat that looked very old, dared to defy Ya Ji's death glare and dragged a piece of meat that could barely get stuck between its teeth to them.

Then it meowed.

The most crucial thing was that Luo Yun actually understood!

It couldn't be said that he understood, but rather that he could grasp the meaning the other party wanted to convey.

Tribe, submission, warning, guard... what was all this?

At this moment, Luo Yun was fully awake. He also recognized the three Mountain Cats in front of him as Detel, but what he couldn't understand was when the Detel started to proactively contact giant beasts.

Weren't they supposed to mind their own business?

Was it a relationship of "I ignore you, and you get out of my way"?

He didn't understand, not at all.

After the Detel leader called for a long time and saw that the two dragons had no reaction, and even the seemingly very majestic female Fire Dragon's eyes showed impatience, its heart sank.

It lowered its head and slowly retreated, planning to leave quickly before Luo Yun and the others got angry.

Just as it was about to move its home in disappointment, Luo Yun suddenly stood up.

Its massive body leaned forward with great pressure, a move that made the two Detel behind the Detel leader nervously grip their bone spears, looking ready to fight to the death.

The Detel leader tensed up, but saw that Luo Yun made no other move, merely observing it carefully.

Ya Ji could feel that Luo Yun had no ill intentions, but she still stood up with Luo Yun's movement, staring intently at the three little creatures in front of her, thinking that a breath of fire should be enough to solve the problem.

"Roar~"

Several low roars sounded. The Detel leader carefully interpreted them, and its big cat eyes instantly lit up. It understood the meaning.

This male Fire Dragon was expressing confusion and needed an explanation.

It was good that there was a response! The worst thing was no response!

A response meant there was a possibility of communication. Only cold indifference, or even the worst-case scenario of direct expulsion, would mean no possibility at all.

So, the Detel leader immediately began to communicate, explaining the situation in detail.

Although the two parties did not communicate in language, Luo Yun roughly understood the situation through the other party's use of hands and feet.

The nesting location he chose happened to be adjacent to their tribe.

In order for the tribe to survive normally, the other party expressed its willingness to submit.

After that, they expressed their value, for example, their tribe could help Luo Yun and Ya Ji with early warnings and guarding, and could help them stop or even drive away thieves like the Kulu-Ya-Ku.

What Luo Yun needed to pay was simply to turn a blind eye to them and give them space to survive. Of course, if they could leave them some leftovers after hunting, that would be even better.

After all, Fire Dragons were also known for their pickiness. When food was not scarce, they often only ate the fleshy and delicious parts, abandoning the rest which had poor meat quality or were covered by hard shells.