Detel Tribe

Not long after Luo Yun and Ya Ji fell asleep, a furry cat head with a pair of long, pointed ears suddenly poked out from a gap in the nest. The moment it spotted the two sleeping Rathalos, it was nearly scared to death.

They were native Beastkin of the New World called Detters. Because of their social habits and appearance resembling Felynes, they were also known as Mountain Cats.

"Meow?" (Why did you stop? Get up there!)

The urging cry from behind nearly made this Detter's tiny heart explode. It lightly kicked the companion below, then quietly shrank back.

Before long, the two Detters crept onto the platform. The black paw-print patterns amid the white fur on their bellies trembled faintly with unease, revealing their inner fear.

Their two pairs of large eyes remained fixed on the sleeping Rathalos. Every tiny movement was exceptionally cautious. They even tried to breathe as softly as possible as they slowly and silently moved their bodies, finally carrying the prey carefully to the other end of the platform.

They then swiftly climbed the vines, reached a hidden crack in midair, dropped onto all fours, and raced into it.

On the platform, the sleeping Female Fire Dragon slightly opened one eye. Only after watching the two Detters slip into the crack did she close it again.

Years of surviving alone had made Ya Ji extremely vigilant. Strange scents and unusual sounds would all be noticed by her, and even while asleep, she retained that awareness.

Even after Luo Yun arrived, she had maintained this habit formed over so many years.

Ya Ji deemed those two "tiny" Mountain Cats completely harmless. After confirming that they had truly left, she moved closer to Luo Yun, felt the warm body heat radiating from her little Male Fire Dragon, and fell into a deep sleep once more.

The hollow corridors formed by the intertwined growth of the Ancient Tree's trunks extended in every direction, like a natural maze.

After expertly passing through corridor after corridor, the two Detters finally arrived at a very hidden area on the outer canopy of the Ancient Tree.

The outskirts of this area were wrapped in thick branches from the Ancient Tree, leaving only narrow gaps for sunlight to filter through. Those branches not only concealed the area more effectively, but also blocked the prying eyes of Wyvern Species. Even if Rathalos fought outside, the aftermath of their battle could not break through so many branches to reach inside.

The circle of thick branches turned this canopy space into a semi-enclosed Eden, while layers of smaller branches within made the terrain even more intricate.

Vines and leaves formed small platforms one after another. Naturally, they were small only relative to giant beasts; for Detters, these platforms were more than sufficient.

Some of these small platforms held leaf-built shelters, while others had bonfires, meat racks, and water jars. The only thing they all shared was the totem mark of this Detel Tribe around them.

The two Detters raced through the branches and soon reached the largest platform. The instant they set down the chunks of meat in their mouths, two other Detters came over and carried the meat away.

"Woo, woo~"

An aged voice came from the large tent ahead. Then an elderly Detter with a frail body and graying whiskers emerged, holding a long staff made from dragon bone.

At the top of the staff was the skull of a Tobi-Kadachi, though years of erosion had left it cracked in many places.

As the chief of this Detel Tribe, he had acquired that Tobi-Kadachi skull in his youth, when he and the tribe's warriors had worked together to trap and kill a subadult Tobi-Kadachi with traps and the aid of Jagras. It was also a symbol of the Detel Tribe's glory.

"Why have you returned so late this time? Did something happen to the Jagras pack again?" the elderly Detter asked with a sigh.

Detters could communicate with Jagras. As small creatures of the Ancient Forest, the two sides had always gotten along quite well.

Jagras made up for the Detters' weakness in combat, while the Detters enhanced the Jagras' hunting ability through command and traps. The two sides cooperated with each other and lived quite comfortably in this forest.

However, some time ago, an exceptionally powerful Great Rathian had appeared among the Jagras near the Ancient Tree. Many Jagras had followed it away from the lower levels of the Ancient Tree to expand their territory elsewhere.

Many Jagras that had ties with them and could be summoned with horns had also left. This not only greatly affected the Detters' hunting, but also drastically increased the danger they faced whenever they left their home.

As small creatures, the giant beasts generally did not consider Detters a threat. As long as they did not run around in front of them, there usually would not be a problem. To put it bluntly, a single Detter did not even have enough meat to fill the gaps between those giant beasts' teeth.

The real threats to Detters were usually small and medium-sized omnivores or carnivores no more than two or three meters long. Unfortunately, such creatures were abundant in the Ancient Forest.

Jagras stood at the top among those small and medium-sized creatures. Therefore, Detel Tribes living in the Ancient Forest usually maintained one or two friendly Jagras packs that could be summoned with horns as protection for the tribe.

Hearing the chief's question, the two Detters exchanged a glance, nodded, and began chattering in meows.

"So you're saying that all the Jagras packs connected to us have left, and a pair of Rathalos has built a nest along the route we must take when leaving?"

The chief was stunned by the news.

What did it mean for misfortunes never to come alone? This was exactly what it meant!

Without familiar Jagras packs, the tribe's warriors would be greatly affected when hunting outside. Building good relations with new Jagras packs would not be easy either.

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

Their Detel Tribe was one of the largest in the entire Ancient Forest. The only reason they had so many tribesmen was that where they lived was simply too safe.

The entire settlement had only one entrance and exit, and the passage itself was incredibly complex. Layers of branches also wrapped around the outside of the settlement, making it both hidden and safe.

Moreover, the upper levels of the Ancient Tree were Rathalos territory. Wingdrakes, which posed the greatest threat to the Detters, did not dare approach this area at all. In such an absolutely safe place, they did not have to frequently relocate like other tribes, so their tribe had gradually expanded.

But now, a pair of Rathalos had actually built a nest right outside their doorstep. The situation had completely changed.

Yes, Rathalos generally would not attack Detters, but they would be constantly moving around beneath the pair's eyes from now on, wouldn't they?

And inside their nest, no less!

Even if that pair of Rathalos was proud enough to tolerate it, what about when they began breeding and incubating eggs?

No Rathalos could ignore creatures that might threaten their offspring wandering nearby.

So only two choices lay before the Detter Chief.

First, relocate the entire tribe.

While there was still time, before Luo Yun and Ya Ji paid too much attention to them, the entire tribe could move away.

Second, attempt to communicate and submit, establishing a dependent symbiotic relationship with that pair of Rathalos.

But generally speaking, these giant beasts were extremely cold-blooded and arrogant. The Detters had no leverage to bargain with them. They did not even seem qualified to serve as emergency rations.

As for driving that pair of Rathalos away—

Heh!

He was not insane!

There were indeed precedents of Beastkin tribes successfully hunting large creatures, but leaving aside the fact that the Ecological Niche of those hunted creatures could not compare to Rathalos, how great a price would a single hunt demand?

And this was not one Rathalos, but a pair that could coordinate with each other and launch attacks together.

Even throwing their entire tribe into the fight would not be enough.

Then, should they seek help from other Detters living on the Ancient Tree?

That was unrealistic as well. There was more than one Detel Tribe living on the Ancient Tree, but those living elsewhere generally struggled to get by. Taking in their tribe would be an enormous burden.

The Detter Chief hunched over and walked to the edge of the platform. Below, his tribesmen were each performing their own duties. Young Detters followed their elders to help out, or leaped and played around.

This harmonious scene was all made possible by their settlement.

So if they chose to leave, not only would he be reluctant to do so, but it would also be a disaster for the tribe.

"So we can only try to communicate?"

The Detter Chief shook his head and crouched at the edge, pondering carefully.

In the end, he could think of no other solution. He gathered the tribesmen, explained the situation again, and made preparations on two fronts.

He would personally lead some of them to attempt communication with the Rathalos, while the rest prepared to leave this place.

If communication failed, remaining here would only lead to a slow death until they all starved.

But if communication succeeded, perhaps their lives could become even more comfortable.

Still, the possibility was extremely slim. Those were Rathalos, after all. If Rathalos were so easy to communicate with, other tribes would not be living such difficult lives.

Luo Yun knew nothing about the Detel Tribe. When he was woken by the noise, he discovered three furry little creatures at the entrance of the nest. One of them, an aged Mountain Cat, actually dared to endure Ya Ji's death glare as he dragged a piece of meat barely large enough to fill a tooth gap before them.

Then he began meowing away.

Most importantly, Luo Yun could actually understand him!

It was not quite that he understood the words. He could only grasp the meaning the other party wanted to convey.

Tribe, submission, warning, guard. What the hell?

By then, Luo Yun was fully awake. He had recognized that the three Mountain Cats before him were actually Detters, but what he could not understand was since when had Detters taken the initiative to contact giant beasts?

Weren't they supposed to stay out of each other's way?

The kind of relationship where I ignored you, and you took a detour around me?

He did not understand. He completely did not understand.

After calling out for a long while, the Detter Chief saw that the two dragons showed no reaction. The eyes of the imposing Female Fire Dragon even faintly revealed impatience, and his heart sank.

He lowered his head and slowly backed away, intending to leave quickly before Luo Yun and Ya Ji became angry.

Just as he was preparing to return in disappointment and move the tribe away, Luo Yun suddenly stood up.

His huge body carried immense pressure as he lowered his head before the chief. This made the two Detters behind the chief nervously grip their bone spears, looking ready to fight for their lives at any moment.

The Detter Chief's entire body tensed, yet Luo Yun made no other move. He merely studied him carefully.

Ya Ji could sense that Luo Yun held no hostility, but she still rose along with him. Her bright eyes stared at the three little creatures before her as she considered whether a single breath of fire would be enough to solve the problem.

"Roar~"

Several low roars sounded. After the Detter Chief considered them carefully, his large cat eyes instantly lit up. He understood the meaning.

The Male Fire Dragon was expressing confusion. He needed an explanation.

A response was good! The most frightening thing was no response!

A response meant there was a possibility of communication. Only cold indifference, or worse, immediate expulsion, meant there was no possibility at all.

So the Detter Chief immediately began communicating, explaining the situation in full detail.

Although the two sides could not understand each other's language, Luo Yun still roughly grasped the situation through the other's animated gestures.

The nesting location he had chosen was actually adjacent to their tribe.

For the sake of the tribe's continued survival, they expressed their willingness to submit.

After that, they began demonstrating their value. For example, their tribe could provide warning and guard services for Luo Yun and Ya Ji. They could stop or even drive away thieves like Kulu-Ya-Ku, and so on.

All Luo Yun needed to do was ignore them and give them room to survive. Of course, it would be even better if he could leave them leftovers after hunting.

After all, Rathalos were famously picky. When food was plentiful, they generally ate only the meatiest and most delicious parts, directly discarding the poorer meat and areas covered by hard shells.