A week later.
For no reason at all, Luo Yun had gained a group of Detter "guards." Even he did not know what he had been thinking when he agreed to it.
Watching the Detters bustling in and out of his nest, working in pairs to carry branches while a seemingly mature Detter high above continuously directed those below to adjust the placement of the branches, Luo Yun felt that agreeing to it was not so bad after all.
Upon learning that Luo Yun and Ya Ji were outsiders who had defeated the Fire Dragon Couple on the same tree level and won nesting rights, the Detter Chief immediately declared that its tribe would build their nest for them!
Thus, at the Detter Chief's call, more than a dozen Detters constantly went out to gather branches, then began construction after choosing a suitable location.
Although the nest was only beginning to take shape, the crisscrossing branches and the smooth vine mat at the bottom made it clear that once completed, it would definitely be far more comfortable than the crudely built nests of other Rathalos.
As the "protectors" who had accepted the Detel Tribe's allegiance, all Luo Yun and Ya Ji needed to provide was a little insignificant food.
A gust of wind pressure swept through, and the Detters skillfully stretched out their claws to grip the ground, barely avoiding being blown away by Ya Ji's unconscious wind pressure.
Thud~
A Herbivore Dragon carcass was tossed beside the nest. Having only recently arrived, Ya Ji and Luo Yun had taken turns going out to hunt these past two days while familiarizing themselves with the surrounding hunting grounds.
The one left at home would mark the territory around the nest—basically scratching around with its claws or scattering some dragon scales that were about to shed.
Seeing the enormous Herbivore Dragon, the Detters all swallowed hard. However, urged on by the horn of the supervising Detter above, they could only lower their heads and continue working diligently.
After hunting, Ya Ji habitually went aside to rest with her eyes closed. Luo Yun, meanwhile, ate the Herbivore Dragon's belly and part of its back clean, then let out a satisfied burp before heading out on his daily patrol of the territory, incidentally building a good relationship with the Fire Dragon Couple up the slope.
After seeing Luo Yun leave, the supervising Detter looked at the more than half-full Herbivore Dragon carcass. It swallowed, then looked toward Ya Ji and found that she was completely unconcerned, still resting with her eyes closed.
It swiftly jumped down, called over several Detters, dug out bone knives, and began dissecting the Herbivore Dragon carcass. Before long, thick, fresh chunks of meat were neatly piled in an open patch nearby.
Two strong Detters used ropes woven from vines to divide the Herbivore Dragon's skeleton into several smaller bundles, then dragged them to a gap in the platform and tossed them straight down.
There were still scraps of meat on those bones. Drawn by the scent of blood, the creatures in the lower levels of the Ancient Tree would clean them up completely, leaving not even a trace behind.
After finishing everything, the Detters cautiously took only two pieces from the pile of cut meat and dragged them back to their dwelling. The rest was left behind as Luo Yun and Ya Ji's stored food.
Do not think the Detters had taken too little. For their size, even though they had healthy appetites, those two large pieces would be enough to feed their tribe for two days if rationed carefully.
Besides, Luo Yun and Ya Ji went hunting every day and always had leftovers. Combined with mushrooms and wild vegetables, those two pieces of meat were enough to keep the entire tribe full all day long.
This peaceful life, where they did not need to risk their lives and danger was minimal, made them work especially hard on Luo Yun's nest. They wished they could work day and night, finish it sooner, and let Luo Yun and Ya Ji settle down here for good!
That was right. The simple Detters had gone from desperately wanting Luo Yun and Ya Ji to leave to worrying that they might leave.
For creatures surviving in the New World, nothing was more important than living in peace.
Emmmm, that was not entirely accurate.
Certain creatures, such as Golden Lions, Savage Deviljhos, and Brachydioses, were exceptions.
When Luo Yun returned, he found this bustling scene. He had also gotten along quite happily with the Fire Dragon Couple. After merely symbolically grabbing some branches to patch up their dam, they agreed to share a reservoir with Luo Yun's family.
It definitely was not because Luo Yun had pressured them with an attitude of, If you disagree, we'll fight in your home. If we're not careful, we might damage the dam.
In any case, Luo Yun and Ya Ji began their life on the Ancient Tree in an orderly fashion.
At the outskirts of the Ancient Forest, at Star Base's Star Ship gathering hub.
The Great Leader, who looked remarkably like a Golden Lion, was passionately rallying people to head for the Great Antlion Desert.
Passionately was perhaps an exaggeration. It was merely ordinary morale-boosting, but under the Great Leader's bold charisma, everyone erupted in cheers.
After the meeting ended, the Felynes packed up the supplies and set out first, pushing carts.
The hunters and handlers followed close behind. Only a few scholars and logistics personnel remained to guard Star Base, while everyone else mobilized, determined to uncover the mystery of that unknown creature!
Meanwhile, deep within the Ancient Forest, the Jagras expanding their territory all rose upright. Their large, roguish eyes, as though painted with eyeshadow, scanned the surroundings. For some reason, this area was unusually quiet today.
Gradually, as time passed, the forest was unknowingly shrouded in thick fog.
The Jagras within it gradually felt their bodies becoming extremely heavy. Their pupils slowly turned grayish white, and the sounds around them began to fade. They opened their mouths, yet could not make a sound no matter how hard they tried.
Before long, the Jagras within the thick fog collapsed one after another. Until death came, they never knew what had happened.
Within the fog, a Heartbeat Accelerating Mushroom was lifted into the air by something out of nowhere, then vanished without reason the next second.
Amid the sound of leaves being stepped on, four-toed footprints stopped beside a dead Jagras. Gradually, the Jagras corpse seemed to be gnawed on by something. Blood splashed through empty air, hanging there before slowly dripping down.
Before long, the Jagras's soft flesh had been completely devoured, and the footprints slowly departed the area.
At the edge of the thick fog, the Veteran Great Rathian—far larger than an ordinary Great Rathian—watched the spreading mist warily with its black-eyeshadowed vertical pupils.
After letting out a deeply unwilling growl, it led its group into retreat.
It was not only the Jagras group. All kinds of creatures that had once inhabited the fog-covered area were fleeing as well. Even the Black Wolf Birds, renowned for their belligerence, were among those escaping.
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