Monster Hunter: This Dragon's Built Different

A week later.

Without fully understanding why, Logan suddenly found himself with a group of Grimalkyne 'guards'. He couldn't quite remember what he had been thinking at the time—but somehow, he had agreed.

Now, as multiple Grimalkynes bustled in and out of his nest, moving in pairs, huffing and puffing as they carried branches, with a mature-looking one up high directing the placement of each stick, Logan realized—maybe agreeing wasn't so bad after all.

After learning that Logan and Aki were outsiders who had defeated the pair of Rathalos occupying this level of the forest, thereby earning the nesting rights, the Grimalkyne leader had promptly declared that their tribe would take over the construction of the new nest!

And so, under the leader's command, more than a dozen Grimalkynes began venturing out to collect branches, selecting the location, and getting to work on the build.

Although only the early frame of the nest was visible for now, just looking at the careful interweaving of the branches and the neatly flattened vine mat at the base, one could already tell: once completed, this nest would be far more comfortable than the crudely thrown-together ones typical of Rathalos.

As for their role as 'protectors' granted the Grimalkyne tribe's loyalty, Logan and Aki only needed to provide a modest amount of food in return.

A sudden gust of wind pressure swept across the area. The Grimalkynes instinctively dug their claws into the ground—only thanks to this reflex were they not blown away by Aki's unconscious wind aura.

[Thud!]

The carcass of an herbivore was tossed beside the nest. Since arriving, Logan and Aki had taken turns going out to hunt over the past two days, while also getting familiar with the surrounding hunting grounds.

Whoever stayed behind would mark their territory near the nest—either by clawing at nearby trees or scattering old scales about to signify ownership.

The Grimalkynes stared at the massive herbivore corpse, audibly gulping. But with the supervising Grimalkyne blowing its horn from above, they could only bow their heads and continue working diligently.

After finishing her hunt, Aki laid down nearby, closing her eyes in a habitual light nap. Logan, on the other hand, devoured the stomach and part of the back of the herbivore clean, let out a satisfied belch, and headed off for his routine patrol, taking the opportunity to build rapport with the mated Rathalos pair living up the slope.

Once Logan left, the supervising Grimalkyne glanced at the mostly intact herbivore carcass and swallowed hard. It looked over at Aki—who remained completely uninterested with eyes still closed—and swiftly leapt down.

Calling over several others, it dug out some bone knives and began expertly butchering the carcass. In no time at all, thick slabs of fresh meat were neatly stacked in a clearing nearby.

Two strong Grimalkynes used vines woven into rope to divide and package the skeletal remains into smaller portions, then dragged the bundles to the edge of the platform and dumped them down the cliffside.

The bones still carried scraps of meat. Attracted by the scent of blood, the creatures in the lower layers of the Ancient Forest would make quick work of them—ensuring not even a trace was left behind.

Once everything was done, the Grimalkynes cautiously took just two chunks of meat from the pile and dragged them back to their dwellings. The rest was stored away as rations for Logan and Aki.

Don't be fooled by how little the Grimalkynes took—given their size, even though they weren't light eaters, those two large chunks were enough to feed their entire tribe for two days if rationed properly.

Besides, Logan and Aki hunted every day. There was always a surplus. With those two pieces of meat plus wild mushrooms and vegetables, the tribe could easily eat their fill from morning to night.

This kind of peaceful and low-risk life, where they didn't have to gamble their lives to survive, made the Grimalkynes work especially hard on building the nest. They wished they could work day and night to finish early—hoping Logan and Aki would settle here for good.

That's right. These simple Grimalkynes, who once couldn't wait for Logan and Aki to leave, were now worried they might.

For any creature surviving in the New World, nothing mattered more than stable, safe living.

...Well, not entirely true.

Some exceptions existed—like Rajang, Deviljho, Bazelgeuse, and the like.

When Logan returned from his outing, the scene that greeted him was one of thriving industry. He had also gotten along well with the mated Rathalos pair—after symbolically helping patch up a few branches on the dam, they'd agreed to share their water reservoir with him and Aki.

Absolutely not—it had nothing to do with Logan's subtle 'If you don't agree, I'll just start a fight in your home and maybe damage your precious dam' posture pressuring them into submission.

In any case, Logan and Aki had officially begun their orderly life atop the Ancient Tree.

...

Outer perimeter of the Ancient Forest — Outpost, Celestial Pursuit Gathering Hub.

The Admiral, looking remarkably like a Rajang, was passionately rallying a team to head toward the Wildspire Waste.

To say he was 'passionate' was putting it lightly—it was just the usual morale-boosting speech. But with the Admiral's bold and magnetic charisma, it stirred roaring cheers from the crowd.

As the briefing concluded, the Felynes promptly packed up supplies and rolled out carts, taking the lead.

Hunters and field team members followed close behind. Back at Astera, only a few scholars and logistics personnel remained to hold the fort. The rest—everyone—was mobilized, determined to uncover the truth behind the mysterious creature that had appeared!

Meanwhile, deep within the Ancient Forest, the Jagras were expanding their territory.

One after another, they rose upright, their large eyes—ringed in markings that made them look like smudged eyeliner, giving off a roguish air—glanced around warily. For some reason, the area felt unusually quiet today.

Time passed, and unknowingly, a thick fog began to blanket the forest.

The Jagras caught in the haze started to feel heavy, their bodies sluggish. Their pupils turned pale gray. Gradually, the sounds around them faded away. Their jaws opened, trying to cry out—but no sound came.

Soon, they collapsed one after another within the fog, never even knowing what had happened before death claimed them.

Inside that thick mist, an Exciteshroom was suddenly lifted into the air by some invisible force—then, without warning, it simply vanished.

Footsteps brushed the leaves. A set of four-toed tracks paused beside one of the fallen Jagras.

Moments later, as though some unseen predator had descended upon the body, fresh blood splattered out into the air and hovered midair—slowly dripping in silence.

The soft flesh of the Jagras corpse was quickly devoured.

Then, the invisible intruder departed, its footprints gradually vanishing into the fog.

Outside the mist, a Tempered Great Jagras, towering in size well beyond any normal specimen, stared warily at the expanding fog, its slitted pupils lined in dark shadow.

It let out a reluctant, low growl… then turned back and began leading the pack in a full retreat.

And not just the Jagras. All kinds of creatures that once inhabited that misty region were now fleeing. Even the notoriously aggressive Yian Garuga could be seen escaping alongside the others.

...

Deep within the Ancient Forest, Logan remained unaware of the events unfolding. At this moment, he was still engaged in conversation with the Grimalkyne chief.

As a species that had lived in the Ancient Forest for generations, the Grimalkynes had a long-standing culture and tradition. Naturally, this aroused Logan's curiosity, prompting him to inquire about the forest's deeper secrets.

"Meow, nya~"

"At the crown of the ancient tree lives the god of the hurricane. Do not provoke it. Deeper in the forest, near the gorge, there are deadly poisonous mists and invisible monsters. Every few thousand suns and moons, the forest turns cold. When cold and heat alternate too frequently, many lethal spores appear."

The conversation with the Grimalkyne chief was going rather smoothly, yet it also gave Logan a renewed sense of unease.

He had a vague idea of what might lie behind the phenomena the Grimalkyne had described.

And it aligned with his own speculations. As a migration hub for Elder Dragons, the New World had become a hotspot—especially in recent decades—with increasingly frequent appearances. Not to mention the rich life energy that permeated the land, more than enough to lure any Elder Dragon to settle here.

Let alone the lush ecological environment and exceptional tolerance the region offered.

But at the crown of the ancient tree... the god of the hurricane—was that Kushala Daora or Amatsu?

No wonder that even during the Rathalos encounter, the highest-flying ones merely reached the canopy. None dared approach the treetop. It all made sense now—an Elder Dragon was nesting at the summit.

Yet whether it was Kushala Daora or Amatsu, either's presence would surely bring violent gales. Even if they tried to restrain themselves, there would still be winds swirling around them.

But since his arrival, the forest had been unusually calm each day—clear skies and no strong winds. He had even flown higher than the ancient tree more than once, yet had never seen anything out of the ordinary.

It was… strange.

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