Monster Hunter: This Dragon's Built Different

Unaware that new turmoil was about to descend on the forest after four years of calm, Logan was currently sitting with his eyes closed, absorbing the leyline energy. Nearby, Aki couldn't seem to stay still, marking the territory while patrolling the surroundings.

Only Logan and the two Grimalkynes, busy huffing and puffing as they tidied up the nest, remained inside.

After a good while, Logan finally opened his eyes, feeling that the absorption was nearly complete. He brought up his crude status panel—something he hadn't checked in ages. The progress bar for his latest trait had reached four-fifths. By his estimates, he'd unlock the next one in about half a year.

Over time, Logan had begun to discern a pattern in the traits he acquired.

The first was Accelerate, which boosted his speed in combat.

The second was Powerhouse Trait, which not only enhanced his physical constitution but also granted him strength and endurance far beyond any Rathalos of the same age—an all-around improvement to his physical combat abilities.

The third was Flame Body, which modified his fire sacs and every poison gland in his body, enabling his venom and fluids to transform into a viscous, flammable liquid. It also granted him control over these secretions—allowing him to manipulate the flames on his body at will.

The fourth was Flash Fire, which began to convert his fire element into a more draconic form of energy. This not only vastly improved his fire resistance but also allowed him to absorb surrounding flames, elevate their temperature, and establish a self-sustaining energy loop—significantly reducing energy consumption.

The fifth—and his current favorite—was Mind's Eye, a trait that dramatically heightened his senses and offered tremendous advantages in battle.

Then came the sixth, acquired two years ago: Charred Body, which finally patched the gap in his defensive capabilities.

All these traits had steadily fortified his physical foundation. They grew stronger as he did, allowing him to break free from the limitations of age and biology. Now, he had what it took to go toe-to-toe with tempered monsters in the same ecological class.

For Logan and Aki, monsters within the same ecological tier stood no chance. Unless they came in large numbers, they were easily and overwhelmingly suppressed.

"Roooaaar!!"

A thunderous roar blasted into the nest along with a gust of wind. Logan's eyes lit up. He immediately dashed outside.

Scanning the area quickly, he spotted the source—it was their neighbor, the Rathian from the pair that lived by the reservoir uphill. Right now, she was furiously chasing a panicked Kulu-Ya-Ku.

Despite the fear in its eyes, the Kulu-Ya-Ku refused to let go of the wyvern egg it held tightly in its arms. Relying on its agility and the dense branches of the Ancient Tree, it zigzagged through the canopy in a frantic attempt to escape.

Good grief… Logan had just seen a Kulu-Ya-Ku in the hunting grounds not long ago, and now another one shows up? These guys really would die for an egg.

Had Jagras eggs become too hard to steal? Or were Aptonoth eggs not tasty enough anymore?

Why poke the wyvern, huh? And now look—it got caught.

Judging by the Rathian's frenzied attacks, she had no intention of sparing the egg. It was as if her attitude was: Forget the egg if I must—but the egg thief must die.

Whatever fate awaited that Kulu-Ya-Ku, one thing was certain: the egg was doomed. With a mother like that, if even two hatchlings survived to maturity out of a clutch, it would already be a miracle.

...

When Aki returned from her patrol around their territory, this was the scene that greeted her.

Logan was perched at the edge of the sloping treetop, wings neatly folded, seemingly in excellent spirits as he gazed off into the distance.

Aki silently approached and followed his line of sight—only to see a nearby Rathian, reasonably strong, chasing after a Kulu-Ya-Ku. The Rathian clearly had the ability to end the fight quickly, yet instead, she kept striking provocative poses, flaunting the patterns on her wings and her physique with calculated flair.

And Logan… Logan was watching the whole thing without blinking.

A dangerous glint flashed in Aki's eyes.

Not at Logan—no, this was aimed at that Rathian.

Logan didn't notice until he caught a familiar scent on the wind. Turning his head slightly, he realized Aki had returned.

He shifted his gaze away from the Kulu-Ya-Ku, who was still darting around trying to escape. Just moments ago, he had been wondering how long the thing could hold out, only to glance sideways and find Aki staring at him with that ominous look on her face.

Following her gaze, he realized—she was glaring at the Rathian!

Logan couldn't understand why Aki had suddenly developed a desire to fight, but he immediately opened his wings to block her path. There was absolutely no reason to start a battle over something like this!

But Aki was being unusually stubborn this time, trying to get around him and launch herself at the Rathian for a proper beatdown.

After a series of repeated attempts and blocks, Logan finally pieced together what she was thinking—through her body language and vocalizations.

"No! I wasn't looking at her! I was watching the Kulu-Ya-Ku! And look at her—she's clearly going all out trying to kill it! There's no way she's trying to show off! Don't go projecting your own strength onto other wyverns!"

Logan was exasperated. That Rathian was already married, and the Rathalos couple were known to be quite affectionate!

Besides, he wasn't that kind of wyvern! He wasn't into married females!

But no matter how much he tried to explain, Aki simply didn't buy it.

Not until the Rathian let loose a triple fireball, knocking the Kulu-Ya-Ku and one of her own eggs out of the air, before roaring and retreating back to her nest to protect the rest. She didn't make a single move in Logan's direction.

Only then did Aki calm down and obediently follow Logan back to their nest.

Perhaps it was her instincts as a mature female Rathian kicking in, but after that encounter, Aki stuck to Logan like glue. For the entire day, she stayed close to his side—brushing up against him, licking him occasionally, or simply resting with her body pressed tightly against his.

Fortunately, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Logan had gotten used to it. He let her continue with her displays of affection, responding now and then.

From past experience, she'd be back to normal by tomorrow.

...

In the blink of an eye, another three days had passed.

Logan hadn't expected Aki's clingy behavior to last this long—three full days!

During that time, she had hardly left his side, following him even when he went out hunting.

Their destination was a hunting ground on the western edge of the Ancient Forest. The area was densely wooded, but the underbrush and ferns were sparse. Because little sunlight ever reached the ground, this part of the forest was home to a unique cluster of mushrooms found only in the Ancient Tree ecosystem.

As a result, not only did Aptonoth roam here, but the place was also teeming with Mosswine.

This area had once been claimed by a regular Anjanath, but after several of Logan's visits, the two had crossed paths a few times. Each time, Logan had easily driven it off. Eventually, the Anjanath simply stopped coming.

It wasn't that Logan intended to steal its territory—it was just that this place had an abundance of Mosswine!

Logan had a particular fondness for these small, self-pickled creatures. Even if they no longer offered enough meat to satisfy his growing appetite, their rich, fermented flavor kept him coming back for more.

At that very moment, in a corner of the hunting grounds, five Grimalkyne warriors loyal to Logan were mounted on Jagras and facing off against a group of red-skinned humanoids wearing purple masks and brandishing weapons, who were screeching wildly.

These were members of the Strange Mask Tribe—a Lynian tribe in the New World. Compared to Felynes and Grimalkynes, their bodies had more humanoid features. Though they were only as tall as human children, they were built with powerful, compact muscles.

They were an extremely xenophobic warrior race—highly aggressive and hostile toward all non-kin. Even when facing large monsters, they would take the initiative to attack. By coating their weapons with poison and wielding explosive pot-turned-bombs known as Urn Bombs, they were capable of seriously wounding or even killing large creatures.

"Meow—hiss!"

The Grimalkyne warriors, armed with spears, showed no signs of fear. They spread out into a defensive formation, protecting a nearby stash of mushrooms and two captured Mosswine behind them.

The mushrooms were their rations. The Mosswine were tribute—offerings meant for their Boss.

There was no way they were going to let this damned band of thieves take them!

The air grew tense in an instant—one spark away from erupting into battle.

Just then, a Tobi-Kadachi appeared silently on a nearby tree trunk, its sharp eyes locked on the two Mosswine trapped in a snare.

There were no Aptonoth to be found here… but filling its belly with some Mosswine would do just fine for now.

With that thought, the Tobi-Kadachi sprang into the air, limbs outstretched, gliding down toward the Mosswine below.

The Grimalkynes and Strange Mask Tribe locked in their standoff weren't even worth the Tobi-Kadachi's attention.

As a medium-sized monster, it only feared high-tier large monsters—nothing less.

"Wawaruah!!"

The Grimalkynes, with their backs turned, didn't notice the Tobi-Kadachi at all. But the Strange Mask Tribe they were facing had seen the entire approach clearly.

Realizing the Tobi-Kadachi was also after the two Mosswine, they immediately burst into alarmed screeches.

Sensing something was wrong, the Grimalkynes quickly turned—and saw the Tobi-Kadachi's claws already descending toward the trap holding the Mosswine.

Without hesitation, they called out to one another, then charged forward on their Jagras mounts.

With their coordination and the Jagras bolstering their combat power, the Grimalkynes managed—through swift teamwork—to drive the Tobi-Kadachi back from the Mosswine, forcing it to turn its attention to them.

The Tobi-Kadachi's slit pupils glinted coldly as it faced the tiny warriors on their mounts. Its long, powerful tail lifted high, crackling with static as arcs of electricity danced over its scale-like electrode quills.

If these Grimalkynes wanted to get in its way, then it would take care of them first.

In an instant, the battle broke out.

From the other side, the Strange Mask Tribe watched the scene unfold and began jabbering amongst themselves in their strange tongue. True to their brutal, power-worshipping culture, they made their decision on the spot: They would join the fight.

First, they'd take down the stronger threat—the Tobi-Kadachi—and then settle the score with the Grimalkynes.

One had to admit: it was no surprise these guys could survive in the Ancient Forest, and even dared to challenge large monsters head-on.

With their arrival, the Tobi-Kadachi was now forced to dodge not only the Grimalkynes' traps and Jagras bites but also the Strange Mask Tribe's poisoned weapons—capable of harming even large monsters.

For the first time, the Tobi-Kadachi found itself flustered, its movements constrained as it began to lose ground.

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