Moonlight filtered through the cracks overhead, gently illuminating the cave between the boulders, keeping it from feeling too dark.
Logan's evolved eyes allowed him to see clearly even at night, as if it were daytime. Right now, he could see the two Thunderbugs. After getting past the initial adjustment period, they had cautiously emerged from hiding and were perched on one of his protruding back spines, sipping the dewdrops secreted there.
As a nutrient polymer, these dewdrops packed far more punch than ordinary dew or pollen. Just one taste, and the two Thunderbugs were hooked. Their wing cases parted slightly, faint arcs flickering from their abdomens as they vibrated with excitement.
Soon, the night slipped away quietly. The sun rose slowly, casting golden light across the land.
The two Thunderbugs quickly darted back into the dense mane on Logan's back. But compared to yesterday's motionless hiding, they were noticeably more active today—occasionally peeking out a tiny head to curiously survey the surroundings before ducking back in like startled critters.
Logan didn't pay them much extra attention. After all, keeping bugs as pets was like that—often akin to tending a pot of dirt, requiring little meticulous care.
Basking in the morning light streaming straight down from above, he stretched luxuriously. His muscles and tendons pulled taut, humming like plucked bowstrings. Then he crawled out of the cave, handled his personal hygiene briefly, and set off once more with Zhu Peiniang toward the familiar swamp.
His excellent appetite and extremely high digestive efficiency meant one full meal could sustain him for a long time. But to secrete more frosting and quickly boost Zhu Peiniang's strength, he needed to eat more frequently.
Fortunately, the ecosystem around the swamp was rich. Plenty of herbivorous wyverns foraged there, and wild boars were numerous too.
These massive-tusked beasts loved nothing more than wallowing in mud pits—killing parasites while coating themselves in a hard mud shell to fend off some predators.
But such armor was utterly worthless against Logan's overwhelming power.
He raised a claw high and slammed it into the side of a nearly three-meter-long boar's face. The explosive impact launched the elephant-sized creature airborne. With a sharp crack, its arm-thick tusks snapped clean off; even an eye burst from its socket under the force.
The boar hit the ground but clung stubbornly to life, grunting in pain and struggling to rise. Zhu Peiniang pounced swiftly, clamping her jaws on its neck and ending it.
Among all prey, boar meat wasn't particularly delicious—it ranked mid-to-low. The muscle fibers were too coarse, giving poor texture. Males often carried a strong musky odor too.
Logan preferred tender Popo venison, followed by fragrant Mosswine, or delicate Aptonoth. Herb wyverns came next, with boars farther down the list.
Still, he wasn't picky. Though not fond of boar, it didn't stop him from gulping it down.
As eating began, gastric acids surged like a tide, rapidly dissolving the food and absorbing its rich nutrients.
Soon, the nearly two-ton boar vanished into their ravenous maws—leaving only large bones, unwanted offal, low-nutrient hair, and connective tissue.
Most of the meat went to Logan's massive appetite. Overeating quickly saturated his fat reserves. Excess nutrients flowed continuously through the glands in his back spines, secreting layer upon layer—solidifying upward like winter icicles on eaves.
This was an unexpected boon for Logan. This candy-like solidified nutrient stored far better than raw meat—a highly practical stockpiling method.
Acting on the idea, he found a thoroughly dried tree, hollowed it out like the stink bomb barrel, wrapped it inside and out with layered spider silk, and created a large storage canister.
Once ready, he shook his massive body vigorously. The icicle-like crystals clinked crisply, detaching and falling. He carefully collected them, packing the canister full.
Now he needn't worry about wasting food. Even facing a larger Bulldrome, with this canister and his eating capacity, he could handle it.
Days passed in a flash. While Logan enjoyed his leisurely routine—occasionally venturing out hoping for a chance encounter with the Rathian—the dawn redwood dock by the swamp welcomed an unfamiliar visitor.
...
Yuan Ye emerged slowly from the thick grass, eyes warily scanning the surroundings. Years of field investigations had honed her survival instincts; young as she was, she was already an elite in the trade.
She quickly noticed the massive depression in the ground, paced it out roughly, then crouched to pick up some shattered purple scales. A moment's thought sketched the culprit in her mind: a Royal Ludroth, 13 to 16 meters long.
Nearby, she spotted a basin-sized crater. At its center was a round hole, with five thick grooves extending forward and sideways—eerily hand-like.
At first, she thought it was a Nergigante palm print. But closer inspection proved otherwise: the claw tips were razor-sharp, like knife cuts. The overall size was smaller than a Nergigante's, and the inner edges lacked the irregular thorn scratches from its arms.
Continuing her search, she found some beautifully colored milky-white scales. Material as valuable as gems on a Royal Ludroth—yet discarded like trash here, amid a puddle of dark, foul-smelling blood. Clearly, this Royal Ludroth had met a grim end.
But that wasn't the highlight. What truly brightened her eyes was a half-broken wyvern scale embedded in the mud. Slightly smaller than an adult palm, perfectly teardrop-shaped, pure jade-white, emanating a soft, warm glow.
At a glance, it resembled the Royal Ludroth's white scales. Only handling it revealed differences in thickness, weight, and hardness—truly a natural masterpiece. Pity the small missing chunk on the side rendered it incomplete.
Yuan Ye drew the intact feathered scale she'd found earlier from her waist. She'd fashioned it into a beautiful small knife: thin scale base clamped in split beast horn, wrapped in leather strips, sealed with resin.
Holding the knife, she compared the two scales carefully. After thorough examination, she confirmed: this was indeed from the white creature she was tracking.
"Looks like I haven't lost the trail. I'm getting closer and closer. I really want to meet it soon—it must be a magnificent beast."
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