The pain completely ignited the Rathian's primal ferocity. The flame sac within its body worked at high speed, frantically secreting a massive amount of volatile fluid and combustible powder. With sparks flickering from the corners of its mouth, it suddenly unhinged its jaws and spat.
In an instant, a fireball erupted at point-blank range, exploding right against its own body. The powerful shockwave and surging walls of flame swept outward, ruthlessly slamming into Logan, who was locked in close-quarters combat with it.
Watching the orange-red torrent of flame engulf his vision, Logan only had time to shield his vulnerable face with one claw. A massive force followed immediately, flipping him backward. His pristine white scales were instantly charred black, and his elegant mane curled and singed, emitting the acrid smell of burning hair.
After hitting the ground, Logan performed several consecutive rolls to extinguish the flames. He flipped back onto his feet and fixed his gaze on the Rathian.
Compared to Logan, the Rathian appeared to be in much better shape. Its unique carapace and physiology granted it incredibly high heat resistance; some powerful individuals could even linger briefly in molten lava.
However, shockwaves were a different story. Because of its wide wings, the Rathian had actually absorbed more of the impact, tumbling backward like a kite with a broken string before crashing heavily to the ground.
Logan reached out to touch the charred scales on his chest. Thanks to the robust connective tissues within his body, his entire frame acted as a reinforced unit. Combined with a tough, underlying layer for cushioning, he had suffered very little internal shock damage. The brief exposure to high heat wasn't enough to burn through the hard enamel coating on his scales. Though he looked ragged, he was largely unharmed.
He kicked off the ground, leaving shallow craters in the dirt, and lunged like an arrow toward the Rathian, which was just beginning to scramble up.
Having suffered a disadvantage in close combat, the Rathian clearly didn't intend to let him get close again. It unfurled its broad wings; the leading edges were powered by thick muscles and lined with half-meter-long, razor-sharp spikes that glinted coldly in the sunlight. With a sudden horizontal sweep, the wings acted like two massive blades, cutting through the air with a loud whoosh. If they connected, even armored plating would be torn open.
Logan didn't dare gamble with his scales' defensive limits. He ducked his head nimbly, letting the strike pass overhead. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a thick tail appeared like a lightning bolt—the Rathian had followed the wing sweep with a rapid tail spin.
There was no dodging this one. He could only raise a forepaw to meet it, his sharp wrist blades sliding out slightly to precisely slice into the gaps between the tail spikes.
In the next heartbeat, the two collided. The screeching sound of grinding friction rang out; spikes snapped, scales shattered, and blades carved through carapace and skin. Crimson blood sprayed instantly.
Logan followed the momentum with a savage swipe of his forepaw. The muscles at the base of his wrist blades flexed, pulling downward with force as the blades extended. The tiny, irregular serrations on the edges acted like a saw under this immense power, biting deep into the Rathian's flesh and tearing open a gruesome wound.
ROAR!!!
The piercing pain drove the Rathian into a frenzied rage. Its eyes blazed with fury, and dangerous flames flickered in its maw once more.
Without waiting for the breath attack, Logan—having learned the danger of this move twice already—sprinted backward like the wind.
With a few powerful leaps, he put significant distance between himself and the wyvern. Then, spinning his body, he whipped his tail. Several thin, feather-like scales shot through the air, piercing through the ensuing fireball and heading straight for the Rathian's face.
BOOM!
The erupting flames briefly blocked his vision, but a pained shriek followed, confirming the Rathian had been hit again.
As the rolling flames subsided, Logan looked up to see the Rathian kick off the ground with its powerful legs. Its body launched upward like a cannonball, and its wide wings beat hard, creating a gale as it began to ascend.
Not good, it's taking flight!
Logan cursed inwardly. Ignoring the burning embers on the ground, he sprinted a few steps and leaped. His powerful hindlimbs propelled his heavy body nearly twenty meters into the air, his spine arching in an exaggerated curve for maximum explosive power. However, he was a step too late. His hooked claws only grazed the tip of the Rathian's tail before gravity took hold.
Fine. Time to clear out.
The moment he hit the ground, Logan expertly flexed his limbs to absorb the impact. With a follow-up hop, he landed next to the carcass of the Kestodon, bit down on the prey, and bolted toward the dense jungle.
Flying creatures have a natural advantage over land dwellers. When equipped with long-range attacks, the threat level becomes terrifying.
Behind him, the Rathian flapped its wings in fury, its throat glowing bright red as the flame sac worked at full capacity. Sparks trailed from its mouth like fiery ribbons in the wind. Fireballs began to rain down one after another.
Large swaths of the forest erupted in flames amidst a series of violent explosions.
Logan felt like he was being hunted by a bomber plane. Fortunately, the massive trees provided enough cover to make evasion manageable.
He wasn't entirely without counterattacks—specifically the feather-scales on his tail. However, their numbers were limited. If he used them all, his tail would be bare, and they required time to regrow. Furthermore, the Rathian's hide was incredibly tough; even a direct hit was unlikely to be fatal. He decided it was better to retreat for now; after all, he had already won the exchange.
At the same time, the Rathian's breath wasn't infinite. The combustible fluids needed time to replenish. Sustained high-intensity breathing would burn its own throat and place a massive burden on its body.
A few minutes later, seeing that it couldn't catch Logan, the Rathian stopped its attack in resentment. It beat its wings and flew off into the distance.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the forest, another "spectator" had been drawn to the battle.
The sound of explosions had alerted Yuan Ye. She quickly emerged from her hollowed-out tree shelter, stepping onto a three-meter-wide horizontal branch to look toward the source of the noise.
In the distance, she could see flickering firelight and rising smoke, followed by the unmistakable roar of a Rathian.
"Is a Rathian fighting something for territory?"
To see more clearly, she pulled a monocular telescope from her pack. It had a wooden casing inset with the crystalline lens of a Velocidrome. Since Velocidrome have excellent vision, their lenses serve as perfect focal points.
She adjusted the focus. As the image magnified, a flash of white scales entered her field of vision, sparking a surge of joy in her heart.
"Found you!"
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