Chapter 96: The Return
"This thing really is useful!"
Two magnetic field lines, about the thickness of a pinky finger, extended from Logan's back and shoulders. Containing a small amount of muscle cells, they were capable of flexible twisting, curling, and gripping. While the strength of a single strand wasn't great—roughly five kilograms—they could perform intricate movements when working in coordination.
However, controlling multiple magnetic lines simultaneously was quite mentally taxing. After all, it takes a normal human a significant amount of time just to learn how to walk; Logan had suddenly gained 144 "limb-like" magnetic lines, and he definitely needed time to adjust.
Usually, he kept these lines skillfully coiled and hidden within the fur on his back to avoid hindering his normal movements. The finer lines on his tail overlapped and intertwined, wrapping tightly around the tail's surface.
But when he entered combat or when his internal bio-electricity was depleted, these lines would unfurl and wrap around the outside of his body. From a distance, it looked as if his body were encased in a mass of silver hula hoops. Flowing blue-white electrical light seemed to possess a life of its own, pulsing rhythmically across the surface of the coils in sync with his breathing. At night, the sight would likely shine as brilliantly as a neon sign.
During this process, the surrounding magnetic field would continuously converge toward his body, steadily replenishing his consumed energy. Static electricity would accumulate in massive amounts, triggering frequent discharge phenomena. At this stage, weaker small creatures wouldn't even be able to harm him—simply getting close would be life-threatening.
This series of changes made Logan feel more and more like an Elder Dragon. He now possessed the two most important traits of an Elder Dragon: a vast lifespan and the ability to alter the surrounding environment. Although one of these was currently a "budget version," he still had plenty of room for growth in the future.
Logan used one magnetic line to pick up a spread-out Flying Medusa and another to stuff a crispy, deep-fried Vigorwasp inside. After rolling it up, he shoved the whole thing into his mouth, the crunch echoing as he chewed.
Since befriending that tribe of Grimalkynes, Logan's quality of life had skyrocketed. He had settled into a comfortable routine of being waited on hand and foot, enjoying carefully prepared cooked meals.
He didn't even need to hunt for himself anymore. Zhu Peiniang, the "pup" he had raised for over a year, naturally did the work for him.
Every time Zhu Peiniang caught prey, she would drag it to the mouth of the semi-open cave for the Grimalkynes to process and cook. Most of the meat became food for the two giant beasts, Logan and Zhu Peiniang, while the leftover hides, scales, and horns served as payment for the Grimalkynes.
This state of early retirement gave Logan the illusion that he had entered his twilight years, when in reality, it hadn't even been two years since he hatched. By all rights, he was still technically a "baby."
Since the Pink Rathian had been hunted, that cave with its massive vertical drops was temporarily safe. Consequently, Grimalkynes had been heading there recently to fish, hoping to catch Goldenfish to trade with Logan for his feathery scales.
This thin, sharp material was highly prized by the cats. Not only was it lethal enough to be coated in poison, but it was also extremely lightweight, ensuring it didn't hinder their natural speed—a perfect fit for the needs of small, intelligent creatures.
Regrettably, whether it was due to the impact of the previous electrical discharges or because the Goldenfish that escaped earlier had a special way of communicating with its kind, the Grimalkynes hadn't caught a single Goldenfish or Platinumfish in over a week, despite catching plenty of common fish.
This made Logan feel that it was time to head back.
While the Coral Highlands were rich in resources, he still felt a bit out of place there. He felt more at home in the Ancient Tree Forest and the Wildspire Waste. Those places weren't lacking in precious metal veins either; as long as one searched carefully, discoveries could be made. After all, the most famous "rich lady"—Kulve Taroth—lived beneath the Wildspire Waste; he just didn't know where the entrance was.
"Wait! Kulve Taroth, underground, gold..."
Logan stopped eating. He felt a flash of inspiration in his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it. It wasn't until the silhouette of a Grimalkyne passed in front of the cave that his eyes suddenly lit up.
Back when he was first in the Wildspire Waste, he had encountered a group of Grimalkynes. Among the weapons they left behind was a spearhead inlaid with gold. It was possible they had found a natural gold nugget, but it was also very likely they had discovered Kulve Taroth's cavern.
It seemed the true treasure had been right "under his feet" all along; he just hadn't noticed. But it wasn't too late. As long as he found that tribe of Grimalkynes, he might be able to track down Kulve Taroth. When that time came, there would be as much gold as he could ever want.
This realization made him impatient to return. He already felt somewhat uncomfortable staying here, so the sooner he left, the better.
Immediately, he leapt out of the cave, held his head high, took a deep breath, and let out a sky-shaking roar.
Invisible sound waves rippled outward, causing the surrounding air to distort like water. Zhu Peiniang, who was playing in the distance, and the white Grimalkyne from the settlement heard the summons and immediately stopped what they were doing to rush over.
Before long, they converged in front of Logan, accompanied by a few other ordinary Grimalkynes.
"Get ready. We're heading back."
Logan didn't waste words and stated the reason for summoning them. Zhu Peiniang didn't mind at all; Logan was the first thing she saw when she hatched, and combined with the influence of the "Red Frost," she had a powerful sense of identification and dependence on him. She naturally wouldn't object.
However, in the eyes of the white Grimalkyne, Logan saw hesitation and struggle. This was the place where it had grown up, home to its familiar friends and family; it was naturally loath to leave. Yet, that inexplicable sense of closeness made it equally unwilling to part from Logan. For a moment, it was locked in an internal battle.
This was exactly why Logan didn't want to abuse the Scarlet Frost. Forcibly changing the thoughts of an intelligent being was ultimately unethical. Although bringing the white Grimalkyne along would surely be a huge help in finding the Grimalkyne tribes of the Wildspire Waste, he still didn't press it, instead respecting its own choice.
After a long while, the white Grimalkyne raised its head, looked at the snowy-white giant beast before it, and asked:
"Will we come back later?"
Logan nodded with certainty. In this New World, the final destination for all living beings was often the Elder's Recess—the rich bio-energy of the veins there attracted all powerful creatures. Once he was strong enough, he would certainly go to join the excitement, even if he didn't necessarily settle there.
And to get to the Elder's Recess, the Coral Highlands were a necessary path.
"We will. And it won't be long."
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