In the end, Mother Chameleos let out an annoyed croak and left the crown of the Ancient Tree, heading down to the middle layers to forage.
Logan did not give her a definite answer. He neither refused nor agreed; his deliberately ambiguous stance made Mother Chameleos extremely displeased. Yet at present she simply could not defeat Logan, so in the end, caught between anger and swallowing her grievance, she could only choose to swallow it.
As Mother Chameleos departed, Logan also fell into deep thought.
Ever since he returned after dealing with Shara Ishvalda, and as his natural affinity reached ninety-nine percent, Logan had clearly sensed that nature's subtle suppression of Terastal energy—this kind of alien energy—had almost been completely lifted.
As a result, the energy he unconsciously leaked could be accepted far more quickly by the surrounding environment and living creatures.
This was most concretely reflected in the fact that the Ancient Tree's transformation toward a crystal tree had accelerated, and the entire tree had become increasingly fantastical.
This was not a good thing.
Terastal energy was far too domineering. High-purity Terastal energy, although localized and producing a wondrous reaction with bioenergy, could just as easily isolate bioenergy as well.
And as the "progenitor" of the Ancient Forest, the Ancient Tree's roots practically ran through the entire forest. It also possessed stable leyline nodes and played a crucial role in regulating the forest's ecology.
If it were to be completely assimilated by him, it would be a disaster for the entire forest.
Logan guessed that the reason he had not been "expelled" by the boss of nature, as Mother Chameleos had been, was not only because his natural affinity was almost on par with that of Shara Ishvalda in the past, but also because he harbored no intention of damaging nature. In fact, at present his existence was still, on balance, more beneficial than harmful to the Ancient Forest.
However, this situation would sooner or later reach the threshold of what nature could tolerate. Terastal energy did not possess outstanding ecological benefits; on the contrary, much like Alatreon's divine domain, it had extremely strong exclusivity.
This was not something Logan could control. At this point, he had already reached the minimum standard for "creating an ecosystem." Leaving the Ancient Tree—such a key location of the New World—would be inevitable.
He had long since prepared himself mentally for this.
Previously, his plan had been to resettle around the Elder's Recess. The volcanic lava regions of the New World were rich in bioenergy and sparsely populated, allowing him to freely use his power to create a Terastal environment uniquely his own.
But now, Mother Chameleos's proposal seemed to give him one more option.
The Guiding Lands—this newborn continent—was still in its infancy, yet its inclusiveness was extremely strong. It could accommodate almost every kind of Elder Dragon living there, and with concentrated leyline energy and its proximity to the New World, it could also be considered a very good place to settle down.
But!
The Guiding Lands were no less dangerous than the New World. It was not just Elder Dragons there—there were even Forbidden-level beings!
Choosing that place might secure a position in the "original shares" of the world, but the corresponding risk was by no means small.
This newborn continent, in the eyes of many dangerous Elder Dragons, was no different from a piece of roast meat dripping with grease—and the kind whose "warden" was still immature, with many defensive loopholes.
Starting a venture carries risks; investment requires caution.
Should he stay in the New World and live out his days in peace, or go to the Guiding Lands and accompany the newborn natural consciousness there, founding an enterprise that would last tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of years?
This was a question worth serious consideration!
Besides, could the Ancient Tree really be left behind right now?
Little Loren did indeed possess an ability similar to Sunlight, but he still had two years before reaching adulthood. His overall strength barely qualified as an ordinary Elder Dragon—and even then, the kind that would be sitting at the same table as Kirin.
His Sunlight would struggle even to cover the entire forest.
The civilization on the Ancient Tree could develop at high speed not only thanks to the collective efforts of all living creatures, but also because Logan was there to hold the line.
With the New World's bioenergy so active at present, no Elder Dragon dared covet the Ancient Tree.
But if he left—and even took Aki with him...
Little Loren would most likely be unable to keep the Flame Rath couple in check. That pair had long harbored plans to settle near the Elder's Recess.
It was only that, first, Logan was still here; without the permission of a leader like Logan, and no longer being wild Raths, they naturally would not leave.
Second, Scorching Heat Rathian was pregnant. With the birth due any time now, the safety of the Ancient Tree far exceeded that of the Elder's Recess, so the thought of leaving had all the more faded.
In addition, his relationship with the Research Commission, Blazefire Village's next stage of development, the hunters integrating into the Ancient Tree, and other such issues all gave Logan a headache.
Beside him, Tonkotsu—his entire body corded with muscle and already well into middle age—watched the conflicted look on his Fire Wyvern boss's face. As he recalled the exchange between Logan and Mother Chameleos just now, he quickly realized what was going on.
Clenching his claws and thinking it over again and again, he finally took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and took the initiative to ask Logan.
"Boss… are you planning to leave the Ancient Tree and go to that unknown land, meow?"
Logan lowered his head and looked at Tonkotsu, who had followed him since his youth—for more than thirty years now, already with grandchildren of his own. Logan did not hide anything and directly told him his thoughts.
"Is that so?" Tonkotsu sounded both incredulous and, at the same time, resigned with understanding.
Without the slightest hesitation, he dropped to one knee before Logan, lowered his head, and said with a trace of pleading in his voice, "If you decide to leave, Boss, please take me and the Grimalkynes of the guard unit with you, meow! Only where you are, Boss, do we have any meaning in existing, meow!"
At Tonkotsu's request, Logan was not surprised in the slightest—but he could not give the answer Tonkotsu wanted.
The Symbiosis trait had first affected the cats, yet it was also weakest on them.
Even the Fire Wyverns had, because of it, evolved flame wings and a deep application of Radiant Crystal Butterflies, allowing them to use moves imbued with Terastal attributes.
But the cats, to this day, aside from enchanting flames through their sweat glands, could not even manage anything related to Terastal energy—let alone deal with the problem of food.
The current Grimalkynes had yet to evolve to a level sufficient to follow at his side.
Logan's silence was the scene Tonkotsu least wanted to see. His body trembled slightly, yet he still kept his head lowered, stubbornly waiting for Logan's reply.
"Roar~" (Let's talk about the future later. For the short term, I won't be leaving.)
After saying that, Logan no longer had any mood to bask in the sunlight. He turned around and returned to his nest.
Only after Logan's figure disappeared did Tonkotsu slowly raise his head, his large eyes filled with confusion.
"Is it really impossible, meow…?"
That confusion lingered for a long time. Then, as if he had thought of something, his gaze grew firm once more.
Casting a deep look toward the dark, unfathomable nest, he turned and hurried off in the direction of Blazefire Village.
"There must be a way! The shrine, the research institute, and those scholars—they'll definitely be able to think of something!"
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