Relying on the formidable strength of the recommendation team, they forcibly carved out several suitable campsite locations from this chaotic new region and shared them with the New World side.
Because the monsters here were exceptionally powerful and the competition for survival was fierce, the Research Commission ultimately named this newly discovered continent the Guiding Lands.
For the Research Commission, the Guiding Lands were a carnival for the strong—and a nightmare for the weak.
High–ecological-tier monsters ran rampant everywhere; even monsters on the level of a Rathalos were considered ordinary here.
The tangled terrain, along with the volatile and harsh ecological conditions, left ordinary hunters with no room to operate at all. Only hunters from the recommendation team could cope with the near-endless battle tempo and the ever-present risk of being caught in the fallout of combat.
As the recommendation team continued to push deeper in their investigations, traces of many apex creatures were gradually tracked down.
There was the so-called ecological destroyer, the Deviljho—and its even more dangerous variant, the Savage Deviljho.
Zinogre, along with its subspecies, Stygian Zinogre.
There were even extremely dangerous Rajang, all crammed together on this relatively small landmass.
Among them, there were also traces of various Elder Dragons!
...
A greatsword wreathed in searing flames swept across, colliding with a Rajang whose arms had transformed, its muscles becoming extraordinarily hardened by battle aura.
The tremendous brute force nearly sent Darren flying, yet that sweeping strike was astonishingly precise as it sliced across the Rajang's head, forcibly severing one massive horn.
The pain from nerves and muscles torn by the broken horn was something the Rajang—who had only just completed its coming-of-age ritual, successfully swallowed a Kirin horn, and activated the electric elemental energy stored within its body for many years, bringing itself to peak condition—found momentarily hard to endure.
Gritting its teeth and twisting its body to keep from collapsing, it braced itself with one hand against a "wall," gasping for breath. It tried to recover its stamina as quickly as possible through this posture while remaining upright, making its silhouette appear larger and thus more intimidating.
And this sequence of actions by the Rajang truly made Darren—who had just adjusted his stance—stare wide-eyed in shock.
It wasn't because he was wary of the other party's size and strength, but because, at this very moment, this Rajang—without even turning its head—was actually propping itself up against a wall in midair!
There was clearly nothing at all on that side of its arm, yet it could still brace itself there—recovering stamina quickly while also conveniently making an intimidating gesture at Darren.
Seeing that Darren had been intimidated by its actions, showing not the slightest sign of taking advantage of its weakness to launch an attack, the Rajang secretly rejoiced.
Taking a deep breath and suppressing the pain coming from its head, the Rajang prepared to attack Darren again.
The next second...
"Gwa?"
A "gwa" filled with an intense sense of speechless disbelief came from the spot where its palm was bracing.
The Rajang was so startled it nearly sprang up.
But before it could leave where it was, a wisp of pale yellow mist swept up like a snake.
Normally, faced with something that looked utterly harmless like this, a Rajang would disdain it. Even the poison mist of an Elder Dragon that specialized in toxins couldn't inflict overly severe damage on a Rajang in a very short time.
Yet this tiny wisp of toxic mist seeped in through its arm after it had withdrawn from the battle-aura transformation state. The next moment, as the fragrance of mandrake spread across its nose, the Rajang suddenly felt the muscles in its body slip out of its control, and the whole Rajang toppled over stiffly like that.
"???"
At this moment, the Rajang's muscle-packed brain was filled with questions.
It… was actually paralyzed!
Leaving aside the Rajang's own extremely powerful physique—right now it had just eaten a Kirin horn, and the energy within its body was exceptionally active. Even if it were Chameleos's poison mist, it would dare to stay inside it for a full day and night.
With such an exaggerated drug resistance, it was actually paralyzed at this moment!
And it was paralysis caused by such a small dose!
This scene went beyond the Rajang's understanding.
In the distance, the vigilant Darren heard that familiar sound, and his tensed muscles relaxed slightly. Immediately afterward, that familiar pale yellow medicinal mist, carrying the clean scent of mandrake, curled around him.
Having already received several "gifts," Darren naturally opened his mouth, and that pale yellow medicinal mist seemed to be drawn in, pouring entirely into his mouth.
The fatigue brought on by more than half a month of continuous high-intensity fighting rapidly dissipated just like that, and the unavoidable minor injuries from battling the Rajang also healed rapidly at this moment.
His whole body felt as if he had taken an ancient secret medicine—aside from his mental state, all of his attributes had returned to their peak.
"So the Guiding Lands are the unknown land that's been circulating over on the Ancient Tree side all this time! Long time no see, senior!"
"Gwa!"
Mother Chameleos stared blankly as her figure slowly emerged from the void. Her tail seemed to flick casually, striking the Rajang that was struggling to get back up and knocking it back to the ground, before she replied with an indifferent sound.
Ever since Logan went missing, Mother Chameleos had returned unsuccessful from her search for her husband. These past days, she had been wandering all over the Guiding Lands—eating tasty insects while watching monsters fight up close, enjoying the spectacle immensely.
Later, the arrival of the recommendation team also caught Mother Chameleos's attention. Perhaps feeling a bit awkward about having left without a word, she never showed herself, instead following the hunters and observing their hunts from nearby.
To be honest, given the recommendation team's strength, even the weakest among them would generally not be in mortal danger, so long as they didn't run into an Elder Dragon—or that fellow in the lava caverns who loved fighting to the death.
As such, Mother Chameleos was less providing protection and more indulging in watching the drama unfold.
But she hadn't expected that the Rajang's unconscious maneuver today would directly perform a "propping up a wall in midair" act right in front of Darren, leaving Mother Chameleos rather awkward. In the end, she could only vent her displeasure on the Rajang.
"Roar, roar!!"
The Rajang refused to accept this—absolutely refused!
This was a sneak attack!
An Elder Dragon, actually unwilling to fight it head-on, resorting to a sneak attack instead—this was worse than Kirin!
Extreme fury stimulated the energy organs within its body. Large amounts of golden-yellow lightning surged through its fur, forcibly suppressing that troublesome paralysis toxin.
Relying on sheer willpower, the Rajang forcibly pressed down the paralysis state and shakily climbed back to its feet.
Watching this scene, Mother Chameleos's large eyes rolled twice. Then, with a small backward hop, perfect invisibility was activated once more.
After that, a small wisp of medicinal mist appeared again, enveloping Darren.
Immediately afterward, Mother Chameleos's voice rang out.
"Gwa!" (You've been strengthened—go, now!!)
Receiving Mother Chameleos's instruction, Darren did not hesitate in the slightest. He lifted the Blazing Wing once more and charged straight at the Rajang.
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