The Odogaron's sudden transformation caught Andrew completely off guard.
This kind of change was remarkably similar to the Rathian's sudden mutation from before.
But to Andrew's surprise, the core that all Ethereals possess was nowhere in sight. The way it breathed energy, its body completely changed color... it actually looked more like the Ebony Odogaron he'd encountered in the Coral Highlands.
If it had truly become an Ethereal, the Odogaron's mutation shouldn't have been this minor.
The Odogaron—no, the monster that should now be called the Vicious Claw Wyvern—aside from some changes in skin color, its mutation came to a complete halt right before Andrew's surprised eyes.
As the transformation ceased, the Vicious Claw Wyvern's body, which had been trembling and shaking violently, stabilized completely.
Although its wounds hadn't healed, it was as if it had broken free from its shackles, comfortably stretching its body.
It swung its tail lightly a couple of times. Its restored balance gave it back its powerful weapon, and as the tip swept across the ground, the sharply angled tail carved deep scratches into the surface.
The effect of the earlier Dung Pod had long since worn off during the prolonged battle.
The Vicious Claw Wyvern's five senses had been enhanced in every way. Its sense of smell was far keener than before, giving it the confidence that it wouldn't be affected if it encountered that previous tactic again.
Its nasal passages filtered the information in the air, painting a clear picture of its surroundings in its mind. The opponent who had previously left it helpless stood in the distance. The monster's own muscles bulged slightly as even greater power continued to build within its body.
With a slight exertion, its sharp claws dug deep into the ground.
Its powerful grip allowed the surging power to be converted into speed through its wolf-like frame. Its body, perfectly adapted for combat, flawlessly handled the enhancement. The newly acquired energy was instantly under its command, instinctively gathering in its maw and on its four claws.
A mist-like Ether energy emanated from its limbs.
Facing its enemy—and prey—in the distance, the Vicious Claw Wyvern stomped its four claws hard against the ground and charged.
Standing in the path of the Vicious Claw Wyvern's charge, Andrew tried to dodge left and right, but the monster had locked onto his scent. There was no way it would let him go.
Realizing that the Vicious Claw Wyvern was continuously adjusting its charge to track his evasive movements, Andrew stopped running.
This, of course, wasn't him giving up.
On the contrary, he had ceased all other pointless movements, waiting for that final, life-or-death moment. That last instant, face-to-face, would be the key to survival.
The Vicious Claw Wyvern crossed the short hundred-meter distance in just a few seconds.
As the distance closed, the ripple of the monster's muscles became clearer and clearer in Andrew's eyes. White vapor mixed with misty Ether energy spewed from its flared nostrils, leaving a dissipating trail in the air.
Andrew could now clearly see the dragon drool dripping from its mouth and the subtle flexing of its muscles.
With less than half a meter between man and beast, Andrew sidestepped and swung his tachi just an instant before the Vicious Claw Wyvern could collide with him.
"Foresight Slash!"
That single step was a world away for the Vicious Claw Wyvern. Charging at full speed, it was simply incapable of turning at such a sharp angle and could only brush past Andrew in frustration.
Andrew successfully executed the Foresight Slash. Just as he was about to follow up, he suddenly noticed clusters of purple-glowing Ether Crystals sprouting from the ground where the Vicious Claw Wyvern had just charged.
The purple glow bloomed in an instant, triggering a violent explosion. Caught off guard, Andrew was sent flying by the shockwave.
The blast shattered the shield on Andrew. Even so, he had to cough a couple of times before recovering.
Looking at the trail of explosions and the energy constantly radiating from the Vicious Claw Wyvern's claws, Andrew couldn't help but curse inwardly:
"Does this damn thing have the moves of a Savage Vicious Claw Wyvern too?!"
As a specialist who had fought Odogarons, Vicious Claw Wyverns, and even a Savage Vicious Claw Wyvern in the Forbidden Lands, Andrew considered himself extremely knowledgeable about the monster's capabilities.
But he quickly realized just how troublesome this new subspecies was in a fight.
After all, the Dragon Element crystals produced by the Savage Vicious Claw Wyvern's attacks would only detonate after specific moves. As long as you paid attention to its tells, you could easily dodge them.
But this damn thing was different!
It fucking plants a bomb and detonates it instantly with no windup!!
Not only is it powerful, but the damn impact force is so strong it interrupts your actions!!!
Blasted over again after another failed Foresight Slash, Andrew pulled out a Healing Potion and chugged it down, his expression turning a little grim as he watched the Vicious Claw Wyvern.
Its charge having missed again, the Vicious Claw Wyvern used its incredible body control to stop in just a few steps before lunging at the potion-drinking Andrew.
The Ether energy on its right claw blazed like a raging fire as it swiped at Andrew.
The moment the Vicious Claw Wyvern's paw slammed into the ground, the earth shattered, and a small cluster of Ether Crystals immediately sprouted from the impact site.
He downed the last gulp from the bottle and tossed it aside.
Relying on his vast experience, Andrew immediately followed his roll with a dive, and an instant later, another explosion erupted from the spot he had just been.
Although the dive had successfully carried him out of the blast radius, Andrew looked back at the aftermath with some confusion.
With explosions like that, isn't this monster afraid of friendly fire?
But what he saw next immediately answered his question.
The Vicious Claw Wyvern, which hadn't even left the blast zone, was completely unfazed by the energy. In fact, it seemed to comfortably shake its body amidst the explosive smoke.
Then, it began its frenzied assault once more.
At the same time, with a loud CLANG!, a shield bash from Caesar in the distance formed a new protective barrier around Andrew.
Caesar, who had been keeping a close eye on Andrew's fight, gave him a firm nod when he saw Andrew look his way.
Seeing Caesar's gesture, Andrew felt a surge of confidence. He turned back to the Vicious Claw Wyvern and, relying on Caesar's shield, began to tank hits in order to test out the monster's moves.
The battle between man and beast transformed into a perilous duet, every step fraught with limits and danger.
To figure out all the moves of the Vicious Claw Wyvern in this new form, Andrew constantly sought opportunities to counterattack amidst his perilous dodges.
The multi-stage explosions had turned the already somewhat sparse area into a crater-pocked wasteland. Nearby buildings, struck by the Vicious Claw Wyvern's tail, crumbled like condemned houses under a wrecking ball, collapsing after just a few hits.
He spun around, dodging an Ether energy projectile that the Vicious Claw Wyvern fired with a short, powerful slash, letting it create yet another series of explosions and craters on the ground.
______
🔥 New chapters are up! 🔥
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead of everyone else.
✅ Get cool exclusive stuff and updates!
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!
🚀 80 MEMBERS = 5 extra chapters on all stories for supporters!
👻 P - Walnutchan