"That Shen Gaoren... just died like that?" Isis still found it hard to believe.
It was not that she could not accept the sudden turn from a long-awaited reunion and a touching love story to a bloody scene in which the pair stabbed each other on sight and fought over the spoils.
The real problem was... this was a colossal Monster nearly fifty meters tall, with destructive power rivaling that of many Elder Dragon species. Simply advancing was enough for it to destroy villages and towns!
Guild history contained quite a few records of Shen Gaoren being successfully repelled, but confirmed kills? There had been some, but they could certainly be counted on one hand.
Yet this Shen Gaoren, one of the largest individuals ever recorded, had died before their eyes after a battle lasting only a few minutes.
As she stared at the massive corpse lying like a fallen mountain two or three hundred meters away, she could not quite process what had happened.
"It should be well and truly dead," Morgan said as he raised his telescope for a closer look.
His voice held an unmistakable note of relief and elation. "The breath attack burned straight through its chest and head. Flames were spraying from the gaps in its carapace, and they still haven't completely gone out.
"Even a Carapaceon renowned for its tenacious vitality couldn't survive with its insides burned away.
"Look, that Teppeki Shen Gaoren is tearing open its abdomen with its pincer, and it isn't reacting at all. What more proof do we need?"
To Morgan, this Shen Gaoren was the enemy that had tried to destroy his hometown.
Its swift death was wonderful news for both him and Manti Town!
The Professor, however, was focused on something else.
Unaccustomed to using a camera, he rapidly sketched the scene before him with a pen as he murmured, "The Teppeki Shen Gaoren isn't rushing to eat the base-species Shen Gaoren's flesh. That means they weren't fighting over food.
"So it was after the shell after all?
"A Shen Gaoren's body continues to grow throughout its long life, and that Jhen Mohran skull could no longer accommodate its frame.
"A larger Lao-Shan Lung skull with even greater heat resistance would be the best possible replacement.
"Seen that way, it's easy to understand why the Teppeki Shen Gaoren challenged and attacked that base-species individual.
"But why did the base-species Shen Gaoren deliberately seek out Lone Species such as Guren or Teppeki Shen Gaoren? What is it about them that attracts it?"
"Could it be for energy?" Erik suggested quietly.
As the Professor's student, he knew far more than the average scholar.
"It's already extremely difficult for colossal organisms to satisfy their energy needs by preying on other creatures, and a Shen Gaoren's body simply isn't built for predation.
"This base-species Shen Gaoren is already approaching the known growth limit of its species. If it wants to keep growing, it may desperately need a more powerful and stable source of energy."
"You mean, like a Gravios?" Altaïr joined the discussion with interest. "Using special bacteria to convert minerals such as rock directly into nutrients it can absorb?" (This follows Monster Hunter biology.)
"Well, something like that, but not quite. That Teppeki Shen Gaoren is like a living volcano, isn't it? It contains tremendous energy and heat, far beyond anything it could accumulate simply by feeding.
"In fact, similar colossal creatures have appeared in the New World too..."
"Erik!" the Professor snapped, cutting him off.
"Ah!" Erik covered his mouth under the Professor's stern glare. "Sorry, I forgot that was classified information.
"If you're interested, wait until you're promoted to High Rank. This information is available to High Rank Hunters!"
Altaïr shrugged. He had a thirst for knowledge, but his curiosity was not insatiable.
What he did not say was that he could roughly guess Erik was referring to a colossal Elder Dragon species called "Zorah Magdaros." He had seen the name in the handwritten notes left to Isis by her parents.
Although Master Amos had given them a redacted transcription, he had not removed every single line concerning Elder Dragons.
The name alone, "the Dragon that Carries a Volcano," told Altaïr quite a bit.
While the Hunters and scholars discussed subjects both related and unrelated, the Teppeki Shen Gaoren finally used its remaining pincer to slowly separate the enormous Lao-Shan Lung skull from its fellow's corpse.
It then dragged the heavy Lao-Shan Lung skull a short distance away from the body.
Its four legs bent, and its entire body "squatted" until its chest nearly touched the ground.
In this posture, it suddenly looked much smaller, and its tiny abdomen, oddly proportioned compared with its head, appeared almost comical.
It circled around behind the skull, turned, and backed into it one step at a time, forcing its abdomen into the giant cranium, which still held traces of its fellow's flesh.
At first, its movements were slow and labored. The hill-sized skull did not budge and seemed impossibly heavy.
It repeatedly twisted its body as though driving in a screw, gradually forcing its entire abdomen and part of its chest and head into the Lao-Shan Lung skull. The skull shifted twice, but the Teppeki Shen Gaoren still could not freely open and close the skull's jaws.
The Teppeki Shen Gaoren continued to writhe as it adjusted to the new shell on its back.
"Daimyo Hermitaur and Shogun Ceanataur use acidic secretions to partially dissolve muscle tissue and form a semipermanent bond with the snail shells or bones behind them. This creates a secure connection and allows them to control the shell.
"As a fellow Carapaceon, Shen Gaoren should do something similar. The process is painful and complex, so it should take some time," the Professor explained.
Isis watched in amazement. "Oh, I thought it was like putting on armor. You just slip it on, and you're done."
"Don't you still have to fasten your armor with buckles and straps?" Altaïr asked in amusement.
"Hmm, good point!"
The Teppeki Shen Gaoren's intermittent shrieks and the constant twitching and trembling of its feelers made it clear just how painful the process was. It did not stop moving until more than an hour later, when it finally went still as though utterly exhausted.
After a brief rest, it began to move again, and the Lao-Shan Lung skull on its back produced a series of clacking sounds.
The scholars immediately fell silent and focused intently on observing and recording the Teppeki Shen Gaoren's next actions.
The Hunters steadied their breathing and loosened their joints as well.
Although the base-species Shen Gaoren, the main threat, was dead, no one knew what the Teppeki Shen Gaoren would do next.
They had to be ready.
Just then, the Lao-Shan Lung skull on the Teppeki Shen Gaoren's back slowly opened its mouth. Its movements were still somewhat stiff at first, but as the Monster continued to adapt and make adjustments, the jaws opened and closed with increasing ease.
If the withered yellow bones had not lost every trace of flesh to the passage of time, they might almost have given the illusion of being alive.
"It's already adapted to its new skull," the Professor said softly.
As if to confirm the Professor's judgment, the Teppeki Shen Gaoren slowly straightened its body.
Because the Lao-Shan Lung skull was visibly larger than its previous Jhen Mohran skull, the Teppeki Shen Gaoren now appeared somewhat taller.
"It should head back to its nest in the volcano's core area now, right?" Isis said lightly. "We don't have to worry about the defensive operation anymore. Mission accomplished!"
The Teppeki Shen Gaoren remained upright and motionless for a long while, as though resting.
Several more minutes passed. A dark red glow like molten lava gradually appeared between the plates of its carapace.
The light flickered within the hollow eye sockets of the Lao-Shan Lung skull, fading and flaring as though two dark red eyes had come alive.
The Teppeki Shen Gaoren slowly turned and began to walk.
The Hunters' expressions changed in alarm.
Northeast... That was the direction of Manti Town.