"So... we actually won?"
Leaning heavily on his Great Sword just to stay upright, the Field Team Leader stared at Mirrorblade in a daze. "We're victorious? Partner?"
"ROAARRR!!"
Raising his head high, Mirrorblade let out a deafening roar to assert his dominance. In this moment, he was the true King of this territory—the undisputed victor of the Turf War.
The particles of Hades energy crystals floating in the air, no longer under Mirrorblade's control, had completely settled onto the ground. They emitted a sharp crunching sound when stepped upon, making one instinctively lighten their stride for fear of triggering some catastrophic reaction.
However, Sparky was running toward them quite cheerfully on all fours. Since he was wearing boots on his hind paws and gloves on his front, he didn't care about the crystals. He sprinted from the distance, leaping excitedly into the air as he ran.
"We won, meow!! It's safe now, meow!! Allen is okay too, meow!!"
"Yeah!" the Field Team Leader called out in response, a smile finally breaking across his face. "As long as everyone's okay. That's all that matters."
He tried to drag his Great Sword forward, but even taking two steps proved difficult. Giving up, he tossed the weapon onto the ground and stumbled over to Mirrorblade's side. Man and dragon stood together, gazing down at the massive carcass of the Blue-fied Espinas.
"This really is a big one," the Field Team Leader couldn't help but marvel. "The scholars are going to be thrilled, aren't they? I just hope they can find the source of this 'Blue-fication' phenomenon soon. There's no way this is the only Large Monster affected by it. If we don't find a solution, the investigation is only going to get harder..."
"Grrr."
Mirrorblade let out a low rumble. It wasn't the kind of roar that needed a Palico's translation; the Field Team Leader was mostly talking to himself, and Mirrorblade was lost in his own thoughts.
Mirrorblade... was thinking.
He thought about this Blue-fied Espinas, about the final transformation that occurred during the heat of battle, and why he had suddenly gained the ability to manipulate Hades energy. Most importantly, he wondered why this specific energy felt so right—as if a void within his body had finally been filled. It was a sense of satisfaction, as if this power had been a part of him since birth.
He couldn't wrap his head around it, yet he felt a strange, intuitive connection. Somehow, his thoughts drifted to his father, Asterion... Could it be related to him?
He recalled the scholars' research reports on his father. Asterion's growth patterns involved massive physical mutations at every stage of development, almost as if he were turning into a different species entirely. Mirrorblade had never exhibited those traits himself.
But then he thought deeper: Hadn't the Blue-fication phenomenon first appeared right after his father returned to the Ancient Forest?
And after only a few sightings, Asterion had burrowed into a deep hole and disappeared from everyone's sight. No one knew what he was doing down there... Could it really be him?
Mirrorblade's heart felt heavy.
The Ancient Forest, Forward Research Base
Originally, this place was merely an exploration camp that could barely hold two hunter squads. Once the formal investigation into the Blue-fication phenomenon began, it was designated as the Forward Research Base. As Astera and the Glavenus Tribe became formal allies, the demand for investigation skyrocketed over the past two years, leading to multiple expansions of the facility.
By now, the Forward Research Base had begun to take on the appearance of Astera in its early days. Unlike the Wildspire Waste, the Ancient Forest had no shortage of timber. Wooden structures were quick and convenient to assemble.
There was a Smithy, a Resource Center, and living quarters... though most of the buildings were wooden shacks used by scholars to store blue plants and animal specimens. Some of these labs were already three stories high.
Under normal circumstances, the base wouldn't be crowded with hunters and scholars at the same time. Everyone was usually too busy—returning only to submit reports and rest briefly before heading back out. Today, however, was an exception.
"Make way! Make way! Watch out!"
"Put some muscle into it! Prop the gate higher! Forget it, just tear the frame down. This thing is way too huge!"
"You're telling me! Isn't this the first fully Blue-fied Large Monster we've ever found? Do you guys even recognize this thing?"
"No idea. We don't have monsters like this on the islands back home. It's too cool!"
Everyone in the base had poured out to watch. Combined with those who had been recalled on emergency orders, the entrance was completely jammed. Everyone wanted a glimpse of the first Large Blue-fied monster, especially since it was a species many had never seen before.
After the SOS signal was sent, the Field Team Leader and his squad were quickly carried back to the base by Carts. They had already received preliminary treatment—bottles of Mega Potions and Max Potions were being poured into them, desperately trying to replenish their depleted stamina in seconds.
Domesticated Aptonoth became the hunters' best helpers for moving heavy loads. It was thanks to these hardworking herbivores that the carcass of the Blue-fied Espinas was successfully transported back to the base—only for the hunters to realize the gate was too low to pull it through.
"It must have been a ordeal for you all to hunt such a powerful creature." Standing on a high platform with the Field Team Leader, the Commander patted his grandson's shoulder with pride, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Well done!"
"Actually, we mostly relied on my Partner's power. We didn't help all that much," the Field Team Leader said, shaking his head in shame. "If it wasn't for him stepping up, we definitely would have had to retreat."
"There's no need to dismiss your own efforts or those of the others. Mirrorblade was indeed the primary force in this battle, but you played your part as well," the Commander said, shaking his head slightly. "I've seen the battlefield. It was a grueling fight. If we relied solely on the strength of hunters, I don't know how many sacrifices it would have taken to overcome that thing."
"Yeah." At this, the Field Team Leader's gaze softened. He turned to look toward a corner of the base—Mirrorblade's private resting area. His partner was curled up there, sleeping soundly, a large snot bubble expanding and contracting at the tip of his nose.
A few Wyverian scholars were gathered around Mirrorblade. They didn't disturb him, choosing instead to observe from a distance. They discussed the eerie blue crystals attached to Mirrorblade's tail blade, whispering snatches of conversation like "Acidic Glavenus" and "Mother and Son."
"It's all thanks to my Partner." The Field Team Leader couldn't remember how many times he had said that, but he couldn't help the sentiment.
"He is indeed reliable. We must thank him properly," the Commander nodded. "Speaking of which, the Thunderlord Zinogre you described fighting the Blue-fied Espinas has been found."
"Blue-fied Espinas?" The Field Team Leader caught the name immediately, momentarily forgetting about the Thunderlord. "That monster... it's called an Espinas?"
"That's right," the Commander said seriously. "While you were unconscious, we went through a vast amount of data. A newly arrived scholar happened to have seen a report on this creature. It's a species discovered only a few years ago, inhabiting the Frontier's Great Forest. It's known as the 'Lord of the Great Forest.'"
"Lord of the Great Forest..." the Field Team Leader muttered. "No wonder it appeared in the Ancient Forest... Is it an Elder Dragon?"
"No, at least it can't manipulate the weather at will like a true Elder Dragon," the Commander replied. "According to the reports, the Espinas is the absolute apex predator of the Great Forest. Its ancestors even engaged in long-term Turf Wars with Elder Dragons living there, eventually winning and claiming the forest for themselves."
"That powerful?" The Field Team Leader was momentarily stunned. "So even if it isn't an Elder Dragon, it has the combat prowess to rival one... no wonder Mirrorblade struggled so much."
"He paid a price, too," the Commander sighed. "With Mirrorblade's permission, the scholars collected some of his blood and a few scales from his tail that were covered in Hades energy crystals."
"Is he going to be okay?!" the Field Team Leader asked anxiously. "That's right, he was infected by that Hades energy too! Look at that Blue-fied Espinas—the crystals grew right into its flesh. I can't imagine the pain. I suspect it was so aggressive and frenzied because of the infection. Will my Partner—"
"Calm down!" the Commander barked. "You are the Field Team Leader. You must remain composed at all times in front of others. You cannot panic!"
The Commander held high expectations for his grandson, hoping he would one day take over the leadership of Astera. Because of this, he was often quite strict.
"Yes, sir. My apologies," the Field Team Leader said, reflexively straightening his back and taking a deep breath. "Then... what about him?"
"According to the scholars, although Mirrorblade refused a more invasive examination, external observations show his body hasn't undergone any malformation. Aside from fatigue and hunger, he remains very strong," the Commander said, looking somewhat puzzled. "In fact, he's starting to resemble an Acidic Glavenus. He can freely condense heavy Hades energy crystals on his tail and manipulate the loose crystals around him. Considering these traits, the current Mirrorblade is starting to look like—"
"An Elder Dragon?" the Field Team Leader asked eagerly, genuinely happy for his partner.
"Something like that," the Commander nodded. "Provided that other Blue-fied Large Monsters don't display similar abilities."
"The Blue-fied Espinas... it didn't seem to have an attack like that," the Field Team Leader recalled. "Oh, right—what about the Thunderlord?"
"Dead," the Commander said shortly. "The carcass was found about forty kilometers from your battlefield."
"Dead?" The Field Team Leader's eyes widened. "It looked perfectly healthy when it fled! I mean, it was injured, but its movements were still fast and powerful. The cause of death? Was it ambushed by another monster?"
"Natural causes," the Commander said grimly. "No wounds from other monsters were found on the body, and it hadn't been scavenged. When they performed the necropsy, the scholars found a massive amount of Hades energy crystal spikes inside its body. The longest was over a meter."
"The sharp spikes shredded the Thunderlord's internal organs, eventually causing it to bleed out in agony... The hunters sent to the scene said the Thunderlord died with great resentment. It was clear it had gone on a rampage before death, attacking everything around it—even the rocks."
"Energy spikes... was that an attack from the Blue-fied Espinas?" The Field Team Leader frowned. "I remember the battle; the Espinas never hit the Thunderlord's vitals. Most of the wounds were superficial... Could the Hades energy have self-replicated inside the Thunderlord?"
"The scholars think so too," the Commander finally managed a small smile. "They believe the Blue-fied Espinas's attacks carry Hades energy as a form of 'special damage.' Once this energy enters a normal monster's body, it absorbs their life force to self-replicate. I know what you're going to ask—Mirrorblade was injured too, but there was no trace of Hades energy left in his wounds, and he shows no signs of abnormality or discomfort."
"We have to keep investigating," the Commander exhaled. "At the very least, we need to know if the changes in Mirrorblade are common among all Blue-fied monsters. Now that you're awake, once the Espinas is fully moved to the labs, you'll be responsible for gathering the hunters for a briefing."
"Understood. A meeting regarding the Blue-fied Espinas?" the Field Team Leader asked.
"More or less," the Commander said, shaking his head slightly. "At least everyone needs to understand what's happening... before more Blue-fied Large Monsters appear."
"Do you all understand 'Evolution'?"
The spacious wooden meeting hall was packed. A Wyverian scholar wearing a traditional pointed hat stood at the front, speaking eloquently.
"It can also be called 'Adaptation.' It refers to the change in the heritable traits of biological populations over successive generations. When the natural environment changes, monsters often evolve new wonders or alter their physical characteristics to adapt."
"I assume you've all seen the carcass of the Thunderlord brought back to base? 'Thunderlord' is just a special designation for certain Zinogre; fundamentally, it is still a Zinogre. If any of you have hunted a Zinogre before, think back: when a Zinogre is idle, doesn't it always keep the ring finger and pinky of its front paws curled up?"
As he explained, the Wyverian scholar mimicked the gesture, curling his fingers into a delicate pose.
"I think... I remember that?" A hunter wearing Tobi-Kadachi armor scratched his head. "Is there something wrong with that posture?"
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