Undoubtedly, this was the token of gratitude Asterion had left for the Sword Master years ago.
It hadn't been forged into equipment; instead, it had been meticulously polished and preserved as a collector's item.
"Whoa..." Looking at the piece of shell, Sparky's eyes were practically sparkling. The cat leaned in close and asked, "I know what this is, meow! The shamans in my tribe say my history grades were super good, meow! Legend says that when the Dragon God first met our tribe, his shell was exactly this color, meow!!"
"This texture, this sense of age... Whoa... Can we trade, meow?! I can give you so many treasures for it, meow! Golden pearl statues, anything you want, meow!! Trade? Trade? Trade, meow?!"
"Not a chance!" Seeing Sparky's claws sinking into the edge of the shell, the Sword Master's expression changed—or rather, his aura beneath the helmet shifted. With a swift tug, he reclaimed the shell and tucked it back into his robes at lightspeed.
"Curse you, meow!" Sparky pouted with a look of pure indignation, but then a bulb lit up over his head. "Master, do you need someone to bring you tea or water, meow?! You're getting pretty old, aren't you, meow? I'm very smart, meow! I can take care of you, meow!"
"Entirely unnecessary, thank you!" Though his face was hidden, the Sword Master's voice betrayed a hint of exasperation. He snapped back, "I've got plenty of years left in me!"
Hahahaha!
The exchange between the man and the cat sent the hunters into fits of laughter. Sparky's ulterior motives were so transparent that they managed to thin the heavy, serious atmosphere that had filled the council room just moments before.
"Anyway, don't go causing trouble, meow. Everything else is negotiable, but the Dragon God is strictly off-limits, meow." Scratching his blue belly, Sparky gave one final warning. Once he received the Commander's personal guarantee, he departed; he already had a hunting date with some other Grimalkynes.
"So, what do we do now?" the Field Team Leader asked, looking toward his grandfather. "Are we truly stopping the investigation into the Blueification phenomenon?"
"Whether it's the Guild's direct orders or the original purpose of the Elder Dragon Observation Effort, our goal has always been to uncover the secrets of the Elder Dragons and explore the New World," the Commander said serenely. "Under that premise, and according to the instructions from the Kingdom and the Guild, we avoid conflict unless there is an irreconcilable contradiction—for instance, if the behavior of local sentient beings leads to ecological collapse or severe environmental destruction."
"Otherwise, the Commission should do its utmost to avoid conflict with the New World's native sentient species. We must respect their cultures and customs, conducting our research on Elder Dragons and the continent through mutual aid and cooperation."
In this world, though humans did not sit at the absolute top of the food chain—nor were they the most numerous dominant species—they suffered immense losses due to monster activity. They were often powerless against the might of Elder Dragons; from destroyed villages to fallen kingdoms, tragedy could strike at any moment.
Yet, despite this, the humans and demi-humans of this world held a profound reverence for monsters and nature. At the same time, they miraculously viewed themselves as the "Maintainers of Ecological Balance."
They would assess the population balance of various monsters in a region and regularly dispatch hunters to cull those whose numbers grew excessive. If an invasive species appeared and threatened the local ecosystem, hunters would move in to eliminate the interloper and restore stability—provided, of course, that the interloper wasn't too strong for them to handle.
It was a delicate, subtle role.
"Don't overthink it." The Commander smiled and patted the Field Team Leader on the shoulder. "We are official allies with the Glavenus Tribe. Naturally, we won't do anything to jeopardize that unity."
"Besides, this isn't even our cross to bear," the Wyverian scholar chimed in, pushing up his glasses with a chuckle. "Who could possibly be more curious about what is happening to their own body than Mirrorblade himself?"
"The partner?" the Field Team Leader realized.
"In any case, let us suspend the investigation into the Blueification phenomenon for now." Looking around the room, the Commander issued his orders. "The appearance of the Blueified Espinas was a signal. We can expect more Blueified large monsters to appear soon. Given the current frequency of injuries and even fatalities among our ranks, we cannot afford to continue this specific lead."
"Understood," the Wyverian scholar nodded. "Should we transport the materials from the base back to Astera? We can send them back to the Old Continent along with the research papers."
"No rush," the Commander said, waving a hand. "This is a suspension, not a cancellation. And besides, I have good news for everyone: the Fifth Fleet is about to depart."
"Are you serious?!"
"Fantastic! Reinforcements are finally coming?!"
"I heard the Fifth Fleet was recruited from the most elite hunters across the entire continent. They must be incredible, right?"
The Commander's announcement triggered a wave of exclamations among the gathered hunters. Although the members of the Fifth Fleet had yet to set foot on the New World, the trailblazers who had been waiting for years had already heard tall tales of their prowess.
The Commander watched the scene with satisfaction. News of the Fifth Fleet would surely comfort and inspire these weary souls, reigniting their fighting spirit.
"But Commander?" a hunter asked, raising a hand. "Wasn't the Fifth Fleet waiting for the Elder Crossing? Does this mean a new Elder Dragon is about to cross the sea?"
"Regrettably, no," the Commander replied, shaking his head slightly. "Everything regarding the Elder Dragons remains shrouded in mystery. We still don't know if the Elder Crossing phenomenon has ceased entirely or if it is merely delayed."
"Elder Dragons generally possess incredibly long lifespans, but the human lifespan is limited. The Fifth Fleet has been stationed at the port for too long. Given their capabilities, keeping them there is a massive waste of talent."
"Considering that the difficulty of the New World investigation is rising and the strength of the Blueified monsters is increasing, the Guild decided during our last communication to dispatch the entire Fifth Fleet immediately, rather than waiting for the next Elder Crossing."
"You can all look forward to it. Think about how you'll guide these lovely juniors into the New World," the Commander said with deep emotion. "Decades of accumulation... I hope they can pass through the New World like a white wind, revealing the truth of the Elder Dragons."
"Wait a moment, Commander," the Field Team Leader said curiously. "Will there be many people in the Fifth Fleet?"
"Yes, the specific numbers have been confirmed. Compared to previous fleets, the Fifth is the largest in scale and specifically gathered a massive amount of top-tier talent," the Commander said expectantly. "It was originally planned to consist of about five hundred high-ranking investigators, but after such a long wait, the roster expanded. I'm told there are over seven hundred people."
"Se-seven hundred?!" Many hunters stared at the Commander, dumbfounded. "That's more than the entire permanent population of Astera!"
"Just hearing the number makes it sound like an unstoppable force, doesn't it?" the Commander laughed. "The entire Fifth Fleet is made up of hunters chosen as one in a hundred. Among them is a group known as the 'Recommended Candidates'—specially selected by the Guild. Their strength is even greater, and the Guild has even assigned them their own Handlers... I'm truly curious to see how far they can go."
"Whoa! That sounds amazing!" a hunter shouted. "Hunters even better than the 'one-in-a-hundred' elites? That's almost impossible to imagine! Are they one-in-a-thousand warriors?"
"Who knows?" the hunter next to him joked, nudging his shoulder. "Instead of worrying about that, I'm more concerned with how to act like a dignified, competent senior. I can't exactly tell them 'I don't know' when they start asking questions, can I?"
"That's easy. Go to the scholars and read a few books. Let's see... how about starting with one whole wall of books?"
"Huh? Uh, cough! Never mind, have mercy! I really can't handle that many words."
Hahahaha!
Watching the cheerful scene in the meeting room, the Commander nodded inwardly with satisfaction. Maintaining the Commission's morale was one of his most vital responsibilities.
After dismissing the meeting, the Commander pulled the Field Team Leader aside and told him to inform Mirrorblade of the current situation.
As the Field Team Leader approached, he saw Mirrorblade lying leisurely in a corner of the base, yawning while controlling deep-blue crystal shards. The shards swirled before him, constantly assembling into various shapes. The Field Team Leader's heart felt a bit complicated.
As partners who had opened their hearts to one another, the Field Team Leader naturally knew what Mirrorblade thought of the Kushala Daora, so...
"Yo, partner?" He walked up and raised a hand in greeting. "Feeling alright?"
Asterion, sprawled within the Leyline Nest, had no idea that the Fifth Fleet had delayed its departure multiple times. Nowadays, it was difficult for him to track short-term time precisely; a simple nap or a doze could easily result in months or even years passing by.
However, Asterion wasn't worried about missing out on that "big meal" known as Zorah Magdaros. With his past experience, he knew that as long as an Elder Dragon was involved, neither the hunters nor the Grimalkynes could ignore his power. Furthermore, Asterion had specifically instructed Leaf to come down and call him when Zorah Magdaros approached the New World.
Since Leaf hadn't come down, it meant the feast hadn't arrived yet. He just had to wait patiently. Asterion was already mentally prepared for the Elder Crossing interval to lengthen; after all, Xeno'jiiva—that diligent fellow who had spent forever calling out to the aging Elder Dragons—was dead.
Nesting in progress, do not disturb.
According to Kulve Taroth, although she had no prior experience, she simply felt that the egg was about to hatch. This filled the long-waiting Asterion with anticipation. He was primarily curious about what traits this offspring would inherit from him.
Taking Mirrorblade as an example, this hatchling couldn't be exactly like him, nor could it be exactly like Kulve Taroth. Instead, it would become the pioneer of an entirely new species of Elder Dragon.
Indeed, even though the child had not yet crawled out of the shell, Asterion was certain it would start its life as an Elder Dragon—far more powerful and far luckier than he had been during his early days as a mere "Mirrorblade" variant.
Sigh, I really suffered from being born in an earlier version of the world.
As his mind wandered aimlessly, Asterion lazily surveyed the beautiful, glowing crystal clusters in the nest while listening intently for movement inside the egg. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt the egg had grown larger. Do eggs actually get bigger after being laid?
Mysterious.
Perhaps because the hatching time was near, Asterion had been hearing faint noises from within the shell over the past few days. It sounded like sharp claws scratching the inner walls. It brought out Asterion's playful side; he spent all day roaring softly, providing "prenatal education" for the little brat inside.
He told stories of what the Ancient Forest was like, what was fun to do in the Wildspire Waste, and which parts of which monsters were the tastiest... Asterion didn't know if this education was actually working; he just spoke about whatever came to mind.
Under these circumstances, when a small hole was suddenly poked through the surface of the egg from the inside out, Asterion didn't even react at first. It wasn't until Kulve Taroth looked over and let out a joyful roar that he realized the hatchling was coming out.
After being soaked in the Bio-energy Asterion released for so many years, the originally golden dragon egg no longer looked like its former self. Instead, it resembled a large, irregular hunk of crystal freshly unearthed from a mineral vein.
Under the repeated breath attacks from both Asterion and Kulve Taroth over the years, these Bio-energy crystals hadn't formed irregular jagged clusters on the egg, but they had melted and coated the shell like a thick layer of wax.
The little thing was unexpectedly strong. Logically, this shell should have been much thicker and tougher than a normal Kulve Taroth egg, yet without any outside help, it had already poked a small hole through.
Then, the movement stopped. There was no more scratching, no further cracking, and the egg stopped rocking.
When Asterion curiously pressed his massive head closer, he saw a glittering eye through the hole in the shell. It was like the reflective glow of a cat or dog's eyes in dim light, except this eye reflected a haunting, deep-blue luminescence.
It was the little one's eye. The creature didn't seem to be in a hurry to break free; instead, it lurked inside the egg, cautiously peeping at the outside world through that single hole.
"Roar." (Give it another push, you're almost out.)
Kulve Taroth let out a low rumble. She pawed at the ground, looking as though she desperately wanted to help the hatchling break the shell but was forcing herself to hold back.
The instinct hidden in her blood told her she couldn't do that. Only a hatchling that could break its own shell was a healthy one. In this process, the young dragon's bones and muscles would be mobilized for the first time. The act of breaking the egg was a developmental milestone, making the hatchling stronger and more competitive.
Crack!
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