Throughout the long history of human society, pioneers who could enlighten the masses and lead their entire race away from ignorance toward progress have always been revered.
They were even elevated to altars and honored as saints.
Truth be told, Asterion felt that what he was doing right now could easily qualify him as a saint—or rather, a Holy Dragon. He didn't even need other dragons to worship him or crown him as a Holy Dragon or Dragon God; he was simply that selfless.
Truly moving, enough to bring tears to one's eyes.
..
At this very moment, Asterion stood on all fours, enveloped at the heart of a swirling vortex of energy. He was continuously channeling the near-infinite Safi-attribute bio-energy from within his body into the Elder's Recess, sending it surging down through the massive crystalline mountain ranges.
What he desired was for every ordinary living creature across the entire New World to evolve, stripping away the primal ignorance embedded in their bones. He wanted to liberate those beasts—who for generations knew nothing but hunting, reproducing, and slaughtering each other—from their low-level shackles.
Yes, even the mighty apex monsters of their respective territories, like the Rathalos, Rathian, or Diablos, were nothing more than wild beasts in Asterion's eyes. No matter how powerful their combat capabilities were, they still couldn't escape their most base physiological desires. He wanted to sharpen their minds, grant them the capacity for logical thought, and make them understand what higher desires felt like.
He even envisioned that over the long eons to come, all life in the New World would evolve its own unique personalities, preferences, and even social hierarchies—until ultimately, a civilized society belonging entirely to monsters would rise across this wild continent.
A kingdom of dragons!
Just sketching this grand and beautiful vision of the future in his mind sent Asterion into a state of high euphoria. Combining his human life and his dragon life together, this was the first time he had ever felt such a tangible sense of accomplishment from actively changing the world, knowing he was undertaking an exceptionally meaningful endeavor.
It was precisely for this indescribable sense of fulfillment that Asterion, having successfully evolved into a Forbidden Species, didn't slow down to enjoy life or have the Palico (Sparky) he had raised for so long serve him. Instead, he immediately threw himself into his work without a moment's rest, acting like an absolute model worker.
..
However, the intense energy fluctuations preceding this evolutionary leap were nothing short of a cataclysm for the original ecosystem of the Elder's Recess.
The crystals throughout the entire Elder's Recess were resonating wildly. The weaker, ordinary monsters near the middle and bottom of the food chain completely lost the ferocity they usually displayed when fighting over territory. Roaring in terror, they scurried back to their dens, trembling with anxiety and praying their nests wouldn't collapse from the tremors and bury them alive.
Meanwhile, the more powerful winged monsters decisively abandoned their territories, fleeing out of the Elder's Recess under the cover of night. They wanted nothing more than to distance themselves from this increasingly unsafe region and escape the source of danger.
As for those who were accustomed to acting like tyrants on a regular basis and possessed immense confidence in their own strength... well, take the native Bazelgeuse population of the Elder's Recess, for instance. They were clearly infuriated by this foreign energy.
Several massive Bazelgeuse looked so enraged that their heads seemed to swell a few sizes larger, faintly emitting a dangerous red glow. Unwilling to wait even a moment, they charged directly against the stampede of fleeing monsters, heading straight for the epicenter of the energy fluctuations to see exactly what was going on.
Without a doubt, for these monsters that had long adapted to the original ecosystem of the Elder's Recess, the high-density Safi-attribute energy Asterion was forcibly releasing made them profoundly uncomfortable and deeply unsuited. Even breathing caused a dull, stinging pain in their nasal cavities.
Yet, even when the furious Bazelgeuse tracked down the source and saw the figure enveloped within the pillar of light, they lost their nerve and didn't dare to blindly rush forward. Even monsters as stubborn, impulsive, and fearless as Bazelgeuse could clearly perceive that the creature ahead was different. It wasn't like the Elder Dragons they usually fought with over food.
It was an absolute crushing of their existential plane. From the moment his evolution finished until now, Asterion had never suppressed his aura as a Forbidden Species. It was an unreasonable, suffocating pressure, as if something were pressing down directly onto their spines, making it difficult for the Bazelgeuse to even initiate an attack.
In fact, Asterion didn't care about these brethren of his Bazelgeuse buddy at all. Only his Bazelgeuse buddy was special; these wild Bazelgeuse were far lacking in both strength and intelligence. What truly piqued his curiosity now was how the Elder Dragons—who also inhabited the Elder's Recess and considered themselves the supreme rulers—would react.
This is an absolute provocation, isn't it? Show me your backbone!
..
Needless to say, the first to bear the brunt was naturally Kushala Daora. The Kushala Daora population in the New World didn't consist entirely of outsiders who had migrated from the Old World. There was a population of native Kushala Daora that had nested for generations atop the highest crystalline spires of the Elder's Recess—having kicked the Bazelgeuse out of what was originally their territory. They were the true, long-standing residents here.
Asterion actually shared quite a history with the Kushala Daora.
Additionally, thanks to the Elder's Recess's staggering energy density and the unique volcanic terrain formed by deep crustal movements, the Elder Dragon couple, Teostra and Lunastra, viewed this place as the perfect natural incubator and nursery. From a biological standpoint, during periods of lactation and nesting, protective parents often see their aggression and volatility spike exponentially.
So the question arose: was the indiscriminate, intense Safi-attribute radiation and energy shockwave that Asterion was currently releasing a fatal threat to the Teostra and Lunastra couple's unhatched or freshly hatched offspring?
Those who knew, knew.
"Roar!!"
Sure enough, on a hillside about a hundred meters away from Asterion, several behemoths enveloped in red and purple powder were pacing back and forth anxiously. They were basically just cute giant cats, though their roars were filled with pure hostility and warnings. More than one pair of Teostra and Lunastra had arrived. Normally, if they encountered other pairs, they would fight among themselves, but today's situation was unique; all of their hatred was locked onto Asterion.
The sharp, protruding rocks and hardened energy crystals beneath his feet had long been scoured into flat ground or pulverized into dust by the energy currents Asterion unleashed. Asterion's staggeringly massive frame was half-hidden within the violent, ghostly blue torrents of energy, looming like a specter. The approaching Elder Dragons couldn't get a clear look at his entire form, but they could deeply feel the explosive power contained within that body.
Yet, Elder Dragons were Elder Dragons after all. Beyond their base strength being superior to ordinary creatures, their remarkably high intelligence was the key reason they could stand before Asterion in the first place. They possessed the sheer willpower to overcome this bloodline-level oppression, at least ensuring they wouldn't collapse weakly to the ground, unable to fight, upon their first meeting.
Even so, the Teostra and Lunastra couples could easily sense that this unknown dragon before them possessed power far exceeding their own. It was a jarring disparity dictated by their difference in existential tiers. It deeply unsettled these Elder Dragons—who possessed mature cognitive faculties and viewed ordinary monsters as mere beasts—because in front of this creature, they were the ones who felt like beasts.
Whoosh—Boom!!
The one-sided standoff shattered in an instant. Females protecting their young were often far less patient and much more extreme than males, and Lunastra, whose temper was already more volatile than Teostra's, could no longer hold back.
Rearing back, she violently flapped her wings forward. Countless blue and purple dust particles swirled into a howling sphere and hurled toward Asterion. This opening strike was so ferocious and its explosive speed so blinding that the Teostra standing beside her, who was still evaluating the situation, didn't even have time to extend a claw to stop her.
Boom!!
The dust of both Teostra and Lunastra was highly explosive. Blue-purple flames, mingled with the concussive force of the detonation, poured toward Asterion. However, dozens of meters away from him, it was as if they struck an invisible wall, completely unable to advance any further.
Asterion didn't even need to take any specific action to respond. The Safi-attribute energy, radiating outward in continuous pulses, violently tore apart the structure of the dust fireball, instantly swallowing the flames into a sea of energy without leaving so much as a ripple.
Although the strike failed, it made all the spectating Elder Dragons realize just how absurdly powerful Asterion was. The Teostra tried to restrain his volatile mate, only for Lunastra to raise her forepaw and smack him right across the side of his head, causing the male dragon to stagger and nearly fall over.
"Roar!" (Stop!!)
Lunastra roared, the blue flames across her body flaring up violently as she lowered her limbs, looking ready to risk her life in a reckless charge at any second.
But so what? Asterion wasn't a Teostra, and there was absolutely no way he would be intimidated by her.
The grand work he was executing wouldn't stop just because a few Elder Dragons registered a protest. Consequently, far from intending to cease, Asterion accelerated the perpetual motion engine within his body as if in direct response to her defiance, instantly ramping the output of his Safi energy up another tier.
This was far more direct than any roar. Lunastra instantly flew into a blind rage, poised to spring forward the next second to show Asterion exactly who she was dealing with. But before she could blindly rush in, accompanied by the piercing screech of tearing air currents, two grey-black tempests crashed down from above the clouds—who else could it be but Kushala Daora?
..
In truth, the Kushala Daora nesting on the highest peak of the Elder's Recess had been the very first to notice Asterion's arrival. After all, that blue comet had been far too dazzling, and his presence far too arrogant; they had only held back out of pure caution.
The leading Kushala Daora, slightly larger with scales of a dull silver, landed firmly atop a crystal formation pointing toward the heavens like a giant sword. The pitch-black tempests swirling around his body dissipated slightly as he stared down at Asterion. It wasn't an illusion; he felt this monster's eyes were strangely familiar, yet for the life of him, he couldn't recall where he had seen them before.
That gaze—far more expressive and intelligent than that of almost any other monster—was incredibly striking.
Yet, he still failed to recognize him. Asterion, on the other hand, recognized this Kushala Daora at a single glance!
Even though many years had passed and the creature had clearly grown, this guy was absolutely the culprit who had brought catastrophic storms and mudslides to the southern regions of the Wildspire Waste all those years ago! He was also the very creature that had given Asterion his first direct, profound realization of what the "Might of an Elder Dragon" truly meant after reincarnating into this world!
Over fifty years ago, it was this exact Kushala Daora that had engaged in an earth-shattering battle in the Wildspire Waste to see off an ancient Kushala Daora crossing the sea from the Old World. If not for that event, Asterion might never have found the opportunity to bridge the vast chasm between ordinary monsters and Elder Dragons!
Looking at it from this perspective, aside from sharing a small personal grudge, this Kushala Daora was almost like his benefactor.
Well, well, well, my dear benefactor... It's been years. I've missed you terribly!
Asterion gnashed his teeth in anticipation.
A dragon's perspective, aesthetics, and identification systems were completely different from those of humans. In the eyes of human scholars, two Kushala Daora of similar size, age, and development were practically cast from the same mold; they could only be barely distinguished by logging unique old scars on their bodies or analyzing their flight and combat habits.
But in the eyes of dragons, even two individuals of the same species possessed highly distinct identifying traits. Let alone two dragons from entirely different species—telling them apart was incredibly easy.
This was why Asterion could recognize this Kushala Daora immediately, and also why the Kushala Daora couldn't recognize Asterion. After all, compared to fifty years ago, Asterion's appearance had completely transformed.
Not only had his back grown two... well, two strangely structured and complex wings, but his small, weak forelimbs had also turned into properly robust, powerful limbs. Even the shape of his skull had been thoroughly remodeled—he had essentially swapped out his entire head.
To make matters worse, his greatsword-like tail—the most iconic feature from his days as a Glavenus—had completely discarded its standard form. From head to toe, barely anything remained of his old self. The only thing that truly hadn't changed was his eyes.
The way a creature looks at the world is a remarkably difficult thing to change.
"Roar!!" (We meet again!)
Completely discarding his previously aloof, indifferent attitude toward the Teostra and Lunastra couple, Asterion suddenly threw back his head and roared directly at the Kushala Daora's line, catching the Elder Dragon completely off guard.
Wait, who even are you?
Are we close?
"Roar?" (Have we met?)
Wanting to ask directly, the Kushala Daora perched on the crystal tilted his head slightly and let out a low growl from his throat. After all, given this monster's absurd physical proportions, visually striking features, and uniquely specific energy, he absolutely would not forget them under normal circumstances if they had met even once.
Yet he truly couldn't recall. ...Wait, did you get the wrong dragon?
————
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