According to the information gathered by the Research Commission so far, Anjanath in the New World weren't all that different from those in the Old World.
At most, the richer environment of the Ancient Forest made them slightly larger.
Their diet wasn't limited to herbivores either—Jagras and even Great Jagras were also on the menu.
But the Anjanath outside right now was on a completely different level.
Not only was it huge…
It knew how to ambush.
And now, it was even camping here.
Everyone knew that Anjanath were famous for their bad tempers and extreme territorial instincts.
They never lingered in one place for long unless they were hunting.
Most of the time, Anjanath were either fighting, on their way to fight, patrolling their territory, or marking it.
They rarely stayed still to wait for prey.
So how on earth had this one managed to squat here for so long?
From a human's perspective, they were tiny compared to these giants.
Usually, monsters either killed them on a whim or chased them off if they weren't in the mood.
So why was this Anjanath going so far as to ambush and camp them?
What had they done to deserve this?
"Sigh… this is bad."
The scholar frowned.
"Master and the others went to investigate the Wildspire Waste. The Commander went deep into the forest alone."
"If reinforcements come and run into this abnormal Anjanath… they're going to have a hard time."
The First Fleet was full of elites.
But even among elites, there were levels.
Hunters like the Commander and the Swordmaster—who had once faced legendary Elder Dragons—were at the very top.
But there were only a few like that.
Most members were like Vid.
High-rank hunters who had managed, with preparation and intelligence, to take down monsters at Rathian level.
Normally, hunters of that level could fight an Anjanath.
But this one was different.
Its speed, power, and size far exceeded the norm.
Its fighting style was refined, as if honed through countless battles.
Fast. Precise. Ruthless.
No one knew how such a brute had trained itself to this extent.
Even high-rank hunters would suffer losses on their first encounter.
Escaping alive would already count as success.
For a moment, the atmosphere inside the crevice grew heavy.
High in the sky, Kael and Aki were flying side by side.
Suddenly, a red flare shot up from the forest ahead.
Kael recognized it instantly.
A Research Commission distress signal.
Over the past five years, the Commission had finally gained a foothold in the New World.
Using the Starship that had been washed onto the mountaintop, they claimed the surrounding area and built their first base.
From there, they began exploring the outskirts of the Ancient Forest and the Wildspire Waste.
Kael had never interacted with them directly.
But since his nest lay near the border between the two regions, he often saw the Starship from the air.
This wasn't the first time he had seen a distress flare either.
During the chaotic period after the Elder Dragon clash, monsters were fighting for territory everywhere.
The Commission tried to take advantage of the chaos, but their expeditions were far more dangerous.
Still, that had nothing to do with him anymore.
In this life, he was a monster.
And not just any monster—
A dangerous Rathalos.
Dangerous not only to hunters, but to himself.
After all:
"A Rathalos's tail is a rare delicacy."
"A Rathalos's ruby is a legendary collectible."
"Hunting a Rathalos is proof of a hunter's growth."
"A Rathalos's head is the finest trophy."
Rathalos were the most common high-tier flying wyverns.
They were widespread.
They were famous.
And they were hunted endlessly.
The so-called King of the Skies was often mocked as the King of the Graveyard.
Any ambitious hunter had to cross the "Rathalos wall" sooner or later.
Which meant…
Life as a Rathalos was hard.
Sigh… When will the Rath family finally stand up?
Because of that, Kael had never intended to interact with the Commission.
But this time was different.
The distress signal came from that Anjanath's territory.
And it was right along his migration route.
He didn't mind giving that brute a little trouble.
Letting out a low growl to Aki, Kael turned and descended toward the flare.
Of course, he had no intention of fighting the Anjanath head-on.
He only needed to show his face.
After all, his "relationship" with that Anjanath over the past five years hadn't been built for nothing.
In the forest, the Anjanath lay in ambush, staring at the crevice entrance.
After failing twice against Kael in the past, it had made up its mind.
No matter the size of the enemy, it would kill them completely.
It would never allow such humiliation again.
Suddenly, its heart skipped a beat.
A familiar feeling surged up.
It looked up.
And sure enough—
That damned Rathalos again!
Five years.
Do you have any idea how it had lived through these five years?
At first:
"You little brat, you dare show up again?!"
Then:
"We're neighbors… can't we just get along?"
Finally:
"Get lost, you filthy thing!"
In the beginning, Kael only occasionally flew around above it.
He would deliberately make noise during hunts to scare away prey.
Or curse at it from the sky while it patrolled.
Later, when Kael grew bigger, things escalated.
He started timing his appearances around mealtime.
Sometimes he'd spit a burst of fire.
Sometimes he'd fake a dive, then pull up at the last second.
All just to mess with its nerves.
During that period, the Anjanath was furious every single day.
If it wasn't angry, it was on its way to being angry.
On top of that, with so many predators flooding into the Ancient Forest, territory wars were constant.
Its cooling membranes barely ever got a chance to relax.
Then Kael awakened Mind's Eye.
And harassment turned into real fights.
Every now and then, he'd come down and trade blows.
After five years of this inhuman torment…
The Anjanath had been completely "trained."
Its fighting style became refined.
No more reckless charges.
Because reckless attacks couldn't hit Kael.
So now—
The moment Kael appeared…
The Anjanath stood up and turned away.
Fight him?
Couldn't hit him.
Stay?
Only to be humiliated.
So it chose the only option left.
Run.
As for those four little creatures in the crevice?
It couldn't even be bothered.
After going hungry so many times because of Kael's interference, it was already used to it.
Seeing his goal achieved, Kael didn't bother descending further.
With a flap of his wings, he rose back into the sky.
To him, this was just a small favor.
As for whether the Commission would later hunt that Anjanath…
He didn't care.
If they did, great.
If not, whatever.
What mattered was—
That Anjanath was miserable.
And that made him happy.