The arrival of an Elder Dragon had driven away almost every creature nearby.
Of course, there were always exceptions—reckless fools and absolute monsters that refused to leave. But right now, with Kushala Daora dominating the area…
Didn't that mean no large monsters would appear on the surface?
Su Yi's eyes lit up instantly.
"…Isn't this the PERFECT farming opportunity?!"
"Lulu!"
"This is our moment!"
"As long as Kushala stays there…"
Lulu glanced toward the plains, then her eyes widened.
"Then we can explore freely without worrying about big monsters, nya!"
"Exactly!"
Su Yi spread his arms dramatically.
"Ancient Forest—ZERO-COST LOOT RUN!"
"WOOHOO!!"
Avoiding the storm-covered plains, Su Yi moved along the coastal cliff path heading north.
"Jackpot!"
He crouched beneath dense trees, quickly stuffing handfuls of mushrooms into storage—specialty mushrooms, rare glowing fungi, even moonlit spores.
The storm had done its job well.
Heavy rainfall, fallen debris, and rich nutrients had turned the forest into a burst of life overnight.
"Elder Dragons really are part of nature…" Su Yi muttered. "They destroy… and they nurture."
Balance.
Further ahead, a collapsed slope caught his attention.
"…A landslide?"
Then he saw it.
"…Ore vein."
Light glinted from exposed rock.
Su Yi grinned. "Jackpot x2."
He raised his pickaxe and swung.
Clang.Clang.
…
"…Yeah, no."
He tossed it aside immediately.
"Who still mines like this?!"
He pulled out a Poké Ball.
"Come out—Great Jagras!"
The massive reptilian beast appeared with a roar.
"Use Dragon Claw on that vein."
"ROAR!"
CRASH!!
The rock shattered instantly, ore raining down around them.
"Beautiful…"
Su Yi nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright—next worker. Come out, Kulu!"
"Use Scratch—full power mining mode!"
"Gaaah?!"
(Kulu protested.)
"…Fine," Su Yi sighed. "I'll take you to steal Rathalos eggs later."
"GAH!!"
Instant motivation.
The results were overwhelming.
Iron Ore.Earth Crystals.Machalite.Light Crystals.
"…This is insane."
Su Yi smiled.
"Time to upgrade your gear soon, Lulu."
"Flame Burst!"
"Ji!"
Honey was collected efficiently.
"Net—deploy!"
Thunderbugs were captured.
Plants, fruits, insects, spores—everything was gathered without resistance.
No monsters.
No danger.
It was basically a free supermarket run.
"…Wait."
Su Yi suddenly stopped.
"Too many plants…"
"…This area…"
"…Isn't this Poison Wyvern territory?"
Pukei-Pukei.
Its feeding habits, its seed dispersal—this kind of lush environment was its signature.
"…So the nest should be nearby."
Climbing up the vines, Su Yi reached a hidden ledge.
Feathers.
Matching traces.
Scoutflies glowed faintly.
"Found you."
He marked the location, a grin spreading across his face.
"…I'll come back later."
He climbed even higher, reaching a massive nest in the canopy.
Bones were scattered around—
But it was empty.
"…Of course."
Rathalos wasn't careless.
Even Kulu failed to find anything.
"…Tch."
Su Yi clicked his tongue.
Then—
A silver shadow rose from the storm below.
"…OH SH*T—"
"KUSHALA'S COMING UP HERE TOO?!"
"RUN!!"