TitoVillar
patreon
MHD Chapter 132: The Bay Claimed by Fire
🕑 Added 2025-08-20 04:27:03 +0000 UTCBelow the cliff, the roars of the Fire Wyverns echoed across the bay as they celebrated their effortless victory.
They circled around Logan in flight, both as a display of admiration for his power and a sign of respect.
Amid that atmosphere, Logan slightly raised his head, gazing at the distant horizon, and let out a roar that was no longer immature.
Then, leading the charge, he dove down, seized a giant sea fish over 7 m long, and returned to the shore. Under the Fire Wyverns’ watchful eyes, he sank his teeth into its belly, ripping away a huge bloody chunk of flesh in one pull.
Seeing this, the Fire Wyverns roared excitedly, rushing headlong toward the other fish floating belly-up on the sea’s surface, drifting with the waves.
Thus, with Logan’s first move, the victorious banquet began.
The Fire Wyverns knew that the Sea Wyverns’ retreat did not mean they had given up on this hunting ground.
After all, this was a bay—an area where the Sea Wyverns had a natural advantage. Sooner or later, they would return.
But for now, the Fire Wyverns who had won this battle would hold the dominant position in this territory.
Unless a Sea Wyvern appeared that could repel Logan—just as the Fire Wyverns had once claimed revenge by defeating a Fire Wyvern—then until the Fire Wyvern group moved on, this hunting ground would remain firmly under their control.
This could be considered one of the instinctive behaviors of monsters that lived in groups: competing for dominance over territory.
It had to be said, the fish in this bay were truly abundant, something that even surprised Logan.
He hadn’t expected the sea fish in this world to share certain habits with some fish from his previous life—gathering in warm shallows to absorb heat and regulate their low body temperatures.
That very habit had given rise to the existence of this hunting ground.
In other words, with this bay secured, the Fire Wyvern group could pass through the winter in peace, without having to worry about food.
What’s more, through this battle, Logan had managed to secure the hunting ground for the Fire Wyverns at virtually no cost, and in doing so, he seemed to have truly solidified his position as the “Fire Wyvern leader,” rather than being just one of the prominent wyverns in the group.
As the sun set in the west, the Fire Wyverns returned fully loaded, each carrying back two large fish.
Whether to feed the hatchlings and the cats, or to be stored away as provisions, these catches stirred the envy of other Fire Wyvern families.
Those families had only gone about their regular hunts that day and had not taken part in the clash at the bay. Now, seeing those massive fish one after another, their mouths watered with longing and jealousy.
With the matters of the bay settled, Logan’s days once again returned to calm.
The Fire Wyvern group, by some unspoken agreement, began taking turns. Each day, different pairs of tempered Fire Wyvern mates—or sometimes the Azure Rathalos and Pink Rathian couple—would lead teams to the bay, all to prevent the Sea Wyverns from launching a counterattack.
During this time, the Sea Wyvern group did clash with the Fire Wyverns on several occasions. Yet even with the White Sea Wyvern among them, under the relentless assaults of Fire Wyvern mates who fought without restraint, it was suppressed so thoroughly that it couldn’t even raise its head.
Outnumbered and outmatched in strength, the Sea Wyverns steadily lost ground. Before long, the bay had completely become the Fire Wyvern group’s domain. During their feeding hours, no other monsters dared to contest it, and the place settled into a surprisingly stable and harmonious rhythm.
...
At Astera, the Admiral returned travel-worn, carrying a small pouch of beast hide.
Inside were all the barbs of the Nergigante he had managed to collect during this period.
As expected, he had lost its trail once again.
Nergigante had searched for some time in the Wildspire Waste, but after failing to find any trace of an Elder Dragon, it had left reluctantly, crossing the Great Ravine and returning to the Elder’s Recess.
For the Commission, the towering cliffs of the Great Ravine were like an insurmountable barrier, cutting off any pursuit.
At present, the Admiral was unwilling to waste excessive time and effort chasing into such a barren land, where hardly any living creatures could be found. Thus, their tracking of Nergigante once more came to nothing.
The barbs of Nergigante were counted and stored away in the warehouse. After everyone had left, a hazy figure flickered faintly into view.
It cast a look—half wary, half disgusted—at the barbs stored inside the chest. Then, a long and supple tongue flicked out deftly, snatching up the day’s share of elixirs and Astera Jerky that had been set prominently on a tray.
In the next instant, Chameleos’ shadowy form vanished entirely from the warehouse.
...
“Let me tell you, the breath of the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern King is absolutely terrifying—it can make the entire sea boil.”
“Not just that. I heard the flames wrapped around its body alone can turn an entire region into a searing hot zone, no weaker than that Teostra we chased before.”
“Yeah, yeah, and with just one breath it could wipe out the entire Sea Wyvern swarm. With power like that, it feels like even an Elder Dragon wouldn’t be much beyond this level.”
“…”
The Longsword Hunter sat in the gathering hall, sipping juice and listening to the ever-more-exaggerated rumors at the dining table, feeling utterly drained.
Why hadn’t he corrected the editor back then?
Now the title of that Fire Wyvern leader had been completely changed, and its feats were getting more and more exaggerated. If this went on, before long it would become a legendary beast said to burn down the entire New World with just a flap of its wings.
He had wanted to put a stop to this, and had even publicly stated more than once that the Research Commission’s records had to be truthful—neither overly exaggerated nor belittled.
But in truth, he had underestimated just how much humans loved gossip.
Who knew what that editor had written down in her notebook, but the legend of that Fire Wyvern leader was being stretched further with every telling. His own voice carried little weight, and no matter how he explained things one day, by the next they acted as if they’d forgotten and went on inflating the wyvern’s feats again.
In the end, he had given up.
“Tired of it… whatever. I’m just a hunter. Recording data and compiling research reports isn’t my job. If the records are wrong, then so be it.”
For someone as meticulous as the Longsword Hunter, this was far from an acceptable outcome, and so he chose not to involve himself in the matter anymore.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you sitting here alone?”
The Admiral sat down beside the Longsword Hunter. Soon after, a Felyne came running over, carrying a large plate piled high with roasted meat and fresh fruit.
“Your special Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne Roast Set, meow!”
“Mmm, smells great. I’ve heard this Grimalkyne special roast doesn’t just work wonders for hunters— even Fire Wyverns that eat it can speed up their stamina recovery. Want to try some?”
The Admiral inhaled the aroma of the juicy roasted meat, smothered in a secret sauce. Just the sight of it was enough to stir anyone’s appetite.
“No, thanks. I’ve tried it before. This spicy flavor doesn’t really suit me.” The Longsword Hunter shook his head in refusal.
The Admiral didn’t insist. He simply nodded, picked up the knife and fork, and began devouring the meal in large bites.
The very first mouthful burst with a faint spiciness across his taste buds. As the meat slid down his throat, a warm surge swept from his gut to every corner of his body. It felt as though he had stepped into a field of molten lava. Heat coursed through him, and beads of sweat broke out across his forehead.
It wasn’t even that spicy, but the sensation was like becoming a Fire Wyvern himself—open his mouth, and he might just breathe fire.
“Hsshh~~ Ahh, perfect!”
No wonder Sita himself had praised the Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne chefs. With that blazing warmth flowing through him, the Admiral felt his stamina brimming and his energy surging.
They said these mutated Grimalkynes seemed to have developed a special new organ, greatly increasing their resistance to high temperatures and fire-element energy, and making them far more sensitive to energy as well.
Perhaps that was the reason they could become such excellent chefs of Palico meals.
