Ancient Dragon in Arknights

"Isn't he human?"

"A humanoid Odogaron!"

Seeing their companion threatened with their life, the two Palicoes, lacking combat experience, were momentarily at a loss. The battle between hunters and monsters has always been pure, a clash of pure strength, with no element of intrigue or trickery, and even if there were, they would be hunters' traps and tactics.

The Palicoes had never seen a monster like this that could take hostages before.

"Very well, now, I'll ask you questions. You'll answer them."

Nesario slightly opened his eyes, and light returned to his vision. Although he couldn't see everything clearly yet, at least he wasn't a headless fly anymore.

"Who are you? Where are you from? Why are you following me?"

With one hand holding the hostage and the other hand reaching out a claw towards its neck, Nesario created some distance between himself and the other two, and then began negotiations using the hostage as a tool.

"Um...we are...we are..."

The craftsman cat was very anxious. He wanted to save his follower cat, but Neltharion's question was also very sharp. Their origins were not so simple.

"We are Palicoes! We come from another world, aren't you just like us?!"

Scholar Cat is very clever. Although he encountered a mysterious force and was transported to this strange world on his first trip to the New World, he had already memorized research data on various monsters, as well as information on many ecological environments and strange creatures.

Although the person in front of me is just like any other inhabitant of this world, their pheromones can be detected by the guideflies, and they have grown claw-like blades on their hands, just like those of the Odogaron.

Clearly, the other party is definitely connected to their world.

"I'm a native Terran, but you—are you from another world? How can you prove it?"

Nesario had actually come to believe the words of the "people" in front of him. After all, he was in a situation similar to a reincarnation of a soul, so it wasn't strange that he would suddenly be transported to another world.

But Nesario was more concerned with whether there was any connection between the two.

His special circumstances of acquiring monster inheritance and abilities in his dreams wouldn't normally have had much impact on his life, but at this moment—looking at the familiar green lanterns on the waists of the kittens, Nesario felt the wall crumbling.

Could it be that everything I experienced wasn't a dream, but rather a reality experienced through some kind of special magic?

And those monsters, that unique world—they all exist.

"Well... we don't know how to prove it. But we really are from another world! Please believe us! We mean no harm."

This is what happens when you lack initiative; you can't control the direction of the conversation, and in the end, you can only rely on pleading.

But—the plea worked. Nesario hadn't intended to make things difficult for them; he just wanted to confirm a few things.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The First Base of the Terra Expedition is Established

“I will let you go, but we need to have a good talk afterwards. Don’t do anything reckless, and I won’t do anything to you.”

"Meow."

Once he was sure the little cat in his hand, which might pull out some big treasure from its pocket at any moment, was no longer moving around, Nesario gently placed it on the ground.

"This isn't a good place to talk. Let's find somewhere else. Come with me."

......

Having just finished lunch, Nesario stepped into the restaurant again, but this time, he chose a more secluded location.

The one person and three cats chose the most secluded corner spot, and Nesario even paid for their meal.

"You say you come from another world... So how did you get here? Do you remember the process?"

"We encountered a storm in the hot air balloon, the balloon crashed, and when we woke up, we were here, meow."

"I encountered a mysterious fluctuation while tracking the traces of a monster and thus passed through the gate to the world, meow."

"..."

According to subsequent conversations, the two younger Palicoes encountered a storm on their way to the "New World" and woke up on a street in Lentinium; the older Palico, who called himself "Old Man," was hunting in the jungle when he suddenly found himself on a street in Lentinium.

The reason the three met was that their guide bugs located each other, which is why they gathered together.

They have been living in Lentinium for two weeks, and their base of operations is in an archway under a small bridge.

To be honest, those cats are having a tough time.

After all, they don't have Lontinim's residency status, and if they apply for jobs, they will be rejected on the grounds of refusing to hire child laborers.

For the past two weeks, they have relied on the charity of certain restaurants for their meals—the leftover food is distributed to those in need in the name of love.

In fact, all three Palicoes possess considerable abilities—that's what they say themselves, though Nesario isn't entirely sure yet.

"Dragonman, what about you? Why do you elicit a reaction from the guideworms? Why did you detect our differences?"

"This..."

Nesario was contemplating whether to reveal the secret he had kept hidden for decades.

Assuming what the other party said is true, that they came to Terra from another world, and that Neltharion's power is greatly connected to that world.

Explaining your problems and situation clearly is like a patient seeking treatment from a doctor, who can provide a lot of help. Besides, these three kittens don't seem like bad people, and they don't even have household registration. Even if they know your secret, they can't cause any trouble.

“My power is innate; I’ve been like this since I was a child. Unlike those around me, I’ve always kept it a secret. This had never happened before I met you all.”

Nesario chose to keep it a secret.

Sometimes, it's necessary to slow down. While it's certainly enthusiastic and sincere to reveal everything at once, it also means that the hurt from backstabbing is doubled. Once you say what's on your mind, it's no longer what you truly feel.

"Can I study you for a bit? If we can unravel the mystery surrounding you, it will be helpful to both of us, meow!"

Scholar Meow was very enthusiastic, but he wasn't in a hurry to go home and find clues. Instead, he really wanted to study Neltharion, this unique Odogaron; Odogaron-man—this was definitely a miracle that had never appeared in the ecological survey report.

"Research? Young scholars, you have no fixed abode and no research equipment. How can you conduct research?"

"This...it's alright, I'm very capable."

Scholar Cat seems to be the kind of person who throws himself into research without thinking, and isn't good at anything else besides research.

No matter how powerful the researchers are, they still need to use equipment to work, as the human eye cannot see at the cellular level.

"Let's go, let's find you a place to stay first. Then we can begin your subsequent...research."

"Would you be willing to help us?!"

"After all, we're on the same side now, aren't we? You want to go home, and I want to unlock the secrets of my body."

Neltharion gave his reason, and both the Scholar Cat and the Craftsman Cat nodded as if they understood; as for the more experienced Follower Cat, he remained silent, looking at Neltharion through his hood, his expression unnoticed by the others.

Then, Nesario began the moving process.

First, he rented a house in the Sadien 56 district, paying the rent for a year upfront.

The house is in pretty good condition, with a cozy little nest feel; its location is also relatively remote, with less foot traffic and fewer popular areas around, reducing the likelihood of the Palicoes causing trouble.

"Can the house provide a place to grow things, meow?"

"Planting? Uh... how about we see if we can use it in the backyard?"

"Is there a room for forging, meow?"

"Use fire safely! Beware of fire! I'm warning you, if this place catches fire, not to mention your personal safety, you will definitely be arrested by the city police."

This was requested by Scholar Cat and Craftsman Cat, which perfectly suits their personalities; everyone got what they wanted.

"And you? You don't need another dojo for training, do you?"

Nesario looked at the Palico next to him with some confusion, wondering how it could see the way.

"No need. You can hunt anywhere. Even in the steel jungle, my hunting spirit will never be extinguished."

"..."

If you're going to portray yourself as an old man, then don't be so passionate.

Nesario also helped the Palicoes move the items from under the bridge into their new home. During this time, his body reacted to several items covered by boxes, but he concealed it well and did not show any abnormality.

Is this the key to the treasure? Nesario saw something different from the very first meeting.

After leaving some money and teaching the three kittens many basic life skills in Terra, Nesario finally left with a sense of relief. Although the three kittens were able to live peacefully for two weeks, Nesario was still worried that they might cause trouble, the consequences of which would be difficult to manage.

As for methods of contact, Nesario told the Palicoes everything from using a communicator, writing letters, to even going directly to the school gatekeeper in emergencies before leaving.

After finishing all this, it was getting dark, and it was almost time for the campus gates to close.

But instead of rushing back to school, Nesario began searching based on the scent he remembered.

He chose to establish his base in District 56 to avoid crowds, but another purpose was to monitor the Palicoes.

Nesario was short-handed, especially for such an important task, so he had to find outsourced workers.

"The Glasgow gang—occupies blocks 56 and 57. Their style is different from other gangs; they work during the day and fight at night. They're welcomed by some residents...?"

Although I said before that I didn't want to get into trouble, I have to ask Miss Aslan for help this time. I hope she'll give Nesario some face and do me a small favor.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Glasgow Gang

"Master, those guys from the Fang Gang haven't given up yet. Someone saw them operating on our turf again today."

Indra, dressed as wildly as her personality, was reporting to Vina that they were currently in a boxing gym formerly occupied by the Dogtooth Gang. The place was well-furnished and equipped, perfectly adequate as a base.

Besides Vina and Indra, there is another person here.

Her shoulder-length, light yellow hair was unkempt, with a single tuft of hair sticking up high on top. Her ears, which grew out of her hair, had many regular black patterns, suggesting that this girl was probably a lithe leopard. Her blue eyes were not as fiery as Indra's, but rather contained a hint of wisdom. However, what didn't match this wisdom was her tanned skin and wild attire.

Her nickname was Morgan.

In short—these three people standing in one place and striking a pose perfectly fit people's image of the word "gangster".

"According to the intelligence we've gathered, the Fang Gang was robbed after their clash with us last week. They suffered heavy losses, so they have to take back our territory, otherwise they won't be able to operate."

"Tch, spineless cowards, trying to take their anger out on us. We'll see if they have the guts!"

"Master, what should we do?"

Although Morgan was the brains of the Glasgow gang, she never acted on her own initiative, but always consulted Vina—the master-servant relationship was clear, and she knew how to abide by it.

"..."

The Queen of Advance, also known as Vina, is pondering and reflecting that the Fang Gang is not a significant threat.

Indra, Morgan, and a few other reliable brothers in the gang could handle them, but the ordinary people couldn't. If the Fangs came to cause trouble, the Glasgow Gang would at most beat up a few more people, but for the ordinary people who got caught up in it, it could be the beginning of their lives being destroyed.

Throughout history, it has always been easier to conquer a country than to govern it.