The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, signs of trouble began to emerge. The reason for this was that, due to the nature of the Scriveners' work, they didn't carry much food. They had many ways to quickly replenish their food during their investigations, but now the situation had changed. Because of the Wanderer's spread of the Mad Dragon Virus, the Scriveners' range of activity had been greatly reduced. In addition, they needed to investigate the Mad Dragon-transformed monsters and the Mad Dragon Virus every day, so they had even less time to replenish their food.

　During their investigation, the Scriveners' team encountered a fully evolved Zinogre. They were certain it was an evolved Zinogre because it was fighting a berserk Deviljho. The commotion from their battle even attracted the monsters they had previously defeated. This unpredictable situation caused several members of the Scriveners' team to accidentally inhale the berserk virus. In their moment of distraction, they were struck by the tail whip of a berserk Nargacuga and were eventually taken to the base by Palicoes.

　All current circumstances indicate that the Guiding Lands is no longer suitable for the Scriveners' team to continue their investigation. However, seeing the unabated rampage of the Mad Dragon Virus, the leader of the Royal Scriveners' team knows that they cannot leave the Guiding Lands now. Otherwise, the situation will only worsen, and when they return to the Guiding Lands after leaving, it may become the domain of the Black Devouring Dragons. Only in this situation, only in this situation, must she stop it.

　The young girl didn't seem to care about the hunters' responsibilities. After all, if she wanted, she could simply stand at the highest point of the Guiding Lands and release the Dragon Virus—a very easy task for her, much like pulling out the most famous hero's sword from Kokot Village. In fact, there were many interesting legends surrounding the hero's sword of Kokot Village, the most famous being that in his final battle, the hero threw the sword at his enemy, deciding the outcome with that single strike. And the sword that pierced the dragon's forehead could never be pulled out.

　Of course, these are just legends. Everyone knows that these were fabricated by bards who embellished the hunters' battle stories to please the nobles.

　If the young girl, or rather the Lord of the World, truly intended to spread the Mad Dragon Virus like it did in Sky Mountain in Xinard Village, she could easily achieve full coverage of the Mad Dragon Virus in a relatively short time. If things really developed that way, the Black Wind Eroding Mountain incident would definitely happen in the Demon Gathering Land, and then it wouldn't be Black Wind Eroding Mountain, but rather Evil Wind Invading the Island.

　Just like the hunter team that entered the Forbidden Zone with the awareness of certain death, it takes a lot of courage to come to the Guiding Lands at this time. But in fact, for the young girl and the storm girl, it is as if they are not in the Guiding Lands. However, the Guiding Lands is now in this state, which is also partly her fault.

　It's not just that the Mad Dragon Virus was spread by the Lord of Reincarnation; throughout the Mad Dragon Virus trials in the entire Gathering Lands, the Lord of Reincarnation acts as a referee, or rather, a role beyond refereeing. However, the young girl has to come out to forage for food, and whether or not she is infected with the Mad Dragon Virus has almost no impact on her. Therefore, the young girl is actually unconsciously accelerating the process of ecological destruction.

　Of course, the scribes were unaware of these matters.

　Fortunately, the hunters at Seliana were also keeping an eye on the Guiding Lands because of the Rathalos and the Zephyr pack. Finally, the long-awaited ship of the Scriveners arrived. The ship from Seliana brought not only supplies but also hunters. To the Scriveners' leader's surprise, the hunters who came with the ship were a team led by Whitewind, and there was also Mary, who was from the same cohort as the Scriveners' leader. For the Scriveners' leader, seeing familiar faces in this environment was extremely joyful.

　After meeting, the two sides exchanged information about the Guiding Lands. The leader of the Scrivener team was also learning for the first time that a Rathalos in a berserk form was chasing a group of Wind Wyverns. Bai Feng also clearly understood the situation of the young girl here. However, the most urgent task now is to deal with those berserk monsters as soon as possible and restore the environment to normal. After receiving a great replenishment in terms of food, medicine, and tools, the hunters began to hunt down the berserk monsters.

　Volume 1: 434 - The Hunters' Initial Plans

　"Splash~ Splash~" The sound of waves came, and a series of steep rocky mountains surrounded the beach in front of him. The sound of the waves reflected here made it seem as if they were rising from the water. Moreover, under the main theme of the sound of the waves, you could occasionally hear the cries of seabirds. If it were any other time, Bai Feng would choose a good rock and lean against it quietly to listen to the sound of the waves, if it weren't for this mad dragon-turned-water-bird.

　Stepping onto the still-wet sand where the waves had just crashed, Bai Feng leaped into the shadow of a stone pillar. "Haa~ Haa~ Haa~" she murmured, leaning against the pillar to catch her breath while remaining alert to her surroundings. This was an area enclosed by steep rock walls. Not far from where Bai Feng was hiding, there was a giant capuchin jellyfish that had been washed ashore. However, judging from its color, the capuchin jellyfish had been dead for a long time. The intense sunlight, seemingly capable of burning everything, shone brightly on the area, as if even the thick rocks could not block it.

　The moist sea breeze gently caressed Bai Feng's armor. After his breathing gradually calmed down, Bai Feng scanned his surroundings again. The Water Sprite Bird used its large tail to spray a torrent of water that swept towards the surrounding stone pillars. "Just as I thought!" Bai Feng shouted in his heart. Then, while drawing his Flying Dragon Blade [Silver], he jumped out from the shadow of the stone pillar. After countless hunts, Bai Feng's intuition had been honed to an extremely sharp level, allowing him to sense danger in advance.

　In an instant, dust, sand, and pebbles flew everywhere, but what first caught Bai Feng's eye was a dazzling array of colors.

　Unlike the Pukei-Pukei, the Water Sprite has undergone a significant change in the color of its scales and feathers. With its main colors of red and yellow, the Water Sprite can easily blend into the colorful environment of the Coral Highlands. The Water Sprite's wing membrane is bluish-gray, its belly is whitish, and its tongue has turned purple. Compared to the Pukei-Pukei in the Ancient Forest, the Water Sprite is much more vibrant.

　As its name suggests, the Water Bird is most skilled at manipulating water. The Water Bird's main activity is to absorb water and store it in its throat pouch and tail. In battle, the Water Bird will spray water from its mouth and tail to attack. It is worth mentioning that the breath from its mouth can be a water ball-shaped attack or a compressed water column that is then sprayed out. Moreover, during this process, the Water Bird can even use its tongue to change the angle of the water column.

　The tail-spraying attacks are even more unpredictable and varied. With a greater destructive range and lethality, combined with the high-pressure water jet from the tail whip, it leaves hunters nowhere to escape. "Awooo~" A piercing roar, causing its entire body to tremble violently, emanated from deep within the Water Sprite's belly. At the same time, the Water Sprite fully displayed its vibrant body to White Wind, then violently shook its body a few times to shake off the sand clinging to its feathers. Although the Water Sprite's roar was incredibly loud, it was still clear that it hadn't yet exerted its full strength.

　Bai Feng gathered all his strength and launched a fierce attack on the monster, as if to cut through the oncoming, extremely oppressive roar. While carefully observing the Water Demon Bird's movements, Bai Feng cautiously shortened the distance between them. Perhaps sensing Bai Feng's intention, the Water Demon Bird immediately adopted an attack stance, then flapped its wings and faced Bai Feng, while lowering its body to begin charging up.

　"Are they coming?"

　Is it exhaling water from its mouth, spraying water, ramming with its massive body, or stomping with its powerful feet? From a hunter's perspective, the berserk monster has an incredibly terrifying attack, and Bai Feng doesn't know its opponent's attack intentions. But no matter which one it is, if he is accurately hit, he may never be able to stand up again. While Bai Feng was still observing, the Water Sprite Bird immediately opened its mouth and spewed out a water column as thick as a thigh.

　"hateful!"

　Bai Feng sheathed his Flying Dragon Blade [Silver] and quickly leaped to the side. Although the water jet had powerful destructive force and very fast speed, the attack was in a straight line, so as long as you dodged it, there was no threat. However, some monsters' attacks could change their course according to the target's movements during the charge. Inexperienced hunters often suffered greatly when faced with such excellent correction abilities from monsters.

　The Water Sprite quickly rushed towards White Wind's landing spot, its constantly flapping wings leaving many bright feathers on the ground. White Wind rolled on the ground, creating distance, and then stood up and assumed a fighting stance. After the Water Sprite stopped moving amidst countless grains of sand, realizing that White Wind had dodged its charge attack, the Water Sprite let out a short roar. Then, the Water Sprite swept its thick, long tail behind it. If a hunter were to approach from behind at this moment, it would be absolutely impossible to dodge this attack.

　Just as the sweeping attack of its tail missed, the Water Sprite Bird nimbly adjusted its body on the spot, trying to catch Bai Feng's figure in its line of sight. Then, it lowered its body again and sprayed a large stream of water from its swollen tail towards Bai Feng. After the previous battle, Bai Feng had predicted the Water Sprite Bird's actions. To deal with the Water Sprite Bird, it was best to attack from the side. So, Bai Feng ran to the right with all his might, trying to escape out of the Water Sprite Bird's range.

　Seeing Bai Feng flee again, the Water Sprite Bird lunged to the side, but missed once more. However, its movements were unaffected; it immediately turned and assumed an attack stance. Bai Feng looked at the Water Sprite Bird's large, elastic tail. In fact, most of the Water Sprite Bird's attacks were delivered through its tail, so if its tail was severed, it would be virtually harmless. However, the Water Sprite Bird's tail was extremely difficult to cut off. Successfully severing its tail meant the Water Sprite Bird was nearly dead and wouldn't be of much help in the hunt.

　"Then, I'll have to be the one to create the opening!"

　It is precisely because of this that countless predecessors have worked hard for many years to improve weapons, armor and props. Bai Feng reached into the bag at his waist and took out a fist-sized object. He then slowly threw it in front of the water demon bird. When the fist-sized object fell between Bai Feng and the water demon bird, it cracked open. The intense flash of light emitted from it instantly engulfed the surrounding space.

　"Ouch?!"

　The Water Sprite reacted strongly after being hit head-on by the flashbang. The flashbang made it dizzy and disoriented. Taking advantage of this, Bai Feng drew his Wyvern Blade [Silver] and boldly charged towards the Water Sprite. At this point, the Water Sprite was blind and could only thrash its tail aimlessly. Even with such an attack, being hit would cause great damage. Bai Feng had no choice but to stop and carefully dodge the opponent's thick tail. The flashbang's effective time was limited, and as he continued to dodge, the moment when the Water Sprite regained its normal vision was gradually approaching.

　Although Bai Feng was extremely anxious at this moment

　However, he had to patiently observe the Water Sprite's movements. With its extremely wide-ranging tail, careful observation would surely reveal a suitable opportunity to attack. Now! Bai Feng boldly rushed to the Water Sprite's side, seizing the opportunity to raise his Flying Dragon Blade [Silver] high and forcefully swung it down towards the Water Sprite's abdomen.

　The slightly curved and slender blade of the katana was brought to its maximum power under her perfect strength and skill. As it struck its target, the fiery liquid of the fire dragon used as material immediately reacted with the air, instantly igniting the belly of the water sprite and leaving a charred black mark.

　"Ow!!"

　The attacked water sprite roared and twisted its massive body, probably trying to unleash its water breath attack again. The water breath attack was almost seamless, and it seemed to be tireless in performing this series of movements. But Bai Feng's attack did not end. After her all-out attack, she used all her skills to inflict considerable damage on the water sprite with slashes, thrusts, upward slashes, and air blade slashes. However, the effect of the flashbang had already expired.

　Upon catching sight of Bai Feng, the water sprite lowered its body once more and raised its tail to prepare to spray water. Bai Feng immediately sheathed her Flying Dragon Blade [Silver], then stuffed a Dispel Fruit into her mouth before quickly retreating. The distance between them thus increased. After readjusting her posture, Bai Feng immediately ran towards the stone pillar beside her. Leaning against the pillar, she looked at the water sprite opposite her. Having eaten the Dispel Fruit, the strange feeling brought on by the Mad Dragon Virus had disappeared.

　The water sprite that had just turned around saw Bai Feng and once again raised its tail to shoot out a stream of water. Bai Feng jumped to the side at the last second to dodge the stream of water, but this time the stream of water did not stop. Instead, it followed behind Bai Feng. Bai Feng knew exactly how to deal with this move. As he approached the water sprite that had lowered its body and spread its wings to spray water, Bai Feng once again took out a flashbang from the pocket hanging on his waist and threw it.

　boom!

　The flashbang exploded, emitting a dazzling flash. The water sprite, directly hit by the intense light, shook its head violently, as if trying to shake off the glare. Of course, this didn't restore its sight. Realizing this, it stopped and began spraying water haphazardly in all directions again.

　To avoid the water jets sprayed from its tail, Bai Feng ducked directly beneath the Water Sprite. Although the Water Sprite looked plump, its legs were longer than a human's height, meaning any hunter who wasn't too tall could easily squeeze under it. However, even though the Water Sprite wouldn't leave its current position, it would still pace back and forth to spray water in all directions.

　Above Bai Feng's head, the Water Sprite Bird's massive tail muscles writhed incessantly, while its two thick legs pounded the ground on either side, making heavy footsteps. Needless to say, once one left its body, they would likely be attacked by the swirling water. While keeping an eye on the Water Sprite Bird's tail and leg movements, Bai Feng drew the Flying Dragon Blade [Silver] from behind him and slashed fiercely at the soft part between the Water Sprite Bird's thick legs.

　While the sturdy shell protects the monster from harm, it also restricts its movements to some extent. Therefore, the sturdy shell usually grows on the surface of the monster's body, while the inside is mostly soft muscle. Bai Feng raised the Flying Dragon Blade [Silver] high above her head, then poured all her strength into it, and slashed at the joint of the Water Sprite's right leg. Immediately afterwards, she gathered the strength of her legs and, while straightening her upper body, slashed upwards with her backhand.

　Caught off guard, the Water Sprite Bird was subjected to a concentrated attack from the hunters. Unable to endure it any longer, it continued to spray water while pacing in place. However, its eyesight had not yet recovered, so it did not know where Bai Feng was hiding. As long as it could not see, the Water Sprite Bird could not react quickly. Bai Feng took the opportunity to strike the same area again.

　Not only did she have to avoid being trampled by the monster, but she also had to avoid getting caught in its leg movements. In the short time before her vision returned, Bai Feng relentlessly attacked the Water Wyvern. With her tireless efforts, the Water Wyvern finally revealed a weakness. As a bipedal bird wyvern, its legs, which supported its body, were its weak point. The katana, which was crafted by the workshop owner and combined with all the technical expertise of the workshop owner, was not diminished in sharpness with the support of the royal blue armor set.

　After letting out another roar, the water sprite's body tilted sharply before collapsing onto the sand that kicked up a cloud of dust. Of course, Bai Feng had already noticed the change and quickly jumped out from under the water sprite's body. Her legs, which were supporting her weight, were severely injured, and the pain was unbearable, at least that's how Bai Feng understood it. In order to make the most of this excellent opportunity, she hurriedly ran towards the head of the water sprite lying on the ground.

　Bai Feng raised his Flying Dragon Blade [Silver] high and slashed at the Water Sprite's head. The sharp blade sliced ​​through the Water Sprite's scales, and in the next instant, its flesh was scorched by flames. Bai Feng was very confident in the effectiveness of this attack, so he kept swinging his katana, and the Water Sprite quickly stood up.

　According to general theory, the Mad Dragon Virus did not make the Water Sprite Bird more vulnerable, but even so, flashbangs, paralysis traps and other items can still create vulnerabilities, allowing the hunting to continue.

　Meanwhile, on the transport ship, the Grand Master, the Third Fleet Master, and the Director of the Ecological Research Institute had all arrived in the Guiding Lands. After Bai Feng's verification, the members of the New World Ancient Dragon Investigation Team were all aware that the harm caused by what had happened in the Guiding Lands was no less than that caused by the Fatalis. Most importantly, there was an even more terrifying monster there. But what could they do? Provoke a battle with the Returning Lord now?

　This is practically suicide, and I'm not kidding. A key factor in the hunters' success in defeating Safi'jiiva was that in the early stages of the plan, they suppressed Safi'jiiva at the bottom of the Valley of the Dark, regardless of the costs and losses. This is because the space at the bottom of the Valley of the Dark is limited, and the ley line energy is also limited. Once the ley line energy in the Valley of the Dark is depleted, Safi'jiiva will have no way to recover. But the Lord of the World is different. At least for now, the Lord of the World is not at the bottom of the Valley of the Dark, but at the hunters' base camp.

　The hunters discussed for a long time but couldn't find a suitable solution. Some hunters even suggested using Granny Cat's cooking to take the little girl away. After all, back at the Seliana camp, every hunter knew that the little girl loved Granny Cat's cooking. They could try feeding her either Sleeping Raw Meat or Paralyzing Raw Meat. Paralyzing Raw Meat wouldn't work, because if they did that, the first thing the Reincarnated One would do after regaining its form would be to destroy the hunters' homes. So, sending the Reincarnated One away with Sleeping Raw Meat became the hunters' most hopeful solution.

　However, before that, we still need to deal with the rampant Dragon Virus in the Guiding Lands, at least by eliminating the monsters that have turned into Dragons.

　At the seaside, Bai Feng's hunt finally entered its final stage. Although her stamina was greatly depleted and fatigue was gradually accumulating, she had used up a lot of various recovery medicines and had few flashbangs left. However, with the help of the Mad Dragon Virus, the Water Sprite Bird was not so weak that it had to drag itself along. However, Bai Feng still managed to cut off its troublesome tail that was always spraying water everywhere. Just as she was getting into position to settle the score, the enraged Water Sprite Bird did not choose to run away, but instead sprayed water breath at Bai Feng again.

　"Alright, let's finish the task in one go!"

　As Bai Feng ran towards the water sprite, he checked its condition. He saw that the bird had adjusted its body direction and was lowering its body towards him, preparing to launch a new round of breath attacks. However, Bai Feng did not dodge or panic. He forcibly suppressed the urge to dodge and remained in place. Just as the water sprite unleashed its sure-hit attack, Bai Feng suddenly jumped to the side to avoid the bird's sure-hit attack.

　"Ow!"

　The water sprite let out a defiant roar and actually spread its wings to pounce on Bai Feng, trying to overpower her with its weight. Bai Feng steadied herself, took out the Dispelling Fruit and ate it, while simultaneously pulling a flashbang from her pocket and smashing it into the water sprite's head. She then immediately drew her Flying Dragon Blade [Silver]. At this point, the water sprite could no longer dodge the flashbang, and Bai Feng's powerful slashes, imbued with all her strength, rained down on the water sprite's head like a storm, including downward slashes, upward slashes, thrusts, and even more powerful air blade slashes.

　The first slash circled overhead from the left before slashing down from the side, followed by a reverse rotation. After this second slash, complete with a slight spin, Bai Feng calculated the attack range and unleashed his strongest attack in one go. The water sprite, which had already exhausted a lot of energy in the previous attacks, lay on the ground, unable to escape back to its nest, and unable to stand up either.

　Baizi.jpg

　Volume 1: Chapter 435 - Operation to Suppress the Mad Dragon Virus in the Guiding Lands

　Upon returning to the Guiding Lands outpost, Bai Feng immediately settled the mission details and found the Commander-in-Chief. It was afternoon when Bai Feng returned to the outpost, and the crowded and chaotic state of the outpost had long since calmed down. In the temporary operations room, Bai Feng crossed out his own targets. However, at this point, Bai Feng was the only hunter who had returned to the Guiding Lands to suppress the Mad Dragon Virus. The map also clearly marked the coverage area of ​​the Mad Dragon Virus and the Mad Dragon-like monsters that the Scriveners had investigated and found to have appeared.

　"You are indeed the first hunter to return, Bai Feng. You've worked hard on the task of defeating the Mad Dragon Water Demon Bird. Get some rest until dawn tomorrow."

　Hearing the Commander-in-Chief's words, Bai Feng nodded, picked up his glass and took a big gulp of beer before calmly saying, "After killing those monsters that have turned into mad dragons, we still need to collect and dispose of their corpses. Only in this way can we completely stop the mad dragon virus from spreading. As long as we are not facing the Reincarnated One, the hunters will almost never fail. So now you can tell me the next plan."

　The Commander-in-Chief pondered seriously once more. Perhaps it wasn't sufficient, so Bai Feng didn't rush him, but instead kept a close eye on the Commander-in-Chief.

　A tense silence ensued for a while before the Commander-in-Chief nodded somewhat helplessly. "Alright, this can be considered our agreement. We do intend to take action against the Lord of the World, but even if we fail, we must prevent him from finding the Lava Dragon."

　"Do we really have to do this? I'm not saying it's because of the appearance of the Reincarnated One. Of course, the little girl's appearance is indeed very deceptive, but if we want to deal with the Reincarnated One, we have no chance of winning on the front lines."

　After a moment's thought, the Commander-in-Chief continued, "Such a situation is indeed possible, but nothing is certain right now. We will only consider how to deal with the Reincarnated Lord after the spread of the Mad Dragon Virus is brought under control."

　Unlike the wasteland, the icy region of the Guiding Lands is devoid of even small monsters. This area was originally the habitat of the Wind Dragon and the Bull Dragon, and the Tigrex and Thunderjaw Dragon also appear here. However, considering the characteristics of the prey, even the familiar icy environment and the peaceful scene before them felt like static electricity was irritating their skin. Most importantly, the Scriveners had observed a Tigrex in a berserk form in this area, and White Wind and Mary had not yet fully entered hunting mode.

　Although the two were in a state of extreme tension, many, even countless, parts of the human body do not change with consciousness. Therefore, as Bai Feng and Mary followed the guidefly's guidance to search for the Tigrex's trail, they gradually regained their senses by repeatedly swinging their arms in the air and further enhancing their skin's sensation. Hunters who reach this state will react to objects that are not normally visible and use their intuition to guide their actions. Because of this, hunters do not exert their full strength when they begin hunting.

　If she was unlucky, the berserk Tigrex might jump off the mountainside at that moment. Sensing this, Mary reflexively looked up at the mountain, but the peaks were covered in pure white snow, and there was not even a trace of the Tigrex there.

　"Phew~" Mary couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, her tense body relaxing slightly. This process repeated itself, and every drop of blood and every hair in the hunter's body would gradually awaken to the state of "hunting," at least that's how Mary felt.

　"Senior Bai Feng, do you think our battle against the Lord of Reincarnation will be more difficult than your previous battle against the Crimson Dragon?"

　Bai Feng nodded first, then shook his head. "I can't explain it clearly either, but defeating the Lord of Reincarnation will be more difficult than any battle you've experienced before."

　“I heard that if the Lord of the Worlds is allowed to continue doing this, it will destroy the ecosystem of the Demon Gathering Land, and the environment near the Valley of the Dark Realm has already been destroyed.”

　"No, no, Mary, it seems you haven't grasped the crux of the problem. It's not that we need to defeat the Lord of the World because he caused the ecological chaos in the Guiding Lands, but rather that if the Lord of the World successfully achieves his goal, the entire New World may be plunged into darkness."

　"The whole? What does 'the whole New World' mean?"

　"You know about the Royal Scryers' Team and the Dragon Academy's research on the ecology of the Crimson Dragon, right? In an ideal situation, that Xeno'jiiva should have become an ancient dragon capable of destroying the New World. Now, what the Lord of the World is doing is almost the same as what that Xeno'jiiva is going to do. The only difference is that one is waiting for the dragon to come, and the other is waiting for me to go."

　Upon hearing Bai Feng's words, Mary's eyes widened immediately. However, compared to Mary's surprise, Bai Feng simply shrugged. "It's just a possibility. Without seeing it with our own eyes, the investigation reports from the Royal Scribes Team and the Dragon Academy are merely predictions. Perhaps the Reincarnated One is really just engaging in reproductive behavior, after all, she is no longer the original Heavenly Reincarnated Dragon."

　"So that's how it is. I thought the Lord of Reincarnation came to spread the Mad Dragon Virus."

　Bai Feng nodded "hmm," and after Mary took several deep breaths, she looked up at the snow-capped mountain again.

　The pristine mountain stood tall towards the sky, its slopes bathed in sunlight, gleaming with a silvery-white light. The summit was covered with thick snow, and as the snowstorm began, visibility worsened, increasing the risk of being ambushed. The calmness emphasized in the hunter's manual became increasingly important. With this in mind, Mary gritted her teeth again, climbed to the nearest rocky platform, and used her wrist strength to pull herself up. After climbing a little further, this time the height difference was smaller, and she easily made it to the top.

　Afterwards, they arrived at the crack in the rock in front of them. Bai Feng and Mary took out the hot drinks they had prepared in advance and drank them in one go. After preparing to enter the cold area, the two jumped into the cave at the same time. Although the space inside the cave was vast, due to the terrain, it was impossible to encounter large monsters here. After bypassing small monsters such as wild boars and white Velociraptors, the two arrived at the top of the mountain.

　Unlike at the foot of the mountain, after passing through the cave, a fierce blizzard swept through. The snow falling from the sky and the dust on the ground mixed together to form a wild storm that obscured people's vision. Mary protected her eyes with her hands, holding the Thunder God's Axe [Qilin] while carefully guarding her surroundings. Bai Feng also drew his Flying Dragon Blade [Silver] and was on guard, ready to raise his weapon and fight back at any time.

　But all they saw were snow deer. Although they were herbivores like the armored dragon, they were vastly different in size, even though they had four legs.

　They share commonalities, but are small in size and move very quickly. As a result, they do not have the strength to pull carts like herbivorous dragons. The fur or high-quality antlers, raw meat or liver obtained from snow deer and fairy deer are very important items. Since these can be obtained through hunting, almost no one would domesticate them as livestock.

　They are very docile. These gentle snow deer are strolling peacefully in this area. Wild animals have a keen sense of smell. If they are completely unaware, it means that the Mad Dragon-transformed Thunder Dragon is still some distance away from this area. This would also reduce the impact of the Mad Dragon virus. After confirming this, Mary breathed a sigh of relief and continued to move towards the next location with Bai Feng.

　Both Bai Feng and Mary's bodies gradually began to adapt to the tension unique to hunting. Although this would consume their stamina and make their movements sluggish, it was the most agile state for a hunter. It could be said that their bodies had finally awakened. "It should be about time to appear." Of course, Mary did not expect to encounter a berserk monster. If they encountered a large monster, danger would befall them, not to mention that it might become a painful memory.

　Even so, the ability to overcome difficulties and the confidence to continue on the path forward can drive people to take action. It is precisely because of the will to overcome terror that people can move forward!

　However, the place Bai Feng and Mary are going to next is near the mountaintop, a place with a great view. Since there is a place to climb mountains here, they will usually be above the clouds, so the wind and snow will start to decrease. "If we encounter a Tigrex in a berserk state, I will take the lead, and then you can look for opportunities from the side. The Great Sword is much more flexible than the Switch Axe."

　"Let me think... what about me..."

　As usual, Mary slowly stated her opinion and then asked for feedback. She felt that she should answer Bai Feng with "yes" or "no." Bai Feng seemed to have discovered something and wanted to tell Mary, but the next moment, behind the two who were having their conversation, there was a huge noise, as if an earthquake had occurred, like a huge object falling from the sky.

　Unlike the howling wind, the snow covering the ground was swirled up by something. Across the hazy smoke, a strong killing intent swept towards Bai Feng and Mary. In an instant, the fur on their bodies stood on end. The two of them picked up their weapons at the same time. Bai Feng raised the Flying Dragon Blade [Silver], and Mary gripped the Thunder God's Axe [Qilin]. Both of them had their weapons ready.

　A crimson gaze flashed across the snow-covered smoke. The raging storm gradually dissipated the smoke, revealing a clear outline. In the white world, only a tiny black dot emerged from the ground, stirring restlessly. "Roar!" It roared, its entire body radiating murderous intent as it approached the hunter that appeared before it.

　"Avoid it!"

　Across from the snow smoke, the opponent suddenly attacked, its entire body leaping and using its four legs to close the distance in a low posture. Its teeth tore through the snow, and its front paws flew out of the snow smoke. Mary and Baifeng immediately chose different ways to dodge, avoiding the initial attack. In the instant they brushed past each other as the snow smoke flew out, they finally saw the opponent's full appearance.

　It's a Tigrex!

　Although Tigrex appears to be a quadruped, it is actually a flying wyvern. To adapt to terrestrial life, its forelegs have degenerated into wings, and it possesses a structure completely different from other flying wyvern monsters, creating a strong sense of incongruity. It's only through numerous encounters with flying wyverns that one can notice the strange features on the inside of its skin. Even so, Tigrex is still a flying wyvern monster. Its forelegs are the outer sides of both legs, covered with a membrane, which allows it to fly when spread.

　By this time, the Tigrex's skin had turned black in its berserk state, a striking contrast against the pure white world. Because it uses all four legs for walking, its crouching posture is even lower than that of the Rathian. One theory suggests that among flying wyverns, only the Tigrex retains a relatively ancient appearance, while the forelegs of other species have begun to gradually degenerate. Therefore, it can be used to study their evolutionary process, making it a highly valuable subject of study.

　The berserk Tigrex is even more worthy of study. The moment their eyes met, the conflict began!

　In the Tigrex's eyes, one could see only one will, and its gaze was particularly cold—a sharp and unwavering gaze that only thought of eliminating all the hunters in the hunting grounds. This sent chills down Mary's spine. White Wind and Mary split up on either side of the Tigrex, but they seemed to have already escaped beyond its warning range. After readjusting its posture, the Tigrex leaped towards Mary and launched an attack.

　"Woo!"

　Soon, Mary raised the Thunder God Sword [Kirin] and held it across her abdomen to block the Tigrex's attack. Mary's attack, which used the elasticity and speed of all her muscles, and Tigrex's powerful attack, which was not the result of training but rather an instinctive use of its weight, were clashing together. This impact ran through its entire body, to the point that one was worried that the Switch Axe might break.

　Fortunately, thanks to the blacksmith's meticulous craftsmanship, the Switch Axe remained undamaged after the intense attack. However, Mary's body was barely holding on, and she was being gradually pushed down. Suddenly, the Tigrex leaped back, quickly retreating to its rear. Just as Mary raised the Thunder Blade again, the Tigrex...

　The dragon had turned around, readjusted its posture, and then attacked Bai Feng again.

　"So fast!" Bai Feng rolled on the ground, clutching the Flying Dragon Blade [Silver], to dodge the Thunder Dragon's attack.

　Besides its incredible speed, the Tigrex's movements were almost seamless, relying solely on instinct to attack. This left a very strong impression. "In that case, I'll try my best to distract the Tigrex while I move," Mary thought, and then raised the Thunder Axe [Kirin] after deciding on her next strategy. Despite being countered by White Wind, the Tigrex continued to attack Mary without hesitation.

　"Should we block this attack? No, if we just keep blocking, the sharpness of the blade will decrease."

　After making her judgment, Mary picked up the Thunder God's Axe [Qilin] and rolled to the side. The massive black body quickly passed by, seemingly avoiding injury. Such maneuvers are not always successful. It requires making the best choice between the weapon's sharpness and safety.

　"But sometimes, hesitation can lead to injury!"

　Mary quickly stood up again and decided that to deal with the Tigrex, she should avoid its attacks as much as possible. Although this required relying on instinct to evade, its enormous body was so agile that simply defending it would feel more like being toyed with.

　Volume 1: 436 - The Battle That Blooms on Two Fronts

　Compared to the normal Tigrex, the destructive power of the berserk Tigrex is like the change of a power function with a power greater than 1 after passing through (1,1). Its aggression and destructive power increase sharply, and its attacks are even more deadly than those of the Black Tigrex that lives in the magma area.

　After clearly seeing the Mad Dragon transform into a Thunder Dragon, Bai Feng and Mary almost simultaneously and involuntarily stuffed the Dispel Fruit into their mouths, trying their best to keep their actions in sync with their companions in the subjugation. "I'm afraid this time it won't be so simple."

　"But we must also succeed in the hunt!"

　The words they uttered and the white vapor they exhaled disappeared into the snowstorm. The snow deer that were previously visible had long since vanished, probably because the herbivores' instincts sensed danger. However, this was a good thing for the hunters. If the snow deer continued to roam around as recklessly as before, it would inevitably affect the hunters' hunting activities.

　Mary wasn't just watching the Tigrex; she was observing the entire area as she ran. Meanwhile, the Tigrex was kicking up snow as it ran towards her. Due to the snowstorm, the distant figure was blurry, and if she mistook it for a second, she would be trampled flat.

　"Damn it!"

　Mary quickly jumped aside to avoid the Tigrex's pounce. Because she had put away the Thunder Axe [Kirin], Mary's body became quite light, which allowed her to easily dodge the attack. However, this was, after all, an icy and snowy area, and the wind and snow made visibility poor, making it impossible to see the Tigrex's movements clearly. They could only judge the Tigrex's position by its blurry black outline. The Tigrex was aiming at Mary. After exchanging a glance, Bai Feng and Mary quickly switched positions to confuse the Tigrex.

　The Tigrex glared at the hunters running in different directions, and without hesitation changed its target to White Wind, who was closest to it. After inserting its forelimbs into the snow, the Tigrex kicked up large chunks of snow and threw them at Mary. Then, it opened its mouth wide, lowered its body, and charged towards White Wind with a "crunching" sound. "How could I possibly be bitten by you!" White Wind naturally noticed that the Tigrex was pouncing on it with its jaws wide open while making a cracking sound. But she was White Wind, and she used only the most necessary movements to avoid the attack, and then closed the distance between herself and the Tigrex.