The next morning, two pieces of good news arrived.
The scouting party found the injured De Wen inside a cave carved by wind erosion.
A charred Zantou Katana was recovered from a small impact crater.
After three days of searching, the Guild's Dragon Calendar Institute jointly announced that the Valstrax had disappeared from the Elder's Ridge.
However, based on its last observed state, combined with the fact that the largest known Hoshigami ore vein had been dismantled and transported away, its nest destroyed, and other conditions.
The operation to repel the Valstrax was ultimately declared a success.
Amidst the jubilation, the airships whose flight capabilities were undamaged began their return journey.
Those that were damaged and unable to depart remained at the ground camp for repairs.
Six nights later, brilliant fireworks exploded in succession above the Dragon Calendar Institute headquarters in Bherna Village.
Li Fan leaned his arm against the hull of the "Crimson Scale" and admired them with his team members.
"Where did you put the charm Dean Vegasha gave you?"
Yudora asked curiously, holding two pendants, one red and one yellow.
"I felt the buff wasn't very noticeable when I kept it in my waist pouch, so I tied it to my ankle."
Li Fan said, lifting his pant leg to show Yudora.
"You can string the Strength and Guardian charms together? That works?"
Yudora asked in surprise.
"These two charms do interfere with each other, but as long as you maintain the proper distance and secure them with knots, it's fine."
Li Fan explained.
"Then, when you have time, tie one for me too. What are your plans next?"
Yudora asked, looking up at the fireworks.
"Chief Hunters get a fifty percent discount at headquarters. Tomorrow, I want to install two more sets of boosters on the 'Crimson Scale', then replenish some supplies, and then head to the Flame Village to get the Zantou gear repaired and maintained. What about you?"
Li Fan stated his immediate plans.
"Sigh, even though I've become a Chief Hunter, after fighting the Valstrax, I feel the gap in my strength is still too wide, so I've made a training plan."
"Focus on your training. I'll handle the team's affairs with Dilu."
"Then I can immerse myself in training without distraction?"
Yudora asked tentatively.
"No problem."
Li Fan gave his assurance.
The next day, Waley in the airship manufacturing workshop saw the "Crimson Scale" passing overhead and waved hello.
Waley's boosters played a crucial role in the recent Valstrax hunt.
He was quite happy that the entire airship manufacturing workshop received commendations at yesterday's ceremony.
His good mood naturally carried over to today, until the bronze bell on the "Crimson Scale" rang, indicating it would land at the airship manufacturing workshop and requesting ground guidance.
55,000z to add two sets of four small boosters.
Waley accepted the modification with a sigh.
"By the way, Li Fan, many users of the small boosters have reported incomplete engine combustion issues. Have you encountered this?"
Waley asked, recalling the most concentrated problem.
"No, our team feels it's just right."
Li Fan provided his feedback.
After two days of preparation, the "Crimson Scale" departed from the headquarters' airfield, heading for Flame Village.
Without the threat of Huihui, the team's daily rhythm slowed down.
In addition to his daily training, Li Fan also wanted to obtain a researcher qualification from the Dragon Calendar Institute, so he began practicing drawing monsters with line art.
Dilu, in her free time, started writing a novel called "Beast Continent."
Four days later, in the processing shop of Flame Village, the owner, Daowen, stared at the armor and weapons, as black as charcoal, for a long time without speaking.
"Li Fan, where is the scabbard?"
Daowen asked, picking up the Zantou Katana.
"It was lost."
Li Fan replied.
"Why is there damage on the blade of this Zantou Greatsword?"
Daowen became more and more surprised as he looked.
"I'm not sure. I was commissioned by the greatsword's owner to bring it for repair."
Li Fan informed him.
"Alright, to repair and maintain everything, the budget will be around 70,000z, and it might take about three days."
Daowen gave a quote.
"No problem, but the repair contract must be a formal document that is recognized in all regions, so I can get reimbursed when I return."
Li Fan stated his requirement.
"Understood."
"Oh, can this be salvaged?"
Li Fan said, taking out the ash-colored Zinogre Braces.
"This... which part of the armor is this?"
Daowen examined it for a long time and asked.
"These are Zinogre Braces."
Seeing Li Fan's expectant gaze, Daowen pretended to look and then said, "There's no need for repair anymore."
"Alright."
Li Fan, feeling helpless, turned to leave.
Daowen looked at the armor and weapons placed on the ground and sighed, "To be worn down to this extent, did you go to fight the Valstrax?"
The stylish and eye-catching "Crimson Scale" ascended from the airfield.
Flying directly towards an uncharted area, in less than two days, it arrived at an unmarked coastal region.
Li Fan observed carefully, confirmed there were no signs of humans nearby, and then released the monsters.
Some hunted, some played, and some simply enjoyed nature.
Only Xixi, the electro-dragon, went alone to the beach and gazed up at the sky.
Although the electro-dragon was naturally solitary, solitude and reclusiveness were not the same thing.
Li Fan took out his handheld device to check and found that Xixi had entered a state of moderate depression.
"Since I need to communicate with Huihui anyway, why don't you just listen in?"
Li Fan walked to Xixi's side and informed him.
Xixi quickly turned its head, but then turned its head away again, acting as if it didn't care.
"Huihui is a bit big, I need to throw the ball far away..."
Li Fan said, taking out an adapter ball and searching for a suitable landing spot on the beach.
Roar? Roar! Roar...
Xixi hopped twice in place, appearing unusually nervous.
Finally, it began to move and dashed into the jungle behind the beach.
After hiding among the bushes that matched its carapace color, Xixi's tension slightly eased.
Thud! The adapter ball landed on the sandy ground, and with a flash of red and black electricity, Huihui appeared on the coast.
Huihui gazed at the surging sea for a moment, extended its neck, and lowered its gun wings.
Puff! Puff!...
Several plumes of black smoke emerged from its spray ports.
Huihui turned its head to look back and shook its body, and only after confirming that only compressed air was being expelled did it reluctantly give up trying.
"Huihui, don't rush..."
Whoosh~
As soon as he spoke, Huihui suddenly leaped up, landing and staring directly at Li Fan.
As it looked, its neck rose, and its head moved backward, widening the field of vision.
Only after it clearly saw Li Fan's appearance did it relax its guard with relief.
Li Fan could understand; after all, given Huihui's previous living environment, very few creatures could get close to it.
"Huihui, don't worry, I promise I can help you recover, but before that, there are a few things I need to explain clearly."
Li Fan said, drawing his newly acquired hunter's knife.
Huihui lowered its four claws and lay down on the sand.
"This is the continent we are on, and this is the New World."
Li Fan drew two ovals, one large and one small, on the sand.
"On the New World, there is a bad dragon that constantly sends scam messages, especially targeting elderly dragons. You may have also received such scam messages. Do not fall for them. As the bad dragon's metamorphosis progresses, the scam messages will become more frequent. Never believe them."
Li Fan informed him.
The Valstrax raised its largely damaged left gun wing, as if to say, "I want to go, but I can't."
"Next is your injury. Not only is its natural healing speed slow, but the effect of the healing sphere is also very weak. Given that it can regenerate its carapace for projectile positioning, the healing speed shouldn't be this slow. I suspect it's because your body's metabolism doesn't involve Dragon Energy."
Li Fan had long noticed the problem of slow injury recovery.
The biggest difference between Huihui before and after capture was the lack of Dragon Energy in its metabolism.
Li Fan saw that the other party didn't seem to understand and continued to draw on the sand.
A simple sketch of a Valstrax was completed, and "Dragon Energy" was labeled with waves.
"Ferris! Lower the Hoshigami ore vein from the deck using the crane!"
Li Fan called out. Not long after, the "Crimson Scale" drifted slowly overhead.
Two Hoshigami ore veins, tied with ropes, were slowly lowered onto the beach.
Huihui walked over. Without any action, the red light emanating from the surface of the ore vein drifted towards it.
"Absorb it first, I'll move away."
Li Fan turned and hid behind a reef.
Sand and wind swirled, and coconut trees bent.
After a gust of powerful airflow dissipated, Li Fan emerged from behind the reef.
He glanced at the ore vein, which was now completely black and dull, and pointed to the sand to continue his explanation.
"Where's my drawing? Forget it, I'll draw another one... What needs to be done next is to integrate Dragon Energy into your daily metabolism, which will allow your injuries to heal at a normal rate."
Bang! Bang!... Boom!
Three streams of red flame erupted.
"You can't do that, Huihui!"
Li Fan quickly stopped him.
Huihui immediately stopped spraying flames and lowered its four claws back to the sand.
"The Hoshigami ore veins here can no longer support you soaring through the sky. If you want to fly freely in the future, what you need to do now is to endure, suppress your instinct to fly, until you go to the Dragon's Ire."
Li Fan said with a serious tone.
Huihui gazed at the clouds for a long time, and when it looked down, it folded its gun wings.
Seeing that the other party was willing to cooperate, Li Fan breathed a sigh of relief.
Huihui's flight ability was indeed unparalleled, but the problem was that without the boost of red flames, it couldn't even achieve basic takeoff.
As for extracting Dragon Energy from monsters, Li Fan had considered that path.
However, the origin of the special individual, the Red-Glow Valstrax, was Dragon Energy itself.
Yet, Huihui had lived for who knows how many years with Dragon Energy participating in its metabolism.
It had not shown any mutations of the Red-Glow Valstrax, which meant that extracting energy from Hoshigami ore was very different from extracting it from a monster's body.
Although this was just speculation, Li Fan did not want Huihui to mutate in the direction of the Red-Glow Valstrax.
"There's one last thing."
Li Fan said, looking towards the bushes. As his gaze locked onto Xixi, its body trembled, and it quickly lowered its head.
"Come out, Xixi!"
Li Fan called out.
Xixi emerged somewhat reluctantly, its claws almost dragging on the ground, its steps very slow.
"This is a friend you once unintentionally helped, the electro-dragon Xixi. It has always admired you."
Li Fan introduced.
Roar?
Huihui looked at Xixi and let out a confused cry.
"Friends are monsters who can help each other and entrust themselves to each other."
Li Fan explained.
Huihui paused, seemingly unable to grasp the concept.
Li Fan could only continue to draw diagrams to explain.
After reviewing the entire event sequence, Huihui swept its front claws horizontally across the sand.
"Yes, the aquatic beast carcasses you left behind, after being thrown to the base of the tower, were eaten by the young Xixi. Moreover, with your presence in the Elder's Ridge, many elder dragons, sensing it, would not easily venture there, which indirectly protected Xixi's growth. This can also be considered a subtle connection."
Li Fan confirmed.
Roar?
"Connection is coincidence, or it can be said to be part of destiny, allowing two unrelated monsters to meet by fate."
Roar...
"You want to be friends with Xixi? Of course, you can. Come here quickly, Xixi."
Hearing Li Fan say this, Xixi immediately jumped backward, flapping its wings and retreating a good distance.
"Come on, haven't you always wanted to be friends with Huihui?"
Li Fan waved quickly.
Roar... Roar... Roar...
Xixi whimpered for a moment, then actually turned and flew away.
Aren't monsters very direct with each other? Has it become emotionally closer to humans from spending too much time with me?
Li Fan was speechless. He hadn't expected that the golden opportunity he created would be lost because of Xixi's escape.
"This behavior is called indecision. Overall, it means you care too much about the other person... Forget it, I won't teach you these things. The team will be stationed here for three days, you can have more free time."
After Li Fan informed them, he went to check on the injuries of Zhan Zhan and Lei Ge.
Although the handheld device panel showed no major issues, Li Fan still wanted to observe them firsthand.
Huihui looked at the sky, then at the beach, and finally focused its gaze on the sea.
After a while, Huihui waded into the sea and swam deeper.
Seeing that the water reached its chest without touching the area where aquatic beasts were active, Huihui reluctantly turned back.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~
The surging hot air mixed with Dragon Energy quickly dried its body. Bored, Huihui could only crawl on the ground.
Plop!
A stiff aquatic beast landed on the beach in front of Huihui.
Crack! Crack!...
As it raised its claw to touch it, streaks of emerald green electricity erupted on the yellow skin of the aquatic beast.
Huihui looked up at the sky. Xixi, twisting its neck to look down, quickly turned its head away.
Roar!
Huihui let out a roar, as if expressing gratitude.
With one claw pinning the aquatic beast's head, its hooked beak accurately pierced its abdomen.
Squelch! Huihui very skillfully tore out the aquatic beast's internal organs.
As Xixi circled, seeing Huihui eating with such joy, its entire body surged with electricity.
Puff! Zzzzz! Puff! Zzzzz!....
Its pincer tail, flashing with emerald electric light, repeatedly stabbed into the sea, continuously releasing [Electric Burst Field].
Plop! Plop!....
Stiff aquatic beasts rained down from the sky. Huihui looked up at the sky with longing.
It thought, is this what Li Fan meant by friends?
Huihui seemed to suddenly understand how Xixi felt when it received help back then.
In the dark depths of the sea, three aquatic beasts dived deeper and swam to the side of a large aquatic beast, curling up and wriggling, letting out mournful cries.
Gurgle!
The large, yellow aquatic beast exhaled a few bubbles, its eyes filled with ferocity, and began to ascend towards the surface.
Seeing that someone was standing up for them, the aquatic beasts rejoiced and followed.
Splash! The large aquatic beast leaped out of the water and let out a roar upwards.
Huihui, who was eating heartily, looked up at the sound, its vertical pupils contracting sharply in excitement.
Plop! The large aquatic beast plunged into the sea and began to dive without looking back.