After tracking for about half an hour, the ground tremors gradually intensified.
The guiding insect reacted, emitting a bright blue fluorescence.
However, judging by its intensity, it didn't seem to have sensed the本体 of the Zorah Magdaros.
Following the guidance for a while, rocks with dark red veins appeared before the team.
Traces confirmed that the Zorah Magdaros was indeed moving through the lower levels of the瘴气之谷, causing the tremors.
"Yudora and I will handle the defense, Dilu and Aibo, collect samples as quickly as possible."
Li Fan finished speaking, and he and Yudora took up positions, guarding in opposite directions.
Aibo and Dilu quickly ran to the rocks and began collecting.
"There's still residual heat on the surface of the tracks. It feels like the Zorah Magdaros is nearby. Can't we get a visual confirmation?" Aibo asked.
"No, the cave we're in is just relatively close to the Zorah Magdaros. If you carefully feel the source of the tremors, you'll realize we're not even on the same plane as it." Li Fan explained.
"I see." Aibo immediately understood.
In sufficiently open terrain, it would be highly possible to get a visual if one continuously followed the source of the tremors.
However, a rugged and narrow cave was not a place for the Zorah Magdaros to traverse, meaning they were in two different terrains.
Perhaps if they pursued it to a connecting area, there might be a chance to find it.
But the tracks already proved the Zorah Magdaros's current location, so pursuing a visual confirmation wasn't particularly necessary.
After the collection was complete, the team immediately began to withdraw.
Puff puff~ puff puff~
A sound of rapid movement could be heard.
The three humans and one cat slowed their pace, looking around.
"There!" Aibo pointed.
In the dim, dry grass, a lizard-like figure suddenly appeared.
With dark red skin and muscle lines like carvings, the monster's body appeared exceptionally robust.
But as its head entered the guiding insect's light, the overall impression immediately shifted to a ferocious one.
This was because the dragon's face had no muscle at all; a keratinized epidermis with deep纹路 clung tightly to its skull, its nasal bone shape clearly visible.
Its pair of round, blue eyes were sunken into their sockets, and its upper and lower jaws each had two curved fangs dripping with mucus.
With every breath, even with its mouth nearly closed, it hissed outwards.
"It's a Banbaro." Aibo immediately confirmed.
"Its size doesn't seem very large, but its combat power shouldn't be weak," Yudora speculated.
"It looks injured, meow?" Dilu, who was observing, said in surprise.
Because during a recent attempt to probe, a bone spike from the rear had appeared in their vision, piercing its back.
"Was it injured by the environment?" Yudora speculated.
"Impossible, unless it fought a Radobaan. But where would a Radobaan be in the lower levels... Oh."
A Banbaro couldn't defeat a Radobaan, not to mention there weren't any smooth, fast running paths in the lower levels. However, the Banbaro didn't seem to be able to win without taking damage.
Hiss~ hiss~ The Banbaro's nasal bone inhaled rapidly, seemingly also trying to locate the team.
Roar... After a low growl, Yudora and Dilu both looked at Li Fan.
"It's complaining, asking why living things keep falling from above lately." Li Fan translated.
"Huh? You can really understand what monsters are saying?" Aibo blinked, looking at Li Fan in surprise.
Although she had experienced it to some extent before, she hadn't realized that those translations weren't just made up.
As for why she believed the current translation was accurate, it was because Aibo had done extensive research on the ecology of the Banbaro before heading to the lower levels of the瘴气之谷.
Banbaros obtained half their food from hunting and the other half from scavenging.
Due to their habit of bringing prey back to their nests to hoard, they would only choose fresh monster carcasses to drag away.
Knowing this ecological habit, she could naturally verify the truth of Li Fan's translation.
"Barely. The monsters on the New World are a bit unusual; I'm still adapting," Li Fan said humbly.
"Incredible." Aibo marveled. She had never encountered a hunter with such an ability.
Li Fan and Yudora moved to the front of the formation, drawing their weapons for a standoff.
The Banbaro stamped its front paws, its double-layered claws, four on the front and six on the back, slowly splaying outwards.
"Yudora, if you get scratched, the wound will be difficult to treat, be careful," Li Fan warned.
"Understood," Yudora nodded.
Just as combat was about to break out, an elderly woman's cry came from the side.
"Run! You're no match for it!"
The newcomer wore goggles and a respirator, and held a non-standard long-barreled crossbow.
Her attire was extremely light, with no covering on her tanned calves and arms.
Loading a spherical projectile onto the rail, the long-barreled crossbow immediately aimed and fired.
Boom! The spherical projectile hit the Banbaro's nasal bone, exploding in a cloud of dark yellow smoke.
The Banbaro sniffed twice, finding that its sense of smell could no longer lock onto the target. It could only repeatedly turn its head, trying to use its vision.
"We... we haven't moved at all," Yudora said, unable to comprehend.
"Banbaros have poor eyesight; perhaps it's seeing double," Li Fan speculated.
Boom! The second spherical projectile exploded.
"Don't push yourselves! Escape quickly! I'll cover you." The newcomer shouted again.
"Master Haruno, don't worry, we can handle it. Dilu, bring out the 'Dark Matter' noxious bomb."
"Do we have to use that now, meow? It's too soon," Dilu said in shock.
"Master Haruno is already involved; I want to be cautious," Li Fan informed them.
"Alright, meow. Everyone, please try to stay away from me," Dilu said solemnly. She took off her small backpack and took out a black square box from the bottom.
Tightening the retractable cord that secured her Felyne mask, she stared at the box for a moment, then gently pried it open with her paw.
A black sphere the size of a fist emerged, accompanied by black gas.
Li Fan, meanwhile, took out a plain leather garment and put it on.
This so-called plain leather garment was actually an invisibility suit without camouflage leaves attached.
"It won't work, Li Fan! Banbaros have very poor eyesight, but there's no terrain nearby to hide in, and besides... you haven't even attached the leaves," Aibo immediately warned.
"This is a true invisibility suit; it doesn't need leaves," Li Fan explained with a sigh, taking out an empty bottle from his waist pouch.
"Uh, what do you mean?" Aibo didn't understand at all.
Pop~ The stopper was removed, and a few sparkling silver light spots drifted out.
Li Fan held the bottle opening towards his palm, shook it a few times, and then began to apply it to the plain leather garment.
"It's gone..." Aibo's eyes widened.
She didn't know what invisible substance Li Fan was applying.
But after being applied, the surface of the garment immediately turned transparent.
This way, let alone the Banbaro in the dim environment, even she would have great difficulty pinpointing Li Fan's location.
"The 'Dark Matter' noxious bomb is ready, meow~" Dilu, who had turned her head, handed over the opened metal box.
"Thank you, Dilu," Li Fan grabbed the black sphere and ran towards the Banbaro.
"This..." Master Haruno was also bewildered, watching the figure, from which silver light spots were continuously falling, charging forward.
Roar! Roar! The Banbaro vaguely sensed something approaching, but being completely unable to lock onto its position, it could only issue fierce roars to intimidate.
Farewell, Banbaro... Aiming at the Banbaro's open mouth, Li Fan leaped forward and threw the 'Dark Matter' noxious ball in his hand.
Roar! Roar~ Woo woo woo!
Hiss~ Accompanied by a burst of black gas, the Banbaro, with a sharp change in its cry, fell onto its back on the ground, rolling back and forth in apparent agony.
"Hmm, we can retreat safely!" Although she hadn't fully grasped the situation, since it was safe, Master Haruno no longer needed to provide cover.
The four humans and one cat, knowing the dangers of the area, did not linger and ran back to the camp.
"That's great, Auntie! I'm so glad to see you," Aibo hugged Master Haruno tightly.
"You're Aibo, aren't you?" Master Haruno removed her mask and asked tentatively.
"That's right."
"You really look like your grandfather. And who are these three?"
"This is Li Fan, the leader of the Fifth Expeditionary Force. This is my hunting partner, Yudora. And this is Dilu, the Felyne editor." Aibo immediately made introductions.
"So young. It seems the Old Continent has produced quite a few top-tier newcomers," Master Haruno said with a smile.
"Master Haruno, have you recently found any traces of the Zorah Magdaros?" Li Fan inquired.
"So the tremors were caused by the Zorah Magdaros. I only sensed an anomaly and didn't find any traces. I haven't visited the research base in a long time; it seems I've missed a lot of crucial information," Master Haruno sighed.
"By the way, Li Fan, were the powders you used earlier collected from a Tobi-Kadachi?" Master Haruno asked uncertainly.
"They were collected from a Night Owl," Li Fan replied truthfully.
"And that black noxious bomb?"
"From a Duramboros."
"To collect such rare monster materials and know how to utilize them, you are truly a seasoned hunter," Master Haruno praised.
"Auntie! There's something I really want to ask you." Aibo mustered her courage.
"Go ahead, Aibo."
"I'd like to hear your speculation about the purpose of the Zorah Magdaros's visit."
"Well, what do you think the瘴气之谷 is like for monsters?" Master Haruno asked.
"It's a graveyard for monsters," Li Fan replied.
"Exactly. This is a graveyard, and that's the answer to why the Zorah Magdaros visited."
"The Zorah Magdaros crossed the ocean just to die in the瘴气之谷?" Aibo couldn't believe it.
"How are your stamina levels?" Master Haruno suddenly changed the subject.
"Very strong," Yudora said with great confidence.
"Me too," Aibo added.
"So-so... maybe?" Li Fan, having some idea of what they were about to do, gave a less certain answer.
"Then let's go take a look at the Coral Highlands," Master Haruno said and immediately set off.
Using her familiarity with the terrain, they reached a vertical black rock face not far from the camp.
"You can rest if you can't keep going; there's no rush," she said, then grabbed a protruding rock and began to climb quickly.
"What should we do? Should we tell Master Haruno that we can actually glide up?" Yudora asked, looking up at the endless rock face.
"If the elder can climb, we definitely can!" Aibo decided to try.
"Let's treat it as climbing training," Li Fan said, and began to grip the rock face.
"Alright, I haven't climbed in a long time. I'm almost forgetting the excitement of crossing mountains," Yudora said, and followed suit.
Half an hour later, the team stopped to rest, panting heavily on the rock face that seemed to stretch endlessly above and below.
"Hoo~ hoo~ Dilu, help me record this. When I submit the report, I must emphasize that the lower levels of the瘴气之谷 should not be opened to the public for now." Li Fan, gasping for breath, instructed.
Based on the current findings, the environmental hazards alone were outrageous.
They could use the Glider Mantle to descend, but could only climb up. If their stamina was slightly lower, it would be a one-way trip.
"Alright, meow!" Dilu, riding on Li Fan's shoulder, immediately began to write.
After climbing intermittently for nearly an hour, the clear blue sky finally appeared overhead.
To their surprise, the team discovered a small camp here, surrounded by coral.
"Much faster than I expected. Not simple," Master Haruno said with some surprise, as she boiled water by the campfire.
"I... managed to keep up too," Aibo said with a forced smile.
"Yes, let's keep going. It's very close," Master Haruno said, standing up.
On a high platform with a wide view, Master Haruno stopped at the edge and stated her conclusions from years of observation.
"When monsters feel their lives nearing their end, they will voluntarily go to the瘴气之谷. The nutrients from their bodies will then supply the Coral Highlands from bottom to top, nourishing the ecosystem and allowing it to continue to thrive, completing the cycle of death to new life. I have visited many regions, and I have never seen such a vast and self-disciplined ecosystem."
"This isn't mentioned in your ecological report at all, Auntie," Aibo couldn't understand why such a significant discovery wasn't included in the report.
"I wasn't sure before, but the visit of the Zorah Magdaros has solidified my ideas. The biggest flaw in this ecological cycle is that energy is lost to the outside over time. When the loss reaches a certain point, it can no longer function. At this time, a powerful energy source is needed to inject more energy into the cycle. However, there is still a long way to go to fully confirm this hypothesis. I wish I could live a few hundred more years; perhaps then I could explore the origin of life." Master Haruno said, suddenly becoming a little melancholic.
Human lifespans are ultimately limited, while the exploration of ecosystems holds infinite possibilities.
"I can't help with exploring the origin of life, but I can certainly assist in investigating the purpose of the Zorah Magdaros's visit," Li Fan said sincerely.
"Thank you, Li Fan. Oh, there's one more thing that bothers me."
"Please, go ahead."
"Have you noticed that the extremely steep fault lines here are unusual?"
Li Fan recalled the exploration situation and replied, "Yes, under normal circumstances, there's no reason for such a steep terrain."
"So you feel it too." Master Haruno sighed lightly and said, "The abnormal terrain here is precisely the key to this ecological cycle."