Later, Li Fan arrived at the battlefield and first listened to the intelligence provided by Fiora in the command tent.
When the Kingdom Knights' Hunting Party visited, the abyssal demon had briefly appeared in the Abyss Hell below, but for some unknown reason, it had left by digging through the rock wall with its massive wing-like legs.
Li Fan glanced back at the state and density of the gnawing insects in the air outside the tent and deduced, "It appeared from the bottom of the pit to sense the state of the gnawing insects. Perhaps the opportune moment hadn't arrived yet."
"Is that so... then when is the opportune moment?" Fiora asked.
"When the gnawing insects return to their nests collectively, that will be its time to act," Li Fan stated. His judgment was too far ahead of the ecological research on the abyssal dragon, so he simply conveyed the conclusion.
"No wonder the giant pit has always existed, yet the abyssal demon has never taken action. It turns out it was waiting for the gnawing insects to mature and return, absorbing their vital energy." Fiora felt this explanation made sense.
"Actually, there were several attempts to land before, but they were all repelled by the Velkhana. Of course, it might not have been a simple landing." On his way, Li Fan had discovered many peculiar things after studying the ecology of the abyssal dragon.
Monster migrations either occur to escape ecological disasters and predators or to move to environments that are more suitable for survival and beneficial to themselves. Given the abyssal dragon's characteristics, the underground was clearly more suitable for it at the moment. If it were to escape predators, in the deep underground, only Valstrax and the Crimson Glow Valstrax could potentially contend with it. It was even more baffling that the "Jue Jue Zi" had repelled it alone several times. What could it possibly achieve by landing on the surface?
Thinking of this, Li Fan felt there was something he needed to confirm with the "Jue Jue Zi" before commencing operations.
"Oh, Li Fan, I've heard that you are not only a leading scholar in Velkhana research but also the one who uncovered the truth behind the Rampage. So, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with." Fiora said, picking up a report from the table.
"Please, go ahead."
"Last night, the Kingdom Knights' Hunting Party discovered a five-dragon Rampage led by a special individual Magnamalo in the edge areas of the Citadel Plateau," Fiora handed over the report.
"Don't worry, it should be the reappearance of the abyssal demon that caused some sort of summons, leading to five dragons... five dragons? Where did this Barioth come from?" Magnamalo, Velkhana, Uragaan, Rajang... Barioth. Li Fan's expression turned confused halfway through reading.
"Is it that the Barioth shouldn't have appeared?" Fiora asked warily.
"Not exactly, it just feels a bit strange for the Barioth to appear. In any case, don't worry too much. Inform the participating personnel to avoid it as much as possible, as its target is not humans." The incident of Magnamalo leading a Rampage through the village of Kamura without causing any casualties had already become legendary. Fiora quickly understood Li Fan's intentions.
In the evening, Li Fan met with the "Jue Jue Zi" on a distant hillside.
"During the previous repulsions, there were no gnawing insects around the abyssal dragon..." After receiving the reply, Li Fan felt he was one step closer to the truth.
"Does this mean the abyssal dragon intends to use the power of the gnawing insects for another landing attempt this time?" Yudora speculated.
"No, this might be its first attempt," Li Fan stated his opinion.
"No way, meow? Then the previous actions..." Dilu found it incredible.
"The Kingdom's records of the giant pit collapses occurred twice in the capital's location and once in the Citadel clusters. These three places have one thing in common: they all had large human residential areas," Li Fan informed them.
"This point is very strange. After all, the abyssal dragon is a monster. It's impossible for it to be greedy for the gold and silver treasures in the Kingdom's treasury, right?" Yudora analyzed.
"Could its target be humans, meow?... Impossible," Dilu quickly shook her head.
"It is humans. Remember the traveling physician's visit over fifty years ago? At that time, the gnawing insects were too small to be detected, spreading throughout the Kingdom in the form of a plague. So, gnawing insects didn't just start coexisting with the abyssal dragon; they existed long ago, but at that time, neither humans nor the 'Jue Jue Zi' could detect their form." Li Fan explained.
"In other words, at a certain evolutionary stage of the gnawing insects, they used humans as their primary hosts. Those giant pits were not dug for landing, but rather created as a pathway for gnawing insects to flow to the surface ecosystem and infect humans." Yudora quickly understood the purpose of the giant pits.
"Using humans to evolve gnawing insects, this is truly demonic, meow!" Dilu exclaimed.
"The giant pits at the old capital site have long been connected, and the gnawing insects no longer need humans as hosts. This reappearance, besides landing, leaves no other reason," Li Fan deduced.
"Looking at it this way, if it succeeds in landing, unforeseen circumstances might occur." Yudora had a bad premonition.
"Therefore, we must do our utmost to stop it." Li Fan, in his heart, actually wanted to see what the abyssal dragon was planning, but the risk was too great. It was better to exert all efforts to eliminate it quickly.
"By the way, 'Jue Jue Zi', can your shadow power attach to other things?" Li Fan presented a previous idea.
"Roar~"
As the "Jue Jue Zi" indicated it could try, it spread its wings, and a mass of black mist surged onto the exposed rock surface.
"Dilu! Super Regeneration Disc! ...Try it on me." Li Fan said, patting his chest, releasing the gnawing insect "Die Die" he had raised, and injecting himself with calamity blood.
"Roar?" This request greatly surprised the "Jue Jue Zi," but it still complied.
"More, please, spread it evenly..." After the cotton-like black mist that clung to his body completely obscured him, the injection of calamity blood began to react.
Li Fan drew his sword and assumed a iai stance.
"Clang~"
After holding it for a long time with no effect, he stood up straight again, waved away the black mist covering his face, and let out a sigh of relief. "Hoo~ As expected, it's too idealistic. How could Shadow Claw be easily replicated on humans?" He felt it was too simplistic to merely replicate the trigger conditions, let alone master Shadow Claw.
"Roar~" The "Jue Jue Zi" behind him indicated that he was missing a trace of dragon element injection.
"Trace of dragon element... similar to an ignition device?" While Li Fan pondered, the tip of the "Jue Jue Zi's" claw, after touching the black mist, slid upwards gently.
"...Pchha~ Whoosh!" A black electrical discharge flashed, and the black mist erupted instantly. By the time Li Fan reacted, he found himself having already lunged forward over ten meters.
"This is quite powerful... Yudora, Dilu, when we return, remember to tell Admiral Gaeas that I have special training tonight and won't be returning to the camp to rest." Li Fan shouted to inform them.
"Alright... he must have mastered some interesting new move. He'll probably disappear for a while again," Yudora said with a hint of melancholy.
Three days passed quickly. During this time, the abyssal dragon appeared twice at the bottom of the pit, each time observing briefly before leaving. The combat members who were on high alert soon realized an awkward problem: if the opponent remained peacefully underground, their current means of attack could not harm the abyssal demon at all. Only when it was deep within the circular pit could it be hit by the vertically launched piercing Dragonator from above. As for other effective attack methods, they could only be accomplished by hunter teams. However, this raised a new issue: how would the dispatched personnel return after combat?
"Even the Palico Rescue Team is unwilling to accept rescue missions for this operation?" In the temporary command center set up in a tent, Gaeas looked helpless when facing the knight's report.
"Yes, Admiral. The near-vertical rock walls and the depth of the pit are beyond the Palicos' capabilities. They also said... no matter how much money is earned, one must be alive to spend it, meow." The knight confirmed.
"I see... In that case, Li Fan's decision to guide the Behemoth into the operation was indeed wise," Gaeas mused. The absolute terrain advantage was now present, but the resulting constraints were mutual. Deploying hunter teams to the bottom of the pit was not difficult, but there was no guarantee of safety. The introduction of the Behemoth, if it could deliver a heavy blow to the abyssal demon, could significantly reduce casualties.
At dusk, on the summit of a towering cliff adjacent to the sea, the Magnamalo stared intently at the bottom of the pit, as if petrified. The other monsters, having waited for a long time, were less focused. They were engaged in hunting, sleeping, or combat practice, each with their own preoccupations. Li Fan had been practicing Shadow Claw with the "Jue Jue Zi" and hadn't paid much attention to the situation here. Today, he decided to come and see.
"Why do you seem unhappy?" Seeing the Barioth for the first time and noticing its somewhat dazed expression, Li Fan curiously inquired.
"Roar~" The Barioth helplessly indicated that humans attempting to communicate with monsters were truly idiotic.
"Calling me idiotic... Fortunately, I have a broad mind, or you'd be in trouble."
"Roar... Roar?" The Barioth exclaimed in surprise, "You can actually understand?"
"Of course, otherwise, why would I have so many monster companions? By the way... do you know Kaiser Claw?" Li Fan crossed his hands in front of him and made a slashing motion.
The Barioth was stunned. Although it didn't understand what Kaiser Claw was, it felt the movement and the name were very cool and impactful.
"It's okay if you don't. Che Che said you joined voluntarily? Is that true?" Li Fan asked.
The Barioth looked at Che Che, who was chewing on a monster bone, and then at the Rajang, who was continuously shattering rocks with its fists.
"Roar~~"
"It's good that you joined voluntarily. In this era of rampant Rampage, monsters like you who care about the ecosystem are rare. I'll go check on the Magnamalo. You can rest now." Li Fan said and turned to leave.
Kaiser Claw... The Barioth's mind was filled with Li Fan's crossed-hand slashing motion. Thus, it braced its claws on the ground, stood upright, and began to imitate him.
While it was practicing enthusiastically, a gnawing insect hidden in the crevices of its dorsal carapace flew out.
"Roar... Roar!" The Barioth chased after it, wanting to keep it, but after only a few steps, more gnawing insects lifted off into the sky. The same situation soon occurred with the Magnamalo, Che Che, and Rajang. Only the swarm of insects surrounding the "Jue Jue Zi" became even tighter.
"Roar~" The Magnamalo let out a roar to the sky, the meaning of which, as Li Fan understood it, was only three words: It has begun.
"Chirp chirp~ Chirp chirp~..." Soon, a large number of gnawing insects gathered from all directions and poured into the giant pit. Everywhere the eye could see was coated with a pink sheen.
"Boom~ Boom~..." Signal flares exploded frequently above the combat positions, indicating that the operation was about to begin.
Li Fan slowly walked to the edge of the cliff, looked down at the dim bottom of the Abyss Hell, took a deep breath, and then shouted loudly, "Monster Squad, deploy!" The monsters that participated in the five-dragon Rampage appeared behind him.
Leaping forward, Li Fan, while falling, repeatedly used Wirebugs to hover and reduce the impact of his descent. While the Monster Hunter world wasn't afraid of falling, facing such a deep abyss, he dared not fall all the way.
"Boom~ Boom~..." A massive body, a mixture of deep blue and earthy yellow, moved with slow, heavy steps across the ground. The gnawing insects that landed on its body directly vomited the liquefied vital energy they had absorbed onto the surface of the gnawing insect crystals. With continuous dripping, the volume of the scarlet gnawing insect crystals began to slowly increase.
"The gnawing insect crystals extend from the outside of the wing-like legs all the way to the back. The preparations this time are indeed ample." Seeing the abyssal dragon's current state, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"Whoosh~" At this moment, the Valstrax, with its wings retracted, plummeted from above, carrying a strong wind pressure.
"Boom! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!..." With the impact of its landing, a large number of adamant spikes scattered.
"Puff~ Puff~..." Numerous bloody holes were pierced through the parts of the abyssal dragon's body not covered by its armor. It ignored the pain, braced itself on its claws, and its cheek pouches on both sides of its head flipped outwards. Four sharp horns protruded from the bluish-green oral mucosa, forming a hexagram pattern when combined with its head.
"Roar!" The abyssal dragon's earth-shattering roar echoed through the Abyss Hell. Even though Li Fan hadn't touched the ground yet, he still covered his ears for protection.
"Bang! Bang!" Two massive wing-like legs slammed into the ground, causing countless gnawing insect crystals to fall. The abyssal dragon returned to its crawling posture.
"Roar~" The Valstrax did not respond with a roar to intimidate, as was the conventional method. Instead, it calmly stated, "Someone once told me that roaring has little significance in battles between monsters." The abyssal dragon, without further ado, attacked. It used its body to drive its wing-like legs in a sweeping motion across the ground. The wing-like legs, like stone rollers, were unstoppable with the added force of their swing. The Valstrax, however, refused to believe it. It pulled its wings back against its body and charged headfirst with its shoulders.
"Bang~" A dull, heavy impact sound rang out. Blood sprayed from the piercing adamant spikes at the point where the two dragons collided, spreading out with the strong impact airflow, forming a blood ring that expanded in mid-air. The two dragons, seemingly frozen for a moment, struggled for a bit before the abyssal dragon was pushed sideways and had to constantly shift its claws to maintain balance.
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~..." The Valstrax flapped its wings vigorously and took flight. It hovered in the air, aiming for a vital spot on its head. As it dived diagonally, it swung its sharp right claw backward. The abyssal dragon did not choose to defend or dodge but lowered its head and opened its mouth.
"Swoosh~ Swoosh~..." The strong airflow sweeping across the ground rapidly drew the scattered gnawing insect crystals towards its mouth.
Zhao Lala reminds you: Remember to bookmark after reading.