Chapter 146: Collecting a Corpse or Subduing Him?
Ahead, the Azure Rathalos flew down from the sky, blocking the way, while behind, the Yian Garuga shook its head and stood up, though its eyes were still temporarily blinded.
"Hiss-hiss..." Before Su Yi could finish, Hiss-hiss understood instantly and unfurled its flash membrane.
Hiss-hiss: The moment you call me, I know exactly which move you want me to use.
However, the Azure Rathalos had clearly learned its lesson; seeing Hiss-hiss open its flash membrane, it immediately spat a fireball right at the little creature.
Left with no choice, Hiss-hiss halted the flash and dodged nimbly.
At that exact moment, the Azure Rathalos suddenly beat its wings to accelerate, lunging forward with sharp talons aimed straight at Hiss-hiss, clearly intending to eliminate the culprit behind its previous crash first.
"Odogaron!" Su Yi shouted.
"Howl-嗷-嗷!"
A crimson figure leaped out from the side, scrambling onto the Azure Rathalos's back.
The Azure Rathalos paused, then shook its body violently, trying to throw the Odogaron off.
Seizing the opportunity, the Tobi-Kadachi climbed up a tree, leaped into the air, and lashed out with its electricity-charged tail, smashing it against the Azure Rathalos.
Crack!
Lightning flickered. The Azure Rathalos swayed, and amid an enraged roar, it violently beat its wings, charging straight toward the Tobi-Kadachi with the Odogaron still clinging to its back.
Bang!
The Odogaron and the Tobi-Kadachi collided, and the Azure Rathalos landed unsteadily.
"Gah-ah—!" At that moment, the Yian Garuga shook its head, let out a long screech, and finally shook off its blindness.
The Yian Garuga tilted its head, spotted the Azure Rathalos in its field of vision, and excitement flared once more in its eyes, completely ignoring Su Yi and his group.
For some reason, the Azure Rathalos followed the sound, locked eyes with the Yian Garuga, and radiated intense hostility.
Roar!
The Azure Rathalos also ignored Su Yi's group entirely, roaring loudly at the Yian Garuga.
"Fight!" Su Yi whispered, fanning the flames while recalling all of his companion monsters.
"Corviknight, let's go!" Su Yi summoned the Corviknight, shot a grappling hook onto its claws, and Lucat quickly clung to Su Yi's back.
Aiden followed suit, and the Corviknight carried the two humans and one cat, chasing after the fleeing Anjanath.
In the forest behind them, the Azure Rathalos took flight, and the Yian Garuga immediately gave chase.
Yet, the Yian Garuga's flight was clearly not as agile as the Azure Rathalos's, and it was toyed with by the Azure Rathalos's flashy aerial acrobatics.
Although it was a flying Bird Wyvern, the Yian Garuga's physical structure and combat traits destined its aerial capabilities to fall far short of true flying wyverns.
...
On the plains outside the forest, a well-fed Fulgur Anjanath came down to the edge of a pool to drink, but a familiar scent drifted into its nostrils.
Sniff, sniff...
The Fulgur Anjanath searched around, discovering a few tufts of black fur and some bloodstains at the edge of the forest.
A fierce glint flashed in the Fulgur Anjanath's eyes, and following the scent, it stepped into the forest.
"Ghrr-rr..." A low, excited rumble vibrated in the beast's throat.
...
The Corviknight flew at a low altitude above the forest canopy, carrying the two humans and one cat.
"Is this Anjanath trying to head back to the plains outside the forest?" Su Yi peered through the dense leaves from above, watching the running Anjanath with a hint of confusion.
"Su Yi, we've found old tracks of the Anjanath and are heading that way," the leader of the research team reported over the communicator.
"Understood, we are tracking it from right above. It seems to be taking the same route back to the outer plains to forage; we'll likely cross paths soon."
Given the Anjanath's current state, it urgently needed to replenish its energy and rest, and the closest hunting ground was the plain where they had started.
"Be careful out there..." the research team leader warned.
Su Yi replied, "You guys be careful too. At this hour, the Fulgur Anjanath should be out hunting as well..."
"Why don't we try to intercept it!" Aiden said eagerly.
"Alright! Corviknight, Brave Bird, charge through!" Su Yi commanded.
"Gah-ah!" The Corviknight enveloped itself in an orange-red glow, burning like a blazing fire.
As the Corviknight dove, the light shifted to a deep orange-yellow, and the ferocious bird broke through the leafy canopy, hurtling toward the running Anjanath.
"Whoa-ah-ah! What is this?!" Aiden yelled in panic.
Su Yi and Aiden, dangling from the Corviknight's claws, felt as though they had been strapped to a missile. The howling wind whipped their bodies upward, while Lucat meowed frantically, gripping Su Yi's clothes with all her might.
"Get ready to brace for impact!" Su Yi held his sword-and-shield's small shield in front of him.
"This is way too intense!" Aiden copied the gesture, using his small shield to protect his body while shouting around the wind rushing into his mouth.
Bang!
The Corviknight slammed into the Anjanath, the sheer impact throwing the running beast off balance and sending it crashing to the ground.
Cushioned by the Anjanath's thick fur, Su Yi and Aiden tumbled onto its back.
"Wild!" Su Yi shook his arms and stood up.
"That feeling was even wilder than being dropped right in front of a monster by an Aptonoth," Aiden rubbed his arms, wincing.
Looking at the fallen Anjanath, Su Yi said, "Gotcha."
"Growl..." The Anjanath let out an irritated roar, struggling to get back on its feet.
However...
"Howl-嗷-嗷!"
An eerily similar roar pierced through the woods.
"What?!"
Su Yi whipped his head around, a massive jaw rapidly expanding in his vision.
"Not so fast!" Aiden shouted, charging forward with his shield raised to smash into the monster's head.
With a loud thud, the biting motion paused just long enough for Su Yi to dodge.
"Fulgur Anjanath!" Su Yi gritted his teeth; it had shown up after all.
"Ga-ga-gah!" The Fulgur Anjanath let out a high-pitched roar, instantly entering its charged state.
Yet, it ignored Su Yi entirely, fixing its murderously intent eyes solely on the rising Anjanath.
The Anjanath let out a low growl, hesitating slightly.
Its condition right now was abyssal—starving and heavily injured—whereas the Fulgur Anjanath was fully fed and at the peak of its stamina.
It was already a losing match, let alone in this state.
Naturally, the Fulgur Anjanath had been waiting for this exact opportunity: to finish off the weakened Anjanath and cement its dominance as the master of the surrounding hunting grounds.
Abandoning thoughts of foraging, the Anjanath turned and bolted in the opposite direction, hoping to escape the mortal danger first.
The Fulgur Anjanath pursued immediately.
"Should we chase?" Aiden asked.
"Chase! Whether we're collecting a corpse or claiming a subjugation, we've prepped for too long not to see this through!" Su Yi said, unwilling to let it go.
Summoning the Corviknight once more, Su Yi prepared for aerial tracking.
Mounting the Corviknight, Su Yi handed Aiden a communicator and said, "Aiden, stay here and rendezvous with the captain and the others."
"Got it," Aiden nodded.
Whoosh!
The Corviknight beat its wings and took flight. Su Yi kept his eyes glued to the Fulgur Anjanath's fleeing figure through the gaps in the dense forest canopy below.
Traveling by air was infinitely easier than traversing the forest floor, and the Corviknight trailed closely behind the Fulgur Anjanath at a leisurely pace.
Right then, a fireball blasted through the thick branches and leaves, hurtling toward them.
Boom!
Caught off guard, the fireball struck the Corviknight's wing. The monster cried out in pain, but knowing Su Yi was still on its back, it gritted its teeth and steadied its flight.
"Who's there?!" Su Yi shouted angrily.
"Wah-ah-ah-ah!"
With a swift whoosh, a dark-purple silhouette featuring a sharp beak rocketed out of the woods like a crossbow bolt, charging straight at the Corviknight.
"Yian Garuga! You son of a..."