The Lolo Gougarf moved swiftly through the forest. Even with the Hunters sprinting at full speed, the distance between them continued to grow.
Fortunately, it did not go far before stopping in front of a giant tree whose trunk must have been five or six meters in diameter.
A tree of that size was extremely rare, even in this ancient Mangrove Forest. The Hunters, who had followed the Lolo Gougarf to its base, exchanged puzzled glances, wondering what the creature intended to do.
The Lolo Gougarf tilted its head at them again, then began climbing the tree, using its tangled, python-like roots as a ladder.
The Hunters looked at one another.
Altaïr sighed. "We've followed it this far. We might as well climb too. It doesn't seem hostile toward us, so let's go up and see what it wants."
The Hunters tightened the straps on their weapons and armor, then began to climb.
Altaïr was the fastest climber. Back when he had joined the Sandship fleet, he had trained specifically in climbing techniques. Even without crevices or burls to grip, he could scale a bare vine.
Morgan was quick as well. To compensate for his small stature, he had devoted a great deal of effort to mastering all kinds of skills.
Isis ended up bringing up the rear. With her long limbs and strength, she should have been well suited to climbing trees, but her weapon and armor were the heaviest in the group. Every time she grabbed a thinner branch, it snapped under her weight, making the climb quite strenuous.
By the time Altaïr was nearly at the top, she had only made it halfway. That frustrated her, especially now that she had developed something of a competitive streak.
Then she saw the Lolo Gougarf, which had already reached the treetop, poke its head through the dense foliage.
A thin strand of silk shot down a moment later, stuck to her armor, and yanked her up in one swift pull.
Isis cried out in surprise. Then she realized she had instantly overtaken Altaïr and Morgan and reached the top, and she burst into loud laughter.
The Lolo Gougarf quickly pressed one palm, as large as half of Isis's body, over her face. It took her two seconds to realize the creature was not trying to smother her; it was covering her mouth to keep her quiet.
Altaïr and Morgan reached the treetop soon afterward, one after the other.
Lacking the handlike feet many Fanged Beasts used to grasp branches and the flexible tails that helped them balance, the Hunters wobbled precariously. They had to half-crouch and lightly grip the branches beneath them to steady themselves.
"Wooah," the Lolo Gougarf growled softly, turning its gaze in a particular direction.
The Hunters followed its line of sight. From the top of the giant mangrove tree, they had a clear view of a forest clearing several hundred meters away.
Had the Lolo Gougarf scouted this vantage point while preparing its ambush on the Ravenous Dragon Beast?
That meant they were not far from the part of the forest where they had fought earlier that day, less than a kilometer away in a straight line.
Had the Lolo Gougarf attacked them because it feared they would disrupt its ambush?
That was Altaïr's best guess.
"Ooh wah." The Lolo Gougarf let out another soft cry, seemingly warning the Hunters to pay attention.
Altaïr raised his binoculars and saw another Ravenous Dragon Beast emerge from the woods. Drool streamed from its mouth as it made its way into the forest clearing.
Altaïr's heart tightened.
So there really was more than one.
The Monster's gaze lingered on the Bullfango's corpse for less than half a second before shifting to the corpse of its own kind.
Altaïr's pupils contracted. Could it be...
Just as he feared, the Monster opened its enormous mouth and charged straight at the corpse of its own kind. It crouched over the body and began violently tearing off and gulping down chunks of flesh.
"Cannibalism... What a disgusting creature," Morgan muttered under his breath.
Altaïr's expression darkened as well.
In the wild, food was precious, but most animals instinctively avoided consuming the corpses of their own kind.
Only extreme starvation or an appetite powerful enough to override that instinct could drive a Monster to such behavior. Any creature that did so would be extraordinarily aggressive, much like a Deviljho.
Yet even a Deviljho, when presented with both the corpse of its own kind and that of another Monster, would prioritize the latter.
The creature before them, however, ignored the Bullfango's corpse without hesitation and began devouring one of its own kind.
To these creatures, there was no concept of "their own kind." In that clearing, there was only one piece of meat and a larger piece of meat.
The Hunters watched helplessly as the Monster tore a huge chunk of flesh and bone from the corpse, swallowed it whole without chewing, then raised its head to gulp it down.
After swallowing two mouthfuls that way, the Monster suddenly stopped eating.
It stretched out its neck and let out several muffled, coughlike roars. Then its maw abruptly gaped wide, spewing a torrent of half-digested animal carcasses drenched in foul stomach acid.
The massive chunk of meat it had swallowed less than two minutes earlier was among the mess.
The Hunters now knew where the foul-smelling carcasses and indigestible Monster remains scattered throughout the forest had come from.
Isis's entire face twisted in disgust. "Ew! Is it eating or vomiting?!"
"It's probably emptying its stomach so it can keep eating," Altaïr said grimly.
The remark left Isis speechless.
She knew she loved food and was a glutton, but even she could not bring herself to vomit after a full meal just so she could start eating all over again!
Altaïr's thoughts, however, went further.
The Ravenous Dragon Beast's sheer desire for food probably surpassed even that of a Deviljho.
A Deviljho's extraordinary appetite stemmed from its overwhelming digestive and metabolic abilities. If it did not consume enough meat, its body would begin digesting its own muscles, and it would soon die.
But these Monsters? They ate simply for the sake of eating.
Their diet included everything: living animals, fresh carcasses, rotting remains, their own kind's vomit, and even their own kind.
That grotesque feeding behavior reminded Altaïr of several details he had overlooked.
Ever since they had entered the core area of the Mangrove Forest, they had not seen a single animal carcass, not even an old Bonepile.
That was clearly abnormal. Now it seemed these creatures had devoured everything.
Just as he reached that conclusion, the Lolo Gougarf let out another low growl, and Isis gasped softly.
Altaïr instinctively looked up.
Another Ravenous Dragon Beast, drawn by the scent of blood, hurried into the forest clearing. After glancing around, it too pounced on the blood-soaked corpse of its own kind and began tearing off and swallowing mouthfuls.
Altaïr's expression grew darker still.
One had become two, then three. There were bound to be more.
No wonder all the Large Monsters deep within the Mangrove Forest had fled. Even a Rathalos, an apex predator in the food chain, had been forced to abandon its territory.
With these damned creatures around, killing one would only attract more.
The herbivores Rathalos preferred to hunt had either fled in time or been completely devoured by these creatures if they were too slow.
With its lush vegetation, flocks of birds, and chirping insects, the depths of the Mangrove Forest appeared peaceful and full of life.
But for Large Monsters, it had become a land of death.
Morgan spoke in a low voice. "The three of us can't eliminate them all, even with this Lolo Gougarf's help. Who knows how many are still hiding in the forest.
"We need to report this. We need trained scholars to support the mission and tell us how to solve the problem at its source."
"Yeah." Altaïr nodded. "It's too far away and too dark to take photographs.
"Isis, make several quick sketches depicting the Monster's appearance and the scene of these creatures feasting on one of their own. Then Morgan can take the information back to the Mangrove Outpost and deliver it to the Professor, the Village Chief, and the others."
"I'm going back alone with the information? What about you two?" Morgan asked, taken aback.
"Isis and I will continue tracking these Monsters," Altaïr replied. "When members of the same species appear in groups, the Mangrove Forest must be connected to their habitat. We'll try to find that place.
"We'll use this giant tree as our starting point and leave markers along the way.
"Whether out of responsibility or personal interest, Ms. Meow-It-All won't miss the chance to uncover this mystery. Bring her with you and catch up to us."
(Translated by yourtl.app)