Monster Hunter: This Dragon's Built Different

High above, the scent of corpses had drawn the attention of the Mernos. However, with Logan and Aki still present, they didn't dare swoop down to enjoy this convenient lunch. Instead, they remained perched quietly on the treetops nearby, their heads tilted as they kept a constant watch.

Compared to the cautious Mernos, the Revoltures—scavengers by nature—had far fewer qualms. Flocks of them were already circling openly in the sky above.

Their small size, poor meat quality, and preference for carrion meant they were never on the menu for larger Flying Wyverns like Rathalos. That was precisely why they could linger overhead so brazenly.

Aki continued to leisurely savor the prime cuts of the Aptonoth's meat, while Logan, already full, looked around with growing boredom. Based on past experience, though, it was unlikely that any clueless fool would dare provoke a pair of Rathalos.

He stuck out his tongue and lazily snagged a passing Vigorwasp carrying a glob of green nectar. Slurping it into his mouth, he watched the poor bug flail in impotent fury before fleeing in defeat. With a satisfied sigh, Logan lowered himself into the tall grass, burying his body deep within the dense undergrowth to bask in the sunlight.

The surrounding grass was lush and thick. The recent battle that had broken out in the distance hadn't reached this area. Thanks to the tall weeds, Logan's body remained well-hidden—unless one got close or viewed the area from above, all that could be seen was a faint patch of crimson scales peeking through the vegetation and ferns.

"Squawk!"

A panicked cry suddenly rang out. Logan instinctively perked up, his gaze snapping toward the source of the sound.

There, charging out from the distant forest, was a large yellow bird. Its head and the outside of its forearms were covered in brightly colored feathers, and it had an oversized beak. Gasping for breath with its tongue lolling out of its gaping mouth, it clutched a gray-white wyvern egg in its arms as it bolted forward.

Its shifty eyes were filled with terror, and its frantic, clumsy dash made it look like something horrifying was chasing it from behind. Due to the distance, angle, and the overgrown weeds of this season, the bird hadn't noticed Logan and Aki at all.

A Kulu-Ya-Ku—commonly nicknamed the Stupid Bird' by hunters.

It was infamous for its flashy appearance, weak combat ability, and compulsive habit of stealing wyvern eggs.

A hardcore egg thief, this creature was so obsessed with sampling different 'flavors' that it dared sneak up to the upper levels of the Ancient Tree just to steal a Rathalos couple's egg—risking a brutal death for a bite.

As one of the New World's most notorious kleptomaniacs, the Kulu-Ya-Ku was every bit as timid as it looked. But its behavior? Bizarrely bold.

Every day, it was either stealing an egg—or on the way to steal one.

Judging by the Kulu-Ya-Ku's current state, it was obvious that it had just been caught in the act and was now being hunted down. Then again, that was just part of its daily routine.

Logan couldn't help but wonder: Whose egg did this idiot steal this time?

He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

Two Kestodon burst out from the forest, roaring furiously as they chased the thief down. Their expressions were filled with righteous fury, clearly determined to punish the Kulu-Ya-Ku. They, too, failed to notice the two Rathalos watching from nearby—their eyes were locked solely on the culprit in front of them.

Though the Kulu-Ya-Ku was fairly quick, carrying an egg severely hampered its speed. It couldn't gain much distance at all.

Known throughout the New World as the 'Chicken Wyvern', the Kulu-Ya-Ku could only rely on its nimble footwork and impressive leaping ability to dodge attacks. Its situation looked precarious, but not immediately life-threatening.

Still, the whole scene was undeniably hilarious.

A supposedly proud large monster being relentlessly chased around by two small herbivores—and it didn't even dare to fight back?

Only a Kulu-Ya-Ku could pull that off in the entire New World.

Logan watched the scene unfold with thinly veiled schadenfreude, conveniently forgetting that not too long ago, in this very forest, a certain freshly hatched King of the Skies had screamed out of pure arrogance—only to get chased for kilometers like a panicked chicken.

Credit where it's due: the Kulu-Ya-Ku had undeniable comedic value. Even Aki had paused her chewing to watch. Like Logan, she lay low in the grass, hidden by the tall weeds, watching the drama with gleeful eyes.

[Smack!]

With a graceful leap, the Kulu-Ya-Ku landed—but misjudged its footing. It stumbled forward, and by instinct, loosened its grip.

The Kestodon egg slipped from its claws and hit the ground with a sharp crack. Egg yolk splattered everywhere.

The Kulu-Ya-Ku stared blankly at its now-empty claws, then at the shattered remains of the egg, eyes wide with disbelief.

Finally, it turned its gaze toward the Kestodon couple, whose bloodshot eyes seemed ready to burst into flames.

"Squawk!"

A rasping cry burst from the Kulu-Ya-Ku's throat—three parts rage, seven parts indignation. It flared its vibrant feathered arms wide and began screeching furiously at the Kestodons.

That... stunned the Kestodon couple for a moment.

Wait—what? You smashed our egg, and you're mad at us?!

Fortunately—or unfortunately, for the Kulu-Ya-Ku—the Kestodons weren't exactly brainiacs. After being momentarily stunned by the bird's sudden tantrum, fury once again surged through their skulls.

Lowering their heads, they charged forward, horns aimed straight at the thief.

This time, perhaps unburdened by an egg, the Kulu-Ya-Ku finally stopped running.

With a small hop, it nimbly dodged the Kestodons' charge, then pecked the ground with its oversized beak—quickly locating a stone of just the right size.

Its forelimbs clawed rapidly at the dirt, and within seconds, it dug up a hard rock roughly the size of a wyvern egg.

All of this happened in barely five seconds.

By then, the enraged Kestodon couple had already reached the Kulu-Ya-Ku.

Legend has it that once a Kulu-Ya-Ku picks up a rock, it dares to face even an Elder Dragon.

Granted, the reality is a bit less dramatic—but it can stand its ground against a Diablos. Though the result is usually a lesson that leaves it wide-eyed and spiritually enlightened.

Clutching the stone tightly, the Kulu-Ya-Ku sprang into the air. With a fierce glint in its eyes, it slammed the rock down onto the Kestodon's armored head.

A dull thud rang out as stone met keratin. The Kulu-Ya-Ku was knocked back by the recoil, its stone flying from its grasp. Letting out a startled squawk, it leapt backwards, just in time to avoid the headbutt charge from the other Kestodon.

The stone flew off into the distance, and the Kulu-Ya-Ku was instantly back to square one. Even though the Kestodon it struck collapsed in a daze, the righteous fury it had just summoned vanished the moment the rock left its claws.

Its hard-won momentum evaporated. Flustered, it began frantically pawing at the ground again, trying to dig up a new one.

"Humph!"

The tip of a tall grass blade brushed against Logan's nose. He twitched, failed to hold back, and let out a sudden sneeze.

The Kulu-Ya-Ku's gaze snapped toward the sound—and immediately spotted the two massive Rathalos crouched in the grass.

"GAAAH!!"

It flailed wildly in shock, leaping into the air in a panic. Any thoughts of fighting back or avenging the broken egg vanished in an instant.

Whipping around, it bolted straight for the forest. Its long tail, swinging madly behind it, looked like it might fly off entirely from the sheer speed of its retreat.

Because of the Kulu-Ya-Ku's behavior, Logan and Aki were completely exposed, prompting the two Kestodons to panic and flee in terror.

Well then, the comedy act was over.

To think the Kulu-Ya-Ku could be chased around like a headless chicken by two Kestodons—Logan was genuinely impressed by its 'skills'.

Still, the opening scene just now felt oddly familiar.

Shaking off that inexplicable feeling, Aki lost interest in eating. Each of the two wyverns grabbed a chunk of Aptonoth carcass and flew off toward the Ancient Tree.

In the four years that had passed, Logan and Aki's nest had undergone significant changes.

First, their lair itself—due to their increasing size—had been remodeled several times. In its latest state, it now occupied nearly a quarter of the entire nesting site.

Next was the path used by the Grimalkynes. At their request, it had been widened slightly, making it easier for them to herd the Jagras they had started raising in the lower areas.

That's right—thanks to an ample supply of food, and with the Grimalkyne population growing steadily over the past four years, their chieftain had successfully led them in taming and domesticating a group of Jagras.

Several of the strongest Grimalkynes had even transitioned into the role of Jagras Knights, wielding bone spears and using refined trap techniques passed down for generations by the Forest Insect Cage Tribe. With these tools, they had noticeably boosted the tribe's overall combat strength—enough to hold their own against certain low-tier large monsters.

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