As a massive Brute Wyvern, the Glavenus possesses an exceptionally imposing physique. Its average body length exceeds 22 meters, making it even larger than some Deviljhos. The specimen before Logan's eyes was nearly 25 meters long from head to tail—roughly the height of an eight-story building.
Its general appearance resembled a Carnotaurus, with two curved horns protruding from its head. Its body was encased in a layer of crimson armor that looked like molten metal frozen in time. Numerous blue, flame-like spikes rose along its back, creating a look that was both unique and utterly intimidating.
The tail behind it was thick and long, its surface also covered in a layer of bright blue metal that formed a massive blade reminiscent of a "Ship-Cutting Saber." Its singular design was enough to strike awe into any creature that beheld it.
As Logan looked at the gargantuan creature, his first instinct was to avoid a fight. Excluding Elder Dragons and Special Species, almost no monster in the standard ecosystem could stand as its equal.
It was said that even a Deviljho would not easily clash with a Glavenus unless it was driven by extreme hunger. But then again, does a Deviljho ever not feel hungry?
This particular Glavenus appeared to have just finished a meal. The ores and coal within its body were reacting during digestion, generating a massive amount of thermal energy. A shimmering heat haze rippled around its body like waves on water; a nearby shrub already had its leaves scorched dry and yellow. The flame-like spikes on its back and the massive tail-blade glowed like red-hot branding irons, looking as if they could ignite the air at any moment.
Logan suspected that the blue tint on those spikes and the tail was likely "bluing"—a phenomenon caused by high-temperature metal oxidation. This effectively sealed out oxygen and prevented rust. Not only was this fellow a master swordsman, it was also a "blacksmith." He wondered if it knew how to quench its own blade.
Two giant beasts—one white and one blue—lay quietly atop a rocky peak. Like spectators watching a rare attraction, they critiqued the Glavenus below without a hint of fear.
While they certainly couldn't beat this Glavenus in a fair fight, being able to escape was enough. A monkey might not be able to beat a wild boar, but it still dares to throw fruit at its head.
However, Logan wasn't just being bored; he had a clear objective.
As a Brute Wyvern covered in metal, the Glavenus's survival depended on various ores. By following it, they were guaranteed to find an easily accessible open-pit vein.
Their brazen staring soon caught the Glavenus's attention. It stopped its "sharpening" motion and snapped its head up. Small, emerald-green eyes set into a steel-like face-plate glared viciously at Logan on the rocks. It opened its maw and let out a terrifying, authoritative roar.
ROOAAAR!!!
An invisible wave of sound accompanied by a scorching blast of air swept toward them. Logan remained indifferent. Electricity crackled and danced across his azure horns as he simply rolled his eyes in response.
This act of defiance completely enraged the beast. Its powerful hind legs kicked off the ground, and with explosive force, it propelled its heavy body high into the air.
To put it in perspective: if a Tyrannosaurus grew to 25 meters, it would weigh over 70 tons. That doesn't even account for the denser muscles and bones evolved to support such weight, which would bring it closer to 100 tons. The Glavenus, however, was stockier than a T-Rex of the same length and was laden with high-density metal. Its true weight was likely closer to 150 tons.
It was hard to imagine what kind of developed muscles could launch such a heavy body into the air, or what kind of resilient ligaments and joints could withstand the impact of the landing.
In the brief moment Logan spent contemplating this, the Glavenus had already charged and leapt. Its tail swung high, using the momentum of a spin to deliver a ferocious vertical strike—a move known as "Splitting Mount Hua."
Logan and Zhu Peiniang were not about to stand there and tank the blow. With a quick movement, they nimbly leapt to opposite sides.
The heavy tail-blade slammed into the five-meter-high rock with a deafening crash. Stone fragments sprayed in all directions like bullets. The massive boulder was split from top to bottom, leaving a terrifying, jagged crack.
Setting aside the sharpness of a 20-ton tail-blade swinging at high speeds, the raw kinetic impact alone was enough to crush the armor of a main battle tank.
Fortunately, while its heavy body provided devastating power, it severely hampered the Glavenus's speed. Logan and Zhu Peiniang leaped nimbly across the towering rock formations. Despite the Glavenus's repeated, angry roars, it simply couldn't catch them.
The intense exercise caused the Glavenus's body temperature to rise further. As its tail brushed against the rocks, it sent out showers of brilliant sparks. The blade's color shifted to a glowing orange-red, looking like molten iron about to liquefy, radiating enough heat to incinerate its surroundings.
Yet, no matter how powerful the attack, it was futile if it couldn't hit.
Logan and Zhu Peiniang possessed high movement speeds thanks to their powerful limbs, and their relatively small size allowed them to weave through rocky crevices with ease. For the Glavenus, catching them was an impossible task.
However, this Glavenus had a truly foul temper; it had reached its boiling point just from being watched. Seeing that it couldn't catch them, a faint red light began to glow in its throat. Suddenly, it threw its head forward, and a large glob of viscous magma shot out like a cannonball.
The magma projectile whistled through the air, carrying a rolling heatwave, and continued to burn after hitting the ground. A few seconds later, the powdered coal inside reacted chemically, causing a violent explosion. With a loud BOOM, it went off like a missile. The blast sent a high-temperature jet of sticky magma sweeping outward like a tidal wave.
Some of the magma splashed onto Logan, clattering against his scales and leaving behind dark gray scorch marks.
Fortunately, as Logan and Zhu Peiniang widened the distance, the molten projectiles could no longer reach them. The Glavenus watched their receding figures and let out an unwilling roar of frustration.
According to game lore, these creatures were quite vengeful. Once they locked onto prey, they would pursue relentlessly, often launching surprise attacks when the target let its guard down.
Therefore, that night, Logan specifically sought out a high, steep hill to rest. No matter how high the Glavenus could jump, it was impossible for it to climb up there.
In the following days, Logan would occasionally return to provoke the Glavenus. Each time he fled, he kept a deliberate distance—not too far, not too close—luring the Glavenus into wasting its magma breath. This tactic quickly depleted the monster's internal ore reserves. Before long, its Flame Sac was empty, forcing it to head toward its usual mineral vein to replenish.
Logan followed silently behind. He felt like a native tribesman who feeds salt to a captured monkey to make it thirsty, then follows it to find its secret watering hole.
After trekking through dense forests and over several low hills, the Glavenus stopped before a towering rock wall. Here, the signs of heavy impact and destruction were clear. The ground was littered with stones of all sizes, some of which shimmered with faint glints of light blue.
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