Chapter 126: Tracking the Zorah Magdaros

Outside the base, several researchers pushed out a small cart made from beast bones, designed for collecting the rocky shell fragments shed by Zorah Magdaros.

Su Yi released Corviknight.

"Corviknight, I'm counting on you for this mission. It’ll also be a good chance for you to get a feel for how hunting and investigation work around here," Su Yi said.

"Caw!" Corviknight let out an eager, high-spirited cry.

"Alright, let's head out—Palico, Aibo, Aiden," Su Yi said, stepping into the cart as the other two and the cat squeezed in after him.

The cart provided just enough standing room for everyone.

Corviknight gripped the cart's suspension ropes, flapped its wings, and lifted the cart as if it were a flying taxi cabin, soaring toward the site where Zorah Magdaros had made landfall.

"What a miraculous creature; to possess such strength," a researcher remarked, watching Corviknight ascend.

"Incredible! This Pokémon called Corviknight can actually lift this much weight," Aiden exclaimed from inside the cart, gazing out at the scenery of the Ancient Forest below.

This handsome, armored bird was far more capable of carrying loads than a Wingdrake, and its flight was significantly steadier. Furthermore, Corviknight was easier to communicate with than a Wingdrake and possessed formidable combat prowess; having such a partner made them feel much safer.

"It’s like riding in a hot air balloon! What a wonderful partner," Aibo said, admiring the view.

*Caw!* Corviknight chirped in response.

Su Yi smiled and said, "Pokémon are truly magical creatures."

Back in Galar, when Corviknight served as a flying taxi, it didn't just carry at least two people and their luggage; it also hauled an all-metal carriage while flying across most of the Galar region. Its load-bearing capacity and stamina were remarkable. As for combat, it stood among the best of the regional birds. In every respect, Corviknight was superior to a Wingdrake.

"I can see the landing site of Zorah Magdaros!" Aibo said, adjusting the binoculars on her headband and pointing into the distance.

Where Zorah Magdaros had landed, the ground had collapsed and the path was scorched black, with magma still glowing a faint red.

"Zorah Magdaros is heading straight for the interior," Aiden observed.

"Prepare for landing," Su Yi commanded.

Corviknight found a landing spot and descended slowly.

"It’s gotten hot all of a sudden. The power of an Elder Dragon is truly immense—just passing through has completely altered the terrain," Aiden marveled.

On the shore, where Zorah Magdaros had come ashore, a massive path of lava had been carved through the hills, low mountains, and forests. The trail stretched forward, unstoppable, forming a gargantuan canyon.

"Let's follow the trail and see where it leads," Su Yi said.

Corviknight picked up the cart again, flying low over their heads as the group explored the scorching canyon. Along the way, everything was in ruins. Some of the lava, whether it had fallen from Zorah Magdaros's back or been melted by the heat, made it feel as though they had stepped into a volcanic zone.

"Are those ores?" Aibo asked, observing her surroundings carefully as she noticed something unusual embedded in the rocks.

Su Yi stepped forward, chipped off a piece, and said, "It’s Machalite Ore."

"As Zorah Magdaros spends ages forging the volcano on its back, it accumulates all sorts of minerals. After being smelted by such extreme temperatures, the quality of these ores is excellent."

"It really is a walking volcano," Aiden said, taking the ore to examine it in awe.

"Even such a majestic Elder Dragon has a day when its life comes to an end," Su Yi noted.

As they pressed on, the terrain suddenly became steep and complex. The massive canyon carved by Zorah Magdaros reached its end, blocked by a collapsed mountain peak. The ground, which had been flattened by the beast, was now humped with chaotic, uneven rocks, resembling a vast stone forest. Seething lava flowed between the rocks, making the area as hot as an inferno.

"The trail has vanished? Where did Zorah Magdaros go?" Aibo asked in surprise. Could such a colossal Elder Dragon really just disappear?

Su Yi scanned the surroundings, then crouched down to examine the terrain. "I’m afraid it’s right beneath our feet."

"Beneath our feet?" Aiden looked down, startled.

"See all these jagged rocks protruding from the ground? This was likely caused by Zorah Magdaros digging underground. Whether it’s resting or has tunneled elsewhere, it’s hard to say," Su Yi explained.

In the game, the scene of Zorah Magdaros bursting from the ground in the Great Ravine was breathtaking. It was hard to imagine what it would look like for such a behemoth to dig into the earth—perhaps something like Groudon using Dig?

"If it suddenly decides to stand up, wouldn't that be a disaster?" Aiden worried. The scene would surely be cataclysmic.

"Let's gather some traces and head back to report," Aibo suggested, pointing to a large piece of rocky shell nearby.

*Caw!* Corviknight, flying low, suddenly let out a low cry and landed gently with the cart.

"What's wrong?" Su Yi went on high alert immediately.

Corviknight pointed with its wing in a certain direction, its expression serious as it let out a low, startled sound.

"Is something out there?" Su Yi frowned.

Aiden and Aibo were amazed by the intelligence and communication skills Corviknight displayed. At first, they thought the communication was merely a pet reacting to its trainer's commands. But now, it was clear that these creatures called Pokémon possessed intelligence far beyond their expectations.

Su Yi carefully climbed over the uneven rocks to look in the direction Corviknight indicated.

"Glavenus!?" Su Yi saw a monster with a long, massive tail wandering among the rock hills. "So, Glavenus lives in the New World as well."

Aiden, the Palico, and Aibo scrambled up to join him.

"What is it doing?" Aibo asked, puzzled.

Su Yi looked through his binoculars. The Glavenus walked up to a piece of shell shed by Zorah Magdaros and used its blade-like tail to scrape at the rock until some ore fell out. It then took the ore into its mouth; a moment later, flames ignited in its jaws, and the ore began to smelt.

Then, the Glavenus bent its tail before its face and used the molten minerals from its mouth to coat its blue-tinged, metallic tail blade. As the searing liquid metal adhered to the blade, the pyrotechnic substances within the massive tail ignited, staining it a scorching crimson. This was the origin of the Glavenus's title, "The Scorching Blade."

"This Glavenus is tempering its own tail blade!" Su Yi said, astonished. "I see. The shell fragments dropped by Zorah Magdaros contain high-quality ore. The Glavenus realized this and is using these materials to forge its own greatsword-tail."

"A monster forging its own weapon? What a peculiar ecology," Aiden marveled.