A/N: Another thanks to qazse for suggesting this episode and for some reactions.
"Now before we begin I'd like to point out that if it wasn't for Kirin, this would also be Nora's ideal monster." Katana declared.
"Really, why?" Nora asked curiously.
"Just watch and see." She told the hammer wielder.
"Ooh, a mystery." Blake said eagerly. After romance, detective novels were among her favorites.
"Sun and Neptune would leap at the opportunity to solve it." Emerald said, rolling her eyes at the thought of those goofballs.
An older, but still familiar version of Strawfoot's intro began, showing his symbol of multiple triangles carved in stone. "Today's research mission takes us deep into the volcanic heart of the Elder's recess, in search of the heavily-armored Brute Wyvern known as Uragaan." Strawfoot declared as he sat in his tent, before bracing himself for the hunt ahead and got back to his feet. He was then seen through a different area of the mountain. "Newly hatched Uragaans are found in forest ecosystems and feed exclusively on plants and tree leaves. Once an Uragaan reaches maturity, it migrates to the nearest volcanic region and begins feeding on mineral rich stone and ore. At this stage in its life, it gives up feeding on plant life entirely." Strawfoot explained as he finally spotted the beast from a cliff a good distance away from the monster, before it quickly curled into a ball and rolled away from sight, forcing him to jump down and chase after it.
Everyone, especially the intellectuals, was shocked to hear about its diet. "Volcanic rock?! Th-that's insane! They'd have countless highly toxic, sulfuric gases in them!" Glynda said in disbelief.
"Well, Katana did mention Kushala Daora can eat ore as well. Perhaps some monsters have an affinity for it, just as some animals are immune to the poison of others." Ozpin suggested.
"Still, it's quite the strange dietary transition from plant matter to rocks." Penny noted.
And everyone was left in absolute disbelief when the creature curled up into a ball and rolled away. "Whoa look at him go! Big guy sure knows how to get around." Yang said, impressed.
Ruby snorted at this. "Pfft- Hahaha! It's like a metal roly-poly!" She laughed.
"Ya know, that's both funny and adorable." Velvet admitted with a smile.
"The Uragaan, often referred to by hunters as the Burst Hammer Wyvern. Especially adapted to life in the volcanic regions of our world and is one of the few monsters capable of digesting volcanic rock. The adult Uragaan uses its heavy, hammer-like chin to crush rocks and crystals before feeding on them. This rock crushing behavior causes stone and mineral to bind to the hot surface of the Uragaan's chin. As a result, the Uragaan's rock crushing hammer grows larger as the Wyvern ages. Scholars speculate that it might be possible to determine the age of an Uragaan based on the layers in its chin." Strawfoot explained as he circled the creature to observe it as it knelt down and rested.
Everyone was fascinated how it develops its massive chin. "Incredible. For minerals to bind to its surface in such a fashion is unthinkable. But amazing." Winter said.
"And at least we have a way to age them now. That will likely speed up researching them." Pyrrha stated.
"That could also mean if they eat Dust, they'll expel elemental gas. Or if its stuck in their chin... I don't even want to know how they'd use that." Hazel said in concern.
"Does that chin remind anyone else of Thanos?" Cinder asked, half the crowd shocked and disturbed by the comparison, the other half laughing.
"I could totally see Thanos smashing stuff with his chin." Jaune agreed.
Nora was absolutely ecstatic over the crushing chin. "It's like a giant sledgehammer!" Nora cheered.
Ren then pieced together why Uragaan would have been Nora's if not for Kirin. "Oh I see, it uses explosive rocks like grenades and it's chin like a giant hammer. Just like how Nora fights?" He asked.
"Exactly." Katana confirmed.
"A byproduct of this creature's strange diet is that as the ores digest in the Uragaan's stomach, they expel a cocktail of dangerous gases, which the Uragaan can release through vents on the underside of its body." Strawfoot explained, pulling out a pair of binoculars to look the beast closer in the face, despite only being 10 feet away at most. "When startled or aggravated, Uragaan's internal temperature rises, causing it to release clouds of either explosive or sleep-inducing gas." He went on as the Uragaan stood up and once again fled the area. "These lethal gases, however, are not the Uragaan's only defense from predators. This Brute Wyvern wears a heavy protective carapace, made of nearly indestructible metal. The Uragaan's underbelly is covered in a viscous tar-like substance, used to collect explosive rocks and minerals. When threatened, the Uragaan often shakes these stones loose, littering the ground with deadly explosives." He added as he continued to chase the beast to an area where it ate more rocks and minerals.
James was intrigued when he heard how tough the metals on the beast's back were. "Indestructible? Well, we may have to find a few of them for mining when we get back. And develop the right kinds of tranquilizer, of course." He said.
"I'm really starting to think you need an intervention for how your brain instantly goes to how we can weaponize these monsters or their materials." Neo said.
"I... have to agree, general Ironwood. Your dedication to help people is wonderful, but it's starting to become... obsessive." Weiss said hesitantly, protecting her butt in case her sister was angered by this proclamation.
"During mating season, male Uragaan will take special care to attach the most brightly colored crystals and rocks to their shells and chins in order to win the affection of a female. This strange mating behavior results in what the Hunter's Guild classifies as a Deviant subspecies: the Crystalbeard Uragaan." Strawfoot explained as he followed the beast, before showing a picture of a larger, brightly colored Uragaan with precious jewels all in its chin.
Coco was impressed by the jewels the Deviant had adorned itself with. "Dang these Wyverns know how to accessorize." She said approvingly.
"Well, I think I'm gonna take up some mining when we get back to Remnant." Roman declared, a hard hat somehow appearing underneath his bowler hat.
"Do you ever think about anything besides money?" Ilia asked.
"Just about how else I can stay happy and pretty." He responded, holding up a mirror and winking to himself.
"Ugh. Why did Cinder ever think it was a good idea to work with you?" Adam groaned.
A map was then shown. "Uragaan can be found in both the New and Old World. However, a newly discovered subspecies of the Uragaan, known as the Radobaan, is found only in the region of the New world known as the Rotten Vale." Strawfoot explained, showing an image of the Radobaan. "Unlike the Uragaan, the Radobaan feeds on the many bones and carcasses that cover the caverns of the Rotten Vale and rarely feeds on stones or ore. The Radobaan also armors itself with these bones, rolling through the corpse piles in order to adhere skeletal remains to its tar-covered body." He added as he continued to observe the Uragaan rather than the Radobaan for some reason.
"That one, not so much..." Coco said in disgust.
"Wow I almost mistook it for a Grimm!" Cinder admitted.
"I don't know, I kinda like the bone armor. It has a creepy yet cool vibe to it." Jaune declared.
"Heck, I might even be willing to try on this this thing's armor." Qrow agreed.
"Both the Uragaan and the Radobaan are a valuable resource to the Hunter's Guild. Their bodies can be used to craft extremely durable armor and weapons and the valuable crystals and metals which can be mined from the Uragaan's hide are highly sought after by royalty and nobles. That said, these Brute Wyverns should be hunted with caution. They're heavily armored and possess a wide array of defensive adaptations. Inexperienced or ill-equipped hunters should avoid engaging this monster at all costs." Strawfoot gave a final word of warning as his book and the image of Uragaan was shown one final time.
Summer looked down sadly at this. "If only I could have been properly equipped to fight Salem. I may have made it back to you two." She told her daughters.
"It's not your fault, Mom. Salem is evil and immortal. How can you prepare for that?" Ruby assured her mother.
"Yeah, but next time she shows up, all of us will be together to kick that pale butt of hers!" Yang declared.
"So, any idea what you'd like to see next?" Katana asked.
Cinder, Penny, Ozpin and Ilia looked at each other. They'd discussed something before and now thought it would be a good time to ask. "Katana?" Cinder asked.
"Yes?" The ice demon acknowledged.
"We know that as Elder Dragons, our monsters have little to fear..." Ozpin began.
"But does that mean they have NOTHING to fear, or are there still monsters they'll have to worry about?" Ilia asked.
"Ooh, very good question. And the answer is yes. Besides the fact there are Elder Dragons on a higher level, such as Alatreon or Shagaru Magala, there is another Elder Dragon that specifically targets, hunts down and eats other Elder Dragons." Katana declared.
Everyone was shocked and shook by this announcement. "What could be so specialized that it actually hunts and eats other Elders?" Penny asked. Yes, they've seen Rajang can match Elders, but even then it wasn't an outright stomp and it would still get hurt. So the fact one could do that and not have to worry about the damage it might take means its on a significantly higher level.
Tekko smiled and stood up. "Well, I'm wearing its armor right now... Or, a Variant's armor, anyway." She said, doing a little turn to ensure they got the full view of the armor.
"That would be the one known as the monster of ruination... The Extinction Dragon itself, Nergigante." Katana declared.