Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

Chapter 209 First

"Bren!"

"Bren!"

"Bren!"

As the unified shouts echoed throughout the arena, a burly middle-aged man slowly walked in from one of the passageways.

He looked to be around 35 years old, much taller than average, over two meters tall. His bare upper body was muscular and taut, with deep, rich bronze skin covered in rough lines left by the elements.

A thick beard obscured his jawline, and his light brown hair cascaded wildly down his back like weeds, revealing a gruesome scar on his forehead. His deep brown eyes were bloodshot and slightly red, as if burning with endless rage.

Judging from his appearance alone, he is a berserker, perhaps from the Highswamp tribe north of Neverwinter, or the eternal permafrost of the Endless Glacier, or the southern foothills of the roof of the world.

For these professionals whose hearts are often filled with anger and who are single-mindedly pursuing a death worthy of themselves, the brutal slaughter organized by Thor couldn't be more to their liking.

Therefore, berserkers are already regulars in this arena. Sometimes they appear as barbarians, sometimes as orcs or half-orcs, and even among dwarves and goblins, there are many such characters.

However, unlike those minor characters whose average lifespan doesn't exceed three battles, this berserker named Bren has unexpectedly remained resilient and has made it this far.

Through his eyes, which seemed to burn with rage, Thor unexpectedly caught a glimpse of hidden calm.

This guy has begun to learn to control his anger and emotions, which requires not only strong enough strength as a foundation, but also extremely high intelligence and temperament.

Once he can fully achieve this, he will not be far from reaching the threshold of becoming a high-level professional.

…………

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the towering berserker strode steadily to the center of the arena, his iron boots digging deep into the sand. He raised his greatsword, tilted his head back, and let out an excited roar.

As the player with the highest score so far, his continuous victories have already built up immense confidence in him, enough to make him fearless of any challenge.

A powerful aura surged from Bren, his deep brown pupils sweeping across the surroundings. Many of the gladiators in the audience involuntarily looked away, as if they dared not meet his gaze.

This scene fueled Bren's emotions, and he roared again.

"Who will be my opponent in the next battle! You cowardly cowards, is there not a single one of you who dares to step forward!"

"If that's the case, then you should all go back to breastfeeding! Even the underage kids in the tribe are better than you!"

The moment the sarcastic words were uttered, they immediately enraged a large number of viewers.

Some powerful spellcasters glanced at the somewhat "small" space below, weighed the pros and cons in their minds, and ultimately decided not to make any rash moves.

But some creatures that come from the wilderness, are inherently chaotic and evil, and have little brains, simply cannot stand such provocation. One two-headed ogre immediately stood up.

Having two heads didn't significantly improve this creature's intelligence; it was only slightly more intelligent than an ordinary ogre.

If Thor remembers correctly, their innate intelligence is around six, with a significant deduction, while the intelligence of a normal ogre is five, comparable to that of a white dragon hatchling.

This behemoth, nearly 4 meters tall, charged down with thunderous footsteps, its two heads perched on its broad shoulders, cursing and arguing indistinctly in a common language.

In its broad palms, it held a huge club covered in dirt and rust, over two meters long and as thick as a person's waist, covered with a thick layer of iron.

Upon approaching Brun, it didn't waste any words, raising its large club and bringing it down hard.

His natural advantage in size and strength made this strike extremely powerful and heavy; even an ordinary young Bai Long would probably not be able to withstand it.

Bren, who was only a little over two meters tall, naturally did not dare to take the blow head-on. He nimbly dodged the attack and swung his greatsword at the two-headed ogre's ankle.

The two heads on its shoulders allow the two-headed ogre to keep watch from two directions at the same time, making it extremely difficult to be ambushed.

But being able to detect it is one thing, being able to react is another. When the heavy sword ripped through its thick, grayish-green hide, blood gushed out instantly, and the enormous creature lost its balance in excruciating pain.

The ensuing battle was nothing short of a one-sided massacre. While sheer size is an advantage to some extent, if one's defenses aren't up to par, it actually increases the area vulnerable to injury.

The greatsword in Bren's hand was no ordinary weapon; it not only contained a large amount of sparrowstone, but also employed a steel-plating technique, with a layer of refined gold plated on the blade.

The price for all of this was that he invested almost all of the rewards he received from Thor.

And what about that two-headed ogre? After winning the gold coins, it first got itself a heavy giant club. Feeling that was enough, it exchanged all the remaining money for big meals and strong liquor, and spent its days indulging in feasting and drinking.

This is a common problem for most wilderness creatures. Due to their extremely short average lifespan, they often only focus on immediate pleasures and have no long-term plans.

Even if two people are of similar strength, this difference in perception will gradually widen the gap between them. Moreover, the two-headed ogre is weaker than Bren to begin with.

Soon, the tendons in its legs were violently severed, and its massive body crashed down like a mountain of gold and a pillar of jade being overturned.

It braced itself against the ground with its thick arms, and just as it was about to get up again, a crescent-shaped beam of light suddenly slashed down.

Driven by immense force, the sword struck the front of the two-headed ogre's shoulder, and in one fell swoop, both heads rolled off almost simultaneously.

Blood, pumped by its powerful heart, gushed forward nearly ten meters. The mangled body convulsed and struggled for a while before finally going still.

The heavy stench of blood permeated the entire arena. The audience was initially silent, but then erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.

Those who are drawn to the territory of Thor are not peaceful creatures; they are either bloodthirsty by nature or crave power and wealth. Even if there are a few righteous people among them, they dare not show it at this moment.

Bathed in cheers, Brun raised his greatsword once more.

He liked this feeling; only then could he feel his own existence more clearly.

Each victory felt like a trial for a hero, and now, having accumulated 100 victories, he has finally achieved his ultimate ascension.

His still bloodshot brown eyes gazed at the enormous obsidian throne on the other side, where the massive red dragon had slowly straightened up and stomped heavily on its forepaws.

"More than a month has passed, you insignificant human, you are the first creature to accumulate 100 victories, and you are qualified to meet me in person."

As soon as he finished speaking, the soft yellow sand roared violently, and driven by immense magic, sharp stalagmites burst forth from the ground.

Chapter 210 Bestowal

"What's going on! Was it an earthquake?"

"Such a powerful surge of magical energy!"

"Look at the ground! Something's about to crawl out!"

The stalagmites, like curved fangs, intertwined and spread out layer by layer from top to bottom, forming a pilgrimage path to the Obsidian Throne before Bren's eyes, causing his pupils to shrink suddenly.

It was too fast. These spikes were emerging so quickly that he didn't have time to react at all.

There were too many of them; their numbers were simply too great, and the area they covered was extremely wide. Even if he reacted in time, there was absolutely no way he could escape.

This seemed to be the first time Thor had shown his strength in front of everyone, but the mere sight of this scaly claw was enough to make many creatures in the arena feel a chill run down their spines.

More importantly, these earth spikes are only earth-attribute spells. What would happen if they were replaced with fire, which is the red dragon's forte?

Many creatures couldn't help but feel curious and wanted to see it for themselves, but reason was frantically sounding the alarm—the moment they actually saw it, it would probably also foreshadow their own death.

The intense emotional fluctuations transformed into spiritual energy, surging into Thor's body like rivers flowing into the sea, bringing him a surge of joy.

He looked down at the human who seemed to be frozen in place, a grin spreading across his face, and growled again.

"Fear not, human! Ascend the long steps before you, and the great red dragon will bestow upon you the reward you deserve!"

Fear? Would I be afraid?

The thunderous sound brought Bren back to his senses. The unfamiliar word made him subconsciously look down at his trembling legs.

This is a bodily instinct, a fear of creatures truly at the top of the food chain. It's like facing a tiger charging at you through a glass window; even knowing there's no danger, an ordinary person will still be gripped by fear.

The next instant, the anger rising in his heart instantly burned away this shameful emotion, and he resolutely strode up the steps in front of him.

As he drew closer to the red dragon on the throne, the terrifying aura grew increasingly heavy, like thick glue or a massive mountain, constantly hindering his progress.

For Bren, the short distance of a few hundred meters felt like climbing the highest mountain in his hometown.

Time seemed to pass in an instant, yet also in a very long time. When he finally stepped onto the steps in front of the obsidian throne, which was as wide as a plaza, his entire body was already soaked in sweat, as if he had been drenched in rain.

Immediately afterwards, a scorching heat rushed towards him, the high temperature making his face feel tight and painful. The sweat that had just seeped out was instantly evaporated by the hot wind, leaving only pale salt stains on his skin.

Bren had imagined countless times what it would be like to face this red dragon up close.

He believed that even if he was weaker than his opponent, he would still stand tall, raise his head in a defiant manner, and let the raging fire in his heart burn eternally.

But when he actually faced it, he realized how naive his previous thoughts had been—the fierce dragon's might crashed down like a surging tide, making all life that wanted to fight feel a despair that penetrated to the bone.

Bren struggled to keep his body from collapsing and spoke in a trembling voice.

"I have seen the great Red Dragon and am honored to have your appreciation. May I ask what brings you here?"

Thor sat lazily in the pile of gold coins, his long tail sweeping gently behind him, making a series of crisp sounds that symbolized wealth.

He raised one of his increasingly powerful forepaws, rapidly mobilizing the magic and bloodline energy within his body, which condensed into a dark ball of light at the tip of his claw.

"I intend to select the first spouse in the world to share my power, bloodline and wealth with."

Your 100 victories have earned you the initial qualification. Now you have two choices: offer me your loyalty and your life, and I will grant you the power to become a legend.

Or take any item from the treasures at my feet as a reward for your victory.

The words that Thor uttered carried waves of heat, but they were far less intense than the burning passion in Bren's heart at that moment.

The power to become a legend! It is the lifelong pursuit of countless creatures, and the willingness of countless creatures to give everything for it—life, freedom, soul, and even family and friends.

Even some extremely evil beings, who would not hesitate to launch horrific rituals of national destruction and genocide, are merely trying to exchange this sliver of possibility with an even more powerful evil being.

At this moment, even the immense wealth beneath Thor's feet paled in comparison. Even if given all the treasure, let alone just one item, Bren would choose the former without hesitation.

"If the great red dragon can grant me the power to become a legend, I am willing to offer you eternal loyalty, and even everything including my life!"

The tall berserker knelt on one knee without hesitation, his head lowered, revealing his defenseless neck.

The resolute voice made Thor even more pleased, and he opened his mouth to let out a wild laugh.

"Very good! Remember what you said, and don't regret your decision today!"

Come! Accept the gift of my bloodline. From this day forward, you will no longer be mortal; a power capable of destroying everything will flow in your veins!

A ball of dark light dripped from Thor's claws, like a drop of water, and landed on Bren's head.

He only felt a faint touch, and then there was no further movement. Just as he was beginning to wonder, he heard a loud "thump".

The sound was somewhat like the beating of war drums, one after another, with the intervals getting shorter and the rhythm becoming more and more rapid.

Looking in the direction of the sound, Bren saw his bare chest, his thick pectoral muscles trembling violently, his skin flushed red from the blood.

So that was my heartbeat!

As if waking from a dream, an intense burning sensation swept through my entire body, and my stomach convulsed violently, desperately craving food.

Pain, hunger, a tingling sensation that seeped into his bones, and the intense heat that felt like being in a furnace all blurred Brun's consciousness, leaving him with only instinct.

Under Thor's gaze, which was like molten gold, the berserker, kneeling on the ground, had his entire naked upper body covered with dense, protruding veins, like a fishing net tightly wrapping around him.

Those brown eyes, which had remained calm even in their rage, were now completely stained red with blood, and saliva was dripping from the corners of their mouths, turning them into a beast that only knew how to eat.

…………

I'm still a bit weak. My body isn't strong enough, and my will isn't firm enough. I really don't know if I can survive the first round of transformation.

Let's give him another hand. Prepare enough food and water for him. If he can survive, he'll be lucky. If he can't, he can't blame anyone else.

After all, the power has already been given; it was his own fault for not being able to control it, so who can he blame?

While pondering, Thor flicked his tail somewhat boredly and roared loudly.

"Men! Take this guy away, give him plenty of food and water, and deduct the cost from his weapons!"

Chapter 211 Metamorphosis

The berserker being carried away from the arena attracted so much attention that the spectators' attention became scattered during the subsequent gladiatorial combat.

They were eager to know what kind of power the red dragon had bestowed, and some of them, especially those with strong curiosity, immediately got up and left, following closely behind the kobolds.

As Bren was carried away, his once robust body visibly became withered and emaciated. His insatiable appetite drove him to roar incessantly. If it weren't for the heavy shackles binding him, he would probably have already pounced on the people around him like a wild beast.

When large pieces of meat, bread, and water were placed in front of him, and his restraints were removed, the man, who was already skin and bones, immediately pounced on them and began to tear at them with his teeth.

The cursed seed originating from Thor is constantly rewriting the deepest part of his bloodline, and the first to bear the brunt is his digestive and absorption system, which is responsible for absorbing energy.

If his body could be dissected at this moment, one would see that the originally soft stomach wall was growing a large number of hard and dense keratin layers like scales, the concentration of gastric acid secreted was also higher, and the intestines were covered with dense cilia.