Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

So the enormous red dragon sank back into the ground, silently and without attracting the attention of any creature.

…………

With excitement in his heart, Sirson, led by Thor Stone Monster, hurried along without stopping. After a long time, he finally heard a familiar sound ahead.

That was the sound of a pickaxe striking rock; clearly, some creature was mining nearby.

His cunning nature prevented him from charging forward directly. Instead, he sank into the ground, intending to use his ability to travel underground to observe the situation from the shadows.

As an elemental being, the Earth Giant moved swiftly underground like a fish, but at a certain moment, a barrier suddenly appeared in front of him, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not pass through it.

Reluctantly, Silson emerged from underground, his amber pupils scanning the surroundings. Before long, he spotted the ground-locking cones nailed to the tunnel walls.

Some creature or force has used magical items and magic circles to seal off the surrounding land.

This situation is not uncommon in the Earth Elemental Plane, but the methods used vary.

After all, with 90% of living things having the ability to travel underground, places that don't do this are like houses without doors, where anyone can come and go as they please.

Even the huge cavern where the Earth Giant City is located has had its floor, dome, and walls reinforced.

Upon discovering this, Silsson did not back down. At this moment, his mind was filled with greed for that iridescent gem, and he did not care about the so-called danger at all.

After rubbing his chest with his hand, the tall little giant turned into a wisp of sand and drifted slowly forward.

As he rounded a corner of a tunnel, a group of creatures resembling upright lizards appeared before him, vigorously swinging their pickaxes and chiseling at the rock face.

Chunks of reddish-brown ore rolled to the ground. Silsson recognized them as kobolds, mining only the most common iron ore, not what he was looking for.

The swirling sand continued to drift forward, passing through one tunnel after another until a bright light suddenly appeared ahead, accompanied by bursts of excited cheers.

This discovery made Silsson realize immediately that he had found the right target, and he was suddenly jolted, his drifting speed increasing slightly.

The bright light grew larger and brighter until it revealed a vast hall in his eyes.

Countless kobolds moved in and out of the tunnels along the walls of the hall, accompanied by some tall, dark red creatures that seemed to be guarding them.

However, none of these were Silsson's main focus; his gaze was now firmly drawn to the center of the hall.

There stood a towering altar, its top topped with a rainbow-colored orb nearly 20 centimeters in diameter. Endless earth-elemental magic flowed along the altar into the radiant orb, transforming into a torrent of pure magical power that surged forth.

This is one of those rare gems I've never seen before, and... it's actually this big!

Silsson regained his human form in the darkness of a tunnel and couldn't help but reach out and press his hand to his chest again.

The rainbow-colored gem, the size of a grain of rice, was embedded there, and it was now continuously transforming and purifying the magic power within his body.

He could feel his strength slowly increasing, and his core as an elemental being becoming increasingly pure.

Such a tiny gem has such a powerful effect; if only we could get our hands on that enormous iridescent gem…

Sirson dared not aspire to the position of Great Khan, but becoming a Lord of the Earth Giants was entirely possible.

A bright future seems so close, but unfortunately, it is still separated by many difficulties and obstacles.

It took immense willpower for Silson to tear his gaze away from the enormous iridescent gem and look at the dark red humanoid creatures guarding the area.

That imposing physique and the violent fluctuations of magical power made him clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Especially the leader, the largest one, exuded an aura that closely resembled the so-called dragon's might, and the dark red giant sword in its hand radiated a dangerous aura of destruction.

It is impossible to seize it by force; we must plan carefully.

Chapter 302 The Arrival of War

Thor realized that he had seriously underestimated the greed in the earth giant's heart.

After realizing that he could not touch the huge ether crystal in the hall, Silsson immediately changed direction and began searching for the so-called ether crystal vein.

In his mind, such treasures must have been mined from the Earth Element Plane. Since he couldn't get the finished product, he might as well get it from the source.

But all of these things were obtained by Thor from the wheel in his mind, so where would he find any mineral veins?

He watched the unfortunate earth giant as it relentlessly wandered around him like a persistent ghost.

If Thor hadn't already given the order to ignore this earth giant, the surrounding Darkin would probably have already swarmed him and chopped him into pieces.

Ordinary weapons are indeed difficult to harm elemental beings, but what Darkin under Thor's command doesn't wield magical weapons? In addition, some of the Darkin have awakened dragon-attribute energy within them, which brings powerful spell-breaking effects. A single strike is enough to take his life.

Silsson wandered aimlessly for more than half a month without finding anything, and finally gave up and reluctantly decided to return.

However, as soon as they stepped into the cave where the city was located, two swirling clouds of sand suddenly landed in front of Sirson, transforming into two earth giants as guards.

Unlike the guards of other races who prefer to wear armor, they wore heavy, earth-yellow brocade robes, golden crowns, gemstone necklaces, and brass belts studded with jewels. Even their limbs were covered with rings and gold and silver bands.

These dazzling jewels, illuminated by the glowing crystals above their heads, radiated an extravagant glow, instantly stirring a wave of envy in Silsson's heart.

Without a doubt, these were two earth giants whose strength and status surpassed his. The moment they landed, they pointed their scimitars, completely blocking Sirson's retreat, and shouted fiercely.

"Silson! They dared to conceal the discovery of a new gem vein! How dare they!"

"The lord wishes to see you. Please come with us!"

The stern voice struck Silsson's heart like a heavy hammer.

Before he could even utter the excuse he had prepared for abandoning his post, two guards grabbed his shoulders from either side and lifted him into the air like a sandstorm.

After traversing majestic mountain cities, they finally arrived before a magnificent palace carved from a single piece of natural crystal. After the guards finished their report, they immediately escorted him inside.

A giant earth spirit, much larger than an ordinary earth spirit, sat on a luxurious throne, its body adorned with dazzling jewels, even its skin possessing a gem-like quality.

He rested one hand on the armrest of the throne, propping his head up, and casually glanced at Silsson who had been brought in. But when his gaze swept over Silsson's chest, he suddenly froze.

"Tear his clothes off!"

At his command, the accompanying guards immediately swarmed forward and forcibly tore off Sirson's robe, revealing his chest, which was as smooth as polished stone, and the ether crystal that shimmered with a dreamlike iridescence.

The towering earth spirit lord flickered, transforming into a shower of sand before reforming in front of Sirson. He grabbed Sirson's head, his ruby-like pupils fixed on the tiny iridescent gem, and asked, word by word.

"Where did you find this thing?!"

The intense pressure made Silson feel his elemental core trembling. At this moment, he dared not lie and could only tell everything he knew.

The next instant, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as the tiny iridescent gem, along with the surrounding flesh, was forcibly ripped off.

"Take him away and lock him up! Immediately send someone to investigate the location he mentioned, and report back to me."

If it is true, then this fellow shall be reduced to a slave; if he is lying…

The guards nearby responded loudly, grabbed Silsson's hands, and dragged him away.

Throughout the entire process, the Earth Giant Lord did not glance at him again; all his attention was focused on the tiny gem on his fingertip.

He could clearly feel the pure energy originating from the very source of the world. If there were enough of it, it would surely help him advance further and perhaps even become a noble being who controls all elements, as legend has it.

…………

When more earth giants began to flock toward Thor's location, he knew that the rumors he had spread among some creatures had taken effect.

He wasn't sure whether the returning earth giant would choose to report it or continue to conceal it, and he didn't intend to wait any longer, so he resorted to some underhanded tactics.

This time, as usual, he instructed his men to ignore the sandstorms that were blowing in, allowing the earth giants who came to investigate to easily see the ether crystal in the center of the hall, as well as the rare metals and various energy crystals around it.

These things are almost all considered magical gems. If ordinary gems are like large amounts of currency, then these are equivalent to top-tier rare resources, which cannot be obtained simply by having money.

For this, Thor spent a huge sum of nearly 30,000 essences, but fortunately, these things were part of his daily diet, so it wasn't a waste.

When such a huge "treasure" was placed before them, some of which were unheard of, the earth giants who came to investigate were immediately overwhelmed with intense shock.

Their manners were undoubtedly far superior to those of Silsson; though equally greedy, they possessed a degree of self-awareness.

So the swirling sandstorm quickly receded and rushed back to the mountain town without stopping.

Upon receiving the news, the Earth Giant Lord excitedly stood up from his throne and waved his hand forcefully, mobilizing the entire city instantly.

A large contingent of earth giants and their slaves filed out of the mountain city, with the powerful earth giant lord also leading his personal guard.

The gathering of numerous elemental beings created elemental fluctuations as they moved, much like a boulder being thrown into a calm lake.

Thor was still able to see the ripples spreading out, even from a great distance.

Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, the red dragon, who was hiding in the shadows and suppressing the magic power within him, suddenly curled up a ferocious smile.

With a command given, the numerous kobolds who were searching for mineral deposits using their innate abilities began to retreat, leaving only a small number to confuse their opponents.

Each Darkin, along with their legions, was on high alert, determined to demonstrate their loyalty before the great Dragon Lord.

As soon as the leading earth giant scout team transformed into sand and entered the range of the earth-locking cone, a large number of scarlet arrows rained down upon them.

The dense fire element attached to the arrows drew streaks of swaying red light in mid-air. Before the earth giants could react, they passed right through the sandstorm they had transformed into.

While an elemental body is immune to most physical attacks, it is also more susceptible to magical damage without the protection of a physical form.

Several screams suddenly rang out, announcing the arrival of war.

Chapter 303 Luring the Enemy into the Trap

"Watch out! We've been exposed!"

"Attack! Attack now!"

Several earth giants fell from the swirling sandstorm, clutching their gruesome wounds and groaning in pain.

Upon seeing this, the army behind them immediately swarmed forward, and the mud and sand gathered in front of them to form a thick stone shell, which stood in front of them like an indestructible shield.

The dense barrage of rockets struck the hard granite, producing a continuous clanging sound. Layers of stone peeled away, but more stone was constantly generated to fill the gaps.

Creatures in the Earth Elemental Plane are mostly not good at ranged attacks, simply because the area consists of either solid earth or winding tunnels, leaving little room for weapons like bows and arrows to be used.

However, the creatures of the Earth Elemental Plane are also very good at defense. The inherent heavy attribute of magic, coupled with their exquisite manipulation of earth and stone, makes them far more resistant to damage than ordinary races.

After a volley of arrows, apart from the first few earth giants that turned into flying sand being hit, the results were minimal.

Immediately afterwards, the slaves under the Earth Giant's command began to advance with a thunderous roar. They were mostly small elemental creatures, Thor stone golems, and earth constructs, all native races of the Earth Elemental Plane.

These creatures are characterized by their slow movement, thick skin, and considerable strength.

Faced with this overwhelming tide of miscellaneous soldiers, the Darkin Legion had its own corresponding creatures launching a charge.

If we were to name the most numerous creatures under Thor's command, it would undoubtedly be goblins. Their reproductive rate surpasses even that of weeds, and coupled with the free food provided within Thor's territory for collecting essence, their numbers have multiplied exponentially.

Influenced by the Mad Dragon Virus, some goblins have undergone a complete personality change, abandoning their previous timidity and cowardice to become bold and crazy, especially developing a strange obsession with explosions.

When they encounter thermophilic bacteria that evolved from nitrifying mushrooms inside a volcano, along with the abundant sulfur and other substances emitted by the volcano, a terrifying monster is born.

A large group of mutated goblins, with dark skin, covered in orange-red glowing patterns, and much larger than ordinary goblins, charged out of the Darkin Legion, howling as they went.

They were covered with all sorts of bottles and jars, and when they got close to the earth elemental beings, they would toss them forward.

The fragile tank shattered instantly, splattering viscous oil and gunpowder dust everywhere. A spark flashed, and then a violent explosion occurred with a loud "boom".

The raging flames swept across the tunnel to both ends, halting the advance of the earth elemental creatures. The goblins were also thrown to the ground by the shockwave, but their faces still wore excited and maniacal smiles.

Despite the excruciating burning pain, a stone spirit broke free from the flames and raised its pillar-like arm, slamming it down on one of the goblins.

The massive impact force instantly smashed the goblin into a pulp, and then the thermophilic bacteria parasitizing its body reacted with certain substances in its flesh, triggering a violent explosion.

Even the heavy stone spirit was pushed away by this force, and its arm was already shorter.

More mutated goblins roared madly and swarmed forward from the front, crawling all over Stone Spirit's body like ants, constantly waving their weapons.

As the stone spirit retaliated, a series of explosions rang out, and a large amount of rubble broke off, which only accelerated its own disintegration and collapse.

Another Thor Stone Monster charged across the sea of ​​fire, brandishing its three arms, only to be met by a heavy spiked club.

Before the ogre could even draw his weapon after defeating the enemy, a spear pierced his chest.

Every war is brutal; every moment, countless creatures perish. Their shattered souls and dying emotions are captured by an invisible force and cast into a corner of the hall.

The enormous red dragon sat there quietly, its molten gold gaze not falling on the tiny cannon fodder, but seemingly piercing through the void, looking directly at the earth giant lord.

This is undoubtedly a big fish of considerable size. Judging from the magic emanating from his body, even if his strength has not yet reached the legendary level, it is not far from it.

Thor began to hesitate about whether to make a move. Although his Darkin Legion was quite powerful, it was clear that they were no match for their opponents in this completely away game.

Thoughts raced through his mind, and he quickly came to an answer: plans can't keep up with changes, and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; he should take down the enemy first.