Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

For millennia, this Blackrock Fortress has witnessed countless city-state conflicts and power shifts, gradually transforming from an ancient, abandoned mountaintop ruin into the Dark Throne of Faerûn, crisscrossed by black webs.

This is the strongest bulwark in the Moonsea region, a lair for conspirators, a stronghold of dark forces, and a shadowy place that no one in the entire northern land dares to easily provoke.

However, today it faces the most severe challenge since its inception.

…………

Crimson tides appeared on the distant horizon, sweeping in with rolling thunder.

The towering Darkin walked silently across the land, flanked by heavily armored centaurs and behemoths resembling war fortresses, with an endless army of monsters stretching behind them.

Although nearly half of the troops were diverted, the number of creatures gathered here was still so large that it was impossible to see the end of them or count them all.

The magic emanating from them, imbued by Thor, rose up and gathered together, turning the entire sky a fiery red, as if it had been scorched by fire.

The leaden clouds were torn apart by the firelight, and the rock layers of the mountains seemed to tremble slightly under the trampling of the army.

The first to become alert in the entire Raven Fortress were the flocks of crows patrolling the mountain. The sky was filled with black crows circling in panic, emitting sharp cries that pierced through every street and tower of the fortress, like the first death knell tolling.

The sentry on the watchtower's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared intently at the horizon—a terrifying red dragon, its scales like molten gold, was spreading its enormous wings, its massive body obscuring half the sky.

Below, on the ground, giants, goblins, evil beasts, and numerous legions stretched out in a dark mass along the wasteland, like a surging crimson tide, heading straight for the Black Mountain Fortress.

"Enemy attack! The Red Dragon Army is invading!"

The mournful sound of horns instantly shattered the deathly silence of the fortress, echoing layer upon layer throughout the ten-mile-long fortress.

The once orderly streets and alleys suddenly became agitated. The Black Net infantrymen who were resting abruptly grabbed the weapons at hand, and the sound of armor clashing was as dense as a rainstorm.

The warhorses in the stables reared up and neighed, and the riders quickly mounted their saddles and galloped in formation toward the passes around the city walls.

The massive black iron gates of the Black Gate and the Crow Gate crashed down, their heavy locking mechanisms clattering together to completely seal the entrance.

On both sides of the arrow tower, crossbowmen took their positions, their sharp crossbow bolts aimed at the open field ahead, and catapults were loaded with oil bombs and boulders, their thick ropes stretched taut.

The lights in the three towers of Highgarden suddenly came on.

Inside the war tower, military orders were rapidly transmitted. Generals quickly arranged defensive lines around the sand table, while messengers carrying command flags shuttled back and forth, delivering instructions to every defensive zone of the fortress.

Inside the Shadow Tower, the assassins and spies split up, with some infiltrating the outer mountains to harass the enemy's vanguard, while others remained hidden in the tower, waiting for Red Dragon's leaders to be alone so they could assassinate them.

At the very top of the towering Ravencrest Tower, layers of ethereal blue magical light shone forth.

Standing on the viewing platform, even from several kilometers away, Mansong could clearly feel the scorching heat emanating from the Red Emperor.

Shadow magic flowed from his fingertips, and protective barriers enveloped the entire fortress one after another: anti-magic barriers, elemental shields, and deflection arrays took shape in succession. The entire mage corps within the tower also assembled, shadow, necromancy, and illusion magic intertwining, ready to unleash their power.

The stone golems strode out of the inner forbidden area with heavy steps, and lined up below the core passage and tower, ready for battle.

The Shadowhound crouched low in the shadows, letting out a deep growl, its limbs tense as it stared intently at the approaching enemy.

Even the refugee settlements at the foot of the mountain were conscripted to transport logs, boulders, and various supplies.

As the heavy iron doors of the dark dungeon burst open, a burst of flames suddenly blazed forth.

Baragas felt the power growing stronger within him, and black lightning crackled around the crimson flames on his body.

An invisible force propelled his body out of the dungeon, and as he looked up, he saw in the sky one of the culprits who had brought him to his current state.

Now that everyone was present, the time for revenge had arrived, and a silent, sinister smile crept onto his lips.

Chapter 337 Under Raven Fortress

Thor was very satisfied with Raven Fortress beneath his feet; it was a satisfaction that came from the bottom of his heart.

This is undoubtedly a formidable border town that took a long time, endless effort, and countless riches to build.

Looking across the entire Northlands, it's hard to find many fortresses and strongholds larger than this. The few that can compare are mostly structures like the dwarves', where most of the buildings are hidden underground.

At this moment, Thor surprisingly did not rush forward immediately. Instead, he patiently waited for his army to advance layer by layer.

This is because he not only intends to eradicate the entire Zantalin Society, but also to replace it, establish a foothold in the North, and then control all underground forces.

Thus, a suitable stronghold became a necessity, and Raven Fortress was the perfect fit in his eyes.

A proper dragon should suck the marrow from its opponent's bones and extract every last bit of value.

…………

As Manson emerged from the top floor of the Ravencrest Tower, Thor's molten gold pupils swept over him, and with his superb eyesight, he instantly locked onto the tiny figure.

A burst of unrestrained laughter followed, exploding high in the sky like muffled thunder rolling from the clouds.

"You tiny insect, aren't you so good at escaping? Why aren't you running away this time?"

Mansong, clad in a black robe and wearing a silver mask, gazed at the imposing red dragon in the sky, a strange and indescribable gleam in his eyes.

He raised his hand, and Baragas, who stepped out of the dungeon, immediately soared into the sky, raising his head and letting out an angry roar.

"Escape? Are you mistaken, you crawler! I just had something urgent to attend to and didn't have time to deal with you, and you're already acting so self-righteous?"

Look at this! Your kind are now nothing more than a dog at my feet.

The casual voice carried far and wide with the aid of magic, and Thor's gaze shifted upwards, landing on Baragas in mid-air.

He sensed a familiar aura emanating from this former defeated opponent—an aura that belonged to him.

His molten gold pupils seemed to pierce through the thick dragon scales and flesh, revealing the new life growing in the basal blood vessels.

A red dragon infected with his Mad Dragon Curse, and the virus, for some reason, has broken free of its restraints and is now operating in its most primitive form.

An ancient red dragon is undoubtedly an excellent breeding ground, providing ample nutrients and energy to meet the needs of new life.

That's interesting. They probably don't even know what kind of disaster and monster they're cultivating.

If a Black Devouring Dragon were to break free of its body and no one were to stop it in time, the spreading Dragon Virus would...

Thinking of this, Thor couldn't help but smile with pleasure, which puzzled Manson and Baragas.

Despite being insulted, why does this red dragon seem so pleased? Could it be...?

Before they could figure out the details, Thor in mid-air roared and ordered his legions to speed up their advance.

The deep roar shook the mountains, causing rocks to tumble down. A dark red torrent, composed of Darkin, centaurs, kobolds, gnolls, and others, swept across the Thrall Wastes, surging like a tide towards the black stone ramparts of Raven Keep.

"Fire arrows!"

Before the general's orders from the war tower had faded, a rain of arrows instantly erupted from the arrow towers on both sides and the crenellations of the city wall.

Poisoned arrows, heavy ballistae, and short spears rained down on the enemy lines, and the goblins and evil creatures charging into the front fell in droves, but this did nothing to stop the army's advance.

Catapults roared, burning oil bombs streaked with crimson light as they crashed into the crowd, exploding into bursts of flame. Wails and howls mingled, and the wilderness was instantly transformed into a sea of ​​fire.

The dragon vein kobolds, protected by layers of armor, began to exert their power. Dozens of warlocks unleashed blinding orange-red halos from their hands, spewing forth a meteor shower of fire that hurtled straight towards the Black Gate walls.

The scorching flames licked at the dark stone wall before exploding with a deafening roar. The rock surface was instantly scorched red, and the surface stone fragments crumbled and peeled off under the shockwave. The wooden defensive structures attached to the wall were instantly reduced to charcoal.

The elemental protective barrier on the outer layer of the fortress lit up with a pale blue light, withstanding the attack head-on. The light barrier trembled violently, and ripples spread outwards. The mages at the edge of the barrier groaned in unison, their mana being significantly drained.

"Mage squad, fill in! Shadow Barrier activated!"

The gray robes of a high-level spellcaster fluttered in the air currents as he raised his hands to form hand seals. Several dark barriers were layered on top of each other in front of the main castle. The shadow magic distorted the light, not only weakening the power of the flames but also reflecting some of the heat back.

Dozens of shadowy figures and necromancers at the top of the tower cast spells simultaneously, and a dark mist spread outside the city walls, obscuring the view while also constantly eroding the enemy troops who were charging towards the base of the walls.

However, at this moment, the tall Darkin had already reached the base of the wall, and slammed his heavy weapon against the battlements. The heavy impacts continued, and the entire section of the wall shook.

The skilled Bloodseekers leaped up the rock walls and crevices, attempting to scale the ramparts, but the defenders on the walls immediately threw down logs and boulders, wielding long spears to slash and hack at them.

The clash of swords and spears, screams and curses, and the roars of beasts intertwined, turning every inch of the city wall into a battlefield of blood and flesh.

The Shadow Tower's assassin squad stealthily slipped out under the cover of magical mist, circled around to the enemy's flank, and attempted to assassinate the warlord, shaman, and other key figures.

Thor doesn't have any of those kinds of people under his command; all the commanders are powerful Darkin.

Compared to these giants, who averaged nine meters in height and were covered in several centimeters of thick scales, the poisoned daggers in the hands of the assassins looked as ridiculous as toothpicks.

Moreover, as dragonborn beings, Darkborns are born with extremely strong resistance to toxins. The trace amounts of potent poison used against humanoids are no different from a mosquito bite to them.

Even the relatively petite dragon-blooded kobolds were all nearly two meters tall, with robust physiques, and were positioned within layers of military formations.

A cold glint appeared in the shadows, and some of the relatively weaker beastmen fell to the ground, causing a small commotion.

But this little trick was quickly seen through, and then the army swept through and swallowed it up in the blink of an eye.

Several powerful Darkin leaped onto the city wall, and their massive weapons swept across, causing half of the outer walkway to collapse with a deafening roar, sending rubble and the defenders crashing to the ground.

The stone golem in the inner forbidden area took heavy steps toward the eastern section of the defense line, which was the most severely damaged.

The rock-forged body was impervious to blades, axes, and flames. With a swing of its fists, it smashed the charging ogres to pieces, only to encounter a heavily armored centaur charging towards it.

As for the mountain-like Erola, she charged forward wielding her thick lance, causing the ground within a hundred meters to tremble. All the stone statues that blocked her way were either knocked aside or crushed into dust.

In a short while, the black iron gate was forcibly opened, and Thor's legion poured in like a tidal wave.

Even more brutal battle cries began to echo across the sky, as the towering giants unleashed flames and thunder indiscriminately upon their surroundings.

As the destruction continued to spread, some high-ranking professionals in Raven Keep had no choice but to personally engage in battle against the powerful Darkin.

However, they were not the ones who truly determined the outcome of this war.

Mansong, who was on the mage tower, flashed and appeared on Balagas. The two huge red dragons stared at each other, both with ferocious smiles on their faces.

Chapter 338 Second Clash

Because neither of them wanted to damage the Raven Fortress below, the two red dragons silently circled and rose into the sky.

Ten thousand meters above the stratosphere, the gale-force winds are as sharp as knives, and the sky is deathly silent. This unobstructed, absolute airspace is the perfect battlefield tailor-made for the strong.

Manson hovered above the arcane levitation field, his robes hanging still. Once this legendary archmage of the Santalite Order entered combat mode, almost all expressions on his face were discarded, leaving only an icy chill.

Beside him, the ancient red dragon Balagas's body was taut to the extreme, its dark red scales wreathed in flames and lightning, and the molten lava flames rolling in its throat were trembling slightly.

The two stared intently at the Red Emperor ahead, whose broad wings spread out like a giant curtain covering the sky, and the surging dragon energy left a crimson tail flame that stretched for thousands of meters in the air.

That was a speed exceeding ten times the speed of sound, each acceleration tearing through the air and creating a continuous ring of sonic booms. His movement was impossible to track, leaving only a crimson afterimage flashing wildly in the sky.

Such speed is beyond the reach of ordinary beings. If he were determined to leave, probably no one in the entire world could stop him.

However, Thor had already intended to settle things with them, so how could he just leave? His rapidly flying body suddenly stopped in mid-air, and with the flapping of his wings, a large amount of crimson stardust was scattered around him.

He looked down at his two tiny opponents, his vertical pupils, like molten gold, held no anger, only the cruelty of watching ants struggle and a hint of anticipation for how things would unfold.

Immediately afterwards, without any probing or preparation, they did not proceed.

boom!!!

A sonic boom powerful enough to shatter mountains and rivers suddenly tore through the sky!

With a flap of its wings, the Red Emperor broke through air resistance in an instant, its speed soaring from zero to over Mach 10.

The golden-red dragon's body transformed into a streak of crimson light piercing through the clouds, covering a thousand feet in an instant. This was neither a dive nor a surprise attack, but a pure high-speed crushing impact.

This sight caused Balagas, the target, to suddenly shrink in the pupils. Even though he had already witnessed the Red Emperor's incredible speed, he still couldn't help but marvel at it when faced with it again.

This was an attack that couldn't be dodged by conventional means. He could only unleash a surge of energy throughout his body, exploding all the protective flames and lightning. His scales tightened, his muscles bulged, and his arms crossed like dragon claws, attempting to forcefully block the attack.

No sooner had all this been done than a violent impact occurred.

BOOM—!!

A tremendous shockwave exploded outwards from the point of impact, instantly clearing the entire cloud layer and creating a cloudless vacuum for hundreds of miles.

There was no stalemate or confrontation; the acceleration exceeding Mach 10, combined with its massive body over 60 meters long, created an extremely terrifying kinetic energy.

Baragas felt as if he were a bird struck by a meteor. His massive dragon body instantly arched into a deformed shape, and the thick scales on his chest shattered and splattered, gushing out a mouthful of dragon blood.

At that moment, he was completely crushed, flying hundreds of feet backward like a kite with a broken string. The flames on his body dimmed instantly, and his aura became violently chaotic.

A wild roar echoed from high above, dispersing the aftershocks of the impact.

"Is this what you're relying on to dare appear before me? Weak! Too weak!"

Thor reappeared, standing proudly in mid-air, his scales undamaged and still shimmering with brilliant light.

With just one pure physical high-speed collision, one of the two combatants was severely injured, all in a mere 0.3 seconds.