Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

If this area were under their jurisdiction, such a chaotic and dilapidated scene, with such a terrible living environment, would clearly not be a situation that a competent ruler should allow to occur.

But if they are not under our jurisdiction, why use city walls to enclose this group of people here?

Ultimately, the poor living in slums are a group of people who are unwilling to invest resources to improve their situation, yet are also reluctant to give up completely.

They usually let the poor fend for themselves, but at very low cost they could force them to do manual labor, such as carrying loads, cleaning streets and alleys, unclogging sewers and chimneys, and tanning leather—jobs that were either extremely arduous or severely detrimental to their health.

Deepwater Port explicitly prohibits slavery and strictly forbids all slave trade. Any slave who enters the city will automatically be granted the status of a commoner.

These nominally commoners are in reality the invisible slaves of Deepwater Harbor. From the moment they are born, all their paths to upward mobility are completely blocked.

Without education or skills to make a living, they can only engage in the most arduous physical labor generation after generation, living in constant fear of uncertainty.

Some people choose to leave this place, but how can they survive alone in the dangerous wilderness where monsters roam?

Ironically, joining gangs and becoming pickpockets, thugs, or smugglers became one of the few ways for them to rise in social status.

But once they embark on this path, the gang's manpower keeps expanding, requiring them to plunder more money and resources, which in turn leads to even harsher oppression of the remaining poor.

Generation after generation, this cycle repeats itself, creating an unsolvable deadlock. The poor, by their own strength alone, have almost no chance of breaking the cycle.

Chapter 448 Where there is food, there is hope

An invisible silence permeated the air, creating an extremely oppressive atmosphere. This made Alasdra, Lyra, and the others feel even more uncomfortable than when they had previously endured the Red Emperor's dragon might.

In a city led by a group of self-proclaimed righteous people, slums should not and should never exist.

For a moment, everyone was speechless. After a long stalemate, a spellcaster with a slightly plump figure cautiously spoke up.

"These are all refugees caused by the war in the North. We built city walls to protect them from attacks by monsters in the wild."

We had previously tried to integrate them into the formal citizenship system, but the number of refugees was simply too large, with a continuous influx, making it impossible to accommodate them all.

Thor turned his head and looked at the spellcaster who had spoken, a piercing light flashing in his eyes.

The spellcaster targeted by his gaze was only at the high-level, and could not withstand this immense pressure. His knees suddenly went weak, and he knelt down on the ground.

Immediately afterwards, Thor's gaze slowly swept over the faces of the other Northern powerhouses, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips, and he uttered a single sentence.

"Ten large temples of righteous gods, dozens of renowned experts, several so-called righteous organizations, plus a few legendary spellcasters, and they still couldn't change a slum."

They can't even do something this simple; they're truly a bunch of useless trash!

The blatant humiliation instantly turned everyone's faces red, and some even showed a look of resignation to their fate, because Thor had not only humiliated them personally, but also the beliefs they had upheld throughout their lives.

A knight clad in bright silver plate armor, with long, soft brown hair, and seemingly radiating a faint glow, roared.

"Shut up! You have no idea how much effort we've put into this. Every year we..."

In his explanation, it wasn't that people were unwilling to make changes; this slum was a planned buffer zone from the beginning. In addition, due to insufficient funds, ideological differences, and the covert obstruction of various evil forces, the reform has been delayed.

After hearing his explanation, Thor found it utterly ridiculous. He raised his hand and gently tapped the ground, sending a wave of gravity crashing down from the sky and slamming the knight to the ground.

The other powerful figures from the North were about to step forward to stop him, but they were stopped by a warning look from him, and then he spoke slowly.

"This is difficult, that is difficult, this can't be done, that can't be done, doesn't this just prove that you are a bunch of useless people?"

Not only are you incompetent, but even your so-called commitment to justice is not firm enough.

If they truly uphold justice, why are there still so many gangs and outlaws entrenched in the slums below?

If it were me, I would have already activated the evil detection and slaughtered all those scum.

If the oppression of gangs were eliminated, the people in the slums should be able to live much better, right?

Or let's go even further and use the detection of evil to clean up the entire deepwater port! How about that?

If you feel you cannot accomplish this on your own, I can lend you my strength. Do you see the army outside the city? If you nod now, they are ready to charge at your command at any moment.

The words, imbued with a seductive power, relentlessly invaded the knight's mind, causing his gaze to waver.

Seeing that he was about to succumb to the dragon's temptation and fall into "corruption", Elasdra immediately waved his staff, and a silver light suddenly spread out, isolating Thor's psionic interference.

“You are being too absolute, Your Majesty the Red Emperor. Everything in the world operates according to its own established rules, and we cannot forcibly break them.”

Thor didn't care about this little bit of resistance. He grinned and spoke arrogantly and unrestrainedly.

"It's not that it can't be broken, it's just that you cowards don't dare to!"

Since you can't manage this slum, then leave it to me. Let's see how I'm going to accomplish what you bunch of good-for-nothings can't do!

"Pass on my order: Advance! Register all the poor in this area, tear down this obstructive city wall, and use the stones as building materials to construct houses."

The thunderous sound echoed far and wide; it was hard to imagine that such a deafening sound wave could come from the body of a young boy.

Upon hearing this, the Darkborn stationed not far outside the city responded loudly and began to advance in an orderly manner.

A crimson wave swept in, and the guards on the city wall turned pale instantly, unsure whether to stay and fight or turn and flee in panic.

They looked with pleading eyes at the group of northern warriors who were also standing on the city wall, only to find that everyone was under the intense pressure of the Red Emperor's gaze, remaining silent and not daring to utter a sound.

Thor used gravity to slowly float up into the air, looking down at the leaders of Waterdeep, a slight grin revealing four small, sharp fangs.

"Do you have any further objections? If not, then leave immediately!"

The powerful figures from the north clenched their fists upon hearing this. If the Red Emperor's army were allowed to occupy the entire outskirts of the city, the losses would be extremely heavy.

Losing this large pool of cheap and abundant labor will impact many industries in the city, potentially leading to labor shortages. Recruiting workers again in the future will require paying several times, or even dozens of times, the previous wages.

But none of them dared to stand up and openly oppose it; this red dragon never reasoned with anyone.

Everyone remembered that he had just threatened to use his evil detection ability to wipe out the entire Deepwater Harbor. Most of the masked lords were neutral, but there were also some who leaned towards evil, and the good faction was already very small.

If the red dragon is thoroughly enraged and he actually takes action, the consequences will be unimaginable.

One by one, the powerful figures clenched and unclenched their fists, then unclenched again, feeling utterly frustrated, and finally had no choice but to obey and retreat.

Thor's legion entered the city gates, but instead of immediately launching a blockade and search, they used magic to set up huge stoves.

A series of iron pots, each nearly ten meters in diameter, were placed in place, and inside them was a thick meat porridge made from beans, wheat flour, and dried meat.

A rich aroma wafted everywhere, quickly spreading throughout the slums with the help of a magical breeze. At the same time, a loud sound resounded in all directions.

"The great Red Emperor has bestowed a blessing; everyone is welcome to come here and receive food for free."

The aroma of the oil was almost fatally tempting to the poor who could only eat black bread mixed with sawdust year after year.

Even though a fierce standoff had just broken out on the city wall, and a terrifying army of giants had entered the city through the gates, the gnawing pains of hunger in their stomachs still drove the poor people hiding in their dilapidated shacks to peek out through the cracks.

Hunger is an extremely terrifying thing. In times of famine, a human life is worth only a handful of millet. Countless people are willing to risk their lives for a full meal.

The first poor man walked cautiously to the stove, anxiously awaiting his unknown fate. A large bowl made of mud and stone was handed to him, filled with steaming hot meat porridge.

The irresistible aroma, unlike anything he had ever experienced before, made him swallow hard, and before the porridge could cool down, he began to gulp it down.

A warm current slowly flowed into his stomach, and as his empty intestines were filled with food, a faint glimmer of hope quietly appeared on his long-numbed face.

Chapter 449 The Golden Tree

Humans are easily satisfied creatures; as long as they are fed, or even not so much, they can feel content.

But humans are also extremely greedy creatures; their endless greed is enough to breed an endless stream of demons in the bottomless abyss.

The real problem lies in the fact that those who are filled with greed often drive these easily satisfied ordinary people to the point where it becomes impossible for them to survive.

This is clearly wrong, at least in Thor's eyes.

The spiritual essence that a wealthy merchant can generate is not much higher than that of a penniless commoner, but the wealth and resources he controls are enough to support tens of thousands of ordinary people.

In order to reap greater benefits, the great Red Emperor naturally chose to stand on the side of the ordinary people.

…………

When the first poor man drank the meat porridge, a smile appeared on his face that seemed strange to the other poor men. An invisible commotion spread outwards like a tide, instantly sweeping across the entire suburbs.

More and more poor people flocked to the tall stoves beside the city gate. The Darkin and the dragonblood kobolds followed the dragon lord's orders and distributed food to everyone without discrimination.

After receiving the meat porridge, the vast majority of the poor people couldn't wait to devour it.

Some people, suppressing the churning hunger in their stomachs, swallowed their saliva, clutched the still-hot bowl of porridge tightly to their arms, and hurriedly ran back home.

Living in the slums for a long time, the harsh environment and daily oppression have left almost everyone there with injuries and illnesses.

Those who can still barely walk are considered lucky; many others have already been defeated by hunger and disease, unable to stand up again, and can only quietly wait for death to come in despair.

Even on this foul-smelling, muddy land, pure white flowers can still bloom.

Those who hurriedly returned with their meat porridge were probably waiting for family or friends at home to keep them alive.

They couldn't be sure if they would get more meat porridge tomorrow, so they couldn't bear to eat a single bite.

After all, for someone who has been suffering from hunger for a long time, a bowl of warm meat porridge is a life-saving treasure. The talisman water that the Taiping Dao once claimed to cure all diseases was, in the end, nothing more than a bowl of rice soup.

Many illnesses in this world, when traced back to their root cause, stem from hunger, weakness, and malnutrition. With sufficient nourishment, many ailments can heal themselves without medication.

…………

Besides the poor struggling to survive, there is another group of people in the slums who are hiding inside their strongholds, anxiously observing everything happening outside through the cracks in the doors.

They are the various gangs, large and small. They live comfortably by exploiting the poor, so they are not easily swayed by a bowl of meat porridge.

But the unexpected turn of events still filled them with fear and confusion.

Why are people suddenly giving out porridge in the slums? Don't those noble lords never care about this?

Is this suburban area going to be demolished and rebuilt? If these poor people are lost, where will they go to make money, and how will they survive?

This group of people, hiding in the sewers like rats, have long lived in the dark underground, having lost the ability to survive peacefully in the sunlight. They are absolutely unwilling to see their territory, on which they make a living, disappear.

But no one cared about their thoughts. Under the sweeping red tide, all those who dared to oppose were crushed into dust.

Although Alasdra and Lyra's group had already retreated, they did not go far, but silently watched everything below from a distance.

Looking at the surging crowds in the slums, and seeing some of the poor pushing and shoving each other to grab more meat porridge, the group couldn't help but sigh softly and slowly waved their staffs.

A wisp of silver light rose from her body, like the soft moonlight falling down, carrying a calming power and enveloping the entire area near the North Gate.

Seeing this, Thor wore a half-smile, thinking these people were hypocritical and cowardly.

If there is still reluctance in one's heart, what were you doing before? Why wait until now to deliberately show your presence?

As the sun slowly rose in the east, its golden rays poured down upon the earth. The solar authority within Thor resonated with this, and a magnificent and dazzling halo slowly condensed and took shape behind him.

The sunlight slowly evaporated the water vapor, and a strong stench mixed with the smells of food, sewage, garbage, and feces wafted around, causing him to frown slightly.

As a red dragon, Thor despised not the weak and stupid white dragon, nor the treacherous green dragon, but the black dragon who lived in the swamps and mud year-round.

The stench that clung to him year-round was no different from being soaked in excrement; it completely lacked the dignity and arrogance that a true dragon should possess.

Therefore, he also could not tolerate the filthy environment of the slums beneath his feet. Even when he was still a fledgling dragon, when he enslaved the boar people, the first thing he did was to order the construction of toilets, and he would never allow his territory to be filled with a pungent stench.

The boy, bathed in the golden glow of the sun, extended a finger, and a crystal-clear droplet slowly fell from his fingertip. The moment it hit the ground, it transformed into a golden ripple that rapidly spread outwards.

This is not some profound magic, but merely a drop of bacteria, a special strain of bacteria with extremely high activity after being enhanced by its own magic.

The dense, transparent mycelium spreads rapidly outwards within a single second, constantly absorbing various nutrients and organic matter from the soil and sewage, and multiplying at an astonishing rate.

One begets two, two begets four, four begets eight... Every minute and every second, the number of mycelia is increasing exponentially.

In no time, visible white down covered the ground, then solidified into a thick fungal carpet, which spread rapidly throughout the slum.

The monster templates for Vaal Hazak and Black Eclipse allow Thor to touch the domain of decay and disease.

This power, when applied to fungi, not only accelerates the decomposition of surrounding organic matter but also devours various viruses lurking in the air and soil.

The golden mycelium spread out like flowing golden light, and wherever it touched, all filth disappeared, as if it had undergone a thorough purification.

Even the poor couldn't escape the mycelium's touch; the fine mycelium gently brushed against their bodies, even briefly penetrating them. After a warm sensation flowed through their limbs and bones, they felt a sudden lightness in their bodies, and the ailments accumulated over the years were swept away, as if they had been reborn.

This miraculous sight caused all the poor to kneel down, tears of emotion welling in their eyes, as they loudly thanked the gods for their blessings.

Thor stared at the scene before him, his heart filled with nothing but disdain.

Gods? Gods never care about your lives or deaths. In this world, there are even noble gods, and class distinctions are considered a just and proper order.

Those corrupt and conservative gods could never bring them true salvation; only the great red dragon was willing to treat everyone equally, regarding all as his own wealth.