Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

When the entire slum was completely purified by fungi, the golden fungal carpet covering the ground began to slowly recede and shrink towards the center of the area.

Countless fungi intertwined and gathered together, stacking and growing upwards layer by layer, eventually forming an enormous golden tree, with its dense branches and leaves laden with shimmering blue fruits.

Chapter 450 The Gate of Yawning Tavern

The power of decay can accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, while the ability to control fungi can rapidly transform the decomposed substances into nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals necessary for the survival of life.

Therefore, theoretically, within the area covered by fungi, food will be continuously recycled and will never be completely exhausted.

However, life activities will eventually consume energy, and some loss is inevitable in the cycle.

But when Thor added the power of the sun to it, allowing the fungi to draw a continuous supply of energy from the sunlight, the entire material cycle was thus perfected.

The blue fruit that this giant golden tree is bearing now is the result of the decomposition and reshaping of sewage, excrement, rotten food and all kinds of household waste from the slums.

The fruit is not only rich in all the nutrients the human body needs, but also inherits the self-healing properties of blue mushrooms, making it a near-perfect food.

As long as this golden tree stands, the entire slum can achieve material self-sufficiency and transform into a closed and independent small ecosystem.

Those powerful figures from the North who witnessed the entire process felt their hearts suddenly race and their pupils contract sharply.

Creation is always far more difficult than destruction. They had only witnessed the Red Emperor's terrifying destructive power, never imagining that he also possessed such incredible creative power.

No wonder his territory was able to expand rapidly. Even though the total population under his rule exceeded the sum of all other forces in the North, the system showed no signs of becoming bloated or collapsing, and still maintained its vigorous vitality.

With such extraordinary abilities, the people under his rule almost never have to worry about food. As long as the food problem is solved, it is equivalent to overcoming more than 90% of the survival challenges in this world, and the territory will naturally become stronger day by day.

Thor was unaware of the overwhelming shock that was surging within these powerful northerners. To him, it was merely a matter of fungi replacing the ecological niche of ordinary crops and forcibly accelerating the entire growth cycle—nothing particularly remarkable.

Furthermore, if high-level spellcasters wished, they could do similar things; magic inherently possesses infinite possibilities.

But the real question is, if magic were to completely replace traditional agricultural production, how would the gods who are in charge of farming and harvests react?

…………

After the Golden Tree rose from the ground, Thor no longer needed to worry about the trivial matters in the slums; his subordinates took care of everything.

He used gravity to slowly rise into the air and drifted straight toward the inner city of the deepwater port.

The group of powerful figures from the North quickly followed behind, not daring to get too close and provoke hostility, nor daring to let the Red Emperor act alone at will.

If any fool were to inadvertently offend the Red Dragon and enrage it, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The young man, clad in a crimson-gold robe, swept across the city, heading straight for the ruins of the former Hylasteburg Castle, now the Yawn Gate Tavern.

This is one of the most famous entrances to the underground labyrinth of Waterdeep.

Legend has it that the tavern owner, Dunan, and his former companions ventured deep into the underground labyrinth from here, miraculously surviving and bringing back a huge fortune.

He then used this wealth to build the Yawn Gate Tavern, which charges adventurers who want to explore deep underground a toll.

His former companion, Mutter, became one of the masked lords of Waterdeep.

It was only morning, and such a huge commotion had just occurred in the outskirts of the North Gate, but when Thor stepped into the tavern, he could still see many adventurers sitting around a round table, chatting and boasting loudly.

These drunken bastards didn't care about the turmoil outside the city. As long as they could drink, even if the sky fell and the earth cracked, it wouldn't be a big deal in their eyes.

…………

Thor's arrival only attracted a few adventurers who glanced at him briefly before quickly turning their attention back to the table.

Only a handful of people with considerable strength showed a hint of astonishment in their eyes, fidgeting and constantly glancing furtively towards the door, waiting for an opportunity to escape.

Thor paid no attention to these insignificant mortals and walked straight to the well in the center of the tavern hall.

This is the entrance to the underground labyrinth. Above the wellhead is a huge rotating wheel with thick ropes wrapped around it, which can lower adventurers to the ground like a bucket of water.

The dragon's extraordinary eyesight pierced through layers of darkness, allowing Thor to glimpse the bizarre and wondrous sights below.

A distorted magical field filled the entire underground area, with countless portals leading to unknown destinations piled up together, causing space itself to become disordered.

They can confuse the senses of living beings, and even reverse their perception of direction. Without accurate spatial coordinates, they will almost certainly lose their way after going down.

This is why every year a large number of adventurers come here, but only a handful of them manage to return alive.

They either get lost in the endless labyrinth and die of thirst, or become food for the monsters kept by Hyrast.

So, was the purpose of this open passage to continuously supply fresh food to the monsters raised by the mad mage?

Thinking of this, Thor couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

What ordinary ruler would openly leave such a huge hidden danger in the heart of his territory? Wouldn't he be afraid that one day, monsters from the depths of the earth would swarm out and wreak havoc in the city?

Even he himself knew that when faced with dangers that he couldn't handle immediately, he should first seal them off and imprison them.

Then let the great red dragon have mercy and eradicate this hidden danger from this city once and for all!

In return, it would be only natural to bring the entire city under one's control.

…………

Thor lingered by the well for a long time, finally attracting the attention of the adventurers in the tavern.

They mistakenly thought the young-looking boy was hesitating and began to make unrestrained jokes.

"Hey! Little guy, I advise you not to go down there. With your skinny arms and legs, you're no match for those monsters down there!"

"Don't be too sure of that! I'll bet three coppers that he might come back alive!"

"I bet! I'll wager four coins!"

The words, laced with encouragement and mockery, reached Thor's ears, but failed to provoke even the slightest anger in him.

The difference between the two is like heaven and earth, just as a human would not get angry if an ant waved its antennae at him.

Only the group of powerful northerners who had been following them all the way outside the tavern were terrified, wishing they could rush in immediately and sew the mouths of these foul-mouthed guys shut.

The next instant, a howling wind suddenly arose inside the tavern, growing faster and stronger.

A violent gust of air rushed into the hall through the cracks in the doors and windows, swirling and raging in the air, making it impossible for everyone to open their eyes.

The food and plates on the table were blown away by the gale and slammed into the adventurers. The flying knives and forks cut their flesh, leaving many bleeding profusely.

A short, halfling-like man reacted quickly, darting under the table to escape the impact. He stared wide-eyed in terror at his surroundings, then suddenly screamed.

"It's him! He's inhaling!"

Chapter 451 Joining Forces

A dragon's way of greeting someone is to unleash a breath attack before actually meeting them.

At this moment, it was as if a hole had been punched through the space of the Yawn Gate Tavern, and countless streams of air rushed in.

As the halfling screamed, more eyes turned to the vertical shaft in the center of the tavern, where a large amount of air was gathering between the mouth and nose of the young man in the crimson-gold robe. The concentration was so high that it formed a visible bluish-white color.

By this time, they all realized that this was nothing more than a monster that looked like a human, and they were filled with regret for their previous actions.

Some of the more timid tried to run away, but as soon as they got close to the door, the strong wind pressure was like an invisible hand, slapping them back.

"What exactly is going on?"

"I was wrong! Please don't kill me! I was really wrong!"

"Guards! Guards! Where are the guards? Help me!"

Amidst the cacophony of sounds, Thor ignored it all, focusing solely on taking deep breaths.

It's unclear how much airflow he forcibly drew into his body, but his small frame seemed like a black hole that could never be filled.

Only after a long time did a ferocious smile appear on his face. He grinned slightly and suddenly spat out at the vertical shaft below.

A slender tongue of fire shot down like a line, illuminating the dark rock walls around the shaft and the bizarre and fantastical scenes of the underground labyrinth.

The raging air currents and fire elements, after breaking free from Thor's restraints, began to expand rapidly, transforming into an overwhelming wave of flames upon landing.

The orange-red flames surged like waves, spreading wildly in all directions along the intricate network of passages.

Just as the gale had stopped and many adventurers breathed a sigh of relief, they collapsed onto the ground, only to find that the floor beneath them was gradually getting hot.

With Thor's current strength, if he wanted to, a single charged breath attack would probably be enough to destroy the entire underground labyrinth.

However, since he already considered the deep-water port to be his, he did not act recklessly in order to avoid it being affected. Instead, he reduced the power of his breath attack and increased its coverage area.

The scorching flames poured down like water, quickly filling every corner of the first level of the underground city, causing countless monsters to wail and perish in the sea of ​​fire.

This area also includes a small number of adventurers exploring the area, as well as many more criminals who use it for illegal transactions and crimes.

Just as the flames were about to spread further downwards, they were blocked by a tough magical barrier, and could only struggle left and right in this underground space.

It even leads to Skull Harbor and numerous underground black markets through a complex structure and underground rivers.

At that moment, a group of slave traders were wading through the shallow waters of an underground river, returning from a black market transaction, when suddenly their vision was illuminated and a terrifying wave of intense heat rushed towards them.

The first few people to be hit only had time to let out a scream before they were engulfed in flames and burned to ashes.

The rest hurriedly climbed into the river, but the magical dragon flames could not be extinguished by ordinary river water. Soon the entire section of the river was boiled, and they died even more tragically.

The flames spewing from Thor's mouth at this moment seemed to be connected to the elemental plane of fire, and appeared to never run out.

The terrifying breath lasted for more than ten minutes, raising the temperature of the entire deep-water harbor ground by several degrees, even through the thick rock layer.

Only after he felt that he had roughly burned the entire underground area did he slowly stop exhaling, exhaling two lingering golden flames from his nostrils.

"It seems quite a few things were burned to death, perhaps some innocent ones? Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway."

Muttering something to himself, Thor glanced at the adventurers huddled in the corner, silent and trembling, and spoke towards the outside of the tavern without turning back.

"Since you've been following me all along, why hide so furtively? Come out and see me!"

Alasdra and the others outside the tavern exchanged slightly awkward glances, knowing that their whereabouts could not be concealed at all. They could only appear out of thin air and head towards the Yawn Gate tavern, which was already in a mess.

"Please forgive us, Your Majesty, we only wish to extend our hospitality as hosts, we did not intend to follow you."

"Why have you summoned us?"

Thor didn't bother to point it out; if he wasn't at ease, he was, why bother with all the nice talk?

He pointed to the vertical shaft in front of him and spoke calmly.

“That bastard Hyrast stole my livestock, so he must pay the price.”

I've taken a liking to his portal-building technology, which he inherited from the ancient Imasca Empire. Are you interested in joining me?

"Once we catch that guy, I can mercifully share this technology with you."

His calm words caused a stir among the powerful figures from the North.

The legendary ancient human empire, Imasca, flourished precisely because of its unique interdimensional portal construction technology.

It was precisely because of this technology that they provoked enemies they shouldn't have, leading to the downfall of the empire.

No aspiring spellcaster would remain indifferent to this knowledge. Once, a lich named Pramon Frostmark Lacaster ventured deep into the underground labyrinth, abducted a mad mage, and stole this technique.

This is why a large number of monsters escaped, causing a disaster known as the "Hyrast Harvest Festival".

Even so, the rulers of these deep-water ports remained incorrigible, still maintaining those numerous passages into and out of the underground labyrinth, without any defenses, allowing adventurers and outlaws to come and go as they pleased.

Upon hearing the Red Emperor's suggestion, many people's faces immediately showed interest, but some still hesitated.

The great red dragon had no patience to console them about their inner turmoil and spoke directly.

"Those who are interested, come with me. Those who are not interested, you can get lost. But don't try to trip me up, or I'll settle accounts with you all when I come up here."

As soon as he finished speaking, he leaped into the vertical shaft in front of him.

The entire body slowly descended under the support of the airflow, with a golden sun appearing behind it, illuminating the dark well wall in every detail.

After a brief hesitation, those who remained above quickly followed.

They were not comfortable letting the Red Emperor and the Mad Mage fight freely underground; they had to observe the entire battle from the sidelines so they could react at any time.

Moreover, the ancient portal-making technology held immense allure for the vast majority of them.

At the same time, if we can take this opportunity to get rid of the scourge of the Mad Mage once and for all, it would be a good thing.