Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

Chapter Ninety: Beastman

The kobold that walked in was covered in bright red scales, with a well-proportioned body, full and powerful thighs, and a round and long tail—it was the same one that had evolved into a dragon-blooded kobold.

It bowed to Thor with great respect in its eyes and began to speak.

"Tana has come as summoned. What are your orders, Great Dragon Lord?"

Clearly, the previous evolution had made this kobold stand out from the pack, earning it the great honor of serving the dragon lord.

Thor gazed at the peculiar little creature and, seeing that the magical fluctuations within it were gradually stabilizing, assumed that the magic inherent in its bloodline had awakened. He asked curiously.

"After activating the dragon blood within you, what spells have you mastered?"

Tana looked up, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

"It looks like a fireball spell, but I haven't tried it yet."

This was not unexpected for Thor; almost half of the dragonblood kobolds had awakened the Fireball spell.

But this does not mean that Fireball is weak. On the contrary, it is the most cost-effective and classic of all low-end spells.

"Then demonstrate your awakened fireball spell to me."

"Yes!"

Under Thor's gaze, the kobold in front of him appeared both excited and nervous.

With its slightly trembling paws, it took out a small ball made of bat guano and sulfur from its pouch, chanted a simple incantation, and then pointed forward with its paws.

The small ball on its other claw suddenly burst into flames, transforming into a fireball the size of a fist, which whistled out of the cave entrance.

The fireball flew for nearly thirty meters before exploding into a dazzling burst of fire in mid-air.

This is not a true fireball spell. Both its flight distance and power are quite different from the original, and it can only be considered a secondary fireball spell.

The reason for this outcome might be that the kobold is not yet skilled enough, or perhaps its magical power is insufficient. However, with training and growth, its power should increase, and it might even be able to cast spells without the need for materials.

Even now, a minor fireball spell, if used properly, can easily blast away an entire team of low-level adventurers, a world of difference compared to the weak kobolds of the past.

If one could cultivate dozens or even hundreds of dragon-blooded kobolds, a single volley of fireballs would be comparable to a weakened version of a meteor shower.

But those were things for later; Thor quickly put them out of his mind and started talking about serious matters.

"If you can get bat guano, you must know where to find bats, right? Go catch me a few live ones!"

"Yes!!"

Upon receiving the order, Tana immediately bowed and withdrew. Before long, all the kobolds sprang into action.

To them, the Dragon Lord's command is a divine decree, and even the smallest matter is worth the entire tribe's mobilization.

…………

Just as these kobolds were scrambling into the crevices and dark corners of the mountains with their homemade nets, a gnoll was getting into trouble in a mountain about sixty kilometers away.

If viewed from above, one can see a natural basin nestled between several low hills, filled with houses built of clay and stones, resembling a small human town.

However, the residents living there are not human, or rather, not purely human, but rather beast-like beings with animalistic features.

The origin of the beastmen is a subject of much debate. Some say they were a gift from the moon goddess Suren, given to children abandoned in the wild, as a means of survival.

Some believe they were created by Mara to spread her barbaric doctrines; others even firmly believe that they were possessed by the spirits of wild beasts roaming the wilderness, which is why they exhibited bestial characteristics.

Normally, the beastmen appear as ordinary people, but on the night of the full moon, they transform into wild beasts.

During this process, they inhale large amounts of air and water, their metabolism speeds up exponentially, and the energy stored in their bodies is rapidly depleted.

The resulting hunger can directly devour reason, causing one to be completely controlled by a frenzied, bloodthirsty desire.

At this point, all living things become synonymous with food in their eyes, and even relatives, friends, parents, and children are no exception and will be attacked.

The most typical of these are the werewolves, beast-like beings that have long been synonymous with madness and terror.

Therefore, all those suffering from bestiality are regarded as evil beings in the human world.

If discovered, they would be expelled at best, and burned at the stake at worst.

This forces the vast majority of beast-like patients to live in isolation, huddling together for warmth in the wilderness far from human habitation.

This mountain basin is one of the larger gathering places of beastmen in the vicinity. It contains not only common werewolves, boarmen, and ratmen, but also rare bearmen and tigermen.

Their long-term isolation and expulsion led them to fully accept the bestiality within them. Although they still retained some knowledge from their human days, their behavior had become completely beastly.

The gnoll responsible for relaying Thor's orders was spotted by two ratmen before he could even get close.

These creatures, covered in stiff fur and resembling large, humanoid rats, flashed a cruel light in their eyes, raised the crossbows in their paws, and pulled the trigger.

Several poisoned arrows coated with green slime whistled through the night sky, giving the gnoll no time to dodge before piercing its body.

The excruciating pain caused the hyena-like creature to let out a scream, followed by a strong sense of numbness. It swayed a few times and then collapsed uncontrollably.

"Look what we've found! A stray dog!"

"Haha! It's even baring its teeth at us, is it planning to catch mice?"

As the gnoll's vision blurred, two short figures draped in tattered black cloaks emerged from the corner.

The hoods on their heads covered their faces, leaving only their pointed mouths and gleaming green eyes visible. Then everything went black, and they lost consciousness completely.

A ratman grabbed the jackal's ear, greedily examining the flesh beneath its spotted fur, and asked its companion beside it.

"Should we hand this guy over to the chief?"

Upon hearing this, the other ratman sneered, stretched out its slender claws, slashed at its lower back, pulled out a serrated dagger, and stabbed it into the jackal's neck.

“You mean that big cat? When did he become our leader? We ratmen should have our own leaders! Drag this wild dog back; it just so happens that a litter of pups is about to be weaned, and it’s time for them to taste flesh and blood.”

The unconscious gnoll twitched violently, and blood gushed out immediately after the dagger was pulled out.

Upon smelling the sweet, pungent odor, the eyes of the two rat-men involuntarily glowed red, and they both leaned in to suck up the food.

Only when they could no longer suck out a single drop of blood did they grin, their mouths stained red, and drag the unfortunate jackal-man away into the night.

Chapter Ninety-One: A Crushing Defeat

The rising sun casts countless brilliant rays of light, which slant into the cave entrance, weaving into dazzling beams of light.

Thor emerged from the deep darkness, strolling leisurely into the bright sunlight.

With his continuous consumption of dragon crystals and various precious minerals, the unique metallic texture on his scales has become increasingly distinct and prominent.

Under the sunlight, the scales are even more clearly visible, covered with a layer of glaze-like crystals that reflect a hazy iridescent light.

The scales in some key areas have even extended and connected with each other, making it look as if large pieces of armor plates have been inlaid on top of the original scales.

It's obvious that this is the Rock Dragon monster template at work.

The legendary Armored Overlord is known for its outstanding defensive capabilities, not for its extremely penetrating heat ray breath.

…………

A cacophony of noise came from below, drawing Thor's attention.

He looked down and saw that most of the gnolls who had gone out the night before had returned and were now gathered at the foot of the cliff, with some other evil creatures of other races scattered around them.

Among them were ogres that resembled miniature giants, harpies with human faces and bird bodies, hands that turned into wings, and sharp bird claws at the ends of their legs, and several lizardmen that resembled upright lizards.

Thor even caught a glimpse of two manticores huddled together on a protruding boulder below.

This is an evil creature with a human face, the body of a lion, bat wings on its back, and a tail like a scorpion.

They are top aerial predators, feeding on large creatures. They often launch swift dives from high altitudes and deliver a fatal blow to their prey with their highly venomous tail stingers.

However, when Thor cast his gaze, the two manticores behaved like docile kittens, respectfully lowering their heads, almost turning their bellies up to show their submission.

Looking down at the numerous evil creatures that fell silent the moment he appeared, Thor's vanity, which flowed in his blood, was greatly satisfied.

Facing those gazes filled with either awe or fear, he roared.

"You insignificant, cowardly, and worthless creatures! Submitting to me is absolutely the wisest choice you have ever made in your lives."

Those creatures that dare to refuse my gifts and rebel against me will eventually turn to ashes in the flames!

Now! Gnolls, lead yourselves to the lair of those disloyal ones and slaughter them all!

As the resounding dragon roar subsided, the numerous evil creatures below, after a brief silence, erupted into excited and fervent roars.

These guys chose to side with Thor not only because of the coercion of force, but also because they hoped to have more opportunities to get their hands dirty with blood and engage in slaughter, using the powerful strength of the red dragon to wantonly bully the weak.

One after another, gnolls, their long tongues lolling out, began to run wildly ahead, their hands and feet scrambling, followed closely by a multitude of evil creatures.

They rushed toward the nearest gathering place of creatures, but when they arrived, it was deserted, with only some discarded junk remaining.

Since the local inhabitants refused the Red Dragon's offer, how could they possibly remain in the same place? They must have fled overnight.

Undeterred, the gnolls led their evil creatures to another location, only to find that the owner there had also left.

The repeated failures made them somewhat frustrated. Just when they thought they would get nothing this time, a large settlement built in a valley basin suddenly appeared in front of them.

Liemo stretched out its paw and scratched the messy fur on its head. Its dim yellow eyes were fixed on the wall made of logs and stones in front of it, and it was not sure if anyone had been sent here to deliver orders last night.

But it quickly put the problem aside, following the bloodthirsty desire in its mind, letting out strange cries, and brandishing the flail it inherited from the previous leader, it charged forward first.

The gnolls behind them followed closely, their gaping mouths emitting eerie sounds that were a mix of crying and laughing, and they began to charge.

The evil creatures who had just chosen to join Thor were not to be outdone. The ogres, nearly two and a half meters tall, gripped huge wooden clubs, their heavy footsteps making the ground rumble.

The harpy and manticore flapped their wings, choosing to launch an attack from above.

The commotion immediately caught the attention of the beastmen in the camp. Several werewolves leaped onto the wall from behind and, seeing the overwhelming enemy rushing towards them, immediately sounded the alarm.

Creatures living in the wilderness will keep one eye open even when they are sleeping, constantly on guard against dangers from all directions.

The crisp alarm sounded far and wide, and the beastmen in the entire camp reacted almost instantly.

One by one, figures draped in coarse linen clothing rushed out of their houses. Although the weapons they carried were simple, the gleaming cold light they emitted was not to be underestimated.

The wisdom and knowledge they possessed as humans make these beastmen more adept at using tools and crafting handicrafts than ordinary wild creatures.

In the very center of the camp, there is a blast furnace that can be used for simple ore refining and forging.

The jackals and evil creatures that rushed up had barely reached the low wall, which was more than three meters high, when they saw rat heads popping down from the top of the wall and pulling the triggers on them.

Each of the green-glowing poisoned arrows was only about twenty centimeters long. After piercing their fur, it would get stuck in their muscles without damaging their internal organs.

At first, some evil creatures didn't take it seriously after being hit by the arrow, but soon they began to feel numbness in their hands and feet, and their bodies became somewhat unresponsive.

Then, the slender, humanoid werewolves and the burly, boar-men covered in steel-needle-like hair entered the arena. They brandished their sharp claws and massive iron axes, launching a merciless massacre against the wounded evil creatures.

How could an unarmed beast possibly defeat a humanoid creature armed with weapons?

From the moment Homo sapiens picked up a spear, they firmly established their position at the top of the food chain. Whether it was the ferocious saber-toothed tiger or the enormous mammoth, they could only go extinct one by one.

Moreover, those beastmen are as if they ate a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Their strength, speed, and regenerative abilities have all increased dramatically compared to their original human counterparts. Even with their bare hands, they can defeat the vast majority of creatures.

The battle began almost instantly, and the two sides were at a significant disadvantage.

When a colossal tiger, standing three meters tall, wielding a nearly two-meter-long greatsword, charged into the battle like a whirlwind, the scattered soldiers Thor had just recruited instantly crumbled.

Not long after, as the orange-red sunset painted the sky with crimson hues, Thor, who was having his kobolds oil and maintain his scales with a soft brush, heard the news of his men's crushing defeat.

Chapter Ninety-Two: The Red Dragon Needs No Trash

"So, you bunch of good-for-nothings can't even defeat some half-human, half-beast bastards?"

Thor slowly walked out of the cave, his gaze sweeping over the defeated evil creatures below the cliff.

Compared to before they set out, their numbers have decreased by about a quarter, with the vast majority dying at the hands of the beastmen, while others simply fled the area.

Thor was not surprised by this, after all, it was the nature of evil creatures, but it did nothing to quell the raging fire burning in his heart.

They had just submitted to me, but after a single defeat, they immediately defected. These utterly disloyal fellows should all be burned to ashes!