Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

The rising flames engulfed the entire tunnel, causing the surrounding gray dwarves and kobolds to scatter in all directions.

The surrounding rocks and soil began to melt, and soon dripped down like syrup, gathering into a pool of crimson lava at Thor's feet.

Feeling the space around him gradually expanding, Thor couldn't help but raise his head in delight, and decided to widen the entire tunnel completely.

Subsequently, he began to absorb the surrounding earth element. Under the influence of a certain innate power that was gradually awakening, the surrounding rock walls quickly became brittle. Rocks that would normally take several seconds to melt now melted at the slightest touch, like candles that could not withstand high temperatures.

This astonishing power was so great that even from a great distance, it began to be sensed by the surrounding underground creatures.

One by one, strangely shaped creatures poked their heads out of the caves where they were hiding, curiously looking in the direction from which the violent magical power was coming.

Two umbrella-like heads peeked out from a crevice in a giant rock, excitedly gazing at the distant light and heat.

Chapter 136 The Mushroom Man

Thor never considered sneaking into the Underdark; that was something only weaklings like black or green dragons would do, while he was a proud and powerful red dragon.

As a tyrant destined to rule this world, how could he act stealthily? He would naturally go forth in an upright manner, using endless flames and destruction to announce his arrival to those rats hiding in the gutter!

Continuously melting and widening the tunnel would undoubtedly take more time, but fortunately, the section of the tunnel that needed to be widened was not too long. After traveling another two kilometers, the space ahead opened up again, even wider than initially seen.

At a rough glance, the distance from the top of the head to the ground is about 50 meters, and the width on both sides is more than 100 meters.

Thick stalagmites hang down from above, and perhaps because there is an underground river nearby, sporadic water droplets fall from time to time. The limestone inside forms sharp cones on the ground, looking like the jagged teeth of a monster's intestines.

The entire Underdark can be roughly divided into three layers. The upper layer is filled with underground rivers, grows a large number of mushrooms, and has the most abundant food.

The cities of the gray dwarves, the subterranean gnomes, and the black-skinned rats that Thor came specifically to cause trouble for are mostly settled here.

It is said that in the dark regions beneath certain dense forests, giant fungi can even permeate the area up to 3 kilometers underground. It is in this environment that one of the oldest races in the world—the mushroom people, also known as the fungus people—came to life.

When Thor's gaze swept to one side ahead, his powerful night vision was not hindered in the dark, and he could clearly see a thick stalagmite standing there.

The stalagmite appeared normal on the surface, but the echolocation from the Scaled Bat template and the enhanced sense of smell from the Odogaron Monster template both told him that two humanoid creatures were hiding behind the stalagmite.

The unique mushroom scent directly identified them, which aroused Thor's curiosity.

As a naturally peaceful and even benevolent race, mushroom people rarely attack other creatures. They themselves have little offensive capability, relying only on their simple limbs and various spore-spitting abilities.

However, it is said that if a mushroom man can live long enough and grow into a mushroom king, he can spray out a special kind of activating spores, allowing purple spherical fungi to grow on an intact corpse, turning it into a corpse puppet under his control.

Upon first hearing this ability, Thor was immediately reminded of the Vaal Hazak from Monster Hunter. Even though these fungal creatures are peaceful by nature, their very existence always inexplicably evokes a sense of terror and evil.

Why didn't the two mushroom people run away when they saw him? Instead, they secretly observed him.

Thor immediately summoned several kobolds, pointed behind the stalagmite, and ordered them to bring over the creature hiding there.

The small creature with red scales immediately responded and, led by Tana, the dragon-blooded kobold, quickly darted away.

Before long, two mushroom-shaped creatures, each about a meter tall and resembling having arms and legs, were brought over, pointed at by the creatures with spears.

Thor looked at the brightly colored umbrellas above the heads of the two fungus-men and the faint, multicolored glow on their bodies, and felt that they were eerie no matter how you looked at them. It was hard to imagine that they were almost the most harmless creatures in the entire Underdark.

"What are you two lowly beings up to, sneaking around behind those rocks?"

A deep roar came from Thor's mouth, and the sound waves caused the two mushroom people's bodies to shake. The high-temperature wind carried by the roar made them feel as if their skin was about to be dried out.

Just then, a layer of tiny spores sprayed out from their caps, spreading outwards like smoke, but before they could get close to Thor's body, they were burned to ashes by the flames swirling around him.

The kobolds on the side were caught off guard and got covered in spores. Then, a flat, monotone voice suddenly rang in their minds.

"We meant no harm."

"We just want your help, please help us."

This sudden turn of events caused the kobolds to show expressions of terror on their faces.

Thor narrowed his eyes, about to unleash a burst of flame to turn these two arrogant creatures into roasted mushrooms, when the gray dwarf insect controller behind him hurriedly came up to explain.

"These are the affinity spores of the mushroom people. They have no vocal organs and can only communicate with the organisms that have been contaminated by the spores through this method."

Hearing this, the kobolds relaxed slightly, and at the same time, a voice sounded in their minds.

"The lava gushing up from underground is about to engulf our homes."

"Please, great red dragon, help us change the flow of lava so that our former habitat may be saved from destruction."

With Tana's simultaneous translation, Thor also learned of the mushroom people's request.

A spark flashed in his molten gold pupils, and a smile of interest immediately appeared on his face.

I never imagined that any creature would dare to ask the brutal red dragon for help. Should I say they are bold, or just ignorant of their own limitations?

Even more unexpectedly, this matter was related to him. If nothing unexpected happened, the magma constantly gushing from underground was probably a volcanic phenomenon that gradually formed under the influence of the world's rules, due to his presence attracting the fire and earth elemental planes.

In other words, it was because of themselves that this crisis occurred?

Realizing this, Thor couldn't help but burst into unrestrained laughter.

These were truly a bunch of unlucky guys, and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them.

But this doesn't mean Thor would help them; the destruction of other creatures only brings him pleasure, and he has no feelings for "compassion."

These mushroom-like creatures seem to have some use, since many potions in the game Monster Hunter are made from various fungi.

Even he had drawn blue and poisonous mushrooms before. Should he capture them all and turn them into his serfs?

With his mind racing, Thor narrowed his eyes, staring at the two strange mushroom-men before him, and spoke.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch. What price are you willing to pay to get my help?"

The two mushroom-men exchanged a glance, their bodies flashing with fluorescence, as if engaging in some kind of silent communication.

A moment later, they turned to face Thor, groped themselves with their slimy hands, and when they opened their palms, several golden pebbles appeared in their hands.

“We have this; it’s gold ore that we’ve mined from underground.”

"If you can help us change the direction of the lava flow, we are willing to give you a great deal!"

Chapter 137 Mushroom People's Home

No true dragon can resist the temptation of gold, not even the white dragon, which acts on instinct like an untamed beast.

This is because it is not only a common general equivalent, but also has irreplaceable uses in many aspects such as craftsmanship, equipment, beliefs, and rituals.

Some magic even uses gold as a consumable; the more gold consumed, the more astonishing its power becomes.

Thor naturally liked gold, and even if he didn't use it often, he could pile it up in his cave and use it as a mattress.

But he also values ​​these fungal people. With the unique body structure of these fungal creatures, if they were combined with the strange and wonderful mushrooms in the Monster Hunter world, who knows what kind of wonderful sparks would be created.

As a dragon, Thor has no concept of "choice" in his dictionary; he will do everything in his power to acquire anything he values.

The gold these mushroom people pulled out of their bodies not only failed to change Thor's mind, but also gave him another reason to enslave them.

However, in order to get these little guys to behave, we might need to use more roundabout methods.

After all, these plant life forms have a very different concept of life and death than ordinary life forms, and simple threats and intimidation are unlikely to have much effect.

…………

"Gold? That's a good thing. If you really have enough as you say, I don't mind helping out."

A deep roar came from Thor's mouth, and the scorching breath from his nostrils turned into two sparkling smoke dragons in the air.

He stretched out his claws, picked up the gold ore from the two mushroom-men's hands with the tips of his fingernails, placed it in his palm, and flames surged. After being melted and purified by the high temperature, it turned into a dazzling golden bean.

These ores have a surprisingly high gold content, probably around 50%, so they can no longer be called ores; they should be called natural gold nuggets.

Upon hearing Thor's agreement, the umbrellas on the two mushroom-men's heads immediately unfurled, and their entire bodies shimmered with intense fluorescence, as if conveying some kind of joyful signal.

They immediately turned and ran into the depths of the cave, their hopping speed surprisingly fast. After running a distance, they stopped and waved their chubby little hands, as if beckoning Thor and the others to follow.

This amusing scene made Thor grin widely, revealing a sinister smile. He took a step forward with his large paws, propelling his heavy body forward slowly, and actually followed behind.

Drow elves and similar characters won't run away, so it doesn't matter to Thor whether he goes to find them sooner or later.

Since there was something more interesting to do, he naturally wanted to satisfy his curiosity first.

With the two mushroom men leading the way, the gray dwarf patrolmen naturally retreated as well. This rather large group traveled through the dark underground, and the journey was eerily calm, without encountering any danger.

However, this was inevitable. Thor's current size of nearly 17 meters is already within the range of an adult red dragon. Coupled with the ever-burning flames on his body and the powerful and ferocious aura he exudes, it is enough to intimidate any creature with ill intentions.

Not to mention those predators hiding in the darkness, even the most powerful Mind Flayers, Eye Demons, and Benthic Fish, the top evil creatures of the Underdark, would give way to him.

As they continued forward, they soon entered the shallow, dark area. The cave, which stretched diagonally downwards, gradually branched out, with numerous caves of varying sizes appearing from time to time, densely packed like ant nests.

Thor's keen senses, echolocation system, and exceptional sense of smell allow him to clearly detect the gazes of those lurking in the shadows, watching him.

The variety of creatures was unexpected, including petrified lizards, cavemen, shadow hunters, and giant spiders; Thor even found a ghoul among them.

The foul-smelling undead creature hung upside down on the rock wall, hiding in a crevice, and surreptitiously watched the red dragon pass below.

However, even from several kilometers away, the stench made Thor feel nauseous. A flash of fire appeared in his throat, and a heat ray instantly shot out, burning the disgusting creature to ashes.

He didn't care about the gazes of ordinary monsters, just as a lion wouldn't care about a mouse hiding in the grass.

Ghouls, creatures brimming with negative energy, are naturally afraid of sunlight and fire, and should instinctively stay away from red dragons like Thor, whose bodies are filled with explosive fire elements.

At this moment, he unexpectedly leaned closer to peek, which even a fool would know was that there must be someone else manipulating things behind the scenes.

Is it a monster skilled in psychic powers? Or a necromancer or lich hiding underground?

Thor had no desire to investigate, but that didn't stop him from blowing out the other's "eyes".

After this incident, the creatures that had been lurking in the shadows scattered like startled birds, never daring to approach again.

After following the two mushroom-men through a maze of twists and turns, and descending a considerable distance, widening various narrow passages as they went, Thor and his companions finally arrived at the mushroom-men's dwelling.

This is a large cave. Roughly estimated, it is several kilometers long and at least one kilometer wide. The distance from the ground to the top is about 80 meters.

The cave, which should have been pitch black, was shimmering with a dreamlike, seven-colored glow. Upon closer inspection, one would discover that almost every inch of the rock walls, both above and below and to the left and right, was covered with mycelium that resembled a spider web.

Mushrooms of varying sizes and colors emerged from the mycelium, some even wriggling like living creatures, sending chills down one's spine.

This is the home of the mushroom people, and one of the reasons why they can continue to survive and reproduce in the dark regions despite not having strong self-defense capabilities.

Once an ordinary creature enters this place, the ubiquitous spores in the air will quickly crawl all over the invader's skin, enter its internal organs and bloodstream through its respiratory tract, and completely devour it.

It's important to know that even in Thor's previous life, fungal infections were one of the most deadly and difficult-to-treat diseases.

Upon seeing this, the grey dwarves and kobolds instinctively stopped in their tracks, but Thor paid no heed and followed the two fungus men straight in.

Not to mention the flames swirling around its body, the red dragon's body temperature alone is probably several hundred or even a thousand degrees Celsius. Ordinary creatures don't even have the right to touch it, so how could a mere fungus infect and parasitize it?

Sure enough, the moment his foot stepped into the cave, the ground hissed and sizzled, and large patches of mycelium began to char and dehydrate, then burst into flames with a loud bang.

A unique signal spread out from this center, and the other fungi around it immediately recoiled as if electrocuted, forming a wide passage on the ground in the blink of an eye.

Chapter 138 Deep Dragon

Inside the cave, the colorful fluorescent light covering the rock walls rippled like water, and colorful mushrooms quietly grew limbs, transforming into mushroom people who walked slowly.

The two fungus-people who had led the way were now standing within the area where the fungus was spreading. An invisible spiritual energy emanated from them and spread outwards. Through the network woven by the fungus, they instantly communicated with all the other fungus-people.

Thor's eyes flickered a few times as he witnessed this scene.

He had originally intended to trick these mushroom people into becoming serfs, but now he suddenly realized that they seemed capable of serving as messengers as well.

This method of transmitting information through fungal networks is almost identical to the internet in his previous life.

If these fungi could spread throughout the entire underground of the territory, and combined with the fungus-human's affinity spores, wouldn't it be possible to maintain constant communication with all subordinates?

In this way, not only can information be transmitted efficiently, their work efficiency be improved, and more thorough exploitation be achieved, but it can also allow him to gain more essence.

Just as Thor was pondering this, an exceptionally tall mushroom-man walked over, surrounded by many other mushroom-men.

It is over two meters tall, with a thick, fleshy canopy on its head that is pale purple with dense folds and strings of fluorescent slime hanging down from the edges. The top is also decorated with rings of silver light spots.

A pale blue spore aura surrounded its body, and all the mycelium within this range began to grow vigorously, but it could never reach Thor.