Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

Some creatures that were still hesitant and observing began to approach boldly; those that had already decided to come completely abandoned their last bit of concern.

When the first human appeared on the eastern horizon and stepped into the narrow canyon without being attacked, more humans soon flocked to it.

Chapter 196: The Curtain Rises

On a misty morning, the crisp sound of horses' hooves suddenly broke the silence. The rolling wheels crushed the frost-covered grass and slowly drove into the wilderness.

Looking at the caravan behind him, which had grown somewhat larger, Mark felt a long-lost surge of pride welling up inside him.

He had already sold most of the weapons he had traded from the Red Dragon for an average of 400 gold coins each, making a hefty profit.

After Saul robbed him of half his wealth and he returned from the wilderness, Mark seriously considered giving up.

His life's work had allowed him to accumulate some wealth, and although he lost money on this trip, he wouldn't be left destitute in his old age.

But the thought of the financial hardship he might face in the future stirred up a sense of resentment within him, and he ultimately decided to take another gamble.

Later, when he traded the weapons he had acquired from Saul for even more wealth, he once again considered quitting.

However, after attending a private banquet hosted by a truly wealthy businessman, he developed an even greater desire for a manor of his own.

So when he heard the rumors about the Red Dragon, he immediately realized it was an opportunity and hurriedly assembled a larger caravan to come and try to get a share of the profits.

"After I finish this job, I will definitely stop! The money I make will definitely be enough for me to buy a piece of land next to the deep-water port and live a comfortable and wealthy old age."

Mark gazed at the distant, faintly visible mountains, his face filled with anticipation for the future. The convoy moved slowly forward until it was swallowed by the morning mist.

…………

On another route, Kate rode an old brown horse, walking silently through the wilderness.

Thick moisture condensed into brown marks on his old leather armor, and his hair was wet, with water droplets sliding down the worn hilt of the sword at his waist.

The sudden commotion ahead caught his attention. Although his left eye had become cloudy and dull, his right eye suddenly shone with a sharp light.

He carefully dismounted, reached out and gripped the hilt of his sword, and cautiously moved forward little by little.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that the people in front of them were several familiar faces—the young adventurers they had met at the tavern, who seemed to be arguing over a disagreement.

He didn't intend to pay attention or get involved, and led his horse around to the side, his figure gradually disappearing into the morning mist.

…………

Even though most of the wilderness was shrouded in thick fog, the area around Thor's lair remained unchangingly hot and dry.

The towering volcano roared and shook, like a giant chimney, constantly spewing out thick smoke.

Volcanic ash mixed with sulfides and minerals blended into high-altitude water vapor, acting as condensation nuclei and causing a gray-black rain to fall around the area.

At this moment, Thor was lying in the lava, most of his body submerged, with only his ferocious head and towering back showing.

As the number of creatures in his territory increased, his means of obtaining essence also broadened.

Almost every moment, you can see the numbers after the balance jumping – that's a creature calling out his name, or paying homage to his majestic statue.

A significant portion of these new balances became Thor's food expenses, being exchanged for various energy crystals and minerals, which he then consumed.

After all, his formidable strength and robust physique did not come from nowhere; they required a large amount of energy and material replenishment.

Those dragon crystals and the like are no longer worth mentioning given how fast he's earning essence; he can easily exchange them for a whole bunch.

However, higher-level energy crystals, minerals, and the most expensive miscellaneous item currently obtained—ether crystals—still represent a considerable expense when consumed.

The energy inside the ether crystal that he initially swallowed has now been almost completely absorbed.

The subtle influence of the unique energy made him more sensitive to various elements and his transformation ability stronger. On the dark red scales on his body, one could even see a layer of flowing rainbow light.

This made Thor feel that he was trending towards evolving into a rainbow dragon. Weren't those legendary true dragons supposed to be able to absorb and be immune to all magical elements in the world, and even transform them into their own weapons?

Or perhaps, the special energy within the ether crystals activated the most primal dragon blood within him?

It's important to know that Tiamat, the five-headed dragon queen who was the source of all the five-colored dragons, was also a being who could control multiple elements. However, this characteristic was split in the five-colored dragons she created, which is why they were divided into different types.

Thor felt that he was more likely to gravitate towards the Rainbow Dragons, since even the original five-colored dragons could only master the elements of their own race.

In any case, ether crystals are a great tonic for him, so the more the better.

…………

In addition to his daily food expenses, Thor also collects miscellaneous items every now and then to unlock more exchangeable items.

Most of them are useless, but a few are worth noting.

For example, he gave a wisp of miasma collected from the Valley of Miasma to the fungus people of the Underdark, who are also fungi, to see if they could study it and find out anything.

There is another type of ore called Dragon Script, which contains energy similar to that of Dragon Crystal, but it is artificially synthesized. Thor finds the taste strange and doesn't like it.

There is also a type of azure-blue, glass-like crystal called Azure Thunder Crystal, which is formed from sand and gravel struck by lightning in the extreme environment of the Tianqian Sand Plain. It is rich in pure lightning power and can be considered a decent snack.

This adds a new "dish" to Thor's menu that can enhance his lightning attribute.

However, all things considered, among all the energy crystals obtained so far, the Dragon Crystal still offers the best value for money—it is pure, inclusive, and of a high enough rank, making it irreplaceable, like a staple food.

…………

Time flew by, and Thor left all the affairs of the territory to Alan, only responsible for issuing orders. He would fly out twice a day, morning and evening, to harvest more emotions, living a carefree life.

The more creatures there are in a territory, the more diverse the needs will naturally become.

Astute merchants, like sharks smelling blood, had already traveled great distances to seize the opportunity to sell their goods and make a fortune.

Before doing this, they wisely paid a visit to the owner of the place.

After a moment's consideration, Saul generously granted them the right to trade, but he would take 70% of the profits.

To prevent these cunning fellows from deceiving or falsifying accounts, he also assigned a clever dog-headed man as a supervisor to each merchant.

In addition, dragons have an innate sensitivity to wealth, as well as a little bit of magic similar to mantras, which can almost eliminate the possibility of being deceived about 80%.

The remaining 20% ​​was simply the business acumen of those merchants, and Thor didn't care much about it.

After all, the truly profitable businesses, such as pubs and casinos, are still firmly in his hands.

At the same time, Thor will also issue missions to help these outsiders accelerate the development of his territory.

As the population grew, one day he finally felt the time was right, so he rose into the sky from the boiling volcano, announcing the start of the new era.

Chapter 197 The Opening

A violent tremor came from deep within the earth, and the roar of the volcanic eruption was deafening.

Hundreds of tons of molten lava were hurled into the sky with a deafening roar, turning into a rain of golden and red fire that poured down. The creatures on the ground panicked and scattered in all directions to avoid it.

The enormous red dragon stood in the churning crater, the flames of the lava reflecting off its scales in a dazzling crimson light. Its outstretched wings resembled a raging inferno burning the sky, with waves of scorching flames constantly surging upwards.

Thor looked down at the creatures fleeing in panic below. Familiar and unfamiliar figures came into view, and a ferocious laugh crept onto his lips. He then let out a loud roar to the sky.

The rolling sound waves swept across the mountains, causing volcanic ash to fall in a flurry.

"All living beings within my territory, and all guests invited by me, raise your heads and look at me!!"

I am the master of this wilderness and mountains, the lord of the earth, the red dragon who burns away all falsehood and holds endless wealth and fear!

It is a pleasure to see you all gathered here. Merciful Thor will give you everything you desire, whether it be wealth or power, but you will have to earn it yourself!

"See that hollowed-out hill? That's the grand stage I've prepared for you. Go fight! Go slaughter! Under my watchful eye, the victor will claim everything!"

A thunderous sound echoed through the mountains, and Thor's men, who had been unable to contain themselves any longer, all let out a bloodthirsty cheer.

Many more creatures and humans who had not submitted to him but had simply come to this territory stared at the red dragon standing proudly in the crater, their faces filled with shock and fear.

Although they already knew why they had come and what they were going to face, when they actually saw this behemoth standing at the top of the food chain, the instinctive fear in their hearts still surged up.

Besides ordinary adventurers, there are also curious mages, cultists with their own agendas, righteous messengers, and spies from various factions, all lurking in hidden corners.

With their superior strength and keen perception of the elements, they can uncover more secrets than ordinary creatures.

That was the restlessness of the elements—fire and earth were welcoming their ruler, and lightning was leaping and cheering in the sky, moving entirely according to the will of the red dragon.

Even the wind, water, ice, and other elements that are completely different from the red dragon's attributes, as well as the associated elements derived from these elements, were involuntarily drawn in and poured into the flames burning around its body, weaving together into a dazzling rainbow halo.

I have never heard of any red dragon that can be involved with so many elemental types, not even the divine beings of Tiamat.

Could this red dragon possess the bloodline of a rainbow dragon? Could a legendary dragon actually combine with a mortal creature?

Moreover, the chances of successfully producing offspring through cross-lineage reproduction are extremely low. Even if offspring are successfully born, they often only inherit the abilities of one parent.

This red dragon has the appearance of a red dragon, but it vaguely displays the powerful abilities that only rainbow dragons possess. This is definitely a major discovery. If we could obtain even a drop of its blood or a scale...

The thirst for knowledge caused some mages to immediately ignore the difference in strength between them and cast burning gazes at Thor.

Those spies from powerful forces and messengers of justice were deeply wary of the small part of him they had revealed.

The remaining cultists either gathered in small groups or scattered and hid in corners, their cold eyes darting around. Some were brewing crazy ideas, while others were secretly searching for the dragon's treasure.

The intense emotions contained in the various gazes cast from all directions were absorbed by the turntable.

Thor's essence balance kept fluctuating, gaining dozens or even hundreds of points in a short time, which made him feel a surge of joy, and he continued to shout loudly.

"All creatures that step into that arena and survive will receive a fine weapon crafted by the grey dwarves."

If he wins ten matches, I will bestow upon him extraordinary equipment comparable to magical items, or a full three hundred gold coins.

Anyone who can win over a hundred matches will be qualified to become my servant. They only need to pass the final trial to have the chance to embark on the path to legend!

Now! Follow me! Start fighting for everything you want! Prove your strength with blood and death! Please me with your battles!

Boom—!

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the towering volcano roared angrily, billowing smoke shooting into the sky like giant pillars, and lava raining down like fire.

The enormous red dragon flapped its wide wings and soared toward the huge arena not far away.

The gazes of the many creatures around him were also drawn to him, following closely as they looked at the colossal building that stood on the earth like a giant bowl, its entire body forged from molten basalt and obsidian, dark and profound.

Roar--!

Roar--!

Roar--!

A chorus of roars erupted, and amidst the terrified gazes of the many creatures, young dragons of various colors—red, blue, green, black, and white—suddenly soared into the air, clutching large treasure chests in their claws, and charged toward the enormous arena.

Kate, mingling in the crowd, tightened her cloak, her sharp single eye scanning her surroundings. She dodged a crazed ogre and moved forward, following the footsteps of the creatures around her.

As the massive arena drew closer, a dark, gaping entrance, resembling the mouth of a colossal beast, came into view.

It is nearly ten meters long and wide, enough to allow a giant to pass through. The surrounding walls are covered with traces of melting and then solidifying, as if they were forcibly scorched by high temperatures.

After passing through a long passage, the space suddenly opens up, and bright sunlight streams down from above, revealing a magnificent obsidian throne that dominates the entire field of vision.

An orc blew a long bull horn, its powerful sound echoing throughout the arena.

The colorful baby dragons circled and chased each other in mid-air, weaving together to form a five-colored rainbow.

When the treasure chests in the young dragons' claws were opened, countless riches poured out like water, with gold, silver, and jewels piling up on the enormous throne, reflecting a magnificent gleam.

Thor descended from the sky, his wings folding back, only after the entire obsidian throne had been lightly covered. His massive body casually reclined, and a torrent of gold coins sprayed out like raindrops, rolling down the towering pillars of the throne and embedding themselves deeply into the sand below.

A pair of eyes, red from bloodshot, were drawn to him and stared intently at his lower body.

How many gold coins would that be! Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions? And these are just a tiny fraction of it; those gem crystals shimmering with rich magical light are the truly priceless treasures.

Another wave of intense emotions surged, and Thor's essence balance jumped up again.

Seeing those greedy eyes, a pleased smile crept onto his lips, and he reached down and grabbed a handful.

"Then come on! The brave deserve to be rewarded. The guy who dares to step forward within three minutes and survives to the end, all of these belong to him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he tossed the gold coins in his hand out like scattering candy beans. One by one, the golden glitters tumbled in the air and fell down in a flurry.

Chapter 198 The Opening Scene