Red Dragon Monster Hunter Template.

Even though some creatures who won in the brutal gladiatorial combat and received Thor's rewards did not stay but returned to their homeland, this enthusiasm did not diminish in the slightest.

In some town taverns or squares, under the totems of some tribes or beside campfires, when someone raises high powerful and exquisite weapons, magical energy crystals, piles of gold coins, strange fruits that can enhance strength, and various wondrous potions... coupled with the storyteller's slightly exaggerated self-narration, an invisible storm begins to expand.

The Red Dragon possesses endless wealth.

The red dragon is generous and benevolent.

Honglong keeps its promises.

The red dragon is willing to share its wealth and power with all living beings...

Nothing could better prove the credibility of the previous rumors, prompting more adventurers to pack their bags and head into the wilderness.

Chapter 207 The Land of Sleep

"Have you heard? Someone brought back tens of thousands of gold coins from the wilderness!"

"Who! Who has this ability?"

“Kate, that one-eyed clown.”

"That old man? You're not kidding, are you?"

“I swear on my grandmother’s name that I saw with my own eyes him buy large tracts of land and plan to build a windmill on the riverbank.”

"I never expected this! I never knew this guy had this ability. He's really struck it rich."

"What skill! You just got lucky. Let me tell you, the situation was..."

"Is that how it is? Damn it! I could do that too!"

"That's right! I can do it too! I'm about to head into the wilderness, do you want to come with me?"

…………

A man who looked to be over 60 years old but was still very robust sat in the tavern, drinking beer in large gulps while eavesdropping on the conversations around him.

Opposite him was a much larger man, whose arms looked thicker than an average adult's thigh, who was devouring a small lamb chop with the bone in his hand at an extremely fast pace.

These are the old bear and tiger-man who were assigned by Thor to escort the lucky one. The beastman has three forms: beast, beastman, and human. As long as it is not a full moon night, skilled people can freely transform between the three forms.

Along with them were other beastmen who were able to maintain their human form stably.

Such a grand undertaking was certainly not just for the simple purpose of escorting the convoy; it was also for publicity.

Promote the Red Dragon's territory, promote Kate the lucky one, and promote the opportunities that are everywhere there, so as to attract more creatures to come.

Saul left Kate half of the gold coins as funds to bribe a large number of down-on-their-luck wanderers and lowly bards to spread the word.

So far, the effect is remarkable. In an era where one gold coin is enough for a family of three to live on for a month, winning a game with just a little effort can provide nearly 10 years' worth of living expenses, which is a huge temptation for adventurers at the bottom.

As for the dangers involved, they are not worth mentioning!

Adventurers are called adventurers because their way of life is essentially an adventure.

Wild goblins, gnolls who rob people on the road, giant rats living in the sewers—once you leave the city, you'll face danger everywhere in this world, and you won't get any decent rewards or gains.

…………

The constant influx of creatures made Thor's territory increasingly prosperous.

When the victors of the battle receive a large sum of gold, their first instinct is often to squander it. Only a very few are able to restrain their desires and prepare for their future.

As long as living beings have the desire to consume, the corresponding industries will naturally grow out, just like mushrooms in the ground.

Every day, long convoys loaded with food, supplies, alcohol, and even weapons and ore would drive into Thor's territory.

The abundance of entertainment facilities and various goods, coupled with some unique items that Thor redeemed from the roulette wheel, indirectly increased the attractiveness of his territory.

So much so that many people who are not short of money and do not like fighting are attracted by the dazzling array of goods.

This attraction reached its peak after the first week, when Saul rewarded the top-ranked participants.

Because what he gave to the first place winner was an ether crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, with a deep blue color and a seven-colored rainbow emanating from its interior.

The moment it was raised high, all creatures capable of sensing magical elements were irresistibly drawn to it.

The elements that make up the world—earth, fire, water, wind, and so on—are constantly flowing into this dazzling gem, undergoing some unknown transformation, and flowing out as pure magic.

This is something that any creature capable of casting spells would dream of; simply holding it is like holding a small source of magic.

Not only can magic power be replenished more quickly after being consumed, but recovery and endurance during battle will also increase exponentially.

For elemental mages who specialize in a particular element, this is like a divine gift, allowing them to break free from dependence on the environment and ensuring that their strength is not greatly affected even when completely countered by the environment.

A noble spellcaster disdains participating in such vulgar combat, and the meager gold coin reward is of no concern to them.

However, once the Ether Crystal appeared, all magic-based classes became envious, since theoretically, if it were large enough, it could even be used as the core power source for floating cities.

When the spellcasters also entered the arena, their immense spiritual power, far exceeding that of ordinary beings, along with the emotions stirred by their various magical spells, immediately provided Thor with even more essence.

This allowed Thor to eat and drink to his heart's content every day, treating Aether Crystals like Dragon Crystals, while the Essence balance in his mind continued to grow at a steady rate.

A large amount of energy surged into his body, and even with his true dragon digestive abilities, he could not fully absorb it all at once. The subcutaneous fat gradually thickened, and something resembling gallstones appeared in his stomach.

Thor is preparing for his upcoming slumber. After all, at the current rate of accumulating essence, it won't be long before he obtains his first Elder Dragon template.

When the consumption of loading templates and the consumption of dormancy are combined, the required energy and materials will likely be an astronomical figure.

This will undoubtedly be an exaggerated transformation, much like a silkworm turning into a butterfly. The more thorough the preparation and the more energy within the body, the more complete the transformation will be, and the deeper the foundation will be.

In addition to what he had already swallowed, Thor would continue to dive down into the volcano each night as he returned.

The enormous red dragon moved nimbly through the lava like a fish, and the surrounding temperature gradually increased as you went deeper.

The originally orange-red magma gradually turned into a bright yellow, or even a dazzling scorching white.

The temperature here has reached several thousand degrees Celsius, making it an absolutely forbidden place. Even some legendary powerhouses of melee combat professions cannot venture deep into it.

But for Thor, this temperature was like warm bathwater, and the abundant fire and earth magic provided him with a continuous supply, making him even more comfortable than on the surface.

Amidst a flowing, scorching white light, a void was revealed, held aloft by magic. The power of the red dragon kept it from collapsing under the surrounding magma, allowing it to float in mid-air like a bubble.

This is the resting place Thor prepared for himself, which is still under reinforcement.

The thick earth, stretching for tens of kilometers, was enough to shield him from all means of spying, and the pure physical heat could also keep out more than 99% of those who coveted him.

While 100% safety cannot be guaranteed, this is the most suitable location Thor has been able to find so far.

Chapter 208 Lockblade

Every day at the highest point of the day, a grand gladiatorial battle is held to harvest the spiritual power and souls of all living beings.

As night falls, they burrow deep underground to build their hidden lair.

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Thor was immersed in the scalding lava, but unusually, he did not dive down. Instead, he looked at the twinkling stars in the sky and focused his attention on the spinning wheel in his mind.

After deducting the consumption, the essence accumulated over the past month or so still has more than 10,000 points left.

This number was less than he had expected on the first day, partly because the subsequent contestants became more cautious, and partly because the audience's emotions were no longer as intense as they had been initially.

After all, this is like riding a roller coaster; the thrill is usually strongest the first time. The second and third times, while you'll still feel excited, the emotional fluctuations will be much smaller.

Fortunately, this was within Thor's expectations, so he wasn't worried about it.

After all, no one is a first-timer forever, but there will always be people in this world who are willing to try again. Once these "leeks" (victims) get tired of being exploited and their value is squeezed dry, then a new batch of "leeks" will be brought in. It's no big deal.

Thor didn't intend to continue accumulating these 10,000+ essence points. Instead, he wanted to draw a high-level monster template in advance as a backup.

If everything goes smoothly, it will be integrated with the Ancient Dragon template that will be drawn next. If something unexpected happens, it can be loaded in advance so that we can break through to Legendary status first.

As soon as Thor had the thought, the number on his Essence Balance instantly evaporated by one digit. Ten thousand points of Essence transformed into a galaxy that echoed the sky above, roaring into the fifth level of the roulette wheel.

The neon-like light flashed, and Thor's attention followed it. When it stopped, a horned behemoth surrounded by chain blades was depicted in silver and black on the small square it covered.

Congratulations! You have obtained the [Cloth Blade Dragon Monster Template]. Do you wish to withdraw immediately? Yes/No.

The unfamiliar monster startled Thor for a moment before he realized it was a new creature introduced in the Wilderness update.

This is a flying dragon-type monster that is about 20 meters long and covered with a silver carapace.

Its face looks very fierce, with small eyes hidden in the gaps of its mask, an upward-curving horn on each side of its cheek, and a thick ring of silver-gray mane around its neck.

Its thick limbs are covered with sharp claws, and the wing membranes extending from its forelimbs are also covered with long, silvery-gray fur.

What's most peculiar is that on each side of its forepaws grows a thick, long, lock-blade-like tentacle made of hard bone and carapace structure, connected by thin, tough "tendons," which is also the origin of its name.

These are actually its powerful hunting organs. It uses these locking blades to entangle and bind its prey, absorb the energy from their bodies, and is never picky about food, accepting anything from water, fire, ice, and lightning.

This is undoubtedly a very powerful monster, and its special abilities are no less than those of some ancient dragons for Thor.

If combined with his constitution, which is gradually transformed after consuming large amounts of ether crystals, it will definitely have an effect far greater than 2.

This almost made him want to click to withdraw the money on the spot, but he barely managed to resist with his stubborn will.

Having prepared for so long, I can't just give up halfway. Maybe the Gu Long template will bring me an even bigger surprise.

It wasn't until the night passed that Thor's excitement subsided. Dragging his slightly bloated body, he leaped out of the lava and flew once again toward the huge arena not far away.

It's that time of year again for the points rankings to be settled.

Unlike before, after more than a month of competition, the first place with over 100 points will likely be decided today.

Therefore, the arena was much more lively than usual that day. When Thor's towering figure landed on the obsidian throne, the surrounding stands were already mostly filled with spectators.

Large, medium, and small creatures of different sizes obediently stayed in the places they had designated for themselves.

In the beginning, there were some clueless guys who fought over front-row seats for a better viewing experience, and some even got into physical fights.

In this situation, Saul always adopted a one-size-fits-all approach, arresting and enslaving everyone regardless of who was right or wrong.

It's like two sheep in your sheepfold fighting. You wouldn't try to reason with them, would you? You'd rather give each sheep a few lashes. If they still don't learn their lesson, then cook them all.

…………

The arena has already made a name for itself, and there are some wealthy people among the audience.

Is it feasible to start implementing a ticketing system and price-sell some of the best view locations?

They could even begin to build a second and third arena and classify them.

For example, there are beginner arenas specifically for matches with a score of 50 or less, intermediate arenas for matches with a score of 100 or less, and the final arena that only those with a score of 100 or more are qualified to enter.

The basic level is free to attract more viewers, the intermediate level requires tickets, and the final level requires a certain level of spending to enter; those without money can only watch the broadcast.

Yes, this world has magical items such as sound transmission stones and image retention stones, as well as telepathy, projection magic, and illusion-type broadcasting spells.

Although Thor himself didn't know how, he believed that with a little "money," he could easily get a mage skilled in these things to produce a live broadcast according to his requirements.

This not only allows for a larger audience, but also enables the production of disc-like content for widespread distribution.

Once the hype grows, he can even package some outstanding participants, creating star athletes by referencing the methods used in fighting events in his previous life.

In this way, both reputation and attractiveness will surely increase further, and one can gain a lot of wealth as a result.

Once the entire system is on track, even if it goes into a dormant state, it can still operate according to its predetermined trajectory, preventing the loss of popularity due to a huge downtime.

…………

Numerous thoughts flashed through Thor's mind: the red dragon hatchlings had an intelligence of over 12 points from birth, far surpassing the average human intelligence of 10 points.

When they really want to seriously consider certain problems and come up with solutions, it is actually quite easy.

However, the irritability flowing in their veins and the surging power within them often lead them, especially before old age, to prefer easier ways of life.

Although Thor can be quite irritable at times due to the difference in his soul, he is able to remain calm most of the time.

Furthermore, the addition of numerous monster templates and the enhancement of his mental strength made it easier for him to control his bloodline power, which made him stand out slightly.

Just as he was pondering what would happen next, a burst of enthusiastic cheers suddenly erupted from all around. The player with the highest current ranking was about to take the stage.