Monster Hunt: Notes from a Hunter

A faint blue scale, no bigger than a fingernail, landed on a giant tree entwined with mycelium, erupting in a burst of fire.

The wood, already withering, dried, crumbling, and even turning into powder under the parasitic influence of the fungus, was the perfect fuel.

Like dry tinder catching a spark, the flames instantly surged, engulfing the entire tree and transforming it into a roaring torch dozens of meters high.

More sparks and flames spread with the wind, carried by the ignited spores, in all directions.

Even if they encountered fungal species rich in liquid and less easily ignited, or areas already turned into wasteland lacking fuel,

Under the conscious intervention of the Lunastra, an astonishingly large wildfire formed in a very short time and continued to intensify.

The areas with the most thriving ecosystems and abundant biological resources, which even after being occupied by fungi, had the densest fungal strains and thickest fungal mats, were now the places with the fiercest flames.

Whether it was the ancient giant trees, hundreds of meters tall and partially petrified, or the coral reefs that had become breeding grounds for various fungi after the coral polyps died, all were being melted in this great fire.

The raging flames, stirred by the sea breeze, formed a tornado connecting the sky and the earth, constantly purifying the miasma that shrouded the Guiding Lands.

After successfully igniting fires in the forest and coral regions, the Teostra and Lunastra split up and headed to the snow mountain and wasteland areas.

These two areas were relatively barren, but they still scattered scales and dragon fire, burning the snow mountain and wasteland clean.

From night to day, and then to dusk.

The dragon fire, far more terrifying than natural wildfires, converged into a sea of fire, burning across the Guiding Lands for an entire day, incinerating everything on the surface.

The thick spore mist, the densely growing mycelial clumps, and the layers upon layers of fungal mats had all turned into ashes in the flames and high temperatures.

The Teostra and Lunastra, breathing heavily, landed on the large island that had once again become unrecognizable.

Smoke columns and ash clouds obscured the sky, and the ground in some areas, having been baked by the dragon fire for a long time, melted and turned into a lava-like semi-fluid.

Even a single breath of the scorching air would be enough to severely burn a human's respiratory tract and lungs.

But for the two Elder Dragons who controlled the flames, all of this only made them feel comfortable.

“Hoo—” The Lunastra exhaled a stream of hot air from her nostrils.

Finally, she had vented her anger.

The Teostra cautiously surveyed the surroundings, not believing that things would end so easily.

It clearly remembered that this island had complex underground spaces, and even the existence of a lava lake.

They had lived in that lava lake for a while back then.

Not that it wanted to take over that lava lake as a villa; compared to the Dragonvein Land and the Elder's Recess, the lava lake beneath the Guiding Lands was at best a somewhat quaint “cabin.” It didn't quite fancy it.

What truly made it wary was the Rotten Vale adjacent to the lava region.

Strictly speaking, the Rotten Vale was even more barren than the Wildspire Waste, with almost no vegetation, only thick miasma and endless bones.

Logically, as an Elder Dragon who controlled flames, the miasma should not be able to harm it.

But look at this island.

The areas on the periphery of the island had become like that, so what would the Rotten Vale, the source of miasma and spores, be like?

They had burned the entire island to the ground, but the guy occupying this island still hadn't shown up.

Was it hiding in fear, praying that they would burn everything and leave quickly? Or was it silently lurking in its true home, preparing for a counterattack?

It should naturally be the latter!

Not to mention the trace of forbidden aura that had flashed by before.

In the worst case, the Vaal Hazak that originally occupied this island was already dead, devoured by that crimson demon.

It occupied this island, coldly watching everything outside, using evil and despicable methods to lure prey to its door.

And recalling the Vaal Hazak aura that suddenly appeared near their nest.

Now that it thought about it, those auras were problematic from the start. The smell was similar, but they lacked the proper activity, giving the feeling of being lifeless, like scraps torn from a corpse... (because they had been cooked).

Those were bait! And they, who had rashly come here, were the prey targeted by that crimson demon!

Thinking of this, the Teostra's pupils shrank, and its crimson mane bristled.

It growled and grabbed the Lunastra's wingtip, who was wandering around admiring the scorched-earth masterpiece, constantly retreating, wanting to drag its partner away from this island.

Something's not right! This island is dangerous! We are the ones being targeted!

The Lunastra, who was in high spirits after burning down an island, was annoyed and furious. She pulled back her wing and slapped the Teostra in the face a few times.

Dangerous? What's dangerous! Coward!

After scolding the Teostra, the Lunastra sniffed around. In addition to the wonderful burnt smell, there was a hint of something else in the air.

Some places haven't been burned clean!

Seeming to also remember that there were many underground spaces on this island, as well as places like the Rotten Vale, the Lunastra took to the air and flew towards the entrance to the underground space in her memory.

The Teostra tried to stop his partner's reckless behavior, but other than getting slapped a few more times, it had no effect. In the end, it could only bite the bullet and follow.

If that crimson taboo was hiding underground, waiting for them, either of them who went forward would only face certain death.

But if they were careful and went in together, they might still have a chance to escape.

The Lunastra and Teostra, one in front of the other, arrived at the underground entrance leading to the Rotten Vale.

Looking at the miasma, as thick as liquid, accumulated like sludge in the depths of the passage, the Lunastra also became a little more vigilant.

No matter what, the opponent was still an Elder Dragon. Even if their abilities were restrained, even if it was two against one, they still couldn't be careless.

It opened its mouth and spewed a bright pillar of flame. The scorching dragon fire, hot enough to melt steel, purified the miasma in the passage ahead, but immediately, more miasma surged over, filling the void in the blink of an eye.

The scene before her eyes made the Lunastra hesitate for a moment.

The Rotten Vale was different from the outside. This place was barren to begin with, and there were very few flammable objects. If they wanted to get rid of the high concentration of miasma that permeated it, they could only rely on their own flames to clean it up little by little.

It felt quite tiring...

Seeing this, the Teostra grabbed the tip of his partner's tail and tugged, trying to persuade her to leave again, but he didn't expect that such a “weak” move would instead anger the Lunastra.

She roared and kicked away the Teostra's big head, ignited a faint blue flame on her body, and strode into the underground passage filled with miasma.

She wanted to see what dared to offend the majesty of the “Empress of Flames.”