The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　This terrified the two hunters. Normally, if a hunter encounters an Elder Dragon, especially one like the Elder Dragon, a lone hunter should prepare to retreat. Otherwise, even if they were eventually rescued by a Palico, they would likely be bedridden for a month or two after waking up. Just as the adrenaline rush had subsided, the Elder Dragon approached the hunters with the corpse of the Kamaitachi Dragon. The hunter closest to the Elder Dragon could even see his own reflection on the scales of the Elder Dragon's blade.

　The impact of the massive winged claws landing on the ground deterred the hunters from making any rash moves, even though the ground beneath them was covered in the Mad Dragon Virus. Nevertheless, the hunters used whatever tools they could find to seal up all the gaps in their protective gear, since even skin contact could lead to infection. They also put a few Dispelling Fruits in their mouths, so they could eat one whenever they felt unwell. The prey here probably wouldn't satisfy the World Lord's appetite, and he would likely leave soon.

　As a result, the two of them had almost finished eating the fruit, but the Lord of Reincarnation did not move at all. After circling around the hunter, he lay down not far away. The hunter cursed inwardly. As he watched the Mad Dragon Virus on the ground accumulate thicker and thicker, the hunter's heart was as anxious as lava rushing to his feet.

　The Reincarnation Master was quite curious as to why the two upright creatures hadn't left but instead lay down there. Judging from the feedback of the Mad Dragon Virus, the Reincarnation Master felt that the two upright creatures were not dead. So she picked up the corpse of the Sickle Weasel Dragon and threw it over to tease the two upright creatures. Unexpectedly, they still lay there motionless. The Reincarnation Master lost interest and instead lay down on the ground to go to sleep.

　This period was extremely unsettling for the hunters, especially when the carcass of the Siamese weasel was thrown at them. The young hunter felt an urge to jump up and run away, but he managed to grit his teeth and keep from jumping. When the hunters saw the Lord of the World lying down like that, they only hoped that the Lord of the World was sleeping as soundly as possible.

　That's what the hunters thought, but all of that was shattered by the appearance of the Flying Thunder Dragon. Naturally, the Lord of Reincarnation also noticed the Flying Thunder Dragon that appeared there. The hunter twisted his sore neck and looked in the direction of the Lord of Reincarnation. To his surprise, the Lord of Reincarnation was no longer there. In its place was a mountain of Mad Dragon Virus, and wisps of Mad Dragon Virus were spreading from it to the surrounding area.

　The hunters' expressions vividly conveyed bewilderment and astonishment. They had no idea that the World Lord's ability to spread the Mad Dragon Virus was so exaggerated. Just as they were at a loss for what to do, a young hunter noticed a Tobi-Kadachi appearing at the edge of the hunting grounds. Clearly, this Tobi-Kadachi, who had come to the hunting grounds for a meal, had also noticed the Mad Dragon Virus covering the ground. At this moment, the World Lord...

　The Lord has already flapped its talons, emerging from the Mad Dragon Virus like a shell breaking open.

　The undisguised aura of the ancient dragon and its massive body immediately made the Flying Thunder Dragon realize that it might not be able to feed this behemoth. The Flying Thunder Dragon, which was about to run away, was suddenly grabbed by the back of its neck by fate. Then, a tremendous force directly pressed the Flying Thunder Dragon into the ground. Before the Flying Thunder Dragon could even react to who this platinum-colored behemoth was, the Reincarnation Lord broke its spine.

　"Awooo~" The Lord of Rebirth let out a low roar from its throat. Its platinum-gold wing membranes fluttered with the flapping of its wing claws. The Lord of Rebirth poked at the corpse of the Flying Thunder Dragon, but did not find the disgusting gnawing insects. The Lord of Rebirth easily bit off the head of the Flying Thunder Dragon, and then grabbed the Flying Thunder Dragon's large tail, which was like a squirrel, and tore off its skin. A large piece of smooth red flesh appeared on the Lord of Rebirth's claws.

　The hunters felt a chill run down their spines at the sight. They had seen that even a Rathalos couldn't kill a Tobi-Kadachi in one blow, but the Wraith could. In fact, for the Wraith, such an action was effortless. If they were pinned to the ground by those winged claws, even a Palico probably couldn't save them. The young hunter swallowed hard, while the old hunter loosened his clenched fist. In his youth, he had once blocked a Rathian's attack with a long spear, but now, seeing the Wraith's pounce, the old hunter felt that even he in his youth, with his best equipment, might not have been able to withstand this attack.

　The Wanderer was skillfully processing the carcass of the Tobi-Kadachi. Although the hunters didn't understand why the Wanderer knew the human methods of bleeding, skinning, and gutting its prey, now was the best time for them to leave. However, fate always likes to play tricks on people. Just as the old hunter was about to call the young hunter to run with him, a ferocious Anjanath stumbled out of the forest.

　The Reincarnation Lord spotted the unusual Anjanath almost instantly. Lanmei shifted her body closer to the Reincarnation Lord's ear. "These red flying insects seem to completely disobey the forest thugs, and if I'm not mistaken, they'll probably come looking for you again. In that case, kill them all." The Reincarnation Lord turned and licked Lanmei in agreement, then unleashed a blast of Dragon Virus and pounced on the Anjanath. Even seeing the Dragon Virus covering the ground, the Anjanath didn't back down; instead, it charged straight in.

　Seeing the Anjanath's irrational behavior, the World Lord quickly thought of the Rathalos from that day. When it was bitten by the giant bat, the Rathalos also struggled frantically but kept biting the bat. Now, the Anjanath looks somewhat like that Rathalos. Judging from the intensity of the scent, the giant bat is like the mother, and this Anjanath is like its offspring.

　"Bang!" The Reincarnation turned sideways and slammed into the Anjanath with a powerful shoulder strike. Sure enough, a large number of grubs immediately fell off the Anjanath and flew towards the Reincarnation. The Reincarnation didn't hold back, extending its wing claws and slamming them together, instantly killing a large number of grubs. Then, it leaped backward with all four limbs, its mouth slightly open, and azure flames gradually appeared in the Reincarnation's mouth. Then, a plasma beam swept directly towards the grubs.

　Accompanied by a piercing scream and a sizzling sound, the parasites that tried to change their host were burned to ashes by the flames of the Reincarnation Lord. The remaining parasites seemed unsure of what to do, unsure whether to leave or stay, and could only obediently lie on the body of the Anjanath, sucking its life essence.

　"Crack!" The Lord of the World snapped the neck of the Anjanath, forcing the Gnawing Worms to make a choice: die here or desperately return to the Silver Dragon's side. Just then, the Gnawing Worm that had absorbed the most essence lunged at the Lord of the World, attempting to bite through its skin with its sharp mandibles and inject the virus into its body. However, the Lord of the World reacted faster, extending its wing claws to crush the Gnawing Worm into a pulp.

　This action caused the grubs to fly wildly, all rushing towards the Reincarnated Lord. The Reincarnated Lord remained calm, its sharp claws piercing the ground and lifting up a rocky plate to stop the grubs' advance. Then, a large amount of light and flames erupted from the ground like a tide. The Reincarnated Lord then spewed a large amount of Mad Dragon Virus towards the ground. The Mad Dragon Virus, which was blackish-purple mixed with white gold, immediately flowed onto the ground like a tide. The Reincarnated Lord then closed its mouth, causing its teeth to splatter sparks.

　The violent explosion immediately engulfed Hui Shi Zhu and the Gnawing Worms. "Cough cough." Lan Mei coughed uncontrollably because she had accidentally inhaled the Mad Dragon Virus. Hui Shi Zhu had no choice but to take a step back and jump out of the blast radius. Then, he once again sprayed plasma beams at the Gnawing Worms, burning them to ashes.

　"The Lord of the World weakened the agile enemy with an explosion covering its body, and then used its breath to wipe out all the remaining red flying insects. It seems that, as the Hunter's Guild said, this Lord of the World is really smart and terrifyingly strong."

　While Hui Shi Zhu was dealing with the grubs, the two hunters took the opportunity to run away from him and witnessed the entire process of Hui Shi Zhu eliminating the grubs from a distance. From then on, their skepticism about Hui Shi Zhu's information turned into complete faith in it, and they were determined to record all of this and report it to the Hunter's Guild.

　Just as the Reincarnated One was bleeding and skinning the Anjanath according to his usual practice, the blood flowing from the Anjanath's body...

　The amount of blood flowing out was less than that of the Flying Thunder Dragon, and the blood was an ominous blackish-red color. The World Lord also tore off a large piece of red meat from the Anjanath's body. After chewing it carefully, it was indeed like the roasted meat he had eaten in the tavern, with almost no meaty taste.

　Yes, that's right. In fact, the Reincarnation Lord, or rather the Black Eclipse Dragon, has a habit of eating carrion. After all, there will always be some Black Eclipse Dragons that can't get food because of their eyesight and territory issues, so carrion is also on their menu. However, after they transform into Sky Reincarnation Dragons, they have the right to choose, not to mention the Reincarnation Lord.

　After hastily disposing of the Anjanath's carcass, the Lord of the World continued to lie in wait in the hunting grounds, waiting for the giant bat to appear. Meanwhile, the two hunters who had escaped ran back to Elgard and, disregarding the failure of their mission, immediately compiled their observations and discoveries into a report and submitted it to the Hunter's Guild, the Ancient Dragon Research Institute, and the Dragon History Institute.

　After receiving the letter, the dragonman doctor invited by Fiorena immediately bid farewell to Yangyan and rushed from Yanhuo Village to Elgard. When he saw the gnawing insects, he said that it was the first time he had ever seen such insects.

　"This insect is very strange. With a body like itss, it shouldn't be able to fly at all. Judging from its mouthparts, this kind of insect must rely on parasitism for survival. I just don't know what it mainly feeds on to grow to such a size. If it's the number you mentioned in your letter, a living human would probably be sucked dry in no time."

　Outside the hunting grounds, the hunters who had gathered did not actually intend to hunt down the Reincarnation Lord. Some of them wanted to see the Reincarnation Lord, most wanted to observe its ecological habits, and of course, a very small number planned to take this opportunity to gather some materials from the Reincarnation Lord, whether for sale or for their own use.

　However, the moment the hunters stepped into the hunting grounds, their footsteps stirred up a raging dragon virus. If the edge of the hunting grounds was like this, what would the center, several kilometers away, be like? Thinking of this, the hunters all looked like they wanted to approach but dared not. From the reports they had received from the Ancient Dragons, they were still unclear about the Ancient Dragons' attitude towards humans. What if it was an Ancient Dragon that extremely hated humans? Approaching rashly would not end well.

　Moreover, the closer one gets to the center of the hunting grounds, the higher the concentration of the Mad Dragon Virus becomes. Even if one keeps consuming Dispelling Fruits to resist the Mad Dragon Virus, at such a concentration, the hunter's lungs will eventually be filled with the Mad Dragon Virus and he will choke to death.

　Even so, there was one oddball among the hunters, Flame, who was approaching the center of the hunting grounds as if no one else was there. "Don't go over there, it's dangerous!"

　"Hey, it's okay."

　Flame understood the hunter's good intentions, but she loved the feeling of the Mad Dragon Virus passing through her lungs. The feeling of gaining more strength and faster reaction speed was irresistible to Flame, and soon a hunter recognized her.

　"Oh my, that's the hero of Flamefire Village, the high-ranking hunter who repelled the ancient dragon. If it's her, she must be confident in getting close to that ancient dragon."

　Flame nodded blankly. She wasn't interested in these things, but everyone seemed to be looking at her with great interest. Flame could only scratch her head awkwardly. Moreover, from a hunter's perspective, Flame was indeed no ordinary hunter. Ordinary hunters would avoid the Mad Dragon Virus like the plague, but Flame seemed to have a fondness for it, even with a faint smile on her face.

　Yes, it's all thanks to Lieyan overcoming the Mad Dragon Virus. The benefits these black and purple scales brought her far outweighed the drawbacks. Soon, Lieyan arrived at the center of the hunting ground. Looking at the Mad Dragon Virus that was like a small mountain, Lieyan stepped forward to try to clear away the thick fog. But before she could even make a move, a huge dragon head emerged from the fog.

　Perhaps due to inhaling a large amount of the Mad Dragon Virus, Lieyan did not feel any fear standing in front of the dragon head that was large enough to swallow her whole. Lieyan felt that the Lord of Reincarnation seemed to be waiting for something.

　Looking at the upright creature before him, the Reincarnated One tilted its head, then flapped its wings and left the place. Flame then told the hunters on the outskirts of the area about the news. As the Reincarnated One left, the concentration of the Mad Dragon Virus in the hunting grounds finally stopped increasing. At the same time, the hunters also discovered some amazing things here: piles of Tobi-Kadachi entrails, thick fur, and Anjanath thick scales and entrails.

　However, Admiral Gareas was in for a headache upon receiving this news. This Elder Dragon, which was recognized by the Hunter's Guild as an extremely powerful T0-level Elder Dragon, seemed to be planning to take root in Elgard. Moreover, it was a World Lord with a very high level of intelligence. More importantly, there was the Mad Dragon Virus it spread. If any monsters were infected, even a mere Poisonous Bird might be able to unleash combat power no less than that of an Elder Dragon. Gareas's head was about to explode.

　However, the most urgent task is to handle the situation properly and prevent the emergence of berserk monsters. If a large number of berserk monsters were to appear, it would be even more difficult to deal with than the Hundred Dragons Night Parade.

　927.jpg" alt='March Wife'/>

　P.S.: Um, yesterday I went to the hospital to inquire about rehabilitation centers. I contacted three hospitals before deciding on one. Then I discussed taking turns caring for the child with my elders, and then I stayed at my hometown. So I haven't had a chance to write anything, boohoo~

　PS2: A study using virtual reality found that people perceive time more slowly when on crowded public transport. In the US, the Honda Accord is the most frequently stolen car. A notable trend among aquatic mammals is that they move by bobbing their tails up and down, rather than by swaying from side to side like other aquatic animals.

　PS3: Have a wonderful day, everyone! See you tomorrow!

　Volume 1: 379 - The thief cries "Stop thief!" and then has a picnic in the valley.

　Upon seeing the report about the Resurrected One, Gareas tossed it aside with a headache. He had many questions: Why was the Resurrected One appearing in which hunting ground? If the Resurrected One intended to spread the Mad Dragon Virus in Elgard, how should he deal with it? And what measures could he take to repel the Resurrected One? Regardless, he had to announce this serious situation to the surrounding hunters, merchants, and ordinary travelers. Furthermore, he needed to begin strengthening and reinforcing the city's defenses, based on the premise that the Resurrected One would ultimately spread the Mad Dragon Virus in Elgard.

　As for whether the Lord of the World would actually do that, even Gareas was unsure.

　The next day, Lieyan arrived at the forging workshop early. As soon as he stepped inside, he felt sweat beading on his skin. The workshop was filled with heat much stronger than usual. This was not Lieyan's imagination, but rather because the forgers' apprentices were busy at work. The reason for the rising heat seemed to be that they were simultaneously forging weapons and strengthening armor. In addition, the area behind the workshop counter was piled high with weapons, armor, and materials that customers had previously ordered.

　"Yo, hero of Flamefire Village, what brings you here this time? Is it for enhancement or adjustment?"

　Outside the counter, other hunters were gathered, observing the craftsmen's work. Even with weapons and materials brought and payment made, the craftsmen couldn't possibly complete all the work immediately; it would probably take at least a few days.

　If the date for using weapons and armor is predetermined, the worst-case scenario is that the workshop hasn't completed the forging or strengthening work by the time you want to use them. In that case, even if the hunter's equipment has room for improvement, it's best not to upgrade it and instead use it in its current state.

　Of course, that refers to the time when the evil winds of the World Lord enveloped Elgard.

　"I'm here to upgrade my armor, but you all look very busy. Are you working all night?"

　Although the workshop owner usually stands by the counter to greet customers, he was now swinging a hammer at an anvil. After hearing the sound of the flames, he temporarily handed over his work to an apprentice. His face, covered in sweat, showed obvious signs of exhaustion.

　"To be honest, it's been a long time since I've stayed up all night. I guess I'm getting old," the boss said, gently rubbing his shoulders.

　"I'm really busy."

　Upon hearing Lieyan's words, the workshop owner laughed loudly and slapped Lieyan hard on the back. "Don't be shy. This is a forging workshop. Even if this arm is crippled, I will still do my job well. So, you just need to complete your task."

　Just last night, Fiorena invited Flame, saying that Admiral Gareas wanted to meet her.

　"Blazing Flame, what did you find at the hunting grounds yesterday?"

　"If we're talking about any discoveries, the materials from the Tobi-King only show signs of damage from the Reincarnation Lord, while the materials from the Anjanath show many small wounds that weren't caused by the Reincarnation Lord. Aside from that, we did collect a lot of the Reincarnation Lord's Mad Dragon Virus. That should be fine, right?"

　Gareas felt his head spinning again, but since Flame had fought the ancient dragon in Flamefire Village, she must have her reasons for doing so. However, regarding the wounds Flame mentioned, Fiora pondered for a moment and said, "Monsters like to move around, those small wounds..."

　Before Fiorena could finish speaking, Bahari interrupted her immediately, "You're being too hasty again, Fiorena. At first glance, those wounds look like they were made by small animals, but both the shape of the wounds and the components tested from them are extremely similar to those red flying insects. This means that during the time when the Anjanath pounced on the World Lord, the red flying insects were attacking the Anjanath."

　Fiorena immediately realized what Bahari was talking about, "So, Bahari, you think that Anjanath's strange behavior was because..."

　"Was it bitten by the red flying insects and went mad under some influence? Then the Reincarnated One... the Reincarnated One killed those insects and took some of their corpses with him!"

　"The Lord of Reincarnation is hunting down those insects."

　At this point, Gareas, who had been silent all along, coughed twice, gesturing to Bahari and Fiorena to let him speak. "What Bahari said was just a hypothesis, but the appearance of the World Lord means that it could attack Elgard at any time. If that's the case, even if we ask the surrounding hunters for help, there won't be enough time for them to arrive. I've already urged Flamefire Village to urgently build the warships I ordered earlier, but we must keep track of the World Lord's movements. The Ancient Dragon Observatory will help us, but we also need to save ourselves. So, Flame, can you take on this mission?"

　Without a second thought, Blaze replied, "Leave it to me, or rather, please let me go." After the incident caused by the Wind God Dragon and Thunder God Dragon's Night Parade, Blaze had come to understand the hunter's duty more and more, and this feeling of being expected and trusted made Blaze very happy.

　"Well, actually I ordered the Roaring Beta Set from you before, and now I want to use these accessories to enhance this armor set."

　The workshop owner nodded. "If it's just installing decorations, it will only take a short time."

　"Well, besides that, I use a katana, so I want to enhance my attack rather than my defense. I considered many options before coming here, so I would like to ask you to help me make some adjustments to my sheathing technique so that I can easily hit my target when I use the Water Moon Stance and the Cherry Blossom Iron Insect Spirit Blade Slash."

　"Sheathing the sword, huh? But the Roaring β set consumes a lot of stamina. When facing tough hunting missions, you'll definitely have to rely on stamina to win in the end. Here's what I'll do: I'll help you adjust those two aspects. You can wait here for a while and then you can take it."

　"Understood, then I'll leave it to you."

　Soon, Blaze's armor was adjusted. On the main street, the Scriveners shuttled between the Ancient Dragon Observatory and the Hunter's Guild, relaying information and traces of the Reincarnated One. To be on the safe side, the Hunter's Guild wanted to find out all of the Reincarnated One's abilities. At the city gate, Blaze saw a group of workers carrying timber to reinforce the city walls. Among the workers were several hunters he recognized.

　The hunter wasn't wearing the Tyrant Diablos armor set, but rather a simple vest. His strong body was covered in sweat, but a cheerful smile graced his face. The hunter also noticed Flame. "Oh, Flame, what's up? Are you going to check out the engagement area?"

　"Yes, that's right. Admiral Gareas wants me to investigate the matter of the Reincarnated One. Would Mr. Sambo like to take a look?"

　"Hahaha, even if I went there, I wouldn't understand it, so let's leave this kind of thing to heroes like you, Blaze." Blaze admired Sangbo's bravery. "I prefer to stay here and help everyone with the work, and at the same time, I can work up a sweat."

　While chatting with Sambo, Lieyan walked out of the city gate and headed into the dense forest.

　On the other side, the little girl was lying on the grass, yawning boredly. The fact that she hadn't found the big bat at the hunting grounds made her too lazy to look for it anymore. Instead of aimlessly searching for the big bat, she preferred to just find it and beat it up so that the guy would never appear here again. Besides, most of the ingredients she usually used for cooking were hunted by herself, so the big bat didn't affect her much.

　On the shimmering riverbank, a young girl bent over, her eyes fixed intently on the water. Her slender, platinum-gold tail was held high in the air, her fair, delicate arms were on her hips, and her smooth, long black hair was lifted by the breeze, revealing purple and platinum-gold strands beneath. Below the surface, a huge, voracious tuna swam leisurely through the water plants. The girl's crimson-gold pupils then caught sight of the tuna, and her tail lashed out sharply.

　With a "splash!" water splashed everywhere. Regardless of whether the fish was actually caught, the little girl was soaked. The voracious tuna, weighing over 100 pounds, floated to the surface belly up, its tail twitching twice in a final struggle before its life came to an end. The little girl used her tail to scoop up the tuna and pulled it to the riverbank.

　OvO Yo Girl pondered for a moment, then took out a bone flute from the pocket of her skirt.

　A bright sound immediately rang out. The little girl then put away the bone flute, raised her tail, and continued fishing. The river was not wide and the water was not deep enough. Otherwise, the little girl would have chosen to revert to her World Lord form and dive down to fish. However, in her little girl form, she would also draw her Berserker Giant Fierce weapon and smash the fish. This behavior was more like a game than fishing.

　Soon, a bunch of wild fish appeared next to the little girl, and the Meralu followed the sound of the flute to her side. Like the Palicoes, the Meralu did not particularly like seafood, which has a strong fishy smell, and their fishing skills were also quite average. In fact, their food preferences were more similar to those of the hunters.

　Regarding how to cook fish, the young girls generally wouldn't ask Melalu to remove the fish's internal organs, and she resolutely refused to remove the scales, but she would chew and eat the fish bones as well. Arashi was the same. Melalu, summoned by the flute, brought a variety of seasonings. The Melalu skillfully scraped off the scales, made diagonal cuts on both sides of the gluttonous tuna, and sprinkled it with seasonings. At this moment, the charcoal fire...

　The temperature had reached the right level, so the Melalus then placed the tuna on top.

　Arashi, on the other hand, prefers sashimi, and the best fish for sashimi is a large sashimi fish, or carp. However, the carp Arashi caught was clearly defiant, struggling desperately to jump back into the river. Melalu decisively picked up a kitchen knife and forcefully struck the carp on the head.

　Carp, dead!

　Don't be fooled by the fact that Melalu's claws are cat claws. Hunters are known to be so busy that they'd even borrow a cat's claws if they wanted to. So Melalu's claws are actually quite dexterous. Just look at how well Melalu slices of sashimi can let the sunlight shine through them – that's proof enough.

　Of course, a picnic isn't just about grilled fish and sashimi. The young girl took out the prepared Flying Thunder Dragon meat. Upon seeing the meat, the Melaruru's eyes immediately sharpened. They had no worries about food or water and were incredibly safe by the young girl's side. Now, the young girl was actually preparing meat for them. The Melaruru felt that they could only work harder to cook in order to repay the young girl's care.

　"Swish, swish, swish!" The Melalu pulled out kitchen knives that were a mixture of some kind of dragon fangs and metal. With a flash of cold light, like snowflakes drifting by, chunks of Flying Thunder Dragon meat were processed and arranged in a row on the large stone slab next to them. The Melalu added large chunks of herbivorous dragon fat to the iron pot, then took out a Maru Bird egg, cracked it open and poured it into a plate. After stirring it evenly, they placed the cut dragon meat in it, coated it evenly with the egg liquid, then coated it with a layer of flour, and then put it into the boiling oil to fry.

　The young girl chewed on grilled fish beside them, while Melalus and the others brushed honey and sauce onto the Flying Thunder Dragon's ribs and placed them on the grill. A casserole of stewed leg meat was still bubbling away. However, camping and picnicking in open areas, especially by a stream, is actually a dangerous thing. The smell of blood from the meat and the aroma of the cooking dishes can easily attract some indiscriminate creatures, such as hungry beasts.

　With the young girl and Lanmei around, they don't usually take ordinary monsters seriously, but this one is different.

　After searching for the whereabouts of the Reincarnated One all morning, Lieyan suddenly smelled the aroma of stewed meat and tempura in the wild. Lieyan immediately parted the grass and appeared in front of the young girl and Lanmei. The young girl and Lanmei looked at Lieyan in confusion, not understanding why she was there. The young girl even silently moved her body to block the pots of roasted and stewed meat, afraid that Lieyan would steal her food if she was starving.

　Of course, whether or not you can actually get your hands on one is another matter.

　Lieyan scratched his head sheepishly, took out some gold coins and explained that he could pay for some food. Only then did the little girl serve a plate of stewed neck meat and place it in front of Lieyan. This kind of small piece of meat was not enjoyable for the little girl, so she always ate it last. Therefore, she was happy for Lieyan to finish it.

　After eating her fill, Flame even invited the little girl to hunt the Ice Man Ichthyosaur with her, saying that she had found something good there. So the three of them, who had eaten together, went to hunt the Ice Man Ichthyosaur.

　Three days later, the Blazing Flame returned to Elgard after defeating the Ice-man Ichthyosaur. Bahari and the Dragonkin Doctor obtained more corpses of red flying insects. After some research, the Dragon Academy officially named these insects the Parasites. The Parasites samples obtained from the Ice-man Ichthyosaur proved that the size of these creatures changes drastically from their juvenile to mature stages. The reason why the Anjanathus and the Ice-man Ichthyosaur exhibited such abnormal behavior was finally determined.

　The dragon-human physician put down the book in his hand, adjusted his glasses, and said, "A strange substance can be extracted from the wounds of the Anjanath and the Ice-man Ichthyosaur. This substance is completely different from any known substance. I speculate that this substance is most likely the root cause of the Anjanath and Ice-man Ichthyosaur losing their minds. This substance is secreted by the parasites. In fact, this substance is a virus. In fact, this substance is very similar in structure to the Mad Dragon Virus spread by the World Lord."

　"Wouldn't that be an extremely bad situation?"

　"Could it be that the Lord of Reincarnation is eliminating his rivals?"

　The dragon-man doctor rejected Bahari's idea, saying, "I didn't expect your ideas to be so brilliant, Bahari. I have never seen the Reincarnation Lord, but for the Heavenly Reincarnation Dragon, spreading the Mad Dragon Virus is instinctive and an unconscious behavior. Moreover, the Mad Dragon Virus carries its own reproductive cells. It is worth mentioning that the Mad Dragon Virus is entirely a product of the Heavenly Reincarnation Dragon and is itself a product of its metabolism."

　At this point, Yan paused, worried that the people present might not have followed his train of thought, and continued, "But the parasites are different. According to the information we have so far, the parasites are parasitic organisms that lack a basic reproductive system and their feeding methods are completely different from those of ordinary organisms. Moreover, they will inject their parasites, that is, their hosts, with a virus that causes them to lose their minds. But what benefit would a host like the Anjanath, which loses its mind and is directly killed by the World Lord, be to the parasites?"

　The dragon-human physician also voiced his doubts. After all, according to the survival logic of living beings, the behavior of gnawing insects seemed to completely contradict the order of survival and reproduction. Just as everyone was racking their brains, Lieyan offered his idea, "Well, isn't there a tall plant in the dense forest called the Bullet Oak? Only the Cloud Smoke Weasel will eat the fruit of that plant, and the Cloud Smoke Weasel will then..."

　Whether stored or excreted, the bullet oak completes its seed-seeding process. Could the rodent do the same?

　"That's right, you mean?"

　Bahari then realized what was happening and picked up where Lieyan left off, continuing, "The parasites have a main base, no, a most basic mother. The parasites we see are either spreading out from the mother to reproduce or to gather food, or both. After absorbing enough essence, they return to the mother's body, or they find a suitable host to become the next mother. By the way, there's something in the report submitted by the two hunters who went to the hunting grounds that I've always found strange."

　"Report? Strange?"

　"Yes, according to the hunters' description, when the Lord of the World came into contact with the Anjanath, it actually took a step back, spewed azure dragon breath into the air, and then went forward to kill the Anjanath. The hunters thought that the Lord of the World was warming up its internal heat organs, so they didn't pay much attention to it. But now it seems that there might be a possibility that the Gnawing Worms wanted to develop the Lord of the World into a host, but the Lord of the World refused, so it was actually eliminating the Gnawing Worms!"

　Bahari became more and more agitated as he spoke, even believing that this was the truth of the matter, but Admiral Gareas decisively stopped him, saying, "Unless there is concrete evidence, this is just speculation. However, if it is true, then the Lord of the World is actually our friend."

　"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but the most urgent task right now is to find the monster that spreads the parasites. If we can't find it, it will be difficult to completely cut off this transmission route."

　Gareas nodded. "I'll report this to the Dragon Academy and the Hunter's Guild. It seems we won't be able to stay idle for a while."

　PS: When penguins swim underwater, their heart rate can drop to just a few beats per minute to conserve oxygen, while on land, their heart rate can reach over 300 beats per minute. Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards. This ability allows them to hover in the air and skillfully collect nectar, and their wings can flap hundreds of times per minute to ensure precise control over their flight posture.

　PS2: Well then, I wish everyone a wonderful and pleasant day!

　Volume 1: Chapter 380 - The Truth Behind the Howling Ice Wolf and the Blood Moon

　My village... what's left... it was all destroyed by the Ice Wolf Dragon.

　The village surrounding the observation post Elgard was attacked by a berserk ice wolf dragon. The villagers stood in the ruins and wept bitterly. Although the village had a hunter, he was old and could train the young men in the village, but he was no match for the berserk ice wolf dragon.

　"What can we do now? There's nothing we can do."

　The white-haired old hunter gripped his dagger tightly. "Go to the outpost, go to Elgard outpost and seek help from the Hunter's Guild. Let them know what's happening here. It's a long way, but it's the best way. Can you two really put your skills to use and save the village?"

　The village chief seemed to find the damaged armor cumbersome, so he changed into a set of lighter clothes. "Time waits for no one, hurry, hurry, hurry!"