The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　"Xiao Guang, what were you doing just now?"

　"Hmm~ Chew chew~ I heard a disgusting sound, so I took care of it~ Hmm~"

　The little girl shoveled the pudding into her mouth and chewed it greedily. She couldn't quite explain what the sound was, but it gave her a very bad feeling. Ya Wenglong lay down next to the little girl and Lan Mei and let out a soft roar.

　"Ouch!?"

　"So that was a song? You heard it too? But why didn't I hear it? Is there anything strange about this song?"

　Hearing what Ya Wenglong said, and considering the young girl's attitude, Lan Mei's curiosity was piqued. Although she couldn't explain it, the young girl's intuition was very sharp. She could sense not only hostility and malice, but also potential dangers in advance. Lan Mei sometimes wondered why the young girl could do it while she couldn't, since they were both ancient dragons.

　"Roar~ Gaa! Awooo~ Ah!"

　Yawenglong roared softly. Lanmei listened attentively to what Yawenglong had to say, while the little girl seemed oblivious and focused on making pudding. After hearing what Yawenglong had to say, Lanmei covered her mouth in surprise.

　It turns out that even further back, not just decades, but hundreds of years ago, Yawonlong did not live in this bamboo forest. The Old World was not what it is now. Of course, the Kingdom of Shured still existed, but it did not become the Kingdom of Shured it is now; it was the true Kingdom of Shured.

　It's unclear when exactly, but a forbidden technology has emerged in the Kingdom of Shured: Dragon Machine Soldiers! These are mechanical monsters created by combining materials from monsters and even ancient dragons, along with machinery produced within the kingdom, after they have been defeated.

　Initially, these mechanical monsters were not favored by the kingdom's high command. However, after witnessing the Dragon Soldiers fight bloody battles and achieve great victories among hordes of monsters, the kingdom's high command suddenly became interested. Gradually, a large number of Dragon Soldiers were produced, and the kingdom's high command was no longer satisfied with ordinary monsters, but instead set their sights on the ancient dragons.

　Initially, the Dragon Soldiers' campaign against the Ancient Dragons was overwhelmingly one-sided. A single blow from an Ancient Dragon could tear apart the Dragon Soldiers that the higher-ups were so proud of. However, humans are not simple creatures. So the higher-ups implanted a large number of bombs inside the Dragon Soldiers and even developed self-destructing Dragon Soldiers. They also successively developed various types of Dragon Soldiers such as the Iron Maiden and the Skeleton.

　Even the proud ancient dragons were eventually defeated by the relentless, suicidal attacks of humans. The success of the first ancient dragon extermination made the kingdom realize that the ancient dragons were not so powerful after all. At the same time, the dragon mechs made from ancient dragon materials made their official debut. The words "huge" and "brutal" are not enough to describe the ancient dragon-based dragon mechs.

　The king also realized that the Dragon Soldiers were a national treasure, and their powerful strength was enough to threaten any country in the world. So the king demanded that the lower-level control of the Dragon Soldiers be handed over to the royal family. After generations of research, the number of Dragon Soldiers increased, and the Kingdom of Shured began to expand its territory on a large scale, which disrupted the ecological balance.

　The signs of destruction began at this time. During their expansion, the people of the Kingdom of Shured discovered a Sky Corridor, a more mysterious structure than the ancient tower where the Dragon Machine Soldier technology was found. The kingdom immediately sent troops to investigate the Sky Corridor. They found a lot of information and technology inside and implemented them. But just as they were about to go deeper, a huge ice gate blocked their way.

　Just as they were trying to enter, the monster appeared. It was a barbarian from the Sky Corridor, later named the Royal Ice Dragon by the guild. This monster used its immense power to stop these people from exploring. The more they tried to do so, the more forceful the kingdom became, and the conflict between dragons and humans intensified.

　This conflict officially ignited the war between humans and dragons, and the result was obvious. The actions of the Kingdom of Shured attracted the attention of the Black Dragon, and after a certain night, the Kingdom of Shured was destroyed overnight, and the thousand-mile royal city was instantly turned into charred remains. The Yaon Dragon left its original habitat and came to this bamboo forest shortly after the Black Dragon appeared.

　It never went out again after that. It knew that the singing was also due to the technology of the Kingdom of Shured in controlling the dragon soldiers, one of which was the use of singing. It is said that the last king passed this technology to his youngest daughter, but that youngest daughter disappeared after the black dragon destroyed the Kingdom of Shured.

　Countless years have passed since they arrived at this bamboo forest. During this time, some hunters tried to use similar songs to lure the Yawon dragon into helping them ripen their crops. However, out of respect for the ancient dragons, the Yawon dragon punished them severely, sparing their lives, though it was not a bloodthirsty dragon.

　But what Yawonlong didn't expect was that even after so long, these humans still did the same thing. It seems history is indeed a cycle. At this point, Yawonlong glanced at the young girl.

　The little girl had just finished eating her pudding and was licking the crumbs and fruit pieces at the bottom of the pot. She didn't notice the meaningful look in Yawonglong's eyes. According to the story Yawonglong told, she should still be wandering in the West Dragon Ocean, so she was unaware of these things.

　"In other words, that song is actually a means of controlling the Dragon Soldiers. Judging from Xiaoguang's reaction, those songs must have evolved from control to interference."

　"Ow!"

　"But after being taught a lesson by Xiaoguang, those guys probably won't dare to come here again. Just how influential are those songs?"

　"Gah~"

　Lanmei nodded. According to Yawenglong, those were essentially mental interference. They might have some effect on humans, but for ancient dragons, it was like having an annoying guy buzzing in your ear when you were extremely sleepy. So almost no ancient dragon would have a good reaction to this song.

　P.S.: The toilet tank suddenly broke today, and while they were repairing it, I accidentally broke the shut-off valve. The main water valve in the house also wouldn't turn on, so the landlord told me to go out and buy a new shut-off valve. I had no choice but to call a repairman. What a terrible day!

　Volume 1: 469 - The Strongest Thief-Type Ancient Dragon

　The events that happened to Nehemiah and Euphilia were quickly reported to the Hunter's Guild. The keen hunters recognized the distinctive feature almost immediately: a platinum-gold dragon. It was none other than the Reincarnation Lord! But the Reincarnation Lord had appeared in such a place, and the Hunter's Guild was also puzzled as to what the Reincarnation Lord intended to do.

　Regarding the active volcano Latio, it is a volcano located in the southern Eldi region, separated from the settlement of Yaonlong by a narrow strait. This volcano is active day and night, and low-viscosity basaltic lava can be seen everywhere on the mountain. On a good day, even near the bamboo forest on the other side of the strait, as long as you stand on a high place such as a hill, you can even see the smoke rising from the crater.

　The complex cave system inside the active volcano Latio is a hunting ground officially recognized by the hunting association. The intense heat, the nonchalantly flowing rivers of lava, and the scalding steam that suddenly erupts from cracks in the ground, attacking careless visitors—in this almost isolated world, everything is vastly different from the outside world.

　Despite the harsh environment, various monsters, large and small, still inhabit the area, and they may even leave the volcano and appear in other regions, causing serious damage to those areas.

　Hunters who dare to challenge this place not only need the formidable strength to handle large groups of formidable monsters, but also the calm and decisive ability to judge the timing of retreat based on their physical condition. This is because, whether going there or back, the high temperature will continuously drain their stamina. Hunters must hunt while constantly assessing whether they have enough stamina to safely return to their base.

　Although this hunting ground demands a higher level of skill from hunters, unlike the dense forest or desert, it is also a treasure trove. The volcanic area is not only home to monsters from which valuable materials can be obtained.

　Lava is actually rock that was originally located deep underground, but which turns into a muddy substance and flows to the surface due to high heat. Therefore, sometimes rare minerals that are usually impossible to find and lie dormant deep underground can be extracted from lava.

　According to legends among hunters, weapons forged from rare materials mined here can easily slice through the incredibly tough scales of wyverns. Even so, hunters flock to the volcano in search of treasure. However, as a result, unfortunate accidents are also frequently reported.

　Generally speaking, there are several ways for hunters to enter the caves inside the volcano directly from the camp. Of course, they can also choose another route that goes around the outside of the volcano and enters from the mountainside. However, the young girl did not come here to hunt, but to use the lava here to make a dish. She had tried it in Flamefire Village.

　Meanwhile, Sibert, who had been waiting for a quest from the Chameleon, finally received one. The quest came from an alchemy apprentice, and the requirement was to obtain the Chameleon's poison. This quest was perfect for Sereria.

　Following the instructions, they arrived at the lake area within the hunting grounds. Beside them stretched an endless expanse of water, its dark surface reflecting the moonlight, shimmering like stars. In the distance, the silhouette of a dark island loomed. When the lake rose at night, the passage between that island and the hunting grounds would be submerged.

　There were no footprints found on the beach, meaning the Chameleon was likely hiding in the dense jungle. There seemed to be no sign of the Chameleon at all. Just then, a strange and enormous figure appeared beside them, startling Sereria.

　He plunged into the lake.

　Sereria immediately surfaced from the water and stood up, spitting out the cold lake water. Just then, Sereria's body warned her to get away. As soon as the thought crossed Sereria's mind, she immediately dodged to the side, but was blocked by an unseen object.

　A unique warmth, characteristic of living beings, emanated from this transparent space and flowed into her body. It felt incredibly soft, but the rough exterior and sticky texture made Sereria uncomfortable for quite some time. However, she also knew that this was a very opportune moment.

　Sereria got into position, ready to unleash a sword strike, but just as she raised her greatsword high to gather strength, she was once again struck hard and slammed back into the lake with a "plop!" She stood up again, covered in water.

　"You're so careless!"

　Even if the target is hit, because the opponent cannot be seen, it is unknown when a counterattack will occur. It is precisely because of this that Sibet did not get too close, while the reckless Sereria just kept rushing forward.

　"Damn it, it's the same as before!"

　During the battle, Sereria positioned herself further forward than anyone else and suffered the most counterattacks. Incredibly, she rarely sustained serious injuries, perhaps relying on her innate intuition to dodge truly fatal attacks. Confident in her rationality, Sibert observed her opponent not far away while searching for an opportunity to attack.

　The other party's actions suddenly became frantic.

　If it were a stationary attack or a straight charge, he could easily dodge it by being vigilant. But facing an opponent with an increasingly high frequency of attacks at such close range, simply dodging was already exhausting for Sibert. He quickly sheathed his Thunder Sword [Tiger Eye] on his back and deftly evaded the opponent's attacks.

　He could dodge it, but he could see something flying towards him. Due to the change in angle, he could occasionally see what it was. It probably flew out from near his mouth, but it could not only fly out, it could also be taken back.

　The thing drew a large arc, swept around the space in front of the monster, and then returned to its mouth. Could it be a tongue?

　He desperately dodged the opponent's fierce attacks while complaining incessantly. The thought of the soft, saliva-dripping tongue sent chills down his spine.

　"Ugh!"

　Cerelia had only been back in the battle for a short time when she flew back to the lake once more.

　"Are you here to play games?!" Although she couldn't help but complain, after quickly running out of the monster's attack range, Sibert still hurriedly ran towards Sereria's direction.

　"Are you okay?"

　"Waaaaah~ That wretched transparent monster!"

　Clinging to a plant resembling algae, Sereria slowly stood up from the water, shivering. "Let's not attack for now and recover our strength," Sibert said, turning around to see that, thankfully, the mysterious monster wasn't in a hurry to attack and didn't relentlessly pursue Sibert and Sereria as they approached the lake.

　"Is it afraid of water?" Just as he had this thought, the monster suddenly turned around and charged at the two of them. "You're so fickle!"

　Sibert yelled in frustration and ran to the side. Sereria followed in the same direction, but reached into her pouch. Looks like she's planning to drink some healing potion. I guess I have to get her attention, but how can I get her to notice me?

　Suddenly, Sibert remembered that one of his friends lived in a city not far from here. He was one of the most intelligent hunters in Sibert's memory. At this moment, that person's face appeared in the young one-handed hunter's mind. That face gave people a very reliable feeling. Of course, at this moment, he could not offer Sibert any advice, not even a useful one.

　"That's not very friendly!" Sibert muttered incomprehensible words as he desperately tried to distance himself from the monster, but...

　"Wait, wait for me, Brother Sibert!"

　"What's wrong with you now, at a time like this?"

　If the two of them were to get together, they would become perfect targets for the monsters. And if that were to happen, the one in greater danger would obviously be Sereria, whose stamina had been significantly depleted.

　"Gone."

　"Something is missing?"

　"Recovery medicine."

　"what!"

　To hear such despairing words uttered at this moment, Sibert felt tears welling up in her eyes.

　"I'm talking about you."

　"No, it wasn't me! I just checked, I definitely brought the recovery medicine!"

　Just as the two were arguing back and forth, the monster rushed over again. "Get out of the way first!"

　With a series of splashing sounds, the monster darted past the two people who had flashed to the side. After creating enough distance, it turned back to ask Sereria a question.

　"It was definitely there just now, unless it was stolen." Halfway through his sentence, Sibert suddenly remembered something. The roast meat that he had definitely put in his pocket when he set off had also mysteriously disappeared. He didn't know when, who, or how it was stolen.

　"You bastard! You're the one who stole my flesh!" Sibert shouted at the mysterious chameleon. "You made me get laughed at by Sereria for a long time. And even if you defeat us, there's still Miss Edlinka. She will definitely be able to defeat you."

　Sibert took a bottle of recovery potion G from his pouch and handed it to Sereria, then sprinted forward. But halfway there, he regained his composure, turned back, and thought, "Damn it, I don't know where to start!" Just then, a new visitor arrived in the area. Or rather, rejoined the group.

　"Sorry to keep you all waiting!"

　The person who appeared on the east side of the shallows quickly moved towards the monster and threw something out of his hand.

　"Flashbang? Ah, no, that's not right!"

　After the thing exploded near the monster, it immediately spewed out an enormous amount of white smoke. Edward threw a few more, and soon the white smoke filled the entire beach. Not only that, the misty gas did not dissipate immediately, but lingered in mid-air for quite a while. It was this white smoke that revealed the true nature of what was disguised as air.

　Because it has no color.

　The white smoke that didn't enter the monster's body instead made its completely transparent form appear before the three of them.

　"I saw it!"

　Edwater used smoke bombs, which were originally intended to obscure the hunter's vision with a large amount of smoke, preventing monsters from spotting the hunter's movements. Sibert never imagined that they could also be used to find the monster's tracks.

　"Quick!" Edward urged his companions while firing a shot from the meteor cannon. "Alright, me too! Sibert, can you handle it!"

　"Of course!"

　Edward's arrow pierced through the white mist, accurately hitting a large, transparent space that had suddenly appeared. Sibert and Sereria charged towards the monster's side from the left and right respectively. "Now that we can see what it looks like, it's time for us to unleash our power!"

　To shake off his previous depression, Sibert wielded the Thunder Sword [Tiger Eye] with all his might. Relying solely on memory made it difficult to accurately grasp the weapon's striking point, naturally resulting in missing the parts that could unleash its full power. The feel of his hands now proved that this attack was its most powerful.

　"How dare you steal my recovery potion!"

　On the other side, Sereria slashed the monster's side with her Demon Slayer Sword. In that instant, the monster jerked its body upwards.

　It worked!

　No! It's about to use poison! Get out of the way!

　It wasn't because it was intimidated by the powerful attack, but because it planned to spray poison mist while taking off. Seeing this, Sibert shouted loudly, and Edward and Sereria put away their weapons and retreated desperately without thinking.

　The large amount of poisonous fog and the gale created by the wings gradually dispersed the white smoke created by Edward. Although Sibert had safely dodged the attack of the poisonous fog, he still couldn't help but feel a sense of fear. Moreover, the smoke had dissipated, and now they would have to painfully deal with the unseen enemy again.

　The creature Sibert and his companions encountered in the Metape Forest was the strongest rogue-type Elder Dragon, the Chameleon. Indeed, the reason Sibert felt a sense of disharmony when he saw its appearance was because it had wings and four legs, and its ecological habits and origins were unknown. Everything about it was shrouded in mystery.

　Even the Gathering Hall didn't have any detailed information. After receiving the report from Sibert and the others, they immediately sent people to investigate. Sibert, Euphilia, and the others also prepared to hunt it down. However, when the hunters sent by the Gathering Hall arrived, the Chameleon had already vanished without a trace, and they couldn't find it even after searching the entire Metape Forest.

　This time it didn't go invisible, but rather moved to another location?

　Sibert himself, along with his best friend, had once fought and successfully repelled a creature known as an Ancient Dragon. However, in the end, both disappeared without a trace, much like a dream, much like the feeling one gets from a magical place like Metape Forest.

　Incidentally, long after the encounter with the Xialong, the villagers of Mejpoldan still stubbornly maintained a certain distance from Sibert, the reason being the account of the whole incident relayed by Edward. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the account he gave made it seem as if Sibert had been sprayed with monster excrement from head to toe, leaving him sticky and filthy.

　So he still prays desperately every day, hoping that Sibette will never know that he was the one who created this rumor.

　Volume 1: 470 - Lava Hot Pot

　Before the young girl lay a barren wasteland, where huge rocks formed from solidified lava ash lay scattered about. The ground around these rocks was also raised, clearly traces of volcanic activity.

　Moreover, due to the influence of volcanic gas, there are only a few scattered trees in the entire volcanic area. These trees not only have very thin trunks, but their crowns are also completely bare without a single leaf. Although it may be a rather desolate scene for hunters, it is actually quite remarkable that these trees can grow here.

　"Crack!"

　However, this remarkable scene was shattered in the next second by the little girl, who dragged the recently deceased Uragaan and Todoroki...

　The dragon walked along the path trodden by the monsters on the volcano. The bodies of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Rathalos, stretched out by death, kept crashing into the protruding rocks on the path. The trees that tenaciously lived here were also unfortunately broken by the Rathalos's claws.

　Soon, the three dragons and two others arrived at the entrance to the underground cave halfway up the mountain. Oh, this refers to the Yawon, the Boulder Dragon, and the Tigrex, as well as the young girl and the Lan girl. Because there was always magma flowing around, a wave of heat hit them as soon as they entered the cave. The temperature here was much higher than in other parts of the volcano.

　The scorching sea of ​​lava churned within the enormous void beneath the feet of the young girl and Lan Mei. The air within the space was rendered complex and exceptionally unstable by the intense heat of the lava. As the lava continued to erupt, crimson foam constantly surged onto the surface of the sea of ​​lava, rapidly expanding before bursting.

　After entering the cave, the Meralu were temporarily separated from the young girl. As the young girl's head chef, the Meralu were constantly collecting edible ingredients and seasonings. Although the resources of the volcanic area were not as abundant as those of the dense forest and desert, it could still be called a treasure trove.

　For example, both the Exploding Mushroom and the Datura are seasonings from volcanic regions. According to the young girl, the Exploding Mushroom makes a crackling sound when you eat it, making it a great snack. The Datura, on the other hand, has a very, very strange taste. Given the hunter's digestive capacity and tolerance to poison, after eating it, all he would see are colorful little figures.

　Young girls can easily digest this mushroom, and its taste is a refreshing bittersweet flavor.

　While these two can be dried or stored as snacks, Hellfire Stone is an ingredient that hunters would never imagine. Moreover, not all Hellfire Stone can be used as an ingredient. In fact, Melalu uses Hellfire Stone as a seasoning in his dishes. Hellfire Stone powder has a peculiar spiciness. Although it is not very spicy, it has a long-lasting aftertaste and is actually a pretty good seasoning.

　After arriving at the edge of the lava sea, the little girl shook her head and immediately transformed back into her original form. With her strength, it wouldn't be a problem for her to grab the Uragaan and Tigrex and swish them in the lava. However, since the little girl was only a little over a meter tall, she couldn't lift them up and put them into the lava sea.

　So it could only transform into the form of the Reincarnation. The Reincarnation raised its two wing claws and grabbed the heads of the Blast Dragon and Tigrex respectively. After gently shaking off the dust and sand, the Reincarnation used its wing claws to cut open the abdomens of the Blast Dragon and Tigrex, taking out all their internal organs, before finally extending the two dragons into the Lava Sea.

　The scorching lava quickly turned the Tigrex's yellowish-brown skin into a charcoal color. The blood and oil inside the Tigrex gradually seeped out from its body due to the high temperature, hissing and releasing puffs of white mist the moment they came into contact with the lava.

　The white mist quickly dissipated into the air, and at this point, the aroma of roasted meat could be faintly smelled. However, the other winged dragon, the Blast Dragon, did not fare so well. Because the Blast Dragon's body was covered with a large amount of ore and tar, it immediately burst into flames upon contact with the sea of ​​lava. However, due to the ore, the Blast Dragon's heating speed was indeed a little slower than that of the Tigrex.

　However, the Lord of the World kept an eye on the state of the Rathalos and Tigrex in the Lava Sea, gently turning their bodies. Usually, the Rathalos would flip over twice before it was the Rathalos's turn, but the time required to blast the Rathalos's belly was the same as the time required to blast the Tigrex's belly.