The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　"What is that miracle cure?" Donnie chimed in at the opportune moment, making it hard not to suspect that the two were in cahoots.

　"As the saying goes, the right time, the right place, and the right people are crucial. First of all, the right material is essential. I want the liver of a fish or dragon that is said to cure all diseases. But it would be even better if it were bigger and fresher than usual."

　"So you mean hunting the Salmon King? That's not too difficult, I can handle it." Sereria glanced at Sibert and nodded.

　"That's natural. For someone like you who can obtain the blood of the Xialong, it's a very simple task, Gairo. Then there's the earth material, ten Gairo of Dragon Slayer Fruit."

　Donnie suddenly remembered something and said, "Dragon slaying? You mean that fruit that dragons hate for some reason, meow?"

　“That’s right, Gallo. I hope Miss Sereria can bring a fruit over, meow.”

　"Well, but if my memory serves me right, even if you combine the liver of an ichthyosaur with the Dragon-Slaying Fruit, you can only make a quick-running essence, meow."

　Bass shook his head, revealing an expression of utter incorrigibility, and wagged his finger, saying, "So you're the real novice, Gallo. As long as you add some changes to these materials, that is, human factors, dragon medicine stones, as long as you add them, you can complete the miraculous medicine that can break the curse, Gallo."

　"What? Dragon Medicine Stone? That's an extremely hard-to-get material, meow."

　"Yes, Galo is a rare material that can only be obtained from the shell of Lao-Shan Lung. In order to collect it, you must hunt Lao-Shan Lung Galo."

　“Old Mountain Dragon isn’t so easy to find. Even the Tyrant Dragon Chameleon was found after a long search, let alone Old Mountain Dragon…” As soon as Bass finished speaking, he was met with opposition from Sereria. This was because Old Mountain Dragon materials were extremely difficult to obtain. Not only was Old Mountain Dragon itself a rare monster, but hunting it was also not a simple task.

　"Can't we use other materials instead? Lao-Shan Lung is not a monster that you can just encounter anytime." Sibert also raised a question. Elder dragons are rare monsters and extremely destructive. Even if they find Lao-Shan Lung, who knows how much disaster it might bring to Mejepoltan or the surrounding towns.

　"No, only the Dragon Medicine Stone inside the Lao-Shan Lung's shell can have the corresponding effect. Lao-Shan Lung represents the power of the earth, and long-term absorption can allow the Dragon Medicine Stone to grow well. If other materials are used, the effect may only be one or two percent of the original."

　"Alright, let's go hunt the Sand King first. Dragon-slaying fruits can be bought in shops. As for dragon medicine stones, we'll think of a way to get them later."

　On the other side, in the Alcoris Forest, Si Yinlong was inspecting his newly acquired territory. The reason for leaving the Frabia Mountains was simple: Si Yinlong sensed a powerful ancient dragon. As a warrior, Si Yinlong needed to learn more about the fighting styles of other creatures and strengthen his own physical abilities through combat. However, after arriving here, Si Yinlong discovered that Mejepoltan was not as simple as he had imagined.

　However, the most important thing right now is to find that ancient dragon. According to Si Yinlong's observation, the ancient dragon does not seem to have a fixed habitat. Now, Si Yinlong has two solutions. One is to wait for the ancient dragon to come to him in this territory. Since the other party does not have a fixed habitat, it is only a matter of time before it comes to this area.

　Another option is to fight your way out, expanding your territory while searching for the ancient dragon's trail. However, a foreseeable problem with this approach is that it will take a lot of time. It's also possible that you might encounter other powerful monsters along the way. Feeling that there's no good solution if you keep thinking about it, Si Yinlong made a decision.

　I'll take a nap first.

　It's quite obvious who Si Yinlong wants to challenge: Hui Shi Zhu. So, where is Hui Shi Zhu now?

　At the Grand Canyon.

　On the other side, Sai

　Relia had already begun searching for a suitable target. The Sand King in the desert is always accompanied by several Sand Kings, so hunters can judge the size and scale of the Sand King's group by the size of the fins that appear on the surface of the sand sea and the size of the sand dust they create. Relia noticed that guy yesterday evening.

　At that moment, she was hiding in the shadows of a cave on a desert cliff, lowering her body and waiting intently for the moment her prey would appear.

　Sereria had sculpted the cave walls beforehand to perfectly match the curves of the back of the Thunder Wolf Reinforced Chainmail, allowing her to easily lean against the cave walls. She knelt on one knee and steadily placed the heavy crossbow, Tenkura I, on her foot. As a heavy crossbow made from Tigrex and Ninjago materials, it was definitely suitable for Sereria as she embarked on her journey with the heavy crossbow.

　However, in the desert where the temperature is so high that even the air becomes hazy, simply staying in a place with direct sunlight will gradually deplete one's energy. Therefore, it is best to choose a shady place when ambushing.

　Moreover, for gunmen who must maintain as much distance from the enemy as possible during combat, the most important thing when hunting alone is to find a safe place to aim at the prey.

　If it's a place like the entrance to a cave, since those huge monsters that often appear in the desert, such as female Rathalos, Diablos, and Monoblos, can't squeeze into the cave, you can quickly hide in the cave when you're in danger. This cave is a place she really likes when hunting in this desert.

　Sereria breathed slowly and licked her lips, which were already starting to crack.

　Although she felt a strong urge to drink water, she resisted it.

　Sereria peered into the variable magnification sniper scope mounted on the Heavy Crossbow Sky Cannon, focusing her attention even more intently.

　On the other side of the glasses and sniper scope, in the vast desert, there exists a monster, the Yellow Velociraptor. Although it looks leisurely stretching and craning its neck, just looking at its constantly moving eyes should tell you that the reality is not so.

　It knew the enemy was nearby.

　Sereria knew perfectly well that Huang Sulong wasn't wary of her; she wouldn't be discovered so easily. His target was the enemy hidden in the sand.

　Will it happen?

　Sereria licked her lips again, put her finger on the trigger, and the heavy crossbow instantly became part of her wrist, as if a crossbow had grown out of her body.

　To reach such a level, one needs to undergo considerable training. Now, when the enemy is close, she can hit the target every time without aiming. Not only does she not need to use shotguns, but she can even fire in bursts.

　Suddenly, sand flew everywhere, and a huge body burst out of the sand.

　The other's eyes were very small, like holes punched in its arrow-shaped head. Its small eyes moved quickly a few times, as if checking its surroundings, but the eyes actually had no function; they only appeared to be moving due to the reflection of light.

　The eyes of the sand have almost completely degenerated; it has no vision. In contrast to its declining vision, its hearing is exceptionally developed. There is a protruding part on both sides of the sand’s arrow-shaped head, which is its ear. Even when it is in the sand, it can accurately detect any slight vibration, as if it has cast a net woven with sound.

　The sand dragon flipped in mid-air, and the yellow Velociraptor directly below it let out a high-pitched cry that sounded like both a warning and a wail. The sand dragon would drag its prey into the sand before eating it. Although most of the prey would be crushed to death by the weight of the sand before it could bite them, this was the sand dragon's hunting method.

　Sereria removed her finger from the trigger. Her assigned task wasn't to hunt a Yellow Velociraptor, but if it became an obstacle, Sereria certainly wouldn't hold back. However, at least for now, it hadn't caused any problems. In fact, if she were to shoot the Yellow Velociraptor, it might actually make the target wary, which would defeat the purpose.

　Sharon opened its massive jaws and snapped its jaws shut on the Yellow Velociraptor before burrowing into the sand. The Velociraptor's screams and body were swallowed by the endless yellow sand. Sereria saw that the enormous dorsal fin was still floating on the sand, as if it were using the desert as a sea. Sharon swam freely and slowly into the distance.

　"It seems unlikely that he will appear today."

　The sun was already quite close to the western horizon, and the surrounding scenery was dyed a deep red, almost making one think they were in a volcanic area.

　Although Sereria's target, the Salon King, is also active at night, she can no longer lock onto the enemy after dark. She has heard that the workshop is developing a sniper scope that utilizes the eyes of nocturnal monsters, allowing them to clearly see their prey even at night, but who knows when it will be developed.

　Sereria slowly exhaled, shifting her gaze from the sniper scope she had been using for hours. Just then, as she thought something flashed briefly in the setting sun, a sharp, unpleasant clang, accompanied by a flash, echoed in the nearby air. Sharon, who had already burrowed into the sand, jumped out as if startled.

　.

　"Who threw the sonic boom grenade!?"

　That's right, this is a special item that is often used to drive away sand monsters. Although it is not lethal, when used on monsters with excellent hearing, such as giant birds or sand monsters, it can temporarily confuse their consciousness. However, if used indiscriminately, it may anger the enemy and increase the trouble during the hunt.

　Therefore, Sereria dislikes using sonic bombs. It goes against her aesthetic principles as a hunter. Although she will still use this item when hunting in a group, following the instructions of Sibert or the temporary leader, Sereria will never use sonic bombs when hunting alone.

　Moreover, her target this time is a large salon king. Judging from the fact that the target did not appear because of the sound just now, perhaps it is not in this area. But if her target becomes wary because of this, who will take responsibility?

　If this sound reached the target's ears, it would be tantamount to telling it that the hunter was nearby. Since Sereria had been waiting here for three whole days, she couldn't help but feel very angry.

　Seraria took a slow, deep breath, knowing that unstable emotions often directly cause bullet trajectory deviations. She tried to calm herself, like a still lake, as she peered through the scope again.

　We absolutely have to deal with that salon now.

　Still Saintia.jpg

　Volume 1: 477 - Vigilance and Decision-Making

　If the Shark were to be discovered by the enraged Shark, it would cause a lot of problems. Although the Thunder Wolf Dragon armor set can enhance the wearer's recovery speed and there is no need to worry about poison when there is enough antidote, the Shark's fins are not only poisonous but also very sharp. In addition, its attacks with its tail should not be underestimated.

　After emerging from the sand, Sharon stood up on its hind legs, shook its flat head a few times to shake off the sand, and seemed to be trying to figure out where the sonic boom had come from, its head swaying from side to side.

　The target was its head. Sereria aimed at a spot where a single shot could fatally wound it, and placed her finger on the trigger. The bullet in the chamber was a Lv3 armor-piercing grenade, a powerful type of ammunition that explodes inside the enemy's body upon impact. If she could successfully hit the sandal in a vital spot, taking it down in one shot was not impossible.

　Sereria adjusted her breathing, gradually increasing the pressure on her fingers, and then a gunshot rang out with a "bang!" A small hole popped open in Sharon's head with a "pop," and soon after, the area around the hole exploded, with pieces of flesh flying everywhere.

　Under the setting sun, the blood spurting from the monster looked black. Its massive body slowly tilted and fell onto the desert, its raised tail kicking up a cloud of dust. Sereria, who had been watching the whole thing, had an expression of disbelief on her face, because she wasn't the one who fired the shot.

　Although Sereria's finger was already on the trigger, she hadn't pulled it yet. Just before she was about to fully pull the trigger, the gun went off, so she loosened her grip. Who was it?

　There shouldn't be anyone else in this hunting ground. Before setting off, Sereria specifically asked if there were any hunters in the desert hunting grounds, and the hunters' meeting answered no. So, are they wandering hunters?

　That's a possibility, so what should we do next?

　Sereria's gun was still pointed towards the desert as she considered her options. The best course of action would be to send a signal and try to contact the guild, but that would likely mean abandoning their prey. The hunting grounds would remain sealed off until mediation was complete.

　However, if the other party is a wandering hunter, the guild's restraints will not be effective. In this case, the other party will not only steal Sereria's prey, but may even go further and kill her to silence her.

　This is mainly because any act of arbitrarily intruding into guild-managed areas may be seen as an act of rebellion against the guild. If it is an unintentional mistake once or twice, the guild will only give a verbal warning. However, if the hunter has already been warned, he may become too nervous and impulsive and decide to take reckless and reckless actions such as killing the witness and running away.

　As a hunter, attacking others with weapons is the biggest taboo. However, considering that invading the guild's territory might provoke the guild Night Elf, some people might be willing to take the risk. Once the guild Night Elf takes action, the hunter who becomes the target is essentially sentenced to death.

　Of course, if she were to be attacked, Sereria would not allow herself to be slaughtered.

　However, after witnessing the sniper's attack, she was certain the opponent's skill was exceptional. Although she couldn't pinpoint the exact crossbow used, the sound suggested it was likely a heavy crossbow. (The text abruptly ends here, likely due to an incomplete sentence or a missing section.)

　He carefully observed the salon lying motionless on the ground.

　Sereria's heavy crossbow, Tencang, is also a heavy crossbow. Heavy crossbows are weapons that focus on attack power, so the ammunition that heavy crossbows can use is usually attack-type ammunition.

　The bullet that the other side just fired into Salon's body was one of those types, and the reason it caused his flesh to explode was not gunpowder.

　If it were gunpowder, the wound would be much larger, and the area around it would definitely be charred. However, the monster's wound was remarkably clean. The hunter's ammunition was most effective against sand monsters, most likely an electric shock projectile. The flesh probably exploded due to excessive expansion.

　Most light crossbows cannot be loaded with this type of ammunition, so even from this point of view, it can be determined that the other party is a hunter who uses a heavy crossbow as a weapon.

　Did the hunter notice his presence?

　Sereria believes the answer to this question depends entirely on when the other party started staying there. Compared to light crossbows, the effective range of heavy crossbows is not much different. Even with an extended barrel, the range still cannot be increased to the point where it can be used for sniping from locations outside this area.

　In that case, the enemy must be somewhere in the area. So where did that shot come from? Sereria moved closer to the sniper scope again, but the light was no longer enough for her to spot the enemy.

　The only route back to camp is across the desert.

　If you want to go back to camp, this is your last chance.

　Once the sun has completely set, it will be too dangerous to fight the monsters. The sands can do without relying on their eyesight, but the hunters can rely almost entirely on their vision.

　However, in the current situation where the location of the other hunter is unknown, it is also very dangerous to walk out of this cave without any precautions, because Sereria cannot be sure whether the other party knows that she is here.

　If a hunter knowingly enters the hunting grounds despite the presence of other hunters, he would simply become a target, given the hunter's superior marksmanship—capable of taking down Sharon with a single shot.

　The hunter could have easily walked away leisurely after shooting her.

　The disposal of the corpses will be handled by the insects and monsters in the hunting grounds. There's no more reliable way to destroy evidence.

　Moreover, the carriage sent by the guild to pick her up and take her back to the city wouldn't arrive for several more days.

　It's not uncommon for hunters to die in the hunting grounds. While gunshot wounds on the body are a different story, by the time the wagon arrives, only bones are likely left, and the guild probably won't even notice that the person was killed.

　It seems I'll have to spend the night here," Sereria thought, raising her gun and carefully retreating into the cave.

　Although the depths of the cave in the cliff crevice are the breeding grounds of the armored herbivorous dragons, there are no such giant figures there since it is not their breeding season. Monsters such as white, blue, or yellow Velociraptors sometimes sneak into this place, but Sereria had already chased them away when she decided to use it as a sniping point.

　She strung up a line at the entrance and hung empty magazines on it. If anyone or any monster touched the line, the magazines would make a sound. As a hunter, it was only natural to remain vigilant like this at all times.

　She walked deeper into the cave and sat down on the soft sand.

　As night falls, the desert temperature drops rapidly, but this is not the case inside the cave. In addition to being cool during the day, the cave remains quite warm at night due to the heat accumulated during the day. And for some reason, there is a faint light inside the cave regardless of day or night.

　Sereria set up a barbecue grill on the ruins of the armored herbivore's nest. It was a campfire device with a rotating handle and surrounded by small stones. It was a tool designed to make it easier for hunters to grill meat. Raw meat or the bone portion of marinated meat was placed on the handle and secured, then the fire was lit and the handle was turned. It was an essential item for hunters.

　She took the carapaceous herbivore meat from the bag she had placed there beforehand, put the bones into the handle to secure it to the pivot, and then rubbed the flint and steel together to light a fire. Since Cerelia was some distance from the cave entrance, the fire wouldn't escape outside the cave. She began to turn the handle round and round.

　“Da, da da, da da da, da, da da, da da da, da da da, da da da da, da da da da, da da da da, da da da da da.”

　Sereria hummed a barbecue song, and after finishing the song, she waited three beats before picking up the meat.

　"It's baked perfectly!"

　No one knows why, but the grill produces an unusually powerful flame. It can grill meat to a golden-brown, crispy exterior and a tender, juicy interior in just a few dozen seconds. However, if the grilling time isn't controlled properly, the meat will burn. While burnt meat isn't entirely inedible, there's about a 50% chance it will cause stomach upset.

　No hunter would want to take such a risk unless the situation is truly dire.

　Sereria used the giant that grows in the desert

　She used plant leaves as a substitute for plates, placing the meat on them. Then she mounted an iron bar on a swivel and hung a pot of water and vegetables on the bar.

　While waiting for the vegetables to cook, she chopped the meat with a knife, the juices flowing out making mouths water. Sereria cut half of the meat into strips and threw them into the pot, while the rest was sandwiched in dry bread and smeared with a slightly spicy seasoning.

　Her dinner tonight consisted of a stew of crustaceans and meat with various vegetables, as well as steak sandwiches, which was quite luxurious for a dinner in the hunting grounds.

　Eat whenever you can, this is common sense for hunters and marksmen, especially when hunting alone. Because when sniping, you often have to stay in the same spot for a long time, so it is very common to go three days and three nights without a drop of water or a grain of rice until the hunt is successful.

　Sereria turned off the fire, dipped a spoon into the pot, and began to enjoy the stew directly from the pot. The warm stew flowing down her esophagus was incredibly soothing, and the bread, which had been dried for long-term preservation, had become much softer after absorbing the meat juices, making it a perfect match for the roasted meat.

　She ate her dinner in silence, pondering how to deal with the gunman who was interfering with her hunt. However, Sereria's options were actually quite limited.

　In a conventional sense, the prey itself wasn't particularly appealing. Although the materials that could be extracted were somewhat valuable, they were practically useless for forging equipment. With that in mind, Sereria quickly finished the stew and sandwich, wiping her lips with her fingertip.

　"In short, let's arrest the other party first and find out the truth. We might have to use force. But afterwards, we can decide whether to hand the other party over to the guild or whatever. Otherwise, we can strip all the hunter's equipment and sell it to use the money as compensation."

　She tossed the spoon into the pot, spread a cloth on the soft sand, and lay down facing the cave ceiling. Sereria didn't take off her Thunder Wolf Dragon armor, which was out of necessity, since this wasn't an inn and she never knew when a monster might suddenly attack.

　Sereria held the Heavy Crossbow in her arms, closed her eyes, and soon felt a light drowsiness washing over her like a tide. At this moment, she had already made the decision to get up before dawn the next day, but those were all things that happened yesterday.

　Although the eastern sky was already tinged with red, traces of night could still be seen in the west, and some bright stars could still be observed.

　Cerelia crouched near the cave entrance, gazing at the scenery before her. Her slow exhalation turned into white mist. Since the temperature would rise rapidly after the sun fully rose, and Cerelia's Azure Thunder Wolf armor set would be highly conspicuous in the desert, the next hour, during which she could still use the darkness to conceal her presence, was crucial for leaving the cave.

　She shouldered her luggage and quietly rushed out of the cave. Although there was still a risk of being discovered by Sharon, it was at least safer than being sniped.

　All around was silent; the only sound Cerelia could hear was the rustling of her feet against the sand.

　She ran eastward.

　Considering the position of the saloon's head, Sereria believes the bullet was fired from the east. Since the attacker didn't show themselves to harvest materials from the saloon, their target was probably not its liver or fins. In that case, the hunter must have been on a commission to be here, unless they were a vicious hunter who enjoyed indiscriminate killing.

　Soon, Sereria finally reached a spot where she could vaguely make out the outline of a massive rock standing at the edge of the desert, and she slowed her pace. From this point on, she had to move as quietly as possible. There was no one on the rock, but it was indeed an excellent spot for sniping—or perhaps no other place would be suitable. Because apart from this rock, the entire area was sand dunes, making it extremely difficult to lie prone and fire a crossbow.

　Sereria ran to the rock, put down her luggage, took the heavy crossbow Tencang I from her back, and, in order to deal with any sudden situation, she released the safety of the gun and went around to the other side of the rock. During this process, her body was pressed tightly against the rock. If the other party was still there, he would most likely be in the shadow formed by the other side of the rock.

　She steadied her breathing, spun around away from the rock, and pointed her gun into the shadows.

　Nobody's here!