The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　He often chatted with the hunters, sometimes listening to their interesting stories, and sometimes teaching novice hunters some hunting tips. Like the old man, the hunters also enjoyed talking to him, and they learned something from almost every conversation. In a way, the two of them really seemed like comrades with the same aspirations.

　You seem to have something on your mind.

　As soon as he sat down in the seat next to him, the old scholar asked the old man a question, and the old man just smiled bitterly.

　"You Scribes are really something, always so persistent. It's a wonder you can retire peacefully." Although he mocked the old man, the old scribe still had a smile on his face. He was used to this attitude. In fact, without this attitude, how could one be a qualified scribe?

　"The guy in the center of the island has woken up."

　Although the sentence lacked a subject and was extremely brief, the old scribe's expression changed upon hearing it. He then sighed and said, "Hmm, he's awake after all. So, how does the assembly hall intend to respond?"

　"Fortunately, the place is far from Mejboltan, so there are few people who need to be evacuated. The Hunter's Guild hopes to kill the monster as soon as possible, but the guild would like to investigate the monster's ecosystem."

　"Is it really possible? That's a giant dragon."

　No one knows when that isolated island appeared. The clearest record we can find is that it appeared after a large-scale underground volcanic eruption. Because the island is not connected to any other landmass, it is also known as an isolated island.

　When the hunters found the island and landed to investigate, it had been almost completely destroyed. At the time, it was classified as a geological disaster, but the hunters soon discovered something was wrong.

　In the center of the isolated island was a huge hole. Judging from the size and wear of the hole, the hunters judged that a serpent dragon had passed through the area. In order to find out what kind of monster it was, the hunters descended after confirming that there was no danger below the hole. After falling for two minutes in the pitch black environment, the hunters finally saw the culprit of this disturbance.

　The Great Dragon, however, is currently asleep.

　Later

　Multiple investigations by the Hunter's Guild have revealed that the Great Wyvern's dwelling place is the huge cave beneath this isolated island. The Great Wyvern is a monster that appears on the island to hunt for food only after it has finished eating and has gone to sleep to reduce the energy it consumes to maintain its physical activity.

　As for the evidence, it is the traces left by the Great Wyvern. The entire island is almost covered with traces and holes left by the Great Wyvern rolling and burrowing. Moreover, judging from the environment of the island, there should be many creatures here, but at this time all creatures have disappeared. Furthermore, the remains and bones of some creatures were found in the huge hollow.

　Scholars speculate that the Great Raptor consumed most of the creatures inhabiting the island before entering underground caves to hibernate. This explains the Great Raptor's ecological habits. Now that it has awakened again, in addition to the hunger caused by years of hibernation, there are also geological changes brought about by underground volcanic eruptions and ground uplift.

　"It's not just that. The meeting place has also joined forces with the Chamber of Commerce to handle the matter. The Chamber of Commerce's transportation and logistical capabilities are commendable. And it's almost a certainty that hundreds or even thousands of hunters will be mobilized for this hunt. So cooperating with the Chamber of Commerce is the best approach."

　"Can you trust him?"

　"This is the most difficult part. Also, how is the hunters' assembly going?"

　"We've notified everyone we can; we just hope we can get through this smoothly."

　The next morning, things suddenly became a bit chaotic at the Sibert family's house.

　He was sleeping soundly, his head covered by a sheet that smelled of his own sweat. If the boundary between sleep and wakefulness were likened to the surface of water, then at that moment, Sibert's consciousness was gradually rising from the depths to the surface.

　Slightly dazed, Sibert opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the morning sunlight streaming into the room through the window, and he knew it was already morning.

　Should he get up or sleep a little longer? He thought about it groggily, then closed his eyes again. He figured it was okay to be lazy and sleep a little longer sometimes.

　Just as he let out a deep sigh and allowed his consciousness to gradually sink to the bottom of the water, a soft sound of footsteps reached his ears.

　"Hey, get up! The sun's already high in the sky, why are you still sleeping in?"

　Sibette knew that the voice was coming from her neighbor Edward, who always did it this way. These past few days while her sister was away, this guy had been waking her up. However, Sibette didn't want to see a scruffy, muscular man as soon as she woke up.

　Therefore, no matter what, none of these things could overcome Sibert's incredibly strong desire to sleep at that moment.

　"Son, grandson?"

　No matter how Edward tried to summon her, Sibert's consciousness quickly sank into sleep.

　"I'm sorry, Edwater," he wanted to say, but ultimately failed; he simply had a very apologetic dream.

　"Ah, this is what it feels like to dream." With such a leisurely thought, all the other organs in Sibert's body had fallen into a state of complete rest, with only his ears retaining the last bit of function so that he could hear Edward's footsteps.

　The sound was coming from a slightly strange direction; it wasn't coming from under the bed, but from above it, where Edward was at the moment!

　Before he fully fell asleep, Sibert subconsciously wondered what he was doing. However, Sibert still had no intention of getting up to check, even though he was beginning to feel that something was wrong, but it was too late.

　Although Sibert's thinking ability was probably less than half of what it usually was, he still issued a faint warning to wait, and at the same time, an impact like a wild boar charging accurately struck his stomach.

　Sibette coughed violently as he struggled to his feet and crawled back onto the bed. Edward seemed to ignore his protests, instead sporting a mischievous grin that suggested he had pulled off a prank.

　"Walter! What's wrong?" Sibert asked why the other person had woken him up so roughly.

　Although this action puzzled him greatly, he could not sense any malice from Edward, so there must be some reason why he did it.

　Sibette looked around and thankfully found that Edward was alone. She hastily grabbed a piece of clothing and put it on. While clutching her aching stomach, Sibette silently vowed to herself that she would lock the door properly in the future and even use a wooden stick to prop it shut.

　“Sibetsan, the old man is calling us to the tavern. It seems there’s something important going on.”

　Since Edward said so, Sibette had no choice but to follow Edward to the tavern. Inside the tavern, the old man and the old scribe that Sibette was quite familiar with were waiting there.

　"Hey, not just grandpa, but you too, old man?"

　"Hey, that's very impolite of you to call him 'grandpa.' If it were me, I'd be calling him 'old man.'"

　"Haha, young people are so energetic. It seems you've already received that letter."

　"Grandpa, Great Dragon?" Sibert had barely uttered the name when he immediately shut his mouth and cautiously looked around.

　After all, this isn't the kind of name that just anyone can hear.

　Fortunately, it was still early, and there were only a few scattered tables of customers in the tavern, and they were all quite far from Sibert and the others. As long as the noise wasn't too loud, there shouldn't be any problems.

　"My sister told me that the Great Dragon seems to have awakened from its slumber. Is that true?"

　"It's true. That strange hole has been discovered again on the deserted island. It keeps spewing out rocks, and there's also the phenomenon of birds fleeing their habitats. Moreover, it's not an isolated phenomenon. Since that day, the sea dragons and water beasts seem to be afraid of something and refuse to go back there."

　"Yes, but can we conclude that the Great Dragon has awakened based solely on this one phenomenon?"

　“Your question is very reasonable. It’s understandable that you would overreact to such a phenomenon. But if we just try to investigate, we can find out if it’s true or not. We believe this is just the first step.”

　"In other words, if we wait until there are actual losses before we react, it will be too late."

　“That’s right, so I hope the two of you can go with Edlinka to investigate this matter.”

　Upon hearing this request, Sibert was filled with anticipation and unconsciously clenched his fists. Previously, when his sister Sereria went to investigate the young girl and Lan Mei, Sibert wanted to go with her, but Sereria refused on the grounds that it would be difficult for the two of them to hide. This time, however, it was Sereria who sent out a distress signal.

　Now he's here.

　“There should be a buffer period before the Great Wyvern fully awakens. I hope you can observe it carefully. If it does fully awaken, then please notify the Hunter's Guild immediately. The guild will then send out hunters for a concentrated hunt.”

　"Now everyone acknowledges your strength, and you are the hunters I sent out. If any danger arises, you must come back alive."

　Volume 1: 499 - The Awakening of the Island Lord

　The Great Dragon is very special. According to conventional classification methods, it is difficult for the Hunter's Guild to determine which category of monster the Great Dragon belongs to. If the Great Dragon is considered an Elder Dragon, its destructive power is achieved more through its unreasonable brute force, and it does not possess the strength of a Kushala Daora or Serpent King Dragon.

　Indeed, this is true. The Hunter's Guild was fortunate enough to obtain materials about the Great Colossus, only to discover that the Great Colossus did not have Elder Dragon blood in its body, which proves that the Great Colossus is actually a more mysterious monster.

　After leaving Mejpoldan, Sibert and the others boarded the Dragonship and headed towards the isolated island. Although the map indicated that the island was near the Alcoris Forest, the actual journey took much longer than expected.

　Not long after leaving Mejpoldan, traces of human activity, such as felled trees and roads, could be seen everywhere. As the group got further away from Mejpoldan, these traces became less and less, and the roads gradually narrowed.

　As they drew closer to the Alcoris Forest, the group moved further away from the landscape, signifying their departure from the human world and their approach to the habitat of wild monsters.

　After passing through the Alcoris Forest, where legendary monsters and the destined adversaries of Sibert and his companions await, the sense of reality grows stronger with each step.

　Upon arriving at the isolated island, Sibert and his group immediately went to the nearest camp, which was located on a slightly elevated rock face. There, they found cloth and wood that the hunters were very familiar with. The other hunters and scholars on the Dragon's Sense Ship also followed them into the camp and quickly began to set up.

　Sibert was worried about his younger sister's situation, so he wanted to go to the island to investigate as soon as possible, but before he could finish speaking, Sereria returned.

　"Oh, you guys got here so quickly?"

　"Lia, thank goodness, you're alright. How was the situation on the island?" Upon hearing that Sereria had returned, the scholars gathered around, all asking about what had happened.

　Sereria took the Flying Dragon Blade [Moon] off her back and set it aside, loudly recounting what she had seen. When the scholars heard that the Lord of Reincarnation was also there, their faces turned grim. The situation of the Great Dragon was already unclear, let alone the fact that the Lord of Reincarnation was also present.

　Sereria advised them not to be so nervous, and to at least observe for the next few days.

　Next, Sereria found no conflict between the World Lord and the Great Dragon, which was good news, at least.

　Now that everyone has arrived, the group plans to explore the underground area along the hollow. According to the records in the book, the Great Dragon is currently asleep, making this the best time to attack it.

　To cope with the darkness underground, the group carried a large number of illuminating stones. These stones could illuminate an area of ​​about ten meters around them simply by being thrown on the ground. They were inconspicuous in the sunlight, but in the dark, they could make people see what was under their feet.

　Soon, Sereria, Sibert, and the Ed siblings, along with the four scribes, entered the cavern. Just as described in the books, after passing through a deep tunnel, the eight arrived at an extremely spacious underground cavern. Surprisingly, it wasn't pitch black; instead, most of the scene could be clearly seen.

　There was no sign of any monsters?

　The first reaction of everyone after landing was the same: there were no monsters in the huge underground cavern. The surroundings were huge rocks and scattered ores. The sunlight shining through the cavern was enough to make out the scenery inside.

　Sereria and the others were all taken aback by the scene before them. After confirming that there were no monsters around, the scholars began to collect the surrounding ores. According to the preliminary investigation, there seemed to have been a volcano here before. The volcanic eruption had indeed occurred, but due to the problem of the cavity, the place was blocked again.

　Sereria felt a pang of disappointment, but she quickly recovered after hearing that the Great Dragon might have gone somewhere else. Sibert was helpless with his sister and could only sigh slightly, but he didn't express his feelings. The silence around them remained unchanged, but Sibert felt a stinging tension in the air.

　"These are volcanic rocks formed after a volcanic eruption, and they seem to have fallen from above. The rocks inside were cooled and solidified after encountering seawater. It is estimated that the traces of the Great Dragon's activity will be covered by the volcanic rocks. In that case, our investigation can only end here."

　"Yes, this volcano is still active, and we can't be sure when it will erupt next. Let's take some samples and leave."

　Sibert suddenly sensed something and immediately placed his hand on the Demon God Slash Blade. He felt something was happening, something like tension, something like excitement, in short, an invisible pressure was enveloping the entire void.

　"Click~"

　"Click~ Click~ Click~ Click~"

　Sereria quickly placed her hand on the Flying Dragon Blade [Moon], and Edlinka and Edward also felt the tension in the air.

　Not far away, the scribes were chipping volcanic rock off the rock face for research and preservation. As they struck the chisel with force, flakes of volcanic rock fell to the ground, breaking into small pieces. Several small stones on the nearby rock face wobbled slightly under the influence of some unknown force before falling down.

　The small pebbles made a soft sound as they rolled down the rock face, eventually falling to the ground.

　"Is it shaking?"

　Only then did everyone feel the ground beneath their feet shaking slightly. The scene of an underwater volcanic eruption and the terrifying disaster immediately flashed through their minds. If something like this were to happen again, it was likely that none of the six people present would survive.

　Just as Sereria considered this possibility, the tremors beneath her feet suddenly intensified.

　"what happened??"

　"Could it be another volcanic eruption?"

　Following Sereria, Edlinka and Edwater also got into position. The scene before them was as if the entire mountain range was trembling with fear of something, and a violent tremor ran from their feet all the way to their heads.

　"No, this is..."

　This was not an earthquake, because the source of the tremor was slowly emerging from the rock wall, or rather, breaking through the rock wall's barrier and slowly appearing before everyone's eyes. After a violent tremor, the black dragon finally broke through the rock wall.

　The monster was pitch black, covered with a large amount of moss, and had large, unpleasant fangs on its face, as well as eyes that looked like countless sharp knives, as if it wanted to pierce through all the hunters present.

　But the first thing everyone said wasn't an exclamation about the monster's appearance, but rather, "It's huge!"

　"Is this size really not that of an Elder Dragon?"

　Sereria said in a low voice, seemingly out of the blue. Although Edlinka and Edwater had taken out their weapons, they seemed to have forgotten to aim them at the Great Dragon, and were just staring blankly at the enormous monster in front of them.

　“Roar, ahhhh!!”

　The Great Dragon seemed to have realized the presence of Sereria and the others, so it roared at the few humans who dared to trespass into its territory, and swung its body towards the foremost Scribe team members.

　Perhaps because it was their first time seeing such a monster, the scribes were stunned. Seeing this, Sereria immediately gripped her Wyvern Blade [Moon] and charged towards the Great Wyvern. Because the Great Wyvern's body was enormous, Sereria could only attack its large parts.

　The dragon used its belly to distract it, while Edward rushed over and pulled the scribes away.

　Although Sereria's slash was deflected, the Scryers were saved. Sibert also came to the side and swung hard at the Great Dragon's tail. After settling the Scryers, Edward also picked up the heavy crossbow and fired bullets at the Great Dragon.

　But all attacks were inevitably deflected. Its massive body, as huge as a mountain, swayed as it charged toward Sereria. With each leap, the earth roared violently, as if there was no way to stop the great dragon.

　This scene even gave people the illusion that earthquakes were happening all the time. Moreover, the underground cavern was a very small place for hunters to move around in, and even if they tried to escape, they would be quickly caught up by the Great Wyvern.

　"Close your eyes!"

　Edward shouted loudly, and Sereria and the others quickly closed their eyes. The scribes were naturally familiar with this command and naturally protected their eyes as well. Then, a dazzling white light covered everything.

　After being hit in the eyes by the flash, the Great Jaggi swayed and then roared furiously as it charged toward the group. In that instant, everyone truly realized that the hunting target was indeed enormous. For the Great Jaggi, this backward lean was probably just a slight tilt of its head.

　But with such a tiny movement, the ferocious spikes on its face instantly appeared far above Sereria's head. Unfortunately, the Great Dragon was not affected for long. Instead, it swayed its body and charged towards Sereria and the others again. After a fierce battle, Sereria realized that she could not defeat the Great Dragon down there, so she had no choice but to rush to the ground.

　After passing this information to their teammates, both Sibert and Edlinka agreed with the idea. So, after throwing out the flashbang, they immediately summoned a pterosaur to carry them out of the underground cavern. However, just as they began to take off, the giant dinosaur had already regained its sight and opened its mouth to chase after them.

　In this situation, even if the hunters didn't urge them, the pterosaurs would desperately flap their wings to escape from the giant dinosaur's mouth. Fortunately, the entrance to the underground cavern was large enough for them to pass through quickly, but it couldn't allow the giant dinosaur to leave. Just as the giant dinosaur was about to swallow them, they finally flew away from the underground cavern.

　Meanwhile, the hunters also received a plea for help and information about the monster from Sereria. Based on the previous intelligence, the hunters decided to use another method to identify the Great Wyvern, which is to divide the Great Wyvern's time into three periods according to its activity patterns: the normal period, the berserk period, and the frenzied period.

　Generally speaking, the "normal period" refers to a Great Wyvern that has already appeared on the ground and is in a relatively stable state after finishing feeding. The guild first came into contact with this individual and obtained some information about the Great Wyvern's body. The scholars first grasped the monster's physical characteristics.

　Unlike common four-legged, two-winged, or even two-legged, two-winged wyvern species, the Great Wyvern does not have any characteristics of a dragon at all. Instead, it looks like a worm. The Great Wyvern's skeletal structure is different from all known monsters, and there are no limbs or skeletal structures for flight.

　From its appearance, the Great Wyvern had an extremely long body like a giant worm, and fin-like organs similar to those of marine creatures could be seen at the front of its head and tail, but the function of these organs was unknown.

　As for why it resembles a worm, although the appearance of the Great Giant Dragon has many similarities to that of a snake, the way the Great Giant Dragon moves is different from that of snakes. It does not crawl forward on the ground by relying on the friction of its scales, but moves forward by swaying its body up and down.

　At the same time, it also uses its fangs to break through obstacles, allowing the Great Wyvern to move between the underground and the surface at an extremely fast speed. The Great Wyvern's huge body can easily traverse forests. Considering all of the Great Wyvern's characteristics, hunters simply cannot determine what kind of monster it is.

　According to the materials brought back by the hunters, the secret to how the Great Wyvern's massive body could perform these activities should be hidden in the bone marrow inside its body. However, the hunters cannot obtain such materials for the time being, and even if they did, they may not have the means to analyze them, thus making it impossible to understand more details.

　In addition, the Great Wyvern has a rather unique defensive mechanism, but in this respect it is similar to snakes. Its entire body does not have hard scales and exoskeleton, but is covered by thick skin and scales. The Great Wyvern's entire outer skin also has a rather strange property, that is, if you only use one weapon to attack, the damage will only decrease.