The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　"The key to controlling the Dragon Machine is a special sound frequency, and only royal women can emit this frequency. That's why I was chosen to be the one to control the Dragon Machine. After surviving the disaster, I lost my previous memories and tried to use that frequency to inspire the hunters' fighting spirit."

　The songstress glanced at Melalu, who was listening intently, and continued, "It turns out that the song was really effective. The hunters were indeed strengthened. After a long time, the Palico that rescued me from the disaster brought back some materials and made a pill for me to take, which restored my previous memories."

　“I can’t accept what I did before, and I can feel that as my abilities awaken, those monsters are also watching me in the dark. The Scorching Dragon and even the Flame Mountain Dragon are all coming for me. Although the hunters can resist the Elder Dragons, the losses and casualties are incalculable, so I have no choice but to leave Mejpoldan.”

　"Meow, meow, meow meow." So that's what happened. You're such a pitiful person.

　“Pitiful, me? Am I pitiful? Although I learned to sing and control the Dragon Machine Soldiers because of my father’s and others’ teachings, even so, I was the one who ordered and commanded the Dragon Machine Soldiers, and I was the one who caused the deaths of the entire nation.”

　"Meow meow meow, meow meow, meow meow." Is this really what happened? I seem to have heard hunters mention it before, but that was hundreds of years ago. I never thought I would see someone actually witnessing it now.

　"Meow, meow, meow." Yes, but it's not entirely your fault, or rather, in the face of the times, there is no right or wrong.

　"Meow, meow, meow." Big brother is right!

　"Meow meow meow, meow meow meow, meow." And if you want to admit your mistake, why run away? Since you can control the Dragon Machine, why not try to communicate with those monsters or ancient dragons? Maybe you can gain a more complete understanding of all aspects of the whole incident.

　"Meow, meow, meow." Big brother is right!

　The songstress didn't care about the repeating cat, but there was a few acceptable points in what Melalu had just said. Since she felt guilty about it and wanted to alleviate it, why not just find the ancient dragon from back then and have a suicidal chat?

　Of course, if the songstress had such thoughts, she would probably have died the moment she saw the ancient dragon. Just as the songstress was pondering what Meralu had said, a shattering sound came from deeper in the cave. The sound was not loud, but it was very clear. So the songstress pointed to the depths and asked Meralu.

　Hearing the songstress say this, the Melalu put down what they were holding and listened carefully. Sure enough, a faint sound like rocks cracking came from deep within. Without thinking, the Melalu knew that something had happened. They left, abandoning what they were holding, and ran into the depths of the cave.

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　Volume 1: 513 - The Battle of Scorching Zero Dragon (1)

　god!

　miracle!

　This was the songstress's first impression upon seeing the enormous, dark blue crystal. It was called a miracle not only because the crystal showed no signs of human intervention, but also because one could even see a giant ancient dragon and a human inside it.

　This reminded the songstress of her own experience. If nothing unexpected happened, she seemed to be being hunted by the black dragon Miraboreas. No, perhaps an ancient dragon like Miraboreas wouldn't care about a nobody like her, but being hunted by an ancient dragon was certain, especially one that had lived there for a long time.

　"If that Frost Dragon and the Emperor Dragon were still alive, they would probably want to devour me alive," the songstress thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile.

　Wait, an ancient dragon? The songstress suddenly realized something. Why would there be an ancient dragon inside this huge leyline crystal? No, it wouldn't be surprising if there were an ancient dragon, but if that's the case, why are there humans as well?

　Because the leyline crystals are a deep blue color and not transparent, the songstress could only see a rough outline. Therefore, she could only vaguely confirm that there was indeed a person inside. As for why she was sure it was an ancient dragon, generally speaking, without the ancient dragon attribute, a dragon of this size would not grow to such a size.

　"Is your boss found this crystal but doesn't know how to move it out?" the songstress asked curiously.

　"Meow, meow, meow." No, meow, we don't need to move this thing out; we can leave it here.

　Even after hearing a negative answer, the songstress was still very interested in the leyline crystal. However, judging from the appearance of the ancient dragon, it seemed that the ancient dragon was resting. Then, this bold human approached the area, but unexpectedly, the leyline energy in this area suddenly erupted, and the overflowing leyline energy then enveloped the dragon and the human.

　Because of the speed, the dragon and the human were sealed inside without any resistance. Hmm, isn't that how those ancient civilization fossils were formed? Thinking of this, the songstress couldn't help but agree with the answer that had been subconsciously given in her heart.

　Possible

　If that's the case, then the cracking sound they heard earlier must mean that this huge leyline crystal is in the process of cracking. If the ancient dragon inside were to escape, such a huge ancient dragon would be impossible for them to survive, even if the human was the strongest hunter of the ancient civilization. According to the songstress's estimation, the ancient dragon would be at least 76 meters tall.

　Thinking of this, the songstress made up her mind to take the Melalus away from here. Moreover, the songstress did not understand what the leader the Melalus were talking about was doing. It was really too much to leave her Melalus in such danger when she was not by her side.

　Melalus and the others were also curious about why the songstress's expression changed so quickly, sometimes serious and sometimes relaxed. Her anxious and uncertain demeanor made Melalus wonder if the songstress was sick again. However, the songstress had only just woken up, and the Palico had also examined her. In the end, judging from the songstress's appearance and body temperature, it seemed that the songstress had something on her mind that she had not been able to express.

　However, just as the songstress was having an internal struggle, that familiar, subtle cracking sound came again. The songstress looked in horror toward the source of the sound. This sound of minerals cracking was regular; it started as a very subtle sound, almost inaudible without careful listening, and the cracks were very small.

　At the same time, these fracture marks cannot be connected, but as the fracture surface expands, these marks will gradually merge together. Then, as the stress between the ores changes, eventually, when the stress cannot be balanced, the ore will shatter rapidly like an ice block falling to the ground.

　The speed was so fast that no one could react in time. By then, the ancient dragon inside the leyline crystal would be fully awakened, and they would be unable to leave. With this in mind, the songstress had no choice but to turn around and persuade Melalus to leave with her.

　"Let's get out of here quickly. If the monster inside this broken boulder is released, we won't be able to escape. Even if you don't want to leave this place, at least call your boss here."

　"Meow meow meow, meow." Our boss is the boss, why do we need to call the boss over?

　"But it's dangerous here. Listen, the sound of the boulder breaking is getting louder. We don't know when it will completely shatter. Even if what's inside won't hurt you, it would be very dangerous if the boulder exploded inside."

　"Meow meow meow meow, meow." It's okay, meow, it's safe here, meow, don't worry.

　"You..." The songstress felt a surge of frustration. This was the first time she had ever seen Melalus like this. Why didn't these Melalus listen to her? Just like Donnie and Bass, who had always taken care of her, even though she had told them many times, they were still determined to restore her power.

　Since that's the case, she decided not to leave either. Seeing that the Melalus and the others had no intention of leaving, the songstress didn't want to abandon them and leave alone. After all, the Melalus had saved her when she was in her most difficult time. If the ancient dragon inside was still alive, she could finally leave this world.

　Melalus and the others were still wondering why the songstress had suddenly become so open-minded, as if she had become a different person. Perhaps she was moved by her loyalty to her leader. Melalus thought to herself as she handed the songstress a plate of fruit. Because the songstress was convinced that she would die soon, she no longer insisted on the etiquette of royalty and nobility and began to eat heartily.

　Well, at least he'll die a well-fed ghost before he dies.

　Just as the songstress was giving up on herself, and the Melalus were watching her give up, the sound of minerals cracking began to become more frequent and louder. At the same time, the sound was no longer crisp, but rather somewhat noisy. The songstress, who had prepared herself mentally, did not dare to look in the direction of the leyline crystals at first, but curiosity overcame her fear, so she boldly looked over.

　The sounds of "crack!" "crack!" "crack!" continued to ring out, and the cracks that were originally only visible upon close observation gradually grew larger, becoming cracks that could be seen with the naked eye even from a distance. Gradually, the cracks became larger and larger, until finally, the sound of shattering stopped after the loudest "crack!"

　The massive ley line crystal shattered instantly, turning into scattered fragments that slowly fell to the ground like snowflakes. But that wasn't the most captivating part; the most captivating thing was the ancient dragon inside the ley line crystal.

　The songstress was certain she had never seen this ancient dragon before, but it was truly sacred. Its entire body was covered in platinum scales with no other colors visible, and its bright purple claws and reddish-brown horns perfectly highlighted its power. Moreover, as the dragon moved, its chest shimmered with a ghostly blue light.

　At the same time, with the appearance of the ancient dragon, the black-purple Mad Dragon Virus and the white-gold Mad Dragon Virus also began to spread around. It wasn't until she saw the Winged Claw and Mad Dragon Virus, which were only recorded in the book, that the songstress realized that this was the Heavenly Return Dragon. However, the songstress had read the monster encyclopedia, and the Heavenly Return Dragon in the monster encyclopedia did not look like this.

　Its obviously oversized body, the massive, twisting horns on its head, and the blade-like scales on its back, wing claws, and tail are all features not typically found on the Celestial Wyvern.

　Of course, not every Celestial Dragon is the same. There may be subspecies of Celestial Dragon in places unknown to people. If that's the case, then there is a very high probability that this Celestial Dragon is a mutant. No wonder it was sealed here. It turns out it is a dragon that heaven and earth cannot tolerate. The songstress imagined this.

　These were the thoughts that flashed through the songstress's mind the moment she saw the Lord of the World. If Melalu knew, she would probably laugh at the songstress loudly. But it was already quite remarkable that the songstress could think of these things at this moment.

　Just as the songstress resigned herself to her fate, the Lord of Reincarnation quietly landed on the ground. Even the slightest movement of his massive body made the songstress clearly feel how powerful the Lord of Reincarnation was. Watching the Mad Dragon Virus gradually spread, the songstress quietly shielded Melalu behind her, intending to try her best to prevent them from inhaling too much of the Mad Dragon Virus.

　At this moment, the songstress suddenly remembered that there was a human among them. She immediately looked up in the direction of the Lord of Reincarnation. On the ground, apart from mineral fragments, she did not see any human figure, corpse, or bloodstains. But if it was not on the ground, then where could that human have gone?

　While the songstress was puzzled, she glanced at the Reincarnated Lord and realized that the human was standing on the Reincarnated Lord's neck. Moreover, it seemed that this was not the first time the human had stood there. Wait, the songstress narrowed her eyes and saw that the human also had dragon horns on his head. She then realized that the one she had been paying attention to was not human at all.

　Just as the songstress's heart was growing increasingly tense, the Reincarnated Lord in front of her suddenly emitted a ghostly blue light. Although the songstress wanted to see clearly what the Reincarnated Lord was going to do, the blinding light made it impossible for her to see what was happening. Her tense mood also prevented her from thinking about what was going to happen next.

　When the bright light faded and the songstress opened her eyes to see clearly, the giant dragon had disappeared. Instead, a girl of about ten years old and a girl of about seventeen years old were standing there.

　"Are you, she, a god?"

　Even the songstress realized at this moment that the creatures in front of her were not ordinary people at all, no, not human at all. If she wasn't mistaken and hadn't gone mad, the little girl in front of her was the giant Heavenly Returning Dragon. Then, the seventeen-year-old girl must also be a dragon. The songstress felt that her guess was completely correct.

　To possess such power and such transformations is something even the black dragon Miraboreas couldn't do, so they must be gods. Later, Melalus said that she didn't understand how the songstress had connected these two lines, but only by thinking this way could the songstress accept what was happening before her.

　"Meow, meow, meow, meow." This isn't a god, it's our boss. Hey, didn't I tell you?

　"You didn't tell me!" the songstress almost shouted.

　"Meow, meow meow, meow." Hey, now you know, our boss is a god!

　Hearing Melalu say this, the songstress turned to look at the little girl and Lan Mei who were walking towards them. Although the songstress had seen many people, the little girl still amazed her. Moreover, the little girl's face was still a bit chubby, but she was already very cute. It was entirely foreseeable that the little girl would definitely be a beauty of unparalleled grace when she grew up.

　The platinum-gold cascading hair reflected colors never seen before under the sunlight. The ends of the hair were not even platinum-gold, but a pale pink. The giant, winding horns on both sides looked somewhat incongruous, and the songstress firmly believed that if they were on someone else's head instead of a young girl, they would not be incongruous, but rather jarringly out of place.

　But it's inexplicably cute on young girls!

　The pure white long dress and light pink coat made the little girl look cute while adding a touch of liveliness. She looked perfect from every angle. The white boots she wore made her even more playful. It was unclear whether this was because she had seen the Mad Dragon Virus earlier or because not all the ley line crystals had fallen to the ground.

　The songstress felt that there was something sparkling around the little girl, and coincidentally, the sunlight was shining in through the hole above the little girl's head. All of this seemed to indicate that the little girl was not simple. So much so that as soon as the little girl walked in front of the songstress and Melalu, the songstress couldn't help but kneel down.

　"Dragon God above, may you forgive my sins, and may you guide me on the right path."

　Meanwhile, Sereria and her companions, after making preparations, headed to the ancient tower for the first round of raids.

　At the top of the ancient pagoda, all is quiet.

　This is a circular area enclosed by huge stone bricks and pillars, as if all life has forgotten this place, or as if time here has been paused. It looks like an independent little world.

　Thousands of years ago, hundreds of years ago, perhaps someone set foot in this place, but since then, visitors to this area have only experienced the wind blowing across the mountains, the cool drizzle, and the white snowflakes falling from the sky. But this silence was only temporary, and that thing reappeared, breaking the silence that had lasted for hundreds of years.

　"Hooooooooo!"

　To warn these few that appeared

　Before him stood upright creatures, the Scorching Dragon roared powerfully, the shockwaves from which made it difficult for the hunter to stand. The impact echoed through the mountains, causing tremors. In addition, an unexpected event occurred: the dark clouds that had been shrouding the ancient tower a few days earlier had dispersed.

　The entire area was bathed in sunlight, the intense sun scorching the ground. The snow that had accumulated in the cold places on the mountaintops began to melt. If the snow had remained firmly attached to the ground, nothing would have happened. However, the melted snow had already soaked the interface between the snow and the mountain.

　Under the influence of subtle impacts, the snow on the hillside formed a landslide. The accumulated snow, carrying trees and rocks, began to slide down. At first, it was just small snow particles, but in the next instant, it turned into a mudslide with devastating force.

　Under the influence of external forces, the area where the mudslide passed quickly disintegrated, rushing towards the foot of the mountain like a rolling tide. The avalanche, which turned into a mudslide, swallowed everything at the foot of the mountain in an instant. However, this place was neither a village nor a city, and there wasn't even a single household there.

　Nature's immense power had no effect on anyone, and then silently vanished into its embrace. However, a significant change did occur: the previously unmelted ice wall cracked under the impact of the avalanche.

　That was the only wall separating the silent ancient tower from the outside world, a phenomenon that had sealed off this snowfield hundreds of years ago. This time, the passage has been reopened, and due to subtle differences, the same phenomenon has completely opposite meanings.

　This is probably what they call nature.

　Although Sereria had thoroughly researched the characteristics of the Scorching Zero Dragon before setting off, she was still shocked by the completely incompatible elemental energies on its body when she faced it for the first time. In addition, the huge and twisted horns on the head of the Scorching Zero Dragon were simply too eye-catching.

　The Scorching Dragon also became aware of the presence of Sereria and the others, and roared at the four hunters who dared to trespass into its territory. Sereria immediately drew the True Wyvern Blade [Double Blaze], a long sword enhanced from Great Wyvern materials. When attacking enemies, it has a very high probability of directly igniting wounds and causing continuous burning damage.

　Sibert and Edlinka quickly picked up the Polar Star Cannon [Libra] and the Phoenix Fire Dragon Cannon [Eternal Flame] and began loading ammunition. Edwater, on the other hand, drew his silver knight lance, aimed it at the Scorching Zero Dragon, and thrust it forward, intending to attack and draw the Scorching Zero Dragon's attention.

　Sereria raised the True Flying Dragon Blade [Double Blaze] high and slashed down with force. Because the Scorching Dragon's body was very tall, it was difficult for Sereria to attack its head, and the same was true for its tail. Therefore, the legs were the best place to attack. Furthermore, Sereria was not familiar with the Scorching Dragon's movements, so she needed to observe its attack patterns.

　However, to Sereria's surprise, even though her katana had been upgraded to the True Wyvern Blade [Double Blade], it still failed to cut through the scales of the Scorching Zero Dragon. At this moment, Sereria did not have time to think about why. If the attack failed to work, Sereria immediately jumped out and had Edward raise his shield to block in front of her.

　On the other side, Sibert and Edlinka also found a suitable position. After holding their heavy and light crossbows, they both aimed at the Scorching Zero Dragon and pulled the triggers. The bullets hit the Scorching Zero Dragon's head precisely. Meanwhile, beneath the Scorching Zero Dragon, Edwater was raising his silver knight lance and thrusting it into the dragon's abdomen.

　Volume 1: 514 - The Battle of Scorching Zero Dragon (2)

　The Scorching Dragon quickly gave up chasing Sereria and instead focused its attention on Sibert and Edlinka. The Scorching Dragon roared and then leaped up from the ground, pouncing directly on Sibert and Edlinka. When the Scorching Dragon jumped, Sereria and the others even felt the entire ancient tower shake a few times, making a scraping sound as if it were about to collapse.

　"what?!"

　Seeing the colossal creature, as large as a small mountain, leap into the air in an instant was simply unbelievable for both Sereria and Sibert and Edlinka. Surprise made Sibert and Edlinka's bodies stiffen, and their movements slowed down.

　But the experience gained from the previous hunts allowed Sibert to finally act. Seeing that Edlinka still didn't move, Sibert kicked her aside and then lunged sideways. At the same time, the massive body of the Scorching Zero Dragon landed right where they had just been.

　The sound came from where he was standing, and caused a loud roar.

　Taking advantage of the opportunity, Edward and Sereria rushed forward and launched a second attack on the Scorching Dragon's legs and abdomen. However, without a doubt, Sereria's katana was once again deflected, as was Edward's spear. Even a fully charged strike only left a mark on the silvery-white scales, causing no damage whatsoever.

　Although it was confirmed that she couldn't break the scales of the Scorching Zero Dragon, Sereria didn't feel helpless. The Scorching Zero Dragon must have a weakness; she just hadn't found it yet.

　While observing the movement trajectory of the Scorching Zero Dragon, Sereria predicted its landing location. As the monster landed right in front of her on its left foreleg, Sereria aimed and slashed at the part of its shell that looked thinner.

　However, the True Wyvern Blade [Double Blade Burst] was still bounced back, but this time it was different from before. The True Wyvern Blade [Double Blade Burst] left a white scratch on the scales of the Scorching Zero Dragon. Seeing this, Sereria regained her spirits. Since she could damage the Scorching Zero Dragon, it was by no means impossible for her to defeat it.

　“Ceraria!” Sibet shouted.

　At first, Sereria didn't understand why Sibert was shouting so loudly, but the next second Sereria realized what was happening. The Scorching Zero Dragon's front legs were already raised high, and without a doubt, they would fall on Sereria's head in the next second.

　Edward wanted to rush in front of Sereria to shield her from the attack, but he needed to put away his weapon to get there. Without thinking, Edlinka immediately pulled a flashbang from her pocket, grabbed the trigger, and threw it at Edward.

　"Attack!"

　Edward immediately understood his sister's idea. He aimed at the direction from which the flashbang came, raised his spear, and fired the flashbang directly at the head of the Scorching Dragon. Sereria quickly closed her eyes, and then a blinding flash of light covered everything around her.

　The only creature whose vision was taken away by the flashbang was the Scorching Dragon. After letting out a roar, the Scorching Dragon could only lean back because its forelimbs were completely off the ground. Its huge, twisted horn, which looked a bit like a croissant, crashed to the ground, kicking up a lot of dust.

　Before Sereria could even recover from the shock of almost being trampled to death by the Scorching Dragon, she rushed in front of it and raised the True Wyvern Blade [Double Blade] to slash at the gaps between its scales.

　As expected, aiming at the gaps between the scales was much easier than cutting directly onto them. Moreover, the True Flying Dragon Blade [Double Blade Burst] easily pierced into the body of the Scorching Zero Dragon and burst forth with fierce flames, burning the silver-white scales near the wound into charred black.

　A second before the flashbang's brilliance dissipated, Sibert and Edlinka loaded their Dragon Slayer bullets, fixed the Scorching Zero Dragon's body in the scope, and simultaneously pulled the trigger. The Dragon Slayer bullet, rich in dragon attribute energy, immediately exploded on the Scorching Zero Dragon's back, and the chaotic dragon attribute energy outside caused the elemental energy on the Scorching Zero Dragon's body to lose its balance.

　The once crimson mane lost its color due to the energy imbalance, turning into a pale gray-white, and the elemental energy surging on the spiraling giant dragon horns also stopped moving. Taking advantage of this, Edwater pierced the part of the Scorching Zero Dragon's body that controlled the fire attribute energy with his silver knight lance.

　The Silver Knight Lance, made from Silver Rathalos material and reinforced with Great Rathalos material, does not possess additional elemental damage, but its destructive power is extremely high. This is the key reason why Edwald was able to pierce the Silver Knight Lance into the body of the Scorching Zero Dragon. Just as Edwald was about to further enlarge the wound, the roar of the Scorching Zero Dragon suddenly changed.

　Without a doubt, this was a sign that the Scorching Zero Dragon had regained its sight. After firing Dragon Slayer Bullets at the Scorching Zero Dragon again, Sibert and Edlinka immediately put away their weapons and retreated quickly from the side of the Scorching Zero Dragon. Sereria and Edwater also immediately distanced themselves from the Scorching Zero Dragon.

　After regaining its vision, the Scorching Dragon immediately jumped up and changed direction. Its limbs and constantly swaying tail kicked up a burst of flames and smoke. This time, the Scorching Dragon seemed to have targeted Edwater. Edwater had not yet withdrawn from under the Scorching Dragon's belly. If this continued, it was very likely that Edwater would be trampled by the Scorching Dragon's thick limbs.

　However, Edwater had already made his own plan. He held his shield up in front of him, tensed all his muscles, and blocked the tail whip attack of the Scorching Zero Dragon. Then, when the Scorching Zero Dragon's front claws came down, Edwater rolled out from under the Scorching Zero Dragon.

　Because the left side of its body controls fire elemental energy, the left forepaw creates pillars of fire when it makes an attack. As a result, the claw, which is filled with fire for a long time, has extremely high heat resistance. Therefore, the guild named the forepaw on the side of the Blazing Dragon that controls fire "Blazing Claw".

　Of course, for a blacksmith, using this material to make weapons requires extremely high forging skills.

　In contrast to the "Burning Claw" on the left, the blue, sharp claws growing on the right are called "Zero Claws" by the guild. Just as the name suggests, the Burning Zero Dragon generates intense freezing air when it swings, freezing everything around it. While it's an excellent material, it emits an aura that can make breathing difficult.

　The low temperature of condensation means that only a few craftsmen can forge it.

　The Zero Claw of the Scorching Dragon slammed down, carrying an extremely cold chill that swept towards Edwater. Although Edwater rolled away to dodge the nearest burst of chill, the chill seemed to continue relentlessly attacking him. The pure white, all-consuming avalanche-like attack hurtled towards Edwater's location without any sign of weakening.

　The continuous frost on the ground indicated that the temperature of this freezing air was definitely not ordinary. Edward hurriedly sheathed the silver knight's lance at his waist and then quickly changed the direction of his retreat.

　If the target were a small monster, Edwald could easily launch a slash as they passed each other. However, against a monster as large as the Scorching Dragon, the recoil from the slash would be far too dangerous for her. At this stage, she cannot choose such a bold action.

　The Scorching Dragon glanced at Edwater, who had rolled behind it, raised its tail and slammed it down. The powerful force, carrying a gust of air, smashed a crater into the ground. Edwater had no time to dodge and could only tense all its muscles to withstand the impact of the tail's heavy slam.

　"boom!"