The young dragon tries to conquer the world

　The Black Devouring Dragon ate the weeds haphazardly. As the saying goes, there is always an antidote within seven steps. However, given the Black Devouring Dragon's metabolic rate, these toxins were quickly expelled from its body. Just after the Black Devouring Dragon flapped its wings and flew away from this place, a water dragon with crimson eyes and black mist emanating from its body emerged from the lake.

　After learning that the Black Eclipse Dragon was on its way to the village of Sinard, Elkameya's team immediately launched an investigation. Elkameya's team quickly found the Black Eclipse Dragon's lair. The lair was filled with the bones of the Sand Dragon and the Horned Dragon. They also found a set of scales shed by the Black Eclipse Dragon nearby.

　The scales were piled up like a small mountain. Just as Gigg was fantasizing about creating a set of Black Eclipse Dragon armor, Kanon, who had the most complete protection, tapped the scales with his Diablos Lance. After being subjected to the external force, the scales immediately turned into a Mad Dragon Virus and scattered outwards.

　"Ugh, Kanon, what have you done? Those are Black Eclipse Dragon scales, rare materials! You..."

　"It turns out these scales can't be used to make armor. It seems that the King of the Underworld has indeed left. If what the elite hunter Keo said is true, its next destination is probably East Dorma, then it will pass through Barbare, go through Nerna Village, and arrive at Sinard Village. The forbidden area is there." Elkameya ruthlessly exposed Giger's words.

　Gigg casually chewed on a blade of grass and mumbled, "Isn't this a good thing? The Black Dragon has left this place, and our lives are becoming more peaceful. It's a cause for celebration, a cause for celebration."

　Kanon sensed the light in Elkameya's eyes and said, "Miss, do you perhaps intend to chase after East Dorma?"

　Elkameya nodded slightly. Gigg was so shocked that he almost swallowed the grass stem. He knew that Kanon obeyed Elkameya's requests unconditionally. As for their relationship, Gigg still didn't understand. He only knew that Elkameya seemed to be the daughter of the lord Kanon served. After the lord died, he entrusted Elkameya to Kanon. In order to escape, the two chose to become hunters. It seemed that they had just been removed from the wanted list a few months ago.

　As for Sakordi, although his face was covered by the Poison Bird mask and his facial expression could not be seen, Giger could hear the excitement in his tone, "Isn't this great? This is what a hunter should be like. But can we go hunt one more Poison Bird before we leave?"

　Back at the meeting place, Elkamea recounted their findings, and Keo shared his discoveries. Now that they had figured out the whereabouts of the Black Devourer, Keo didn't linger and set off for East Dorma. Elkamea's team naturally went along, and as for Gig, Kanon said his opinion was unimportant.

　Jiangbo Village had just experienced the harassment of the Stainless Steel Dragon, and thought the matter would come to an end. However, an unexpected incident occurred. In the past few days, the fishermen of Jiangbo Village found that their catch was pitifully small. Some fishermen thought it was a coincidence, but the next day, the fishermen found that their catch was even less than before. So they immediately entrusted the matter to the hunters in the village.

　Meanwhile, the Hunters' Guild in East Dorma also received bad news: several ships traveling from Kokot Village to East Dorma were struck by unidentified creatures. According to the crew, waves inexplicably rose on the river, and the unidentified creatures kept attacking the bottom of the ships, causing them to sway precariously. If there hadn't been any hunters on board, the likely outcome would have been the destruction of the ships and the loss of life.

　The hunter involved stated that he did not recognize what kind of monster it was. It was neither the gold and blue scales of a water dragon nor the emerald scales of a green water dragon. Its scales were black and its eyes were red. The hunter suggested that it might be a subspecies of water dragon, so he accepted the investigation commission.

　The poison from the Xialong in the young girl's body was quickly broken down completely, and the girl, whose appetite had returned to normal, naturally went on a killing spree—no, she feasted.

　In the dense forest, the Black Wolf Bird is confronting the Rathalos. The Black Wolf Bird can easily prey on large monsters such as Great Jaggi and Velocidrome in jungle areas, but it is still unable to defeat its natural enemies, such as the Rathalos and large flying dragons like the Ampharos.

　The Black Wolf Bird let out a sharp cry to intimidate its enemies, while the Rathalos roared back at it. Taking advantage of the moment, the Black Wolf Bird soared into the air, swinging its tail at the Rathalos. The Black Wolf Bird's tail was a formidable weapon; its trident-like tip not only inflicted massive physical damage but also carried a potent, hemorrhagic venom. Even a mere graze...

　Both can inflict severe poison on the enemy.

　Rathalos flapped its wings and flew into the air, dodging the Black Wolf Bird's tail-whipping attack. It then stretched out its claws and grabbed the Black Wolf Bird, leaving wounds on its body. The Black Wolf Bird was thrown to the ground by Rathalos, but then jumped up and spat out three fireballs at Rathalos. Unlike the Great Jaggi's fire liquid, the Black Wolf Bird spewed fireballs just like Rathalos, which were much more lethal. Rathalos naturally noticed the fireballs behind it, folded its wings, and dodged the attack.

　Just as the dragon and the bird were locked in a fierce battle, the Black Devourer descended from the sky, its sharp forepaws landing squarely on the Rathalos's neck. The impact of its massive body nearly crushed the Rathalos's cervical spine. The Black Devourer, carrying the limp Rathalos, turned and spewed a thick mist at the Black Wolf Bird. The Mad Dragon Virus exploded upon landing, but the enraged Black Wolf Bird seemed unafraid of the Mad Dragon Virus or the Black Devourer. After all, the Black Wolf Bird's personality could be described as warlike. The ferocious Black Wolf Bird would actively attack other large monsters, even daring to strike fiercely against powerful monsters like the Deviljho, Rajang, and Hellion. Scholars had previously observed the Black Wolf Bird intruding into the territory of the Great Jaggi and killing all of them.

　Of course, the Black Wolf Bird and the King Dark Black Eclipse Dragon ended up as food for the King Dark Black Eclipse Dragon. In fact, the Black Wolf Bird's meat was not even as good as the Great Monster Bird. The Black Eclipse Dragon took a couple of bites and then threw it aside. However, the Black Wolf Bird's liver was appreciated by the Black Eclipse Dragon. After comparing them, the little girl still preferred the Fire Dragon.

　PS: Second update!

　PS2: Hmm, I saw some book reviews mentioning the black stockings. Currently, there are only two types: Hikari and the one at the abandoned shrine in Flame Village. Those are the only two.

　Love you all, my dear readers~ Please vote for me! Thank you for your support~

　Volume 1: Chapter 154 - Punishing the Culprit

　The azure seawater lapped against the smooth rocks on the shore. Several armored crabs and thousand-year crabs quickly scrambled away from the rocks and hid in the crevices of the reefs. The turquoise sky and the azure sea merged in the distance. Aquatic herbivores kept a watchful eye on their surroundings while munching on huge seaweed. These herbivores rarely came ashore, occasionally floating on the water to replenish their oxygen and sunlight.

　Suddenly, the water rippled, and the timid aquatic herbivores immediately swam away. However, what appeared in the sea was not the herbivores' natural enemy, but a black-haired girl. The girl swung her long black tail as she floated across the surface of the sea, holding a huge squid in her hand. This kind of squid has an unexpected texture, and no one can resist the crisp and chewy squid sashimi. Sweet and juicy seafood is the girl's favorite. If the girl could swim, she would have eaten all the seafood in this area sooner or later.

　A little girl emerged from the sea, soaking wet, with a red snapper she had just caught still clenched in her mouth. This snapper's scales were a fiery red, like burning blood, making it a distinctive and high-end ingredient. The little girl held the red snapper in both hands and slowly brought it to her mouth. On the shore, a sickle crab was foraging for food. Some small aquatic creatures were unable to escape in time and were cut in half by the sickle crab and put into its mouth.

　Like the Daimyo Shield Crab, the Shogun Crab also seeks out carapaces and sufficiently large monster skulls to protect its fragile body. However, the Shogun Crab is not as picky about its carapace as the Daimyo Shield Crab. The Daimyo Shield Crab will only choose the skull of a Monoblos as its carapace, but the Shogun Crab will usually just find a large seashell or a weathered dragon skull as its carapace. When the carapace is damaged beyond repair, the Shogun Crab will quickly find a new carapace and use it. According to the observations and research of the Scribes' Team, only the Shogun Crabs in volcanic areas tend to use the skull of a Chiron as their carapace.

　Compared to the Daimyo Shield Crab, the Shogun Crab wasn't particularly aggressive towards humans. However, how could the little girl let it go? The Shogun Crab attacked the little girl like a hunter wielding two swords. Then, it was grabbed by the Black Dragon and slammed to the ground. The weathered dragon skull on its back was instantly shattered, revealing its fleshy cylindrical abdomen. Sensing the danger of death, the Shogun Crab was about to launch a fierce attack when the Black Dragon had already pried open its shell.

　"Smack smack~" The little girl reached out and grabbed a piece of meat from the Shogun Crab and stuffed it into her mouth. Compared to the Daimyo Shield Crab, the Shogun Crab tasted a bit, well, not good. However, because the Shogun Crab often digs, sand and gravel often get mixed into its carapace during the digging process. These sand and gravel mix with the body fluids secreted by the Shogun Crab's glands, and after a long period of hardening, they become precious jewels: carapace pearls. Among them, black pearls are among the top-grade gems in the jewelry industry.

　The young girl liked the shiny stones, so she put the seashells away. While the young girl was enjoying a seafood feast, the hunters were being tortured by the mad dragon that had transformed into a water dragon.

　"Hey, you're full."

　"Hold on, don't collapse, quickly eat the fruit that helps you recover."

　Elkameya's team and Kio's group encountered the Mad Dragon transformed into a Water Dragon as soon as they arrived. After the hunters' investigation, it was confirmed that the unknown monster that crashed the ship was a Water Dragon. Combined with Kio's deduction that the Black Eclipse Dragon had arrived in East Dorma, the Water Dragon must have been infected with the Mad Dragon virus.

　So Elkameya's team accepted the commission to hunt down the Mad Dragon Water Dragon. If this Mad Dragon Water Dragon were left unattended, the fishery resources of the surrounding area, the safety of the villagers, and even the entire ecosystem would be affected. Therefore, the hunt was urgent. Neither Elkameya nor Giger would stand by and watch such a thing happen, so the four of them went to chase after the Mad Dragon Water Dragon. As for Kio, he was going to look for the Black Eclipse Dragon.

　According to the descriptions of local hunters, Elkameya and the others learned that some individuals of the water dragon, a species of ichthyosaur that inhabits freshwater areas, have adapted to the marine environment and can live in saltwater areas. Unlike the water dragons that live in freshwater areas, the water dragons in saltwater areas not only have excellent eyesight, but their ability to fight on land is also superior to that of the water dragons in freshwater areas. The water dragons in freshwater areas have poor eyesight but are more aquatic.

　The water dragon's favorite food is frogs, while the water dragon in the saltwater area loves a snake salmon that twists like a snake. Both types of water dragons can be caught by fishing, but the berserk water dragon does not need to. When Elkameya and the others found it, the berserk water dragon was tearing apart an aquatic herbivore.

　The hunter team immediately assumed battle formation. Although the Mad Dragon Transformed into Water Dragon was somewhat sluggish on land, its strength remained undiminished. Upon spotting Elkameya and the others, the Mad Dragon Transformed into Water Dragon immediately charged towards them, while simultaneously secreting a hypnotic liquid from its abdomen.

　Gigg hurriedly leaped aside to avoid the attack of the Mad Dragon Transformed into a Water Dragon. The huge body flew past him with a sound, creating a gust of wind. With a "bang," Sakhodi fired several armor-piercing grenades from the side, hitting the Mad Dragon Transformed into a Water Dragon's head.

　The armor-piercing grenade exploded a few seconds later, stunning the water dragon for a moment. However, the rage of the berserk water dragon burned even more fiercely. It spewed a high-pressure water breath that could shatter rocks, shooting it at Gigg, and then bit at Kanon.

　While reminding her teammates to eat the Dispel Fruit, as the Mad Dragon Virus was having a significant impact on them, Elkamea wielded her hammer, searching for a suitable opportunity. On land, the Water Dragon's feet were its weak point. As Kanon and the Water Dragon were locked in a stalemate, Elkamea swung her hammer and smashed it down on the Water Dragon's feet. Gigg also coordinated with Elkamea's attack, causing the Water Dragon to let out a painful howl. Then, Elkamea and Gigg each threw two explosive barrels under the Water Dragon's body, which then detonated.

　The water dragon was blasted a distance away and landed right on the paralysis trap prepared by Sakordi. Kanon raised his spear and thrust it forward, Elkameya charged up her hammer and smashed it heavily on the water dragon's head, while Giggs unleashed a three-stage charged slash. Finally, Sakordi ended the water dragon's life with a piercing grenade.

　"Phew~" Elkameya plopped down on the ground. Even though she had hunted horned dragons and fire dragons before, when facing the Mad Dragon transformed into a water dragon, she seemed to find the feeling of hunting the Blue Velociraptor for the first time. That feeling of adrenaline rush and physical weakness was truly something to miss.

　wrong.

　Elkameya hurriedly took out the Dispelling Fruit and threw it into her mouth. After chewing it twice and swallowing it, Elkameya realized that the feeling of weakness she had just experienced was not due to a lack of strength, but rather because of the Mad Dragon Virus. To be on the safe side, Elkameya urged her team members to eat the Dispelling Fruit before she could prepare to harvest the materials with peace of mind.

　I'm sure everything's alright~.jpg

　PS: First update!

　PS2: Hmm, I can't quite imagine the scene of the Black Eclipse Dragon fighting the Monkey God. It's hard to believe!

　Thank you all for your support, love you all, dear readers~

　Volume 1: Chapter 155 - The Old Mountain Dragon Forced to Migrate

　Lao-Shan Lung, a mysterious ancient dragon, has a skeletal structure resembling a giant lizard. Unlike the Kushala Daora and Teostra that appear in East Dolma, Lao-Shan Lung does not possess the ability to manipulate elements and nature, nor does it have attack methods such as breath attacks. Its mountain-like body is enough to be called a natural disaster. Lao-Shan Lung is docile and does not harbor hostility towards humans or other small animals, though it is hostile towards small animals. However, Lao-Shan Lung's mere walking is accompanied by earthquakes, and its unconsciously swung tail can even pulverize any animal it encounters. With a slow but unstoppable momentum, it flattens everything in its path.

　Legend has it that the village chief of Kokot Village once defeated Lao-Shan Lung single-handedly. There are also legends that the Grand Elder of the East Dorma Temple once severed Lao-Shan Lung's tail. Many people even say that the Grand Elder severed Lao-Shan Lung's head. Of course, some people have expressed doubts about these rumors, but the Grand Elder himself was a huge dragon-man, which seems to prove that he did indeed have the strength to defeat Lao-Shan Lung.

　The underground river of East Dorma is a place inaccessible to hunters. Due to rock collapses, the space around the river is extremely narrow, but the underground mineral and crystal resources are quite abundant. The reserves of rainbow ore, cinnabar, and light crystal and pure crystal are enough for a mining hunter to mine for a lifetime. However, due to the surrounding environment...

　Due to the limitations of the environment, it is almost impossible for mining hunters to come here. Currently, only snake salmon, golden fish, sleeping fish, and various insects have come here.

　Oh, the little girl has also come here, but she's here for the ley lines.

　The young girl followed the underground river, a golden fish and a snake salmon that had bumped into her face dangling from her mouth. The fish in the underground river tasted exceptionally good; whether it was due to the river water or the species, the fish here were sweeter than those on the surface. After biting off the fish heads, the young girl put them in her mouth and chewed slowly. If it weren't for finding the center of the ley lines, the young girl might have chosen to have a hearty meal first. After all, young dragons are extremely instinctive creatures, especially those without relatives to protect them. They are very bold, and will chase after anything new or delicious. Moreover, for the young girl, the unclaimed memories in her mind allowed her to make the most appropriate choices. As for traps, while most young dragons were still waiting for their parents to feed them, and even when they went out to hunt, they could only hunt small, harmless animals like elf deer at most, the young girl was already hunting down a bull dragon.

　Following her instincts, the young girl crossed the underground river and arrived at a vast cavern. Calling it a cavern would be more accurate as calling it a large underground void. The cavern's dome was covered with pure blue crystals, making it as dazzling as a crystal palace. Large crystal pillars also stood all around. The young girl stepped forward and smelled the crystals, a puzzled expression on her face. Then she opened her mouth, bit off a piece of crystal, and chewed it carefully. Her expression immediately changed from O_o to OVO. The familiar and rich ley line energy here made the young girl realize that she had found the right place.

　A flash of blue light appeared, and the young girl reverted to her Black Eclipse Dragon form. The Black Eclipse Dragon shook its body, then raised its head and roared, entering a berserk state. Its antennae extended, shimmering with flickering purple light, and its wing claws lowered. The Black Eclipse Dragon moved to the center of the cave, its chest flashing with pale blue and white-gold light. At the same time, crack-like patterns appeared on the ground, and bright light emerged from the cracks. The Black Eclipse Dragon twisted its body, seemingly guiding this energy into its own body. The pale blue light on its chest grew brighter and brighter, and the membranes on its wings trembled incessantly, sparkling with star-like points of light.

　As the pale blue light on the Black Eclipse Dragon's chest grew brighter, it opened its mouth and spewed out a beam of light. The intense heat instantly turned the rocks on the ground red-hot. Impacted by the beam, the pure blue crystals on the walls and ground shattered and fell to the ground. After severing a large crystal pillar in the cave in half, the Black Eclipse Dragon closed its mouth. The platinum light on its chest gradually brightened, and at the same time, pale blue light burst forth from its tentacles, six legs, wing membranes, and tail. The scales scattered on its body gradually changed from blackish-purple to platinum.

　Just as the Black Dragon was happily absorbing the ley lines, the Lao-Shan Lung, which was resting not far away, became increasingly frightened. It had finally managed to find this place to avoid Miss Mira, but this uninvited guest had an aura that was no less imposing than Miss Mira's. The Lao-Shan Lung let out a mournful cry, lamenting the injustice of fate, and then twisted its body, preparing to migrate again.

　Monsters in the dense forests and swamps near Dongdorma and Jiangbo Village have been causing varying degrees of disturbance, prompting the Hunter's Guild to issue a commission to investigate the cause of the monsters' unrest.

　Just as Elkameya's team finished compiling the report on the defeat of the Mad Dragon Water Dragon, Kio then told them about the disturbance caused by the monsters. Gigg asked in confusion, "Has the Rusty Steel Dragon appeared again? I remember there was a Rusty Steel Dragon that attacked Jiangbo Village before we came here."

　Keo shook his head and said, "If it were a Rusty Steel Dragon, the dark clouds and storms would have told us in advance, but in reality, only those monsters are causing a disturbance. We haven't seen any Elder Dragons, and those Velocidrome packs have even started attacking the village."

　"Attack the village? That won't do. Hey, Captain, are we...?"

　Elkameya glanced at Giger with disdain and said, "Need I say more? Grab your weapons and let's go."

　The task was very simple. The Velocidrome seemed to be just in a state of high excitement. After Gigg and his group killed most of the Velocidrome, the herd immediately ran back to the forest. "Now they should have learned their lesson."

　Kanon wiped the blood off the horned dragon spear and, seeing Elkameya's serious expression, asked with concern, "Miss, is there a problem with the Blue Velocidrome herd, or have you thought of something?"

　“Kanon, Sakordi, Giger, did you notice that the Velocidrome herd initially attacked the town's defenses instead of the villagers and sheep? They didn't even attack us first. Only after we killed several Velocidrome did they start attacking us. And can you sense that the Velocidrome herd is afraid of something? They're not doing this to find food; it's more like they're fleeing.”

　"From an ecological perspective, the Blue Velociraptor is one of the lowest-level creatures, even inferior to the Dog Dragon. It often becomes food for other large monsters, so it's not unusual for it to avoid things. It would be abnormal if it fought with large monsters."

　"But Minagardi has had this before; the berserk red Velociraptors even dared to attack large monsters."

　"However, the Velociraptors we repelled weren't infected with the Mad Dragon Virus; their eyes were still normal. Wait, Captain, you don't mean they were infected with the virus, do you?"

　A new ancient dragon has appeared.

　Black Tower~.jpg

　PS: Second update!

　PS2: Speaking of which, you can't cut off Lao-Shan Lung's tail in the game, and one swipe from Lao-Shan Lung will kill you. So, what about the hero, or rather, the Grand Elder? Hmm, I don't understand~

　Thank you all for your support, love you all, dear readers~

　Volume 1: 156 - The Whistle in the Mist

　The battle between Elkameya's team and the Velocidrome pack ended quickly. Giger knew that if the battle with the Velocidrome dragged on for too long, its sharp cries might attract Rathalos. If that happened, Elkameya's team would have to rush into battle unprepared, which would naturally increase the danger. The four of them dealt with the Velocidrome very quickly, but they couldn't possibly take all of its hide, teeth, and scales with them; they already had enough luggage.

　After dealing with the Blue Velocidrome, the group headed to their next location. Following the map, they turned into a narrow path and emerged into an open area. However, the area was unusually quiet. Just as the group relaxed their guard, a huge black shadow flapped its crimson wings, preparing to land. It was the large flying dragon monster, Rathalos.

　This was the first time Gigg had seen a Rathalos so close. Just as Gigg was marveling at how much larger the Rathalos was than the herbivorous dragons, an explosion suddenly rang out beside him. A cloud of grayish-white smoke exploded on the Rathalos's chest, followed by a loud bang in Gigg's ear, and then the smell of sulfur. Gigg knew that Sakhodi had fired the shot.

　The Rathalos immediately noticed the four people not far away, its eyes fixed on Gig and Elkameya. It opened its massive, fang-filled maw and let out a deafening roar. Gig covered his ears and instinctively tried to crouch down. Gig suddenly wanted to see the others' reactions, but Elkameya and the others didn't stop for a moment. They charged at the Rathalos with their weapons raised. The Rathalos folded its wings and landed on the ground. Gig's legs could even feel the slight tremor from the Rathalos's landing.

　Rathalos raised its head and bulged its belly. You could even see sparks of fire from the corners of its mouth. Jig knew that Rathalos was about to breathe fire. Dragonfire was different from ordinary flames. It directly burned human organs. The high temperature would penetrate directly into the flesh. If it was not treated, it would eventually be burned to nothing.

　As Gigg charged after Elkameya, he suddenly noticed a six-pointed star-shaped light spreading out in front of him. Gigg knew it was a flashbang and immediately closed his eyes tightly. However, Elkameya, who was more skilled, had already taken the opportunity to slip under the fire dragon's belly.

　Rathalos was blinded by the flashbang and could only wander around aimlessly. After Elkameya crawled under Rathalos, she immediately took out a small explosive barrel and placed it under Rathalos. She then turned around and gestured to Sakordi and Gig. Upon receiving the command, Sakordi immediately ran towards Elkameya and Kanon, while Gig followed behind.

　Kanon raised his shield to block the Rathalos. Sakordi rushed over and stepped onto Kanon's shield. With Kanon's help, he jumped above the Rathalos and pulled back the bolt, firing several armor-piercing grenades at the Rathalos's tail. At the same time, Kanon ignited the small explosive barrels under the Rathalos. An explosion more violent than the dragon's roar rang out, and several wounds were blown open in the Rathalos's abdomen. The flowing blood immediately stained the surrounding grass red.

　The hunters' attacks didn't stop. Gigg, standing on a rock, raised his greatsword and slashed down at the Rathalos's head. Sparks flew as the greatsword scraped against the scales on the dragon's head. Gigg's greatsword only managed to deflect part of the dragon's carapace before striking the ground. Dragon blood seeped from the wound. Gigg seemed to see a moment of hesitation in the dragon's dark pupils. Before Elkameya and the others could attack again, the Rathalos chose to flee.

　Gigg was excited and wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a word. He couldn't wait to go to the Rathalos's lair to set traps, but Elkameya, after tidying up the scattered items on the ground, chose to return to the Hunter's Guild Hall.

　Sakhodi chuckled dryly, seemingly seeing through Gigg's thoughts, and said, "Are you eager to kill it? Fire dragons are not so easy to deal with. There might be another one in the lair. Besides, our mission is to drive away the monsters harassing the village."

　"We don't have time to waste here, let's go."

　Although Giger fantasized about what he would look like wearing the fire dragon armor, he immediately shook his head and dismissed the idea, realizing that the mission was more important.

　South of the city of East Dorma, a thin mist rose from the vast plains. From within the mist, a loud and piercing whistle rang out, and then the land shrouded in mist returned to its tranquility, as if all life had vanished. Normally, herds of elven deer would graze on the grasslands, and a family of Velociraptors would also come here to forage. However, not a single small carnivore that usually roamed the plains could be seen at this time.

　Just then, a high-pitched whistle pierced the thin mist once more, only to be swallowed up again. The sappers immediately threw a handful of coal into the nearby fire to make it burn brighter. As the whistle sounded again, the sappers also heard the sound of horses coming from within the mist.

　The sound of hooves was heard, and then a hunter rode out of the mist. When he arrived at the city gate, he hurriedly took out a letter tube from his pocket.

　"Quickly, send it to the Hunter's Guild! Lao-Shan Lung has appeared!"

　Although the sappers guarding the city were young, they had heard of Lao-Shan Lung. The sappers immediately took the letter from the hunter and ran towards the meeting place. They knew that Lao-Shan Lung was a completely different kind of creature from flying dragons like Rathalos. Some people even said that it was an ancient dragon with an incredibly large body.

　Inside the Hunters' Guild Hall, Keo and the Dragonkin Elder looked at the message recorded on the mailbox: the Lao-Shan Lung's migration had begun.

　"Elder, the last migration of the Old Mountain Dragon was decades ago. Is its migration this frequent?"

　The dragon-man elder sat on the bed, his massive body gleaming. After Kio spoke, the room seemed to fall silent. After a long while, the dragon-man elder opened his eyes and said slowly, "The last time we changed the migration route of Lao-Shan Lung, my old buddies in Minagardi, and some hunters reached a consensus: that Lao-Shan Lung seemed to be avoiding something. It wasn't just migration; it was more like it wanted to leave something behind."

　“Elder, I know this saying, but could there be a monster here that is more powerful than the Old Mountain Dragon? Even if it is the taboo you mentioned, it is not a legendary creature. Besides, whether the Black Dragon even exists is another matter.”

　"Contact the Royal Knights and the Hunter's Guild to prepare to gather hunters for an operation to intercept Lao-Shan Lung. The location will be the fort that has been built."

　The enormous black shadow shrouded in thick fog, slowly approaching Dongdorma, was none other than the Old Mountain Dragon. Even though the fog was thin, as if a gust of wind could blow it away, people still couldn't see anything. But as the fog drew closer, the real thing gradually became apparent.

　PS: First update!

　PS2: While researching, I found an image of the back cover of Monster Hunter X's box; it has so many cute cats!

　By the way, today is Noah's birthday in BA, so I decided to post a picture of his email address~

　I'd like to recommend a book: *A Certain Academy City: Suzushina Yuriko*

　Volume 1: Chapter 157 - Welcome to the World of Monster Hunter

　The young girl was unaware that she had driven the Laoshan Dragon out of its habitat. She simply thought the environment of this underground cavern was nice and that she would come back here next time she molted.

　The city of East Dorma now appears deserted. Most of the hunters and the kingdom's cavalry who rushed to the scene are busy preparing cannons, ballistae, dragon-slaying cannons, and dragon bombs. After all, that's Lao-Shan Lung. If the cannons and dragon-slaying cannons can't get Lao-Shan Lung to change its course, the migrating Lao-Shan Lung could easily raze the city to the ground.

　On the fortress walls, hunters preparing cannons suddenly noticed something and pointed in surprise at the sky. A hunter carrying ammunition nearby looked in the direction he pointed, but those with poor eyesight could only vaguely see flashes of light in the clouds. The group quickly took out their binoculars to observe more closely and discovered that the flashes were fireballs spewed by male Rathalos. The hunters were all curious, but someone familiar with the Dragon-Slaying Cannon explained the reason: the Dragon-Slaying Cannon used a large amount of Rathalos marrow during its manufacture, and the smell produced when the marrow burned would attract other Rathalos, making them mistakenly believe that there were other Rathalos here. Moreover, this smell was originally used by male Rathalos to attract female Rathalos, and now the male Rathalos entrenched here would think that Rathalos from other areas were coming to take over their territory.

　Chaos erupted at the scene. Laoshanlong advanced towards the fortress, while Rathalos engaged in a fierce battle in the sky. It was quite a spectacle.

　The young girl walked down the main street of East Dorma. This place was different from the settlements she had seen in the New World. There were few people on the road, and only some hunters who were hurrying by. The Blue Wing Flying Bird Squad, which was just as famous as Elkameya's squad, was busy carrying ammunition. The Blue Wing Flying Bird Squad was not as famous as Elkameya's squad because they only hunted giant birds, so they were often said to be cowardly.

　In reality, it's not that they lack the ability to hunt large monsters like Rathalos and Diablos; it's just that after years of hunting, they eventually decided to only hunt Great Jaggi. Although these hunters don't have particularly glorious achievements, they are still hunters, living their own lives. And isn't that what a true hunter is like? Not just hunting Rathalos, Diablos, Elder Dragons, cough cough, defeating Elder Dragons, as most hunters say. A hunter's life should be like that.

　Elkameya, who was returning to the Hunter's Gathering Hall to retrieve the blueprints for the Dragon Cannon, noticed the little girl beside her. At first glance, she assumed the little girl was a dragon-human girl, but after running a few steps, she suddenly realized that the little girl had horns and a tail, which were not organs that dragon-humans could possess.

　Yes, and those crimson-gold vertical pupils and the way he was scrutinizing her—Elkameya felt something was amiss the more she thought about it, but her most pressing concern was still to strike.

　With the Dragon Cannon ready to deal with Lao-Shan Lung, Elkameya could simply put that matter aside for now.

　Inside the Hunter's Gathering Hall, the receptionist was organizing the documents in his hands when suddenly a huge explosion came from outside the window. The Rathalos spewed a fireball that shattered the cannons on the fortress into pieces. The hunters nearby covered their ears tightly, adjusted their Dragon Piercers, and fired at the Rathalos in the sky.

　Whether it was due to the tension of Lao-Shan Lung's approach or unfamiliarity with the Dragon Piercer, the cannonball actually grazed past Rathalos. Reloading the Dragon Piercer takes a long time; first, the cannon needs to cool down, then the fuel rods need to be replaced, and finally, the flames need to be compressed into a projectile that can be fired before the next shot can be fired.

　The receptionist anxiously observed the situation outside, completely unaware that the little girl had arrived. In the gathering hall's kitchen, the chef had already prepared several servings of cat food to reward the hunters, including a cheese seafood soup made with shield crab meat and queen shrimp. The tender shield crab meat and white queen shrimp meat, after being mixed with spiced celery and shallots, emitted an enticing aroma. No one could resist the temptation of seafood, so the little girl quickly devoured the entire large bowl of soup.

　Next to it was a pot of thick, white bone broth. Judging from the shape of the bones, they were the thigh bones of a fire dragon. The pot also contained highly nutritious steel meat, dragon leg meat, and lava mutton. After being stewed for a long time, the dragon leg meat was so tender that it melted in the mouth, which surprised the young girl. The unique texture of the steel meat and the rich flavor of the lava mutton also made the young girl give the dish a high rating.

　The piping hot ribs were grilled to a crisp on the charcoal fire, the juicy fat releasing an enticing aroma. Even before tasting it, the unique fragrance of the fat and the rich aroma of the seasonings sprinkled on top made the little girl's mouth water. Beside her, a huge scallop shell contained carefully selected abalone and scallop slices, accompanied by king cactus and shiitake mushrooms, all exuding a rich fragrance. The little girl poured it into her mouth like water, her cheeks puffing out like a hamster as she slowly chewed.