Black Hearted Mage

Caesars, accompanied by his sturdy, fat dog, slowly advanced along the winding lava river. The ground beneath their feet scorched slightly from the intense heat, and the air was thick with the scent of sulfur. Over a hundred miles to their south lay the legendary Lava Lake—a vast, crimson ocean of boiling magma, home to hundreds of enormous earth dragons whose blazing flames could easily reduce any invader to ash.

Kaisas was well aware of the dangers there. The breath of the earth dragon far exceeded his spell range, and to approach rashly would be tantamount to seeking death. Therefore, he confined himself to the relatively safe lava river area, hunting mid- to high-level magical beasts. However, since acquiring the greedy fat dog, even hunting magical beasts has become much easier—this seemingly clumsy pup is actually a natural hunter, and a very hardworking one at that.

Just as he was thinking, the surface of the lava river suddenly rippled violently. A fat dog, smeared with magma, emerged from the scorching lava river, clutching a four- to five-meter-long fire salamander in its jaws. Veins bulged from its sturdy limbs, and its narrowed eyes were filled with pride. Seeing this, Caesars couldn't help but smile—this greedy creature must have found another fire salamander egg.

Sure enough, after the fat dog flung its prey to the ground with a "pa" sound, it immediately pulled out five glowing red eggs from its storage ring. It held its round head high, its tail wagging like a rattle, and its expression of "praise me!" looked like a child who had just stolen some candy.

"You idiot, don't give me the eggs. Keep them for yourself and eat them raw!"

Without even looking up, Caesars handled the salamander, deliberately teasing it. Before he finished speaking, Fatty Dog's smug expression froze. While he could expertly stew monster meat, making a delicate omelet was a challenge. Thinking of dicing the side dishes and controlling the heat, Fatty Dog's ears drooped, staring at the eggs as if they were five hot potatoes.

The puppy stealthily pulled out two more fire salamander eggs, their round shells gleaming bright red in the sunlight. It tiptoed to Caesar's feet, its stubby tail twitching nervously from side to side, its black eyes constantly darting to watch its owner's reaction.

"Dead dog!"

Caesars suddenly roared, startling the puppy. "I still haven't settled the score with you for hiding the salamander eggs the day before yesterday! Do you think Master Caesars will be fooled by your little trick?" He leaned over and poked the puppy's wet nose. "With those darting eyes of yours, what secrets can you possibly hide?"

Caesars cursed, but his hands deftly tucked the precious salamander eggs into the leather pouch at his waist. Only this greedy, fat dog could find such a delicacy hidden in a lava cave. The pup whimpered miserably, rolling its chubby body on the ground, occasionally pawing at Caesars's boots—today, it was determined to eat the omelet.

"Alright, alright, I'll make you an omelet tonight." Caesars waved his hand impatiently. "Now I have to deal with these fire salamanders. Go to the lava river and prepare the stew. Remember to fill the pot!"

The monster meat previously given to the pup was still hanging in the storage ring around its neck. After these days of training, this fellow's stewing skills were almost catching up with those of a tavern chef. Kaisus squatted down and began to prepare the ingredients. The scorching sun baked the volcanic rocks to a scorching temperature, and the shadows cast by the rocks were shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The puppy, stew pot in hand, trotted to the edge of the lava river. It tentatively touched the ground with its paw, then began diligently digging. Undeterred by the intense heat, it dug a shallow hole in a few strokes. It placed the heavy iron pot securely in place, the surrounding volcanic ash continuing to radiate heat sufficient to cook the food.

Just as the puppy lay prone on the ground, its wet nose almost touching the scalding rock, its scarlet eyes fixed intently on the bubbles rising from the cauldron, half a salamander's corpse suddenly drifted upstream in the crimson lava river. The charred remains bobbed in the viscous lava, eerie blue flames dancing from the broken bones, a striking sight against the dark red lava.

The puppy's ears suddenly perked up, and without hesitation, it leaped into the boiling lava river, nimbly paddling through the scorching lava. It used its sharp teeth to bite the remaining body and struggled to drag it back to shore. Caesars, who had already finished packing the fire salamander, was also attracted by the commotion. He wiped his sulfur-stained hands and approached with a hint of curiosity.

"Look at this wound..." Kaisas squatted down and poked the remains with his dagger. "It was killed by a ground dragon. There are still two clear bite marks on the bones." His voice suddenly became serious. "You damn dog, there is a ground dragon upstream of the lava river!"

Kaisus pointed to two different tooth marks of varying depths on the bone. The puppy leaned in to sniff, carefully observing the marks. Ground dragons are enormous, and their sharp teeth are more than capable of severing an entire salamander in one gulp. Judging by the jagged lacerations and remaining tooth marks on this half-carcass of a salamander, at least two ground dragons lurk upstream of the lava river.

Compared to a ground dragon, a fire lizard is like an immature cub. These behemoths are often over ten times the size of a fire lizard, and some can even reach a staggering twenty times. As super beasts, ground dragons are on a completely different level from the merely high-level fire lizards. Their ferocious destructive power is enough to annihilate an entire well-equipped mercenary group, making them a nightmare for all adventurers.

Looking back at the annals of monster hunting on Roland Continent, records of successful earth dragon hunting are few and far between, with fewer than ten such instances to date. However, the number of mercenaries who have perished at the hands of these dragons is staggering, with conservative estimates exceeding 100,000. Even the most elite mercenary groups, equipped with dragon-hunting crossbows specifically designed to deal with large monsters, often fall prey to the earth dragon's near-death attacks. These ferocious beasts can often, even after being pierced by dozens of crossbow bolts, still drag their remains through the entire hunting party.

However, great risks often come with incredible rewards. A complete earth dragon carcass is a walking gold mine. Superb magical beasts are brimming with treasures: the most valuable is the magic core, imbued with immense magical power, followed by its miraculous blood. Hearts and livers fetch exorbitant prices at auction. Even the intestines, filled with fetid feces, are hotly sought after by alchemists, believed to contain precious alchemical ingredients. For this reason, despite the high risk of death, countless desperate individuals continue to pursue this deadly dream of wealth.

"You idiot! We have to get rid of these two ground dragons. Otherwise, we won't even see any fire lizards or salamanders when we come to the Lava River to hunt again!"

Kaisas stared into the distance, his voice filled with undeniable determination. The lava river continued to flow, and the earth dragon should be somewhere upstream.

He crouched behind a dark red volcanic rock, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the gemstone on his staff. Every swing of the earth dragon's scaly neck sent a wave of searing lava into the air. This beast's appetite was appalling—an adult earth dragon could devour three or four fire lizards or a dozen salamanders in one sitting. If these two beasts settled here, they would devour all the larger beasts upstream and downstream of the lava river in a matter of years.

The puppy at its feet pawed anxiously, whimpering in frustration. It knew, of course, that the ground dragon would steal its beloved fire salamander, but even at those hideous heads, the size of lava caves, fear flashed in its round, small eyes. Each of those metallic-shimmering scales was larger than its entire body.

"You idiot! When Master Caesars makes his move, you just have to stay away and keep an eye on him." Caesars took out a few bottles of black mist potions from his bag and suddenly added as if remembering something: "Oh, remember to take this opportunity to steal a few ground dragon eggs—they have to be intact!"

Not far away, by the lava river, a stew pot perched on volcanic ash bubbled and simmered. As the broth simmered, a tangy aroma of meat wafted into the air. The puppy, its snout wet, frantically sprinkled various spices into the pot. Standing upright on its hind legs, its front paws laboriously clawing at the edge, it tossed seven or eight more flame flowers into the boiling broth. The vibrant stems and leaves transformed into dancing flames upon contact with the broth, casting an eerie crimson glow over the entire pot.

Caesars turned around and saw this scene, and was so angry that he almost crushed the potion bottle in his hand. As a magician specializing in dark elements, he was most afraid of consuming foods rich in fire elements - it would cause his magic power to become unbalanced.

"Damn stupid dog!" he growled, gritting his teeth. "I'll just have the omelet. Save this damn pot of fireflower stew for yourself!"

He turned angrily to prepare his own dinner. Fortunately, omelets were easy to make: he pulled a fire salamander egg from his space ring, quickly scrambled it in a large pot with the egg mixture, and then smothered it with some dried fire maple mushrooms, some diced bacon, and five or six pieces of golden cheese. As he flipped the omelet with his magic, he caught a glimpse of the puppy staring eagerly at the frying pan, its tail sweeping across the hot rock floor, sending up a trail of sparks.

Two days later, when the first rays of sunlight penetrated the sulfurous mist above the lava river, a series of huge depressions suddenly appeared on the black basalt ground along the riverbank. These footprints, as big as several carriages, were deeply engraved in the uncooled magma crust. The smallest claw prints were even larger than the fat dog's round body.

"Have some breakfast first, you idiot, but don't overeat." Caesars tore open the golden omelet in his hand and handed the steaming half to the eager puppy at his feet. "Finding the lair of the ground dragon later is no joke. If you get chased by that beast, you won't be able to run fast with your bulging belly dragging on the ground!"

The puppy whimpered in discontent, but carefully took the food. Caesars slowly chewed the remaining omelet with water, the crispy crust crackling between his teeth. He gazed at the surging lava river in the distance, a calculating glint in his dark eyes. Hunting a ground dragon was always a life-threatening endeavor, but he remembered the gaps between the scales beneath the beast's eyelids, and the soft, reverse-growing scales on its belly—weak points enough for a seasoned hunter to take a gamble.

"I have to be more restrained when using dark magic this time!"

Kaesus wiped his mouth, shaking his head as he watched the puppy devour its food. While those corrosive spells were deadly, they would corrode the precious materials of the earth dragon, rendering them worthless. Especially "Death and Decay"—the supposedly most powerful single-target spell. The last time he used it on a salamander, the instant dehydration and shrivelling of its corpse made him nauseous.

Arcane Missiles might be a safe bet. Kaesus flexed his knuckles, imagining the bright purple energy ball piercing the thick hide of the Earth Dragon. This pure energy attack could bypass defenses and strike directly at the dragon's internal organs. The only problem was getting within the range of the Earth Dragon's breath. This undoubtedly increased the difficulty and danger of the hunt.

After breakfast, Kaesus methodically began changing into his equipment. He shed his old, sulfur-smelling robes, revealing a spider-silk arcane robe that shimmered purplishly in the morning light. He kicked off his worn ankle boots, revealing thick-soled salamander leather boots that hugged his ankles perfectly, providing a slight coolness against the scorching rock. He sheathed his death staff in his space ring, and in its place hung a magical blade at his waist—a short blade inlaid with arcane crystals, humming softly within its sheath.

The sturdy pup's ears pricked up, its snout twitching wetly. It suddenly lowered its forelimbs and advanced slowly, like a wolf spotting its prey. As the scent of the ground dragon grew stronger, the pup's pace quickened, until it was trotting along the lava bank, the crimson glow of the lava dancing on its glossy black fur.

Caesars muttered a spell, and the wind of swiftness wrapped around his legs. He followed the puppy at a suitable distance, the hem of his robe brushing the hot basalt.

About half an hour later, the lava river suddenly turned a sharp bend, revealing a small volcano rising from its shore, belching sulfurous smoke. The puppy's paws frantically scraped at the gravel where the ground dragon's footprints disappeared. Suddenly, he stood up, pointed his stubby front paws at the top of the volcano, and turned his head to let out a low roar at the lava river.

"I understand." Kaisas rubbed the puppy's head. "You go to the river to find the ground dragon's nest, and I'll go to guard it." The puppy rubbed his palm for the last time, turned around and dived into the churning lava. The splashing fire waves bloomed into gorgeous orange-red flowers in the air.

This small volcano wasn't very tall, only about two or three hundred meters high. Although it wasn't spewing lava, only sulfurous fumes, there was definitely a cavity beneath the volcano, an ideal location for a ground dragon to nest.

After about ten minutes, the puppy emerged from the lava river and gestured towards Caesars with its front paws. It had found the lair of the earth dragon, and the entrance was just below the lava river.