Chapter 271

Chapter 271: The Strike Dragon Gun, Stolen Again.

“An unknown Ancient Dragon is approaching, and its size… has swollen by a whole circle!”

“What?!”

The commander clutched his forehead, feeling a splitting headache. He was about to snatch the telescope from the observer but realized it wasn’t necessary anymore.

The hunters’ cheerful laughter also ceased.

After the Spirit Mountain Dragon left, the sandstorms stopped, revealing an unobstructed view of the black figure descending from the sky.

But compared to before, its body had grown significantly larger, with spines on its body reflecting a crystalline luster.

It was also observing the humans.

“Is this really the same one as before?”

The commander muttered, shielding his eyes from the intense midday sun. The monster’s dark skin seemed to absorb his line of sight.

“It’s the same one.”

The Chief Hunter scanned the monster and nodded in response.

It had left quite an impression on him; there was no mistaking it.

“Why has it come back?”

The commander shook his head, calming himself down and ordering the messenger to signal for a retreat.

Regardless of why it returned, they had to retreat.

And the hunters, seeing the retreat signal, felt relieved. Their emotions towards the incoming monster were complex.

This unknown monster had brought them a bountiful harvest, but its effortless repulsion of the Chief Hunter, along with its intelligence in stealing and using their weapons, instilled fear in them.

Whether gratitude or fear, all they wanted was to retreat back to Loke Clark and enjoy the fruits of their victory.

The hunters acted swiftly. The personnel ships and supply ships would leave first, while the armed sand ships would cover the rear.

But no matter how fast they moved, the monster charged towards the Fēng Shān Márón again.

Jié Jié’s gaze swept around, searching for his beloved Strike Dragon Gun, and he noticed various expressions among the hunters.

Gravity, defense, surprise, fear, and curiosity.

People’s gazes lingered on him here and there, filled with mixed emotions, which made him somewhat irritated. His claws nervously scratched at the sand, digging into it.

But his target wasn’t them. He saw that the Strike Dragon Gun was tied to the stern of the Fēng Shān Márón. The hunters clearly planned to take it back to Loke Clark.

That wouldn’t do. If it was given to him, how could they take it back? At most, they were just keeping it for safekeeping.

The Extinction Dragon growled lowly, flapping its wings and jumping up, flying straight toward the Fēng Shān Márón.

The Guild Knights’ defensive formation couldn’t hold him back, and they were lucky that his attention wasn’t drawn to them.

Jié Jié didn’t directly collide with the Fēng Shān Márón. With a sliding step, he circled around the side of the ship and climbed onto its rear, positioning himself atop the vessel.

On the command platform at the back of the ship stood a man with half-gray hair and a beard, trembling as he looked up at him.

Guild Knights and the Chief Hunter guarded the commander on either side, while the Compiler was located in the middle of the ship. All of them stared at the monster’s massive head.

He only needed to press down with both arms, and the Fēng Shān Márón would be capsized instantly.

The heavy air weighed down on the hunters aboard the Fēng Shān Márón. As sweat dripped down, the ground became slippery with sand sticking to their necks, making them feel like they might suffocate.

The Chief Hunter rushed out, reaching for the great sword strapped to his back.

He didn’t know if the monster intended to press down, but at such close range, their safety couldn’t depend on the monster’s whims.

The ship rocked, and the Strike Dragon Gun swung violently under the monster’s rough movements, forcing him to draw his great sword early.

“Bang!”

In a desperate strike, the Strike Dragon Gun was knocked away, and the monster’s massive head retreated from the Fēng Shān Márón.

Are we safe now?

Jié Jié merely swiped his claw across, severing the ropes binding the Strike Dragon Gun. Even the sturdy Jieyun wood bore ugly cracks from the accidental damage.

The ship rocked again, and the hunter’s great sword slashed down simultaneously, causing the Strike Dragon Gun to leave the Fēng Shān Márón once more. He stepped back from the ship, securely holding the gun, then flapped his wings and took flight.

Much of the bloodied sand covering the Strike Dragon Gun had been cleared off. These people were actually quite considerate.

“Hmph.”

Seeing the monster depart, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

The Chief Hunter gazed blankly at the retreating silhouette in the sky.

“Such a disgrace… It’s fine, you did well. Let the higher-ups and scholars worry about it from here on.”

The commander shouted at the departing monster, then patted the hunter’s shoulder.

The hunters cheered, remembering the figure who charged at the monster and its subsequent retreat.

“His goal from the start was the Strike Dragon Gun. I seem to have failed to even capture his attention.”

Beyond the relief, this young hunter felt a tinge of dissatisfaction.

“It’s good that it’s gone. What’s important is that everyone needs a backbone, a role model willing to charge at it.”

They were all brave enough to hunt Ultra-Large Ancient Dragons. How could they allow this unknown Ancient Dragon to plant seeds of fear within them?

Regardless of the truth, everyone needed a hero as a pillar of spirit. The departing monster should become the defeated tyrant.

“Enjoy the cheers, little hero.”

The commander walked toward the Compiler, and the Chief Hunter shook his head and joined him beside the Compiler.

Both were well aware of the Compiler’s identity and existence, hoping he could point out things they overlooked during the chaos.

The Compiler was furiously writing, filling in details of what just happened and sketching a simple diagram of the monster’s position on the ship.

“The greatest damage it caused was merely two sand ships. Three hunters were injured when a flipped sand ship rolled over them, but considering the situation, we’re quite fortunate.”

When the commander and the Chief Hunter arrived, an aide was providing the Compiler with additional information.

From his words, it was clear there was a positive evaluation of the unknown Ancient Dragon.

“Hmph, it’s only because of its large size. We’re no different from ants on the side of the road.”

“Hmm, unless it’s exceptionally ferocious, large monsters generally don’t pay attention to human activities until we harm them and attract their attention.”

The Compiler nodded. This was why many hunters managed to survive encounters with large monsters but often fell to medium or small ones.

“Especially since this unknown Ancient Dragon seems to have a predilection for hunting Ultra-Large Monsters, it implies humans aren’t even worth the effort to chew on.”

“The earlier speculation that it witnessed a Large Monster being severely wounded by the Strike Dragon Gun might be possible.”

“But its behavior of returning to seize the Strike Dragon Gun conflicts with its earlier action of abandoning it and leaving. I initially suspect something might have diverted its attention midway.”

What could divert its attention?

Everyone had some inkling. That pale giant dragon mentioned in the sighting reports still hadn’t made an appearance.

“Considering both unknown monsters have only been spotted in recent days, there may be an unknown symbiotic or rival relationship between them.”

The Compiler lightly shook his head, as if even more questions were sprouting from the existing ones.

Chapter 272