Wind Grassland, the weather is gloomy and overcast.
This grassland, as its name suggests, is a wilderness where strong winds howl all year round.
On this vibrant grassland, numerous beast monsters are active, from the inconspicuous Slime hiding in roadside rock crevices to giant Trolls several meters tall, all inhabiting and breeding here together.
Even beneath the soil layer of the ground, there exists a vast world unseen by the naked eye.
Burrowers travel underground; their huge jaws can easily crush rocks, carving tunnels in the soil like a giant underground network.
As for the Kobolds and Molemen, they occupy relatively fertile grassland beneath, hiding to build their three-dimensional nests. Unless necessary, avoiding conflicts with too many powerful enemies is their survival rule.
Apart from the monsters, adventurers and merchants attracted to this land are naturally abundant too.
"I’m sorry, brother, I messed up."
On the grassland, a group of adventurers sat on horseback, gazing at a figure swiftly sweeping past in the distance. One of them turned to the leading man and said ashamedly.
Compared to ordinary adventurer squads, this dozen-people team seemed particularly large but still not up to the standard of an adventure group.
"Forget it, let’s pick the next target."
The long-haired leading man shook his head.
"After being alerted, taking action against that centaur group will be several times more difficult."
There’s not much else he can say at this point.
They had privately accepted a high price commission from a group of merchants to capture centaurs for them, for which they had been preparing for nearly a month.
Especially those lassos, rope nets, and various narcotics purchased specifically for centaurs, which were not a small investment.
But as long as they could successfully capture some centaurs, they could exchange them for rewards from black market merchants, and the initial investment could turn into returns tenfold.
"Big brother, what do you think those merchants want centaurs for?"
Hearing his brother’s inquiry, the long-haired man just shook his head.
"Who knows, maybe some big shot needs a centaur mount."
Usually, centaurs have higher intelligence compared to other demons, making them harder to tame, and from an economic cost perspective, buying a centaur mount is obviously an unwise move.
But you can’t use common sense to comprehend those nobles seeking novelty. Sometimes, the more niche it is, the more it can help them stand out in front of others, giving that investment worth.
His gaze lingered on the receding figures of the centaur group, somewhat regretful but quickly returning to rationality.
Even though he himself is a Level 3 Ranger, the leader of that centaur group is not simple either; otherwise, they wouldn’t have sensed their presence before the ambush.
Therefore, just like the centaur group not wanting to clash with them, he too was somewhat hesitant.
He would rather select a different target than suffer heavy losses in a direct confrontation with the centaur tribe.
Just as he was pondering.
A sudden strong whirlwind gusts over his head.
The whirlwind came without any warning.
The horses reacted first. Nearly a dozen trained warhorses reared up simultaneously, emitting terrified neighs, front hooves kicking wildly in the air.
Two unsuspecting adventurers were thrown off their horses, rolling several times on the ground. Instead of getting up, they raised their slightly pale faces to the sky, pupils narrowing to pinpoints.
The leading long-haired man pressed down his panicked mount with one hand and looked up following his subordinates’ gaze.
He saw the originally grey sky being torn open by a massive gap in the thick clouds like cotton batting.
A red figure, surrounded by cloud streams, was diving down.
Though it was still some distance from them, its speed was too fast, and coupled with today’s windless overcast, it instantly triggered a gale.
The Red Dragon swooped down to a certain altitude and swiftly skimmed over the crowd at low altitude.
The grass on the prairie was flattened into waves, spreading out circle by circle from where the dragon touched down.
"Big brother, it’s a dragon!"
"Stop shouting, I’m not blind." Seth just straightened his attire after hearing his brother’s repeated exclamations and sighed helplessly.
Yet, as his gaze followed the increasingly distant crimson figure on the horizon, he couldn’t help but flash a hint of envy.
"Gauss..."
Many adventurers active in the vicinity of Farlim have started to recognize this name.
As long as they saw a Red Dragon soaring in the sky, it meant its master Gauss had arrived.
"So this is a dragon?" Seth looked around at his team’s chaotic formation, feeling he finally had the most direct understanding of the dragon’s presence.
This creature is truly terrifying.
The commotion caused even from that far overwhelmed their mounted squad into utter disarray on the spot.
If it truly intended to attack them, they would likely be unable to organize any resistance.
And considering the horses’ reaction, how powerful must its master be to conquer it?
....
Gauss was unaware of the squad leaders’ thoughts behind him.
His gaze was fixed below, as with Hephaestus’s rapid flight, the distance between him and the centaur tribe was closing rapidly.
Upon entering the casting range, he decisively unleashed Magic Missile.
In fact, the centaur tribe not far away had already perceived the threat from the sky.
After all, from start to finish, the Red Dragon’s flight trajectory was unambiguous, heading straight in their direction.