Chapter 157: Dilong Volcano

In the depths of the dense rainforest, Walo Sang advanced along the swift river while vigilantly looking left and right.

"Don't waste your effort, human. I've already told you, those monsters would have fled as soon as they smelled my scent, so they could never attack you."

In the wide river beside them, the Rain Dragon swam lazily and freely, snidely mocking.

Walo Sang was unmoved, still keeping his guard up.

This forest is the required passage between the Niksalan Basin and that mine; the locals named it "Temawa", meaning "Death Rainforest".

Danger in the Death Rainforest is everywhere, from tiny ultra‑venomous ant‑poison snakes to massive river‑turning monsters; this boundless rainforest nurtures almost the entire Maztek monster population.

When the refugees first fled from the Alliance to the Niksalan Basin, they also passed through this forest, but only along its very peripheral edge.

Now it is different; they have already penetrated deep into the forest.

"Damn, it's raining again?"

The Rain Dragon in the river looked at the darkening sky, a little impatient; Maztek receives heavy rainfall, and this rainforest is a disaster zone, so it rains from time to time.

Normally a water‑loving Rain Dragon wouldn't mind rain, but the river he is in—the Temawa River—harbors a mindless piranha.

Whenever it rains, they go into a frenzy, attacking every visible creature in the river, and the Rain Dragon is almost driven mad by them.

"Stop!"

The snake‑and‑tiger‑headed one roared toward the sky, and the dense black clouds were instantly shattered by the Rain Dragon's supernatural power; seeing the sky clear, Walo Sang also breathed a sigh of relief. Although, as a 10th‑level Warrior, his physical quality is extremely strong and his body is covered with massive muscles, he does not want to face those rampaging beasts for no reason.

It isn't just the piranhas; every time it rains, various animals in this forest go mad, which is why the locals call it the "Death Rainforest".

"We've finally arrived!" Walo Sang said, excitedly looking at the faint peaks appearing in the distance.

The Rain Dragon looked at the peaks and sighed, "Dilong Volcano, it's been ages since I last came back here."

"Oh? You've been here before?" Walo Sang was a bit surprised.

The Rain Dragon liked the human's respectful attitude, so he patiently gave an explanation.

"Of course. Before I left the Niksalan Basin for Paiite, I grew up in Temawa. Although I dislike the flames of Dilong Volcano, there the ruler of the entire Death Rainforest resides, and as a pseudo‑dragon, I naturally need to pay a yearly audience."

"Ruler? Isn't the mine on that mountain opened by Niksalan people? Do they have that much power?" Walo Sang asked in astonishment.

The Rain Dragon sneered, "Niksalan people? Don't joke, they're not even worthy."

Then, with a hint of amusement, he added, "Those Niksalan people are merely surface slaves; in fact, you should know who their true master is, though many on this continent are unaware."

Walo Sang grew curious, but however he asked, the Rain Dragon said he would understand once he went there.

One man and one dragon accelerated forward, soon reaching the edge of Dilong Volcano; the volcano sits almost at the center of the whole rainforest, its foothill littered with black rocks, and a huge hot spring separates the western rainforest from the volcano.

"What is this thing?" The Rain Dragon's massive size quickly drew attention; at the foot of the mountain stood several Niksalan guards, who immediately raised their weapons, faces full of alertness.

One of the Niksalan guards seemed somewhat knowledgeable, dropping his weapon in fright and shouting, "It's the Rain God! Don't charge at Him, He will summon a flood to drown us!"

The other Niksalan guards scoffed, "What Rain God? In Temawa, only we, the people of Dilong Volcano, have the say!"

Walo Sang frowned; indeed these people were still that overbearing.

He had come here a few years ago once, then trying to introduce some materials and resume his old trade in the Huakli Alliance.

Who would have known that after paying the deposit, those bandits turned hostile, drove him straight out!

If not for the monster beside him whose strength rivals a 14th‑level professional, plus the terrifying giant dragon behind him that seemed god‑like, he wouldn't have had the confidence to come.

"Friends, we are here on behalf of the Niksalan Basin to purchase granite," Walo Sang forced a smile and said.

As the saying goes, little devils are hard to deal with; without handling these guards properly, it would be difficult to get up.

Having learned from the last lesson, Walo Sang sensibly slipped them some money, and being a gullible spender himself, he feared the boss's scolding if he drove them away; the guards exchanged glances and let them pass.

The Rain Dragon crawled along the artificially laid road, sneering, "Why give those worthless guys money? Let me just swallow them whole!"

Walo Sang gave a wry smile, "You said those Niksalan masters even you must audience with, right? That's a big deal—aren't you afraid of offending that behind‑the‑scenes boss?"

!

The Rain Dragon rolled his eyes, "Just because of that? That master doesn't care about these ants; he himself wishes he could chew two chew‑chews every day."

The Rain Dragon's words startled Walo Sang; the information revealed that the hidden mastermind of this mine was evidently a very brutal monster.

He patted the huge scale in his backpack, sighed in relief; fortunately, if danger truly arose, he could just run back!

As for the Rain Dragon beside him… let the master rescue him.

Completely unaware of Walo Sang's thoughts, the Rain Dragon kept moving forward, ignoring the many people watching him with strange eyes; this was his first time walking the mountain path—normally he would tunnel through underground rivers straight to the volcano.

When the man and the dragon reached the summit, several figures in black robes were already waiting there.

"Are you the ones buying the rock?" one of the black‑robed figures lifted his hood, revealing an aged Niksalan face and said.

Walo Sang looked at him with resentment; this was the bandit who had stolen all his savings last time, forcing him to flee with Buytitis.

The Rain Dragon glanced coldly at the elder, "And then? Are you here to chat?"

The elder, stung by his words, turned ashen, his face hardened as he stared, "Fine, a pseudo‑dragon dares to run amok on Dilong Volcano?"

The Rain Dragon was unfazed, mocking, "You, a slave, what are you pretending here? Do you think I don't know what's going on at the Dilong mine?"

"Bring your boss out and tell him Tralouke has a big deal to discuss with him."

(End of chapter)