10 Hunting The Bardian Dragon

The Bardian dragon is a level two wild beast much stronger than the flaming boar. It is known for its hard scales that can defend against a direct Qi attack! Many Martial artists could kill to get their hands on armor made from the scales of a Bardian dragon. However, as the benefits are tempting, likewise the risks involved are deathly.

Apart from their hard scales, they are also known for their venomous gas. If inhaled into the body, a mortal will instantly turn into a blood puddle; not even the bones would be left and a martial artist would barely make it out alive. The venomous gas flows straight into the heart and attacks it first before mixing with the blood pumped by the heart and circulates throughout the body. The blood turns into a venomous toxin that slowly melts the organs and meridians thereby turning one into a blood puddle.

To face a beast of this nature required a great deal of strength and to be on the safe side, an antitoxin but those are equally hard to find. One had to be careful when hunting this beast, one careless move could your last. A lot was to be considered before going on a hunting trip like this. At least a week of preparation was the minimum to get the antitoxins ready and other things like a sword or axe that could cut through their hard scales and now this fellow was ready to jump into the forest to hunt down these beasts without even a plan!?

Madness!!

"Master…the Bardian dragon is no little catch like the flaming boar. If you need a few more days…"

"Leave me to worry about that. Just mark where they gather and I'll be on my way." Nero replied, impatiently.

The middle-aged man glanced at the old man. The old man was as stunned as he was. They both couldn't think of anyone who could act so rashly. The middle-aged man reluctantly agreed. He took the map and marked out something on it.

"The Bardian dragon unlike the flaming boars does not move in a herd. The highest you can only see are two in the same location. They move faster in water so they make the riversides their territory. And most importantly, do not inhale their poisonous gas." The middle-aged summarized everything he knew about the Bardian dragon. His expression grim showing how serious this was.

"One Bardian dragon is more than enough to use. But if you can hunt more, then I'll be more than willing to buy them from you."

"How much are you willing to pay?"

"250 gold taels for each Bardian dragon."

Nero nodded in agreement. "I'll back in a few days." He said and left the tavern.

The middle-aged man and the old man stood in awe as they saw Nero's image slowly disappear, wondering….

What kind of monster is this fellow!!

To mortals, martial artists are comparable to gods. But even among these 'gods', there are still some who are considered monsters. To this middle-aged man and the old man, Nero could be seen as such a monster. Many times have they requested the aid of various martial artists to hunt down beasts.

Some of them succeeded in their mission, whereas it was normal to think that some of them didn't make it back alive. A level two beast like this Bardian dragon can be considered knocking on death's door. Nero was sitting leisurely at the top of a broad tree branch. He had been given a mission the day before to hunt a level two Bardian dragon.

Nero sat on a broad tree branch, and below was a stream. This stream glistened as it reflected the rays of sunlight. The environment around it was cool, the air moist, and the rocks on the shore were perfectly smooth and beautiful. This entire landscape was breathtaking.

Nero overlooked this landscape from the top of the tree, a sense of wonder mixed with impatience crossed his eyes. He had been waiting for hours for the Bardian dragon to show itself but nothing has happened for the past 5 hours.

"It depressing staying here for long. Since they are not here I'll just soak in the water for a while." Nero said and jumped into the water.

Splash!

Nero caused massive ripples to reflect on the water surface. He floated horizontally with only his face sticking out from the water surface. But this did not last for long…. Nero floated leisurely and carefree when his brows suddenly slammed together.

"Something's not right.."

Before he could finish his sentence, he abruptly leaped out of the water. Following his trail was a huge jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth.

"Is this the Bardian dragon?" Nero who just landed on the shore turned to see a lizard about six feet long that slowly emerged from the water.

The lizard's jaw was wide open exposing close to 30 or more razor-sharp teeth. Its scales were a bit transparent…like the clear water.

Nero frowned, "I thought he said that they live in pairs…. Where's the other one?..." Nero had just thought this when he felt something move behind him at a fast speed. Nero immediately jumped to the side, avoiding whatever tried to attack him.

"The other one?"

From Nero's initial position, another Bardian dragon appeared! It was about the same size as the one that emerged from the water, but with a slight change….

"Is that…. Camouflage? I see…. One guards the water while the other guards the shore, each changing their color to blend with the environment. These beasts all have intelligence."

The other lizard that guards the shore had a darker colored scale that blends with the thick green plants that grow around the shore. Apart from their venomous gas and hard scales, there was also another variable that puts them at an advantage…camouflage! Bardian dragons are hard to detect because they can hide in plain sight. The Bardian dragon scales can change their color in correspondence to that of their environment, making them a perfect stealth hunter.

If one's perception and instinct weren't sharp enough, they wouldn't be able to sense these cold-blooded assassins and could end up in a miserable state.

Two 3 feet long Bardian dragons stood in front of Nero, baring their fangs and growling.

Roar!!