Chapter 568: The Hunter’s Grand Entrance

Dying in the bloom of youth might also be considered a form of beauty.

Parris thought so, but Liszt didn't pay it much mind. He would eventually investigate Parris's identity as a black dragon spirit, which could offer valuable insights and guidance on the application of dragon magic. Whether it's a black dragon spirit or a white dragon spirit, they appear somewhat malevolent to humans but advantageous to dragons.

According to Parris, if no changes are made, she would be devoured by the magic power of the Light Dragon, ultimately reverting to the Light Dragon spirit. This could be viewed as a method of cultivation. If the Fire Drake Leo could master this and shed three thousand blood drops... creating three thousand black dragon spirits, wouldn't that speed up growth?

Of course.

For now, Liszt hasn't even mastered dragon riding, so uncovering the secrets of the black dragon spirit is still a distant goal. There's no rush.

After resting overnight in the port town, early the next morning, he rode the Rainbow Whale Rosi and swam toward the beach at the southwestern end of Coral Island, the domain of the Purplesand Crocodile.

"I wonder if that magic beast has already hunted the Purplesand Crocodile. If it has, then it's all in vain."

The beach where the Purplesand Crocodile dwells is expansive, but for Liszt, possessing the Magic Eye is akin to having a radar, making it easy to detect the crocodile's movements.

It was lurking at the edge of the sea, not yet hunted.

Liszt didn't disturb it, merely waited nearby: "Where is that Advanced Magic Beast?" He scanned the area but saw no trace of the Advanced Magic Beast mentioned in the smoke mission.

Luckily, he had ample patience.

Two hours went by.

By mid-morning, the Purplesand Crocodile could no longer remain in the sea and began crawling ashore. The beach in this area was scattered with unknown shrubs, and the crocodile's range of movement was vast. It crawled along the beach toward the depths of the woods. Liszt signaled Rose to wait by the shore as he hurriedly followed the crocodile.

Shortly after.

The Purplesand Crocodile traversed the beach and muddy ground, plunging into a swampy lake. Its massive body quickly merged with the mud, leaving only its head above water, waiting for prey.

Liszt climbed a large tree nearby, playing the role of the hunter in the "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" scenario, quietly waiting for the Advanced Magic Beast to appear.

Time flew.

By noon, the Purplesand Crocodile still hadn't caught any prey and continued to wait. The Advanced Magic Beast still hadn't shown up. Liszt remained patient. He took out his prepared lunch and ate it in the tree. Normally, he dined with refinement and enjoyment, but that didn't mean he couldn't endure hardship.

It was just a bit uncomfortable.

In the castle, meals were clean and hygienic. After finishing one dish, he would wipe his hands and sip wine, maintaining a tidy appearance and ensuring the flavors of different dishes didn't mix. Eating in the wild, he had to rely on himself, his hands greasy, and it was inconvenient to enjoy wine.

In short, the taste of the food and the dining atmosphere were greatly diminished.

Gradually.

The sun began to tilt.

Liszt, leaning against the tree trunk, almost dozed off. At that moment, he habitually activated his Magic Eye and scanned the surroundings, startling himself. Unnoticed, a massive figure outlined by green magic had appeared at the edge of the swamp.

It was a bird-like creature, hidden in the bushes by the swamp.

Dispelling the Magic Eye, a revitalized Liszt observed the wind-attribute Advanced Magic Beast with his naked eye. Compared to the surrounding trees, a ten-meter-tall tree only reached its neck, meaning it stood over ten meters tall. Its gray-brown feathers, excluding the head and neck, resembled those of a stork or crane.

However, its thick neck and the massive head atop it were far from those of a stork or crane.

Especially its enormous beak, flaxen and covered with brown spots, looked like a giant boot.

This suddenly reminded Liszt of the goofy-looking shoebill stork he had seen in an online video. In the video, the shoebill stork kept dropping small fish from its mouth while being fed, proving its clumsiness. No wonder it was said to be nearly extinct.

The Advanced Magic Beast before him was clearly no match for the shoebill stork. Although similar in appearance, its posture and aura exuded authority, and the dense green magic power indicated its strength.

He stood there in the bushes like this.

Completely still.

His sharp eyes were locked on the Purplesand Crocodile in the swamp, not even blinking.

Hours went by...

"I’ll just call you Shoebill Stork—your beak looks like a boot, your body resembles a stork, and your massive size makes this name a perfect fit for you." Liszt casually named the big bird, and by the time he was done, it was nearly dark.

Over the past few hours of the afternoon, the Purplesand Crocodile still hadn’t caught any prey, and the Shoebill Stork stayed hidden in the bushes, waiting patiently.

It’s worth noting.

The patience animals show while hunting is truly impressive.

It made him consider driving prey toward the Purplesand Crocodile to lure it out, then provoking the Shoebill Stork to hunt it down. Or, more recklessly, he could charge in and fight the Shoebill Stork head-on, Advanced Magic Beast or not, and take it down first.

"Never mind, I’ll wait a little longer. There’s plenty of time—no need to take unnecessary risks."

As soon as the thought crossed his mind.

The situation shifted suddenly. With a few grunts, two large Thunder Fang Boars, accompanied by several smaller ones, began moving toward the swamp. The Thunder Fang Boars were low-level thunder-attribute magic beasts, capable of casting Thunder Strike.

Back in Thorn Ridge, Liszt had teamed up with the knights to hunt Thunder Fang Boars; their thick hides made them a tough opponent.

As soon as the Thunder Fang Boars entered the swamp, they started rolling in the mud, grunting and enjoying themselves, oblivious to the danger closing in. Finally, one large Thunder Fang Boar rolled too close to the Purplesand Crocodile, and in an instant, the crocodile lunged forward.

With a snap of its massive jaws, it caught the Thunder Fang Boar, twisted its body violently, and dragged the boar into the swamp.

"Grunt!"

"Oink!"

The remaining Thunder Fang Boars fled in panic, but the Purplesand Crocodile ignored them; this one-ton boar was more than enough for a feast. But, like the Thunder Fang Boar, the Purplesand Crocodile failed to realize it wasn’t the apex predator.

As the crocodile grew numb from the Thunder Strikes unleashed by the struggling boar and was forced to surface, the Shoebill Stork, which had been hiding in the bushes for hours, struck swiftly.

Its wings spread wide, its long legs stepped forward, and its massive boot-shaped beak shot out like lightning, aiming straight for the Purplesand Crocodile’s head as it began to peck furiously.

Its beak also conjured a massive fireball—an advanced magic spell called Super Fireball. Each peck at the crocodile’s head was followed by a fireball strike, nearly scorching its skull. With each flap of its wings, it unleashed another advanced magic spell—Flame Slash—hacking fiercely at the crocodile’s body.

The Purplesand Crocodile quickly shook off the half-dead boar, opened its jaws, and spat out its advanced magic spell—Water Wave Shield—creating a protective barrier around itself. Then it unleashed another advanced magic spell—Water Arrow Barrage—firing a relentless volley at the Shoebill Stork. As a mid-level magic beast, it was larger than the Shoebill Stork, and its counterattack was ferocious.

But it couldn’t change its fate.

The Shoebill Stork moved with agility, dodging and weaving as it unleashed a barrage of spells—Fireball Barrage, Repelling Fire Ring, Flame Slash, Super Fireball, Flame Tornado, Dancing Fire Snake—like a mobile spellcaster, relentlessly hammering the Purplesand Crocodile until it shattered the Water Wave Shield and left the crocodile charred.

The massive beak kept pecking at the crocodile’s head, its goal clear: to crack open the skull. The crocodile’s thick hide resisted the magic roasting, but it wasn’t enough to save it.

"Groan..."

The Purplesand Crocodile howled in pain, no matter how it rolled, it couldn’t stop the Shoebill Stork from drilling into its head. Soon, with a crack, the skull broke, and brain matter splattered out.

The howling gradually ceased, and its body only twitched slightly.

The Shoebill Stork shook its wings, let out a satisfied strange cry, ready to enjoy today's feast in the afterglow of the setting sun.

"Whoosh!"

Liszt, who had been standing on the tree watching the thrilling hunt, leaped down from the branch. He decisively drew his Skycleaver Greatsword, channeling the Dragon Aura within his body. With a powerful kick, he launched into the air like an arrow, cloaked in a massive surge of Dragon Aura. He then executed a move from the "Crimson Sunflare Surge" technique called "Sunset Plunge."

This move mirrored the fading sunset on the horizon as he dove down towards the Shoebill Stork.

Now!

The mantis had caught the cicada, and the oriole had hunted the mantis. It was time for the hunter to take the stage in a blaze of glory!