Black Hearted Mage

Chapter 342 Fat Dog Hunting

Wisps of white smoke emanated from the puppy's wet nostrils, a few orange-red sparks flickering with each breath. It tilted its head, its large, crimson eyes fixed in confusion on the piles of still-warm ashes on the ground—the very spot where its dinner had once been. Clearly, it hadn't mastered the force of its breath, and accidentally incinerated the robbers to the very bones.

"You damn dog, your control of the fire element is so 'precise'!" Caesars leaned against the tree trunk with his arms folded, and whistled playfully, "I thought you were going to perform a barbecue for me, but it turned out to be a crematorium?" As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the pool of solidified molten iron not far away - the dozen or so robbers who had just attacked, their fine steel swords were now spread out on the ground into shiny metal pancakes.

The pup's ears drooped, and its breath snorted a few times, laced with sparks. Its body, the size of a calf, now resembled a child who had misbehaved, clumsily scraping at the charred earth with its front paws. Caesars watched the sparks spurt from its claws and smacked his lips in amazement. The power was comparable to a high-level fire mage's Pyroblast spell, and no incantation was required.

"Listen, stupid dog." Caesars squatted down to the puppy's eye level. "You don't need to use all your strength to deal with a few petty thieves, understand?" He gestured. "Just like eating with a spoon instead of a shovel—oh yes, speaking of eating..." He looked helplessly at the pile of ashes. "Our food supply can't withstand you messing with it."

The puppy's eyes suddenly lit up, and its hot, wet nose nuzzled against Caesar's neck, purring ingratiatingly. Caesar stumbled, then rubbed its furry neck vigorously, scolding him with a laugh. "Don't try that! If you want meat, practice controlling your breath tomorrow." He looked south. "The fire salamanders of the southern continent are delicious, but until then—" He pulled out a piece of dry, dark bread. "You'll have to make do with this tonight."

The puppy stared at the piece of black bread, and the sparks in its nostrils suddenly dimmed a lot. Although it didn't like eating dry and hard black bread, it still took a bite and swallowed it whole.

"Two more pieces of black bread and two more pieces of meat. Let's travel through the night and fly directly to the Gravel Mountains when we reach them!"

Three days later, Caesars finally arrived at the scorching lava river basin. The scorching air distorted his vision, and dark red magma flowed slowly through the gullies, occasionally emitting dangerous sparks. He leaned against a massive, porous volcanic rock, its shadow barely shielding him from the stifling heat. Sweat evaporated as soon as it seeped off his skin, leaving only fine grains of salt. Caesars pulled a magic crystal from his space ring. A faint blue light flowed through his palm, slowly replenishing his depleted magic power.

Not far away, the fire pup, with its keen sense of smell, had already leaped into the lava river. The dark red magma parted and closed around it, as if it were a docile companion. Following a distinct scent trail, it searched the boiling riverbed for the entrance to the fire salamander's carefully hidden lair.

Kaisas licked his chapped lips, recalling the gourmet legends passed down among the mercenaries of the southern continent. Of all Warcraft ingredients, fire salamander meat is truly exceptional—its texture as delicate as the finest frost-grained beef, and when roasted, it exudes amber-colored fat and exudes a unique aroma reminiscent of a blend of truffle and sulfur. And its livers, encased in a thin membrane of flame, are a dream ingredient coveted by top chefs.

But this delicacy was hard to come by. Although fire salamanders were at the bottom of the food chain, these crimson beasts built their lairs beneath the most turbulent reaches of the lava river. Kaesus squinted at the other side of the river—several massive fire lizards were tearing at the remains of a ground dragon, their dark red scales reflecting in the lava like flowing blood.

Fire salamanders' ability to survive in such an environment relies on more than mere timidity and caution. When they leap from the magma, they can instantly unleash a thick, viscous rain of fire covering a ten-meter radius. These lava droplets, imbued with the essence of the earth's veins, are powerful enough to corrode even the strongest steel armor, making them difficult for ordinary mercenary teams to hunt.

On the black market, a complete fire salamander carcass could fetch 20,000 gold coins, double the price of a salamander. As Caesars stroked the burn marks on his staff, a dazzling streak of fire suddenly erupted from the lava river. The puppy's barking pierced the boiling magma—his prey had finally appeared.

Dark red magma surged like boiling blood, fiery bubbles bursting on the surface with a heart-pounding hiss. A few minutes later, accompanied by a violent churning, a pup, coated in sticky magma, suddenly leaped from the lava. Its powerful jaws dragged a crimson fire salamander. The beast's flat tail slapped the ground like a paddle, but it couldn't escape the pup's sharp fangs.

The pup swung its muscular body like a whirlwind, sending scalding lava raining down, leaving charred marks on the scorching ground. Then, it grabbed the fire salamander's iconic flat tail and, with swift steps, sprinted toward the crevice where Caesars lay hidden. Its claws scratched deep into the volcanic rock, and each step carried a force that could not be ignored.

The puppy scurried nimbly into the shadows, its wet nose twitching slightly. It raised its front paw, first pointing at the dying fire salamander, then proudly patting its sturdy chest, its dark red eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"You damn dog, you want to make clothes out of fire salamander leather?"

Kaisas narrowed his eyes and gently stroked the smooth skin of the fire salamander with his fingers. This beast's leather was truly unique. It had no scales and was not only as soft as the finest silk, but also valuable for its natural fireproof properties.

The puppy immediately let out a short, joyful hum from deep in its throat, its tail raised high like a flagpole, and it used its claws to scratch the fire salamander's belly, where there was the most intact and softest piece of leather.

"Got it. I'll skin it as carefully as I would a princess's wedding dress." Caesars drew the coldly gleaming skinning knife from his waist. "But now, you have to go and deal with those fire lizards on the other side that are gnawing on the ground dragon's corpse. Although the ground dragon has been almost eaten, the remaining remains should be worth a few gold coins."

His gaze shifted to the massive skeleton not far away. Surprisingly, the earth dragon's ferocious head remained intact, its sharp fangs gleaming coldly in the lava's reflection. Such a trophy would fetch an astonishing price at any auction house, and in the renowned and prosperous Fire Maple City, the price could be multiplied several times over.

This unfortunate ground dragon had clearly met a tragic end. Caesars noticed the scars on its bones—fatal wounds from being torn apart by its own kind's claws. Expelled from its tribe, it eventually fell to the edge of a lava river, becoming a delicious meal for the fire lizards.

The puppy whimpered excitedly, its eyes fixed on the plump salamanders. For this gourmet pup, salamander meat was not only juicy and delicious, but also provided the magical energy it needed for growth. Its hind legs suddenly tensed, and it darted towards the other bank like an arrow from a bow. Unlike other hunters who approached stealthily, it let out a deafening roar, deliberately startling the feeding salamanders. This was its unique hunting method—a head-on confrontation, crushing its prey with sheer force.

Salamanders, high-level magical beasts, were inherently ferocious and extremely protective. They hunkered down on the charred rocky ground on the other side of the lava river, their sharp claws digging deep into the scorching rock, their scaly backs arched high, and menacing growls emanated from their throats. As the pup's nimble figure leaped across the final stretch of the lava river, the fiery lava splashed beneath its claws. The tense standoff between the two sides was instantly broken, and a fierce battle was inevitable.

At the same time, Caesars drew from his waist a magical blade shimmering with a faint blue glow, its blade entwined with fine magical patterns. He knelt on one knee and expertly flipped the fire salamander's massive body over, exposing its relatively soft underbelly. The sharp tip of the blade precisely penetrated the most vulnerable part of the beast's neck, slowly slicing along the edge of the hide. The tough red leather parted like silk beneath the magical blade, revealing the vibrant red muscle tissue beneath.

He first carefully removed the fire salamander's still-beating heart. This head-sized organ was covered in fine flame lines. Next, he removed the bright red liver, which emitted a faint scent of sulfur. Caesars sealed them in a specially crafted magical container and stored them in his spatial ring. The useless viscera were neatly piled aside. These organs, emitting a strong, bloody scent, would serve as excellent bait to lure other magical beasts.

The entire decomposition process was smooth and effortless: the tough hide was completely peeled off, the blood-stained monster flesh was sorted by part, and the hard bones were stored separately. As Kaesus spread his elemental wings, lightly gliding over the boiling lava river, spreading the entire fire salamander hide in the sun to dry, the puppies' hunt in the distance also came to an end.

The pup displayed astonishing combat acumen. Unlike ordinary magical beasts, it didn't recklessly tear at the salamander's hardened skull. Instead, it nimbly swerved to the side, precisely crushing each salamander's cervical vertebra with its powerful front claws. This clean, efficient kill preserved the most valuable head intact while ensuring the freshness of the meat. At that moment, it was straddling the back of the largest salamander, howling triumphantly in Caesar's direction.

Kaisas swung his dagger expertly, the sharp blade slicing across the salamander's throat with pinpoint precision. Dark red blood gushed out, and a strong odor of sulfur instantly filled the scorching air. The scalding blood sizzled as it hit the inside of the barrel, and tiny bubbles continuously emerged from the surface—a sign of the active, high-purity fire element. He knew that this blood was not only a delicious drink for the pup, but also essential food for its strength.

After completing the bleeding, Caesars deftly cut open the fire lizard's abdomen. His slender fingers deftly extracted the plump heart and thick liver, the most tender and juicy parts of the magma creature. He casually tossed the remaining entrails toward the lava river. The dark red organs immediately emitted a plump smoke upon contact with the scorching rock, emitting the distinctive scent that lures fire salamanders. He stored the three processed lizard carcasses in his storage ring. In the high temperature, these ingredients struggled to maintain optimal freshness, so he had to wait until the cooler night to process them.

"You damn dog, keep an eye on those baits!" Kaisas shouted without even looking up, the frying pan in his hand already placed on the makeshift stove. "These are the fire salamanders' favorite food. As for you..." He glanced at the drooling puppy and pulled out two wilted fire flowers from his waist bag. "I can only give you two more fire flowers tonight. These are all I have left!"

The puppy twitched its short tail in discontent, its nose wrinkled as it whimpered in grievance. Suddenly, its triangular ears pricked up, and its moist nose twitched rapidly. A moment later, the little creature suddenly stood up excitedly, its stubby paws pointing southward at a steaming crevice in the rocks. A rapid "woop" sound emanated from its throat, and its tail wagged like a small windmill.

Kaisas followed the instructions and smiled. "Go quickly and come back soon, dig up more fire flowers! Remember not to be greedy. If you overeat like last time, you'll burp fire!"

The fat puppy let out an impatient "woof", and its short and thick four legs swung rapidly and alternately. It ran towards the south like a rolling fireball, leaving a series of deep paw prints on the ground covered with volcanic ash.

Caesars calmly snapped his fingers, and a burst of flames erupted from his fingertips, precisely igniting the charcoal in the stove. With deft movements, he pulled a spice jar from his storage ring and neatly placed it on the nearby rock counter. The fire salamander liver still had a faint crimson sheen. He rinsed it briefly to remove any remaining blood, then plopped it into the already scalding pan. The fat instantly boiled with an alluring sizzling sound, and the rich aroma of meat, mixed with a faint whiff of sulfur, wafted into the air.

Kaisas stared at the frying pan intently. The fire salamander liver was extremely delicate, and it would become tough if it was fried for a second longer. He tapped the handle of the pan with his slender fingers and counted the time silently - one minute on each side was the perfect temperature.

At that moment, a sudden clattering sound of tumbling gravel erupted from a nearby crevice. A massive dog's head, coated in volcanic ash, poked out, its wet black nose twitching wildly, clearly captivated by the aroma of frying meat. The puppy, hearing the sizzling noises, leaped anxiously on the spot twice before charging forward like a cannonball, clutching a few freshly dug flame flowers, their petals still stained with fresh lava debris. It uttered inarticulate whines as it ran, its tail wagging so hard it practically left an afterimage, terrified that a second too late would mean missing out on this delicious meal.