Chapter 240 Molten Scale Town and Red-Scale Mushroom Soup

Molten Scale Town was a peaceful yet bustling settlement deeply embedded in a valley on the eastern foothills of the Molten Scale Mountains.

It was like a pot of water gradually reaching a boil. Its calm surface and occasional ripples were no different from an ordinary town, but the flames occasionally leaping from beneath the iron pot and the hot bubbles gurgling to the surface revealed its uniqueness.

Compared to other remote, desolate human settlements situated in perilous locations, Molten Scale Town was much more prosperous than one might imagine.

Although it couldn't compare to Rivervale Town, which boasted an Adventurers' Association, it was not far off from neighboring Kalanfor.

As for the reason, one aspect was the town's unique geography.

Leaning against the towering mountain range and situated on a relatively gentle slope, it had a long, turbulent stream originating from deep within the Molten Scale Mountains flowing right through it.

While providing precious water to the town, the stream also dispersed the lingering sulfurous heat in the air and irrigated the nearby land.

This created the most basic living conditions for the townspeople.

On the other hand, for Molten Scale Town to develop in such a remote location and attract wave after wave of merchants and adventurers for trade, it naturally had its own unique draw.

The powerful dragon named Kraugbari, entrenched on the highest peak of the Molten Scale Mountains, was one of those reasons.

Under normal circumstances, facing a walking natural disaster—a creature whose mere Dragon Breath could instantly destroy the lifelong efforts of the town's thousands of residents—no one would dare approach.

Anyone with even a sliver of reason would never choose to go near it.

Especially considering that Kraugbari was a red dragon, the species with the most violent temper among all dragons.

But perhaps precisely because of this, the extremely strong territorial instinct unique to red dragons seemingly made Kraugbari view this small settlement of weak creatures as part of its territory.

As a result, even though it frequently flew over Molten Scale Town, it never once attacked the town's buildings or civilians.

Furthermore, its innate Dragon Might and the dangerous aura of an apex predator meant that very few monsters ever appeared in the vicinity.

All year round, the area around the town saw at most a few goblins—creatures that bred rapidly like cockroaches but possessed abysmal intelligence—or kobolds, followers drawn to the red dragon's fame.

They had no real impact on the town.

This made Molten Scale Town a rare safe haven within Cloudclimb Province so close to a Dragon Lair.

Because of this dangerous, arrogant, and powerful guardian, the town gained a vital industry that drove its economic development.

—Red dragon scales.

Naturally, it was impossible to clash head-on with the creature.

Professional adventurers and bold mountain folk, known locally as "flame gatherers," would act with extreme caution. Sticking to relatively safe zones far from the Dragon Lair, they searched for scales the red dragon had naturally shed or lost in battle.

Thanks to a dragon's inherently high resistance to all elemental magic and its formidable physical defense, these dragon scales retained immense forging value even after detaching from the main body.

If transported to a major city like Nym, they could be placed directly in an auction house and fetch an astronomical price.

And if someone managed to find a shed wing membrane—or the even rarer dragon teeth and claws—it was the kind of fortune that could change an ordinary person's life forever.

Amidst the howling mountain winds and the scorching sulfurous heat, humans and the dragon had reached a bizarre and delicate balance.

By the time Xia Nan and his party arrived at Molten Scale Town, the streets were already bustling with activity.

The town was built into the mountainside. Constrained by the terrain and the need for wind and fire protection, it had one and only one spacious main road. Narrow, winding alleys took up the vast majority of the settlement, filling the view with stairs and steep slopes.

The buildings on both sides of the road were mostly short, rarely exceeding two stories. They were constructed from heavy reddish-brown stone and fireproof clay, with steep roofs covered in specialized ceramic tiles.

The road surface utilized local materials, compacted from the grayish-black cinder soil of the Molten Scale Mountains. The color was predominantly dark gray and charred black; stepping on it, one could almost feel a faint residual warmth through the soles of their boots.

It was somewhat peculiar. The town's streets could hardly be called spacious, and the coming and going crowds mixed with street vendors made them seem even more crowded.

Yet, they gave off a feeling of order within the chaos—a lively, prosperous atmosphere brimming with the vibrant breath of daily life.

"Clack."

A thick leather boot, still clinging to scraps of forest leaves, stepped onto the scorched gray ground, the sole rubbing against the cinder soil with a gritty scrape.

Bearing twin swords on his back and clad in iron armor, Xia Nan stepped up a flight of stairs, his eyes surveying the street vendors' wares with keen interest.

Pottery made from the unique clay of the Molten Scale Mountains, various heat-resistant and durable fabrics, mining picks and crowbars, bighorn sheep pelts, oddly shaped herbs...

They were closer to Rivervale Town than to Nym, and still technically within Cloudclimb Province.

Yet Molten Scale Town's streetscape, so different from other human settlements and full of exotic flair, gave the illusion of having traveled to the other end of the continent.

"It is very safe here. We're close to the Molten Scale Mountains, and the restricting terrain makes it difficult for information to spread quickly to the outside world," Wood said.

Guarding at Hai'an's side, Wood had already lowered his presence, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings.

"We can rest in town for three days and set out once everyone's condition has fully recovered."

Glancing at the expressionless Sava ahead and to the side, Xia Nan mentally agreed with Wood's proposal to rest.

Setting aside everything else, just for the sake of the dragonborn in their party, three days of rest was absolutely necessary.

She still hadn't fully recovered from the lingering effects of the red dragon flying overhead.

He didn't want her spacing out when they encountered enemies later, causing the team to suffer unnecessary losses.

With three days of rest in town, Sava should be mostly recovered.

Of course, speaking for Xia Nan himself.

These past ten-plus days of sleeping rough in the wilderness made him especially miss the soft beds and savory soups of a tavern.

Given the chance to rest for a while, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

No one had any objections to this, and under Wood's arrangement, they divided their tasks clearly.

He took Sava and Luca to resupply in town, while Hai'an, Xia Nan, and Verol went to find a suitable inn and book their lodging.

Xia Nan had originally thought about finding a blacksmith in town to help maintain his armor and equipment.

Although his own craftsmanship was gradually improving, handing it over to a professional for maintenance would obviously yield much better results.

Unfortunately, even though Molten Scale Town had a decent number of adventurers due to the dragon scale industry, the local blacksmiths' skills were far inferior to Barn from Rivervale Town's Rockhammer Smithy.

The "Fine" goods displayed on the shop shelves were much worse in quality compared to those in the Rockhammer Smithy.

This left Xia Nan feeling uneasy. He simply bought some maintenance materials and auxiliary tools on the way out and left the shop.

His entire set of equipment—just the armor and leg greaves combined—cost nearly four figures in gold coins.

If they accidentally ruined it during repairs, he didn't have any connections in town to guarantee he would even get compensated.

Since there wasn't any severe damage anyway, maintaining it himself would suffice for now.

It wouldn't be too late to pay someone for a full maintenance service ten days later when they reached Sticky-Tree Territory, or after returning to Rivervale Town.

Molten Scale Town itself wasn't large; it was merely a small settlement situated in a mountain valley.

But due to the undulating, rugged terrain and the uneven buildings constructed along the mountain slopes, navigating the town felt incredibly complicated.

The trio walked along the narrow streets for quite a while before finally finding an inn named "Resting Dragon Lair."

It looked unremarkable from the outside, with only a rather abstract signboard hanging by the door—depicting a bed and a wine cup—indicating its lodging and dining services.

Once inside, however, the layout was actually quite decent.

A bar paved with reddish-brown clay bricks directly faced the entrance, with wooden tavern tables filling both sides, and a staircase in the corner winding its way to the second floor.

Business was fairly brisk. Even though it was still morning, nearly half the tables in the hall were already occupied, and the overall environment could barely pass as tidy.

"You two look at the menu first. Just order whatever you want to eat; I'll cover the cost," Hai'an instructed them, then proactively stepped forward to speak with the front desk about booking rooms.

Knowing the half-elf was generous and friendly, Xia Nan hadn't been surprised; Hai'an hadn't let any of them spend a single extra coin along the journey.

Xia Nan nodded in thanks. His eyes swept across the hall once more, confirming there was no obvious hostility, before he looked up at the menu hanging on the wall behind the bar.

The vast majority of the dishes were no different from those in an ordinary town—just some common stews, smoked meats, and the like.

But since they were backed by the Molten Scale Mountains, Xia Nan still saw many dishes on the menu whose mere names made his eyes light up. For example:

"Salt-Baked Rock Mutton," "Dragon Breath Pit-Roasted Lizard Leg," "Sulfur-Fire Pepper Tossed Crisps"...

And "Red-Scale Mushroom Soup."

In an instant, he had already made his decision.

Xia Nan turned around, his gaze shifting to Verol beside him.

"How about it? Have you decided?"

...

Prices at the Resting Dragon Lair had risen due to the town's adventurers, meaning very few locals dined there.

But compared to the White Chickadee Tavern, it was undoubtedly still much cheaper.

The three of them ordered an entire table full of food (the table wasn't large, and meat made up the majority of it), yet it only cost five silver coins.

That was equivalent to the bounty of one and a half goblins.

To Xia Nan, who had grown used to the expenses at the White Chickadee Tavern, this could even be considered a bargain.

As for the taste...

A spoon, its surface retaining the texture of wood, stirred the clay pot in front of him.

Steam rose from the thick, reddish-brown soup, and bits of crushed pepper and herbs could be vaguely seen bobbing up and down in the broth.

His nostrils flared, taking in the faint smell of sulfur rising from the clay pot and flowing into his nose with every breath.

Xia Nan frowned slightly. He scooped up a spoonful of this so-called "Red-Scale Mushroom Soup" and brought it to his mouth.

He paused.

His brows first furrowed even deeper, then suddenly smoothed out.

Rich, savory saltiness was the main note. The broth seemed to be boiled from the meat and bones of mountain bighorn sheep, carrying a fragrant umami flavor; the spicy kick from the local peppers was present but not abrupt, perfectly melting into the depths of the soup.

Then there were those peculiar mushrooms he was seeing for the first time—entirely scorched yellow, with short, thick stems and wide caps. They were as crisp and tender as tripe, and inherently carried a trace of a pepper-like flavor.

It gave him the feeling of drinking a bowl of spicy pepper soup that had undergone a bizarre, otherworldly localization.

From texture to taste, it was completely different from the cream of mushroom soup at the White Chickadee Tavern.

But equally delicious.

It was just a pity that the season had already entered spring, and this was exclusively a specialty of Molten Scale Town.

Otherwise, if he could drink such a piping-hot bowl of spicy mushroom soup on a cold winter morning while watching the heavy snow flutter outside the window...

That sensation... Xia Nan couldn't even imagine how enjoyable it would be.

Meanwhile, on either side of his seat, Verol and Hai'an were also eating their own food.

Their expressions, however, hadn't changed much—it was no different from when they were chewing on jerky and gnawing on bread back at the camp.

Xia Nan didn't really mind.

Perhaps due to the influence of his past life's culture and background, he was accustomed to relieving his stress with good food. This was also a trait that distinguished him from many people in this world.

Compared to vices like gambling and alcoholism, this was naturally much healthier.

But similarly, if he went too long without tasting a dish that suited his palate, he would grow irritable, and his hostility would deepen.

Without a doubt, the dishes here at the Resting Dragon Lair perfectly matched his definition of "good food."

With the rolling heat, a bowl of mushroom soup entered his stomach. It felt as though all the fatigue of the journey was being driven out of his body through his pores by that spicy, warming current.

Just as Xia Nan was staring at his empty clay bowl, debating whether to order another serving...

He suddenly noticed a gaze directed at them from the other side of the hall.

Following the look, he saw a group of well-equipped knights in standard armor eating quietly.

Judging by the faint discipline they displayed and their similarly styled, fine standard-issue gear, they clearly weren't adventurers.

The gaze came from a handsome young man in heavy armor who appeared to be their leader.

His expression carried a hint of hesitation and uncertainty. He didn't seem entirely sure, but his eyes mostly lingered on the face of the half-elf, Hai'an, beside Xia Nan.

'Huh!?'

Vigilance instantly flared; he suspected they were pursuers from Nym.

Xia Nan casually shifted his posture, blocking the man's line of sight with his back.

At the same time, he tapped his fingertips lightly beneath the table to alert his teammates, his expression calm yet serious.

Seeing this, his two teammates at the table froze for a moment before instantly realizing an unexpected situation had arisen.

Without a single word, they were ready to fight or flee in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, the young knight on the other side slowly stood up, looking as if he was about to walk in their direction.

And right at this tense moment.

Extremely abruptly.

"Bang!"

The inn's front door was violently shoved open from the outside!

Piercing sunlight, wrapped in a thick stench of blood, flooded into the room along with the cold wind from outside.

A gloomy middle-aged man, looking as though he were suppressing his rage and covered in residual bloodstains, walked into the inn step by step under the gaze of countless eyes.

Those leather boots, stained with bloody water and mud, didn't stop until they reached the counter.

He stood facing the slightly trembling receptionist in front of him.

A hoarse, grating voice echoed eerily in the air.

"The rooms booked five days ago."

"M-May I ask what name you left at the time?" the receptionist asked.

"Hound Fang Squad, Lawson."