funbook-pk Chapter 102 Toll Fees
Chapter 102 Toll Fees
The crimson shooting star magnified rapidly in the eyes of the caravan members, its wild momentum crashing over them like a tidal wave, causing their chests to tighten suddenly, as if their heartbeats were about to stop abruptly.
The horses and mules pulling the carts were gripped by immense panic, rearing up and neighing incessantly; a few particularly timid ones even stiffened, convulsing and collapsing to the ground.
"What is that?"
"It's a dragon! It's a red dragon! Run!!"
"It's too late, we're doomed..."
Upon seeing Thor's appearance, the entire caravan instantly descended into chaos.
Mark, the caravan leader who was standing on the shaft of the command carriage, felt a wave of dizziness and a strong bitterness welled up from the bottom of his heart. His legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.
It's over! Everything is over! It's too late to escape now.
Not to mention that the horses are already in a state of chaos, frightened by the red dragon's fierce aura. Even if they were to obey orders and run away desperately, how could they possibly outrun a dragon flying in the sky?
Perhaps, from the moment they entered the Red Dragon's sight, the ending was already predetermined.
Mark's years of experience traversing the wilderness taught him that when faced with such an insurmountable danger, the best course of action is to give up resistance and never provoke the other party.
In this way, although all the goods would be lost, at least there would be a chance to save their lives.
Looking down at the chaotic scene below, Thor, suspended in mid-air, couldn't help but curl a sinister smile into his lips.
Seeing that the humans at the back of the caravan had turned their horses around and were desperately whipping them to escape, magic immediately gathered in his slightly open mouth.
A beam of orange-red and blue heat suddenly shot out. Although it had not been charged up and its power was greatly reduced, it was still far beyond what these human warriors, whose challenge level was only around one or two, could withstand.
The human hit head-on had his chainmail and inner leather armor pierced instantly; as Thor's head swung, the heat ray suddenly slashed left and right, leaving a scorching red line of death on the ground.
The horrifying scene made the others tremble uncontrollably, their hands gripping their weapons shaking, and they dared not make the slightest move.
A scorching wind swept down from overhead, and only then did they realize that the red dragon had an unusually large wingspan, and its overlapping scales, gleaming with a metallic sheen, were like an indestructible suit of armor, with flames burning all around it.
With a dull thud, Thor folded his wings and landed directly in front of the human caravan.
The flames burning on the soles of his feet scorched the ground, occasionally producing tiny crackling sounds, and wisps of blue smoke rose up, charring and melting the soil and sand.
"You want to leave as soon as you step into my territory? That's not how I treat my guests."
A deep voice came from Thor's mouth, and he slowly moved his feet, approaching the caravan step by step.
The merchants and guards immediately felt an immense sense of oppression and heat. Even from several meters away, their exposed skin felt a burning pain, and their metal armor began to scorch.
This discovery terrified them even more—such a horrific creature, let alone fighting it, would likely burn them alive just by standing next to it.
Seeing that the terrifying red dragon showed no sign of stopping, large beads of sweat had formed on the foreheads of the merchants and guards standing at the front.
Therefore, Mark, as the leader of the caravan, had no choice but to step forward and speak in a humble tone.
"Your Excellency Red Dragon, we were unaware that this was your territory. Please forgive our offense. We are willing to offer all our treasures as an apology."
The sudden sound caught Thor's attention. He turned his huge head slightly, and his molten gold pupils turned to the middle-aged man with gray hair.
This guy is quite pragmatic; as soon as he saw the situation was bad, he immediately tried to please them by offering his treasure to save his life.
Indeed, none of the merchants who could travel through the wilderness were fools.
That's fine, as a red dragon, he doesn't have much patience to begin with, and he's even less willing to waste time and breath on fools.
"Treasure? How much can you offer? Kill you all, and it will all still be mine!"
These words sank Mark's heart, filling him with despair. He looked at the mocking expression on Saul's face, yet he still refused to give up the struggle.
"You should know that when we humans travel as merchants, we don't carry all our wealth with us. Even if you kill us now, you will only get a small amount of treasure."
"If you're willing to spare our lives, we promise to bring you even greater wealth next time we pass by."
However, even Mark himself found these words unconvincing. He put himself in the Red Dragon's shoes and knew he certainly wouldn't believe them.
But to his utter surprise, the red dragon revealed a ferocious smile and growled.
"Your suggestion is good, very good! I like doing business with smart people."
"Then it's settled: leave behind all your money, half your goods, and a quarter of your men, and I await your ransom."
These words instantly plunged Mark's heart into despair. He didn't have much money on him; when trading in the wilderness, he mostly bartered, so he didn't carry much with him.
Half the goods are still acceptable, but the key is the quarter of manpower—not to mention the dangers that those who stay behind will face, losing so many people will cause major problems for the entire caravan.
"We can give you money and goods, but with a quarter of our manpower gone, it will be difficult for us to continue our journey through the wilderness."
This is indeed a problem. Thor did not intend to exterminate the caravan, but rather to treat them as a goose that could lay eggs.
After all, if all the passing caravans were killed, eventually other caravans would realize that this was a dead end, which would be a loss.
Only by ensuring their safe passage can he continuously collect tolls, spread his fame in human society, and acquire more spiritual essence.
As for whether they will never pass through this place again after they return to human territory?
Saul believed that merchants would sell even the ropes that led to their own deaths if there was profit to be made.
Wilderness trading is inherently a highly profitable business. In my previous life, during a time of low productivity, a small iron pot could be exchanged for a sheep on the grassland, and a pound of salt could be exchanged for a complete animal hide.
Even if profits are halved, there are still plenty of people willing to take the risk.
After a brief moment of thought, Thor smirked and leaned closer to the merchant leader, saying...
"You're right, then I'll lend you some manpower."
"You leave behind as many humans as you will give me as many subordinates, but in return, if I return with even one less subordinate, then one of my men will have to stay here forever!"
At such close range, Mark could clearly feel the scorching breath exhaled from the red dragon's mouth.
Considering the beast's tyrannical temper, he dared not raise any further objections and could only nod with difficulty.