The heavy timber gates of Bedrock Fortress were hauled open by ogre guards, and the clamoring kobolds poured into the valley, where they were settled into dark, damp subterranean caverns—the preferred habitat for these sensitive-skinned creatures.
Fortunately, Giant Canyon was vast enough to accommodate these thralls with room to spare; otherwise, the sudden influx of hundreds of kobolds would have left the interim steward, Langpu, thoroughly overwhelmed.
Cassius flew into the sky, gazing down at the frail creatures.
[Based on your strength, you can view the following information]
Kobold
Small humanoid (kobold), lawful evil
AC: 12
Speed: 30 ft.
STR: 7
DEX: 15
CON: 9
INT: 8
WIS: 7
CHA: 8
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
Languages: Common, Draconic
Proficiencies: Construction +4, Traps +4, Excavation +6, Stealth +6
Traits: Sunlight Sensitivity, Pack Tactics
Actions: Dagger, Sling
Challenge Rating: 1/8 (25 XP)
Evaluation: "Kobolds make up for their physical deficiencies with a knack for burrowing and crafting traps. Frail in body, they are little more than appetizers for predators, and their vulnerability forces them to band together."
A Challenge Rating of 1/8. This was likely the weakest monster Cassius had ever encountered. The only value in taking them as thralls was to use them as miners and sappers; if sent to the battlefield, they would amount to nothing more than cannon fodder.
Yet, for the sake of the gold and the intelligence regarding that beast, the red dragon accepted them into his service regardless.
Because kobolds were so weak, the mysterious beast's feat of devouring hundreds of them in the mine shaft proved very little in his eyes. He still needed more detailed intelligence and an accurate assessment of its strength.
Still, any creature capable of growing larger than the current red dragon was surely no pushover.
With this in mind, he summoned the hobgoblin chieftain, Duoluo.
With the Cinder Nest backing him, this ambitious hobgoblin warlord had left behind his days of wandering in exile and evading human pursuit. He was living comfortably now—so much so that, whether by imagination or not, even his coarse, reddish-brown skin seemed a touch smoother.
Consequently, further amplified by the Chieftain's Aura, Duoluo grew increasingly reverent toward his master. A broad smile was plastered across his ugly red face. "My mighty master, what are your orders?"
"How is the training of your wolf riders coming along?"
The so-called wolf riders referred to goblin soldiers mounted atop worgs.
Goblins shared a peculiar affinity with wolves, making them excellent partners, and wolf riders formed the undisputed elite of goblin forces.
The hobgoblin Duoluo had once declared during a hunt, "I would rather sacrifice dozens of cannon fodder to keep a single wolf rider alive."
And he had truly practiced what he preached: in that very hunt, he had let more than a dozen goblins get trampled to death by a mammoth just to save an unseated worg rider.
"Splendidly. The worgs can hardly wait to taste the blood of our enemies."
Duoluo licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with an innate thirst for war.
"Send several scout squads to scout out the mine shaft the kobolds spoke of, and while you're at it, reconnoiter the nearby factions. Report back the moment you gather intelligence. Do not incur excessive casualties."
"As your will commands."
The hobgoblin bowed respectfully, vaulted onto his worg, and cracked his whip as he went off to rally the wolf riders.
*After studying spells for so long, it's time to sweep the surrounding area again and level up,* the red dragon mused.
Over the preceding period, Cassius had dedicated himself entirely to the study of magic, striving to master his own power to the point of deliberately suppressing his experience gain and leveling.
Though the player interface could effortlessly bolster his might, Cassius still desired a firmer, more grounded control over his power, along with a deep comprehension of how spells functioned and how the world operated.
He needed not only a formidable body but also the mindset of a powerhouse, so as never to become a mere puppet to the so-called "system."
The red dragon beat his wings and soared into the air.
...
High atop an unnamed cliff, two hideous creatures were tearing into shredded flesh.
As for their meal—though savaged beyond recognition—the smooth skin, a severed hand with five distinct fingers, and scraps of finely crafted clothing made it faintly discernible as a human, or at least a humanoid.
The beasts were massive, roughly four meters long, possessing the body of a lion and a pair of draconic wings.
Bristling manes stretched down their backs, and the ends of their slender tails were clustered with sharp spines. Most chilling of all were their heads: smooth, hairless faces resembling humans, which appeared horrifyingly grotesque smeared with dripping blood.
They were manticores—notorious monsters with an appetite for human flesh, whose likenesses often featured in human bedtime tales meant to frighten children, except they were very much real.
They loved dragging humans back to their high-cliff nests to savor them slowly.
Only this time, a thin mist crept over the cliff.
Soon, the mist thickened, blinding every creature shrouded within it.
Yet the manticores, accustomed to being dread apex predators as they feasted, failed to realize danger was upon them.
A dark shadow swept through the thick fog, followed closely by a brilliant flash of fire visible even through the murk.
"Fire Breath!"
With searing flames banked in his maw, the red dragon burst from the roiling fog. His breath weapon engulfed one of the manticores directly, setting its fur and flesh ablaze and leaving it with no recourse but to screech in agony.
It could do nothing but thrash across the nest.
Yet the nest of dry wood and thatch caught fire as well, and roaring flames devoured it completely.
Seeing this, the other manticore let out an eerie shriek like human laughter, then snapped its wings to flee the fog and flame.
Cassius had no intention of granting it that chance.
"Quicken: Cat's Grace."
As the stat-boosting spell—playfully nicknamed part of the "zoo spells"—took effect, the red dragon's massive frame grew markedly lighter.
With a gentle beat of his wings, he swept through the air, overtaking the fleeing manticore in an instant.
Showing no mercy, the red dragon thrust out a thick, taloned claw and slammed the airborne manticore hard against the cliff's rock face.
The entire cliffside shuddered with a crash, sending loose rocks of all sizes tumbling downward.
Its breath ragged, the manticore emitted a strange whimper—a plea for mercy.
"I... sub... mit."
Tears actually ran down that humanlike face, twisting it into an expression of desperate begging. To any creature with ordinary sensibilities, however, the look was grotesque beyond measure.
*Crack.*
The red dragon bore down with sudden force in his talons, snapping the monster's spine without hesitation.
He unclenched his claw, letting the massive, hideous carcass plummet, followed by a shower of loose pebbles.
A heavy thud echoed from the foot of the cliff along with the clatter of falling stones, followed by faint, dying twitches, and then absolute silence.
Perched atop the precipice, the red dragon gazed down at the mist-veiled ground below. "Down the line, I'll need to seize human cities and welcome the arrival of the players. I need thralls who can obey orders—or at least suppress their wild instincts.
"As for chaotic evil brutes to scare people, that chimera is more than enough.
"Besides, these things are just too damn ugly."
As the smoke cleared, Cassius stared at the twisted human face on the ground, unable to resist muttering in disgust.
Chapter 17