To Unlock Bonus Chapters:
Reach 30/40/50/100/200/400 Power Stones! 3 Extra Chapters!
Reach 800 Power Stones to activate NP!
Resets Weekly! [Monday]
—————————————————————————————————————————
Seeing the black dragon, Bolikri threw caution to the wind. Leading his band of kobolds, he charged towards the dragon, barking like he'd just found his long-lost father.
By the time the kobolds emerged from behind the tree, Su Nian had already noticed them.
Kobolds were known to be die-hard fans of dragons. This was not only due to the trace of dragon blood in their veins but also because their ancestors had worshiped and served the mighty dragons for generations.
These humble creatures were undoubtedly weak, but from Su Nian's inherited knowledge, he saw something that other dragons might have overlooked.
Their cowardice and timidity, in Su Nian's eyes, were actually a form of wisdom—an instinct to avoid danger and seek advantage.
Even the weakest prey would be swarmed by kobolds, yet when faced with a powerful predator, they would never rashly charge in. Instead, they would meticulously plan their moves.
This was a stark contrast to the brainless goblins.
Evil yet orderly, cunning, bloodthirsty, and cruel, kobolds were despicable creatures. However, they worshiped dragons and were loyal to the strong.
As long as you were powerful enough, they could become the most excellent servants. Kobolds were also skilled at building traps and crafting intricate burrows.
Su Nian did not chase away the kobolds. His dragon heritage told him that encountering kobolds was akin to finding free minions—they would stick to you without needing to be subdued.
Sure enough, when Bolikri saw that the black dragon was not angered by their presence, he was delighted.
Mustered up his courage, Bolikri trembled as he approached the black dragon. Dropping his weapons and pouches to the ground, he and his kobold followers prostrated themselves, uttering a mix of hisses, growls, and barks.
"Oh mighty true dragon, I, the humble Bolikri, represent the kobolds of the Broken Tooth Tribe and humbly beg to become your loyal slaves, ready to serve your every command."
Su Nian understood Bolikri's words, which were spoken in Koboldish—a simplified and adapted version of Draconic. The language sounded peculiar, like a dialect mixed with various grammatical structures. To Su Nian, it resembled something along the lines of:
"Big big boss dragon, me Bolikri, chief of kobolds, wanna be your loyal underling, big big awesome! You point, we smash! They die die!"
Su Nian smacked his lips as he observed the group of kobolds awaiting their fate. A detailed panel, combining his Insight ability and the system's functions, appeared before his eyes:
[Kobold - Bolikri of the Broken Tooth Tribe]
[Level: 7 (Tier 1)]
Traits:
[Chieftain]: Leader of the tribe.
[Sunlight Sensitivity]: Under sunlight, kobolds suffer penalties to their attacks and perception.
[Pack Tactics]: Kobolds gain courage when at least one ally is near an enemy.
[Throwing]: Rocks, weapons, dung—you name it.
[Digger and Builder]: Skilled at crafting traps and designing burrows.
[Current Favorability: 80 (Worship)]
...
After reviewing the kobolds' stats, Su Nian found them to be mostly similar, with Bolikri being slightly stronger and having the Chieftain trait. The other kobolds were generally Level 3 or 4.
In a direct confrontation, they probably couldn't even take down a mountain wolf. But with traps, the outcome might be different.
Accepting them was a given, but Su Nian decided to play it cool, giving the kobolds the impression that he was reluctantly agreeing.
After pondering for a moment, Su Nian asked in standard Draconic, with a hissing undertone:
"Kobold Chieftain Bolikri, you and your followers are pitifully weak. If I grant you my protection, what can you offer me in return?"
Hearing the black dragon's response, Bolikri trembled with excitement. He raised his head respectfully to glance at the dragon and answered without hesitation:
"Oh mighty true dragon, though we are weak, we can polish every scale on your body, design a magnificent and comfortable dragon lair for you, and even locate rare mineral veins to enrich your hoard."
"As we grow stronger, we can also hunt food for you, as long as you don't mind."
Listening to Bolikri's earnest plea, Su Nian, though prepared, was still a bit taken aback.
What a perfect little servant!
Protection was like buying insurance—when real danger struck, Su Nian would definitely leave the kobolds to fend for themselves.
This simple logic was surely not lost on the kobolds, yet they were still willing to accept exploitation from a dragon.
To be honest, this was a rather pathological mindset. Su Nian liked to call it the "Exploitation Syndrome: Can't Live Without Being Exploited."
Since these kobolds were so eager to offer themselves, Su Nian felt it would be unkind to keep them waiting. Clearing his throat, he nodded and said:
"Kobold Chieftain Bolikri, your sincerity pleases me greatly. Remember my true name: Su Nian Wotru Pathunark! Becoming my vassal is your greatest honor."
As Su Nian spoke, his voice grew louder, culminating in a thunderous roar as he pronounced his name.
He straightened his body, puffed out his chest, and spread his massive wings. In the morning sunlight, his shadow enveloped all the kobolds.
"Ah—!"
A soft, startled cry came from behind him.
Only then did Su Nian remember that Anna was still sitting on his back. While his posture was imposing, it had caused Anna to slide off his now-slanted back.
Fortunately, Su Nian reacted quickly. Twisting his neck, he grabbed the back of Anna's collar with his jaws and gently placed her back on his back. The dragon's head even nuzzled her cheek reassuringly.
"Heehee~ Mr. Dragon, I'm fine~"
Anna hugged Su Nian's dragon head affectionately. Her cheeks tickled by his nuzzle, she squinted her eyes and smiled sweetly, dimples forming on her face.
However, her expression quickly turned to one of disappointment as she noticed that the rabbit meat on the lotus leaf had all fallen to the ground.
"Mr. Dragon, the rabbit meat... it's all wasted."
Anna's voice was tinged with sadness.
Su Nian didn't mind. He deboned another roasted rabbit, placed it on a fresh lotus leaf, and handed it to Anna.
As for the meat on the ground—wasn't there a group of hungry kobolds drooling over it?
Raising a claw, Su Nian tapped the scale on Bolikri's forehead. A drop of dragon blood oozed from his claw and merged into Bolikri's scale.
This was a domineering master-servant contract, a gift from a dragon to a dragon-blooded creature.
The noble dragon blood would transform Bolikri's body, granting him greater talent and potential.
"Now, Bolikri,"
Su Nian gazed down at the tearfully grateful kobold chieftain and commanded:
"As your master, I order you and your kobolds to clean up the rabbit meat on the ground."