Presented before Su Nian was a highly detailed map of magical beast territories.
From their current location, the deeper one ventured, the stronger the beasts became. However, their strength capped at around Level 20. Beyond that lay the Silvermoon Mountains, a realm the previous kobold chieftain had never dared to explore.
For now, this map would suffice.
Centered around the kobold tribe, there were three distinct magical beast groups: the Fireflame Rabbits, the Serpentine Roosters, and the Spear Boars.
Further in was the Gnoll tribe, which had often bullied the kobolds in the past.
As for the roaming wolf packs, they were nomadic and constantly on the move. The Silvermoon Wolves, on the other hand, were rare, and encountering a few of them, as Su Nian had the other day, was purely a stroke of luck.
Each of these magical beast groups had its own leader. Su Nian rubbed his chin thoughtfully and instructed Bolikri, "Bolikri, gather all the kobolds and bring your tools. Later, don't do anything else—just find all the rabbit burrows for me and block them up completely."
...
Moments later.
Su Nian glared menacingly at the Fireflame Rabbit leader he held in his grasp, seemingly contemplating where to take the first bite.
Around him, the kobolds exuded an air of thuggery, wielding knives, spears, and clubs. They herded a group of ordinary Fireflame Rabbits together, forcing them to crouch on the ground with their heads down.
Any rabbit that dared to move would be met with a vicious kick or a sharp jab to its rear.
The Fireflame Rabbit leader was a Level 3 creature, slightly redder than the others. It looked rather adorable, truth be told.
With 150 health points, its skills were utterly unimpressive. Apart from spitting fireballs, it had nothing of note—except for a group command ability.
This so-called group command allowed it to issue orders to its entire rabbit colony. However, this was of little use, as these rabbits were essentially beginner-level mobs, the kind found just outside a novice village. Their only redeeming qualities were their sheer numbers, rapid reproduction, and delicious taste.
At this moment, the Fireflame Rabbit leader, held by its ears, had its plump, piglet-like body curled up in fear, trembling uncontrollably.
It had been peacefully pulling up carrots when, out of nowhere, a group of kobolds and a terrifyingly menacing black dragon surrounded it.
When it tried to escape back into its burrow, it was horrified to find that all the hundred or so rabbit holes it had dug were blocked by those despicable kobolds.
So what if you're trap experts?
The Fireflame Rabbit leader grew increasingly frustrated but, with its nascent intelligence, knew better than to provoke the black dragon before it.
Instead, it widened its bright red eyes, putting on the most pitiful expression it could muster.
Its inherited instincts told it: when you can't win, play cute.
"Ahh~ What an adorable little bunny! I love it so much~"
The Fireflame Rabbit leader turned its gaze toward the black dragon's back, where a little half-elf girl sat, as delicate as a porcelain doll. Hope sparked in its heart.
Its inherited instincts also told it: elves are angels.
But the little elf's next words nearly shattered its world.
"Brother, how are we going to cook the bunny today?"
What the hell? Elves are angels? The Fireflame Rabbit leader began to seriously doubt its ancestors' sanity.
"Anna, we're not eating rabbits today. We're going to make friends with them," Su Nian rasped, his voice as coarse as sandpaper. Though his words sounded friendly, to the Fireflame Rabbit leader, they were no different from the whispers of the Abyss.
"Fireflame Rabbit leader, listen closely."
Using Dragon Tongue, Su Nian forcibly injected his thoughts into the rabbit leader's mind.
"From now on, you are my vassal. Every day, you and your rabbits will run five kilometers around the kobold tribe's caves. Then, under Bolikri's supervision, you'll do burpees and sit-ups—100 reps per set, 10 sets in total."
"As for what burpees and sit-ups are, I'll have trained kobolds teach you later. You don't have any objections, do you? Heh heh heh…"
The Fireflame Rabbit leader hurriedly nodded, though with its ears still being held by Su Nian, the nodding turned into frantic kicking.
Seeing the rabbit leader agree to his "friendly persuasion," Su Nian didn't hesitate. He pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto its forehead. The blood was instantly absorbed, and within moments, black scales began to grow on its neck. Its level also rose to 5, clearly marking it as one of Su Nian's followers.
"From now on, your name is Bugs Bunny. Stick with me, and you won't be mistreated."
Satisfied, Su Nian placed Bugs Bunny back on the ground and gave it a friendly pat on the shoulder.
After the black dragon and kobolds left, Bugs Bunny pulled itself out of the dirt. Not daring to slack off, it immediately gathered all the Fireflame Rabbits and began running laps around the kobold tribe's caves.
...
Su Nian then used similarly "benevolent" methods to visit and subdue the leaders of the Serpentine Roosters (Level 7) and the Spear Boars (Level 9), naming them Rooster Bro and Pigsy respectively.
Like the Fireflame Rabbits, they were also required to run five kilometers around the kobold caves daily.
After running, Rooster Bro had to lead its Serpentine Rooster flock in hanging upside down from trees to do 1,000 pull-ups.
Pigsy's tribe had it even worse. Displeased with their obesity, Su Nian mandated an extra five kilometers of night running, along with 500 tree rams and 50 shuttle sprints during the day.
And so, a bizarre scene unfolded in the Silvermoon Forest.
A horde of Fireflame Rabbits could be seen madly sprinting around the kobold tribe's caves.
Trailing behind them were the gasping, wing-flapping Serpentine Roosters and the grunting, snorting Spear Boars.
...
While these magical beasts were being forced onto the path of becoming Saitama-sensei's disciples, Su Nian had already led the kobolds to the gnoll territory.
Unlike the weaker Fireflame Rabbits, Serpentine Roosters, and Spear Boars, the gnolls were not so easily subdued.
These chaotic and evil creatures were savage humanoids known for their unprovoked attacks on remote human settlements and border towns. Even in the Silvermoon Forest, they were infamous as ruthless invaders.
Gnolls delighted in slaughtering their prey, leaving no survivors, and feasting on their flesh.
It was said that gnolls were once the minions of demons and took pride in their demonic servitude.
Su Nian's Dragon Blood Contract required the willing consent of the captured to ensure success. Thus, subduing these unruly gnolls would inevitably involve a bloody battle.
"Master, the gnolls are very powerful. While their individual strength is inferior to Ettercaps, their numbers are vast, and they are inherently cunning."
Bolikri provided Su Nian with a detailed account of the gnolls.
Truth be told, the kobold was thrilled that the black dragon was willing to confront the gnolls. After all, those gnolls had caused no end of trouble for the kobold tribe, often killing kobolds who ventured out and eating them.
Against the gnolls' overwhelming numbers, the weak kobolds could only retreat to their caves, relying on intricate designs and numerous malicious traps to hold their own.
"The gnoll leader is called the Alpha. It rules the tribe through its strength and cunning, but it rarely reveals itself."
"If you find the strongest one, marked with piercing scars and adorned with strange trophies, it's most likely the gnoll leader."
Bolikri spared no detail, sharing everything he knew.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
New chapter live! Patreon updated to Chapter 61
Join for exclusive content: patreon.com/BZDXG
Thank you for your support!