Ashen Dragon

Finally, the flames temporarily stopped.

Perhaps it was deliberate, or perhaps it was due to a lack of reserves.

Yet the Red Dragon still hovered high in the sky, coldly watching the Wyvern below.

By now, the Wyvern had been burned all over, its body covered in dirt and grime, showing no trace of its former aggressive stance.

But its innate recklessness and combativeness did not cause it to think about fleeing despite its injuries; instead, it was furious with shame.

"Roar~"

The Bipedal Wyvern let out an almost frenzied roar as it vigorously flapped its wings, charging straight at the Red Dragon in the sky.

Its thick tail curved slightly, muscles tensed in an instant, with sharp tail spikes ready to pierce and inject deadly Wyvern toxin upon contact.

Just as it was about to pounce.

Touching the Red Dragon's scales.

"Thunderwave (Draconic)"

"Boom!"

A sudden thunderclap echoed in the clear sky.

Centered on Cassius's body, a powerful sonic wave spread outward.

The invisible wave instantly shook the unprepared Wyvern several meters away, causing it to momentarily lose balance in its wings and descend uncontrollably.

The Goblins watching below covered their ears in panic, with some even hiding behind stones, too frightened to look up.

As the Wyvern plummeted down from the sky, Cassius continued to experiment with his spell.

"Witchcraft Arrow"

A blue energy spear, entwined with shattered magic, shot out from the Red Dragon's maw, rapidly targeting the nearby Wyvern.

The Wyvern, unable to evade, was struck by the incoming energy spear mid-air, its scales crackling with the lightning energy, plunging its already scarred body into extreme pain.

But this was not the end; a lasting electric arc formed at the impact site, linking the Red Dragon and the Wyvern.

It incessantly channeled magical lightning, even causing weak arcs to coil around the Wyvern's body.

"Boom!"

The Wyvern crashed to the ground, black smoke rising from its body, rolling weakly a few times.

"It, it's going to crash down!"

"Help——"

"Run——"

The Goblins were scared out of their wits, scattering in all directions, yet a few could not escape being crushed by the massive body of the Wyvern, ending their lives.

Cassius did not care; he just gracefully descended.

Step by step, he walked up to the Wyvern.

There were over a dozen Wyverns that had submitted to him.

This Wyvern was not crucial to him; rather, it was a perfect target to make an example of.

"Ugh..."

The Bipedal Wyvern weakly lifted its head, letting out a feeble whine, trying to express its submission at this last moment.

But the Red Dragon extended a strong claw, pressing it against the slender neck, and then applied force.

"Crack"

The sound of bones breaking echoed abruptly.

The Wyvern's head remained in its terrified expression, but it was completely lifeless.

The more than ten Bipedal Wyverns that had come together were instantly terrified, quickly flapping their wings and gathering around the Red Dragon.

The Bipedal Wyverns bent their long necks, lowering their ferocious heads, emitting low growls from their throats, demonstrating their absolute submission to the stronger dragon.

"Cassius Claudius Norixius, your master (Draconic)."

"Roar——"

The Red Dragon stood on the Wyvern's corpse, letting out a long howl towards the sky.

The Wyverns, sensing the situation, followed suit, raising their heads and howling, a cacophonous and hoarse sound, as if celebrating the birth of a new king.

After a long while, the Red Dragon finally released the dead Wyvern underfoot, ordering the Wyverns to reside in the stone caves of the valley cliffs.

"Cut off its head and hang it on the wall."

"Make arrows out of the toxin in its tail."

The Red Dragon casually commanded.

"Yes, my mighty master, your power is unmatched." A Great Goblin, waiting by the side for orders, flattered Cassius and then drove his Goblins to do the work.

"M-milord, I am afraid it's still alive."

The Goblins trembled, afraid to approach the massive corpse.

"Useless!"

"What good are you!"

Dolores, enraged, turned an even deeper shade of red and brandished his whip.

Faced with the ensuing scolding and whipping, the Goblins had no choice but to overcome their fear and step forward.

The Chimera in the cave watched the dead Wyvern from afar, a trace of fear in its eyes.

Ramp gazed at the Wyvern's corpse, marveling at the Red Dragon's might, and rejoicing in the easy victory:

"The master will surely conquer this world."

The Big Headed Ogre beside him whispered in his ear, "Boss, that big lizard has so much meat; can the brothers have some?"

"Ouch!"

Another thump landed on him.

This time, the heavy-handed example proved to be very effective.

Although this "chicken" was a bit too large.

After a long absence, a translucent blue screen appeared in front of the Red Dragon.

[Achievement Unlocked: Monster Lord]

[Monster Lord]

"You could never imagine what I saw. I sneaked into its lair, and there was no treasure as the legends told; instead, there were broken bones everywhere. This place is an adventurer's graveyard but a paradise for monsters. ——From the will of an unknown adventurer."

Passive Trait Acquired:

[Monster Leader]

Charisma +2, Ruling Proficiency +8

[Extraordinary Charm] Acquired, your power compels monsters to submit.

You have gained the ability of [Bloodline Gift], allowing you to influence creatures within your territory and create bloodline retainers.

A peculiar power surged through Cassius's body.

His charisma had increased.

Here, "charisma" was not merely about superficial human looks. Rather, it referred to "influence."

Even if you were short and ugly, if you possessed extraordinary leadership qualities that made soldiers follow you to conquer the world, your charisma attribute would undoubtedly be high.

In the magic-filled world of Erezer, if intelligence represented inner aspects like memory and logic, and perception represented receiving information from the outside and divine influence, then charisma represented the output of influence—whether by eloquence to sway others or innate spellcasting to affect the world.

Cassius, a Magician, relied on "charisma" to cast spells, using his connection with the world to influence the Magic Web and willpower to alter reality.

The Red Dragon deeply felt his tightened connection with surrounding elements, a stronger influence on reality, and an additional thread of fate seemed to bind him to his retainers, allowing him to effortlessly reshape the world.

He let out a satisfied roar, flapping his wings, and flew back into the Giant's Mouth Cave.

He looked down upon his retainers.

With this soft roar, the laboring Ogres seemed inspired, raising their logs and cheering loudly.

The terrified Goblins stared in awe at the sky, as if seeing a deity.

Even the Chimera, secretly watching from the cave, could not help but lower its head, sensing a powerful aura that compelled it to submit willingly.

This was the fearsome influence of the "Monster Lord."

In the distant underground mines, Kobolds, as if summoned, laid down their pickaxes and instinctively moved in a certain direction. Lizards in their dark camps lit bonfires and began a primal dance.

And some terrifying creature lurking deeper within the cave slithered on the ground...