Ashen Dragon

The heavy wooden gates of Rock Fortress were pulled up by ogre guards, and the noisy kobolds flooded into the valley, assigned to some dark, damp underground caves—their most preferred habitats due to their sensitive skin.

Fortunately, the vast expanse of Giant Canyon could easily accommodate these retainers; otherwise, with hundreds of kobolds suddenly coming in, the temporary overseer Ramp would be overwhelmed.

Cassius soared into the sky, looking down at these weak creatures.

[Based on your strength, you can see the following information]

[Kobold]

Small humanoid (kobold), lawful evil

AC: 12

Speed: 30 ft.

Strength—7

Agility—15

Constitution—9

Intelligence—8

Perception—7

Charisma—8

Senses: Dark Vision 60 ft., Passive Perception 8 ft.

Languages: Common, Draconic

Proficiencies: Construction +4, Traps +4, Digging +6, Stealth +6

Traits: Sunlight Sensitivity, Pack Tactics

Actions: Dagger, Sling

Challenge Level: 1/8 (25 XP)

Assessment: "Kobolds use their talents in burrowing and trap-making to compensate for their physical deficiencies. Weak as they are, they are merely a small snack for predators, forced to band together due to their vulnerability."

A Challenge Level of 1/8, this might be the weakest monster Cassius had ever encountered. Their only value as retainers would be as miners and sappers. If sent into battle, they would likely only serve as cannon fodder.

But considering the gold and the intelligence on that monster, the Red Dragon still took them as retainers.

Because kobolds were so weak, the mysterious creature in the mine devouring hundreds of them didn't mean much in his eyes; more detailed intelligence and strength assessment were required.

But the creature, which had grown larger than the current Red Dragon, was obviously not easy to deal with.

With this in mind, he summoned the Great Goblin chief, Dolores.

With the Ashen Nest as a backing, the ambitious Goblin Warlord had ended his days of wandering and evading human capture, now living comfortably. Perhaps it was an illusion, but even his rough, reddish-brown skin appeared to have smoothed.

This, compounded with the influence of leadership aura, made Dolores respect his master even more, his ugly red face filled with a smile: "My mighty master, what orders do you have?"

"How is the training of your wolf cavalry coming along?"

The so-called wolf cavalry referred to goblin soldiers riding worgs.

Goblins and wolves had a unique affinity, becoming good partners, and wolf cavalry was indeed the elite of the goblin army.

Great Goblin Dolores had once said during a hunt: "I'd rather sacrifice dozens of cannon fodder than lose a single wolf cavalryman."

And he did just that, during that hunt, letting a dozen goblins be trampled to death by mammoths to save a toppled worg rider.

"Very well, the worgs are eager to taste the blood of enemies."

Dolores licked his lips, his eyes showing an innate craving for war,

"Send a few scout teams to investigate the mines the kobolds mentioned, and scout the nearby forces. Report back immediately with any intelligence, without incurring excessive losses."

"As you command."

The Great Goblin respectfully took his leave, mounting his worg and wielded his whip to summon the wolf cavalry.

"After researching spells for so long, it's time to sweep through the area again and gain some levels," the Red Dragon mused.

For the past while, Cassius had been focused on researching spells, striving to master his powers, even deliberately suppressing his experience gain and level advancement.

Although the player panel could easily increase his strength, Cassius wanted a more stable control over his power, understanding the workings of the spells and the world's mechanisms.

He needed not only a strong body but also the mentality of a strong person, so as not to become a complete puppet to the so-called "system."

With a flap of his wings, the Red Dragon soared into the sky.

...

On an unknown cliff, two hideous creatures were tearing at scraps of meat.

Their food—though already torn beyond recognition, could still be identified as a human, or at least a humanoid, from the smooth skin, distinct fingers, and exquisitely crafted clothing.

They were huge, about four meters long, with the bodies of lions and a pair of dragon wings.

Their standing manes extended to their backs, with the long, slender tails ending in tufts of spikes, and most chilling was their heads—they had smooth, hairless, human-like faces, making the blood-stained scene particularly eerie.

They were manticores, notoriously evil creatures especially fond of human flesh, often featured in human fairy tales meant to scare children to sleep, except they were very real.

They liked to capture humans to their nests on high cliffs and savor them slowly.

But this time, a faint mist rose on the cliff.

Soon the mist grew thicker, blinding all creatures within it.

However, the manticores, who were usually terrifying predators, engrossed in their feast, had no sense of the impending danger.

A shadow swept through the thick mist, followed by a faintly visible bright flame.

"Flame Breath!"

The Red Dragon, holding scorching flames in his mouth, suddenly emerged from the rolling mist. The breath engulfed one of the manticores, setting its fur and body ablaze, leaving it helpless but to wail.

All it could do was roll around in its nest.

However, the nest made of dry wood and straw also caught fire, the blazing flames consuming it completely.

The other manticore, seeing this, let out a bizarre shriek akin to human laughter, then flapped its wings, preparing to flee the mist and flame-covered area.

But Cassius wouldn't give it the chance.

"Instant Cast: Cat's Grace"

With the enhanced attributes of the mockingly named "zoo spell," the Red Dragon's massive body instantly became much more agile.

With just a slight flap of his wings, he swept across the sky, swiftly overtaking the fleeing manticore.

The Red Dragon showed no mercy, extending his powerful claws to grab the manticore flying in mid-air and slam it against the cliff wall.

Immediately, the entire cliff reverberated, with various sizes of fragmented rocks tumbling down.

The manticore let out a faint whimper, a plea for mercy.

"I, I yield."

Tears flowed from the human-like face, showing a begging expression, but this demeanor appeared particularly strange to any creature with normal aesthetic sense.

"Crack"

The Red Dragon exerted force with his claws, mercilessly breaking the manticore's spine.

He released his grip, letting the massive and ugly body naturally fall, followed by smaller rocks.

A thud and the sound of rocks hitting the ground echoed from below, followed by faint struggling sounds, then silence.

The Red Dragon stood atop the cliff, watching the mist-covered ground below: "In the future, I need to capture human cities and host the arrival of players. I require retainers who can be managed, at least able to suppress their wild instincts."

"As for scaring people, I have the chaotic evil Chimera for that."

"Besides, these things are just too ugly."

As the mist cleared, Cassius looked at the twisted human face on the ground and couldn't help but sneer.