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The heavy wooden gates of Rock Fortress were lifted by the ogre guards, and the chaotic kobolds poured into the valley, assigned to some dark, damp underground caves—exactly the type of habitat these sensitive-skinned creatures favored.

Fortunately, Giant Canyon was vast enough to accommodate these minions, or else with hundreds of kobolds coming in all at once, Temporary Overseer Langpu would have been in a real bind.

Cassius soared into the sky, gazing down at these feeble creatures.

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

【Kobold】

Small humanoid creature (kobold), lawful evil

AC: 12

Speed: 30 feet

Strength — 7

Dexterity — 15

Constitution — 9

Intelligence — 8

Wisdom — 7

Charisma — 8

Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Passive Perception 8 feet

Languages: Common, Draconic

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

Traits: Sunlight Sensitivity, Pack Tactics

Actions: Dagger, Sling

Challenge Rating: 1/8 (25 XP)

Assessment: “Kobolds compensate for their physical weaknesses with a talent for digging and trap-making. With their frail bodies, they’re no more than easy prey for predators, forced to band together due to their vulnerability.”

Challenge Rating 1/8, this was likely the weakest creature Cassius had encountered. The only reason to take them as minions was for mining and engineering work; on the battlefield, they’d be little more than cannon fodder.

However, given the gold and the monster’s intelligence, the red dragon still accepted them as minions.

Because kobolds were too weak, the mysterious monster in the mine consuming hundreds of them didn’t prove much. More detailed intelligence and strength assessment were still needed.

But any creature that could grow larger than the red dragon himself wasn’t likely easy to deal with.

Thinking of this, he summoned the hobgoblin leader, Dolo.

Backed by the Embers Nest, this ambitious hobgoblin warlord was done with his days of wandering and fleeing from human pursuit. He was living quite comfortably now; even his rough, reddish-brown skin seemed smoother.

Due to this, and combined with the aura of leadership, Dolo’s respect for his master had only grown, his ugly red face full of smiles. “My mighty master, what are your orders?”

“How is the training of your wolf cavalry coming along?”

The so-called wolf cavalry refers to goblin soldiers riding wargs as mounts.

Goblins have a unique affinity with wolves and can become excellent partners; wolf cavalry is also the elite force of goblin armies.

Dolo had once said during a hunt, “I’d rather sacrifice dozens of cannon fodder than lose a single wolf rider.”

And he did just that in that hunt, letting a dozen goblins be trampled to death by a mammoth to save a wolf rider who had been thrown from his mount.

“Very good; the wargs are eager to taste the blood of their enemies.”

Dolo licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with that innate thirst for battle.

“Send a few scouting teams to the mine where the kobolds reported the monster. Check out any nearby forces, and report back immediately if you find any intel. Keep the losses minimal.”

“As you command.”

The hobgoblin respectfully departed, mounted his warg, and raised his whip to call the wolf cavalry.

“After studying magic for so long, it’s time to go on another rampage nearby and level up,” the red dragon thought to himself.

Previously, Cassius had been focused solely on studying magic, striving to master his power and even deliberately restraining his experience gain and leveling up.

Although the player interface allowed for quick power increases, Cassius wanted a more stable grasp over his power, understanding the structure of spells and the mechanisms of the world.

He needed not just a strong body but a strong mindset, so he wouldn’t end up as a mere puppet of the so-called “system.”

The red dragon spread his wings and took off.

On an unknown high cliff, two terrifying creatures were tearing into chunks of flesh.

Their prey—though shredded beyond recognition—could still be vaguely identified as human, or at least humanoid, based on the smooth skin, severed hand with five distinct fingers, and finely crafted clothing.

They were huge, over four meters long, with lion-like bodies and a pair of dragon wings.

Their thick manes stretched down their backs, and their long, slender tails ended in clusters of spikes. But the most chilling part was their heads—a smooth, hairless, human-like face, which made the bloody scene even more eerie.

Manticores, notorious monsters, notorious for their preference for human flesh. Their appearance is often described in human children’s tales meant to scare them to sleep, but they are all too real.

They enjoy capturing humans and dragging them back to their cliff nests, where they feast at leisure.

This time, however, a faint mist began to drift across the cliff.

The mist quickly grew thicker, enveloping all creatures within in blindness.

The manticores, creatures usually regarded as fearsome predators, were too busy devouring to notice the danger looming over them.

A shadow flitted through the thick mist, followed by a bright glow faintly visible even through the fog.

“Flame Breath!”

The red dragon burst forth from the dense mist, flames blazing from his mouth, and his fiery breath engulfed one of the manticores, setting its fur and flesh ablaze. Helpless, it could only scream in agony.

It could only roll around in its nest.

However, the nest, made of withered wood and dry grass, also caught fire, and the raging flames quickly consumed it.

Seeing this, the other manticore let out an eerie, human-like shriek and immediately flapped its wings, preparing to flee the mist and flames.

But Cassius would not give it that chance.

“Swift Cast: Cat’s Agility”

With the “Zoo Spell” that enhanced attributes, the massive body of the red dragon instantly became much lighter.

With just a slight flap of his wings, he soared, overtaking the fleeing manticore in an instant.

The red dragon showed no mercy, stretching out his powerful claws and slamming the flying manticore against the cliff wall.

The entire rock face shook violently, and large and small rocks tumbled down.

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

“I surrender.”

Tears flowed from its human-like face, showing a begging expression, but in the eyes of any creature with normal aesthetics, it was profoundly eerie.

“Crack!”

The red dragon’s claws suddenly exerted force, snapping the monster’s spine without hesitation.

He loosened his claws, letting the massive, ugly body tumble down, followed by a scattering of small rocks.

From below the cliff came a thud, the sound of rocks hitting the ground, followed by faint struggling noises, then silence.

The red dragon stood atop the cliff, gazing at the mist-covered ground below: “In the future, I’ll need to occupy human cities and welcome player arrivals. I need minions who can follow orders, at least ones capable of suppressing their wild nature.”

“For scaring people, chaotic and stupid creatures like that Chimera will suffice.”

“Besides, this thing is just too ugly.”

The mist dispersed, and Cassius looked down at the twisted human-like face on the ground, unable to hold back a mocking comment.