novelraw Chapter 16 – The Kobold wants to become a Follower
Chapter 16 – The Kobold wants to become a Follower
Upon seeing the Black Dragon, Polikri forgot everything else. Leading a group of kobolds, they rushed toward the dragon, barking like they had found their long-lost father.
Su Nian had already noticed the kobolds when they arrived behind the trees.
Kobolds are considered loyal fans of dragons, not only because of the trace of dragonblood in them but also due to their ancestors' generations of servitude and worship of the mighty dragon race.
These humble creatures are undoubtedly weak, but Su Nian saw something in them that other dragons might have overlooked.
Their cowardice, in Su Nian's eyes, was a form of wisdom for seeking advantage and avoiding disaster.
Even when faced with the weakest prey, these kobolds would swarm together. When encountering a powerful predator, they would never rashly charge in but instead meticulously plan their escape.
This is completely different from the brainless goblins.
Evil and orderly, full of cunning, bloodthirsty and cruel, sly and lowly, yet they worship dragons and are loyal to the strong.
As long as you are strong enough, they are the best servants. Moreover, kobolds are skilled at building traps and crafting intricate caves.
Su Nian didn't drive the kobolds away. The dragon's legacy told him that encountering kobolds was like finding free underlings; you don't even need to subdue them—they'll cling to you on their own.
Sure enough, Polikri was delighted when the Black Dragon didn't show anger at their presence.
Gathering his courage, he trembled as he approached the Black Dragon, dropping all his weapons and bags to the ground. He and the other kobolds prostrated themselves, speaking in a language that mixed "hiss-hiss" and "woof-woof" sounds.
"Great True Dragon, I, humble Polikri, on behalf of the Fangbreak Tribe's kobolds, beg to become your loyal servants, to serve you."
Su Nian understood Polikri's words. It was Kobold Language, a simplified and adapted form of Draconic, sounding very peculiar, like a dialect with mixed sentence structures. In Su Nian's ears, it was akin to:
"Great big True Dragon, I, Polikri the kobold chieftain, want to be your lackey, very good, you tell us who to attack, and we'll make them dead-dead!"
Su Nian carefully observed the group of kobolds awaiting their unknown fate. A detailed panel, combining the Insight Spell and system functions, appeared before him:
[Kobold - Polikri Fangbreak]
[Level: 7 (Tier 1)]
Traits:
[Chieftain] Leader of the tribe.
[Sunlight Sensitivity] Under sunlight, kobolds' attack and perception suffer negative effects and deviations.
[Swarm Tactics] When at least one ally is not incapacitated near an enemy, kobolds gain courage.
[Throwing] Throwing stones, weapons, dung balls, anything really.
[Diggers and Builders] Skilled in making traps and designing nests.
[Current Affection] 80 (Worship)
Kobolds have lizard-like heads, as mentioned earlier.
...
Su Nian reviewed the kobolds' panels and found them similar, except Polikri had a higher level and looked stronger, with an additional chieftain trait. Other kobolds were generally level three or four.
This meant that in a direct confrontation, they couldn't even defeat a Mountain Wolf, but if they used traps well, the outcome might be different.
He definitely wanted to recruit them, but he also needed to maintain some dignity, giving the kobolds a sense of reluctance.
After pondering for a moment, Su Nian spoke in a harsh, standard Draconic "hiss-hiss" tone:
"Kobold Chieftain Polikri, you and your followers are weak. I offer you protection, but what can your joining bring me?"
Hearing the Black Dragon's response, the kobold chieftain Polikri trembled with excitement. He crawled to Su Nian's feet, kowtowing and respectfully saying:
"Great True Dragon, though we are weak, we can polish every scale of yours, design a magnificent and comfortable Dragon Nest for you, and find precious mineral veins to become your wealth."
Support us at pawrea𝑑.com .
"As we grow stronger, we can also hunt food for you, if you don't mind."
Su Nian listened to Polikri's sincere plea. Although he had anticipated the kobolds' flattery, he was still somewhat shocked.
What a prime example of a willing victim!
You must know that protection is like buying insurance; when real danger comes, Su Nian would definitely leave without a second thought, ignoring these kobolds.
Such a simple truth, the kobolds must also understand, yet they are still willing to accept the dragon's exploitation.
Honestly, this is already a rather pathological mindset. Su Nian was willing to call it the "Can't Live Without Being Exploited Syndrome."
Since the exploited were so willing, Su Nian felt that hesitating any longer would be too cruel, so he cleared his throat and nodded in agreement:
"Kobold Chieftain Polikri, your sincerity pleases me greatly. You shall remember my true name: Su Nian Woterus Patunak! Becoming my follower is your supreme honor."
As Su Nian spoke, his voice gradually rose, turning into a thunderous roar when he mentioned his name.
He straightened his body, puffed out his chest, and spread his broad dragon wings, casting a massive shadow in the morning sunlight, covering all the kobolds.
"Oh no~"
A soft cry came from behind, from Anna.
Su Nian suddenly remembered the little Lolita sitting on his back. Standing up and puffing his chest was imposing enough, but Anna had rolled off his now-tilted back.
However, Su Nian reacted quickly, twisting his neck to grab the collar of Anna's shirt, lifting her back onto his back. The dragon's head even nuzzled her cheek comfortingly.
"Hehe~ Mr. Dragon, Anna's fine~"
Anna affectionately hugged Su Nian's dragon head, her cheek tickled by the nuzzling. She squinted her eyes, a sweet smile with dimples on her face.
But soon, her expression turned dejected and regretful because she noticed that all the rabbit meat on the lotus leaf had spilled onto the ground.
"Mr. Dragon, the rabbit meat, it's all wasted."
Anna's voice was a bit downcast.
Su Nian didn't mind. He deboned another roasted rabbit and placed it in a fresh lotus leaf, handing it to Anna.
As for the rabbit meat on the ground, wasn't there a group of hungry kobolds? Didn't you see them drooling already?
Su Nian lifted a dragon claw, pointing at the scale on Polikri's forehead. A drop of dragonblood was forced out from between his claws, merging into Polikri's scale.
This was a domineering Master-Servant Pact, a reward from the dragon to dragon-blooded creatures.
The noble dragonblood would transform Polikri's body, granting him higher talent and potential.
"Now, Polikri,"
Su Nian looked down at the grateful kobold chieftain and commanded loudly:
"I, as your master, order you to take your kobolds and clean up the rabbit meat on the ground for me."