The Dragon's Pact: A Princess for the Flame

Chapter 17 – Fangbreak Tribe

Is there really such a good thing?

The Kobold chieftain, Polikri, was almost moved to tears. The great Black Dragon not only bestowed upon him the bloodline of a True Dragon but also rewarded them with exquisite meat.

Look, his neck and chest have already begun to sprout pitch-black scales.

Oh~ how beautiful these scales are, mesmerizing like obsidian. He wished he could pluck them off and keep them as treasures!

Polikri felt himself becoming stronger and believed that he would grow even stronger in the future as the Black Dragon grew in power.

What's the big deal about eating the meat on the ground?

Kobolds would eat even carrion, let alone this rabbit meat that exuded a rich aroma. Even if it was a bit dirty, it was still a blessing to them.

Watching the kobolds eagerly devour the rabbit meat and bones, Su Nian nodded his dragon head in satisfaction.

He could clearly feel a connection forming between himself and the Kobold chieftain, Polikri.

Creatures that frequently stayed with dragons would gradually be imbued with the dragon's aura, sometimes even undergoing draconification. Su Nian considered this bloodline ability a kind of fallout.

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One could imagine how strong the invasive power of dragon bloodlines was.

No wonder there was no reproductive isolation; even just staying near a dragon without doing anything would eventually grant a trace of dragon blood.

There are many ways to transform followers. The first is to keep them by your side, and over time, they will completely take on your form.

The second is like what Su Nian just did—drip a drop of heart's blood onto the follower, accelerating the first process.

A dragon's heart's blood has a strong corrosive ability and contains a bit of incomplete inheritance information from the dragon race.

This is why ancient warriors, after slaying a dragon, could only bathe in dragon blood, while the dragon heart was reserved for true dragonslayers, as the heart was the key.

The third method is called the Dragon Vein Ritual, a very solemn transformation ceremony.

It is generally used for powerful and loyal followers.

The Dragon Vein Ritual requires the dragon to pay a certain price, but the transformed followers are also perfect.

Su Nian doesn't know how to perform the Dragon Vein Ritual yet, and the Kobold chieftain, Polikri, isn't qualified.

Since the kobolds appeared, Anna had been acting like a curious child.

She observed the kobolds with wide eyes while eating roasted rabbit meat. She didn't just eat by herself but also fed pieces to Su Nian, who carried her, keeping herself quite busy.

She had heard of kobolds but had never seen them before.

In the Elven Forest, all creatures appeared noble and beautiful. Even a bear would have a wreath on its head, looking adorably clumsy, unlike the kobolds, who were ragged and carried a hint of the wild.

Their poverty and destitution were almost written on their faces, as if they were refugees.

Anna tilted her head, thinking, and couldn't help but come up with such a description in her little mind.

"Mr. Dragon, what did you just say to those kobolds? They seem to want to become your followers?"

"That's right, you'll have servants in the future." Su Nian turned his neck and nuzzled Anna's cheek.

He was growing increasingly fond of nuzzling Anna's slightly chubby cheeks; the smooth and tender feel was truly addictive for a dragon.

Unfortunately, he couldn't speak yet. The vocal cords of a juvenile dragon could only produce hissing and growling in Draconic.

However, Su Nian noticed that he could modify his vocal cords, but it required two hundred system points, which he currently lacked.

He planned to move to a new home and then hunt magical beasts to stockpile meat and accumulate system points to modify his vocal cords and gain the freedom of speech.

"Oh, Mr. Dragon... actually, I don't really need any servants. I have hands and feet..."

Anna, feeling tickled by Su Nian's nuzzling, couldn't help but gently push his large dragon head.

However, her small arms and legs couldn't move it at all, so she had to let the Black Dragon nuzzle her as it pleased.

After a while, Su Nian turned his head and saw that Polikri and the other kobolds had finished eating the rabbit meat and were looking at him eagerly.

They were waiting for Su Nian's orders. Now that they were Su Nian's followers, they didn't dare to move until he spoke.

Su Nian didn't hesitate. He turned back to the Dragon Nest, gathered his meager belongings, and, with Anna on his back, headed outside the cave.

"Now," Su Nian raised his dragon head, his crimson vertical pupils gazing at Polikri, issuing commands in the obscure Draconic language:

"Take me to your tribe. I no longer wish to live here. I need a spacious and dry new Dragon Nest!"

"As you command, Master, please follow me."

The kobold Polikri cunningly changed his address, quickly getting up from the ground and barking orders to his kobold subordinates to lead the way for Su Nian.

Along with Anna, a half-elf, a group of magical beasts passed through low shrubs and crossed the small stream where Su Nian had drunk water.

They bypassed a cliff and a winding mountain path before entering a cave hidden behind rocks.

"Master, please follow my steps closely. The path to the tribe is filled with various traps, uh..."

Perhaps fearing a misunderstanding from the Black Dragon, Polikri added with a strong survival instinct:

"Of course, these humble traps couldn't harm even a single scale of yours, but if triggered, it would be a grave offense to hit you."

Su Nian remained noncommittal about the kobold chieftain's words.

He took Anna off his back, holding her with a retractable dragon claw.

Then he wrapped her tightly with his dragon wings, leaving only her cute eyes and two furry ears exposed.

Anna appeared obedient, her soft little hands holding the Black Dragon's claw like a gentle little rabbit.

"I understand! Lead the way."

With Su Nian's approval, Polikri led Su Nian further.

The cave was initially wide but became narrower as they went deeper. Sometimes, Su Nian had to press his wings tightly against his back to squeeze through.

They took several turns and changed paths multiple times. Just as Su Nian was getting dizzy, Polikri's respectful voice finally came from ahead:

"Master, this is the Fangbreak Tribe, the starting point of your kingdom."

The space ahead opened up, about the size of two basketball courts, with various living supplies neatly arranged.

Cooking was done in one area, sleeping in another, and rotten vegetable leaves and other food were piled in yet another area.

Several bonfires burned brightly in the center, illuminating the entire cave.

Su Nian even noticed many human items, like leather boots that kobolds had cut open to store things, metal plates used as shields, and underwear and skirts wrapped around kobolds for warmth or to bandage wounds.

Su Nian's appearance initially stunned the dozens of kobolds in the tribe, but they soon erupted into barks of fear mixed with excitement, "Woof woof woof," echoing one after another.

To Su Nian's ears, they were mostly expressing joy and admiration for the True Dragon.

These kobolds seemed to be living quite well...

Su Nian grinned, not feeling ashamed of the kobolds scavenging for trash. It was their nature to turn waste into treasure and make the best use of things.

Amidst the adoring gazes of the kobolds, Su Nian, holding Anna, shook his wings and flew to a stone pillar on the side of the hall.

Grasping the pillar, he looked down at the entire kobold tribe and issued a thunderous roar in high-pitched Draconic:

"From today onward, I, Su Nian Woterus Patunak, will be your sole ruler."

"Offer me your loyalty, and I shall return it with glory and stability!"