"You want my protection, to become my beloved?"
Karon sat crouched on the ground with one foot lightly pressing the pretending-to-be-dead Gold-eating Beast. He loudly thundered, spreading wide his wings to showcase the intimidation of the Giant Dragon, while casting a cold gaze at the group of chattering Kobolds below.
This group of Kobolds mostly ranged between ninety centimeters in height, with slender builds resembling lizards, brown-red skin, and heads more akin to crocodiles of the water. These Kobolds were dressed in rags, some with nothing more than a piece of cloth around their waists.
These Kobolds might as well be called Lizardmen, with thin Dragon Blood in them; only their incessant barking matched the identity of a Kobold.
The issue was that the barking was in Dragon Language, though to Karon's ears, it sounded like Indian-accented English.
He needed a certain level of reading comprehension and listening skill to figure out what these expressive Kobolds meant to convey through their actions and language.
"Yes... yes!" A few particularly strong Kobolds came forward, kneeling before Karon. The one at the front excitedly crawled forward to embrace Karon's long, sharp Dragon Claw.
The increasingly enthusiastic barking sounds rang in Karon's ears: "Noble and mighty True Dragon, your humble admirers have always been searching for you!"
"Your scales, more beautiful than moonlight, will harden our skin, your bones, sturdier than armor, will support our skulls. The great Dragon Heart will ignite our Magic. We are servants of the Giant Dragon, we live for the Giant Dragon, and serving you is our only wish."
The Kobolds still clustered together followed their leader, kneeling down in unison, echoing their leader's words, and lauding the aloof Red Dragon.
Although finding the flattery somewhat awkward and noisy, Karon still enjoyed listening to the Kobolds' words.
No wonder many Giant Dragons enjoy enlisting weakling races like Kobolds as their beloveds; just with this talent for cajolery, Karon thought these Kobolds could find themselves a position under him.
Moreover, although the Kobolds have weak combat power, the race does have redeeming qualities.
Kobolds are combative and hardworking, adept at trap-making and mining, and put much emphasis on tribe expansion, thus showing great compliance to the ruler's will, especially when their ruler is a Giant Dragon.
Karon raised his paw, the enormous Dragon Claw completely encompassing the Kobold leader's head, gently pressing down to indicate assent,
"I allow you to submit; you will receive my protection, free to roam and hunt within the territory of the Dragon Group; you will offer me everything."
"Thank you, great True Dragon, you are forever our master!" The excited Kobold leader kissed Karon's paw,
entirely unafraid that the dragon before him could easily crush his head, while the Kobolds behind him cheered.
With the protection of the Giant Dragon, they would no longer have to live solely in dark dungeons; they could also freely live under the sun, with ample food, and the tribe would rapidly expand.
Karon paid little attention to this; his consciousness was drawn to the fluctuations of that rune in his mind.
Tiny, weak forces intermittently linked the peculiar rune within the dragon's mind and the prostrate Kobolds beneath him.
This was not the so-called Power of Faith, as Karon's heritage informed him, but this power resembled the Power of Thought from sentient creatures.
Clearly, the rune within the vortex could consume the Power of Thought from sentient creatures as food, emitting pure energy that hovered around the rune, gradually augmenting the vortex's power.
Most importantly, the drawing upon this Power of Thought was not just a one-off but continuous.
A peculiar smile spread across Karon's dragon face; he felt he was one step closer to mastering this power.
Though far from comprehensive understanding, at least now he had a rough idea on how to utilize it.
If he put in enough effort, perhaps by the time of his next slumber period, the vortex could accumulate enough energy, leading to further strengthening.
The standing Kobold Sorcerer saw the unconcealed smile on the dragon's face and mustered the courage to request of Karon, "Mighty master, esteemed True Dragon, may we be granted the Gold-eating Beast under your foot? We can use this beast to better serve you."
The red behemoth remained silent, as he didn't have a method to tame the Gold-eating Beast; giving it to the Kobolds to explore ores wasn't a bad idea, since they would be working for him anyway.
But he wished to impress upon these Kobolds that both favor and fear emanated from him, undistorted by others.
He suddenly opened his mouth, letting out a loud roar: "How bold you are to covet the possessions of a Giant Dragon. Ha, how amusing and audacious." A jet of searing, concentrated Dragon Breath spewed out with those words, incinerating the Kobold Sorcerer who dared to request of the Giant Dragon.
The relentless Dragon Breath burned fiercely over the Kobold, who rolled and howled in the flames, while the remaining Kobolds hastily knelt down, pleading for the dragon's forgiveness amidst the howls.
The Kobold Leader and the remaining Kobold Sorcerers knocked their heads on the ground like pounding garlic, not daring to utter a single bark.
"If you want me to forgive you, then amuse me. Go back and open your tribe's Treasure Vault, offering all your treasures to me. I will bring the Dragon Group, awaiting your tribute."
The malevolent Red Dragon made up his mind, grasping the immobile, feigning-dead Gold-eating Beast beneath his feet, flapping his wings to fly away, gradually leaving behind the kneeling Kobold Tribe.
Originally, acting on Blue Dragon Leader Carlette's words, Karon intended to temporarily maintain the current territorial scope of the Dragon Group, as the group's power still wasn't robust.
Over the years, the steady expansion of the Dragon Group's territory, centered around the mountains, spanned roughly one hundred and fifty miles in radius, with forest occupying only half the area compared to grassland.
Some might find the land occupied by the Dragon Group insufficient, but taking Kyoto as an example from Karon's past life, including suburbs, Kyoto is one hundred and sixty kilometers long east to west and one hundred and seventy-six kilometers north to south.
Meaning the land currently held by the Dragon Group is about half the size of Kyoto, while the entire country translates to roughly three thousand five hundred miles around.
Presently, the territory is ample enough to sustain the juvenile Dragon Group and Akzhi and Carlette.
But with a newfound direction, Karon decided to alter strategies; the Dragon Group would gradually purge the territory of all sentient species in upcoming times.
Then, after the Dragon Group passed through the next slumber period and his power grew once more, he would lead the group on a journey of conquest.
Yet currently, most vital of all, Karon needed to establish himself as the actual leader of the Dragon Group, no longer just a verbal submission or the strongest playmate in the eyes of the juveniles. It was crucial to set some rules for the Dragon Group's future development, while everything was still unformed.
With the powerful flapping of wings stirring up gales, Karon, having made a slightly mad decision, soared over the prairie skies. He needed to return to the Dragon Nest, to gather the juvenile dragons out on patrol.
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Ah, a resonant and vigorous Dragon Roar reverberated through the canyon's Dragon Nest, layers of echoes blending with Dragon Language diffusing from the Dragon Nest. The Red Dragon standing at the summit with wings spread and chest puffed out, roared with effort; it was a summons to the Dragon Group, a leader's call to the juvenile dragons. He waited, anticipating the juveniles' response.
The first to hear Karon's call was Black Dragon Rosani, fishing in the nearby river. Swallowing the carp toyed in his claw, Rosani surfaced, flapping his wings and roaring into the sky.
Antajena, sneaking bites in the orchard, along with the White Dragon siblings, responded as well, flying back to the Dragon Nest. Then came Blue Dragon Doss, Red Dragon Kleyna, all the juveniles heading towards the Dragon Nest.
Akhzi, technically not needing to heed Karon's call—being the Great Dragon of the family and only surpassed by Karon in authority—was too curious and flew to the Dragon Nest.
When he landed atop the Dragon Nest Mountain cliff, he found that all dragons, except for Carlette, had gathered.
The tiny creatures he once viewed as weaklings had grown, their average four to five-meter bodies beginning to exhibit the power of a Giant Dragon, forming the precursor of a powerful Dragon Race.
Moreover, the family cohesion far surpassed that of other Dragon Groups, and the future leader of the family would also far exceed that of other Dragon Groups.
Before the curious Akzhi could ask anything, the robust juvenile dragon leader Karon spoke first with a smile: "Now it is the Dragon Group's hunting time; Akzhi, you should join too."
Perplexed, Akzhi glanced at Karon, then to the dormant volcano cave, then nodded, "Alright!"