Garros seemed to transform into a burning meteorite, a comet, carrying a terrifying power that made the Gnolls tremble with fear as he descended from the sky and landed on a large clearing in the territory.
Boom!!!
The earth shook and the mountains trembled.
The entire Crying Cliff shook violently; gravel fell pattering down, and countless dust particles filled the air. A thick shockwave, carrying water vapor, spread out in a ring. The nearest wooden sheds were blown away like scraps of paper, and the Gnolls were knocked over by the air blast. The Bloodtooth Overseer had to sink his claws deep into the ground to steady himself.
As the dust settled, Garros slowly straightened his body.
At the edge of the crater beneath his feet lay over a dozen stunned Gnolls.
The Explosive Scales on his body had absorbed the kinetic energy of the fall and turned a searing red. The high heat evaporated the drizzle, forming thick white smoke that swirled around him.
Although they didn't understand what the searing Red Dragon scales represented...
...every Gnoll felt danger from the bottom of their hearts and smelled the scent of death.
The target had landed as they wished.
Should they fight?
The Bloodtooth Overseer was silent for a second, then suddenly lunged forward.
—But not to attack.
He performed a standard prostration before Garros, his forehead thumping heavily against the ground. With a face full of flattery, the tail behind him wagged frantically, unable to suppress his awe and desire to please: "Great Dragon Lord! The Red-Eye Clan is willing to serve you for generations!"
This time, it was sincere.
Garros's size was deceptive. If he hadn't shown his power, the Gnoll clan might have hunted him as a slightly stronger Young Dragon, but he was far more than just "slightly stronger" than an ordinary Young Dragon.
Now.
After witnessing Garros's strength, the Gnolls' natural instinct to follow Dragonkin was triggered. Their previous schemes vanished, and they were deeply awestruck by Garros.
"Stand up,"
Garros said.
When the Bloodtooth Overseer and the other kneeling Gnolls stood up, Garros said unhurriedly, "Not every clan can become a dragon's vassal. You need to show me your value to be worthy of pledging your loyalty to me."
Having witnessed Garros's power...
...the Gnolls were filled with the desire to worship and follow him, wishing they could rush forward and lick Garros's claws.
Except for the priest.
Fearing Garros might change his mind and look down on the Red-Eye Clan, the Bloodtooth Overseer quickly said, "Please give us your orders. What must the Red-Eye Clan do to satisfy you?"
Garros narrowed his eyes and asked in return, "Gnoll, do you believe in gods? Tell me your true thoughts!"
The Bloodtooth Overseer's ears twitched slightly in the rain, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he glanced at the priest out of the corner of his eye.
The Red-Eye Clan believed in gods.
—He wanted to answer that way, but the words stopped at his lips.
The Bloodtooth Overseer's gaze swept over the two Gnoll Guards again.
They had once been the bravest warriors in the clan, but now they were desireless Puppets, unable even to perform the mating that other Gnolls loved most!
Rotclaw called this a 'blessing.'
But Bloodtooth had seen the ritual process with his own eyes—fifty Gnolls locked in iron cages biting each other, and only the last two survivors would be infused with Black Blood to receive the blessing.
During the great drought in the wilderness years ago...
...the Red-Eye Clan sacrificed thirty percent of their prey to pray for the gods to send rain, but they received nothing.
The priest said the gods required more sincerity.
And this would starve more clansmen, leading the clan toward its end.
The Bloodtooth Overseer was cruel by nature, not a kind creature, and had no mercy for ordinary clansmen. However, as the clan leader, he cared deeply about the survival of the entire group.
The losses from sacrificing to the gods had long since far exceeded any benefits gained, gradually dragging the Red-Eye Clan down.
Bloodtooth not only lacked faith but even felt some resentment toward the gods.
More accurately...
What he hated was the humiliation of being fooled and ignored.
Yeenoghu had never truly protected the Red-Eye Clan, and Rotclaw's incantations always cost more than they gained.
But this dragon before him was different.
His power was visible to the naked eye.
After a few seconds of silent reflection...
...the Bloodtooth Overseer lowered his head and replied to Garros, "Reporting to the Dragon Lord, the Red-Eye Clan believes in gods, but this faith is like a vulture's loyalty to carrion—it only exists when needed."
"Now, with your arrival, faith is a thing of the past. The Red-Eye Clan's loyalty will belong to you."
This loyalty was still "a vulture's loyalty to carrion."
Such was the nature of evil creatures.
But it could be guaranteed that as long as Garros remained as powerful as ever and did not become weaker, the Gnolls would follow his every word.
And for Dragonkin, this was as simple as could be.
As long as they didn't die, Dragonkin would gradually grow stronger.
Gnolls were keen on following Dragonkin, and a Gnoll vassal clan was almost standard for a Dragon; this was the main reason.
Only creatures like Dragonkin could withstand their 'loyalty,' and besides Dragonkin, few other powerful creatures were willing to take Gnolls as vassals.
"Hodge!"
Rotclaw the priest's gaze darkened as he said in a low voice, "This is irreverence! Retract your statement! The Red-Eye Clan's faith and loyalty can coexist! As children of the Gnoll God, we can never abandon our faith, no matter what."
Hodge was the Bloodtooth Overseer's name.
Names like Hogger and Hawke were common among the Gnoll race.
Across from him.
The Bloodtooth Overseer did not respond to the priest's words.
In his heart, Garros carried more weight, and the dragon's thoughts were more important than the priest's.
"Very good."
The Bloodtooth Overseer heard the Dragon Lord's whisper, which filled him with joy.
Garros looked around, his gaze sweeping over Crying Cliff under the curtain of rain, over the many drenched Gnolls, and said, "I do not allow believers of gods to exist under my command."
The ordinary Gnolls were oblivious and did not react.
Their brains couldn't hold much thought; they mainly wondered what to eat today, who to mate with, what to eat tomorrow, and who to mate with tomorrow. They drifted with the tide; faith was just a slogan shouted along with the Overseer or the priest, and they didn't truly understand the meaning of being a believer of a god.
But Rotclaw the priest understood.
Where his own faith was concerned, fire erupted in his red eyes, and the fur on his body almost stood on end.
"The Red-Eye Clan will not swear fealty to a dragon that profanes the Gnoll faith!"
He responded forcefully, his words ringing out clearly.
Garros didn't care and said bluntly to the Bloodtooth Overseer, "You, go and kill him. Prove your valor, your loyalty, and your determination to me."
The Bloodtooth Overseer's eyes widened as he looked at the priest.
Occupations like shamans and priests in wilderness monster clans were often held by respected, wise elders. Rotclaw the priest was older than the Bloodtooth Overseer and had practically watched him grow up.
Bloodtooth had always been wary of him; even after becoming the Overseer, he still didn't dare to be too insolent toward the priest.
But now, with Garros backing him, the situation was completely different.
Malice gave him courage!
The Bloodtooth Overseer suddenly threw back his head, the roar rolling in his throat exploding like muffled thunder.
"For the Dragon Lord!!!"
Pack Dominance!
A blood-red halo erupted from beneath his feet, instantly enveloping the surrounding Gnoll warriors.
Their muscles swelled as if inflated, looking as though they were stuffed with asphalt and oil, pushing their fur out high. The fangs in their mouths grew an inch longer, and their pupils shrank into pinhead-sized red dots.
This was the Overseer's trump card combat skill.
A trump card originally intended to counter the Bone-Chewer Ogres, it was now swung toward his former symbol of faith.
An Overseer's prestige among the clansmen, especially the warriors, was higher than the priest's.
Under the influence of his dominance halo, the elite Gnoll warriors did not hesitate. Their weapons and claws were all aimed at Rotclaw the priest as they hissed and launched their attack.
Meanwhile, the Bloodtooth Overseer stayed in the rear, keeping the warriors in front of him, and did not act rashly.
Garros noticed this and shot him a glance.
The Bloodtooth Overseer gave a flattering smile and said plausibly, "Great Dragon Lord, my strength lies in commanding warriors, not in personally going onto the battlefield to kill enemies. Please understand."
"The warriors are like my limbs, my weapons."
He paused, seemingly afraid that Garros would despise him for being afraid of death, so the Bloodtooth Overseer puffed out his chest and added, "But if you give the order, I will definitely charge at the very front!"