Chapter 17: Wolf Cavalry and Manticores

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

  Fortunately, Giant yon was vast enough to aodate these minions, or else with hundreds of kobolds ing in all at oemporary 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 see the following information]

  【Kobold】

  Small humanoid creature (kobold), wful evil

  AC: 12

  Speed: 30 feet

  Strength — 7

  Dexterity — 15

  stitution — 9

  Intelligence — 8

  Wisdom — 7

  Charisma — 8

  Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Passive Perception 8 feet

  Languages: on, Draic

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

  Traits: Sunlight Sensitivity, Pack Tactics

  As: Dagger, Sling

  Challeing: 1/8 (25 XP)

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

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

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

  Because kobolds were too weak, the mysterious monster in the mine ing hundreds of them didn't prove much. More detailed intelligend strength assessment were still needed.

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

  Thinking of this, he summohe hobgoblin leader, Dolo.

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

  Due to this, and bined 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 ing along?”

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

  Goblins have a unique affinity with wolves and bee 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 on fodder than lose a single wolf rider.”

  And he did just that in that hunt, letting a dozen goblirampled 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 ihirst for battle.

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

  “As you and.”

  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 pyer interface allowed for quick power increases, Cassius wanted a more stable grasp over his power, uanding the structure of spells and the meisms of the world.

  He needed not just a strong body but a strong mi, 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 ks of flesh.

  Their prey—though shredded beynition—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 on wings.

  Their thick maretched down their backs, and their long, sleails ended in clusters of spikes. But the most chilling part was their heads—a smooth, hairless, human-like face, which made the bloody se 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 s, 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 dev 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.

  “Fme Breath!”

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

  It could only roll around in its .

  However, the , made of withered wood and dry grass, also caught fire, and the raging fmes quickly ed it.

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

  But Cassius would not give it that ce.

  “Swift Cast: Cat’s Agility”

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

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

  The red dragon showed no mercy, stretg out his powerful cws and smming the flying manticainst the cliff wall.

  The entire rock face shook violently, and rge 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 rofoundly eerie.

  “Crack!”

  The red dragon's cws suddeed force, snapping the monster's spihout hesitation.

  He loosened his cws, 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 hen silence.

  The red dragon stood atop the cliff, gazing at the mist-cround below: “Iure, I’ll o occupy human cities and wele pyer arrivals. I need minions who follow orders, at least ones capable of suppressing their wild nature.”

  “For sg people, chaotid 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 fa the ground, uo hold back a mog ent.