Ashen Dragon

The panel unfolded before Cassius.

[You have broken through someone's mind with words, achieving the [Silver-Tongued] achievement]

Achievement [Silver-Tongued]

"My tongue can be a rose with thorns or a sword dipped in poison, depending on your choice—a quote from an unnamed Hell Devil."

Obtained passive trait: [Smooth Talker]

Persuasion +6, Deception +4, obtained an additional spell [Suggestion Spell]

You are a rare smooth talker, relying heavily on your words. Your eloquence can drive anyone to brave the fiery pits for you. Your sophistry can conceal any crime. Your words can turn black into white and plunge the entire world into chaos.

[Suggestion Spell]

2nd-level Enchantment spell

You influence a creature within casting range that you can see, suggesting a specific action (the suggestion must sound reasonable to the creature).

"Not a bad passive trait, could be very useful in specific situations."\\p>

That was Cassius's assessment.

Although it wasn't much use in combat, it was still a versatile tool that may come in handy one day, especially since it came with a rather rare 2nd-level spell.

The sudden invasion by the Eagle Guards caused significant losses to the fledgling Ashen Nest.

According to Ramp's statistics, a total of two wyverns, seven ogres, eighty-six goblins, and ninety-five kobolds died, with countless others injured. Even the chimera suffered severe injuries and was temporarily unable to fight.

This alerted Cassius.

The loss of goblins and kobolds didn't matter much; with a little effort, new ones would be born by the hundreds next year, and they would even need places to consume the population drastically.

But the loss of wyverns, which had significant combat power and a long reproductive cycle, made Cassius feel a pinch.

Not to mention, had he not returned in time, the losses would have been far greater.

This was not a good sign.

Indeed, compared to Cassius's rapidly growing strength, the quality of Ashen Nest's retainers was starting to fall behind, which could lead to:

In the future, after the red dragon had just fought a battle and hadn't had time to rest, his lair would be completely wiped out by enemies.

Thinking of this, Cassius looked at the special ability "Bloodline Gift" on the panel.

[Bloodline Gift]

[You are a born leader, capable of influencing creatures within your domain with your powerful presence. You can also perform a ritual using your blood to create bloodline family members.]

[After the ritual is completed, the bloodline's deep-seated dominance will make them completely submit to you, and even their descendants will become your eternal retainers.]

"Spending a little blood to create a batch of loyal retainers seems like a good deal."\\p>

Cassius thought.

With this in mind, Cassius let out a long, resonant roar, summoning all the retainers to gather in the spacious valley.

"Roar—"

This was the first large gathering in Ashen Nest.

The red dragon personally notifying them indicated that something significant was happening, and the leaders of the various retainers took it very seriously.

Ramp reminded the ogres to follow regulations, Dolores donned her imposing leather armor, Jin Ya polished his scales, and even the wyverns roared softly, communicating in an unknown manner.

Soon, Ashen Nest became bustling, leaving only necessary guards at key points, while the rest of the retainers poured out in full force.

Thousands of various monsters filled the entire valley so densely that it was impenetrable. They jostled, quarreled, and made a racket, even clashing with each other—for instance, the goblins and kobolds.

Both numerous and weak, the goblins and kobolds didn't get along. The goblins felt they had been in Ashen Nest longer and were its founding merit-makers, while the kobolds believed their close kinship to their master made them superior, thinking of the goblins as mere cannon fodder.

"Goblins, get lost!"

"This is our spot!"

"You're late, so you stand at the back!"

Several slightly taller kobolds blocked the way, chattering incessantly.

The goblins, infuriated, tried to force their way through, but the kobolds also surged forward together.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Get out, don't block our path!"

The goblins made a path as the goblin chieftain Dolores spoke from behind.

Several strong bugbear guards nearby stepped forward and kicked the kobolds several meters away.

Although common goblins held low status, the strength and dexterity of the great goblins and bugbears were undeniable. They were prominent figures in military and construction within Ashen Nest, even feared by Jin Ya, the kobold leader.

Several kobolds, seeing this, slinked away without daring to say a word.

The lizardfolk arrived with their tribe.

They numbered over fifty, significantly taller than the goblins and kobolds and comparable in size to humans, resembling a blend of upright lizards and crocodiles. Most wielded primitive wooden spears and shell shields, clearly quite strong.

However, having just arrived in Ashen Nest with no stable foothold, they dared not easily clash with other tribes.

This was the "Black Tooth" lizardfolk tribe.

They originally lived in an abandoned cavern, fleeing due to the disaster caused by the Bluefoot Dragon-snake. As Cassius was out, Ramp temporarily took them in, so they had not yet received the red dragon's recognition.

Their leader had yet to formally meet the red dragon, only glimpsing his majestic presence in battle, which firmly decided their allegiance.

Their leader was named Acker Longtooth, after his great dagger-like teeth.

He differed from typical lizardfolk, boasting a robust, muscular body over two meters tall. A bright crest stood tall on his head, resembling a crown, signifying strength and attracting mates.

In his hand, he gripped a trident made from crocodile bones—the symbol of tribal leadership.

But at the moment, the lizardfolk chief appeared uneasy, uncertain if the powerful red dragon would accept him.

He instinctively glanced at the lizardfolk shaman Koda Blackscale beside him, an elderly, hunched lizardfolk with somewhat cloudy eyes and a black scale on his chest.

"Koda, can we settle here?"

The old shaman merely smiled meaningfully and pointed behind them.

Several strong lizardfolk were carrying heavy chests, surrounded by guards.

From the cracks in the chests, a bit of gold gleamed—they were filled with various goldware, some looted from human caravans and others dug out of the caverns, the accumulated wealth of the Black Tooth tribe over the years.

"You can always trust in a red dragon's greed,"

the old shaman softly recited an ancient proverb.