Ashen Dragon

In this fanatical yet silent strange atmosphere, Cassius uttered the last name.

"Jin Ya."

Suddenly, all the monsters were stunned.

No one had expected that the final recipient of the "gift" would be a weak kobold.

Even Jin Ya stood frozen for a moment, only reacting after a while.

The kobold's ugly face immediately flashed a fawning smile, and with the help of several of its kin as makeshift stair steps, it finally managed to climb atop the giant rock towering several times its height.

"How is this possible?"

Dolores looked at the flattered kobold, steam puffing from his mouth, gritting his teeth, wishing he could tear it to pieces.

His Bugbear underlings were even more resentful, their sturdy arms bulging with veins, thicker than the kobold's thin waist.

These monsters grew up on Stormy Ridge, worshipping strength from a young age. Naturally, they were deeply resentful of being dominated by such a weak kobold.

But they dared not challenge the Red Dragon's authority and could only swallow their frustration.

Cassius actually didn't care much about the selection.

After bestowing the previous gifts, the combat power within the Ashen Nest had become quite formidable, enough to be considered a local tyrant in the Anzeta Wasteland.

He also considered that someone had to dig for gold, so the kobolds needed some hope too.

Besides, kobolds were natural retainers of giant dragons.

These oviparous creatures matured quickly and could live as "dragon-like creatures" for over a century, digging gold for their masters everywhere. However, due to their frail bodies, few lived to natural death.

After being around dragons for a long time, they could even undergo unpredictable mutations.

This time, Cassius intended to conduct an experiment with the gift.

Even if it failed, the loss would be negligible. A kobold with a challenge level of only one-fourth, dying one year could yield hundreds more the next.

The ritual began under Cassius's control.

Blood flowed into the kobold's mouth.

Due to its short and frail body, it consumed much less blood compared to the previous recipients.

"Awooo——"

The kobold let out suppressed low howls.

The scorching blood flowed into its body, roasting its flesh, causing a faint red glow from within.

All the monsters watched the kobold intently, out of jealousy, resentment, or unwillingness. Most of the retainers silently hoped the kobold would suffer to death.

Suddenly, there was an abrupt change.

The kobold lifted its head and let out frenzied, dog-like barks, with thick saliva dripping from its open mouth, steaming.

Its body swelled rapidly, a huge bulge forming on its back.

The kobold's thin body greedily absorbed every bit of energy from the blood, visibly growing sturdier.

Its size grew from less than one meter to nearly two meters.

A strange power seeped from the depths of its bloodline.

There was a ripping sound like tearing leather, and the enormous bulges forced open the skin.

A pair of brand-new, mucus-covered wings appeared on the kobold's back!

"Roar——"

The kobold leader clumsily spread its wings.

Its mouth emitted sounds no longer like barking but more akin to a dragon's roar.

"How can this be!"

"This is..."

"It's Urd, by Tiamat, it's Urd!"

"An Urd born after!"

Some of the older, more knowledgeable kobolds among the tribe cried out in amazement.

A few kobolds were naturally born with leathery wings and could fly; they were called Urds.

Urd wings were seen as gifts from the Dragon Queen Tiamat, and because of this, they were envied by the wingless kobolds, causing constant strife between the two.

But now, the kobold's dragon wings grew postnatally, making the kobolds feel not only jealous but also endlessly eager.

They could become Urds too!

Cassius watched the winged kobold, his eyes narrowing slightly—he also detected a slight change in the Magic Web as a sorcerer.

Sure enough, he closely examined the retainer's status information.

[Your retainer, Kobold Leader, has undergone an unpredictable mutation due to the Bloodline Gift.]

The manifestation of sorcery talents was often pure luck.

Some magicians couldn't even pinpoint the source of their power, but others could recall strange pivotal moments in their lives:

The touch of a witch, drinking from a mysterious Magic Spring, blessings from Heavenly Creatures to newborns, all could spark the flame of sorcery talents.

Exposure to the elemental forces of the Inner Plane or chaotic magic in the Sea of Chaos, or glimpsing the inner workings of reality, could also be opportunities to gain sorcery power.

Drinking the Blood of Grace was undoubtedly a major "opportunity."

[Your retainer, Kobold Leader, has awakened the dragonkin magic overflowing in their ancestral bloodline due to the Bloodline Gift.]

[Kobold Leader has unlocked the occupation of Dragon Vein Sorcerer-Red Dragon; his innate magic comes from dragonkin magic, fundamentally mingled in blood and inherited from his ancestors.]

What started as a casual experiment added another spellcaster to the Ashen Nest, which greatly pleased Cassius.

"A Kobold Dragon Vein Sorcerer, interesting."

Cassius watched the transforming Jin Ya.

The winged kobold, or rather, the Urd panted heavily, with steam rising from between its scales.

After several breaths, it barely calmed the raging elemental energy within.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

The transformed kobold shook its body slightly, feeling the unfamiliar powerful force within and the spells suddenly appearing in its mind.

Jin Ya looked up at the Red Dragon, his eyes filled with unprecedented fanaticism, shedding a few genuine tears from the corners of his eyes.

The humiliation of being enslaved by humans, the fear of being hunted by monsters, and years of constant fleeing—all dissipated at that moment.

At this moment, he truly regarded the Red Dragon as a living demigod.

However, the Red Dragon didn't care about the kobold's loyalty or "fervent faith." Instead, he was more curious about what spells the kobold had awakened.

"Cast your spell."

Cassius said with great interest.

Unlike the player panel's occupation system, original sorcerers in this world couldn't choose their spells; the power of sorcery chose them and allowed them to master innate spells.

Therefore, most sorcerers were only proficient in one or two spells and used them skillfully.

"Yes…great master."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Without hesitation, Jin Ya followed the inheritance in his mind, channeling the unknown power within.

He slowly raised his arms, thumbs together, other fingers spread, guiding the Magic Web to slightly gather the surrounding fire elemental energy.

"Boom!"

A cone of flame several feet long instantly spewed from his palms.

"Burning Hands, a good first-tier spell, very fitting for a Red Dragon Sorcerer character."

Cassius silently assessed.