Bloodline Gift (5)

Bloodline Gift (5) Amid the fervent yet silent, bizarre atmosphere, Keosius spoke the final name.

"Gold Tooth."

At once, every monster was dumbfounded.

No one had expected the last recipient of the "gift" to be a weak Kobold.

Even Gold Tooth himself stood there in a daze for a moment before finally coming to his senses.

The Kobold's ugly face immediately broke into a fawning smile. With several of his kin working together as stepping stones, he laboriously climbed onto the boulder, which was several times taller than him.

"How is this possible?"

Dolo stared at the flattered Kobold, hot breath pouring from his mouth. He gritted his teeth, wishing he could tear it apart alive.

The Bugbears under his command were even more enraged. Veins bulged across their thick arms, which were broader than a Kobold's skinny waist.

These monsters had grown up in the Storm Highlands and worshipped strength above all else since childhood. Naturally, they were furious at being ridden over by such a weak Kobold.

Yet they did not dare challenge the Red Dragon's authority. They could only swallow their broken teeth and endure in silence.

Keosius did not particularly care about the choice of recipient.

After the previous gifts, Ember Nest's immediate combat strength had already become quite formidable. At the very least, it counted as a powerful force in the Anzeta Wasteland.

Since he still needed the Kobolds to mine gold, he naturally had to give them something to hope for.

Besides, Kobolds were natural servants of dragons.

These egg-laying creatures matured quickly and, as "dragonlike creatures," could live for over a century, digging gold everywhere for their masters. Yet because of their frail bodies, few survived to die of natural causes.

After spending enough time with dragons, they could even undergo unpredictable mutations.

With this gift, Keosius also wanted to conduct an experiment while he was at it.

Even if it failed, the loss would be nearly negligible. It was only a Kobold with a Challenge Rating of one-quarter. If it died, hundreds more could hatch next year.

The ritual began under Keosius's control.

Blood flowed into the Kobold's mouth.

Because of its small, frail build, it consumed far less blood than the previous recipients.

"Awwoo—"

The Kobold let out muffled growls.

Scalding blood flowed into its body, searing its flesh and making a faint red glow seep from within.

All the monsters watched the Kobold with predatory eyes. Whether out of jealousy, resentment, or unwillingness, most of the servants secretly hoped the Kobold would die in agony.

Then, a sudden change occurred.

The Kobold threw back its head and let out frantic cries like barking. Thick saliva streamed from its open mouth, steam rising from it in bursts.

Its body rapidly swelled and grew, while huge bulges rose on its back.

The Kobold's frail body greedily absorbed every trace of energy in the blood, visibly becoming much sturdier.

It grew from less than a meter long to nearly two meters.

Strange power overflowed from the depths of his bloodline.

With a ripping sound like tearing leather, the huge bulges forcibly burst through the skin.

A pair of brand-new, mucus-covered Wings emerged from the Kobold's back! "Roar—"

The Kobold Leader awkwardly spread his Wings.

The sound from his mouth was no longer a bark, but something closer to a dragon's roar.

"How is this possible!"

"This is..."

"It's Erde! Tiamat above, that's Erde!"

"A Kobold that became Erde later in life!"

Some of the older, more knowledgeable Kobolds in the tribe cried out in shock.

A small number of Kobolds were born with leathery wings and the ability to fly. They were called Erdes.

The wings of an Erde were regarded as a gift from the Dragon Queen Tiamat. At the same time, they made Erdes the target of jealousy from narrow-minded wingless Kobolds, preventing the two groups from living harmoniously together.

But now, dragon wings had grown on a Kobold after birth. This left the Kobolds feeling not only jealous, but filled with boundless fervor.

They could become Erdes too!

Keosius watched the winged Kobold, narrowing his eyes. As a Sorcerer, he had also sensed a slight disturbance in the Weave.

Sure enough, he carefully examined the servant status panel.

[Your servant, the Kobold Leader, has undergone an unpredictable mutation under the influence of the Bloodline Gift.]

The manifestation of magical talent was mostly a matter of pure chance.

Some Sorcerers could not even explain the origin of their power, while others could clearly recall a strange turning point in their lives: a hag's touch, a mysterious magical spring they had drunk from, or a Celestial Being's blessing upon a newborn—all could kindle the spark of magical talent.

In addition, exposure to the elemental powers of the Inner Planes, the violent and chaotic magic of the Sea of Chaos, or even a glimpse of the inner workings of reality itself could all become opportunities to gain magical power.

And drinking the Blood of Grace was undoubtedly a major "opportunity."

[Due to the Bloodline Gift, your servant, the Kobold Leader, has awakened the overflowing draconic magic within his ancestral bloodline.]
[Kobold Leader has unlocked the class Dragon Vein Sorcerer - Red Dragon. His innate magic originates from draconic power, its essence mingled within his blood and the lineage inherited from his ancestors.]

What had originally been a casual experiment had unexpectedly added another spellcaster to Ember Nest. Keosius was pleasantly surprised.

"A Kobold Dragon Vein Sorcerer. Interesting."

Keosius watched Gold Tooth as he underwent his transformation.

This Winged Kobold—or rather, this Erde—panted heavily, hot vapor constantly spraying from the gaps between his scales.

Only after several breaths did he barely manage to calm the violent elemental energy within his body.

"Huff, huff, huff."

The transformed Kobold shook his body somewhat awkwardly, feeling the unfamiliar power surging through him and the spells that had suddenly appeared in his mind.

Gold Tooth raised his head to gaze at the Red Dragon. His eyes became incomparably fervent, and several sincere tears even ran from the corners of his eyes.

The humiliation of being enslaved by humans, the fear of being chased by monsters, the exhausting struggle for survival day after day over more than a decade—all of it vanished into smoke at this moment.

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

But the Red Dragon did not care about the Kobold's loyalty—or rather, his "fanatic devotion." What he cared about more was what spell this Kobold had awakened.

"Cast your spell."

Keosius said with great interest.

Unlike the class system on player panels, native Sorcerers in this world could not choose their own spells. The power of magic chose them, granting Sorcerers their innate spells.

Thus, most Sorcerers only mastered one or two spells, honing them until they could wield them as naturally as their own limbs.

"Yes... great master."

Without hesitation, Gold Tooth followed the inheritance in his mind and circulated the unknown power within his body.

He slowly raised his arm, pressing the thumbs of his two claws together while spreading his other talons. He guided the Weave to lightly gather the surrounding fire elemental energy.

Boom!

A cone of flame several feet long immediately erupted from his palms.

Burning Hands. Not bad for a first-circle spell. It suits the traits of a Red Dragon Sorcerer well.

Keosius silently assessed it.

A bit of filler. I'll get back to pushing the main plot soon. The players will probably descend around Chapter 100.