The snow on the Storm Highlands accumulated and blanketed the land time and again, only to melt into water once more.
In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
For long-lived species like dragons, five years might pass in the time it took to sleep. But for short-lived creatures like humans and Goblins, it was enough to turn their world upside down.
What had happened during those five years?
First, the number of Ember Nest's servants had grown rapidly, and its territory had continued to expand.
Oviparous creatures like Kobolds and Lizardmen could lay more than a dozen eggs in a single clutch. Viviparous creatures like Goblins were no less prolific, capable of producing seven or eight offspring in a year. This was one of the key reasons these weak races could survive in the wilderness.
Before long, Giant's Valley could no longer hold them all.
The servants had no choice but to expand outward.
By now, Ember Nest's territory encompassed the entire Storm Highlands. Many tribes had been conquered and absorbed, and dozens of valleys and caves had become dwellings for its servants. Only the most elite and powerful servants could remain at the Giant's Valley headquarters and receive the Red Dragon's unconscious gifts.
Living in Giant's Valley was regarded as an honor.
Even the valley's name had been changed to "Dragon Valley."
Ember Nest now had three Chimeras, forty-one Wyverns, sixty-five Ogres, four hundred and sixty Hobgoblins, three hundred and seventy Lizardmen, two hundred and four Half-goat Humans, and—too many Goblins and Kobolds to count.
Conservatively estimated, their numbers had already exceeded ten thousand.
There were also many newly subjugated scattered tribes, such as Yuan-ti, War Lizardmen, and Orcs, but they were not worth listing one by one, since they merely paid protection fees.
Second, the