Zong Shen reached out and helped Little Blackie up from where it knelt before him.
He sized up its lean humanoid form, then lifted his gaze toward the nest-fortress behind it, built from obsidian and granite, as well as the several thousand Dragonkin followers standing in solemn formation around it.
"Looks like you really haven't been slacking off during this time."
There was a note of approval in Zong Shen's voice.
His gaze swept over the half-dragon infantry and lizardman cavalry. Though their equipment was rather crude, their military bearing was disciplined and orderly.
Little Blackie had learned a few things from following him.
The air was thick with the swamp's characteristic damp, rotten stench, mixed with the faint smell of sulfur and blood on the Dragonkin.
Little Blackie rose to its feet, a complicated expression of pride and reverence appearing on its face.
"It was all thanks to the intelligence Master gave me back then, as well as those three hundred elite half-dragon soldiers."
"Without them, I couldn't have done it this quickly on my own."
It turned sideways and made an inviting gesture.
"Master, please come into my nest and have a look."
"The ones outside are only part of the regular garrison. More followers are scattered throughout the swamp, responsible for patrolling, gathering, and construction."
Zong Shen nodded and stepped onto the firmly secured drawbridge.
The Wooden Planks beneath his feet were thick, pieced together from some kind of swamp hardwood. Their surfaces had been coated with waterproof resin, making them stable and silent underfoot.
The water in the moat was dark brown. Vague, long shadows could be seen gliding beneath the surface—tamed giant swamp eels that served both as guards and as cleaners for the waterway.
Once they passed through the main gate of the nest,