Victory

After defeating his opponent, Jose immediately went to support Ergou, who was locked in a fierce battle, and took over Ergou's opponent. Ergou turned and provided ranged magical support to his brother, who was struggling to resist.

The tide had turned!

Even the strong male Petrification Lizard was no match for Jose, let alone the weaker female. Jose unleashed the Dragon Race's Three Forms of Combat in succession: a pounce, a bite, and a strike. With this combo, the female lizard was quickly subdued.

After eliminating the enemy, Jose did not re-enter the fray. Instead, he observed the kobolds fighting the Petrification Lizard from the sidelines.

On one hand, he wanted to assess the combat capabilities of his new subordinates. On the other hand, he was the BOSS, not a nanny. Matters that his subordinates could handle, they should resolve themselves.

His gaze shifted to the battlefield. The kobolds had surrounded the Petrification Lizard, raising their spears as if to strike but making no move. They emitted irritating yapping sounds.

This was the kobolds' strategy for hunting large creatures: surround but don't attack, use noise to disrupt the enemy's judgment, and then thrust their spears when an opening appeared. They would wear down the enemy bit by bit, ultimately achieving victory with minimal cost.

Their opponent, the Extraordinary Beast – the Petrification Lizard, was massive with thick, powerful limbs. Its only weakness was its lack of agility.

However, the Stone Skin spell effectively compensated for this deficiency. Layering Stone Skin over the lizard's hide was akin to putting plate armor over leather armor. Even its relatively soft belly was impenetrable to the kobolds' spears.

The only one capable of harming the Petrification Lizard was the kobold leader, Sorda. Sorda had not yet made a move; he was waiting for an opportunity, for a chance to deliver a fatal blow.

Clearly, the Petrification Lizard had also noticed this unusually strong kobold and was constantly wary of him. However, what drew its attention the most was Ergou in the distance.

The reason was simple: Ergou was a spellcaster.

For thousands of years, wild animals had learned a truth through repeated, painful lessons: beware of spellcasters, or they would suffer the same fate as their predecessors.

The yapping of the kobolds echoed through the cave. No one attacked, but the killing intent was palpable. This was a test of patience!

The kobold side lost patience first. One kobold, unable to contain himself, launched a surprise attack from behind. His target was one of the few areas on the Petrification Lizard not covered by Stone Skin – its posterior.

Sensing the fierce wind approaching its sensitive area, the Petrification Lizard's rear clenched. It whipped its tail, sending the audacious attacker flying back, spitting blood, and crashing into a nearby tent, where he lay motionless.

His sacrifice was not in vain. Sorda silently circled to the Petrification Lizard's flank and thrust his spear, which had been enhanced with the Sharpness Spell by his brother.

"Hiss!"

The Petrification Lizard, unable to dodge in time, was wounded. A bloody hole appeared on the side of its white belly, and bright red blood flowed down its stomach.

Enraged by the pain, the Petrification Lizard was about to counterattack when it saw a blur flying from the other side – a Small Fireball aimed at its eye. It quickly turned its head to dodge.

The Small Fireball exploded on the Petrification Lizard's neck, leaving a black mark the size of a basketball.

Under the harassment and cover of their kin, the kobold brothers took turns, vying to inflict more wounds on the Petrification Lizard. Both noticed Jose observing them and intentionally tried to impress their master.

Jose's lips curved into a slight smile. Given the vast disparity in strength, the brothers' performance was indeed impressive.

Wounds accumulated, and the loss of blood drained its stamina. The scarred Petrification Lizard panted heavily, bloodshot veins spreading across its gray eyes. Its attacks became increasingly irrational, and everyone foresaw the impending victory.

"Hiss!"

Suddenly, the Petrification Lizard, still within the encirclement, ignored the thrusting spears and spun around forcefully, shoving aside the kobolds in its path and charging towards its nest.

Jose was stunned. He saw the Petrification Lizard's crimson eyes filled with madness, and its target was the snow-white lizard eggs lying in the nest.

It intended to destroy its own offspring!

The desperate mother was trying to kill her children to prevent them from falling into the hands of their enemies.

This was admirable, but unfortunately, Jose needed these lizard eggs. Once hatched and grown, the young lizards would be valuable combatants, perfectly supplementing the Bloodtooth Tribe's lack of high-tier combat power.

He powerfully pushed off with his hind legs, leaping into the air. His body traced a parabolic arc as he collided with the charging Petrification Lizard.

Bang!

The Petrification Lizard was flipped onto its back, exposing its belly. Jose's sharp dragon claws plunged into the wound on its abdomen, forcing apart its rib bones. He grasped its still-beating heart and squeezed.

Bang!

Like a balloon suddenly exploding, the beating heart was crushed. The Petrification Lizard collapsed limply to the ground, its eyes gradually losing their luster, becoming dull and lifeless as if covered in dust.

The kobold brothers lowered their heads, not daring to look at Jose.

"Never mind, it's not your fault. The Petrification Lizard was indeed beyond your capabilities." Jose shook the blood from his claws. Through this battle, he had also gauged the specific strengths of the two brothers.

According to human strength classification standards, the kobold brothers belonged to the Initial Stage, while both the Petrification Lizard and Jose were in the Intermediate Stage.

Of course, even within the same stage, strength could vary greatly, as a stage represented a broad range. It was like how both 60 points and 100 points were considered passing grades, but 100 points was undoubtedly much stronger.

"Sorda, come here."

Sorda walked up to Jose, head bowed.

"I have witnessed your valor. I bestow upon you the honor of becoming a Servant of the Dragon."

Sorda raised his head in disbelief. He was too surprised to believe his ears, but moments later, he realized that valor was merely an excuse. His master's true intention was to gain complete control of the Bloodtooth Kobold Tribe.

However, he had no intention of betraying his master. Becoming a Dragonkin offered numerous benefits, so he gladly accepted.

Sorda knelt on one knee. "Thank you for your benevolence, Master. The Bloodtooth Tribe shall be the blade in your hand!"

"Very good, excellent."

Not long after, Sorda received the same treatment as his brother.

After the Dragon Vein modification was complete, he looked as if he had been fished out of water, but his face could not hide his joy. The power of the Dragon Vein surged within him. The benefits of this high-tier bloodline were not just immediate; he would gain even more as he grew. At the very least, and most practically, the lifespan of a Dragonkin was immeasurably longer than that of a kobold.

While Jose was contracting with his elder brother, Ergou had already begun the aftermath: arranging for the injured to be treated; sending people to notify the tribesmen at the temporary camp to return home; dispatching scouts to check the status of the tribe's food storage.

He dared not handle the Petrification Lizard's corpse and eggs without authorization. Seeing that the contract was complete, he walked over. "Master, how should we deal with the corpse of this Petrification Lizard?"

Jose glanced at his spoils of war. Extraordinary Beasts were treasures all over, and the Petrification Lizard's eyeballs were the main ingredient for crafting magical items like the Petrification Eye. It was a shame he didn't have a specialized container to store them or any channels to sell them.

Of course, even if he had channels, he wouldn't sell them. There was no need to risk dealing with intelligent beings for a bit of money, as it would increase the risk of exposure.

"Stew one for the warriors as a reward, cut the meat from the other two and air-dry it for reserve rations. The lizard hides can be made into leather armor. Oh, and send some people to widen the entrance so my partner can come in."

"As you command!"

Jose walked over to the lizard nest again and counted the snow-white lizard eggs inside. There were thirteen in total.

"Have two people guard the lizard eggs. No one is allowed near them. Ergou, give me a tour of our new home."

"It would be my honor."

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