Intelligence Leak

In the late autumn night wind, Qili Greyscale hunched his back, darting through the woods like a phantom in the darkness.

He had already left the territory of the Greyscale Kobold Tribe and entered the hunting grounds of the Moss Hide Gnoll Tribe.

The thought of seeing that terrifying Gnoll Shaman again sent a shiver down Qili's spine.

If he could, he wouldn't betray his own kind, but he had no choice.

"Awooo~!"

A wolf's howl shattered the silence of the night sky. Qili Greyscale's senses sharpened to their peak as he pulled something from his loincloth, gripping it tightly.

The howling had come from the Dire Wolves the gnolls kept. They were the gnolls' hunting companions, sentinels of the night, and the nightmare of the Greyscale Kobolds. Without the item in his hand, he wouldn't have dared to come near.

After a while, pairs of glowing green eyes appeared in the woods ahead, staring intently at the intruder, a truly chilling sight.

As the dangerous aura closed in, he quickly raised his hand and displayed the item he held. It was a fang, or more accurately, a wolf's fang.

With the wolf fang in hand, Qili felt much more confident. Without regard for whether anyone was in the forest opposite, he shouted, "Take me to Lord Mosa!"

A Dire Wolf, as large as a warhorse, emerged silently from the shadows and into the moonlight. It wrinkled its nose, revealing its sharp, interlocking teeth, and foul saliva dripped from its jaws.

Fortunately, the Dire Wolf was controlled by its master, a gnoll. He rode on the Dire Wolf's back, a whip hanging from his waist, a spear in his hand.

The spear flicked the wolf fang from the kobold's hand into the air. The gnoll caught it, brought the fang to its nose to sniff, then tossed it back to the kobold. With that, he squeezed his legs around the Dire Wolf beneath him and turned to leave.

"Follow me."

They traveled through the jungle, and Qili followed the Gnoll Ranger to the front of the Moss Hide Gnoll Main Camp.

The Moss Hide Gnoll Main Camp was built on a low mountain peak. The trees within a two-hundred-meter radius of the peak had been cleared, and obstacles like large stones had also been removed.

Further inside, a log palisade encircled the base of the mountain. There was an arrow tower at regular intervals, and sentries on the towers had a clear view of the surroundings.

Led by the Gnoll Ranger, Qili Greyscale successfully passed through the stockade gate and entered the gnoll tribe's territory.

Like the kobolds, the gnoll tribe had many dirty animal hide tents. Only in the center of the tribe, around the summit, were there a few houses made of wood and straw. These were the dwellings of the higher-ranking members of the Moss Hide Gnoll Tribe.

At the summit itself stood a sprawling stone house.

By human standards, this stone house could only be considered passable, but by the civilization level of wild monsters, it was undoubtedly a magnificent structure.

After bringing Qili to the front of the stone house, the Gnoll Ranger spoke a few words to the guards stationed there. The stone house guards opened the door and gestured for Qili to enter.

He waited for a while in the spacious, dark hall of the stone house.

Creak~.

An old gnoll, leaning on a cane and hunched over, opened the door and walked in. The tap-tap of his cane on the floor was strikingly loud in the quiet stone house.

Qili Greyscale shivered and lowered his head further. He knew that the frail-looking old gnoll before him possessed immense power, incomprehensible to ordinary beings.

"Speak. What did you see?"

"..."

A while later, in a dimly lit underground chamber, the Advanced Stage Gnoll Arcanist—Mosa Moss Hide—stood respectfully with his hands clasped at his sides, relaying the information brought by the kobold to the Elf on the Thorn Throne.

After listening to his familiar's account, the Green Dragon, Olivia, who had transformed into her elven form, curled her lips into a mocking smile.

"Developing agriculture, hoarding food, forging armor, training soldiers, brainwashing slogans, and loyalty education. Such a dilettante, that Red cub~."

Indeed, in the eyes of the orthodox Five-Colored Evil Dragons, the Red Dragon was a truly unserious fellow.

Developing agriculture, hoarding food?

What was the point of such useless endeavors? They couldn't eat it (dragons preferred meat). Was it for those lowly creatures who wallowed in the mud? Ridiculous! Those useless, lowly creatures should just die!

Training soldiers, forging weapons?

Dragons were most powerful in themselves, not in worldly armies. Great dragons only needed to eat well and sleep well to draw strength from their bloodline over time, growing stronger and stronger.

Brainwashing slogans, loyalty education?

This was even more absurd. Monsters worshipped the unparalleled power of the dragon race. Maintaining sufficient power was enough to deter anyone from betraying them. Without power, everything was an illusion.

Beside her, Mosa Moss Hide, seeing his master in a good mood, ventured, "Great Master Olivia, under your wise leadership, the enemy's foundation has been understood. Your most loyal servant is ready to present you with a great victory. Just give the word, and I will immediately go and bring that little cub back for you."

"No, the attack plan is canceled," Olivia said, waving her hand after some thought.

Upon learning that she had a new neighbor of her own kind, she had ordered her familiar to plant spies and gather intelligence, and had begun preparing for war. Now that she knew the opponent's winter offensive plan, she was no longer in a hurry.

The desire for schemes and stratagems was deeply embedded in the Green Dragon's bloodline. Manipulating her opponents was far more exciting and satisfying than crude destruction.

"Since he will deliver himself to my doorstep, why not give him a surprise?"

The opponent was merely a young Red Dragon, while she was a nearly adult young Green Dragon. Even if the Red Dragon was the leader of the Five-Colored Evil Dragons, the difference of two full age stages meant the Red Dragon had no chance of winning.

In Olivia's eyes, victory was within easy reach, and she wanted to savor the process.

"Hahaha~, I really want to see the expression on that Red Dragon cub's face when he sees me~."

The thought of the Red Dragon believing victory was imminent, full of pride, only for her to suddenly appear and shatter his dreams filled her with excitement.

"Surprise! Panic! Abandoning everything and fleeing in disarray! Hmm..."

"That won't do," Olivia murmured on the Thorn Throne. "A Red Dragon could be a useful pawn. Capture him, train him, and make him forever subservient to the great Olivia."

I have a good plan. Once I reach adulthood, I'll have the Red Dragon go out and lure those foolish Dragon Slaying Warriors over, and then...

"Oh, ho ho ho ho ho~" Olivia couldn't help but laugh out loud as she thought of something amusing.

Mosa Moss Hide was already accustomed to this. He had seen this scene many times, and every time he heard that laugh, someone was about to have bad luck.

When his master's laughter stopped, he knew his task was coming.

"Master, please give me the next instruction."

"Hold steady, but we can't let that wayward brat just idle around either," Olivia's lips curled into a playful, wicked smile.