After a passage of time, Caesar returned to his domain with his bounty in tow. Standing atop the pinnacle of the mountain, he surveyed his territory. During his period of slumber, his dependents had labored prodigiously, expanding his domain to encompass an area with a hundred-mile radius from the dragon's nest as its center.
Caesar's gaze lingered for a moment before he noticed some intriguing changes. At the foot of the mountain, tribes of jackalmans, gnolls, and trolls had established their presence, combining to nearly exceed a population of five hundred—all under the unified management of Cyrion.
As a dragonsblood jackalman, Cyrion had transcended the boundaries of his species to become a mid-level creature imbued with magic, capable of wielding formidable fire-element spells. Even the troll shamans raised no contest to his leadership. In the domain of dragons, the status of dragonsblood creatures evidently took precedence.
These tribes stayed at the base of the mountain, only gathering toward the summit upon Caesar's summons. Their time was typically spent in hunting and breeding.
Aberrations, however, were bound to arise with such large numbers. The longer creatures dwelled within dragon territories, the more likely they were to be imbued with draconic essence. Being magical beings of considerable supremacy, dragons imbued nearby flora and fauna with their influence, potentially giving rise to more potent dragonsblood creatures.
This process was distinct from Caesar's personal conversions. Using his own draconic essence, he could enhance chosen beings, granting them not only the potential for great power but also some diluted draconic abilities.
As an example, dragonsblood kin of the Red Dragon species retained not only their robust physiques but also received an affinity for fire-based magic spells. Whereas dragonsblood kin of the Blue Dragon lineage could manipulate storms and lightning to a certain extent, and those of the Green Dragon were endowed with power over nature, able to command plant life...
However, not every creature could withstand the might of draconic blood. This conversion process held a notable failure rate; those unable to shoulder the power would meet their demise during the transformation. Dragons, therefore, often selected the most resolute of their kin to increase the chances of success, for this process demanded a considerable allotment of their time.
Currently, Caesar's dragonsblood dependents included only Aurelian and Cyrion.
Yet now, additional dragonsblood creatures emerged within his lands—five jackalmans and three gnolls to be precise, each one's stature mighty, towering even above Cyrion before his transformation.
Jackalmans and gnolls were common species in the wilderness, usually posing only a slightly greater threat than humans. Giants like Cyrion were few and far between. Yet these few had reached an extraordinary height of upwards of eight feet, their muscles rippling, now dwarfing the trolls in size.
The most formidable among them was a gnoll, apparently the chieftain, standing at a staggering ten feet—just short of Cyrion's height and thoroughly surpassing the limits of his former kin.
The troll numbers remained modest, displaying no substantial change thus far.
This represented the ultimate reason nomadic races yearned to serve dragons; residing within a dragon's territory permitted them to bask in the dragonsblood aura. This was akin to a natural magnetic field emitted by dragons, capable of slowly converting creatures in the vicinity into dragonsblood kin. While these naturally converted beings couldn't inherit Caesar's abilities in their diminished form, they were numerous.
Caesar observed the transformed kin with interest, noting the elemental luminescence coursing through their veins. Although it was not as potent as that within Cyrion, it confirmed their evolution into magical beings.
"In the heritage of dragons, such transformations typically mark the territory of an adult dragon. This indicates an enhancement of my own bloodline—a positive development indeed," Caesar mused.
Should the system offer a reward for beneficial mutation, he'd seize it without hesitation, noting its immense aid to his cause.
Harnessing power from the sun, he recalled a connection with a character from his past life memories, a superhuman capable of absorbing solar radiance to amplify his powers and accomplish wondrous feats.
A premonition stirred within Caesar—that upon reaching one hundred percent mutation, he might undergo an extraordinary metamorphosis...
"Cyrion," called Caesar, prompting the jackalman chieftain to dutifully present himself before his master.
Cyrion bowed, his heart fraught with awe, momentarily mistaking Caesar for a magnificent golden dragon. As a dragonsblood kin of Caesar, however, he would not misidentify his liege.
With fervent respect, he proclaimed, "Congratulations, my lord, on your awakening from slumber. Your might has astonished your servant. Cyrion awaits your commands."
Pleased, Caesar nodded, finding his dragonsblood jackalman most satisfactory. Cyrion rarely troubled his lord with matters he could handle himself, the mark of an excellent subordinate.
Releasing his grip, Caesar instructed, "Nurture these young ones well. The larger, the better. I expect a bountiful harvest."
Cyrion, though startled by the magnitude of magical creatures he was tasked to breed, understood they were manageable while juveniles.
He summoned three jackalman kin, those recently transformed into dragonsblood creatures, their strength evident as they hoisted the calves to set up a spacious corral. Meanwhile, Caesar released the flower sprites, directing the enchanting fey to aid the jackalmans in selecting a site where the sprites' botanical expertise could flourish alongside the rearing of the Blazebull calves.
During this, Caesar also discussed with Cyrion his experiences from undergoing dragonsblood transformation, confirming anticipated changes in stature and acquisition of fire element spells.
These naturally transformed kin had a long journey ahead to harness similar spellcasting abilities, their combative prowess predominantly relying on physical confrontation.
A realization struck Caesar: "Dragonsblood transformation grants the target dragon-like, albeit diluted, abilities. What, then, of my awakened special powers? Could my next batch of dragonsblood kin inherit them? That warrants an experiment..."
With this thought, Caesar contemplated the profound possibilities of his expanding legacy.