Chapter 49: Dragonborn
Matthew sharply noticed that as the kobolds' health continued to decline, their bodies were undergoing gradual transformations.
Their thin limbs and torsos began to writhe and swell, as if muscles beneath their skin were rapidly growing and strengthening.
Each kobold's health drained at a different rate—the weaker their constitution, the faster their health dropped.
"Ah...!"
Another kobold couldn't withstand the terrifying power of the transformation and died with a scream.
The remaining two kobolds writhed in pain on the ground, their health steadily depleting.
"HP -1, 7/16!"
"HP -1, 6/16!"
"..."
Just as Matthew thought these two kobolds would also die from the failed transformation,
One of the kobolds' rapidly dropping health suddenly stabilized.
Its physical transformation slowed down as well, and its body had undergone an astonishing change.
It had grown to a height of 1.9 meters, with thick, bulging muscles, and the horns on its head had become more pronounced. Its once dark-red skin had lightened slightly.
It had transformed from a scrawny weakling into a hulking brute, and its attributes had shifted drastically.
Race: Dragonborn Kobold
Class: Level 6 Warrior
Challenge Rating: 8+!
Talents:
Intermediate Talent—Fortitude: Strength +1, Constitution +1, Maximum HP increased by 10%.
Feats:
Advanced Feat—Insight: Perception checks +10, 100% chance to see through illusions of extraordinary level or below.
Advanced Feat—Magical Scales: Physical Defense +2, Elemental Defense +3, immune to attacks of strength 2 or below.
Attributes:
Strength: 11 → 15
Agility: 7 → 10
Constitution: 9 → 12
Intelligence: 4 → 8
Perception: 6 → 13
Charisma: 3 → 8
Evaluation: A capable tank and brute.
This was the result of a drop of dragon blood!
A total of 26 attribute points had been boosted, along with the addition of an intermediate talent and two advanced feats!
Matthew licked his lips, feeling tempted. If possible...
Soon, the final kobold, which had been in pain the longest, also stopped screaming.
Interestingly, this kobold's transformation was completely different from the previous one.
It had grown to a height of 1.8 meters, with a slender build, covered in brown scales, and a fiery pattern glowing on its chest.
The transformation was as dramatic in form as it was in attributes.
Race: Dragonborn Kobold
Class: Level 6 Sorcerer
Challenge Rating: 8+!
Talents:
Intermediate Talent—Mana Tide LV1: Anchors a spell, increasing its damage by 50% and reducing its mana cost and usage requirements by 50%.
Feats:
Advanced Feat—Multi-Spellcasting LV1: 30% chance to double-cast spells or use equipment, 10% chance to triple-cast.
Advanced Feat—Mana Drain LV1: 50% chance to restore 5 mana points when killing an enemy.
Attributes:
Strength: 5 → 7
Agility: 6 → 8
Constitution: 9 → 12
Intelligence: 3 → 7
Perception: 8 → 12
Charisma: 11 → 16
Evaluation: A formidable spell-casting artillery!
This was a completely different type of Dragonborn Kobold, a powerful and well-rounded kobold sorcerer.
At this point, Matthew began to believe that kobolds might not be direct descendants of dragons' bloodlines,
but their very existence must be closely related to dragons. The thought gave Matthew the impression of bio-weapons.
The True Dragon bloodline seemed to be the key and trigger. Once the two forces met, the kobolds transformed into whatever biological weapons were needed at that stage.
After their transformation, the intelligence of the two kobolds had noticeably increased. They knelt respectfully on the ground and chanted:
"Thank you, great master, for granting us new life."
"Papa, I think I can control their life and death..."
Realizing that a single thought could determine the fate of the kobolds, Yaya instinctively relayed this feeling to Matthew.
Matthew wasn't surprised. Instead, he smiled and said:
"Now that they're officially under your command, it's your turn to give them names."
Yaya's eyes lit up as she adorably tilted her head and gazed at the two Dragonborn Kobolds. Remembering the lessons her papa had taught Angela, she declared with authority:
"You, the stronger one, will be called Goldfang! You're going to dig lots and lots of gold for me!"
"And you, the slimmer one, will be called Silverfang! You're going to dig up lots of gems for me!"
Upon hearing their master's simple yet earnest desires, Goldfang and Silverfang respectfully bowed and exclaimed:
"Thank you, great master, for naming us. We will do our utmost to gather gold and gems for you!" x2
Satisfied, Yaya nodded, suddenly feeling tired. She flapped her wings, nestled into Matthew's arms, and quickly fell asleep.
Matthew's cold, piercing gaze fell upon Goldfang and Silverfang.
They felt an overwhelming sense of majesty in his stare, eerily similar to their great master's, and quickly lowered their heads in submission.
Seeing their obedience, Matthew gestured toward the weakened kobolds on the ground and ordered:
"Keep those kobolds in line. Use whips to train them properly and complete the tasks Butler Ralph assigns you."
"Remember, you'll be given plenty of food every day, along with tools."
"While completing your tasks, make them as strong as possible."
Matthew noticed the confusion in their eyes. Although their intelligence had significantly increased, they lacked the life and management experience to fully comprehend their duties.
In essence, they were newly upgraded weapons that still required further adjustment, system fine-tuning, and calibration.
Only through these steps could they become fully functioning tools!
This task would have to be entrusted to Butler Ralph.
Goldfang and Silverfang, now transformed, demonstrated an effective but simple form of management.
They selected the strongest kobolds, beat them mercilessly, and with sharp Dragon Tongue commands, they easily subdued the rest.
As Matthew left, Butler Ralph was already leading the kobolds to dig ditches along the village's four dirt roads.
Many villagers, who had paused their work to rest, watched the kobolds curiously.
At first, there was some concern, but soon, the sight of the muddy kobolds became a source of amusement.
The villagers' respect for their lord grew even more.
At that moment, a group of children rushed out of the lord's manor.
They happily gathered together, most of them discussing the delicious food they had eaten that night.
A few of them, however, were carefully examining the literacy booklets and adventure guides the lord had distributed, which contained common words in the universal language as well as descriptions of common plants and creatures.
Seeing the busy kobolds, the children's interest was piqued, but they were soon taken away by their curious parents.
Their parents were eager to know what the lord had been teaching them.