Evil Red Dragon

Alecto glanced at Oliveira, who looked pitiful.

He knew, of course, that Oliveira was faking it.

Red dragons aren't so bad at enduring hunger; even young dragons can survive for half a year without food or water.

Now that his territory is newly established, hidden dangers have not been eliminated. He must establish his rule as soon as possible and clear away any potential threats within his territory.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow, Oliveira."

Alecto refused without even thinking.

"I need to plan things out clearly today, and tomorrow morning I'll lead the trolls to eliminate all the hidden threats within their territory."

"From this day forward, this place will be our foundation, and I will name it—"

"Chifeng Territory".

Oliveira replied listlessly, "Okay..."

This useless dragon!

Will she really be able to help me in the future?

Alecto began to doubt his decision once again...

Fine, he'll definitely squeeze Oliveira dry from now on!

Alector said no more, spread his wings and flew to the top of Chifeng, standing on the highest rock, looking down at the land that had just been incorporated into the map.

The setting sun cast a dark gold hue on his scales, his wings stretched to their limit, and he felt utterly content.

"Chifeng Territory..."

He repeated:

"This place is mine now."

He gazed at the distant, undulating mountain ranges, gradually finalizing his plan in his mind.

Tomorrow, he will personally lead the troll warriors to wipe out all level four and above magical beasts in the territory, kill all potential competitors, and completely control the location of the mine.

As for the low-level magical beasts and wild animals, they will be left as daily hunting targets to maintain ecological balance and also to train the combat power of the summoned creatures.

We also need to completely transform that troll leader into a dragonborn, if he can handle it...

Night falls, and starlight shines down.

When Alecto returned to the upper level of the cave, Oliveira was already sprawled on the white crystal cluster, hugging her tail and dozing off.

The cave was very simple, with white crystals emitting a faint glow, and starlight grass casually tossed aside by Oliveira.

He lay prone on the dry rock, closed his eyes to rest, and gathered his strength for tomorrow's mission.

His rule over Chifeng Territory will officially begin at sunrise tomorrow.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone upon the red peaks of Chifeng Territory.

Alecto opened his eyes, his gaze showing no sign of sleepiness.

He stood up and stretched, his dragon wings flapped, and his joints made a popping sound.

Oliveira was startled awake by the noise and groggily looked up: "Are we leaving?"

"Um."

Alecto walked towards the cave entrance: "Go and wake up those trolls, and bring them here to assemble."

Oliveira yawned and wobbled as she flew out of the cave.

Before long, shouts from the direction of the valley came from the trolls.

Alecto took flight and looked down.

Thirty-one trolls had gathered on the open ground at the foot of the mountain, led by the troll leader who had been enlightened by dragon blood.

It appeared even more imposing than yesterday, with the red markings on its forehead faintly glowing. It held a new, large stone club in its hand, and its eyes were filled with awe and anticipation as it looked at itself.

"Master!" the troll leader cried out, looking up.

"The soldiers are ready!"

Alecto landed on the ground, releasing a slight dragon's might.

All the trolls bowed their heads to him.

"Today! We will wipe out all threats within our territory."

He asked the troll leader:

"What's your name?"

"Gru! Great master, Gru the Bonebreaker!"

Gru replied with pride.

"Alright, Gru, you choose twenty men to help me clear out the surrounding monsters, and the remaining ten will go in and expand my lair..."

Gru suddenly shouted, "Master! What is twenty?!"

Alector's dragon snout twitched slightly, and he almost couldn't help but breathe dragon breath on the fool's face.

"Twenty is..."

He extended his right claw, opened it to reveal five sharp claws, and then repeated this four times.

"That's all, do you understand?"

Gru stared wide-eyed, trying to count the recurring claws, and finally nodded vigorously as if in sudden realization:

"Understood, Master! Twenty means four claws!"

"..."

Well, he really shouldn't have expected a troll to be able to understand numbers.

In the end, Alekto personally took action, dividing the thirty trolls into three teams of ten.

"Line up! Gru, those three are the strongest here."

Gru immediately pointed to the three trolls standing at the front, who were a size larger than the other trolls.

"Mog, Ug, and you, Lag, come out!"

The three strongest level three trolls immediately took a step forward with their heads held high.

Alecto pointed at them one by one with his claws:

"The three of you will each lead a team. Remember your teammates; you are the leaders of your respective squads! You only need to follow my and Gru's orders!"

"You, Mog, will lead a team to patrol and guard the area. Your main task is to familiarize yourself with the territory and report to me immediately if you discover anything unfamiliar."

He pointed to a troll with a scar on his face on the left:

"You, Ug, will lead the second team and be responsible for hunting with Gru. Remember my requirements: at least three level-three magical beasts per week, or a large number of low-level magical beasts. Bring the prey to me as intact as possible."

He pointed to a troll with a fierce look on his right:

"Ragnarok will lead three teams and will be responsible for expanding my lair."

"Expand the upper cavern further, enough for me to stretch out. Also, clear out the passage down to the underground riverbed, making sure it's unobstructed."

"I'll tell you exactly how to dig."

The three troll captains pounded their chests in excitement:

"clear!"

"Now, Gru, take Team One and Team Two and come with me."

Alecto ordered, "The remaining three teams, Oliveira—"

Oliveira, who had been yawning while lying on the nearby rock, suddenly jolted awake:

"Yes, brother!"

Alecto, too lazy to argue with her, said indifferently, "You're in charge of keeping an eye on them, making sure these idiots don't collapse the cave."

"Yes, brother!"

Oliveira immediately perked up, flew to the ten trolls who had been left behind, and began to command them arrogantly:

"You! Listen to my orders! No slacking off!"

She suddenly realized that Alecto’s retinue was her retinue, and that she could command it too!

So cool!

"Hahaha!"

Ignoring the suddenly crazed Oliveira, Alecto didn't waste any more time, flapped his wings, and took off first.

"Keep up!"

Gru roared, and twenty troll warriors strode forward, rumbling behind Alektor, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Alektor flew at a low altitude and at a much slower speed so that the trolls on the ground could keep up.

He scanned the hills, forests, and streams below like a radar.

His territory was roughly centered on Chifeng, with a radius of about 20 kilometers.

Based on his vague perception and Gru's description, there were at least three other places in this area inhabited by magical beasts of level four or higher.

The first target was a swamp located in the northwest corner of the territory.

A large group of swamp crocodiles lived there, with an average level of three and a level four leader, all with thick skin and tough flesh.

Taking advantage of the swamp, they have always been a troublesome problem for the trolls, so it's a good opportunity to get rid of them.

Soon, a swamp filled with the smell of humus and a faint miasma appeared before them.

Decaying wood and withered leaves floated half-submerged and half-floated on the murky water.

"Stop," Alecto signaled from mid-air.

Gru on the ground immediately raised his stone club, and the troll warriors quickly stopped.

"Gru, take your men and lure them out."

Alecto ordered, "I will provide air support."

"Yes, Master!"

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Gru's eyes.

He's finally able to deal with these guys!

Gru let out a low growl and charged towards the edge of the swamp, swinging his stone club and smashing it hard into the water.

Bang! Bang! Bang... Water splashes everywhere.

Other trolls followed suit, striking the water with stone clubs and throwing stones, creating a tremendous noise.

The tranquil swamp was instantly disrupted.

With a splash, several sections of water broke open, and more than a dozen mud-covered swamp crocodiles, each over four meters long, charged out fiercely under their leader, opening their jaws full of sharp teeth to bite the nearest troll.

The battle erupted instantly.

The trolls roared as they charged forward, their stone clubs clashing against the thick hides of the crocodiles with a dull thud.

The swamp crocodile is very strong; its tail sweep can easily shatter giant rocks, and it can also control water to create large sprays of water arrows. However, the trolls are not weak either, and the water arrows have no effect on them.

Especially Gru, who is different now than before, smashed a swamp crocodile's head with a single blow, leaving a dent.

Alecto observed from the air.

The trolls' fighting style is still very crude, relying mainly on brute force, but they cooperate very well, and it is common for two trolls to attack a crocodile at the same time.

"That's about it."

As a troll was being dragged toward deeper water by the swamp crocodile leader's arm, Alecto swooped down.

The dragon's might is released.

The swamp crocodile leader, which was dragging and biting, froze, feeling an extreme fear from the suppression on a life level.

In that moment of hesitation, Alecto had already seized its neck.

A sickening cracking sound rang out, and the life of the swamp crocodile leader came to an abrupt end.

With their leader dead, the remaining swamp crocodiles' morale collapsed, and they tried to escape back into the depths of the swamp.

"Chase them! Don't let them get away!"

Gru roared excitedly.

The trolls, their morale soaring, roared and chased after them, killing the remaining swamp crocodiles one by one in the shallow water.

The battle is over.

Fifteen swamp crocodiles were reduced to corpses, with only a handful managing to escape.

Five trolls sustained minor injuries, while one was more unlucky, suffering a severe bite from the swamp crocodile leader. However, none of the injuries were fatal. Given the trolls' regenerative abilities, minor injuries would heal in a few days, while severe injuries would require a month or two of bed rest.

"Well done, Gru."

Alektor landed and looked at the panting troll leader:

"Skin them, take the meat and useful parts back with you, and the crocodile skin can also be used to make some armor."

Gru grinned widely: "Thank you, Master!"

It directed its subordinates to process the spoils, their movements rough but highly efficient.

Alecto flew towards the center of the swamp, where there was a small patch of black grass with several dark purple, oddly shaped mushrooms growing inside.

"Shadow Mushroom, a level 2 magical plant, can increase resistance to shadow elements and can also be used to make some shadow potions."

He carefully dug it out and kept it safe.

Although these things are not of much use to him, he can keep them and use them to reward his family members or trade with other creatures in the future.

After clearing the swamp, Alekto led the troll army toward their next target.

A stone forest in the northeast of the territory.

That's the lair of the Roaring Rock Tiger.

This is a level four magical beast, solitary, whose roar can intimidate enemies and whose claws can tear through steel. It is one of the top predators in this area.

As Alektor and the troll army reached the outskirts of the Stone Forest, a warning roar came from deep within the Stone Forest.

Immediately afterwards, a male tiger with a shoulder height of over two and a half meters and covered in granite-like gray fur strode out from behind the stone pillar.

Its amber eyes were fixed on Alektor in the air, then swept over the trolls on the ground, and it let out low growls.

"Roaring Rock Tiger..."

Alekto could sense the strength of this magical beast; it was firmly at level four, or even close to the peak of level four.

It poses a far greater threat to the trolls than the swamp crocodile.

"Gru, you all step back."

Alecto ordered, "I'll handle this guy."

The Roaring Rock Tiger seemed to have also realized that Alekto was the main threat.

With its limbs slightly bent, it suddenly exerted its strength and leaped up with extraordinary agility, heading straight for Alecto in the low sky.

The claws lashed out, accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound as they tore through the air.

Alecto didn't take the hit head-on. Instead, it flapped its wings and nimbly slid to the side and upward, while its tail lashed out like a whip at the Roaring Rock Tiger's waist and abdomen.

The Roaring Rock Tiger twisted its body forcefully in mid-air, using its thick shoulder blades to withstand the tail strike.

With a muffled thud, the Roaring Rock Tiger was knocked to the side, but it landed extremely quickly and pounced again without pausing. This time, it opened its mouth and roared out a visible sonic wave!

"roar--"

The air vibrated, and a wave of sound swept over us.

Alecto felt a slight tingling in his eardrums and slowed his movements.

Seizing the opportunity, the Roaring Rock Tiger once again viciously slashed at his abdomen with its sharp claws!

"snort!"

Alecto neither dodged nor evaded, but instead slammed its right claw down.

A head-on collision, claws clashing.

Amidst the piercing clang of metal, the Roaring Rock Tiger roared in pain and staggered backward.

Its forepaws were deformed and covered in blood.

Alecto's claws only had a few more white marks.

The scales were more defensive than he had expected.

"The strength is decent, but that's all."

Alecto pressed his advantage relentlessly, the dragon's breath brewing in his throat.

A violent pillar of fire erupted, striking the Roaring Rock Tiger precisely as it tried to dodge.

Amidst the raging flames, the Roaring Rock Tiger's body crashed to the ground.

Sold out instantly.

The trolls on the ground were dumbfounded.

They knew their master was strong, but they didn't expect him to be this strong.

That's the Roaring Rock Tiger, the former ruler of this area!

They are beings capable of hunting them down at will!

Alecto slowly landed and examined the carcass of the Roaring Rock Tiger.

"The fur is gone, what a pity."

"However, fangs and claws are excellent materials, and the marrow and heart are also rich in magic. Gru cleaned them up and took them all back."

"Yes, Master!"

Gru's voice was filled with awe at that moment.

It is now absolutely certain that following this red dragon master is the wisest choice it could make.

After clearing two threats in succession, it was nearly noon.

Alektor allowed the trolls to rest briefly before heading to their final destination.

A dark forest directly south of the territory.

There, a group of ghost-faced spiders, ranging from level two to three, were lurking, but their numbers were so great that, led by the spider queen, they could even threaten level five magical beasts.

These gregarious monsters, skilled at setting traps and using venom, pose a significant problem for trolls, a race lacking ranged and area-of-effect attacks.

However, for Alecto, this was a good opportunity to test his new abilities.