Thorian watched with bated breath as the tide of the battle turned in their favor. Nox and his three assassins made quick work of the remaining Rabbarians, their precise strikes and agile movements leaving no room for resistance. The brown kobloids, inspired by their allies' display, pushed their advantage and began to overwhelm the rabbit humanoids. The last of the Rabbarians, sensing their impending defeat, fled the battlefield with their tails between their legs.

As the dust settled, Nox called out, "Priests, come and heal our friends!"

The wooden gate opened and the two priest kobloids walked out. They made their way toward the brown kobloids that were bruised and injured from the Rabbarians’ powerful strikes.

While the priests were tending to the wounded, Nox approached the two brown kobolds, a grin spreading across his face. "You got beaten quite a bit, you alright?" he teased.

One brown kobold chuckled, flexing his muscles. "Nothing, nothing. Beating more."

The other kobold also used his brown aura technique to showcase his tough body, “Rabbit weak. No injuries.” The three kobolds laughed heartily at their jokes.

Thorian, still standing atop the wall, stared at the scene below in a daze. A wave of elation washed over him as he realized the significance of Nox's accomplishment. The shadowstalker had managed to forge friendly relationships with the brown kobloids and kobolds, which was a great boon to their tribe.

Nox, you've genuinely surprised me. I never assumed you as the diplomatic type. Thorian's smile broadened as he reflected on how efficiently his preparation plans were unfolding. With this surge of new brown kobloids and kobolds, we have more than enough manpower to guard all the gates. The evolution of Nox and the assassins also means we're making significant progress toward completing the second step of our village stabilization plan.

As Thorian's thoughts raced, the brown kobloids began to notice the figure standing on the wall, illuminated by the moonlight. They murmured in a mix of awe and fear, "Flame kobold..."

The whispers soon reached Nox, the assassins, and the brown kobolds, who all turned their gazes toward Thorian. The air filled with reverence and curiosity.

Nox's eyes lit up with excitement as he recognized Thorian. He beckoned to the three assassins, and together they approached their leader. "Thorian, we won!" Nox exclaimed in his innocent, youthful tone.

Thorian smiled, pride swelling in his chest. "You all did an excellent job." He then glanced at his evolved comrades, who now matched his height, their lithe figures perfectly complementing their agile nature. "You have come a long way too. The other kobloids are still far from evolving."

"That's all thanks to Boss Nox!" one of the silver-white kobold assassins exclaimed.

"Boss Nox is really the best," another added with a chuckle.

Thorian tilted his head in confusion before focusing on Nox, who was scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I didn't do much. You guys all worked hard," Nox said modestly.

Hearing Nox's meek voice, the first silvery-white kobold who had spoken earlier immediately jumped on top of him and playfully scratched his furry head. "Stop being so humble, Boss Nox!"

While the two were messing around, the last assassin who hadn't spoken yet looked at Thorian and explained, "Boss Nox gave us all the kills after he evolved. That's how we leveled up so fast."

"His skill really helped too," the second assassin added. "When he places his shadows on the monsters, our axes can cut through them with ease."

A damage amplifier skill? Thorian furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to remember the shadowstalker’s skills. Oh, shadow’s embrace, I forgot about that skill.

Thorian couldn't help but grin at the possibilities that had just been unlocked. Having access to a damage amplifier skill was something he never expected to happen so soon.

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"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: you all have done an amazing job. Your growth has been remarkable," Thorian praised the assassin unit, his eyes lingering on Nox, whose expression betrayed his delight.

Thorian then shifted his gaze toward the brown kobolds, and he couldn't help but frown slightly in confusion. "But how did you meet these new friends?"

"It's a funny story, boss," the assassin who had been scratching Nox's head hopped off his back and laughed. "We found them trying to steal those rabbits we had killed earlier. But just as we were about to have a word with them, a bunch of goblins came out from the woods and ambushed them."

While the overly excited assassin explained what happened, Thorian couldn’t help but think, Well, that at least solves the Thumpalopes mystery.

The silver-white kobold looked at Nox with a teasing grin before continuing his explanation. "Boss Nox wanted us to help them because they're kobolds like us, so we did. And before we knew it, we were already making jokes and becoming friends."

Nox grumbled at the assassin's teasing tone before adding, "They didn't seem like bad guys; they just wanted food. Plus, they helped us a lot after we teamed up."

"That they did," the third assassin, who was usually quiet, nodded in agreement with Nox's statement before letting out a sigh. "Guarding the wall became so much easier with more people."

As the assassins talked amongst themselves and explained the situation, Thorian decided not to interrupt. By staying quiet, he could gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of the situation.

Nox and the silvery kobolds then explained their strategy with the brown kobolds. The bulk of their small army was situated in front of the southern gate where they were currently located, diametrically opposite to Forelune, who was near the northern gate. Nox and the assassins could leave the task of guarding this part of the wall mostly to the brown kobolds while they scouted the southeast and southwest sides. It was only when dealing with truly strong opponents, like the Rabbarians, that all of them would concentrate their efforts in one spot.

That explains why things have been going relatively smoothly. I expected at least one big hole in the wall after spending two hours cultivating my Qi.

Seeing Nox and the assassins being so dependable filled Thorian with a mixture of pride and relief. Having competent people beside him who wouldn't require his input for every decision was something he hadn't expected so soon. And witnessing these kobolds, who he had initially dismissed as weak creatures, transform into reliable subordinates was a pleasant surprise.

Nevertheless, while he appreciated Nox's actions, Thorian still couldn't fully trust the brown kobolds. As he observed them, he formulated a plan.

I should make them citizens, but they shouldn't get a class yet. Let's wait and see where their hearts truly lie.

Noticing Thorian's gaze on the brown kobolds, Nox shifted his attention to his two newfound friends and called for them to join. "Brown kobolds, come here."

As the two approached after being healed by the priest, Nox introduced them. "This is Thorian, our king. Like I told you before, he was the one who made us strong."

One of the brown kobolds nodded at Nox's admiration-filled explanation before staring at Thorian, wide-eyed. "You... flame kobold?" he asked, his voice filled with awe and disbelief.

Thorian furrowed his eyebrows at the unexpected question before nodding, “Yes, I am.”

The other brown kobold chimed in, excitement laced in his words, “Flame kobold strong. Me saw one. Powerful!”

Although the kobold's fragmented sentences were difficult to decipher, Thorian had grown accustomed to them after spending a full night with Nox before he became a citizen. However, it was the meaning behind their words that truly puzzled him.

“You saw a flame kobold before? Where?”

“Back home,” the brown kobold responded with a reminiscing look. “Flame kobold many killed. Forest all fire.”

Back home, huh? Thorian scratched his chin in thought. So like those people that appear with the buildings, these monsters have come from another world?

Although Thorian was curious to learn more, now wasn't the time for such a discussion. He had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Do you like your stay here?" Thorian asked a probing question, cautiously observing the brown kobolds' facial expressions.

"Me like!" The first brown kobold laughed heartily. "Me hunt, me eat! Nox no take food. Nox friend!"

The other kobold also lightly chuckled without saying anything.

Seeing the two's genuine attitude, Thorian slightly relaxed. While the possibility that they were only faking their expressions was always present, kobolds were not known for their cunning nature. They were usually painfully honest creatures.

"If you like it here, then why don't you become true citizens?" Thorian proposed. "It will give you many benefits."

"Great idea!" Nox excitedly remarked. "They can speak better then. It will make it so much easier to talk."

"Citizens?" The brown kobold furrowed his eyebrows before looking at Nox for advice. "Good?"

"Yeah, it's very good," the shadowstalker nodded with excitement. "It will help us a lot."

"Nox say good. Good!" The other brown kobold heartily laughed. "Citizen become."