"It seems you are incapable of entertaining me any longer; it's time for you to die," Saron declared, his voice laced with impatience as he saw the trolls frozen in place.

"I'll fight you!" Finally, under the immense pressure, a few troll warriors couldn't hold back.

They charged with their bone clubs raised, but Saron, dismissing their attacks, caught them in his claws with ease.

"No!" Shadar watched the scene unfold, his heart full of agony.

Saron glanced at Shadar before effortlessly crushing the upper bodies of the captured troll warriors in his grasp, as one might squash a tomato.

"What were you saying 'no' to just now?" Saron inquired after discarding the lifeless bodies.

"He's not a black dragon; black dragons aren't like this!" a troll warrior exclaimed loudly.

"Honorable Black Dragon, our Malocclusion Tribe has offended your majesty, and we offer our entire treasure as penance for your forgiveness!" Shadar laid down his weapon, humbling himself.

As the tribe's chief, Shadar wasn't only physically superior to other trolls; his intelligence was also higher.

The black dragon before him didn't immediately wipe them all out but only killed those who offended him.

This suggested there was room for negotiation, and all creatures knew true dragons coveted treasures. Hence, he was ready to offer up all the treasures amassed over the years.

Although their treasures weren't much to begin with, they could always plunder more elsewhere.

"Treasures? I could slaughter all of you, and your treasures would still be mine. Do you think such an offer can offset the price of offending a true dragon?" Saron taunted.

Shadar felt cornered; black dragons were notoriously devious, cunning, and unscrupulous among the chromatic dragons.

While one might be able to fool a red dragon, there was no reasoning with a black one.

"So, what would you have us do, Noble Black Dragon?" Shadar asked, bracing himself.

"It's not about what I want, but what you desire!"

"Do you wish to live or die?"

Saron stretched his wings, uttering chilling words.

"Noble Black Dragon, we wish to live!" Shadar clenched his fist.

Stolen story; please report.

No creature in this world did not long for life, and he knew that the black dragon was about to bare his fangs.

"It seems you're a clever troll."

"I want you to become my subjects!" Saron eyed the troll chieftain.

"We would be honored to become your subjects, my lord!" Shadar said, thumping his chest.

Damn, he agreed too quickly. Is he up to something?

Saron was wary of their quick compliance.

It seemed to him that they should have at least put up a defiant front. He was prepared to kill the troll chieftain and support a new batch of trolls if necessary.

But this one was too eager.

Just moments ago, he had killed their kin; could this troll chief be plotting revenge?

"So tell me, why do you want to be my subjects?" Saron asked cunning.

"This..." Shadar knew of the capricious nature of chromatic dragons.

But it was only today that he truly experienced this fickleness first-hand.

Hadn't the dragon just invited their tribe to become his subjects?

"Your grand stature, mighty appearance, and formidable power have all conquered our Malocclusion Tribe!" Shadar praised Saron with his limited vocabulary.

Being forest trolls and part of the evil alliance, it was only natural for them to submit to a more powerful entity.

After all, the Malocclusion Tribe was not the strongest in the region.

Ongoing battles with other tribes had significantly reduced their number of warriors.

And now, with a powerful black dragon arriving, Shadar saw no harm in pledging allegiance.

It could at least protect their people from the harm of other creatures.

However, given the black dragon’s cruel nature, they would have to be careful not to anger him and prevent harm to their tribe members.

"My lord, I apologize for our earlier offense!" Shadar resolved in his heart.

He gruesomely plucked out one of his own eyeballs and held it aloft as he knelt, presenting it as a token of fealty.

"Then I accept your allegiance, troll. Tell me your name!" Saron looked at Shadar, admiring his will, acknowledging that such pain was not ordinary.

Shadar sighed in relief and signaled to the other tribe members.

The female spellcasters lifted the anti-flight spell, and the male trolls laid down their weapons, all kneeling on the ground.

"Forest Troll Chieftain Shadar of the Malocclusion Tribe pledges allegiance to you with all our people!" Shadar declared loudly while kneeling.

"Shadar?" Saron was slightly surprised.

"Yes, my lord, my name is Shadar!" said Shadar.

"Very well!"

Nothing wrong with that.

"Now lead me to your tribal lands!" Saron commanded.

"At your command, my master!" Shadar's posture was extremely humble.

Saron followed the crowd of trolls to a valley, which was the territory of the Malocclusion Tribe.

Shadar had previously dispatched his underlings to inform the tribe members remaining in the valley of everything.

Thus, many of the forest trolls' elderly, women, and children gathered to the side.

A little troll with blue skin stared at Saron curiously, "This black dragon looks different from the black dragons we're told about!"

A female troll nearby overheard him and smacked the young troll on the head, pulling him down to kneel with her.

They all knew they had to pledge allegiance to this black dragon and couldn't afford to make him angry.

Saron surveyed the tribe; the adult warriors numbered only about a hundred in total.

The rest, the elderly, women, and children, were about three hundred.

Of course, in the troll society, everyone could be a warrior.

Even these non-combatants would take up arms if the tribe faced annihilation.

After all, even a young troll could easily kill several adult humans.

"My lord, I will have your dwelling prepared as soon as possible, and food will be brought to you," Shadar, noticing Saron's gaze on the young trolls, quickly changed the subject, fearing that Saron might consider the younglings as a snack.

"No rush on that!"

"Shadar, why does the Malocclusion Tribe have so few warriors?"

But for a forest troll tribe to have only a hundred adults for three hundred non-combatants was quite abnormal.

"Lord Saron, we forest trolls had many warriors before, but recent conflicts with a neighboring half-orc tribe have cost us many lives," Shadar sighed.

With Shadar's explanation, Saron learned that this area, known as the Sunset Forest, was the forest trolls' territory.

They had thrived here, with ample game and occasionally plundering merchant caravans, life was rather prosperous.

Next to the Sunset Forest was a half-orc tribe with comparable strength to the Malocclusion Tribe.

The two tribes had lived in relative peace without major conflicts.

However, recently, for some reason, the half-orcs had been encroaching on their territory.

Several significant clashes had occurred, with casualties on both sides.

Saron had been considering the need for more miners, and it seemed an opportunity had presented itself.