For the average kobold in the kingdom, life revolved around following the will of the pack leader: gathering, crafting, or mining to support themselves and their families under the direction of the kobold king. The kingdom and its surroundings had been thrown into turmoil with the arrival of a living god, a true dragon. The deity had agreed to take residence in their kingdom. It was an event not seen in living memory, known only through bedtime stories and the shaman’s teachings, passed down to children through generations.

The common kobold still knew what this meant. For their entire lives, every day was spent under the constant threat of other races and creatures in the mountains. Orcs, goblins, ogres, and oozes were persistent dangers that had repeatedly tried to raid and pillage kobold settlements, gone were the days of kobolds living or even venturing far beyond their main cave stronghold. Their survival depended on cooperation and a strong pack mentality, using traps, walls, and numbers, they avoided or deterred what threats they could. When that failed, they overwhelmed their enemies with sheer numbers. The forest, narrow entrances and defensive emplacements meant they had long entered a stalemate, rarely sending more than the occasional hunting or intelligence-gathering party beyond the walls.

All kobolds felt a deep connection to dragons. The mere mention or thought of such beings ignited a fiery power in their blood, accompanied by a profound sense of awe. For the kobolds of the kingdom, alerted by town criers and messages, the news of the dragon god’s presence had elevated their spirits and changed their outlook. Many were thankful to live in a generation where such a dream had become a reality. Mothers and fathers of small litters rejoiced that their children would grow up in a time presided over by a dragon. Having a dragon god changed everything for them, changing their passive perspective into a lust of battle and conquest, given strength and motivation from such a figurehead of power and charisma. The kobolds knew such a creature would never settle for merely owning part of the cave system, they were proud, fierce and powerful magical creatures. Instead, the dragon would lead and use them as tools in its arsenal to conquer the entire mountain.

The kingdom was thrown into overdrive. They worked harder, driven by the knowledge of the dragon’s presence, some out of a desire to serve and find purpose, others out of sheer respect and adoration. They would not allow anything to take their god from them and fully embraced the mental shift that would befall their kingdom.

They would surge in their thousands, bearing teeth, claws, armour and spears with the willingness to sacrifice themselves to protect their ruler and god and bring an age of dominance to their empire. Across the capital and surrounding outposts and settlements, a wildfire of fervour and worship spread, uniting the kingdom in devotion to their dragon deity.

Across the kingdom, mines were producing tonnes of ore, pulling coal, iron, copper, and precious metals from the depths. Not all of these resources would be used to defend the kingdom and its people. In the more distant regions, iron and steel were forged into weapons of war and packed into supply trains for the great army soon to bear down on the capital. The prince rode with his soldiers, dragged along on a great wagon of iron and steel. He march on the capitol intent on claiming his rightful place.

Even as the king rallied and raised troops to confront the growing threat, he prepared for the enemy’s arrival at his walls. He expected a siege but remained hopeful that his new god and master would lend her power to turn the tide of battle in their favor.

The king hated that it had come to this, but understood the necessity of cutting the rot from the kingdom now, while he held the love of his people and the favour of the god. He flexed his muscles, feeling the surge of power from his bond with his master. Even as he planned his strategies, he ripped meat from the cooked drumstick of some creature to fuel his ongoing transformation, determined to complete it in the precious few days remaining before the battle.

________________________________________

None of this mattered to Rue as she stood on a stone platform under the awestruck gazes and cheers of the crowd. She basked in the warmth of their adoration, such a unique feeling compared to the fearful and respectful gazes she usually received and enjoyed. Rue was rapidly warming up to the small lizards—they lavished her with gold and silver, worshipped her, and hung on her every word.

Even now, small groups of kobolds were allowed to step forward and present her with coins and trinkets, which would later be added to her hoard. She found it adorable when she learned that kobolds shared a similar instinct to hoard precious metals, just like dragons. It seemed only proper that any subjects of hers should have hoards of their own, though hers would, of course, always be larger.

The king had suggested that she be presented to the people for worship, and she had eagerly agreed. Naturally, she would want to show off her magnificence. All of her new subjects should have the opportunity to bask in her presence. She flared her wings and sat back on her hind legs, raising her head proudly as she looked out over her followers.

She was especially looking forward to what would come at the end of the ceremony. The king had promised a feast with cooked and prepared meats, where she would be seated at the place of honour. For now, the ceremony continued with much of the same adoration and offerings. It concluded with a small procession through the city, ensuring even those who had not left their homes could see her and be encouraged. She was told this would provide the people with a sense of safety and purpose, especially given the troubled times ahead.

Rue grinned, her razor-sharp teeth gleaming in the artificial light. She had been informed of an army marching toward the city—a rival kobold faction bent on razing the capital and killing her followers. The king and his retinue had managed to delay the news from reaching potentially troublesome parties for a day or two, giving her time to settle into her new, albeit temporary, residence. Now, however, the army was mere hours away, six or less, and this display and feast were as much for the morale of the soldiers as they were for the common people.

It hadn’t escaped her notice that the procession had passed along all the city’s walls, with hundreds of adoring soldiers cheering for her. Toward the end of the display they had left the central square and toured the outer street that lined the inside of the city's wall. Flanked by honour guards and ceremonial kobolds she was brough to show her magnificence to the soldiers. She felt a thrill of excitement at the cheering warriors. Soon, she would see whether her new followers were truly worthy of her leadership in battle, they would fight and bleed to show their worthiness.

Her thoughts turned towards the battle, focusing on her own preparations.

Rue was no longer as naive as she had once been. She had learned from her many mistakes and this time, she would make careful preparations. She would fill her mana and flame reserves to their maximum capacity and prepare a little surprise for the approaching army.

As the tour and feast drew to a close, Rue was led to the newly constructed entrance of her den. She paused, anticipation buzzing through her.

Turing to her guard she spoke, “I wish to take a small trip outside the city, lead me there.”

“As you wish, great one,” the red kobold, leader of the pack that guarded her, said. The leader conferred for a moment with his advisors and a messenger and then bowed before leading her down a new path. The messenger was sent to inform the king of the updated plan, and soon she was passing through one of the gates, being guided to an open clearing as she had requested. It was long overdue. With her growth and ever-increasing stats, it had been far too long since she had tested her wings.

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The cave system was certainly high enough for flight. She wouldn’t be soaring as high as the birds she had seen outside, but that mattered little, for she would be in the air. The thought sent a thrill through her blood. Dragons were meant to fly, after all.

Taking her position in the centre of the clearing, she gestured for her entourage to step back. They obeyed immediately, retreating a dozen paces and standing at attention, their eyes fixed reverently on her. She unfolded her red, leathery wings and stretched them wide.

With an experimental downward stroke, her wings caught the air. Grass, dust, and debris were swept outward by the force of the gust. For a brief moment, she felt the pressure on her feet lessen before the flap ended, and she was once again grounded. She grinned, her teeth gleaming, and raised her wings for a proper attempt.

This time, driven by instinct or sheer anticipation, she pushed off with her legs just as her wings came down in a powerful stroke. Her claws left the ground, and she surged upward. Her wings strained as they forced her higher, unused flight muscles burning as they worked for the first time in far too long.

She hung in the air for a heartbeat before raising her wings for another mighty stroke. This time, she didn’t just rise, she flew. Pushing herself forward and upward, she felt the effort ease as she gained speed. Once she had momentum, it was far easier to stay aloft, using her speed and only occasional flaps to remain airborne.

She circled the clearing, then ventured further, flying over the area surrounding the city. Her exceptional vision allowed her to see the kobolds below, cheering from the walls. They raised their spears and cried out war cries as she passed overhead, their devotion and admiration fuelling her exhilaration.

After ten minutes of flight, Rue began to feel the fatigue in her wings from constant flapping and decided it was time to land back in the clearing. As she approached, she used a series of controlled flaps to reduce her speed, bracing against the air and aiming for her intended landing zone.

Unfortunately, her approach wasn’t perfect. She misjudged her momentum, overshooting the clearing and heading directly toward a tall tree. Rue quickly assessed the situation, realizing that trying to swerve or abruptly change direction could lead to her impacting the tree with one of her wings. They were far less durable than the mass of muscles and scales that protected her body and she feared even her regeneration might not work properly for a truly grievous injury to them. Instead, she decided to bleed off as much speed as possible by flaring her wings and bracing her limbs to take the impact instead.

With a solid thump and a grunt, Rue collided with the tree. Fortunately, her hardened, reinforced body absorbed the worst of the blow, while the tree bore the brunt of her momentum. At first, the sturdy trunk resisted, bending slightly under her weight, with only a few strips of bark torn away by her claws.

But then came the crack. The tree's roots gave way under the strain, and the massive trunk began to tilt. Rue leapt clear just in time, landing in the dirt as the tree toppled in slow motion.

The crashing fall was spectacular. Branches snapped, and the ground shuddered beneath her as the tree finally slammed down with a thunderous thump.

It wasn’t the most efficient way to fell a tree. Fire would have been her preferred method if it had been necessary, but there was something deeply satisfying about the raw power of the collision. While it wasn’t quite as thrilling as felling a large opponent in battle, the result was still impressive.

Rue shook her front paws, working out the slight numbness from the impact. Her natural regeneration was already at work, soothing strained muscles and ligaments. She couldn’t help but feel that, had the tree not been in the way, her landing would have been flawless. Flying had been surprisingly easy for her; with stats finally capable of lifting her own body weight, the act had felt almost natural.

Ding! +[Fly]

Fly [1]

Use your wings to take to the skies and soar above the clouds. Decreases stamina drain when flying.

That was a simple skill, but perhaps it would help her sustain flight for longer in the future. Rue hoped flying would significantly cut down on travel time. Though, in the tunnels, where many ceilings were too low for effective flight, it might be less useful. Still, this experiment reminded her of the real reason for testing her wings so soon: the upcoming battle and her experiences from previous hunts.

No longer would she have to rely solely on sneaking up on prey from bushes, as enjoyable as that had been. Now she had far deadlier options. She would need to practice landing, of course, but the potential was exhilarating. From the skies, she could strike with devastating force—crushing prey beneath her weight, or unleashing torrents of fire from above. Flight gave her a distinct advantage, rendering her less vulnerable to being surrounded by overwhelming numbers. Instead of engaging in close quarters, she could rain destruction from the skies, then dive down to finish off any survivors.

A low rumble started in her chest as she imagined how differently her past battles might have played out. Victories would have been even more decisive, and her losses perhaps avoided entirely. With her newfound flight, the enhanced power of her body, and the ferocity of her flames. There was no doubt in her kind that she would crush all threats that dared to stand before her.

The rumbling continued, a quiet yet potent sound of satisfaction and anticipation, all the way back to her den. Her loyal followers escorted her, keeping vigilant as she returned to the sanctuary of her hoard. Once there, she curled up atop her treasures, commanding her minions to wake her when it was time for battle.

It wouldn’t be long now, she hoped. Rue felt a thrill pass through her at the thought of impending bloodshed and death. She closed her eyes, with a faint grin, as she eagerly awaited the chaos.

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Jasper stood, panting, over the monster’s corpse, its thick, scaly hide battered and bleeding from his blade. His own armour was scraped and scratched with a few dents, but overall, it was much more intact. He raised his sword, and the rest of his party cheered.

It had been several months since he was dispatched as part of the army to investigate and subjugate the increased beast activity detected in the eastern part of the kingdom. There, he had discovered what he knew to be a threat to the kingdom itself, though the leadership refused to acknowledge it. He had submitted personal reports of the dragon to his superiors and requested a subjugation force be sent, but due to unrest in the capital, no reinforcements were available at the time. What idiocy. He had travelled to the capital, but he was too low on the army's radar to meet with anyone higher in rank and was merely given the same response from those he met. Realizing this, he had left, unwilling to give the beast time to grow stronger.

Jasper and his men searched high and low for it, slaying many beasts and losing even more men along the way. The untamed wilds of the eastern mountains were ferocious, but he refused to give up.

Though he knew he was doing good, removing monsters and even levelling up twice in such a short time, the red dragon remained elusive, with no further sightings. The closest they had gotten was from a small mountain village that reported a huge, scaled, fire-breathing lizard stealing livestock. His heart had soared, the description matched perfectly and even its behaviour was the same. This was the prey they had been searching for all this time. But when they arrived, with only his core team of four men remaining. All they found was a fire drake, little more than a closely related cousin of dragons, and far weaker.

A worthy opponent, but not the beast they had hoped to find. He tried to keep morale high as they butchered the creature, sawing off great sheets of scaled hide and removing meat from the bones.

It had been weeks since he had last contacted the army; they had deserted in all but official capacity. His men had followed him, many to their last breath, each sharing his vision of bringing low the beast that had taken their friends and comrades to their end. They all believed in his dream; the safety of the kingdom and an end to villages, and even cities, living in fear of what lay beyond their walls.

It was with this new purpose and the monsters they fought that Jasper unlocked a new skill.

Monster Slayer [1]

You have sought out and slain monsters, from great earth bears to lesser dragons and fire drakes. Your sword is keen and your instincts sharp. You can sense monsters more powerful than you from [Intelligence] * 5 meters away. Double XP from slaying monsters’ higher level than you.

Still in its infancy, this newly unlocked skill would need development, but it shared his purpose and his will. Jasper could already feel the skill’s potential; it had helped them home in on the fire drake’s den, even in the rocky landscape, from hundreds of meters away. No longer would he be caught unprepared by a powerful opponent or left stumbling and looking for tracks.

He looked toward his men. They were no longer kitted out with military discipline but instead wore whatever they could buy or trade for to replace their gear. They looked less like soldiers every day, yet their strength only grew. Soon, they would no longer need help from the capital. They would be powerful enough to hunt down any monster. They would rid the world of these creatures—no more would they burn and slaughter. Nothing would stand in his way.

Ding! +[Slayer’s Will]