Chapter 7

During the time after defeating the Swamp Monster, Sakavi had been recuperating, and the daily operations of the lizardman tribe were primarily managed by Vilar Se .

Using Sakavi’s need for recovery as an excuse, she took charge of everything, not only running the lizardman tribe with perfect order, but even drawing neighboring fishfolk, swamp toads, and serpentfolk tribes to voluntarily submit to her.

Sakavi momentarily suspected she might also be a transmigrator, until one day he casually asked if there was any Maotai liquor here; Vilar Se replied that if he dared drink, she’d smash his head open—Sakavi then realized he had imagined too much.

During his recovery, bored Sakavi began reviewing every detail of the battle against the Swamp Monster; the creature’s development of water magic deeply shocked him—merely mid-tier magic, yet it inflicted damage only a high-tier mage could achieve.

Sakavi planned to try out all the techniques the Swamp Monster used once he recovered; with his superior magical affinity, it made no sense for him to lose a magical duel to a mid-tier beast.

In contrast to its magic, the Swamp Monster’s close-quarters combat ability was truly disappointing; Sakavi had assumed its massive size meant it excelled in melee, but it only spat acid and whipped with its tentacles.

Realizing this, Sakavi changed his strategy: he bit off each tentacle one by one before finally killing it.

Hearing its continuous screams, nearby beast races would surely recognize reality: most beast races’ first reaction to a young black dragon is resistance—but when that dragon can effortlessly slay a Swamp Monster with cruel precision, none dare become the first to challenge it.

After six months of rest, Sakavi decided to go out and explore; if not for Vilar Se beside him, he might have thought he’d wandered into the wrong place.

The lizardman tribe before him no longer bore the ruined appearance it had when he first arrived; residential areas were now neatly arranged wooden huts, their walls even painted green.

The breeding zones were divided into small enclosures, where lizardmen were scattering what looked like feed; when Sakavi saw the cultivation zone, he briefly doubted he had traveled back in time.

Staring at the vegetable-garden-like cultivation zone, Sakavi was speechless with shock; Vilar Se , however, said this was once extremely common before the elves left, and Sakavi was simply ignorant.

“Smell the air—can you still detect that pungent stench?”

Sakavi had already noticed the absence of the stench, but assumed Vilar Se had used some druidic spell to temporarily suppress it.

“It’s truly gone. I didn’t expect the Druidic Path to be so miraculous.”

“You’re wrong—it’s not druidic magic. It’s a rule: lizardmen must bathe regularly, defecate only in designated areas, and plant vegetation that absorbs the stench.”

Remembering he hadn’t bathed in six months, Sakavi felt embarrassed and wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground; then he noticed the altar site had been transformed into a vast flat surface, with a large circular disc at its center.

Sakavi asked what it was for; Vilar Se explained it was designed specifically for him, to host meetings or receive emissaries from other factions. One had to admit, Vilar Se ’s attentiveness was truly admirable.

After touring the lizardman tribe, Sakavi decided to accompany Vilar Se to the Swamp Monster’s lair; during this time, she had continuously stationed lizardmen there to prevent other factions from approaching.

At the cave entrance, Sakavi immediately smelled the scent of gold coins; having been destitute in his past life, he now finally felt rich. As he stepped deeper into the cave, gazing at the mountains of treasure piled before him, he couldn’t look away.

Eventually, reason overcame greed; Sakavi declared shared spoils, proposing an even split. Vilar Se refused, but Sakavi insisted—finally, she reluctantly accepted various magical artifacts, leaving the gold coins and silver-gold wares for Sakavi, who became wildly excited.

After dividing the spoils, Sakavi decided to summon all the races here to swear allegiance and sign treaties; once everyone arrived,

Sakavi produced multiple handwritten contracts and required every mid-tier or higher member of each race—except the serpentfolk—to sign one. Priests serving as chieftains must step down.

Seeing Sakavi had no contract for them, the serpentfolk panicked instantly; only after observing their psychological defenses completely collapse did Sakavi produce the scales, ordering them to come forward one by one to receive his boon.

After transforming the serpentfolk, Sakavi summoned the lizardmen who had fought bravely against the Swamp Monster and selected three warriors, including the chieftain. He then called for the lizardman priest—only to receive no answer after several calls; the lizardmen exchanged uneasy glances.

The scene left Sakavi baffled until Vilar Se whispered softly: the lizardman priest had been obliterated by a water cannon during the ambush on the Swamp Monster.

Hearing of the priest’s fate, Sakavi felt a flicker of guilt—but his skin was too thick to dwell on it. He skipped the issue entirely, transforming the remaining two sorcerers and three warriors into his vassals, then declared his principles to all present.

“If my subordinates rebel, I punish only the ringleader. I don’t need incompetent followers. Those with sufficient strength or who’ve earned me merit may be upgraded from slaves to vassals.”

With that, he ordered his subordinates to begin renovating the lair; Sakavi had full confidence in Vilar Se ’s aesthetic and design skills, and promptly entrusted her with overseeing the entire renovation.

Three months later, gazing at the renovated cave, Sakavi felt he’d struck gold: the cave now balanced safety and comfort, with ventilation shafts preventing the buildup of stench over time.

Even in his sleeping quarters, a cultivation zone had been preserved; Vilar Se explained that dragons could gather magical energy, so planting magical herbs here not only enhanced growth but also minimized environmental impact.

Of course, what pleased Sakavi most was the golden bed—dragons’ craving for treasure was etched into their genes; no dragon could refuse a bed forged entirely of gold. Beneath the bed lay a secret passage, allowing Sakavi to escape if ever trapped.

After completing Sakavi’s quarters, Vilar Se began planning the production and living arrangements for the major vassal tribes; watching her constantly busy figure, Sakavi urged her to rest, saying she didn’t need to rush.

Vilar Se replied that as a deer, she had never been given a chance before; now she could freely unleash her imagination, and she intended to prove to everyone that deer were no worse than elves.

After over a year of transformation, Vilar Se gazed at her masterpiece with deep satisfaction—and finally had time to sit with Sakavi under the wilderness stars, chatting again.

“Sakavi, when you grow larger, may I continue renovating your dwelling?”

“Who can say what the future holds? If I reach adulthood, I want to see the outside world—to travel to other planes.”

“Other planes? I’d still rather stay in that forest. When you return from your travels, don’t forget to tell me stories of what you saw.”

“I’ll probably be a dragon everyone hunts by then—you’ll likely chase me out of your home, hahaha.”

“Hahaha, you’re still so amusing. I believe a dragon as interesting as you won’t come raiding my home.”

Over the next six months, Vilar Se detailed every faction she knew in other planes and the current state of this plane; had she possessed ambition, Sakavi had no doubt she’d be an extraordinary figure.

When Vilar Se decided to return home, Sakavi insisted on escorting her and asked for a leaf unique to that forest as a keepsake; this puzzled Vilar Se —Sakavi’s journey took only three days, and he could visit anytime.

Sakavi knew: their next meeting might be on a battlefield; those who walk different paths cannot remain allies. He refused to be a nameless black dragon lord; to grow stronger, he must learn magic.

Magic requires lineage; the Long Zhi lineage was fragmented, and the higher-level teachings were entirely absent.

Other factions would never provide magic knowledge to chromatic dragons—but exceptions existed: the Dragon Worshipers, aligned with chromatic dragons, were one such exception; they primarily used necromancy.

Though the Dragon Worshipers constantly schemed against dragons, they were currently the only source of complete magical knowledge available.

But Sakavi had no intention of seeking them out now; with his current strength, he’d likely be turned into a lich-dragon on the spot. He’d wait until he reached youth, past the vulnerable juvenile stage, before approaching them—then he’d have leverage to negotiate.

In the coming days, Sakavi planned systematic training for his vassals; while their management and construction skills were poor, he considered himself at least a product of the 21st century—training an army and bullying neighboring races shouldn’t be difficult.

First, Sakavi had lizardmen and fishfolk attempt to build several ballistae according to his blueprints; whether due to his poor memory or their incompetence, the resulting ballistae had abysmal range and durability.

After repeated modifications, they finally produced ballistae meeting Sakavi’s standards; he immediately ordered mass production and commanded the lizardmen and fishfolk tribes to construct elevated platforms to mount them.

Simultaneously, Sakavi ordered them to build a wall around the tribe’s perimeter using mud mixed with special seeds; as druidic magic activated, vines instantly covered the entire wall, reinforcing it.

While they worked, Sakavi didn’t idle—he successfully replicated a simplified version of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow; fishfolk were short and weak, unable to draw heavy bows, making this wind-powered crossbow ideal for their strength.

For the stronger lizardmen, Sakavi equipped each warrior with five javelins, one round shield, one bone spear, and paired them with an archer and a sorcerer into five-man squads; under his direct instruction, within a month, these squads were already combat-ready.

Next came the three-man squads: sorcerers and archers attacking in unison; lizardmen with training quickly mastered this tactic.

Addressing the previous overlap of shamans and sorcerers, Sakavi restructured: sorcerers and shamans became distinct roles; unless exceptionally gifted, one could choose only one path.

Based on each sorcerer’s magical affinity, they were trained exclusively in two offensive spells; the number of sorcerers surged rapidly, giving them a fighting chance against frequent raiders like harpies or gnolls.

Fishfolk differed: they operated strictly in threes; their low intelligence made complex tactics impossible, and their melee units collapsed at first contact—stealth and reconnaissance were their best uses. Yet fishfolk sorcerers, unleashing coordinated water arrows or fireballs from afar, proved highly effective.

As for swamp toads, naturally skilled in traps and illusions, they were worse with tools than fishfolk; Sakavi saw no need to interfere.