Chapter 15: Territory Prototype

It should have been an ordinary day for the Stoneblind Barbarians in the underground world: the men went out to hunt, and the women tended the Meat Fungus in the tribe.

After a day's hard labor, the barbarians gathered together, silently standing in the darkness, feeling the art of darkness.

The heightened senses of the Stoneblind Barbarians let them perceive the beauty of form, the subtle tremor of the earth, and poetry.

Just as the Stoneblind Barbarians are, their sculptures, music, and poetry appear primitive, direct, and swift.

"In the light, all things exist; in the stillness, all things do not exist."

Even doing nothing, quietly feeling the sensation wrapped by the darkness—the very body of the Night Goddess—is enough enjoyment for them.

For these beings born without eyes, Saar is the faith they have worshipped since birth.

Of course, the Stoneblind Barbarians enslaved and brain‑washed by the Mind Flayer are not counted.

But today, that silence was broken.

The leader of the Stoneblind Barbarians—Lin Lian—stood expressionless before Kelan Jiatin.

He asked with a tone of rejection, "Gray Dwarf, why have you come to our territory? Outsiders are not welcome here. You'd better explain yourself before I pull out your intestines."

The earth's tremor told him that, besides the Gray Dwarf, others were present, and the faint smell of Tie Xiu in the air warned him the newcomer was hostile.

But he could not see; trapped in darkness he could only guess that the Gray Dwarf tribe had lost its mind and intended to attack them.

Kelan Jiatin was indeed stronger than him, but that didn't mean he would surrender; at least his seventy brothers and sisters would not agree.

The Gray Dwarf's eyes held cruelty; they are lawful‑evil beings, and under the might of the True Dragon, honesty does not make them saints.

"Old blind one, how do you plan to pull out my intestines—by stabbing me with a guiding staff?" Kelan Jiatin mocked.

But Lin Lian did not get angry; unlike the dwarves who are very sensitive about height, the Stoneblind Barbarians take pride in their blindness, seeing it as a natural closeness to Saar.

"Listen, you scaly disgusting creature, today is your lucky day," Kelan Jiatin drew a Cold Iron battle axe, one he had borrowed from his own kind.

He pointed the axe at Lin Lian, smiling, "His Majesty the Great True Dragon—White Mystery—has granted you the chance to serve him; this is a tremendous opportunity, old blind one. You will join us Gray Dwarves as the master's dependents, and of course the Gray Dwarves will rank above you."

"Or," Kelan Jiatin's face hardened, spitting cruel venom, "my Hyena Werewolf army behind me wouldn't mind a hearty feast."

The Gray Dwarves were thrilled; they had clashed with these stone barbarians many times, and if the other side hadn't considered his status as a Six-level Warrior, they probably would have already fought the Gray Dwarves.

Now, using these—well, let's call them puppets for now—

Kelan Jiatin glanced back at the Hyena Werewolf troops, motionless like mage‑crafted golems, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes.

But at least by relying on them, Kelan Jiatin now had the capital to flaunt his might.

Sixty third‑level Warriors, a six‑level Ogre, and four five‑level Barbarian Soldiers—this force was enough to level the Stoneblind Barbarian tribe.

Lin Lian's expression finally changed; his gray‑white lips trembled, for the authority and power behind the words 'True Dragon' are feared by most creatures of the Underdark.

Thus, under the Hyena Werewolf's military threat and the reputation of the True Dragon, Kelan Jiatin brought all the Stoneblind Barbarians back to his territory without shedding a single soldier. Such is the tragedy of the Monster World: the law of the strong devouring the weak is unresistable, and the weak submitting to the strong is only natural.

"A young White Dragon?!"

When Lin Lian learned of Naimi Xisi, he regretted it a bit; the White Dragon is universally acknowledged as the weakest of all dragon breeds—its body is frail, its intelligence extremely low, and it knows only a few spells.

Choosing such a juvenile White Dragon as master is truly embarrassing.

Lin Lian cursed inwardly—how did a newborn White Dragon manage to reclaim so many monsters? Were they all heroes who, like him, froze the instant they heard the True Dragon's name? Yet they could simply renegotiate later.

"No, no, no, our great master is not a disgraceful White Dragon. He just looks a lot like a White Dragon," Kelan Jiatin, embarrassed by his mistaken explanation, said.

At that moment, Naimi Xisi descended from the sky and took over the explanation: "I am not a White Dragon, you backwoods of the Prime Material Plane—haven't you heard of the Juan Ce Long?"

Lin Lian muttered in distress; he had no idea what a Juan Ce Long was, but the undeniable Dragon Might proved the speaker was indeed a True Dragon.

"Great White Mystery, I, on behalf of the Stoneblind Barbarian tribe, pledge our allegiance to you," Lin Lian, like Kelan Jiatin, finally chose submission; after all, even a juvenile White Dragon is beyond his ability to oppose, let alone an unknown Juan Ce Long, which could not be weaker than a White Dragon.

Lin Lian's prudence put Naimi Xisi in a good mood; he did not waste the precious Mind Power slots to control these beings, as the Hyena Werewolves alone were enough to suppress their petty thoughts.

"Very well, from today onward, the Stoneblind Barbarians and the Gray Dwarf clan shall become my dependents; you must do everything you can to ensure the operation of my territory."

"Kelan Jiatin, I appoint you as Minister of Economy; all dealings with those goblins are entrusted to you, but each transaction must be witnessed by at least two Hyena Werewolves."

"Lin Lian, I appoint you as Minister of Agriculture, to lead your people in cultivating Meat Fungus."

"Tie Xiu, I appoint you as commander of my forces; Ogel will be your aide, and you are responsible for leading the Hyena Werewolf troops in hunting and protecting the camp."

"As for the remaining Gray Dwarves, they shall be in charge of mining."

Naimi Xisi waved a large hand, assigning each subordinate a position; though the titles left them bewildered, it didn't affect their understanding of their duties.

"Those who excel will be granted Dragon Blood, giving them a chance to become my Dragon‑blooded dependents!"

Finally, Naimi Xisi unleashed a massive bomb; the many monsters who heard it felt a flash of yearning, and a fierce fighting spirit surged within them.

Dragon Blood is the most domineering blood in the world; creatures that consume it have a considerable chance of becoming Dragon‑blooded beings.

Compared with ordinary beings, Dragon‑blooded creatures receive comprehensive enhancements, and the elite among them may awaken as Dragon‑Might Sorcerers, gaining some spells from the Dragon Blood source.

And the Juan Ce Long, as a spellcaster among spellcasters, has a far higher chance of awakening as a Dragon‑Might Sorcerer than a normal True Dragon!

However, creatures affected by Dragon Blood undergo major personality changes, constantly shifting toward the faction of the blood's source, so Naimi Xisi has not given Peng Peng Dragon Blood for years; he does not wish to alter Hu Meng's nature.

More importantly, even if Hu Meng became a Dragon‑blooded Hu Meng, it would still be a fifth‑tier trash monster, and the monsters would let out excited roars; Naimi Xisi looked at the Cold Iron Vein, the surrounding land equally excited—only two cave mouths around the vein lead outside, while the other side is blocked by a hundred‑mile Earth Trench.

Naimi Xisi will grow into a juvenile dragon in this naturally safe, hidden spot! (End of chapter)