Chapter 41: Bloodline Gift (IV)
“Dolo.”
Kai Xiusu spoke the next name.
As the Military Chieftain of Ashen Hollow and the mastermind behind Rockfort’s network of trenches, fences, gates, defensive towers, and pit traps, Dolo truly needed a boost in power to match his responsibilities.
The Earth Giant Commander exhaled a deep, relieved breath.
At least this confirmed his standing in Ashen Hollow hadn’t declined too much—after all, for a creature whose hunger for power rivaled even its obsession with war, such recognition was vital.
Dolo climbed onto the Monolith, dropping to one knee in solemn anticipation.
Blood surged into his mouth.
Burning.
That was all he felt—pure, searing fire.
The blood poured down his throat like molten magma, churning through his veins, scorching every inch of his flesh. For the first time, he understood the agony Lanpu had endured.
Yet he trembled violently, still kneeling, jaw clenched so tightly he risked cracking his teeth.
“I won’t die here.”
“I’ll climb higher—higher than that idiot Ogre.”
That was all that mattered now.
Once a crimson-skinned Great Goblin, Dolo’s skin now glowed with a translucent red radiance, pulsing as if lit from within by the elemental fire coursing through him. His body heaved with rhythmic intensity—each heartbeat, each breath, pumping Dragon Blood through his limbs, his organs, even through the thinning flesh. For a fleeting moment, one could see his veins throbbing beneath his skin, like red rivers beneath glass.
Perhaps the effect is even more pronounced on non-Dragonblood creatures, Kai Xiusu observed calmly, quietly noting the transformation.
“Ah—!”
Finally, the unbearable heat overwhelmed him. Dolo screamed.
His body began to swell. Beneath his skin, scales erupted in jagged, bony protrusions.
With each guttural roar, he grew at an alarming rate.
From a towering 1.8 meters, he shot up to 2.5 meters in mere seconds. Crimson scales burst through his fragile flesh, tearing open his skin, his body smoking as it exposed itself to the air.
“Huff… huff…”
He parted his lips, breathing out thick plumes of white steam.
His already sharp yellow teeth now gleamed like dragon fangs.
Scales spread across his face, fusing with his ears, folding into his cheeks. Two small, bony horns poked from his forehead.
A Dragon-blooded Great Goblin had been born.
His entire form was transformed. Strength surged through him—now rivaling that of a common Ogre.
Though lacking the Fire Breath of true dragons, he could now cast the cantrip Fire Bolt. He wore a thick, armored hide of scales, granting him exceptional resistance to heat.
Once a creature of human lifespan, frequently dying in battle before old age could claim it, Dolo now lived for around three hundred years—what dragons would still call a fleeting blink, but a miracle to his kind.
[Dragon-Blooded Earth Giant Commander]
Challenge Rating: 7 (2,900 experience points)
“Thank you for your generous gift.”
“I can’t wait—time to taste enemy blood on the battlefield.”
Dolo panted, his face already flushed crimson with excitement.
The Earth Giant Commander felt an overwhelming surge of strength flooding his body. As a being born for war, he burned to unleash it all upon the battlefield.
“Not bad,” Kai Xiusu said.
Given Dolo had no spell support, such progress was remarkable.
“Shimao Ge.”
Kai Xiusu called the next name.
The largest Wyvern in the crowd instantly perked up, its eyes wide with anticipation.
It drooled thick, sticky saliva, trembling with excitement as it scrambled onto the Monolith. It planted its front limbs onto the stone, using its wing bones as supports, while its long, venomous barbed tail swayed rhythmically, almost dancing.
Of course, Shimao Ge wasn’t a name from this world. It was merely a small whim of Kai Xiusu’s—his way of sending a message after the spectacle of “killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.”
After that, he had pointed at the largest of the two-headed dragons and appointed it the new leader of the brood.
Two-Headed Dragons, being creatures of low intelligence, typically had no names at all.
When the Wyvern landed on all fours, Kai Xiusu remembered the iconic image of a certain legendary beast from a past life’s film—Shimao Ge—and the name stuck.
The beast, now known as Shimao Ge, roared with glee, its drool dripping onto the stone.
This creature was a hybrid of dragon and griffin, its bloodline yearning for the true power of Dragon Blood.
The blood flooded its mouth.
With its front wings braced against the stone, it bellowed—low, guttural, primal.
Though it already carried diluted Dragon Blood in its veins, generations of dilution had reduced it to near nothing. It could not compare to the Blessed Blood of the Red Dragon.
So when the frenzy of elemental energy surged through its body, the pain was unbearable.
The blood churned inside it like a storm.
Shimao Ge rolled violently across the Monolith, shrieking in agony.
Its cries were shrill, grating—like metal scraping against metal—so piercing that even the surrounding monsters winced, their ears ringing.
The body of the Two-Headed Dragon swelled visibly.
From over five meters, it grew to six, then seven—until the expansion finally slowed.
Its once-creased, slimy skin hardened into jagged, crimson scales. Fleshy lumps transformed into bony, ceratous spines. Where it once could only spew foul mucus, it now breathed fire—scorching, violent flame.
The creature was no longer merely a beast. It was drawing closer to true dragonhood.
Yet it remained slender, bipedal, built for speed and ambush rather than brute power.
[Reversionary Two-Legged Dragon]
Challenge Rating: 8 (3,900 experience points)
“Not bad,” Kai Xiusu said flatly. “At least it won’t be trampled by the Northwind Eagle Guard anymore.”
Shimao Ge shot a gout of fire into the sky, then leapt down from the Monolith, lifting its head high with pride, surveying its kin with a look of smug superiority.
Only a true beast could wear such arrogance with such ease.
Now, the Dragon Blood in the shallow pit was nearly gone.
Only a thin film remained, slowly rippling across the stone.
It shimmered faintly, exuding a thick, intoxicating scent of iron and power.
By the previous standard, there should still be enough for one more blessing.
At this moment, over a thousand eyes in the valley were locked onto that last drop.
They breathed heavily, their gazes feverish, pupils burning with desire.
After witnessing so many transformations—so much pain, so much power—this blood had become sacred in their minds.
The agony of the change? Worth it.
For strength—absolute strength—it was a price worth paying.
And now, the most powerful among Ashen Hollow had all been blessed.
Could they still be chosen?
The valley remained silent.
But the breaths grew heavier. The heartbeat drums grew louder—pounding like war drums in the air.
The Bear Goliath wiped sweat from his brow, droplets rolling down his fur, yet his eyes never left the blood.
The Lizardfolk stood motionless in the shadows, silent as statues, watching, waiting.
The Two-Headed Dragon stretched its neck, parted its jaws slightly, letting drool drip from its fangs.
Its grotesque head, twisted with hunger, seemed to whisper: Who will be next?
All waited.
All hoped.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
