Chương 37: The Chicken Soup is Served

Dog-Witch picked out a plump wild hen from the prey and prepared to present it to Dragon-Fang, but he was intercepted by a bone-armored Kobold guard.

"Chief Dragon-Fang prefers cooked food. Take this bird and boil it before offering it up. I'll show you to a pottery pot." The guard led Dog-Witch to a bonfire where a clean ceramic pot sat ready. Dog-Witch gave the feathers a cursory pluck, tossed the whole bird into the pot, added water, and boiled it. Once it was "cooked," he carried the chicken soup toward Dragon-Fang's quarters. Dragon-Fang's residence was a massive animal-hide tent where he and his lieutenants were currently dining.

Dragon-Fang sat upon a throne crafted from beast bones. He was exceptionally tall; even seated, he looked like a small mountain. His body featured the typical Kobold fur interspersed with patches of golden scales, giving his skin a lumpy, uneven appearance—as if fur and scales were battling a skin disease. This was a manifestation of Dragon-Fang's impure lineage. He was a Kobold sired by a dragon—possessing draconic blood, but not enough of it, resulting in the scattered distribution of scales.

Dragon-Fang's golden pupils shifted toward the tent entrance as Dog-Witch walked in, carrying the bowl.

"The chicken soup is served!" Dog-Witch wore a treacherous grin as he set the soup on the table. Every Kobold in the room stared at him. Dog-Witch swallowed hard, his tongue darting out instinctively to vent heat.

"The food is all here. Why isn't everyone eating?" The surrounding Kobolds shifted their gaze back to Dragon-Fang. These were former chiefs of various tribes who had been beaten into submission; without Dragon-Fang's command, none dared to touch a morsel. Dragon-Fang scanned the room, satisfied that no one moved. He tore a leg off the chicken and opened his mouth to bite, but suddenly, he caught a strange scent. His golden pupils narrowed as he brought the leg to his nose.

He recognized it: the scent of Red Poison Berries. He looked at the scrawny Shaman before him, his lips curling upward. A traitor? Interesting. Dog-Witch began to tremble under Dragon-Fang's gaze. He instinctively tucked his tail between his legs, feeling like he was about to leak from sheer terror.

"I... I won't disturb you further. I'm leaving now!" Dog-Witch turned to flee, but Dragon-Fang's voice halted him.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Dog-Witch froze. Dragon-Fang stood up from his bone throne, towering at least two meters tall. He approached Dog-Witch with a playful, mocking expression, circling him. This maneuver caused the guilty Shaman to shake so violently his teeth rattled with an audible clack-clack-clack. Dragon-Fang stopped in front of him and held out the chicken leg. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Dog-Witch, you've worked hard guarding the Goblin tribe for me. I reward you with this leg!" Dog-Witch shuddered. That leg was poisoned! The Goblin Boss said one bite of this stuff would make you kick the bucket, and he wasn't ready to kick anything yet. His tongue flicked in and out rapidly as he panted, pushed to the brink of panic. His behavior was so bizarre that the other Kobolds began to whisper.

"Hmm? Why aren't you eating? Could it be... there's poison! You're afraid to eat it!" Dragon-Fang's voice turned cold. Terrified, Dog-Witch let out a whimper, snatched the leg, and took a tiny bite.

"Ah... Chief Dragon-Fang, you must be joking. Poison? Where? Nom-nom-nom... this chicken leg tastes wonderful! Eat up, Chief! Everyone, eat! Why are you all looking at me?" Sweating profusely, Dog-Witch continued to urge the crowd to eat. To his surprise, Dragon-Fang actually returned to his seat, tore off the other leg, and swallowed it. Seeing this, the other Kobolds reached out and tore the rest of the chicken to shreds, devouring it instantly. Seeing them actually eat it, Dog-Witch was overjoyed.

He could already envision the Boss rewarding him with ten female Kobolds.

"I won't disturb you further. I'm off," he said again. But Dragon-Fang's next words made the urine he had been holding back finally leak out.

"Dog-Witch, you're an incompetent Shaman. You didn't even know that Red Poison Berries lose their toxicity once boiled." Hearing this, Dog-Witch broke into a sprint, but two guards at the entrance shifted their weight, blocking the exit. Dog-Witch slammed into the chest muscles of a large Kobold and bounced back, landing right in his own puddle. The other Kobolds were shocked—they hadn't realized this wretch was trying to assassinate Dragon-Fang.

Now, they watched him with mocking eyes, waiting to see how he would beg for mercy. Then, the unexpected happened. Instead of begging, Dog-Witch slammed his fist against the ground and roared in fury: "Dammit! Since everyone knows, I'm done acting!"

"I am the world-renowned lackey of the King of Goblins, Enclaver of All Races, Scourge of the World, Destroyer of Gods, the Sole Legitimate Master of the Magic Forest, Arthur Louis Romanov, Qin Shi Huang! The poison in the soup was my doing! Even if it didn't kill you, you won't leave here alive!"

"Before long, the King of Goblins, Enclaver of All Races, Scourge of the World, Destroyer of Gods, the Sole Legitimate Master of the Magic Forest, Arthur Louis Romanov, Qin Shi Huang will lead a great army here to slaughter you all! None of you will survive! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Dog-Witch laughed like a madman. The Kobolds looked at each other in confusion. Is this guy a lackey for that many people at once? Dragon-Fang crooked a finger. Two guards seized Dog-Witch.

"Take him to the torture chambers. Pry the information about those people out of his mouth!" As Dog-Witch was dragged away, screams soon echoed from outside. Dragon-Fang sat with a grim expression. He hadn't expected so many titled enemies to emerge—the "King of Goblins," the "Enclaver of All Races"—with names that impressive, they had to be powerful. He had to take this seriously. However, Dog-Witch was tortured until midnight, beaten into a pulp, yet he said nothing. He remained unyieldingly loyal.

Dragon-Fang was actually impressed—what kind of brainwashing had those people used to make this wretch so devoted? Dragon-Fang, of course, knew nothing of the Mount & Blade system. Dog-Witch was a system-certified NPC, restricted from doing anything detrimental to Li Qinwu. But it didn't matter. Dog-Witch had brought other Kobolds with him, and Dragon-Fang didn't believe they would be as tough. Sure enough, the guards easily extracted the truth about the Goblin tribe from the others.

Upon learning that a force of several hundred Goblins had retaken their old village, a dangerous smile spread across Dragon-Fang's face. It seems there's a war to be fought. But before long, that smile turned into pure rage. The tribute meat Dog-Witch brought had been distributed throughout the tribe. Most Kobolds disliked cooked food and ate the meat raw—meaning they all took the bait. Worst of all, in a society where the strong eat first, the "elite" Kobolds were the ones who got the poisoned meat.

Over a hundred elite Kobolds were now clutching their stomachs, howling in agony as they suffered from explosive diarrhea and vomited blood.