Chương 82: Reborn as the Dragon — Chapter 82 - Show Weakness to the Enemy, Lure the Enemy to Attack

[Hidden Quest: Subjugate the Black Dragon] [Quest Description: The beautiful and kind Mei Magogoko discovered a brutal Black Dragon while accompanying the Anlius army on a mission. The gentle and merciful Mei Magogoko cannot bear to see the people of this world live under the shadow of the Black Dragon. After being coldly turned away by the army, Mei Magogoko has decided to organize warriors herself to slay the evil Black Dragon. Warriors, soldiers of the Sun Goddess, follow Mei Magogoko to Silvermoon Forest and subjugate the Black Dragon together!] [Quest Rewards: Experience points, Dragon's treasure, and the opportunity to discuss magic alone or together with Mei Magogoko] Every player from Sakura Island No. 6 Starter Village watched the quest panel blink into existence before their eyes. Breathing became heavy. The male players especially.

They had already been eyeing Mei Magogoko's figure for some time, and now their eyes were bloodshot with barely contained yearning. They shot to their feet. Discussing the mysteries of magic with the beautiful Miss Gougouzi. What a reward.

"I will fight for Miss Gougouzi!" A balding, middle-aged corporate drone was the first to bellow it.

"So will we!" The rest of the male players answered in a wave.

"Ohohohohohohoh!"

"Is this real? Discussing magic and all that — wouldn't that be too forward?"

"Miss Gougouzi is just too adorable!" Mei Magogoko turned a sweet smile on the crowd, and the shouting doubled in volume. Over two thousand players, evenly spread across classes: mages, warriors, healers, all at higher levels than the soldiers who had refused her. One Black Dragon. Nothing to worry about. Even if the monsters were a little stronger than expected, it didn't matter. She, Mei Magogoko, would slay the evil dragon and complete the quest.

Standing atop the platform, she was radiant with confidence, her gaze sweeping the crowd with a bright, fierce energy, a glimmer she hadn't worn since the early days of her career.

"Everyone, we march at dawn! Sharpen your blades and steel your resolve, we attack Silvermoon Forest and bring down the Black Dragon!"

"ROOOOAR—!"... Inside the Dragon's Nest, deep in Silvermoon Forest. A crowd of bare-chested, heavily muscled monsters sat cross-legged on the stone floor. Their expressions were serious.

"Warfare is the art of deception! Attack where they are unprepared, strike where they do not expect, this is one of the fundamentals of victory in war, lick~""You wouldn't understand even if I said more, lick~""But one thing is beyond question, lick~" Stolen story; please report.

"We must first know our own strengths and weaknesses, then analyze the enemy's, lick~" Su Nian cradled Anna against his chest and paced the bedrock platform, striding back and forth while delivering commentary that left every monster in the room thoroughly lost.

"Bolikri, you're the sharpest one among them. Tell me your thoughts, lick~""Ah! Mmm! Brother~ Could you please stop licking for just a moment~" Anna pressed both hands over her flushed face, the blush spreading all the way to her neck and the tips of her ears. She really couldn't take any more of it. She could only pout and squirm helplessly in his arms, begging for mercy.

"Alright, prprpr, Anna, prprpr~" Su Nian immediately made it worse, pressing his lips to her ear. The little loli in his arms shivered.

"Bolikri, continue, lick~""Great Master!" Bolikri scrambled forward and prostrated himself at the base of the stone steps, head bowed low.

"In this humble one's opinion, our advantage lies in numbers and our familiarity with Silvermoon Forest's terrain. These two things together let us toy with humans at will."

"Our weakness is the shortage of weapons and armor. The equipment seized yesterday still needs time to be resized, only a small portion is usable by the gnolls right now."

"And, Master — our magical strength is still very limited." The kobold tilted his dog-head and thought hard for another moment. Nothing else came to him. He looked up at the Black Dragon with hopeful eyes.

"Not bad. You're already a qualified kobold, you've named nearly everything that matters." Su Nian was pleased. He had been deliberately cultivating independent thinking in the monster leaders under his command.

"As you said, our advantage is Silvermoon Forest."

"So, if I were leading the humans, any commander with half a brain would try to draw the monsters out before engaging."

"On open plains, your kobold traps lose most of their effectiveness." Su Nian's dragon eyes glinted with something cold and sharp. He leaned down, bringing his head level with the gathered monsters, and lowered his voice.

"Humans have exactly two ways to make us leave Silvermoon Forest voluntarily."

"Lure us out with something. Flesh, rare food, exotic herbs."

"Or force us out. By setting the forest on fire." The moment those last words landed, every monster in the room stopped breathing. Muscles went rigid. Fists clenched. A chorus of grinding and creaking sounds rose throughout the Dragon's Nest.

"If they set the forest on fire, it will reach our potatoes!" The creaking grew louder. Necks popped. The temperature in the Dragon's Nest began to drop.

"Driving out this many of us, burning the forest is the more likely play. Though we can't rule out that these humans have no real intention to attack yet."

"Either way, just in case: today, all monsters will clear the trees around the outer perimeter of the Dragon's Nest and along every approach path. Create a firebreak."

"Now. If the humans attack and burn the forest, and we refuse to come out, what do you think they'll do?" Su Nian's gaze settled on Grey Wolf, signaling him to answer.

"They... they might... go ahead and... attack the forest directly?" Grey Wolf offered it slowly, uncertain.

"Correct. Not 'might', they will attack Silvermoon Forest. Because they'll assume the fire has already broken us." Su Nian nodded. His dragon mouth split into a vicious grin, smoke rings drifting from between his teeth.

"Show weakness. Bait the enemy into striking."

"ROAR,!" The monsters had no idea what their master actually meant. That didn't stop them from feeling the words were incredibly impressive. They cheered. They howled. Su Nian was satisfied. He pressed a kiss to Anna's cheek, then fixed his gaze on Bolikri, still prostrate at his feet, and gave his orders with deliberate weight.

"Bolikri. Take your clansmen and seed the entire path to the Dragon's Nest with traps. When the humans come tomorrow, I'll send monsters to lure them deep in."

"Also, lay traps along every direction they might try to flee. Shape it like a drawstring bag, and pull it tight slowly. I want every step they take to land on a trap."

"Can you do that?"

"Great Master! Bolikri personally guarantees that each human will trigger an average of at least two, no, three or more traps. They will come in, and they will not come out!" Chieftain Bolikri wagged his tail furiously, face alight with pride. He had never imagined that one day, kobolds, always treated as cannon fodder by dragons, would be given work like this. Would have their racial gifts called upon again and again. Truly a great master. Different from all other dragons. Wiser. Greater.

"Good. I'm looking forward to it."

"The traps drive them toward the Dragon's Nest. Then our flame arrow towers open up. Then the full monster army hits at once, hehehe..."

"Once we've had a look at what these humans can actually do in a fight, if the numbers hold, that's the moment we move on the human starter villages." The monsters only had one life. They couldn't respawn the way players could. Losses had to be kept as low as possible. Su Nian raised his head and looked out toward the direction of Sakura Island No. 1 Starter Village. His pale gold dragon eyes were full of cunning, and full of caution. ➤ Next: The First "Great" Step