Translator: AnubisTL
Fine silver threads descended from the sky, shrouding Howling Crag in a misty rain.
Following Warchief Bloodtooth, another figure emerged from the rocky cave: a hunched, stooped hyena-man with jet-black fur, devoid of any markings, standing in stark contrast to the mottled coats of his kin.
This was Priest Rotclaw, a devout follower of the Hyena-Man God.
Leaning on a white bone staff, Priest Rotclaw shuffled slowly to Warchief Bloodtooth's side, flanked by two silent, unwavering hyena guard.
These guards were powerfully built, towering over even Warchief Bloodtooth. Twisted runes shimmered faintly beneath their rain-soaked fur.
Their calm, steadfast demeanor stood in stark contrast to the frenzied nature of ordinary hyena-men.
Priest Rotclaw had selected these warriors from among the tribe's bravest, then performed a sacrificial ritual to receive the Hyena-Man God's blessing. The resulting divine guards possessed combat prowess rivaling that of ferocious beasts and demonic creatures of equal rank, but at the cost of a mere ten-year lifespan, diminished intelligence, and the loss of reproductive instincts and abilities.
Garos noticed the two guards, his gaze narrowing slightly.
They were the hyena guard, powerful warriors created through divine blessing.
And the Hyena-Man God wasn't the only divine spirit capable of such feats.
Most divine spirits possessed similar "blessing" abilities, sacrificing longevity, reproductive capacity, and rational intellect to create servants utterly loyal to themselves.
For example, the Evil Dragon God's Evil Dragon Guard.
From hatching to adulthood, the Evil Dragon Guard required only a year. Within a century, they could attain power comparable to that of a thousand-year-old ancient dragon. However, their lifespan was limited to just over a century, and their sole purpose was absolute loyalty to the Evil Dragon God, executing its commands without any other thoughts.
Priests could also create corresponding divine guards, but at a tremendous cost.
The success rate of the ritual was low. Behind the two hyena-man guards likely lay the lives of dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of their kin.
Furthermore,
only priests whose faith in the divine spirit had reached a certain level possessed such skills.
Garos's gaze turned to Priest Rotclaw, and he felt a surge of displeasure.
Divine spirits, the true rulers of all planes and worlds, could alter the fate of any living being with a mere thought, elevating them to the heavens or plunging them into the abyss.
Garos didn't trust his luck to encounter the favorable outcome. He habitually considered the worst-case scenario first.
"The Hyena-Man God's priest... utterly loyal and obedient to the divine spirit. Even if I subdue the Redeye Clan and demonstrate power worthy of following, he might still feign cooperation while secretly plotting against me to please his god."
With a priest so closely connected to a divine spirit, Garos felt no sense of security.
Perhaps the hyena-man priest is thinking of sacrificing this dragon to the divine spirit.
A priest with only a superficial belief in the divine spirit would be manageable, but one capable of creating divine guards clearly possessed a profound faith.
Garos had initially assumed that the Redeye Clan's priest merely held a shallow belief in the divine spirit to better lead his clan in the wilderness, hoping to gain some divine blessings and skills.
Now, reality proved otherwise.
The werewolves of the Howling Moon Clan hadn't mentioned this.
One couldn't expect much insight from the monster clans of the wilderness. Recognizing the warlord and priest was already impressive enough. As for the priest's specific circumstances, the Howling Moon Clan didn't worship divine spirits and had no priests within their ranks, so their ignorance was understandable.
"Priest, priest, a priest with a high level of faith."
"Kill him? The inheritance says killing a priest has a small chance of attracting the divine spirit's attention, leading to endless consequences. We can't kill him ourselves."
Garos pondered.
Priest Rotclaw stood slightly ahead of Warchief Bloodtooth.
Like Bloodtooth, he spoke slowly in a respectful tone, his voice raspy as sandpaper grinding against stone: "Yeenoghu be praised. Noble giant dragon, we offer you fine wine and fresh meat to welcome your arrival."
What a robust young dragon.
If we sacrifice it to the great Yeenoghu, surely it would please him.
Beneath the priest's respectful facade, this thought surged uncontrollably.
Simultaneously, Garos glanced at Warchief Bloodtooth.
The burly hyena-man, with his thick fur and muscular frame, wore a distinct expression of displeasure as Priest Rotclaw approached. He instinctively bared his fangs, but remained silent.
"The Redeye Clan's warlord and priest are not on good terms," Garos mused inwardly.
He understood Bloodtooth's petty schemes all too well.
Hyena-men were all the same, believing themselves cunning and clever, convinced they concealed their intentions perfectly. In reality, their twitching ears and darting eyes betrayed them to dragonkind long before they spoke. Their cunning was superficial, mere petty cleverness.
Hyena-men eagerly followed giant dragons.
Yet if they couldn't prove their own strength, they would hunt vulnerable young dragons.
Conversely,
demonstrating overwhelming power that instilled fear in hyena-men easily secured their loyalty.
Nearly every Lord Dragon commanded a hyena-man chosen among their forces.
Their reproductive efficiency was high, and their growth cycles were short. Like weeds, they sprouted anew after each harvest. To dragonkind, they made excellent cannon fodder and even reserve food. Their innate reverence and fear of powerful dragons also fostered a peculiar form of 'loyalty'.
"Redeye Clan, I demand your allegiance," Garos declared, his gaze fixed on the hyena warlord. "From this day forward, you shall follow in the shadow of my wings."
Without hesitation, Warchief Bloodtooth prostrated himself, declaring, "Serving the great dragonkind is the highest honor for all hyena-men. The purpose of my life has been to meet you today and become your familiar."
More hyena-men knelt to the ground.
Only the priest and two hyena guards remained standing in the drizzle.
"My apologies, Priest Rotclaw can only kneel before the divine spirit he worships," the priest said respectfully. "But please believe that my respect and reverence for you rank only below the great Yeenoghu. The Redeye Clan yearns to follow dragonkind."
Priest Rotclaw maintained his respectful demeanor.
Warchief Bloodtooth's eyes flickered. "Dragon Lord, descend upon your loyal Redeye Clan. I will lead you through your territory and present you with all the treasures hidden within our clan."
If Garos landed on the ground...
Instantly, Garos activated his warlord's command aura, empowering all the hyena-man warriors. Now fearless of dragon might, they surged forward, coordinating with the priest's curses and divine magic to drag him to the ground and encircle him for the hunt.
Garos remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly grinned.
"Very well, I'll descend immediately."
Instead of lowering his altitude, Garos flapped his dragon wings and soared skyward, his figure tearing through the rain-soaked sky, leaving a crimson trail against the storm-laden heavens.
The hyena-men rose to their feet, tilting their heads back, their reddish-brown eyes reflecting the shrinking silhouette.
"Could he have sensed the danger and fled?" Warchief Bloodtooth muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a piercing shriek erupted, freezing his expression and constricting his breath as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart.
Garos plummeted downward, his massive dragon wings cleaving through the rain.
The fine scales on his wing membranes clattered like a thousand swords drawn simultaneously. Raindrops struck the surface, exploding into fine mist that instantly vaporized into steam.
Water vapor and sparks intertwined, hissing into steam that trailed behind him like a comet's tail.
As he descended and slowed his descent, the ear-splitting shriek of his wingbeats transformed into thunderous booms.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was as if distant mountain thunder had been dragged right before their eyes, announcing Garos's arrival.
(End of the Chapter)
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