Ember Dragon

Chapter 40: Bloodline Gift (Part 3)

Thick white smoke filled the surroundings, obscuring the scene above, revealing only a faintly discernible giant shadow.

"Roar——"

Langpuo let out a dragon-like roar.

As the smoke dispersed, he tore off the discarded skin, supporting himself with both arms as he slowly stood up.

Thus, the first dragon-blooded ogre of Erezaghe was born—if the dragons' taste in aesthetics wasn't so absurdly out of place.

The creature before them could no longer be called an ogre.

His body was over five meters tall and almost as wide; even his former kin standing before him would seem like tiny gnomes by comparison.

His still massive and robust frame was now covered with bright, crimson scales.

His once short, stubby fingers had become long and sharp, transforming from humanoid hands to claws bearing dragon-like traits.

Langpuo slowly opened his eyes.

His pupils were golden.

Several rows of red horns protruded from his forehead, making his already hideous and terrifying head look even more ferocious.

If one could slice into his flesh, they would find that the blood now coursing through the ogre mage was boiling with elemental fury, with structures resembling a dragon's own blood vessels gradually forming within his body.

Compared to an ogre, Langpuo was now better suited to be called a "Dragon Ogre."

After all, he was no longer a mere giant subspecies but a dragon-blooded creature infused with true dragon blood, with a lifespan extended from mere decades to several centuries.

Now, Langpuo could even unleash a fiery breath.

On Cassius' minion panel, Langpuo's stats had undergone a radical transformation.

[Dragon-Blooded Ogre Mage - Langpuo]

Name: Langpuo

Gigantic Dragon-Blooded Giant (Fire), Neutral Evil

Race: Dragon-Blooded Ogre

AC: 16 (natural armor)

Attributes:

Strength — 20

Agility — 10

Constitution — 18

Intelligence — 17

Perception — 8

Charisma — 13

Skills: Literacy +6, Arcana +4, Hunting +4, Leadership +4, Herbalism +2, Persuasion +2, Warfare +2

Senses: Passive Perception 14 ft

Languages: Common, Draconic, Giant

Actions: Slam, Bite, Pound, Claw Strike

Special Ability: Breath Weapon (Fire)

Combat Equipment: Ring of Wisdom Studies, Arcane Ring, Albert's Mithril Bracelet

Class Level: 6 Mage

Caster Level: 6

Spells:

Cantrips: Fire Bolt

1st Level: Burning Hands

2nd Level: Scorching Ray

3rd Level: Fireball

Challenge Rating: 10 (7000 xp)

Evaluation: "This dragon-blooded ogre will roast you and swallow you whole."

His challenge rating had leaped to level 10, with his strength, constitution, agility, and other key stats undergoing a drastic overhaul, granting him the special ability of breath attack.

Simultaneously, Cassius could clearly feel that—due to the pressure emanating from deep within his bloodline—the bond between him and his minions had grown tighter, leaving them with no ability to disobey his commands.

Even harboring thoughts of betrayal would be sensed.

"Quite an effective enhancement."

Cassius remarked with satisfaction.

However, this was something Langpuo had achieved at the risk of his life, using his deep understanding of the arcane network.

Cassius knew this effect was not universal.

"Master, I succeeded."

Langpuo's tone was filled with irrepressible excitement and joy, as well as the satisfaction of a mage whose experiment had succeeded.

The creature on the boulder, who looked more like a "Dragon Ogre," knelt down to thank the red dragon, then leaped down, causing a rumble upon landing.

"Boss, you're freaking huge now!"

"Think of how much more food you can devour now!"

The ogres, upholding the simple principle that "bigger is better," cheered wildly for their boss's new form. In their simple minds, all they could think of was how his larger size would let him consume even more.

Meanwhile, Dolo's face grew even darker.

"Chimera,"

Cassius called the second name.

The chimera was the red dragon's first minion and the top combat power of Ember Nest.

Moreover, as a distant relative of dragons, Cassius was eager to experiment and see the effects of this "Bloodline Gift" on dragon-blooded creatures.

Even if it failed, the red dragon wouldn't feel a trace of regret—after all, such a chaotic, evil beast held little loyalty.

The three-headed monster landed on the boulder, folded its wings, and submissively lowered its heads.

Blood entered the dragon head's mouth.

The chimera let out a low, restrained roar, as the blood boiled within its body.

However, it did not suffer the same agonizing pain as the ogre; dragon blood was not as challenging for this dragon-blooded creature to absorb.

The surrounding monsters watched silently, the chimera's reaction far less intense than that of the ogre.

As the blood spread throughout its body, all three of its heads raised.

The dragon head even released a fiery breath.

Although the chimera had three heads of different shapes, its mind was unified; each head merely represented a facet of its personality.

The dragon head drove it to attack, plunder, and hoard treasures; the lion's nature aroused its desire to hunt powerful creatures within its territory; and the goat head rendered it stubborn and unyielding.

Previously, the lion's head had been the dominant one in the chimera.

However, as the blessing blood flowed throughout its body, the chimera's dragon head began to expand, with bony spikes extending from its neck to its back, replacing the lush mane, and scales gradually grew in place of the lion's fur.

"Roar——"

The dragon head of the chimera lifted up and let out a prolonged roar.

Its body swelled quickly, growing visibly larger.

Unlike the ogre's exaggerated energy absorption, it grew to over eight meters before stopping.

Its dragon head grew far faster than the lion and goat heads, with the "dragon" personality fully taking control.

Compared to the previous mishmash of different creatures, the chimera now resembled a mutated red dragon, with the goat and lion heads relegated to mere accessories.

"Roar"

The chimera completed its transformation and respectfully lowered its three heads, letting out a soft roar.

Cassius could sense that, whether due to power or bloodline suppression, the chimera was now entirely free of rebellious thoughts, solely focused on allegiance.

As for the future, that was hard to say—dragons certainly didn't have "absolute loyalty" in their nature.

Cassius' minion panel also reflected changes.

[Pseudo-Dragon Chimera]

Challenge Rating: 9 (5000 xp)

The chimera's challenge rating rose to level 9, just below Langpuo.

The power of the chimera's fire breath had grown more fearsome, and its body's scales granted a significant boost to its natural armor, making it far more resistant to attacks than before.

"How could such a beast be granted favor before me…"

Seeing the chimera receive a blessing first, Dolo's expression grew even darker.

Yet with the red dragon overhead, he could only suppress his anger, waiting in place with labored breaths.