Chapter 1002: The Great One
From deep within the dungeon, in a cavern of ginormous proportions, laying in a pool of magma, a single oval stone lay, with magma coalescing on it, making it look like a piece of solidified lava had fused.
And on this stone, veins of bright lava pulsed, following a rhythmic pattern, thrumming with power.
*thump thump* *thump thump* *thump thump*
The surrounding mana pulsed in and out with each pulse, like air coming in and out of lungs, leaving all its pure fire essence inside the stone.
Kneeling before this stone, a single kobold, wearing robes with a pair of red eyes dyed into them, currently glowing.
"Oh, great one! What impudence these human intruders have to take refuge in your lair and even steal away your precious sustenance! We are lost without your guidance. What would you have us do?" the kobold asked, face lowered toward the ground in deference, his voice filled with reverence.
Silence enveloped the room, only broken by the bubbling of the magma pools around the stone and the steam spouts releasing pressure from the ceiling.
Seeing that his master wasn't responding, the kobold was about to ask his question again before a low, rumbling voice echoed in the room, making the mana inside him tremble instinctively.
"You dare disturb my peace with news of a mortal group in my home? I gave you a sliver of my powers so you could uphold the peace in my stead. Are you so useless that you can't deal with some puny humans?" the voice asked, the cavern around it shivering.
The voice was omnipresent in the cavern, sounding like it came from everywhere all at once. But the kobold knew where it came from.
Raising its eyes to look at the stone still pulsing with enough fire essence to light a fire to the world, the kobold frowned.
"But, great one... They aren't regular humans... They are using mana to make themselves powerful, just like us. And, they have access to a mage who can wield flames almost as well as I..." he mumbled.
The cavern shook, this time a bit more vigorously, almost as if the voice was angry.
Yet, its tone remained the same.
Both the guards nodded, not saying a word in return, and stood before the doors after closing them.
Looking before him, with all the kobolds in the central part of the lair looking up to the antechamber entrance as he walked out, the sorcerer raised his arms high.
"The great one has promised us great power if we stop these humans, my brothers and sisters! So, let us rise to his expectations and defeat these intruders! Now go! Be his flaming retribution, and burn these humans to cinders!" he chanted, rousing their spirits.
Of course, what he was promising was a lie, and the great one would have never promised such things. It was already a miracle that he and a few of his brethren had been gifted with power.
But he couldn't let them know. If they found out they were considered nothing more than slaves to the dragon egg, the kobolds would riot, and the dragon would slay them all.
None of them would stand a chance from inside his egg, as the dragon had already made abundantly clear when they found him. He had already lost his blood brother; he wasn't willing to lose the rest of his people...
'I will make these humans wish they had never been born. Even if it costs me my life,' he
silently swore.
But a few minutes later, the main cavern shook, a roar blasting out from the deepest part of the dungeon behind the closed doors.
The kobold sorcerer could feel the rage inside this roar, and his mind trembled.
The red eyes on his tunic flared up, and the voice blasted into his mind.
'What are you idling around for?! Kill the humans!"
It was the first time the dragon was actively seething at him, his rage making the sorcerer's
knees shake instinctively.
'Yes, oh great one!'