Lord: Starting with Contract Half-Elf Twins

Allen strolled alone through the forest, not in a hurry.

The half-elf twins did not accompany them; they needed to continue clearing the wild beasts near the cliffs and expanding their territory until they met the criteria in the Lord's Handbook.

This is a great training opportunity for the sisters.

Solina will hone and unlock the power of her [Red Dragon Blood Guard] through hunting, while Viola will follow her sister and learn how to control fire.

Since Flintclaw was assigned the role of [Kobold War Cryer], it has rarely returned to the cliff cave under Allen's orders.

Most of the time, it was busy trying to win back its kobold kin.

Although the [Kobold War Cryer] is a racially specialized enhancement path, Flintclaw is not yet proficient in wielding its power.

Furthermore, to unleash the full power of "Battle Cry," a certain number of kobolds must be present.

Therefore, the only way to gradually expand the dominance of the Flint Claws was to first capture a small number of their own kind who had been sent out to hunt, and then bring them back under their command.

This process is like rolling a snowball.

At first, Flintclaw needed Allen's "Red Dragon Aura" to subdue its own kind and wrest their loyalty back from the magically modified monster within its ranks.

But once it has five or six kobolds under its command, it can make newly captured members of its kind submit simply by using "warc".

The more kobolds under Flintclaw's command, the stronger its "war cry" becomes, and the easier it is to subdue its own kind.

After it gained the support of about 20 kobolds, no more hunting parties went out from the Deep Pit Cave.

Thus, the time for a counterattack arrived.

Allen's trip was to "inspect" the results of Flintclaw's counterattack.

He would not interfere in Flintclaw's efforts to win over his own kind, nor did he intend to directly manage the kobold tribe; he only needed to ensure Flintclaw's loyalty.

When Allen arrived outside the deep pit cave, he found Flint Claw waiting at the cave entrance. There was no unusual sound inside the cave, as if it had already ended.

"Dragon Lord!"

Flint Claw immediately knelt down, and seeing that it was about to move closer to his feet again, Allen quickly told him to get up.

"You subdued them very quickly. Lead the way."

"Yes, Lord Dragon!" Flint Claw got up with some regret, then turned around and walked into the cave.

There are obvious signs of excavation at the cave entrance, suggesting it was newly dug to expand the cave and welcome Allen.

Allen's height was just beginning to develop, and it felt just right after entering the kobold's cave.

Of course, besides the main cave that Allen entered, there are many other smaller caves everywhere; those are the paths that the kobolds usually use.

As they moved inward, the path was lined with kobolds on both sides. They seemed to have been ordered not to face Allen, and instead turned their backsides towards the wall.

If Flint Claw sees anything that dares to raise its head, even if it's just not lying down properly, it will kick it without mercy.

The other kobolds then lay even more obediently on the ground, not daring to make the slightest move.

Allen had no intention of interfering with Flintclaw's actions; as the former leader of the kobold tribe, it naturally knew how to manage a tribe efficiently.

Suddenly, Allen frowned slightly; he sensed a strange magical power.

Following the magical fluctuations, Allen saw through the darkness ahead a "mountain of flesh" with half of its body buried in the rocks.

As Allen got closer, he could see the "mountain of flesh" in its entirety—a dog-headed creature with four limbs bitten off, its torso alone the size of a spiny beast.

It was still alive at the time, and upon seeing Flintclaw arrive, it immediately began barking wildly.

After being kicked several times by the gruff claws, each kick hitting him squarely in the head, his voice gradually weakened.

As Allen got closer, he could feel the strangeness of that magic even more clearly.

Cold, twisted, dark...

Since it was merely a remnant residing on the giant kobold, Allen was unable to accurately describe the full extent of this magic for the time being.

But the effect of this magic is quite obvious—it turns an ordinary kobold into the size of a spiny beast.

Moreover, their endurance, physical strength, and vitality have all been greatly improved.

The power of the Flint Claw had increased significantly after being enhanced. Even though the giant kobold had been severely injured with four limbs bitten off, it only fainted after taking so many attacks from the Flint Claw.

The increase in defense and vitality is too great.

It seemed to have no feeling for Allen's red dragon bloodline and did not instinctively want to get close to him like other kobolds.

After knocking the giant kobold unconscious, Flintclaw seemed unsatisfied and drew his stone staff, striking it several more times while cursing in the kobold language.

If it weren't for wanting to "show off" its victory in front of Allen, it wouldn't want this monster to continue living at all.

Allen glanced at its character panel:

【Name: Mutant Kobold】

Race: Kobold

[Character Template: Standard]

[Level: Warrior lv7 / Miner lv4]

[Status: Flesh and blood mutated, life waning, thirst for magic]

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

A very special panel.

Despite being enhanced by magic, it turned out to be just a regular template.

Although the elite stats of Flintclaw are partly reflected in its learning ability, the fact that it was able to defeat Flintclaw so easily shows that this mutated kobold's strength is not as simple as its stats suggest.

I don't know what effect that magic had.

In addition, the series of statuses in the status bar are very similar to the first panel Allen saw in this world—the panel of the black-robed wizard Obitus.

Has the power of life itself been severely overdrawn and distorted...?

"Alright, let's go. Take me to see what you dug up."

"Yes, Dragon Lord!"

Upon hearing Allen's words, Flint Claw stopped cursing and quickly led Allen forward.

Yes, Allen's main purpose in coming to the Flintclaw cave was to see what the kobolds had actually dug up.

Both the female thief Tasha and the wizard apprentice Grimm have mentioned that this place was originally the site of an ancient kingdom.

Besides the ancient ruins where the black-robed wizard Obitus lived, Allen also saw the remains of some ancient buildings while traversing the wilderness and mountains.

What is buried deep underground and can dissipate magic is very likely an ancient magical relic.

Regardless of its value, Allen wanted to examine it.

After passing the "mountain of flesh," the cave suddenly widened, and there were no more kobolds kneeling on the ground around.

This should be the space that the giant kobolds forced the kobolds to excavate after they seized control of the kobold race.

Sure enough, the further we went, the less we were heading into the mountains, and the terrain gradually began to descend.

After walking a long way, Allen felt that he had descended to about seven or eight floors underground before he saw a faint purple light.

As he approached, Allen saw a huge, deep pit.

At the bottom of the pit, there was a shocking splash of blood.

There were the corpses of kobolds, the corpses of rock worms, and the corpses of all sorts of wild beasts.

It appears that a "blood sacrifice" has been taking place here, but the person in charge of the sacrifice doesn't know what offerings to use, so he has sacrificed everything he can see.

The blood stained the bottom of the pit, almost completely burying the main body that was emitting purple light.

Allen looked carefully again and again, and finally found a few places that were not covered by blood and corpses.

It can be seen that the excavated object is mainly made of a black metal, inlaid with crystals, and etched with lines that flow with magic.

The crystal originally emitted a blue light, but it turned pale purple because it was covered in blood.

Moreover, this layer of metal appears to be a small part of a larger entity.

However, the rock layers below were too solid, and even with the strength of the kobold race, they could not dig them open.

Allen stood at the edge of the pit, feeling the magical fluctuations emanating from the bottom of the pit.

At this distance, his perception was finally able to clearly describe the fluctuation of magical power.

--Nausea.

This was Allen's first and most fundamental feeling.

It's like suddenly seeing a mass of maggots and rotting flesh—a physiological aversion that makes you want to stay away.

It is not the power of death that is the opposite of the power of life, but rather a distorted existence.

The nature of this magic is just so awkward.

Allen stood at the edge of the pit, lost in thought.

After a moment, he came to the conclusion that this was not something he could currently utilize.

Its existence could even have a negative impact on its own territory.

If there is an opportunity in the future, we should inquire about the history of Sapphire Bay and even the wilderness.

Only by figuring out what exactly is buried deep in the past can Allen know how to deal with the ancient relics buried underground.

As for now, since it's buried here, let it remain buried here.

"Fill the hole in, then seal this place up."

"...Yes! Dragon Lord!"

Although Flintclaw was somewhat reluctant to part with the homeland that the kobolds had dug and developed over the years, it did not want to disobey the Dragon Lord's orders.

It was indeed terrified of the creatures in the deep pit, fearing that such an anomaly might occur again within its clan.

This time alone, its species has suffered heavy losses.

Allen noticed its hesitation and asked:

"How many kobolds are left in your tribe now?"

"More than 30, Dragon Lord, originally more than 50." Flint Claw was somewhat dejected.

A magical mutation, a power grab, and finally, a reconquest.

Its population has been reduced by more than half!

The ones who suffered the most losses were not even those from the final battle of conquest, but those who died from exhaustion and starvation due to excessive digging of the deep pit during its departure!

"Don't worry, Dragon Lord, the kobolds will reproduce quickly! They'll have lots of offspring!"

Flint Claw, fearing that Allen would despise its dwindling population, quickly added.

Allen nodded:

"Next, take the rest of your tribe and migrate. You can build a new home, and I guarantee it will be ten times better than your current one."

"Yes, Dragon Lord!"

This time, Flintclaw agreed readily, having no doubt about the Dragon Lord's decision and being delighted by the Dragon Lord's high regard for it.

Of course, Allen wasn't just making empty promises.

Once the territory is fully developed, all buildings within the territory will be constructed under Allen's control and will be amplified by the effects of Allen's "Lord's Manual".

Although it's still unknown how much the boost was originally in the game, and how it will take effect in the real world, Allen isn't worried.

With the precedent of the [Follower] system, Allen believed that its effects would surely surprise him, as well as all his subjects now and in the future.

Led by Flintclaw, squads of kobolds pushed rubble and immediately began to fill the deep pit.

The rubble they were carrying was originally transported out when this deep pit was dug, and now it was being used to fill the original spot.

Allen watched as the purple magical light gradually disappeared beneath the rubble, then turned and left.

The kobold population has already dwindled significantly, and it will take some time to complete the landfill work.

Furthermore, Flintclaw also needs to reorganize the kobold tribe to resume hunting and allow the tribe to recuperate.

However, with the "War Cry" ability of the Flint Claw, the overall combat power of the kobold race has been greatly enhanced, and hunting should be much easier than before.

With ample food, the kobolds have a very high reproductive rate, and their offspring grow up to be able to work very quickly.

This is a survival advantage unique to wilderness races.

I believe this kobold race will soon recover.

……

Two weeks later, Sapphire Bay experienced the most intense period of the rainy season.

Especially in places near the sea, the weather changes much more rapidly and violently than in the wilderness.

In the pouring rain, Allen did not stay in the cave on the cliff, but went to the top of the cliff.

This is a high point in the northern part of Sapphire Bay, and it's the first stop for Allen, Solina, and Viola upon their arrival at Sapphire Bay.

The heavy rain pounded against Allen's thick animal skin robe, making a crackling sound.

"Solina's stitching skills are getting better and better; not a single drop of water has seeped in."

As Allen muttered to himself, he gazed at the dark mass of people below the cliff.

As the team reached the cliff area, a soft notification sounded in Allen's mind.

Allen opened the Lord's Handbook and clicked on the [Territory] interface.

At this point, the three large red exclamation marks have disappeared, replaced by three green checkmarks:

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Establish a [Basic Lord's Hut]:

1. The available area has been satisfied (mountainous terrain);

2. The available labor force is satisfied (dog-headed people).

3. Consumable resources have been met (stone).

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

That's right, with the arrival of the kobold tribe, the three conditions for Allen to build the [Basic Lord's Hut] have finally been met!

The territory expansion work of the half-elf twins was completed in about ten days.

The reason it took half a month was twofold: firstly, filling the kobolds' interconnected caves was a huge project; secondly, Allen had ordered Flintclaw to collect a large amount of high-quality stone to this side of the cliff.

During this time, Flintclaw filled in the caves, collected stones, directed the kobolds to transport stones up the cliff, and also had to complete the task of hunting and breeding for his tribe.

I was really exhausted.

However, the results were still very significant.

The stone brought by the kobolds is more than enough to meet the needs of the [Beginner Lord's Hut].

Allen believed that there would be no shortage of stone resources for quite some time.

Now that the conditions were met, Allen didn't want to wait a moment longer and immediately opened the building page for the [Beginner Lord's Hut].

A complex design appeared on the architecture page.

Although it's called a "lord's cottage," the images in the design drafts are more like a small "fortress."

The design includes a spacious basement, a three-story tower-like building surrounded by thick stone walls, and an observation tower on top.

It was practically built for defense.

Allen guessed that it was because he only had stone as his resource that the Lord's Hut building was created with stone as its main material.

After reviewing the design, Allen decided not to collect any more materials and regenerate the design.

The most urgent task is to quickly build the Lord's Hut so that the [Territory] function can be successfully activated.

There will be plenty of opportunities for renovation and upgrading later, so there's no need to rush.

Without hesitation, he chose the large open space at the top of the cliff as the building area and pressed the "Build" button.

And then... nothing happened.

Allen frowned and sighed, "Just as I expected, we have to build it from scratch, brick by brick?"

Allen wasn't particularly disappointed; he had expected this.

If followers cannot be summoned to your doorstep and must be recruited from the adjacent cell, it is unlikely that a building will spontaneously generate.

Just then, Allen sensed the telepathic communication from his followers.

It wasn't Solina, but Flintclaw.

After establishing a follower relationship, Flintclaw also gained the ability to communicate with Allen through simple telepathy.

However, because it was so excited that it became noisy, Allen unilaterally blocked its communication.

At this moment, it suddenly wanted to communicate telepathically. Alan had a sudden thought and remembered the judgment logic of the [Junior Lord's Hut], which was based on kobolds as laborers and subjects.

Could it be something to do with construction?

With this in mind, Allen opened the channel of telepathic communication and heard Flint Claw's cautious inquiry. The exchange of thoughts freed it from the limitations of its meager vocabulary:

"Dragon Lord, a picture of a house has appeared in the minds of all the laborers in our tribe at the same time. Is this your order?"