Grey Wolf and Bolikri were left utterly dumbfounded by the black dragon's roar. Though they were deeply puzzled, they obediently lay flat on the ground, rolling aside to face the wall.
Yet, the "囧"-shaped expressions on their faces betrayed their inner grievance.
Clearly, this was their master's order.
They hadn't wanted to do it either...
It was cold and hard.
But an order from their master was akin to a divine command. Whether it was a crocodile or even a fire elemental leader, they would have done it regardless!
Even if it meant turning into a roast chicken.
Wotru cast a cold glance at the pitiful Bolikri and Grey Wolf before turning his attention back to the two miserable female Rock-Helmed Crocodiles.
The two crocodiles lay limply on the ground, their stubby claws weakly scraping at the dirt.
Their soft, white bellies were exposed as they rolled over coquettishly.
Their misty crocodile eyes were filled with shame and indignation, even squeezing out a few tears.
Wotru shook his dragon head and sighed, lamenting the fickleness of the world and the loss of moral integrity among beasts.
Just as he was about to turn to comfort the male crocodiles, he noticed that they, too, had flipped onto their backs, tails wagging in the air.
Wotru: "...(?_?)"
This... shouldn't be happening.
Perhaps they actually enjoyed this treatment?
Suddenly, Wotru felt that the Rock-Helmed Crocodiles might not need his comfort after all—they seemed to be having the time of their lives.
"Rock-Helmed Crocodile leader, come here."
The leader of the Rock-Helmed Crocodiles, who had been furiously rubbing against the sand, shuddered at the command. It quickly flipped over and crawled to Wotru's side.
"From now on, your name will be Renekton! It means 'Butcher of the Sands.' I hope you live up to this grand name."
"Master, why not 'Butcher of the Marsh'?"
Wotru's dragon face twitched at the question. He raised his claw and smacked Renekton's head several times, roaring:
"When I say your name is Renekton, it's Renekton! Where's all this backtalk coming from?"
"Now tell me, is there a yellow, spherical plant that grows in clusters in the marsh?"
"Whimper..."
Renekton whimpered pitifully, pulling its head out of the dirt with difficulty. After shaking its large head and thinking for a moment, it replied:
"The plant you described, Master, should be dungfruit. But they're buried very deep. Shall I dig one up for you to see?"
Wotru: "..."
Dungfruit? Seriously? Who came up with this name—everything looks like dung to them?
Suppressing the urge to complain, Wotru waved his claw tiredly, signaling Renekton to go dig up the so-called dungfruit.
Before long, Renekton returned with a cluster of plants resembling oversized potatoes, dragging it onto the shore.
These "dungfruit" were much larger than the potatoes on Earth, each about the size of a basketball. Their surface was rough and covered in dirt, making them indeed somewhat resemble dung balls.
But how did they taste?
Driven by curiosity, Wotru used his sharp dragon claw to slice one open, revealing a tender, starchy yellow interior similar to a potato's. Just looking at it was enough to whet one's appetite.
"Bugs Bunny, come here."
At Wotru's call, Bugs Bunny stood up, walking on its hind legs with a swaggering gait until it reached the black dragon.
"Spit fire."
Without hesitation, Bugs Bunny complied, its throat emitting a "click-click-click" sound.
Much like an old-fashioned flint lighter, it clicked a few times before finally producing a "whoosh" of flame.
"Good. Keep going. If you run out of fire, have your subordinates take turns."
And so, on the edge of Silvermoon Marsh, under the curious gaze of a group of magical beasts, a bizarre scene unfolded.
A massive black dragon, over four meters long with a wingspan of seven to eight meters, was roasting a yellow potato-like fruit on one of its sharp claws.
Beside the dragon, a line of Fireflame Rabbits took turns breathing fire, contributing their flames to the cause.
It wasn't that Wotru couldn't set up a makeshift spit with some branches; he simply wanted to train his subordinates' abilities. It definitely wasn't because he was lazy.
As the roasting neared completion, Wotru retrieved some salt and cumin from the system store and began sprinkling these soul-stirring seasonings onto the otherworldly potato.
Soon, the alluring aroma of roasted potatoes began wafting through the air, spreading outward from the black dragon as the center.
The roasted potato was golden and crispy on the outside, tender and fragrant on the inside. The magical beasts around Wotru stared with wide eyes, drooling uncontrollably. They had never seen such tantalizing food.
[Bolikri Favorability +2]
[Grey Wolf Favorability +2]
...
[Renekton Favorability +8]
Wotru glanced around at the magical beasts in surprise.
"A bunch of gluttons," he thought. "Just watching me roast a potato increases their favorability. If they follow me and eat well every day, it'll be hard for them not to reach 100% loyalty."
"Do you want to eat this?"
Wotru waved the roasted potato on his claw in front of each magical beast's nose.
The beasts followed the potato's motion with their heads, their eyes shining as they nodded eagerly, like puppets on strings.
After making a full circle, the roasted potato ended up back at Wotru's mouth. He took a big bite.
"Delicious~"
Wotru closed his eyes, savoring the taste as he chewed.
This was the flavor he'd missed—roasted potatoes.
And it was even better than the potatoes from his previous life, with a richer aroma and a perfect balance of softness and crispiness. The lightly salted and spiced skin added an irresistible touch.
The magical beasts around him watched as the roasted potato disappeared, their eyes filled with disappointment. Seeing their leader enjoy it so much only made them hungrier.
After finishing the potato, Wotru swept his golden eyes over the magical beasts, baring his fangs in a sinister grin.
"From now on, this plant will be called a potato!"
"If you want roasted potatoes, it's simple. There are plenty of them here, but they'll run out eventually."
"Do you know how we can have an endless supply of potatoes?"
The magical beasts shook their heads, though Bolikri and Grey Wolf exchanged knowing glances.
"All we need to do is capture humans to plant potatoes for us, and we'll have an endless supply!"
The magical beasts' eyes instantly turned red at his words.
They panted heavily, as if they couldn't wait any longer.
"And if we don't enslave the humans outside Silvermoon Forest, they'll steal our potatoes instead!"
Whoosh—
A gust of wind swept through as the beasts' killing intent became almost tangible, warping the air around them.
"So, do you know what to do now?"
Wotru raised his fearsome dragon head, spreading his massive black wings. His enormous shadow fell over the magical beasts below, darkening the ground under the blazing sun.
"Capture humans, plant potatoes!"
It was unclear which beast shouted the slogan first, but soon, a deafening chorus followed:
"Capture humans, plant potatoes!"
In that moment, despite their different species and languages, the beasts shared a singular belief and determination.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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