Throughout the night, the cold wind roared like a demon, and the icy chill swept across the heavens and earth. All living beings trembled under the divine might of nature.
The pitch-black sky seemed to collapse, the biting wind howled with snow as sharp as knives; on this night, countless unprepared creatures perished in the darkness.
The violent blizzard raged all night long.
The next morning, as the sun rose, Austin poked his head out of the cave.
All he could see was an endless expanse of white, even the sky was white.
The once vast sea of green was now covered by thick white snow. The giant ancient trees, with leaves not yet fallen, had long icicles hanging down, shimmering with a crystalline glow, like sharp ice spikes.
If some animals happened to pass underneath and accidentally hit the trees, they might be skewered into porcupines by the falling icicles in the next second.
"It feels like the world changed overnight!"
Just yesterday, the sun was high in the sky, though the heavens had already taken on an icy hue, the heat was enough to make one sweat. But today, the endless earth was already blanketed in snow.
This miraculous transformation from summer to winter in an instant was still fascinating for Austin, who had crossed into this world for over two years.
"Indeed, such a winter is quite cold."
On the first day of the cold winter season, the residual chill carried by the passing Water Attribute Magic Power lingered in the air, making the first few days exceptionally cold. Even with Austin’s powerful Dragon Race body, he could feel the icy chill piercing his scales.
"Never mind, the food is enough for a few days; I might as well stay cozy in the nest for a while."
Looking at the icy world outside, Austin shifted in his nest and ultimately decided against leaving the warm dragon’s lair.
Just as the Blue Young Dragon was about to pull his head back for another nap, a loud and orderly military command sounded from the cliff bottom.
"One-two-one, one-two-one, one-two, one-two, halt..."
Austin poked his head out and saw, beneath the cliff, thin smoke rising from the few simple wooden huts of a village, and on the snowy open ground, perhaps out of habit from over a month’s military training, the kobolds did not slack off despite the arrival of the cold winter; instead, they continued their morning training as usual.
Standing at attention, marching in step, turning left and right, spear-holding and shooting exercises—various tactical movements.
The biting cold wind swept through from above, and the breath from their mouths condensed into icy mist in the air. Despite having fur to resist the cold, the kobolds still shivered when standing at attention.
However, even without Austin present, the kobolds trained rigorously in the cold winter, without a hint of negligence.
Soon, their bodies warmed, sweating, and white mist rose into the air.
The kobold leader, Vini, gazed at the group training habitually even in the cold winter, feeling greatly satisfied.
During the month-long training period, Austin had instilled in them a behavioral habit of discipline. Although their physical fitness wasn’t impressive, their discipline had formed a genuine "army" prototype.
"Under Lord Austin’s leadership, the glory of the kobolds will illuminate the entire continent!"
Having experienced over a month of various events, Vini firmly believed this.
This was not just wishful thinking. The other kobolds also sincerely believed that, under Lord Austin’s leadership, they would undoubtedly head towards a better future.
Having been in the so-called "Great Tribe" in the north, the kobolds came to realize how respectable and profound Austin’s knowledge was.
No one could imagine, just after a mere month’s training, a weak group of kobolds underwent an unprecedented transformation, successfully slaying beasts several times fiercer.
Neither would anyone have thought that, with Austin’s simple guidance, the kobolds could peacefully get through this cold winter without worrying about food.
"Well done today, everyone. Dismissed!"
With a series of tactical movements completed, the morning training was over, and Vini dismissed the group.
In the cold winter season, unless compelled by necessity, the kobolds usually did not venture outside.
Only by huddling together for warmth and minimizing winter expenditures could they conserve more food to survive the dreaded cold winter.
However, having relocated here and become Austin’s subordinates, the kobolds had stocked up on more than enough food and naturally did not need to huddle in corners for "hibernation." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴovᴇl(F)ɪre.ɴet
To better build the village, the kobolds planned to head to the forest to cut down suitable trees with stone axes. By the time summer arrived, they would dry them out for suitable building materials. Simultaneously, to fend off the cold, they needed to gather more dry wood to improve the simple village’s survival conditions.
Just as Vini, too, prepared to leave and get to work, a massive shadow suddenly descended from the sky, fanning the snow into a swirling storm.
"Your Highness Austin..."
Seeing the Blue Young Dragon arrive, Vini was initially startled, but quickly responded with a respectful address.
"Yes, you did well. I saw it from above."
Training continuously during the cold winter showed that this group of kobolds already possessed the necessary military qualities, making future tasks that much easier.
"All belongs to the glory of Your Highness Austin." Vini placed his right hand on his chest, his voice filled with devotion.
"No need to be humble; I merely laid the groundwork."
Austin shook his head. During the month-long training, he personally led at the start, but later, once the kobolds knew the training content, he left most of the training to Vini, the kobold leader, himself not being one to steal the limelight.
Just as Vini wanted to say something, Austin continued:
"By the way, Vini, do you kobolds have any cultivation or combat techniques?"
This question had just occurred to Austin.
Actually, while dealing with the Ghost-headed Crocodile leader, Austin had realized the kobold’s limitation: their bodies were too weak. Even well-trained, they could not withstand powerful Magic Beasts.
The only way was to elevate the kobolds to extraordinary beings, much like ordinary humans becoming Knights through cultivation, acquiring Extraordinary Power to truly contend with formidable entities.
However, achieving self-cultivation was no easy task, with one major difficulty being the need for suitable cultivation techniques.
Unfortunately, the Dragon Race’s inheritance only included world knowledge, and due to the unique nature of Giant Dragons, they didn’t require any cultivation techniques to grow into the Legendary Sanctuary. Thus, Austin had no knowledge of this area and decided to ask Vini.
If Vini truly had kobold cultivation techniques, imagine a legion comprised solely of kobold Professional Knights—what a terrifying force that would be!