"Huff, huff!"
Kobold leader Vini was gasping for breath, staring at the blood-soaked, lifeless, sinister giant beast before him. Even though it was dead, its ferocious appearance still made Vini's heart tremble, his legs quiver, and his hands gripping the wooden spear continued to shake, as crimson blood dripped onto the ground.
When that Ghost-headed Crocodile charged up earlier, its menacing aura was so terrifying that he almost thought he was about to die.
Kobolds are among the lowest races on this continent for a reason. Naturally thinner and weaker than other creatures, they often lack an advantage in conflicts, which has nurtured a cautious and timid nature, making them fearful at the slightest rustle of leaves.
Thus, in the eyes of other intelligent beings, kobolds are practically synonymous with cowardice, perceived by many races as only marginally braver than goblins, as the once daring and courageous kobolds likely have already died off.
If it were before, even if Vini, as the leader of the kobolds, encountered such a rampant beast, he would have turned and fled at the first opportunity.
But after more than a month of training, facing the aggressive charge of the Ghost-headed Crocodile, although Vini's mind went blank at that moment, his trained instincts made him unconsciously stay put, and upon receiving Austin's command, he reflexively thrust out the long spear.
If Vini were the only kobold, such an impact would have sent him flying along with the wooden spear, but with the support of the other six, they easily withstood the Ghost-headed Crocodile's forceful blow, while using that powerful momentum to pierce the sharp long spear into the crocodile's body, securing the first kill against this fierce beast.
Drip, drip...
Blood seeped from the wound, trickling down the long spear to the ground.
Until this moment, the group of kobolds hadn't yet realized that with just one simple thrust, the beast that could have easily wiped them out in the past was killed.
Seeing the lifeless, fierce Ghost-headed Crocodile's body on the ground, the kobolds felt as if they were still dreaming.
"Very good, I thought there might be some mishap on your first battle, but you did well."
A voice, deep like thunder, echoed beside them. Unbeknownst to them, Austin had landed by their side, stirring up swirling currents of air.
"Quickly tidy this up and prepare to hunt the next one. I hope you continue to maintain this level of performance."
Looking at the kobold team gradually coming back to their senses, Austin nodded silently to himself.
Uncertain if it was his imagination, after truly being stained with blood, this group of kobolds seemed to have undergone an inexplicable transformation, even their gazes turned sharper.
The feeling Austin got was as if this team of kobolds, through the baptism of this hunt, had successfully become a qualified army.
With the success of the first hunt, the subsequent sweeps progressed very smoothly.
The strategy remained consistent: wait for the Ghost-headed Crocodile to surface, Austin would fly into the sky to "lure" it, and then the kobolds would unite to slay it.
The seven kobolds, having undergone special training for over a month, displayed extraordinary performance in this real battle. Their teamwork became increasingly seamless, and those fearsome Ghost-headed Crocodiles were pierced by their long spears before they could even reach them.
With each killing, the kobolds' coordination improved.
If this were a game, you would see the experience numbers +1, +1, +1... rapidly increasing over the heads of the kobolds.
...
Three days later, by the same reservoir by the lake.
After three consecutive days of eradication, the number of Ghost-headed Crocodiles lurking beneath the reservoir was reduced to a few. They were nearly wiped out, leaving only a handful of stragglers.
Meanwhile, the ground beside the reservoir was stained with a faint dark red, the result of the massive amount of Ghost-headed Crocodile blood flowing and coagulating on it, spreading a bloody odor.
So far, one hundred and thirty-two Ghost-headed Crocodiles have perished here. The crocodile meat hung on the kobold house fronts as cured meat, and their skins were crafted into Crocodile Armor worn by the kobolds.
"Alright, take a break and sharpen your long spears a bit. After today, we should be able to clear this reservoir."
After slaying yet another reckless and irritable Ghost-headed Crocodile, Austin glanced at the kobolds behind him and spoke in a heavy voice.
The kobolds deftly pulled the wooden spears from the Ghost-headed Crocodile's body, then handled the corpse simply and tossed it into a wicker basket filled with crocodile bodies, each finding a stone to sharpen their dulled wooden spears again.
This routine had been repeated many times over the past three days. Even though these spears were made from wood as hard as ironwood, they were still wood and couldn't endure more than a few uses before deteriorating.
It's largely due to these wooden spears that the extermination of the Ghost-headed Crocodiles took three days.
"Damn, I wonder if there are any copper or iron mines nearby. We need to start metallurgy as soon as possible..."
This inefficiency was evidently becoming intolerable for Austin, and wooden weapons came with significant limitations, far inferior to those made of copper or iron. To strengthen his subordinates, copper and iron were indispensable.
Time slipped by quickly, and soon the kobolds had rested enough and resharpened the wooden spears.
"Very well, get ready, we're starting."
Looking at the neatly lined kobold team, Austin couldn't help but feel a sense of pride welling up within him.
After these three days of refinement, just by standing there, this group of kobolds exuded a sense of fierce bravery after being bloodied, which bolstered Austin's confidence in that plan to capture the Blood Wolf pack during the cold winter.
Following the routine, they then slew three more Ghost-headed Crocodiles, but afterward, the entire area around the reservoir remained calm, with not even the slightest ripple.
"Master Austin, could it be that the Ghost-headed Crocodiles in this reservoir have been completely wiped out?"
At this moment, Vini, reeking of blood, cautiously approached Austin and asked.
Waiting throughout most of the day, until near sunset, there was still no sign of a Ghost-headed Crocodile in the reservoir, yet the fish in the lake seemed to sense that the fierce predators had disappeared, gathering in schools to float at the water's surface gulping for air.
All signs seemed to indicate that the Ghost-headed Crocodiles in this reservoir had been thoroughly exterminated and that the entire lake was safe. After all, Ghost-headed Crocodiles are amphibious creatures, unable to stay submerged for too long.
As the sun set in the west, the sunlight cast golden ripples on the lake surface, making everything seem so beautiful.
However, for some reason, a foreboding shadow loomed in Austin's heart.