The following months after defeating the goblinoid "army" and claiming the region of Darog as my domain were quite eventful. After all, my goal is nothing modest: to build the largest city on the continent, inhabited by an army of monsters. Renxing won't stand a chance when he charge at me.

Kheldash and her cambion goblinoids offered to help with the construction of the city. According to her, this initial phase is one of the most crucial parts in the development of a state. Most cities grow haphazardly and then a fortune is spent to organize them. One of her gremlin cambions is quite knowledgeable in real estate and will oversee the urbanization of Gorkaki Village.

In fact, all the cambions are quite useful. It seems that their master specifically chose them to assist me. But of course, he has his own reasons for doing so. According to Kheldash, her master wants me to fight alongside him during the crusades of the Church of the Western Saints.

Farat expressed concern about these cambions, but he knows that the Inquisition is a much bigger problem for non-demi-human races.

§ § § § § §

The preparations for the expansion of the capital continue. The entire central region of the village, surrounded by walls, will be transformed into a castle for me. The gray-skinned Farat opposed this, as I shouldn't spend too much time in humanoid constructions if I want to gain druid levels. However, the red-skinned Kheldash argued that the castle will have an underground cave where I can sleep - as well as serving as a shelter for the inhabitants during sieges.

The population of the village has begun to grow exponentially again. All the new residents are quickly assigned to a role. The major challenge in this situation is no longer resources and manpower, but rather organization. Fortunately, I have Farat and Kheldash to handle these matters. With the help of ogres, trolls, and spellcasters, the excavation of the underground cave in the future castle should be completed in a few years. The construction of the sewer system for the first districts to be established is also underway. A special group is turning the excavated stone into bricks for construction.

In total, the population of Gorkaki Village now reaches five thousand inhabitants. The majority are common goblins, but there are also orcs, gremlins, hobgoblins, bugbears, trolls, ogres, and now even non-goblinoid races. The number of beastmen has rapidly increased in recent months, including foxfolk, wolfkin, and stagmen.

For every family that arrives in the village, a plot of land is given, and a role is assigned. Adults with no offspring to care for must work at least three days a week in the construction of city infrastructure, such as the sewer system, building the castle, the outer walls, or in the farms and mines owned by the crown, I mean, my crown.

Kheldash came up with the idea of creating an official currency for the new kingdom, the darogi. A hobgoblin blacksmith was solely responsible for minting the coins. The same one whose hand I burned a year ago. Now he will spend the rest of his life engraving my face on tiny coins. 

Currently, only copper and silver darogi are in circulation, as I was advised to hold onto the little confiscated gold. If the newly opened mines start producing gold enough, golden darogi will enter circulation.

With the increase in population and flow of money, it was also necessary to formalize laws and rules. Most tribes have habits that are too violent to build a complex society. So, I must rule with an iron fist. 

I inscribed the main commandments and laws of my new kingdom with one of the claws of my wing on huge stone tablets placed in the central square. Nothing too complex, just the most common crimes and their punishments. One of Kheldash's cambions is training a militia to maintain order. When a more violent or severe crime occurs, I personally appear to deliver capital punishment. A good example must be set by crimson flames. 

But overall, the population that migrated to the village is fairly peaceful. Most of them wanted a safer place to live. And since I am a flying killing machine with an embedded flamethrower, it didn't make much sense for them to try to hide from me in an entirely open region full of plains. So instead of fleeing, they chose to believe the rumors of a safe and reasonably prosperous life under the wings of the copper dragon.

The biggest sources of disturbance come from outside the city, in the conquered villages. It's something that needs to be resolved as soon as possible before those green and red monkeys start getting funny ideas again.

While Kheldash takes care of the city's construction, I set off with Farat to complete the unification of the tribes of the Darog Steppes under my rule. After subjugating some rebellious villages and killing beasts that threatened the vassal ones, I finally achieved another level. However, this time it was a fighter level and I didn't receive any new feats, just attribute increases. All my mental attributes went up by +1. A ruler cannot be a fool.

§ § § § § §

Name: Akalani | Race: Copper Wyvern | Class: Barbarian 3 Fighter 2 

Title: None | Background: Savage | Age: 39 y.o (wyrmling) 

Size: Large | Speed: 9m (30’), Flight 18m (60’)

HP: 116 | MP: 20 | Defense: 22

Attributes: Strength 5 | Dexterity 2 | Vigor 4 | Intellect 1 | Senses 1 | Charisma 1

Skills: Athletics, Fortitude, Initiative, Intimidation, Fighting, Survival, Will

Features: Draconic Scales (Fire), Dragon Breath (Fire), Dragon Flight, Monster Vitality, Darkvision, Rage, Unarmed Attack, Primal Instinct

§ § § § § §

Shaman Farat believes that I am already ready to gain a level in a spellcasting class. I have no desire to worship deities like a cleric or make pacts like an occultist. So the remaining options are witch, wizard, and druid. With the druid, not only do I have mastery over natural magic, but I can also gain the Wild Shape feat, which is far superior to metamorphosis spells. Usually, this feat transforms humanoids into beastly creatures, but when a beast utilizes it... it can transform into a humanoid. This caught my attention and made me reflect a lot.

I always hated my former life. And I always wished for a way to escape, to be free. Yet I always felt powerless to do so.

Then I'm given a new chance. I am reborn as one of the most powerful creatures in this world. I can fly freely through the skies wherever I want, with the power to reduce villages to ashes.

But then I can't stop thinking about my past life. About the people I knew, the bad things that happened. I don't know if it's just me wanting them to see me as I am now or if it's because I miss my old life. These thoughts haunt me. Sometimes I wish I had continued living as an ordinary wyvern, without the memories of my past life. But other times, I want to hold on to anything that reminds me of what I was.

I'm not sure. But maybe I'll find out with this ability to shape-shift. I want to see my reaction when I see myself again as a human, or at least humanoid.

§ § § § § §

I return with Farat to Gorkaki after unifying almost all the territories of the Darog Steppes under my name. Everything, except the territory of the unicorns, is now under my dominion. After one year since the official founding after the battle against the goblinoid army, Gorkaki begins to subtly take on the shape of a city. As a dragon, I will be able to see how this village will be in a hundred years. Something I could never imagine as a human.

But I doubt that a dragon would care about such things. I don't see Korath or Ralkor out there playing Minecraft or The Sims. Instead of building a kingdom, a true dragon would simply wait, sleeping, until the kingdom grew enough and then conquer it by force. But I can't imagine myself doing that. Maybe because I am weak, maybe because I am curious, maybe because I am still human. In the name of Satan! These mental attribute increases are making me think too much. This way I'll be back to being a teenager with anxiety issues.

I don't know if I still consider myself human or not. Nor do I know what awaits me in the future. But whatever it may be, I will be prepared. I may not be able to show those bastards from my past how badass I am now, but I can certainly show the bastards of this world. And the first of them will be that flying spaghetti.

Wait for me, Renxing. Because the next time we meet, I will be leading an Empire.