The situation with the gnolls was getting heated. They showed no sign of doing things peacefully, so I forced us to be surrounded by a wall of the ground by my design. They were planning to devour my followers and for that I needed to punish them personally! While they were still freaking out over the sudden walls I sprang into action.

  I decided to start off by toying with them. Creating a few [Rock Needles] from the [Rock] in my [Dimensional Box]. I ran while repeatedly throwing and forging these needles. They shouldn’t be strong enough to do any real damage to them. Just enough to pierce their skin!

  In a matter of seconds several of them started to look more like hedgehogs than hyenas. It started to irritate them, and their hungered anger was now more focused on me now, good. With their attention now on me I started to create several pillars of dirt beneath them as they launched the gnolls into the air. Some of which managed to avoid it, and I met with them with my blade.

  I was curious to see that none of them had a weapon on them. They only used their claws and fangs to attack, like wild animals. And they were using them so amateurishly, even my wolves put more finesse in their natural weapons. Since I had more than enough experience handling such beastly attacks, it was easy for me to counter them whenever they got within melee range. Just a swift maneuver of my blade to keep their fangs away from me and keeping my feet on constant movement to avoid their claws was all I needed to do to keep them at bay. Honestly, they’re easier to move around than my wolves.

  Though I could tell that they have more strength in their attacks. Granted not as much as my heavy hitting henchmen, but they would definitely make excellent soldiers. ~

  For now, I need to focus on subduing them first. It would be a lot easier if I just simply bind them up, but their relentless hunger may prove to be enough to break through even iron. I could use silver as the material instead but with this many of them I doubt I would have enough to subdue them all. What to do…. what to do…

  Seeing that I was thinking to myself the gnolls thought of taking advantage of that and acted more aggressively, more relentlessly. Attempting to dogpile and surround me to leave me little room to move. Of course it was something I suspected they would do. With a flick of my claw, I conjured a streak of flame from my hand as I twirled to create a circle of fire around me. Seeing this the gnolls tried to stop, some of them were too late as their fur started to catch on fire. Lucky for them the flame isn’t strong enough so it shouldn’t cause any burns, it was mostly to force them back for a second as I prepared something to hopefully help me subdue them.

  If I don’t have enough [Silver] to bind them all then I’ll just substitute what I need with a different material!

  Going for the nearest gnoll I took out the [Iron] out of my [Dimensional Box] and quickly reshape it to bindings around the hyena and keeping the creature in place and before it could try to tear it off the gnoll found its strength was lowered, keeping it from having the power to free itself.

  Good, seems just a sliver of [Silver] inside the bindings should be enough to weaken them. With that in mind, I decide to try the same on the others who managed to get the fire off of their fur and continued their assault. They are sure relentless, that’s for sure.

  I repeat the process of binding them all while doing my best to avoid getting overwhelmed. And just like before it was easy to maneuver them. Even if they got bolder on their attacks, it was still all as predictable as before.

  One by one, I restrained each gnoll. As their numbers dwindled, they provided me with more room to work with and as we got down to the last few, they were all exhausted. Their bodies panting for air.

  “S-snack…. slippery….” one of them managed to say in between breaths

  Seeing things were reaching their climax, I decided to end things. I put more mana into my skill as I focused and conjured multiple iron bindings and quickly restrained the last of them before they could react.

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  Making sure that all of them were securely confined I rubbed my claws together as if I was getting dust off. “So, got anything else you want to say to this ‘little kobold’?”

  The gnolls simply growled in frustration, still trying to hopelessly free themselves, but the iron restrains didn’t budge. They only got more frustrated growling and not even speaking anymore.

  “Well, guess I’ll take that as your answer.”

  Seeing that the threat had been handled I began to let the walls down. I turned back at the gates calling out to the soldiers who were watching. “Alright show time is over guys. Take a perimeter check in case there are more of them sneaking around.”

  “Yes Lord Vladimir.” The soldiers responded as they went on their duties.

  Now then what to do with the gnolls….

  It would be simple to just execute them, but I find that to be something of a last resort. After all I want everyone including the world itself. It would be a waste to simply get rid of them. But their savage hunger would have to be satiated first. Which means I’ll have to prioritize food management first. Until then I would have to figure out a way to keep them filled for now or at the least keep them at bay.

  They just continued to snarl at me, some of them even trying to bite at me despite their restraints holding them back.

  “Mr. Vlad!! You’re ok!” V called out to me, pulling me out of my thought process. They ran towards me, ready to give me a hug. “That was so awesome how you took care of those bad guys!”

  “Veehahahahaha! It was, wasn’t it?! After taking over this kingdom fighting a few hungry fellow monsters was easy!” I responded with my claws at my shoulders, relishing on V’s praises. “Now you better go back while you can. They may be restrained now but it doesn’t mean it isn-”

  The expression on V’s face suddenly shifted to a look of horror and my own kobold instincts started to kick in! The feeling of danger creeped all over my body and I moved on instinct, pushing V out of the way.

  No sooner had I done so than my arm was suddenly met with baring fangs sinking deep into my skin!

  “ARRRGGGHH!!!!” I screamed in pain! Just as I suspected, the gnolls’ fangs were a lot tougher then the wolves!

  “Food! Food! Food!” The gnoll madly repeated like a mantra. Its eyes were bloodshot, and it was drooling like a madman while it had its fangs sunk deep on my arm. This is more than simple angry hunger, this gnoll was in desperate starvation!

  But how did it escape?! Those bindings should have been enough to-

  Crap! When I looked back to the other gnolls, they were all still securely restrained. But I saw that there were small cracks starting to form around their bindings. Seems I miscalculated in assuming they would hold on for long.

  This is really bad, if I don’t do something now not only will the rest of them break free but I think I might have my own arm ripped off as well!

  No choice! Piles of [Iron] pour out of my [Dimensional Box] and around the biting gnoll, confusing it. “….?”

  Quickly now, the other gnolls are already starting to break free now! Baring through the pain I activated [Material Forge] and the surrounding [Iron] began to reshape into needles, piercing through the gnoll’s body.

  “ARRGG!!” The gnoll yelps in pain. Forcing it to open its mouth and freeing me from its fangs. I backed away from the hyena as best as I could, clutching my bloodied arm trying my best to get through the pain.

  When I looked back at the gnoll it looked more like a shish kebab, multiple iron skewers pierced through its body. And yet it still managed to move, squirming and struggling despite its body’s predicament.

  Though it was in vain, it was easy to tell that it was starting to slow down. “Food…. food…. hungry….”

  Seeing the sight of their fellow gnoll is such a state, the rest of them stopped struggling. Instead, they were reduced to mere whimpering, gaining some of their senses back and understanding their situation better.

  I merely looked at it, ignoring the pain in my arm. Soon enough, the gnoll finally stopped squirming. Its body went limp as the last of its life burned out from its eyes.

  …. Damn it, this went terribly! The last thing I wanted was to lose a potential minion. But it wasn’t like I had a choice. After all, it went after my henchman. Earlier I noticed that it was pouncing towards V, I’m just glad that they’re safe.

  “Mr. Vlad you’re hurt!!” The young goblin wailed, immediately running towards me despite what had happened. They had apparently run off to grab the nearest [Healing Herb] to help me recover. “Here this should make you feel better!”

  Heh, glad to have a helpful henchman like you V…

  “Thanks V….” I grabbed the plant, and had it crushed into powder as I applied it to my wounded arm. Already I could feel more sensation returning to it, but I still had to clutch on it tightly.

  Once I had confirmed that my arm was ok, I looked at the rest of the gnolls. The hungry rage they all had earlier was no longer there. It was replaced with desperation and hopelessness instead.

  I slowly walked towards them which made them flinch. Seems I instilled enough fear in them now. That should keep them from causing any more trouble.

  I glared at them all as I spoke. “Now then…. What should I do with you?”