Kasa Everfrost closed his eyes.
Even through his eyelids, he could sense the glare before him—the glare of fire.
*Maximized Fire Breath.*
A cataclysmic deluge of flames poured down, submerging Kasa in an incinerating torrent. It reduced the peerlessly valiant frost giant warrior—who had once slain multiple white dragons with his bare hands—to ash.
Only charred fragments of his white dragonscale armor remained, barely recognizable for what they had once been.
Within his Kingdom Domain, all of Cassius's spell-like abilities were drastically amplified. That single breath was comparable to an epic spell, instantly obliterating a frost giant whose supreme constitution had allowed him to brawl with ancient white dragons.
"Within this domain, it's almost like... my divine realm."
Cassius gently beat his wings, murmuring in admiration.
He gazed down at the ice crystal resting in his claw, within which lingered a thread of divine energy.
Though extremely faint, its supreme essence—pregnant with the fundamental laws of cold—was unmistakable.
Unfortunately, as always, this power was completely incompatible with Cassius's nature. It repelled him entirely; any reckless attempt to harness it would likely bring irreversible consequences.
With great care, Cassius stowed the ice crystal into his bag of holding.
Several new notifications flashed across his status panel.
[You have slain the Son of Winter, Kasa. Gained 18,000 XP.]
[Kasa was destined to lead his kin toward prosperity, gathering faith to awaken their Father God. With his death at your hands, you have incurred the enmity of a deity and gained the negative condition: Enemy of the Frost Giants.]
"Tsk. What a petty god," Cassius remarked wryly.
He had no desire to provoke a deity without good reason, but the Everfrost Tribe's expansion was fundamentally at odds with the order of the Kingdom of Cinders.
Since conflict was inevitable, he might as well offend this frost giant god to the bitter end. Better yet, let his faith dwindle into nothingness so that he slept for eternity, never to wake.
A fierce, savage look crossed Cassius's visage.
"Still, my priority is to raise my own strength as quickly as possible.
"Once I'm strong enough, what could even a deity's avatar do to me if it descends?"
[You chose to advance True Dragon Sorcerer to Level 11.]
[You may select an additional Metamagic Feat.]
[You gained the Metamagic Feat: Distant Spell.]
By drawing upon the power of Sorcerous Surge, a sorcerer could drastically increase the range and area of their spells. And as a dragon sorcerer, Cassius's long-range spells would become vastly more formidable.
Next came the spell selection process that concerned him the most.
[You gained the additional spells: Burning Stone Haze, Aerial Maneuverability.]
*Burning Stone Haze*
*7th-circle Evocation*
*You become like an erupting volcano, surrounded by white-hot embers that spiral outward. You launch hundreds of tiny, incandescent volcanic stones to batter your enemies while releasing thick plumes of volcanic ash, blinding and suffocating your foes.*
*Aerial Maneuverability*
*4th-circle Transmutation*
*Grants a dragon perfect maneuverability while flying. By manipulating spatial shifts, the caster can execute high-agility maneuvers in midair, such as sudden stops, sharp turns, rolls, and barrel rolls.*
Cassius exhaled a long breath of relief.
A devastating 7th-circle evocation spell, paired with a 4th-circle transmutation spell that offered unexpected practical utility in real combat.
While neither brought a fundamental paradigm shift, both served as powerful force multipliers.
For instance, Burning Stone Haze could synergize with Control Weather to produce the grand spectacle of a widespread volcanic eruption. Meanwhile, combining Aerial Maneuverability with Draconic Agility would allow him to pull off absurd, razor-sharp turns mid-flight.
"Now that Kasa is dead..."
"It's time to clean up the battlefield."
A sinister grin crept across Cassius's draconic face.
He cast the spell *Hoard's Pouch* to gather Kasa's ashes and the remnants of his gear, slung conspicuously behind him like a hunter flaunting his trophies.
***
North of the Throat of Trier.
The frost giants and the vassals of the Kingdom of Cinders had mutually ceased fighting.
This was not out of any love for peace, but entirely born from absolute trust in their respective leaders. Once either champion returned, the war would be decisively settled—no miracles could overturn the outcome.
Baya stared anxiously into the sky, muttering under his breath:
"He'll come back. Kasa will..."
"He was chosen by Lord Thrym. There's no way he could—"
Before Baya could finish his sentence, a blast of scorching heat swept across the battlefield. The distant sound of beating wings echoed through the air as the massive red dragon drew closer and closer. Suspended beneath him was a battered, ruined suit of white dragonscale armor—and, gathered by some unknown magic, a mound of gray ash.
In an instant, thunderous cheers erupted from the Kingdom of Cinders' lines.
"Ohhh! Master burned him to ash!"
"I knew it! That is our master's might!"
"Fight for the great red dragon!"
"What did I tell you? The Lord of Cinders cannot lose!"
In stark contrast, the frost giants sank into grief and despair.
"Impossible... That's impossible..."
"He was Lord Thrym's Chosen..."
Baya stood dazed, shaking his head numbly as he muttered in denial.
Cassius's golden vertical pupils swept imperiously across the battlefield. In a proud, booming voice, he proclaimed:
"Frost giants, your chieftain has been burned to ash!"
"Now, I give you two choices."
"Become lowly slaves of the Kingdom of Cinders..."
"Or face—death!"
Mixed expressions rippled across the frost giants' ranks. Some gritted their teeth with unyielding resolve, their eyes brimming with hatred for the enemy, while others wavered, visibly shaken.
Frost giants were neutral evil by nature; to them, martial prowess reigned supreme. Kasa had only subdued them through sheer, overwhelming strength. Yet the red dragon before them had burned Kasa alive until nothing was left but dust.
Suddenly, Baya raised his dragonbone pick, roaring with bloodshot eyes:
"This red dragon is lying to us!"
"Kasa is Lord Thrym's Chosen—he isn't dead!"
"This red dragon has already spent his strength! Warriors of the Everfrost Tribe, charge with me!"
Without hesitation, Baya surged forward. His fearless, death-defying charge was the spitting image of Kasa in his prime, reigniting the fire in many of the frost giants. More than thirty veteran warriors answered his call.
Most of these giants had been Kasa's comrades in the hunting parties—the honored veterans of their tribe. Following in Baya's footsteps, like knights tilting at windmills, they launched a reckless charge against the red dragon.
"Thank you for your sacrifice."
"Now I can... stretch my claws."
The red dragon observed the charging frost giants with keen amusement, white-hot embers swirling into being around his massive frame.
*Burning Stone Haze.*
Hundreds of small, incandescent volcanic rocks erupted toward the charging frost giants, followed by billowing cascades of volcanic ash and choking smoke that completely engulfed the thirty giants.
Coughing, wailing, and furious howls rose in a chaotic din.
These frost giants, once hailed as a living natural disaster, now struggled like helpless drowning men caught in a violent torrent.
Chapter 182