Langpu's Report

"Let me see the intelligence you've gathered," Cassius said. "Yes, Master." Langpu pulled a stack of long-prepared documents from his robes. "From what we know, this so-called Tower of Polar Night possesses multiple layers of defenses and is filled with dragonized beasts, including humans, goblins, and centaurs... One monster in particular warrants special attention. The Starfallen refer to it as 'Valena.' It possesses both the ability to create illusions and the frost breath of a white dragon, and appears to be stitched together from the limbs of various creatures." "And at the very pinnacle of the tower, there is even imprisoned..." His voice faltered before he continued. "...a white dragon bearing a special bloodline." Langpu looked up cautiously, stealing a glance at the red dragon's expression. Seeing him look unperturbed, the ogre breathed a sigh of relief and continued his report. Cassius was already well aware of this news. He could read the players' posts on the forums and already possessed a foundational understanding of the situation there. "Furthermore, according to the Starfallen's intelligence, this 'Dragon-Mad Black Wizard' specializes in necromancy and conjuration spells." "His spell list includes a series of extremely perilous spells: the 7th-circle spell Finger of Death; 6th-circle spells Disintegrate, Eyebite, and Symbol of Fear; 5th-circle spells Dominate Person and Cloudkill; and of course, the 8th-circle spell we know well, Vagnerd's Dragon-Binding Circle. However, he has not yet displayed the ability to cast 9th-circle spells." Langpu's expression grew increasingly solemn as he turned another page of the dossier. "According to the standard of strength you provided, the Kingdom of Cinders' Military Intelligence Analysis Division assesses him at around... level 15. A kingdom-tier powerhouse—a bona fide high archmage." In the end, Langpu respectfully presented the dossier before Cassius. "That is all the intelligence we have gathered for now. Currently, Vagnerd has established a permanent Cloudkill at the entrance of the Tower of Polar Night, along with abjuration spells similar to Arcane Lock, sealing off the passage into the tower completely. Mortals cannot pass through at all. Moreover, he likely realizes the kingdom's intervention by now and has grown far more vigilant. It will be difficult for the Starfallen to extract any more information." "I am satisfied. You have done well," Cassius said flatly. The red dragon gazed at Langpu, a sudden glint of ferocity edging into his voice. "Langpu, do you want to claim another archmage's skull?" The dragon-blooded ogre mage's expression instantly flared with excitement. Normally, due to his status as a wizard and his position as the kingdom's chief minister, he maintained absolute rationality, appearing perpetually composed. But at this moment, the bellicose passion unique to red dragons surged like raging fire through his veins. That was a kingdom-tier archmage—someone who would be treated as an honored guest by any faction in the South! "Master, nothing would please this subordinate more." "I cannot wait—to tear that lunatic, who dared insult the great dragon, into shreds alongside you!" Langpu dropped to one knee, replying with fervent excitement. The red dragon rose slowly, shook himself, and stretched his wings. "Then go make preparations. Vagnerd's spell list is right here. As a wizard, you should know what needs to be done." "Yes, Master." ... Soon, a fleshy-faced human appeared in the hall, tall and burly, nearly two meters in height. He carried a massive staff and sported a full beard, looking less like a shrewd, wise wizard and more like a highway bandit lying in wait— This was Langpu's human form, as eccentric as ever, but compared to before, he could at least passably be recognized as human. "..." Cassius remained silent for a moment before asking, "This is the Polymorph spell you spent months modifying?" The human that Langpu had turned into scratched his head somewhat self-consciously and said, "Master, I also feel this form is a bit too petite and fragile, but didn't I need to disguise myself to look more human? So this had to do. If you think it's unsuitable, I can make myself a bit sturdier." Cassius felt somewhat helpless, thinking to himself: *Was that what I meant?* Still, considering that ogres had notoriously peculiar aesthetics—even finding female hill giants more beautiful than an elven queen—he chose not to nitpick over such trivial details. The red dragon tilted his head slightly as elements churned around him. A piercing light flashed across his golden slitted pupils, and an incorporeal eye materialized, floating before him. Boundless elemental power swelled within it, and phantoms of the past and future flickered intermittently—it was the Cataclysmic Dragon Eye. A dragon sorcerer could unleash a breath weapon through this dragon eye, and the red dragon gathered his full strength to store a devastating Maximized Fire Breath within it. "Langpu, enter the tower and pin down Vagnerd at all costs. This dragon eye will follow you and grant you the effects of divination spells." "And I will strike at the most critical moment." Cassius had no intention of putting himself in harm's way lightly; after all, the 8th-circle spell Vagnerd's Dragon-Binding Circle remained in the tower and could affect him. Yet he would by no means allow this so-called 'Dragon-Mad Black Wizard' to prance about right under his nose. If he had not misjudged, that soul fragment had transmitted information before its death. In other words, Vagnerd definitely knew of his existence. Below, Langpu was flush with excitement, thick white smoke snorting from his nostrils as he knelt once more. "Master, I... I will bring back Vagnerd's head!" Cassius said calmly, "Do not celebrate prematurely. He is a genuine archmage. Make every cautious preparation." "Yes!" In Cassius's eyes, Langpu's class level was 11. Nearly half the magical resources of the Kingdom of Cinders were at his disposal, allowing the already exceptionally gifted ogre to advance at blinding speed, having already learned 6th-circle spells. Moreover, bolstered by high-tier magic gear from head to toe—especially Bennett's Wisdom—and the raw physiology of a dragon-blooded ogre, his Challenge Rating had surged to an astonishing 13, rivaling even a young red dragon. As a veteran figure of the Kingdom of Cinders and the red dragon's dependable right-hand minion, Langpu enjoyed considerable trust from Cassius, which was why he was chosen to take the field this time. Yet in truth, even when knowing oneself and the enemy and preparing thoroughly, it would be difficult for Langpu to defeat a genuine archmage on his own, especially inside the enemy's lair, the Tower of Polar Night. That, however, would depend on the red dragon's subsequent support. This time, Cassius was committing his best assets, determined to succeed. As for that so-called "white dragon bearing a thin trace of progenitor dragon bloodline" at the pinnacle of the tower, he was quite interested in it.