At the very instant the pillar of fire was about to strike Vagnerd's skull, the shimmering film of the Hold spell around him finally shattered. Yet the breath was already right before him, leaving no chance to dodge.
Several protective wards triggered at once, cloaking his body in layers of black mist, but they still could not hold back that blistering, blinding flare.
Like a hot knife slicing through butter, the flame pierced the paper-thin magical shields in a flash. Though Vagnerd jerked his head aside with all his might, the pillar of fire still engulfed the dark-robed head, devouring his neck and most of his shoulder in a single heartbeat.
Yet this was far from over.
Cassius was no scripted boss who neglected to finish off his quarry. Against an archmage who had lurked in hiding for a century, he had to seize every opening to eradicate the man entirely, leaving him no room to recover.
The colossal red dragon parted his maw without hesitation. A faint glow shone from his chest, and within the depths of his throat brewed terrifying, searing-white flames—like a miniature sun illuminating the dim tower interior as bright as high noon. Then he unleashed that surging torrent of long-gathered energy.
Maximized Fire Breath.
Another pillar of fire—thicker, more dazzling than the last—erupted forth, completely engulfing Vagnerd's torso.
The two intersecting columns of fire relentlessly washed over the mangled body.
Even after unleashing all this, Cassius still was not at ease. He maintained a continuous deluge of flame from his maw, intent on reducing everything to utter ash.
Under this unnatural, extreme heat, the flesh that had undergone multiple dragonblood modifications swiftly carbonized. In the end, it gradually broke down into a brownish pillar of salt, which then collapsed and scattered across the flagstones like an ordinary patch of desert sand.
"Phew... Is it really over just like that?"
"Vagnerd."
Only then did the red dragon slowly close his jaws. His scales were scalding hot from the near-overloaded discharge of power, and wisps of sulfurous smoke seeped from between his fangs.
Yet his eyes remained fixed on that mound of salty sand, not daring to let his guard down in the slightest.
He would not gamble on a century-old archmage having no trump cards left. All he could do was watch every detail as closely as possible to guard against any surprises.
"He cannot be allowed to slip away."
After a moment's thought, Cassius beat his wings and stepped over to the pile of salt and sand, grinding it mercilessly beneath his talons again and again.
Boom!
The ground shook, dust and ash flying into the air, utterly scattering the remains.
At the same time, the red dragon did not forget to sweep his claws, casting Scratch to manifest a potent force field shaped like dragon talons. It severed the gruesome chains of limbs and freed Langpu from the Dragonblood Binding.
The dragonblood ogre wrenched himself loose. Seeing the floor awash with flames and drifting ash, he grew wild with excitement.
Dropping clumsily to his knees, tears streaming down his face, he cried, "Master, that so-called Dragon-Mad Black Wizard truly amounted to nothing before your mighty power..."
Unmoved, the red dragon said grimly, "Langpu, don't celebrate too soon. Keep a close eye on this sand."
"I have a feeling... it's not going to be that simple."
Langpu snapped to attention at once and hurriedly cupped his fists. "Yes, Master!"
Silence fell across the tower.
Erratic, flickering images appeared across the Cataclysmic Dragon Eye.
Sure enough, in a silence so deep that one could have heard a pin drop, an eerie laughter echoed.
At first, the sound was as faint as wind rustling through salt and sand, drifting like a specter. But it soon swelled into an uproar, finally turning into wild, manic cackles.
Cassius snapped his head up.
Fine grains melted from flesh and bone were swirling in midair, gradually coalescing into a twisted, illusory face—the very face of Vagnerd.
The spectral visage stretched its mouth open to an unnatural, grotesque degree, bearing a chilling smile.
"I know you, Cassius Claubau Norixius, favored child of Tiamat—"
"Hahahahaha! You truly came!"
"You shall be the most magnificent material along my path of great evolution!"
Cassius showed no panic. He merely watched with a cold, indifferent gaze, murmuring softly:
"A soul-transfer method?"
"Tsk. So Vagnerd did have a backup plan after all."
Beside him, Langpu bellowed in fury, conjuring a blazing Fireball that blasted the cloud of fine sand apart once more.
Cassius only shook his head. "Save your strength, Langpu. His actual soul has likely already fled. That face was merely an illusion puppeted by his psychic power."
Langpu dropped to his knees before the red dragon again, beads of sweat breaking out across his brow. "It is my incompetence, Master. My carelessness let him get away."
"If only... if only I could find the recorded sixth-circle spell, Soul Cage, I could have slain Vagnerd once and for all."
His voice was heavy, laced with gnashing frustration.
The red dragon made no reply. Instead, he casually used Mage Hand to pinch a bit of the salt and sand from the floor.
"There is indeed a thick scent of dragon blood. Even though it was incinerated, I can still sense the magical essence within. This was indeed his original flesh, not some crude flesh construct."
After a moment's contemplation, he asked as if casually:
"Langpu, what kind of body do you think he would seize?"
Cassius paused briefly, letting out a cold sneer.
"Besides, now that I—the 'most perfect test subject'—have arrived in person, do you think someone of Vagnerd's nature would gladly abandon all his experimental achievements and simply flee?"
With just a moment's reflection, Langpu instantly understood what Cassius meant.
"He's a complete madman. For the sake of his so-called 'artworks,' he was willing to take a lethal spell directly with his own body. With you gracing this place in person, his blasphemous madness would never let him run away so easily. He most likely wants to keep us here."
"As for his vessel..."
"He once said that his most perfect 'masterpiece' was that so-called 'Valena'—or rather, the monster transformed from his biological daughter, Valena. A kin-related body is the ideal vessel for a disembodied soul to possess. I hear those ancient wraiths who have lost their sanity often do just that."
Cassius nodded slightly, his voice hard and resolute.
"Find him, and erase every trace of his existence."
"Yes, Master."
...
In a secluded corner on the first floor of the Tower of Polar Night, where the "Cabin in the Snow" stood.
It was cold and dark here. The walls were mottled with blood, though there were signs of someone having wiped them down.
Neat piles of white bones were scattered in the corners—a habit carried over from Valena's life. Ever since she had been confined to the secret chamber as a child, she had always kept everything neat and tidy, sitting obediently on her bed and longing for her family's return.
This place was an illusion of cherished yearning formed by Valena's lingering will, yet Vagnerd had refashioned it into a lethal trap.
Should any uninvited guest stumble in, they would fall into the clutches of Valena, who had long since been reshaped into a monstrous abomination. They would become test subjects subjected to inhuman torture, or, if they were slightly more fortunate, food for the beast.
And now, a familiar guest arrived.
It was none other than the drifting soul of Vagnerd.
Chapter 212