The Body of Garyx

Jezralslak's tone was ecstatic, bordering on manic, as he asked, "Do you know why I dared invade the Material Plane in my true form?" Cassius did not answer. The demon before him clearly had no intention of waiting for a response, pressing on without a pause. "What is sealed here..." "Is far more than just me!" Jezralslak raised that illusory, skeletal arm once more, and the towering demon silhouette reappeared behind him. Heavy iron chains rattled and clanked. Intricate runes flared with blinding brilliance, continuously searing the demon's emaciated frame, yet they could not stop him from pouring forth boundless chaotic power. The entire floating island began to shudder violently. Fissures spiderwebbed across the towering mountain in the distance until it shattered completely, sending rolling clouds of dust and gravel into the air. When the dust cleared against the backdrop of the void, a colossal, unimaginable figure revealed itself. "How is that possible...?" Cassius froze in place, muttering to himself. His expression shifted drastically, and even his true body's breathing grew ragged. Upon the horizon of the floating island appeared a mountain-sized dragon body, in the all-too-familiar form of a red dragon. The monstrous dragon head alone stretched nearly a hundred meters long, while its bone-spined back resembled an undulating mountain range. If the rest of the body buried deep within the island's rock were fully unearthed, the red dragon would likely span a thousand meters from snout to tail—far exceeding Cassius's imagination of red dragons, or indeed all of dragonkind. This primordial red dragon still held the posture of attempting to claw its way free of the floating island. A colossal talon extended outward, forming the island's highest, sheerest peak. Even its gaping, blood-red maw, vast as an abyss, was stretched wide toward the heavens in a silent roar. Yet heavy chains bound its sky-blotting wings, and impenetrable stone firmly encased its torso. That world-shaking body had long since lost all vitality, its scales dull and faded. Its lake-sized eyes showed not the faintest ripple, like pools of murky, stagnant water. Only within its chest did a faint, surging glimmer still pulse with light. So the red dragon was the floating island itself. More precisely, it was a divine corpse adrift in the Astral Plane! Jezralslak looked into the distance as if admiring a breathtaking spectacle, uncontainable excitement and fervor written across his face. "Praise the Lord of Fire, the All-Consuming, the Cleanser of Worlds—Garyx. "He is the progenitor dragon god of pure strength and destruction, the final cataclysm who periodically descended upon the Material Plane to unleash the impure fires of ruin upon the mortal realm." The demon spoke like a performer reciting an epic opera, or a devout, raving zealot, his impassioned voice echoing through the void for a long time without fading. Then, with an expression of absolute confidence, he turned to face the stunned red dragon avatar. "Tens of thousands of years ago, Garyx arrived in the Astral Plane, plotting to purge this Material Plane. I seized that opportunity to descend alongside him, intending to execute the great will of the Abyss. "Unfortunately, Garyx overestimated his own strength and underestimated the cunning of the gods. They orchestrated a trap and sealed him. Garyx had no choice but to abandon his majestic body, fleeing with the majority of his divine power, until he was ultimately banished to the desolate Outer Plane—Pandemonium. "Yet this body, bearing an almost pristine progenitor dragon bloodline, was left behind here. Its existence was concealed by a conspiracy of the gods, its coordinates reachable only through an Astral Prism. Not even Bahamut or Tiamat ever learned of it. "Though tens of thousands of years have passed, and under a virulent curse that divine power has gradually dispersed into the astral void, a thousandth of its dragon bloodline's might still remains preserved within. And that remaining power is enough to make you the most terrifying dragon on the continent of Elezerg, if not the entire Material Plane." Jezralslak fixed his gaze on Cassius's eyes, looking at him like prey already caught in a web. His deep, magnetic voice echoed once more. "What do you say, Cassius? "This is my greatest sincerity." Cassius remained motionless, his mind racing through countless thoughts. In the Material Plane, his true body was already venting plumes of searing white vapor, his pale golden irises trembling faintly. Yet he reined in the greed clawing from the depths of his bloodline, forcing himself to stay calm. The original body of Garyx was a prize even Tiamat would covet—a literal foundation for apotheosis. Would the Lord of Vengeance before him truly hand it over for free, purely for the sake of some "cooperation"? *All gifts bestowed by fate come with a price already marked in secret.* *And behind a demon's gift lies nothing but endless blood and chaos.* *This remnant corpse isn't an offering of his sincerity; it's a gluttonous feast the demon spent ten thousand years preparing for himself, and I would merely serve as the most suitable vessel.* So Cassius reasoned. The red dragon turned his gaze back to the demon. Looking at that "earnest" countenance, a trace of resolve hardened deep in his eyes. Yet he showed no sign of it on the surface. Instead, he fully engaged his Silver Tongue, pairing it with his reality-warping natural charisma to put on a masterclass of acting, making his form tremble with apparent excitement. Cassius stared fixedly at the colossal remnant corpse, like a ravenous hound consumed by naked greed. "Jezralslak... your sincerity is noted. As long as I possess this power, I am willing to merge with you. "How do we proceed with this cooperation?" He feigned desperate impatience, asking with breathless urgency. Jezralslak finally broke into a satisfied smile. "Do not be hasty, my dear partner. I prepared the contract one thousand three hundred years ago. You may discard this crude, laughable avatar and come in your true body. "I have already made immense concessions. That is the bare minimum of sincerity you owe me, is it not?" Abyssal currents surged from the demon's fathomless eyes. Chaotic energy twisted through the void to form jagged, crooked characters, ultimately congealing into a yellowed, ancient contract scroll. The signature at the bottom bore the name Jezralslak, though part of his true name following it remained obscured by mist. "Fine," Cassius answered bluntly. Yet across his interface, dark crimson text flashed into view. [You have unlocked an advanced class path: Warlock - Fiend Patron] [You are about to forge a pact with a fiend from the Lower Planes. Such beings crave the corruption or destruction of all things, ultimately including you.] [The demon lord who forms a pact with you will become your patron, granting you power.]