Breath of Chaos

"Bloodscaled Fury..." "This doesn't feel half bad." Cassius panted heavily and couldn't help licking his lips, his bloodshot eyes brimming with excitement and fury. Yet the system notifications kept updating. [Progress in absorbing the Heart of Garyx: 0.83%] [Having absorbed a portion of its energy, your Bloodscaled Fury class has reached Level 3.] [Gained bonus feats: Power Attack, Shockwave, Wingstorm] [Gained bonus abilities: Fearsome Presence, Draconic Fury, Scales of Blood] [Fearsome Presence] The sight of a bloodscaled fury inspires terror. Simmering rage stirs within its heart, evoking dread in all who behold it. [Draconic Fury] A bloodscaled fury's rage grows even more terrifying. While raging, their Strength and Constitution scores increase by an additional 2 points, and their will hardens, making it difficult for any mind-affecting or control spells to take effect. [Scales of Blood] A bloodscaled fury earns its name. When entering a rage, a film of blood seeps from around their scales, outlining them and magnifying the dragon's fearsome presence. More importantly, this blood supernaturally shields the dragon against spells and weapon damage. "Such power..." Cassius lifted a claw, observing the blood tracing the edges of his scales, and couldn't help letting out a ferocious roar. Not only did his muscles bulge like iron spheres, but the veins along his neck bulged as well, resembling those of an enraged beast. Through this agonizing transformation, Cassius had grown several sizes larger. Not only did his body length exceed thirty meters, but his limbs and torso were significantly stouter and more powerful. Cassius threw back his head and let out a long, exhilarated roar. The sound carried a boiling fury that awakened the primal terror innate to all living things. Flocks of birds took flight in panic from the mountains, only to stiffen under the instinctive dread and plummet one after another, crashing straight into the ground. Even among the battle-hardened tiefling guards, some could not withstand such crushing pressure and fainted dead away—such was the terrifying might of a Bloodscaled Fury. If his current self were to clash in melee with who he had been before, the ferocious close-quarters prowess of the Bloodscaled Fury would leave his former self battered and bleeding, if not torn limb from limb. That was the terrifying power of an ancestral red dragon empowered by Bloodscaled Fury. Yet the transformation showed no signs of stopping. "Roaaar—" The frenzied red dragon roared once more. The fissures crisscrossing his body widened further, flickering with inner fire. With the violent pounding of his heart, the Heart of Garyx embedded within released a surge of horrifying energy. Cracks even appeared across the crystal at his chest, through which countless rays of eerie, dark red light spilled forth. This light seemed to bend the very laws of the world, tracing erratic paths through the air and carving uncanny, swirling patterns into his dragon crystal. At last, Cassius could not help parting his gaping maw, spewing forth a torrent of dark red fire. Boom— The moment the flames touched the surrounding structures, they shattered instantly, reduced to the finest dust that dissolved into a haze of chaos in the air. This fire was none other than the All-Cleansing Flame Cassius had witnessed earlier in the vision. Meanwhile, in the outside world, a terrifying ripple of chaos rippled outward. Across the Northlands and throughout the entirety of Anzeta, every spellcaster sensed this twisted, violent disturbance. Shock spread among them, sparking immense uproar. [Progress in absorbing the Heart of Garyx: 1.02%] [Having absorbed a portion of the chaotic, destructive divine power within the Heart of Garyx, you have acquired the special ability: Breath of Chaos] [Breath of Chaos] Garyx periodically descended upon the Material Plane to unleash the unclean fires of destruction upon the mortal realm. He is the All-Cleanser, the purging force of the world. Natural processes and the evolution of the cosmos tend toward greater entropy and disorder, and your breath will accelerate this process, bringing absolute chaos to all things. By the time Cassius regained his senses and slowly shut his maw, the grand palace hall had been practically reduced to barren earth, with a colossal crater sunken into the surroundings. Nothing remained except the most fundamental particles of matter and an endless, billowing sea of chaotic flames. Surrounded by the inferno, Cassius wore an enraptured smile. Only after a long while did he reluctantly sweep a claw to extinguish them. "Breath of Chaos..." "This is nothing short of godlike power." In the red dragon's perception, nothing in existence could stand before this chaotic, all-cleansing flame; everything would simply meet total oblivion. "Master—" Cassius turned his head. It was the ogre mage, flying toward him in panic from the distance. Trump landed heavily on the ground, gasping for breath as he said, "D-Did you feel that? The Weave..." Before the ogre could finish his sentence, an instinctive terror seized him. Cold sweat drenched his skin, and he clamped a hand over his mouth almost unconsciously. "Did I not say—" "That no one is permitted to approach this place?" An intensely dangerous glint flashed in the red dragon's bloodshot eyes. A powerful, blood-soaked aura washed out, suffocating the ogre. For the first time, Trump felt so close to death, and for the first time, he saw his master become so terrifyingly suffocating. He dropped to his knees at once. Even kneeling, his massive frame stood over three meters tall, trembling uncontrollably. Fear covered his hideous face, and only sheer willpower kept his mind from collapsing. Trembling, he stammered, "M-Master, forgive me!" "This subordinate was impudent and forgot your command!" Trump held his breath until the crushing pressure suddenly eased. Only then did his racing heart settle slightly, though he still dared not let down his guard. "Do not let it happen again," Cassius said coldly. He would not allow anyone to pry into his power, not even his most trusted kindred or servants. "So... what did you come to say?" At the question, sweat the size of beans broke out across Trump's forehead once more, his heart thumping wildly. He had originally come to report the disturbance within the Weave, but now it was obvious that the disturbance had been caused by his master. Furthermore, whatever lay behind it was clearly Cassius's private domain. He could not pursue the matter, lest he invite suspicion. The ogre mage had held high office for years; it had been a very long time since he had felt this kind of hair-raising dread. Only now did he truly internalize the truth: his master was a pure-blooded red dragon. Even if a strange mutation had taken place in the dragon, it was far beyond anything he had the right to pry into. His mind raced, desperately searching his memory for recent intelligence of importance. Only then did Trump answer cautiously: "It's... the ward over Lakeman Castle seems to have loosened." "Mortifer?" "Just as well. I've been looking for an opportunity... to test this power." A fierce thirst for battle surfaced in Cassius's eyes, and he even licked his lips in excitement. Yet he failed to notice the glint of pure, unadulterated destructive desire taking root deep within his pupils.