The armies of the Kingdom of Cinders surged forward. Confronted by the predatory, dragon-blooded horrors, tens of thousands of coalition soldiers laid down their arms and surrendered with scarcely a moment's hesitation.
Even when noble officers attempted to resist, the fanatical servitors tore them to pieces without a second thought.
In the end, sweeping along a massive host of prisoners, the army pressed southward toward Stravburg—capital of the Principality of Bosque and nominal seat of the Northern United Kingdom.
Cassius sprawled languidly beside an earthen mound. Not far off lay the unconscious silver dragon, closely guarded by a blue dragon and a white dragon, while before him knelt a triumphant Duoluo.
The hobgoblin marshal rested on one knee, his small, murky eyes gleaming with excitement, steam snorting from his nostrils in intermittent puffs.
"Reporting to Your Majesty."
"In this campaign, our forces have slain over seventy-six thousand enemy troops, captured more than thirty-six thousand coalition soldiers, and taken two hundred and seventeen Northern nobles captive—including Horace Bosque, the eldest son of Leo Bosque."
"Meanwhile, our casualties amount to merely eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty."
"However..."
Duoluo paused as if recalling something, a flicker of slyness crossing his murky yellow eyes.
He lowered his head even further before continuing.
"Yet our petty achievements pale into insignificance before Your Majesty's glorious triumph."
"You vanquished Oszedro, the Wings of Silver. The dread majesty of the Lord of Cinders shall echo across the entire Feanso Continent, and indeed throughout the whole Material Plane."
Cassius merely cast a languid glance in his direction, then looked away.
"You have done well enough, but you must pick up the pace."
"Three months. I give you three months. Within that time, I expect to see a unified Northlands under the banner of the Kingdom of Cinders—nominally, at the very least."
It was a demanding order, to say the least.
Though sparsely populated, Anzeta was vast; the original realm of the Northern United Kingdom alone covered more than a million square kilometers.
What was more, the Northern nobility had held dominion here for a thousand years. Their roots ran deep, far too entrenched to be completely torn out overnight.
Yet this was His Majesty's decree.
It could not be defied; it could not be questioned.
Sweat instantly beaded on Duoluo's brow, but he forced an awkward, groveling smile.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Ministry of War will certainly see to the complete conquest of the Northlands. The coalition's main force has been utterly wiped out, local garrisons are severely depleted, and our eastern and western thrusts are advancing smoothly..."
"Proceed as you see fit. However..."
Cassius turned his gaze back toward Duoluo, his pale golden pupils glinting with draconic majesty.
"I have no desire to see a Northlands reduced to desolate ruins and unending wails. I want it to become a vital part of the Kingdom of Cinders—a fertile cradle for its growth. Do you understand?"
Wiping away the sweat dripping from his forehead, Duoluo hastily replied, "As you command, Your Majesty."
***
Duoluo departed alongside the armies of the Kingdom of Cinders.
The red dragon paid no heed to the blue and white dragons squabbling noisily beside him. Issuing a few low commands, he invoked the Egg of Refuge to shape a secluded extradimensional space where he could retire.
Cassius calmly scrutinized his interface as lines of notifications cascaded across his view. His attention was drawn first to a gleaming golden trophy.
[Nation Destroyer]
*"I have witnessed the demise of countless mortal kingdoms, and you, too, are destined for ruin by my hand..." — Feyordanov, Great Wyrm Red Dragon*
[Trait Acquired: Nation Destroyer]
[Strength +1, Charisma +1]
[Proficiencies: Intimidation +4, Dominion +4]
*You have shattered a nation of a million souls. Your dread renown makes mortals tremble; your power leaves the world in awe. You and your dominion have embarked upon the path of conquest.*
Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly. An unseen, violent surge materialized from thin air, acting directly upon his colossal draconic frame.
A body that even ninth-tier spells could scarcely breach began to undergo a drastic transformation.
*Growl...*
With low, guttural rumbles, the knotted muscles across the red dragon's frame surged and coiled. His outer scales were violently thrust apart as thick billows of white steam vented continuously from the fissures between them.
Cassius was seized by excruciating pain; his muscles felt as though they were being twisted into thick hemp ropes, knitting together an explosive vigor vastly surpassing what he had possessed before.
*It's not over yet...*
The red dragon stretched his limbs, exhaling a lingering breath of scorching, sulfurous air.
That power continued to course outward, reshaping his presence—his very capacity to exert dominion over the world.
Surging elemental energy swirled around his frame, flowing in tandem with every shift of his will, while the Weave rippled in rhythmic, echoing waves.
The red dragon's Charisma had broken past the threshold of thirty.
Scholars had only vague concepts for spellcasters of this tier, inventing all manner of titles: Root Casters, True Manipulators, Arcane Usurpers...
Yet one thing was undeniable—
This had surpassed the limits of mortal existence, stepping into an entirely new realm.
"Interesting."
A ferocious grin curled across Cassius's maw.
Following this transformation, his spellcasting had undergone another fundamental shift. It was no longer a matter of channeling or communing with the Weave, but rather a direct manipulation of reality itself. He could faintly sense himself bypassing the Weave altogether, reaching directly toward the fundamental truths that lay behind it.
With the transformation complete, Cassius retrieved a silver-white gemstone from his spatial pocket and gently cradled it within his claws.
[Broken Wind of Bahamut]
[Quality: Artifact (Damaged)]
[Creator: Bahamut]
[Description: It is said that this gem crystallized from the very first breath exhaled at dawn by Bahamut, Lord of the North Wind, imbued with a faint trace of divine essence.
Eight hundred and seventy years ago, it was bestowed upon Oszedro when he was still a young dragon, mounted upon a platinum compass.
However, in the "Clash of Twin Dragons" over Anzeta that would soon shake the Material Plane, the platinum compass was destroyed, and Bahamut's divine essence within the gem was eroded to near-nothingness by the Flames of Chaos, leaving only a lingering wisp of divine Order.]
[Effects:
Sacred Order: The lingering radiance of Bahamut is potent enough to shift reality. All things near this gemstone naturally gravitate toward Order and Good.
Breath of the North Wind: You can unleash a blast of frigid breath that completely freezes your wicked foes.]
"A fine treasure. Well worth the immense risk of doing battle with that silver dragon."
Cassius turned the silver-white gem between his talons. As he bathed in the faint radiance it cast off, his mind felt clearer than ever before.
With the battle concluded, Bahamut's mark had been purged, leaving the residual power of Order to serve as his finest sedative.
He could clearly sense that the Heart of Garyx within his chest was no longer hammering with frenzied violence; its rhythm had leveled off, soothed by the influence of Order, chilled by the North Wind of Bahamut.
Cassius checked his interface.
[Absorption Progress of the Heart of Garyx: 4.57%]
His earlier use of the Breath of Chaos had driven the progress forward by a substantial margin.
Now, that countdown toward death had finally paused, granting him a brief moment of relief.
Even so, Cassius knew this was no permanent cure. When it came to the curse of the Demon of Vengeance, he would need to find additional countermeasures.
The battle had brought a bountiful harvest, and his interface now filled with messages regarding accumulated experience.
[Gloom Stalker - Gromm Saxon (Challenge Rating: 17), Gained 18,000 XP]
[Primal Champion - Lano Angeraxe (Challenge Rating: 18), Gained 20,000 XP]
[Radiant Dragonslayer - Dex Flamegold (Challenge Rating: 19), Gained 23,000 XP]
Yet he had not advanced in level.
The exorbitant demands of his Atavistic Red Dragon template, his rare prestige subclass, and an overall character level already standing at seventeen had inflated the experience needed for a True Dragon Sorcerer to truly terrifying heights.
Not even felling the greater part of a legendary adventuring party could push him forward by a single level. Perhaps only the death of Oszedro himself could achieve that.
"This is far too inefficient."
"Perhaps, beyond slaughtering foes with my own claws, I need to secure other channels for gathering experience..."
Cassius looked at his character template, lost in quiet contemplation.
*Players,*
he mused.
Chapter 342