Xiaye Qiuyu's panel suddenly lit up, and brand-new quest notifications appeared before her eyes.
[Class Advancement Quest Complete: Trial-Goer of the Tower of Karmic Fire]
[Quest Description: Following secret imperial orders, you braved untold hardships and overcame trial after trial, finally arriving at the Tower of Karmic Fire atop Mount Baras and proving your loyalty to the Emperor at its summit.]
[Congratulations, you have passed all trials. You will become a proxy of the Cinder Emperor and a pact-bound servant of the red dragon, enjoying supreme honor.]
[Quest Rewards: 3,600 XP]
[Faction Subclass Advancement Item: Cassius's Pact]
"These are the pacts bestowed upon me by His Majesty Cassius. There are only thirteen in total."
"And you... are fortunate enough to have obtained three of them—though you rightfully earned them."
"His Majesty Cassius once said that anyone loyal to him and loyal to the Empire is worthy of basking in his radiant glory."
Only thirteen copies!
The players' breathing grew even heavier.
After all, while Redscale Conquerors and dragon-blessed paladins were faction subclasses of the Cinder Empire with harsh advancement requirements, they carried no strict quota limits.
Among players today, there were already several hundred Redscale Conquerors and dragon-blessed paladins, typically serving as the backbone of major guilds or playing as top-tier solo competitors.
Yet according to this mysterious NPC...
There were only thirteen slots for Dragon-Pact Sorcerers! It was something money simply couldn't buy!
Rarity breeds value—that was no hollow platitude. It meant they could claim an even higher status within the player base.
Misha gave a gentle wave of her hand, and three scrolls materialized before them.
"Guard them well. These are proof of your status as Dragon-Pact Sorcerers."
With that, Misha closed her eyes, seemingly communicating on some mental plane.
Meanwhile, the three players fixed their gazes upon the scrolls.
The scrolls were crafted from thick hide, inscribed with intricate, exquisite patterns. Every stroke faintly glowed with firelight, exuding powerful magical energy.
Looking closely, one could feel dragon fear dwelling within the lines, as though a colossal, majestic dragon lurked in the empty air before them, its golden slitted pupils bridging time and space to gaze quietly down upon them.
[Cassius's Pact]
[Quality: Very Rare]
[Type: Special Quest Item]
[Item Description: Cassius, the "Cinder Emperor," grows ever stronger, and his former vassals no longer suffice to satisfy his ever-expanding ambitions. Thus, the red dragon forged his surplus power into scrolls, seeking exceptionally talented and loyal souls across his empire to create proxies who can wield powers akin to his own.]
["A pact? No, this is grace!" — Cassius, the Cinder Emperor]
*Compared to this... what is a mere purple-tier ring worth? That guy from Wangquan is truly shortsighted.*
Looking at the information on her panel, Xiaye Qiuyu couldn't help but muse.
The other two players likewise beamed with joy.
As a sorcerer player specially groomed by the Machine Cult—the game's premier powerhouse guild—Art is an Explosion naturally recognized the immense weight this scroll carried.
And while Ailong Rufeng possessed rather bizarre kinks, he was still a top-tier sorcerer, the strongest among the hundreds of perverts in the Dragon Lovers Association.
Yet right now, his overwhelming excitement stemmed from the chance to see Cassius in the flesh.
"Touching Lord Cassius's tail"—an act so brazen it bordered on treason and was worthy of the guillotine—was the lifelong dream of many players in the Dragon Lovers Association.
"Lord Cassius, hehehe..."
"The tail..."
Ailong Rufeng grinned foolishly.
Beside him, Xiaye Qiuyu and Art is an Explosion felt a sudden chill run down their spines and involuntarily edged a few paces away.
"All right."
Misha opened her eyes and smiled faintly. "His Majesty has granted your request. I will accompany you to Isdalia for an audience with Emperor Cassius."
It was evident she was quite pleased.
In Misha's heart, Cassius was not only a patron she revered like a god, but also akin to an elder.
"His Majesty is in Isdalia?"
Xiaye Qiuyu was rather surprised.
After all, Isdalia was currently the most populous and prosperous city among players. She had even spent a fortune renting a residence there, living in the city year-round.
Yet she had never once caught sight of the Emperor's imposing form there. Reason dictated that a red dragon over thirty meters long should be impossible to miss.
"Within the Empire, Emperor Cassius is everywhere—whenever he wills it," Misha replied calmly.
She extended her slender hand once more, her hair sweeping backward as tongues of flame swirled all around her.
*Boom—*
Amidst intense bursts of firelight, a massive spatial rift tore open before them, resembling the savage maw of a man-eating dragon.
Flame Dimension Door.
This was once Cassius's original creation.
A unique spell combining Evocation and Conjuration.
And now, as a Dragon-Pact Sorcerer bound to Cassius, Misha had naturally inherited this power—and wielded it with practiced ease.
Suppressing the flutter of excitement in her chest, she hurriedly straightened her collar before bidding them, "Follow me."
"Incredible," the players marveled.
And so, the three players who had passed the trial followed Misha into the flaming rift, traversing over a thousand li to arrive at the "Immortal City," Isdalia.
Passing through the profound corridor of space and time, another flame-wreathed rift opened before them.
A brilliant vista burst upon their eyes.
"Whoa—"
"What a gorgeous place."
"Isdalia has a place like this?! I thought it was all just factories."
Exclamations of wonder broke from the players.
The sight before them was nothing short of a miracle.
Tier upon tier of terraced gardens brimmed with exotic flora, through which crystal-clear streams murmured gently.
Orderly rows of marble pillars stood tall, and not far off rose an altar of grand and breathtaking magnificence.
The familiar altar and picturesque gardens were borne aloft into the sky by a towering plateau of stone, set against the backdrop of an azure sky—like the legendary Hanging Gardens.
Standing here, one could look down across all of Isdalia.
Crisscrossing streets, rushing steam trains, bustling pedestrians, and imperial guards patrolling the thoroughfares.
Along the city's fringes, clusters of factories belched thick black smoke, while sporadic explosions echoed from distant testing grounds.
From this platform nearly a hundred meters in the air, iconic landmarks like the Imperial Council Hall, the Grand Coliseum, and the Cinder Armory were laid out in full view, and even the distant city walls could be seen.
Watching this spectacular scene, Xiaye Qiuyu couldn't help exclaiming:
"How magnificent."
"So it's... here. The Grand Altar of Isdalia."
During her time living in this city, she had looked up at that towering altar countless times, never dreaming that one day she would stand atop it herself.
The other two players were likewise captivated by the breathtaking splendor, and Ailong Rufeng had already begun snapping screenshots to brag on the forums.
Chapter 435