"Long time no see, Misha."
A deep, resonant male voice echoed down from the top of the altar.
Misha's eyes sparkled, sparks dancing within her golden irises, and an intensely excited expression surfaced on her exquisite face.
"It's His Majesty!" she murmured joyfully under her breath.
Even so, Misha suppressed the thrill and joy bubbling within her. Descending from midair, she followed imperial etiquette by bowing her head slightly and climbing the steps one by one.
*We're finally entering the storyline!*
*Next is the audience with the Emperor and our advancement to Dragon-Pact Sorcerers!*
Xiaye Qiuyu thought excitedly to herself.
The three players hurriedly turned around and followed closely behind Misha.
Yet they could not resist curiously glancing upward to sneak a peek.
At the very top of the altar, at the end of the long flight of stairs, sat a grand throne carved with draconic motifs.
Upon that throne sat a handsome man dressed in a sumptuous scarlet robe, wearing an adamantine crown inset with glittering gems. His pale golden vertical pupils were profound beyond measure.
He merely rested casually on the throne with his cheek propped on one hand, yet the aura of majesty leaking out unintentionally compelled onlookers to drop to their knees in worship.
This was Cassius's human form.
The moment he appeared before their eyes, the entire world seemed to focus upon him, as though all creation revolved around his presence.
It was like a living god walking the earth.
Misha stood momentarily stunned.
Even the players were overwhelmed by this aura, frozen in place.
Under the dual empowerment of his transcendent Charisma and supreme imperial authority, the impression Cassius projected to the outside world could easily reach such heights.
"Furthermore... welcome, Starfallen who have passed the trial—the Empire's future Dragon-Pact Sorcerers," Cassius said with a gentle smile.
Reining in his overflowing aura, he looked at the players who had passed the trial and nodded slightly.
Cassius had originally assumed there would be thirteen qualifiers, never expecting Misha's trial would prove so demanding that only three made it through.
Xiaye Qiuyu, Art is an Explosion, and Ailong Rufeng were all names that had rung out like thunder in his past life.
The first two went without saying—both were top-tier professional sorcerer players. But the last one left Cassius somewhat speechless.
Although Ailong Rufeng was quite strong, his fame had largely stemmed from an entirely different inclination.
*His Majesty has grown even more powerful!*
Misha's heart pounded wildly. Keeping her head lowered, she did not dare look directly at Cassius's face, though her spirit soared with jubilation.
Ever since she went to train in the Elemental Plane of Fire, she had not seen His Majesty for a very long time. She had not even been able to attend his grand coronation ceremony—something that had left her feeling quite dejected back then.
Now, however, she finally had the chance to behold him once more.
*So handsome...*
*How could a character model be so perfect? And that aura is just...*
Xiaye Qiuyu murmured internally. Having just recovered from being utterly entranced, she cautiously sneaked glances out of the corner of her eye.
*Awesome!*
*With the high-temperature flames of a Dragon-Pact Sorcerer, I can finally help the big shots in the guild smelt aluminum alloy mechas!*
Art is an Explosion's face was flushed with fervor.
Meanwhile, though Ailong Rufeng felt excited, a strange sense of disappointment lingered in his heart.
*Why isn't he in dragon form?*
*Dammit, I really wanted to pet Lord Cassius's tail.*
Cassius gazed at Misha, who now appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. Seeing the "Challenge Rating: 14" hovering above her head, he could not help feeling a surge of emotion.
As expected of a boss from his past life; such talent was terrifying.
Only a year had passed, yet her strength had soared like a rocket. Cassius had even heard ridiculous rumors circulating across the elemental planes regarding the "Daughter of Dragonfire."
In those rumors, Misha was the child of "Cinder Emperor" Cassius and an efreeti noblewoman.
Thinking of this, Cassius gave a light chuckle. "Misha, your progress has been remarkable—exceeding even my expectations. Only a single year has passed, yet you have already reached such heights."
"Your Majesty, this is all thanks to your grace."
Hearing Cassius's praise, Misha felt deeply moved, yet she kept her head bowed and replied with utmost reverence.
Hearing their exchange, the three players were completely dumbfounded.
*What?*
*Just one year?!*
That meant Misha had been a Dragon-Pact Sorcerer for far less time than they had spent playing as sorcerers in Elezerg!
Yet in that brief year, Misha had become an absolute boss-level entity capable of wiping out dozens of elite players and taming an Elder Fire Elemental!
Just how strong was this faction subclass?
What they did not know, of course, was that over the course of that single year, the resources the Cinder Empire had poured into Misha were utterly staggering. Fire elemental magic crystals, spell scrolls, and elixirs had been heaped upon her as though they cost nothing.
*Think that's enough to bluff you?*
Seeing the varying expressions on the players' faces, the corners of Cassius's lips curved upward.
In a solemn tone, he delivered the lines he had prepared long in advance:
"Starfallen, you have completed the trial of the Tower of Karmic Fire and proven your strength and loyalty to me."
"Therefore, I shall grant you... the power of true dragons."
Cassius raised a hand languidly.
"Like this."
*Boom! Boom! Boom!—*
In an instant, raging tongues of fire, an endless sea of flames, plummeting meteors, and even blazing celestial spheres materialized before their eyes, weaving grand tapestries of cataclysm across the sky.
Armies were obliterated.
Cities were reduced to ash.
Rivers ran dry, and the earth split open.
The players present heard deafening roars, the crashes of collapsing structures, and even the terrified shrieks of crowds.
"A dragon! It's a dragon!"
Voices screamed in terror.
Yet Cassius's voice cut through the cacophony with supernatural clarity.
"Cataclysm..."
"Stand in awe of all this. This is the power that I, as the Emperor of the Cinder Empire, can bestow upon you—it brings destruction, but it also brings rebirth."
"Yet all power carries a necessary price. You must exercise restraint and mastery."
Cassius clenched his fist.
Everything came to an abrupt halt.
The flames and meteors vanished like ethereal bubbles, dissipating in the span of a breath.
The blazing celestial spheres dimmed and faded away.
It was as if the cataclysmic visions had never occurred at all. The Altar of Isdalia returned to its former solemnity and serenity, accompanied only by the faint murmur of trickling water.
"This..."
The three players were so stunned their mouths hung wide open, completely at a loss for words.
Could this magnitude of power truly be achieved by an individual?
Upon the throne, the black-haired, golden-eyed man lowered his hand and spoke with what sounded like a sigh:
"The sun slumbers, the stars fall, and the moonlight dims. Endless fires of war burn across the Feanso Continent, and bloodshed and slaughter shall become Elezerg's defining theme. This world is undergoing profound upheaval, and the peace of the Cinder Empire will not last forever."
"To face the approaching calamity, the Cinder Empire requires more champions to enact my will and return this world to a truly rational order."
Cassius fixed his gaze on the three players, a faint light shimmering in his pale golden pupils.
"And you, Starfallen, are qualified to become my proxies, the vanguard of the Empire's sorcerers—Dragon-Pact Sorcerers."
"So tell me—are you prepared?"
Chapter 436