Dragon Blood and Advancement

"How interesting. It can actually eliminate chaos..." Cassius touched the ground with the tip of a claw, gouging a chunk of flesh from the dragon carcass sealed within the mountain beneath his feet. *Boom!* After all, this was the flesh of Garyx, afflicted by madness and steeped in the Abyss, brimming with complex forces of destruction, chaos, and more. The instant it was removed from the warding confines of the Imperial Domain, thick, chaotic black mist erupted from it. Purple-black blood danced wildly in midair, gradually coalescing into a grotesque figure—unexpectedly giving birth to a monstrosity spawned of dragon blood. The creature was merely three feet long, resembling a deformed red dragon. Drenched from head to toe in thick slime, it bristled with five dense pairs of limbs, while three tattered black wings hung irregularly from its back. It writhed and thrashed violently on the ground, glaring venomously at Cassius as it spewed rock-corroding venom and let out ear-piercing shrieks. "Escape... you cannot escape..." "You cannot escape..." The voice was raspy and shrill, like scrap iron grinding in its throat. Cursed Pseudodragon (Challenge Rating: 3) Cassius gazed down at the monster born of dragon blood, his eyes narrowing slightly as they reflected the thrashing, clawing abomination. "It seems I guessed correctly. This is the curse Jerlazax left behind before his death. "He anticipated that I would keep this dragon corpse, so at the very end he stalled for time, injecting part of his own will and the Abyssal curse into the blood. "If I had rashly devoured the bloodline as I did last time, Jerlazax's lingering will would probably have invaded my mind." A flash of murderous intent surfaced in Cassius's pale gold vertical pupils, and his draconic visage twisted into a grim snarl. "Cannot escape..." "The great... Abyss..." The dragonblood monster's screeching continued, broken and jagged. Cassius rolled his head. Memories of being influenced by the Heart of Garyx—falling into chaotic, violent frenzy—flashed through his mind, drawing another cold sneer from him. "What a trite trick, Jerlazax. Truly your style—even dead and gone, you still try to sicken me. "But no matter. It serves well enough for an experiment—the power of the Breath of Ordering." The red dragon opened his maw, a faint light flickering in his pupils. Silver-white flames surged from deep within his throat, engulfing the monstrosity born of dragon blood. *Awoooo—* The silver-white flame blazed fiercely. The dragonblood creature twisted and struggled in the fire, craning its neck and flailing its malformed limbs wildly as it uttered shrill, pitiful wails. Yet beneath the flames of ordering, imbued with absolute order, its struggles proved utterly feeble. Fighting desperately to the end, it slowly collapsed, its entire body melting away. The burning lasted for dozens of minutes. Finally, under Cassius's control, the silver-white flames slowly dissipated. As a fire that restored all things to order, the burning of the flames of ordering left no scorch marks, nor did it damage the surrounding environment in any way. Everything around remained completely intact. Yet the twisted, hideous dragonblood monstrosity had vanished, leaving behind only a single drop of bright red blood suspended in midair, radiating a faint aura of majesty. "This is..." Cassius's eyes lit up immediately. He leaned in, examining the blood closely. In his vision, this droplet held terrifying energy, crisscrossed with complex, root-like patterns—the legacy of the progenitor dragons. Pure Progenitor Dragon Blood *"You mean to say you drank the blood of those mythic dragons and survived?" —Valdra, Dragon Scholar* Item Description: Blood of Garyx, imbued with the mighty power of the progenitor dragons bestowed by the Nine-Fold Dragon. Purged by the flames of order, the blood harboring destructive desire and chaotic force has been expelled, refining this droplet into pure progenitor dragon blood. Item Effect: Progenitor dragon bloodline purity +0.001% Grants a chance to obtain legendary draconic traits and legacy spells. "A method to process Garyx's body... hasn't it presented itself right here?" Having read the description, Cassius's eyes shone with boundless ecstasy, the corners of his mouth curling upward uncontrollably. Using Cataclysmic Dragon Eye and True Seeing, he scanned the droplet up and down several times, then summoned silver-white flame to purify it once more. Only after confirming there was no abnormality did Cassius slowly open his maw and swallow this hard-won drop of progenitor dragon blood. *Hum—* Instantly, a warm current poured down his throat into the red dragon's body, flowing gently through his fundus vessels and ultimately merging into his scalding heart. Cassius exhaled a breath laden with scorching sulfur, letting out a satisfied low hum. Plumes of white smoke vented from the spiracles along his neck and tail, accompanied by dancing sparks. Fire surged within his fundus vessels. His colossal, robust dragon body trembled slightly, and an invisible aura of dread rolled outward, sending chills into the hearts of living beings kilometers away. Such was the majesty of a progenitor dragon. As beings that once ruled sky and earth, these mythic dragons possessed peerless might. Although there was no prompt from his panel, Cassius could feel subtle increases in his strength, constitution, and even his spellcasting capacity. And all of this came from a single drop of pure progenitor dragon blood. "Good, very good..." Cassius's voice trembled slightly, overflowing with boundless excitement and joy. In the intoxicating rush of surging power, the greedy instincts innate to a red dragon made him itch to swallow the entire progenitor dragon's carcass whole. Yet Cassius retained his reason. Forcibly suppressing his excitement, he looked down at the dragon corpse that had formed a mountain, murmuring to himself: "From here, I only need to... take it step by step." By now, this mountain shaped like a monstrous dragon had become a treasure trove far more precious than gold or jewels in the red dragon's eyes. Garyx's carcass was sealed within Dragonblood Mountain anyway; it was going nowhere. Unless a true god descended or an Abyssal lord arrived in person, no one could snatch away the dragon remains buried within this peak right under his nose. Cassius needed only to remain within the forbidden grounds of Dragonblood Mountain, continually purifying and absorbing Garyx's remains. One day, he would elevate his bloodline to that of a true progenitor dragon. When that time came, even if he encountered divine avatars or Abyssal lords outside the Imperial Domain, Cassius would have nothing to fear. After all, progenitor dragons sat at the apex of the multiverse's food chain, capable of striding unchallenged even through the Astral Plane. "Since this is a forbidden zone, it ought to appear a bit more mysterious." Cassius slowly raised a claw. The power of the Imperial Domain's laws surged within his palm, then violently expanded across several kilometers. Instantly, pungent white sulfur smoke billowed from fissures in the ground, gradually shrouding all of Dragonblood Mountain until only its magnificent, imposing silhouette could be faintly seen. "Whew..." "Truly worthy of the rewards for slaying an Abyssal lord. It really was... beyond my expectations." Cassius let out a long breath, settling his slightly agitated heart, and looked once more at his panel, where countless notifications still awaited his perusal. Indeed, the demon-slaying achievement and the blood of Garyx were only part of his spoils. The most direct return was the immense experience gained from slaying demons. In this War Against the Abyss, Cassius had not only slain a true Abyssal lord; the shockwaves of his battles had also wiped out millions upon millions of Abyssal demons that came like surging tides. It was only that compared to the red dragon's current rank and life tier, ordinary demons were too insignificant to provide him with much experience anymore. [Killed Dretch, gained 0.1 XP] [Killed Lemure, gained 0.1 XP] [Killed Hezrou, gained 50 XP] [Killed Goristro, gained 100 XP] ... [Killed Balor - Leo (Challenge Rating: 18), gained 20,000 XP] [Killed Lord of Vengeance - Jerlazax (Challenge Rating: 34), gained 215,000 XP] [Your total class level has increased to: 24] [Your current classes are: True Dragon Sorcerer 17 / Bloodscaled Fury 3 / Elemental Master 4] Cassius no longer agonized over class choices—he chose to continue advancing True Dragon Sorcerer. Rather than diversifying his path, this red dragon preferred concentrating his power at a single point. Outside the Imperial Domain, his greatest assets in battle were his naturally mighty physical body and the formidable spellcasting ability granted by his sorcerer class. [You have chosen to advance True Dragon Sorcerer to Level 18] [Due to your innate draconic spellcasting and the authority of Elemental Lord, your caster level is currently: 24] Once again, a familiar sensation enveloped Cassius's body. His will roamed freely through the Weave, intertwining even more tightly with the world until they seemed as one. A sorcerer of this caliber could influence all things with simple gestures. There was no need to deliberately weave spells; a mere passing thought could summon tempestuous waves. Their every action could inspire tens of thousands to worship them. Such transcendental charisma was more than enough to make these sorcerers born rulers. "A fine feeling..." Cassius licked his lips with a menacing grin, eagerly turning his gaze back to the panel. [At 18th level, you gain an ability granted by your Sorcerous Origin.] [As a descendant of the progenitor red dragons, you trace back the river of time, unearthing your ancient ancestral bloodline and sensing that unique aura of majesty from ancient days. You gain the Sorcerous Origin ability: Progenitor Dragon Majesty] Progenitor Dragon Majesty Level 18 Draconic Bloodline Trait As a descendant of the progenitor red dragons, you cause surrounding true dragons, lesser dragons, and all creatures possessing dragon blood to feel the oppression of your bloodline, falling into states such as frightened and stunned. By tracing your bloodline, you have gained the ability of Progenitor Dragon Majesty, allowing you to further direct this power, granting a chance to control the minds of the oppressed for a period of time. "Hmm... an ability akin to Telekinesis?" Cassius rubbed his scale-ridged chin, examining the details on the panel. To a dragon of his stature, this ability was somewhat marginal. The reason was simple: Cassius needed only to display his massive forty-meter-long frame to cow most draconic creatures into submission. "Still, when dealing with stubborn, resolute good dragons like gold dragons and silver dragons, it might prove somewhat useful. "For instance... those meddlesome silver dragons of Melvold." Cassius casually shook the dust from his wings and rolled his neck, musing aloud. Looking back at his panel, he murmured, "Next... spells." Obtaining new spells no longer brought him the thrill it once did. After all, to the current Cinder Emperor, even a 9th-level spell was merely icing on the cake, especially when his adversaries generally took precautions against them. [Delving into the memories of magic within your bloodline, you obtain an ordinary spell repository.] Cassius felt a pang of confusion. "Oh? It isn't a Draconic Spell this time?" Dragons were supremely proud, and the progenitor dragons who ruled sky and earth in ancient times were doubly so. Thus, unless a spell was genuinely useful, they would never condescend to learn the "lowly" magics of humans and elves. At the thought, Cassius's eyes brightened, fixing upon the panel. [You have acquired the spells: Iron Body, Unbinding] Iron Body 8th-level Transmutation You render your body exceedingly hard, like a statue cast of enchanted iron. For the duration of the spell, you gain +4 Strength, -4 Dexterity, and +10 Armor Class. At the same time, you become immune to blindness, deafness, critical hits, disease, poison, stunning, electricity, and all spells that affect physiology or respiration. Cassius snorted hot dragonflame from his nostrils, his expression growing excited once more. "A very useful spell, and one that synergizes with my existing spells to produce... unexpected results." If he combined the Dexterity bonus of Draconic Agility with the Strength bonus of Iron Body, he could gain four points of Strength out of thin air without penalizing his Dexterity, all while enjoying near-indestructible defenses. According to the rules of Elezerg, each point of attribute increase boosted strength by fifteen percent over the prior baseline. And these four extra points of Strength would create a colossal advantage in close-quarters combat! Red dragons were already an exceptionally dominant race in melee, virtually killing machines; augmented by such magic, Cassius's close-combat prowess would be like adding wings to a tiger! "Truly worthy of a spell that even arrogant progenitor dragons were willing to study. Its effects are indeed formidable." Cassius bared his teeth in an excited grin, revealing a maw of sharp fangs. Turning back to the panel, the details of the other spell slowly surfaced before him. Unbinding 9th-level Abjuration A burst of force field erupts centered on you, destroying all control, binding, and sealing spells, as well as all physical and magical barriers, enchantments, and imprisonment effects created by spells. All spells maintaining ongoing magical effects are dispelled; abjuration spells are unaffected, cannot penetrate the force field, and will not affect you. Cassius nodded in satisfaction, his wings unfurling slightly. "As expected of 9th-level abjuration spells—each one is immensely useful. "With Unbinding, I can deal with those troublesome seals, such as Vagnerd's dragon-trapping array, or even... the Dracorage Mythal." At that thought, Cassius turned around and gazed southward. His pale gold vertical pupils pierced through the misty white smoke, gazing across tens of thousands of li to behold the brutal war still raging across the Feanso Continent. He saw the colorful races—dwarves, elves, orcs, nagas—and the diverse realms they inhabited... Cassius closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, seemingly drinking in the energy surging through the air. He could not help but marvel, "Years of planning, crowned in a single day. This feeling of harvest is truly magnificent. "Next, it's time to consider the matters of the Feanso Continent. I wonder if they are ready to welcome the arrival of the Empire." The red dragon opened his eyes, a faint gleam flickering in the depths of his pale gold slit pupils, radiating boundless greed.