With a low rumble, Cassius slowly opened his eyes. His head felt heavy and groggy; a vast tide of knowledge had flooded into his mind during his long slumber, and he had not yet had the chance to digest it thoroughly.
"I must have slept for a long time."
A thick layer of dust coated his scales.
Cassius rolled his massive head and gave his wings a gentle flick. Bones dormant for years popped with crisp cracks, sending clouds of ash swirling through the air around him.
"I’ve grown even more imposing this time. Not bad."
Turning toward the enormous glass mirror prepared long ago in the subterranean chamber, Cassius nodded in satisfaction.
Perhaps due to plumbing the deeper powers of his bloodline, Cassius was far more mature than an ordinary red dragon. His hulking frame stretched a full fifteen meters, and his bodily proportions were already nearly indistinguishable from those of an adult red dragon, completely shed of hatchling awkwardness.
The two thick, swept-back horns atop his head had lengthened, their surfaces taking on the yellowed hue of bone. Several rows of smaller horns ran along the crown of his skull, while the spikes on his cheeks and lower jaw jutted out even more prominently, giving his massive head a truly terrifying cast.
The red dragon's golden pupils had faded slightly—a hallmark of advancing age. It was said that the oldest red dragons possessed eyes like spheres of molten magma.
The bright scarlet scales covering his body had deepened to a richer, darker red. Their glossy texture had given way to a smooth, matte finish, though thanks to his Metallic Scales, their edges still carried a faint golden luster.
His wings had grown broader, the trailing edges of the wing membranes attaching behind his hind legs and below the base of his tail. A pale blue frill ran along the trailing edge, resembling the azure hue of metal burning in a flame.
"A dragon's intellect sharpens with age as well."
Having inspected his physical transformation, Cassius turned his attention to the vast, intricate draconic inheritance inside his mind. To his delight, he found that his capacity to absorb and comprehend information had also grown significantly stronger.
"Is this dragon fear?"
Guided by the knowledge in his inheritance, Cassius willed his body to project an invisible aura. This was the trait known as Frightful Presence—or what ordinary folk called "dragon fear."
The mere presence of a dragon was enough to send herds of beasts fleeing in terror and shatter the resolve of the most steadfast warrior.
Unfortunately, there were no other living creatures in this subterranean chamber—and even if there had been, they would have been incinerated by the heat radiating from his slumber. Cassius would have dearly liked to test the effects of this draconic aura on a live subject.
Having tested his Frightful Presence, Cassius continued sorting through the information in his mind.
This time, it was spells.
By virtue of their innate magical nature, all dragons developed inherent magical powers as they matured.
Among them, this manifested as the ability to cast arcane spells; a dragon reaching the juvenile stage could already display its first innate magical talents.
"So this is the natural magical ability of true dragons..."
"Truly terrifying."
Cassius clicked his tongue in awe.
As he processed the inheritance, notifications began flashing furiously across his status panel:
[Dragons are mighty magical creatures, naturally adept at many facets of the supernatural. As a red dragon reaching a certain age category, you have unlocked the spellcasting abilities lying deep within your bloodline.]
[You gain additional caster levels: 3.]
[Your racial caster level stacks with your sorcerer caster level. Your current caster level is: 9.]
Cassius's heart surged.
"It’s finally here—stacking caster levels."
"Behold the meteoric ascent of a dragon sorcerer!"
Instantly, the red dragon felt his perception of the world elevate sharply, granting him direct contact with the fifth layer of the Weave.
His connection to the Weave deepened. His every movement could stir the currents of magic, and with pure mental willpower, he could even reach into the Weave's profound depths.
Yet the notifications on the panel had not stopped.
An even greater torrent of intricate knowledge flooded into his mind.
"This is..."
[Some sages insist that mortals originally learned the subtle arts of magic from dragons. If such claims hold true—and elves contest the point for the sake of their own pride—then dragons surely retained closely guarded secrets, hidden legacies known only to true dragons who plumb the depths of their own bloodlines.]
[Such dragons style themselves "True Dragon Sorcerers," a title these proud beings use to distinguish themselves from lesser draconic bloodline sorcerers.]
"Discussing spells with a mortal is as pointless as discussing seasons with a locust." — Sarimosk, Gold Dragon Loremaster
[True Dragon Sorcerer Class Requirements: Base Sorcerer level 5 or higher, pure-blooded true dragon.]
[You meet the class requirements and possess the necessary inheritance. Proceed with prestige class advancement?]
"A hidden prestige class!"
Cassius was overjoyed. It was truly a pillow sent just as he was nodding off—arriving at the perfect moment.
He had just been fretting that the standard draconic bloodline sorcerer class felt somewhat redundant for him. Now a prestige class had appeared, and one exclusive to true dragons; it certainly wouldn't be weak.
"Confirm."
Cassius chose to confirm without the slightest hesitation.
At once, vast and exquisite magical knowledge erupted, flooding his consciousness.
It proved beyond doubt that if these exceptionally gifted and long-lived creatures ever dedicated themselves to study, the fruits of their research would utterly crush the achievements of mere mortals.
[You have obtained the sorcerer prestige archetype: True Dragon Sorcerer.]
[Trait — Draconic Magic: You gain unique spells known only to dragons. Sorcerers or wizards might also learn these spells if a dragon painstakingly taught them, but the vast majority are utterly useless to mortals.]
[You have gained the dragon spells: Scratch, Egg of Refuge, Scales of Energy, and Firestride Exhalation.]
[Scratch]
[Evocation Cantrip]
[A shimmering magical force shaped vaguely like a claw materializes before the dragon. With a sweeping claw strike toward the enemy, the dragon channels the spell's energy toward the target.]
[Egg of Refuge]
[2nd-Level Transmutation]
[Upon casting this spell, a shimmering dragon egg composed of purple energy envelops the dragon before vanishing, transporting the caster to an extradimensional pocket where the dragon is safe from any form of attack.]
[The dragon can neither see into the material world nor cast spells or launch attacks into the space it left behind; however, it may use spells or magic items that affect only itself.]
[Scales of Energy]
[3rd-Level Transmutation]
[The caster transforms their natural defense into a magical aura. The dragon's scales gleam, brimful of energy, producing a swarm of energy shards that orbit its body like tens of thousands of tiny satellites.]
[Firestride Exhalation]
[4th-Level Evocation/Conjuration]
[The dragon fills its lungs with swirling, scorching energy. Then, with a mighty exhalation, it sweeps the space before it in a violent cone of flames.]
[As the final wisp of energy leaves the dragon's lips, its body dissolves into this breath weapon, allowing it to traverse space and reconstitute itself anywhere within the breath weapon's area of effect.]
Chapter 60