The Divine Realm of Tiamat.
Every corner of this plane was teeming with ferocious, evil chromatic dragons, their wings beating the air amidst a cacophony of guttural roars.
At the very center of the divine realm rose a majestic mountain peak.
It was the Dragon Queen's hoard mountain, the repository of Tiamat's immense wealth. It was whispered that the gold coins piled within held more grains than the Brendan Desert possessed grains of sand.
Yet for that very reason, it had become a burial ground for countless fortune-seeking adventurers.
Anyone who dared covet Tiamat's riches was doomed to suffer terrifying retribution; to have body and soul utterly obliterated was considered a light sentence.
Tiamat permitted no one to approach Her hoard.
Even Her own chromatic dragon brood would be brutally flayed and have their sinews ripped out without hesitation if they dared purloin so much as a speck of gold.
Perched atop this hoard mountain was a magnificent, grand palace, expansive enough to accommodate Tiamat's colossal form along with thousands of chromatic dragons.
At this moment, Tiamat coiled upon a throne cast of pure gold. Hovering before Her was the spectral phantom of a uniquely featured red dragon bearing four horns—Cassius.
"Splendid. To think that after tens of thousands of years, the chromatic dragon race could still birth a third-generation progenitor dragon. What a pity, however..."
Tiamat twisted Her heads and sneered. "He is rather rebellious, harboring the absurd notion of setting up his own domain."
Several great wyrms—red, blue, and green, of both sexes—lay prostrate at Tiamat's feet. These were Her favored consorts; the Mother of Evil Dragons often projected avatars to indulge in pleasure alongside Her finest worshipers.
A great wyrm blue dragon raised his head and spoke with utmost deference. "Mighty Dragon Queen, he is merely a reckless red dragon. Having attained a modicum of power, he has failed to recognize his proper place. Such blind arrogance is only natural.
"When all is said and done, the blood running in his veins originates from You. He can never escape Your grasp.
"Once the ritual is complete and You descend upon the Feanso Continent in Your supreme might, he will undoubtedly recognize the reality of his situation, bow his head, and submit to You."
Not to be outdone, an adjacent great wyrm red dragon exhaled a plume of sulfurous smoke, stepped forward, and said, "Your Majesty, red dragons are Your most exceptional brood! Once this junior converts to Your service, he will surely become a mighty warrior for our chromatic dragon race and Your sharpest talon!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Tiamat burst into arrogant laughter, Her five hideous dragon heads quivering in amusement.
"Regardless, I shall have his bloodline! When that day comes, I will lead the chromatic dragon race to reclaim the glory of the Year of Thunder!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"You shall surely reign over the world!"
The male great wyrms below chorused in unison, throwing back their heads in triumphant roars.
Tiamat unleashed Her fathomless divine power. The colossal silhouette of the five-headed dragon manifested across the skies of the divine realm. In an instant, hundreds of chromatic dragons across the Feanso Continent looked up involuntarily.
"It is Lady Tiamat!"
"Praise the great Mother of Evil Dragons! The Immortal Queen!"
The chromatic dragons prayed fervently at the top of their lungs, though they did not forget to quietly conceal their treasures to prevent divine covetousness.
The towering figure of the five-headed dragon hovered in their vision, and alongside the Dragon Queen appeared the phantom of a four-horned red dragon.
"My children, this is the 'Dragon Prince,' Cassius. Within him flows My blood, and his emergence shall mark the beginning of the chromatic dragon race's return to ruling the world!
"Any among you who secures his bloodline—by whatever means necessary—shall receive My divine favor, granting you prolonged life and formidable power!"
"Tiamat above! We can receive divine favor merely by producing a dragon egg with that red dragon?!"
"Is that His Highness, the Dragon Prince? What a magnificent physique! If I could be with him... even without the divine boon, it would be worth it!"
"I am setting out right now!"
"Alas, if only I were not male! I cannot bear young for His Highness, otherwise..."
Upon hearing Tiamat's "divine oracle," every chromatic dragon across the Feanso Continent grew restless with wild excitement.
That was a divine favor!
Tiamat's stinginess was legendary, a fact conceded even by Her most devout worshipers.
Even if one offered their life for the faith and fought bitterly for a century, they might not earn a single scrap of divine favor from Her Majesty.
Now, all it took was mating with the "Dragon Prince" to attain such grace. To the chromatic dragons, this was nothing short of a godsend!
Deep within a cavern in the Brendan Desert, Christina Farias let out a furious roar: "Damn it! That was supposed to be my exclusive mission! Prince Cassius is my mate! No one is allowed to snatch him from me!"
In her rage, arcs of lightning crackled across the blue dragon's body. Her scales flared, and her frame swelled noticeably.
Meanwhile, within Isaac Volcano at the southern edge of the continent, an agile and powerfully built female red dragon hauled herself out of the molten magma. Beating her wings, she exhaled a thick plume of searing smoke.
She was none other than Dracarys, the female red dragon who had accompanied Tiamat to Avernus.
Though only an adult dragon, Dracarys measured nearly thirty meters in length and was the most highly valued dragon of the younger generation in the Queen's eyes, second only to Cassius.
She gave a low growl. "What a bunch of laughable fools. Do they really think they stand a chance?
"I will show them that only the truly strong... are worthy of bearing His Highness's offspring." Dracarys surged into the air with a thunderous roar, churning the magma and shaking the volcano to its core.
Back in the divine realm, Tiamat suddenly called out the name of the great wyrm red dragon.
"Kaleymas."
"Mighty Queen..." The great wyrm raised his head and stepped forward.
"You shall attend to Me today. Remember to manifest four horns."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kaleymas instinctively shrank his hind legs, his voice trembling slightly as phantom aches twitched in his lower abdomen.
The other great wyrms wore expressions of gloating schadenfreude. They yearned for Tiamat's divine boons, but none wished to receive the direct physical favor of the Mother Goddess.
With the body of a dragon deity, even an avatar was more than an ordinary dragon could endure—especially when Her Majesty's spirits ran so exceptionally high.
Tiamat, however, was in magnificent humor, as if already beholding the bright future where chromatic dragons dominated the land.
Before long, low roars echoed from the Dragon Queen's inner chambers—sounds tinged with agony etched straight to the bone.
***
Cinder Empire, the Great Anzetta Waste, summit of Dragonblood Mountain.
After many days away, Cassius had returned to his most familiar lair, taking inventory of the spoils from his journey to Hell.
"Kostchtchie's artifact..."
The red dragon opened his maw and spat out an archaic warhammer: the "Frostfather" Matalotok.
Having been recharged by Kostchtchie, the warhammer was shrouded in a thin veil of white mist that radiated piercing cold. If its divine power were unleashed, it would suffice to freeze a hundred-li perimeter into solid ice.
[Frostfather - Matalotok]
[Type: Weapon, Warhammer]
[Quality: Mythic]
[Domains: Frost Giant, Cold, Frost, Evil, Storm]
[Description: Tens of thousands of years ago, Thrym, god of the frost giants, fashioned this warhammer from one of his own leg bones. During the war between dragons and giants, Matalotok froze countless mighty dragons.
Following Thrym's slumber, it was claimed by the demon lord Kostchtchie and served as his anchor for ascending to godhood.
"Reptiles! Sleep eternally in the frost—"]
[Equip Effects:
Unfazed by Blizzard: While holding Matalotok, all cold damage is negated against you, rendering you immune to harm from frost.
Mastery over Frost: You can command frigid currents, summon blizzards, alter the climate into a frozen waste, and even freeze time and space in a localized area.
Hammer of Freezing: When you inflict damage on a foe with this hammer, the target is afflicted by divine frost power, suffering conditions such as rigidity and freezing.
King of Giants: You can suppress the minds of frost giants; those of weaker will will submit to your commands unconditionally.]
Scanning the equipment details, Cassius could not help but marvel. "Divine immunity, elemental mastery, bonus damage, mental subjugation...
"A truly formidable and comprehensive artifact. What a pity its compatibility with me is utterly atrocious."
At his core, Cassius was a red dragon who wielded flame and magma.
Fire and ice were inherently incompatible. Most of this artifact's effects were useless to him and might even produce adverse reactions.
Had he obtained an artifact left behind by fire giants, Cassius would have been ecstatic.
Cassius stroked his chin. "Still, this divine frost power... there is someone—or rather, a dragon—within the empire who can put it to use."
He shifted his gaze to his character panel.
[You killed a rutterkin. Gained 0.3 XP.]
[You killed a hezrou. Gained 1.2 XP.]
[You killed an ice devil. Gained 1.5 XP.]
...
Hundreds of thousands of notifications scrolled by, and these were merely the demons slain in the collateral aftermath of Cassius's clash with Kostchtchie.
Unfortunately, with Cassius's current life essence bordering on demigod status, the paltry experience granted by ordinary demons was negligible.
Meanwhile, the experience required for his next level was astronomical.
He scrolled directly to the bottom.
[You defeated Kostchtchie, King of the Frost Giants (Challenge Rating: 39). Gained 300,000 XP.]
Defeated, not slain.
It seemed Kostchtchie's immortal essence had not been utterly annihilated. His soul had returned to the Abyss, where he would eventually reform in some dark, wretched corner.
"As expected of an Abyssal lord at the demigod tier. Truly hard to kill," Cassius mused.
Without the Hellish planar authority backing him, he would never have defeated Kostchtchie; after all, there remained a fundamental gap in their states of being.
At Challenge Rating 39, the King of the Frost Giants was by far the mightiest foe Cassius had ever overcome. Even now, the memory of that all-freezing divine power sent a lingering chill through him.
[Your total class level has increased to: 28.]
[Current Classes: True Dragon Sorcerer 20 / Bloodscaled Fury 3 / Elemental Master 4 / Hidecarved Dragon 1]
Cassius fell into contemplation. "Judging from the previous battle, my destructive output is more than sufficient to wound demigod-tier adversaries, but my defenses are lacking. I'm practically turning into a glass cannon.
"In that case, I must focus on bolstering my defensive durability and survivability."
[You chose to level Hidecarved Dragon to Level 2.]
[Still Mind: As an ascetic practitioner among dragonkind, your mind remains as still as calm water, rarely swayed by external factors. A Hidecarved Dragon gains advantage on saving throws against spells and effects from the Enchantment and Illusion schools.]
[Natural Armor: Ascetic discipline toughens your scales. The Hidecarved Dragon's natural armor bonus increases by +4.]
[Aura of Protection: Hidecarved Dragons hold aloof from worldly conflicts and remain neutral, a confidence rooted in their formidable defenses. The carvings upon your scales radiate a mystical aura that wards against all harm.]
Invisible power warped reality.
Cassius let out a low whistle. The gilded carvings across his body expanded and grew, becoming far more intricate and delicate. They emitted a bright, resolute radiance that enveloped the red dragon's massive frame.
When the light subsided, Cassius's exterior bore a richer metallic sheen. The runes gleamed resplendently, resembling a suit of opulent armor draped over his hide.
"It seems the legacy of those gold dragons from the Realm of Eternal Order was genuinely worthwhile." Cassius lowered his head to inspect his body before looking back at the panel.
Kostchtchie had yielded more than just a colossal sum of experience.
His achievements had advanced as well.
After all, Kostchtchie held dual identities as both the King of the Frost Giants and an Abyssal lord.
Consequently, both the Frost Giant Destroyer and Demon Slayer achievements had been elevated.
The trophy for Frost Giant Destroyer had transformed into a black-gold color symbolizing legendary status, and its derivative trait, Frost Giant Slayer, had received a corresponding boost.
Unfortunately, unless Thrym awakened, Cassius was unlikely to encounter any frost giant capable of posing a threat to him, rendering the achievement somewhat redundant.
The Demon Slayer trophy, meanwhile, had grown even brighter, turning into platinum adorned with intricate, magnificent ornamentation—the hallmark of a mythic achievement.
Cassius felt a surging power of Order flood into his chest, coursing through his body as silver light flickered in his vertical pupils.
Now, he could unleash a Breath of Ordering far more potent than before, capable of effortlessly purifying lands defiled by the Abyss.
"This trip to Hell was certainly worth the effort. Not only did I establish an initial foothold for colonizing Avernus, but my personal power has grown substantially as well.
"The only issue is that Chromatic Dragon Queen..." Cassius's expression turned solemn.
The sight of Tiamat scorching Hell with dragonfire remained fresh in his memory. Time was running short; he had to prevent the Dragon Queen from descending upon the Material Plane.
Right then, the magic mirror in the cavern began to pulse. Trump's grotesque visage appeared on the surface, his expression visibly anxious.
"Master, we have an emergency! A massive horde of chromatic dragons is attempting to force their way into imperial territory. The imperial air forces are intercepting them, but they have refrained from using lethal force."
"How many?"
"As of now, a total of one hundred and thirty-nine. Mostly young adults and adults, predominantly chromatic evil dragons, though there are also rarer chromatic subspecies such as purple, brown, and yellow dragons."
"That many?"
Cassius furrowed his brow.
Over a hundred true dragons mobilizing at once—even during the Dracorage, such a gathering could unleash a catastrophic Dragon Calamity.
Even for the current Cinder Empire, dealing with so many true dragons was no simple feat and would inevitably require mobilizing substantial military forces.
Moreover, Cassius had no desire to completely burn his bridges with the chromatic dragons, let alone mark himself as Tiamat's primary target.
"Furthermore..." Trump paused.
"Furthermore what?" Cassius asked, puzzled.
Trump bowed his head and murmured cautiously, "Master, nearly all of these chromatic dragons are female. What is more, they claim... they have come under divine orders to lay eggs with you."
That familiar modus operandi.
Cassius's heart sank, the corners of his mouth twitching faintly as he instantly deduced the mastermind behind this "Dragon Calamity."
That cheap divine mother of his was truly impossible to deal with!
Chapter 742