The ultimate cataclysm had not yet arrived. Elezerg was still in the Third Age, and the barrier separating the Material Plane from the Outer Planes remained impregnable.
Deities could not descend into the mortal realm in the flesh; they could only project their avatars or send believers who carried their divine will.
Yet Tiamat claimed she would descend upon the Material Plane in her true form, reign over the Feanso Continent, and even establish her own divine kingdom on earth.
Something was terribly amiss.
The rise of the Cinder Empire had altered far too much.
The Red Dragon Emperor's renown resounded across the land. Influenced by this surge in draconic power, Tiamat, as the god of evil dragons, had likely gained a considerable amount of extra divine energy as well.
Hearing Cassius's inquiry, Dracarys pondered for a moment before speaking tentatively, "Your Majesty Cassius, you wish to know... about that one's descent?"
"Naturally." Cassius smiled faintly. "After all, as you have seen, my relationship with this so-called 'Mother Goddess' is hardly harmonious. It is necessary to make preparations in advance. I am simply curious—as a deity, how could she possibly descend into the mortal world in her true form?"
Dracarys answered, "You must be aware that she is also known as the 'Queen of Many Faces,' possessing nearly boundless aspects, unfathomable and treacherous. Yet many of these aspects were not created by her own hand. Instead, she possessed the bodies of her chromatic dragon offspring, using the power of the god of evil dragons to transform them into her avatars."
Hearing this, though he had harbored suspicions, Cassius still felt a jolt of shock.
Being a devout follower of Tiamat didn't just cost money—it cost lives!
Fortunately, he had maintained his vigilance and never accepted the title of "Dragon Prince." Otherwise, his own end would certainly have been dire.
Still harboring doubts, he asked directly, "Dracarys, you are merely an adult red dragon. How do you know such deep secrets?"
"A true deity cannot descend to the Material Plane in true form, but the Dragon Queen scattered her divine essence among the three mightiest dragons in the Seleucia region—the great wyrm blue dragon of the Farias clan, the great wyrm green dragon of the Verdant Grove, and a noble-blooded great wyrm red dragon.
"Each of these three great wyrms received a portion of the Dragon Queen's body imbued with divine power: her horns, her eyes, and her heart. Thus, they are also known as the 'Bodies of God.'"
Dracarys spoke in a heavy voice, "My father, Kazul the Crimson Cinders, was one of the divine chosen selected by the Dragon Queen, and the strongest among them. He received the Heart of the Evil Dragon. For a long time, he longed to achieve godhood. Disguising himself as a human, he became a war hero in the eyes of the Seleucians and meticulously established a cult within the kingdom dedicated to worshipping himself.
"Yet I can see that my father is no longer who he once was. After receiving that fragment of divine flesh, his mind was warped by divine power. He has become a fanatic who will stop at nothing to bring about the Dragon Queen's descent into the world."
Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is that why you refused to accept her divine favor?"
"Yes. I crave strength, but I have no desire to become the unwitting vessel for some deity's avatar," Dracarys said coldly.
Then her tone shifted, becoming sultry once more. "Your Majesty Cassius, I have told you everything I know. Now... do you have any intention of mating with me and siring offspring?"
Cassius felt a pang of helplessness, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. "I have not yet reached the point where I urgently require offspring. Go now. I will consider everything you have said."
Dracarys inclined her head, licked her lips, and offered a polite smile. "Very well, Your Majesty. I await your gracious presence at any time."
She cast a lingering glance at the red dragon before turning to leave. The undisguised yearning in her gaze gave even Cassius a slight chill.
...
"What a lunatic."
Watching the female red dragon's departing figure, Cassius shook his head, sighing from the bottom of his heart.
Even among red dragons, Dracarys could be considered mad.
Although she had a noble lineage and formidable strength, Cassius would never consider her as a mate, let alone as the future empress of his empire. Dracarys was wildly ambitious and far too unpredictable; elevating her to high office would likely destabilize the order of the empire, which Cassius could not tolerate.
However, the intelligence Dracarys brought was extraordinarily significant.
"The Bodies of Tiamat..."
Cassius's expression grew grim. He truly hadn't expected the god of evil dragons to go to such lengths.
To descend upon the Material Plane, Tiamat had actually divided a portion of her divine essence and bestowed it upon three powerful ancient chromatic dragons.
Among those three great wyrms, besides Kazul, he had also heard of the blue dragon from the Farias clan—after all, Christina had previously visited the empire as a representative of the Farias family.
*When an opportunity arises, I should speak with that blue dragon...*
*To prevent Tiamat's descent, I also need to begin planning an offensive against the Kingdom of Seleucia.*
Soon, summoned by Cassius's imperial decree, the three most prominent dukes—Trump, Duoluo, and Mezrolash—entered the imperial palace and knelt deferentially beneath the steps of the throne.
"Rise."
Cassius looked toward the tiefling and asked calmly, "What is the current situation in the Kingdom of Seleucia?"
Mezrolash stood up, took a step forward, and spoke with a steady, resonant voice.
"Your Majesty, according to our intelligence, a bloody purge has occurred within the Kingdom of Seleucia. A vast number of former nobles were slain, and even godblood nobles were murdered. Currently, the Cult of the Dragon has seized control of most regions in the Kingdom of Seleucia. Numerous chromatic dragons have appeared within their borders, and even the king has become a devout follower of Tiamat.
"The supreme commander of the Seleucian military is currently a human marshal named Kazul. He distinguished himself during the Battle of the Three Emperors, nearly single-handedly crushing the invading forces. Yet this marshal appears to share deep ties with the Cult of the Dragon..."
Hearing Mezrolash's report, Cassius nodded. This at least corroborated the reliability of Dracarys's information.
Trump stepped forward as well, presenting an invitation as he added, "Three days ago, the Kingdom of Seleucia sent an invitation to the empire, expressing their hope to form an alliance with us to jointly confront the Kingdom of Cassander."
Cassius sneered. "On what grounds would we ally with them? What is their reasoning?"
"They said..." Trump's tone grew cautious. "They claimed that Your Majesty is the offspring Tiamat values most, and that you should obey divine revelation to merge the empire with the Kingdom of Seleucia."
"What a joke!"
Cassius barked out a laugh from sheer fury.
Trump hastened to say, "Rest assured, Master. I have sternly rejected the Kingdom of Seleucia, declaring that the Cinder Empire worships no deities and reveres only our great Emperor!"
Duoluo stepped forward as well, shaking his fist in righteous indignation. "Your Majesty, those Seleucians dare insult you so brazenly! We must teach them a harsh lesson and show them the empire's might!"
Trump furrowed his brows slightly. "However, Master, we have not yet fully digested the Thrace region, and our imperial army has sustained considerable wear and tear throughout continuous warfare. I worry that..."
"It is indeed time to draw up plans to invade the Kingdom of Seleucia," Cassius said placidly.
"Yet this is not because they insulted me, but because... Tiamat's true form is on the verge of descending onto the Material Plane through the Kingdom of Seleucia."
"What?!"
In an instant, the expressions of Trump, Duoluo, and Mezrolash shifted drastically, terror washing over their faces.
A true deity descending upon the mortal world! Such an event had not occurred in over ten thousand years, not since the Second Era. If it came to pass, it would inevitably stir up tempestuous waves that shook the entire multiverse.
"H-how is that possible? How could a true deity set foot on the Material Plane? They should be obstructed by the planar consciousness..."
As a wizard, Trump frowned deeply, his expression laden with dread, his voice even trembling slightly.
Yet he soon trailed off.
Trump knew that his master's premonitions were invariably accurate, and there was absolutely no reason for Cassius to deceive them.
Cassius briefly relayed the intelligence he had obtained from Dracarys to his retainers.
Then he declared in a cold voice, "The age of tranquility has come to an end, and an era of turmoil is dawning. From now on, such occurrences will only become more frequent. Go and prepare. Draw up a complete invasion plan within one month, and finish full mobilization within three. Our time is running short—Tiamat could descend upon the world at any moment."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The three imperial dukes responded in unison and hurried back to their respective posts. They would launch a war that would reshape the balance of power across the Feanso Continent once again.
"I thought we might enjoy a moment of peace after conquering Thrace, but troubles just keep following one after another..."
Still seated upon his throne, Cassius couldn't help but sigh.
Right then, his gold dragon avatar, slumbering within the Realm of Eternal Order, was jolted awake by a distinct pulse of power.
*Truly an eventful season...*
Cassius furrowed his brows and directed his mighty consciousness into that gold dragon avatar.
...
The Realm of Eternal Order, the White Monastery.
A colossal ancient gold dragon was submerged within a pool of crystal-clear water. His body was covered in intricate patterns, his scales shimmering brilliantly like a mountain forged of gold.
Holy water radiated pure energy, slowly mending his scarred physique.
This was the ancient gold dragon Titus, widely renowned across the good alignment in recent years and revered by mortals as the "Wings of Dawn."
Yet people had no idea that this universally acclaimed "champion of justice" possessed another identity.
—He was the most terrifying, ruthless tyrant on the Feanso Continent, the mightiest evil dragon of the past century: the avatar of the Cinder Emperor, Cassius.
*Splash...*
Accompanied by the crisp, melodious sound of water, the ancient gold dragon supported his massive frame on four powerful limbs and rose from the pool.
He slowly opened his eyes, revealing deep, wise, yet gentle golden vertical pupils. The sensory barbels around his jaws drifted gracefully in the air.
"What a familiar sensation."
Titus—or rather, Cassius—could distinctly sense that as his True Dragon Sorcerer class reached its maximum level, this gold dragon avatar's spellcasting capabilities had improved considerably.
He extended a claw, and a leaping flame appeared in his palm, condensing into the vivid likeness of a red dragon.
Afterward, Cassius turned his gaze toward the culprit that had awakened his avatar—a sphere of pure light radiating soft magical fluctuations.
"An elven aura..."
"Was this sent from Serenia?"
Cassius opened the orb of light, and an exceptionally high-quality magical projection materialized before him.
A female elf of noble bearing appeared within the projection.
She wore a golden crown studded with gems and was clad in light mithral armor. Her silver hair was tied up neatly, and her violet eyes radiated resolve.
—She was the seventeenth monarch of the Elven Kingdom, Catherine Moonchaser.
Behind Catherine stood a half-elf paladin leaning upon a sword with a solemn expression—Rhea, known as the "Twilight Blade."
"Wings of Dawn, righteous champion against the Red Dragon Tyrant, mighty and wise Lord Titus, please forgive my intrusion upon your slumber. I am Catherine Moonchaser, ruler of Serenia," Catherine's voice rang clear and bright, gentle yet imbued with authority.
"General Rhea should have already informed you of the crisis in Serenia. The veil of moonlight is tearing apart, and dark shadows have seeped into the roots of the Sacred Tree. Those elders who once swore oaths to the Sacred Tree now harbor abyssal glimmers in their eyes, leaving my people displaced and suffering...
"As the sovereign of Serenia, for my people and for the glorious civilization of the Silvermoon elves, I must launch a sacred coup to purge the darkness and return my subjects to the protection of the moonlight."
Her words were resolute and powerful, and her gaze seemed capable of traversing space to meet the ancient gold dragon's eyes, brimming with unprecedented determination.
Cassius looked at the Elven Queen in the magical projection, the corners of his mouth curving upward as he muttered to himself, "Rest assured, even if you hadn't asked for aid, I would have stepped in to uphold justice. After all... this avatar's persona is that of a righteous champion."
In the projection, Catherine continued, "Lord Titus, I beseech you to lend us your aid. Burn away the roots of corruption with your sacred dragonfire, help us accomplish this coup, and restore Serenia to the right path, returning it to light and hope. I, Catherine Moonchaser, in my capacity as the seventeenth monarch of Serenia, hereby promise that you shall receive bountiful rewards and the eternal friendship of the Silvermoon elves.
"Lastly... may the moonlight shine forever, and may justice endure."
A smile graced Catherine's face.
The magical projection finally ended, and the sphere of light dissolved, leaving behind only the coordinates for a teleportation spell located somewhere near the Forest of the Silvermoon Elves.
"The Serenia coup is finally about to begin..."
A glimmer of anticipation surfaced in Cassius's golden vertical pupils.
Under the leadership of the "Silvermoon Queen" Catherine, Serenia would become a crucial pillar of the good alignment in the mid-to-late stages, even single-handedly shifting the balance of power across the Feanso Continent.
In that multiverse-shattering "Darkmoon Cataclysm," Serenia had been the central protagonist.
Cassius stroked the barbels beneath his chin, deep in thought. "In that case, I might as well form the so-called 'Sacred Alliance' ahead of time and pull those shield dwarves into it as well. It's been quite a while since I last visited the Volcanic Secret Realm. This is a fine opportunity to see how the dwarves are progressing."
With a casual sweep of his claw, the ancient gold dragon opened a teleportation gate leading to the demiplane before him.
Chapter 752