Several months later.
Dragonblood Mountain, South Northlands Province, Anzeta Administrative Region, Cinder Empire.
The entire area was enveloped in scalding steam and sulfurous clouds. Viewed from afar, the mountain rose tall, steep, and rugged, shaped like a colossal dragon rearing its head and roaring toward the heavens.
At the same time, this was a forbidden zone within the empire's borders.
It was said that the Cinder Emperor, Cassius, slumbered here. Boundless heaps of gold and jewels were buried within, housing all of the emperor's vast wealth.
Many reckless adventurers had sought to breach this forbidden zone, yet none had ever returned alive.
Even a notorious legendary rogue from the Shadow Guild had vanished without a trace after venturing inside—an outcome that brought immense satisfaction to the nobles and tycoons who had once fallen victim to his thievery.
Anyone wishing to enter Dragonblood Mountain first had to cross the outermost patrol perimeter.
Within this perimeter were hundreds of outposts equipped with energy sensors, anti-aircraft cannons, magiteck tracking artillery, and other advanced magical apparatuses. Wyvern-mounted knights maintained an unceasing aerial patrol over the region, mercilessly eliminating any foolish intruder.
Even if one miraculously broke through the patrol zone, awaiting the trespasser was a scalding belt several thousand meters wide. Magma surged from deep fissures in the earth, and the billowing clouds of steam and sulfurous fog were lethal enough to roast mortals alive, matching the destructive power of spells of the fourth circle and higher.
Further inward lay the "Elemental Turmoil Zone," the very heart of Dragonblood Mountain.
The progenitor dragon forms of both Garyx and Cassius had violently warped and reshaped the surrounding Weave, rendering the elemental reactions here exceptionally volatile—as if stepping straight into the Chaos Sea.
Fire, lightning, howling tempests, and radiant brilliance intertwined across the land, crashing into one another to unleash terrifying magical reactions. Tsunami-like waves of power surged forth in relentless squalls, brazenly flaunting their catastrophic might.
Some of these reactions rivaled high-tier spells of the seventh circle and beyond, capable of obliterating an entire mortal settlement with ease—a living natural disaster.
At the very center of this cataclysm lay a colossal, peerless figure. He was curled atop the peak of Dragonblood Mountain that resembled a fearsome dragon head. Blinding fire and lightning coiled around him, and sulfurous clouds billowed outward from his massive form.
Suddenly, the silhouette amidst the turbulent currents stirred.
An appalling aura of dread radiated outward. For thousands of meters around, clouds of smoke churned, dust and stones were swept into the air, thunder clapped in concert, and rivers of fire surged across the terrain.
Crimson magma erupted from fissures in the stone like blood spurting from the mountain itself, splashing dozens of meters high before raining down scalding droplets that gouged chaotic, burning craters into the earth.
Yet the colossal silhouette merely bathed in the magma, slowly raising its head to release a thunderous, majestic roar. The great sweeping horns crowning his skull lent him an overwhelming dignity.
*Roar—!*
The bellow shook the heavens. Propping his massive body up on four powerful limbs, he rose from the ground. Illumined by the fiery glare, the silhouette of a formidable, fearsome dragon emerged.
Scalding magma dripped from his chin, belly, and limbs. Golden light patterns surged across his gold-red scales in rhythm with his breathing, carrying within them a terrifying power that seemed capable of destroying all things.
He was the Cinder Emperor, the Dragon of Cataclysms, the Tyrant of the North, and the Co-Ruler of Anzeta and Thrace—Cassius Claubius Norixius.
After many long days and another cycle of slumber, absorbing an immense amount of energy from Dragonblood Mountain, Cassius's true body had finally awakened.
During his true body's deep sleep, Cassius had traveled across Feanso under the guise of Titus, winning over allies and expanding the influence of the Dawn Alliance.
At the same time, he had made multiple trips to the Seleucia region to investigate the movements of the Cult of the Dragon and the Dragon Cult, engaging in numerous small-scale clashes with them.
Cassius opened his eyes, a breathtaking light gleaming within his lava-like vertical pupils.
*Not bad. After this slumber, my progenitor dragon bloodline density has increased considerably, and my physical fortitude has improved...*
Using the Cataclysmic Dragon Eye, he appraised his awakened body.
His frame, already far surpassing ordinary dragons, had expanded several sizes larger. From snout to tail-tip, he measured nearly eighty meters—a monumental, awe-inspiring presence like a living mountain, steadily advancing toward the hundred-meter threshold.
What did eighty meters mean?
Even for great wyrms, three of them lined up snout to tail would barely equal his length, while the gap in overall volume and mass was tens of times wider.
In the eyes of mortals, a dragon of such scale could hardly be described as a mere "creature"—terms like "mountainous colossus" or "walking cataclysm" were far more fitting.
Medium-sized humanoids such as humans, elves, and dwarves were as insignificant before him as grains of wheat or motes of dust. Even towering, majestic cathedrals would look like toy blocks made of stone before this red dragon, easily toppled with a single nudge.
Even without any magical abilities, relying purely on brute physical strength, this red dragon could easily crush an entire city—or even a medium-sized kingdom.
*What is this...?*
Cassius lowered his head and glanced down at his forelimbs. His thick arms and massive claws were encrusted with a heavy layer of translucent, crimson crystals that pulsed with high concentrations of energy.
Not just his forelimbs; numerous crystals had also sprouted along his back, tail, and even beneath his chin. They could easily be snapped off with a gentle tug.
If all the crystals across his body were scraped off, they would likely form a small crystalline mound weighing tens of tons.
*These must be crystals formed from the condensed waste energy expelled while assimilating Garyx's bloodline. Let's call them dragon crystals.*
*For my current bloodline tier, they're far too murky and can only be considered impurities. But for other dragons and dragonkin, they're rare treasures that can elevate bloodline power.*
*Hmm... Perfect. I'll put these dragon crystals up in the faction store and bundle them off to the players. As for the price—let's set it at thirty gold coins and eight thousand Faction Contribution per kilogram. At such a low price, they'll probably fight over them tooth and nail.*
With just a single nap, Cassius would reap millions of gold coins from the players while having them toil tirelessly on his behalf.
As the largest "entrepreneur" in the Cinder Empire and the majority shareholder holding stakes in dozens of Imperial Royal Companies—spanning daily necessities, garments, foodstuffs, and extending to the military and construction industries—Cassius received astronomical annual dividends.
Yet unlike dragons who hoarded gold coins within their private vaults, Cassius invested the majority of his wealth back into the empire's industrial production and magical technological advancements.
The widespread rumor across Feanso that the Cinder Emperor was "wealthier than entire nations" was by no means an exaggeration. His wealth was the empire's wealth, to the extent that Cassius himself could hardly tally his total assets.
Of course, as the saying went: the richer one was, the more fiercely one pinched every penny; and the more fiercely one pinched every penny, the richer one became.
Cassius would never let slip any opportunity to make money, and every single gold coin that flowed into his coffers brought him pure, unadulterated pleasure—as if he could hear its crisp, melodious clinking.
Well, that was the innate nature of a dragon. Even if Io himself descended, it would hardly be cured.
Aside from the dragon crystals growing on his surface, Cassius's true form had also undergone several morphological changes.
The massive horns upon his brow had begun branching outward; the edges of his frilled ears carried a metallic sheen; and a cluster of blade-like scales had grown beneath his chin.
His overall silhouette diverged ever further from ordinary red dragons. Before his mighty, powerful, yet gracefully proportioned physique, regular red dragons appeared downright slender.
Cassius let out a low rumble and glanced up at his status panel.
[Progenitor Dragon Bloodline: 21%]
[Strength: 39 → 40]
[Constitution: 37 → 38]
After this brief slumber, his progenitor dragon bloodline concentration had increased substantially, and his Strength had broken past the threshold of forty, reaching an appalling level.
With the sheer advantage of his massive size, Cassius's brute force would be even more prominent. In pure hand-to-hand combat, even the avatars of gods would struggle to stand against him.
Cassius scooped a massive boulder from the ground and gently squeezed it in his palm. With a crisp crunch, the boulder was crushed instantly into a cloud of powdery dust.
With a sudden sweep of his claws, debris flew as deep lacerations were gouged into the rock face before him, causing it to fissure and collapse.
"Not bad."
Cassius was thoroughly satisfied with his current physical display. Through raw bodily power alone, he could easily crush an entire army.
*Additionally... the free adventurers should have respawned by now.*
Cassius focused his awareness, using the power of his Imperial Domain to survey the outer perimeter of Dragonblood Mountain. Within the scalding belt outside, more than a hundred corpses were scattered about.
Charred black all over, they remained frozen in postures of frantic struggle, their contorted expressions revealing the extreme agony they had suffered before death.
Moreover, these corpses were draped in invisibility cloaks, aura-concealing cloaks, incorporeal light armor, and other stealth infiltration gear, faintly flickering with residual magical radiance. They were adventurers who had coveted the Cinder Emperor's treasures.
Those capable of evading the airtight patrols to reach the outer ring of Dragonblood Mountain had to be at least extraordinary rank, equipped with specialized gear.
Unfortunately, when faced with the scorching steam and suffocating fumes, they inevitably succumbed, dying of asphyxiation and ending their lives thoroughly roasted.
Further in, within the "Elemental Turmoil Zone," the corpses grew even sparser, and their manners of death even more gruesome—some struck dead by lightning, some incinerated by raging flames, and others swallowed by magma...
Cassius even discovered the mangled remains of a legendary Arcane Trickster. Clad in a shadow cloak, the figure's body exhibited an advanced degree of elemental transformation, yet it had been scorched to a cinder by a bolt of lightning descending from the heavens.
The fellow had likely attempted to flee into the Plane of Shadow, only to find the surrounding space thoroughly sealed off by Cassius, leaving no path of escape and forcing him to perish in despair.
Even in death, these adventurers would never have imagined that had they somehow bypassed all the perils to reach the core of Dragonblood Mountain, they would not have found a single gold coin, jewel, or magical artifact.
The sole treasure here was Dragonblood Mountain itself—the very corpse of Garyx, something even deities lusted after.
"How pathetic..."
Cassius flicked his claw, and the corpses were instantly engulfed by scorching dragonfire, reducing them to ashes that dissolved into the bedrock.
Meanwhile, the assorted equipment, spell scrolls, and gold coins scattered across their remains levitated into the air, coalescing into a clump before Cassius casually tossed them into his vault space.
Suddenly, a familiar magical vibration resonated beside Cassius, and an ugly face manifested before him. It was none other than Trump.
"Master, the moment I received intelligence from the Imperial Guard, I knew you had awakened. Only you could cause such a magnificent commotion."
Cassius nodded slightly and asked, "How are the items I gave you before my slumber? Have the analytical results come out?"
"Do you mean the spider remains?"
Seeing that Cassius did not refute him, Trump hurriedly answered, "The empire's Institute of Divinity and Theurgy has conducted a comprehensive analysis on them. Those remnants contain an exceptionally high concentration of divine power, far surpassing the baseline we previously tested."
"According to the institute, the barrier separating the Material Plane from the Outer Planes is deteriorating at a visible rate."
"At this pace, within twenty years—no, within fifteen years—deities will likely walk upon the mortal earth once more, reenacting the Cataclysm of the Gods from the Second Era. It is even possible that lesser and demipowers may use esoteric rites to descend upon the world ahead of schedule."
Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly. "You mean... the Chromatic Dragon Queen?"
Trump nodded vigorously. "Yes, Your Majesty. The Dragon Cult has almost entirely seized control of the Kingdom of Seleucia and performed numerous sacrificial rites. Even the king has become a fanatical devotee of the Dragon Queen."
"Only an old faction known as the 'River Valley Resistance' is fighting back desperately. It is time for the empire... to take an explicit stand."
Trump paused, bowing his head deeply and speaking respectfully, "Of course, this requires your decision."
Cassius had operated across Feanso for months under the guise of Titus, so he was naturally well aware of the Dragon Cult's rampant looting of towns, plundering of vaults, and abductions of mortals.
At that thought, he smiled faintly and asked, "Trump, do you believe I would submit to Her and become the so-called Duke of Chromatic Dragons She promised?"
"I would never dare presume to guess Master's intentions."
Trump knelt on the ground and looked up, the draconic vertical slits in his eyes glinting. In a deep voice, he said, "Yet from what I know of you... you would never bow to anyone, not even the Mother of Evil Dragons."
Hearing Trump's reply, Cassius burst into hearty laughter. "Well said. Today is different from the past. The empire's wings have matured, and we fear no deity."
"Since Tiamat wants me to bend the knee and serve as a thrall beneath Her feet, I will fight Her—to the bitter end." The red dragon's tone was resolute, his golden vertical pupils gleaming with soaring ambition.
Trump hurriedly chimed in, "Master, every subject of the Cinder Empire will follow in your footsteps, guided by your light, to pursue that glorious and grand blueprint."
Chapter 770