Immortal Form

Hundreds of brand-new feat entries materialized on Cassius's system panel. Lightning, frost, time... Feeling these familiar powers pour into his body like a raging deluge, Cassius was filled with exhilaration, and plumes of high-temperature, high-pressure steam billowed from his flesh. After all, those magic items had ultimately been mere external implements. Now they had become his own intrinsic power, even possessing the opportunity to develop and grow on their own. It was no wonder he felt such delight. With every gesture of the Red Dragon Emperor, clouds surged, arcs of lightning crackled, frost spread, and endless phenomena manifested in dizzying succession. By this point, the gold, silver, and jewels inside the vault had vanished. In their place stood a colossal statue cast of pure gold, well over a hundred meters tall, encasing the Red Dragon Emperor entirely within. *Crack—* Accompanied by a crisp snap, fissures began to splinter across the statue's surface under the relentless erosion of the elemental storm, branching out wildly and multiplying by the second. At last, the monumental sculpture fractured completely and collapsed in a thunderous roar. From within the churning clouds of steam emerged an incomparably massive figure—Cassius. Only when the vapor cleared did his new form reveal itself. The Red Dragon Emperor's outward shape had not changed drastically from before, but the golden gilding along the edges of his scales was far more pronounced. Gilded flowing script also rippled across his dragon horns and around the dragon crystal on his chest, lending him an aura of supreme majesty and sacred nobility. Beyond that, the greatest change lay in his eyes. A breathtaking radiance shone from those molten vertical pupils, where countless specks of light swirled like stars, as though he had transcended physical existence to touch an uncharted realm. Cassius lowered his head and flexed his claws. A staggering pressure rippled outward, releasing a faint luminescence that stirred into a tempest—a force so preposterous, an aura so terrifying that the surrounding space trembled slightly. "What immense pressure..." He glanced at the translucent light screen before him, where a brand-new entry had surfaced on his system panel. Awesome Aura [In addition to their innate frightful presence, a Dragon of Apotheosis gains a unique aura of dread spanning a radius of twenty kilometers around the dragon. The Awesome Aura kindles resolve in allies and terror in foes. Allies of the Dragon of Apotheosis receive a +4 morale bonus, while enemies must succeed on a Will save or fall into a shaken state. When the Awesome Aura is unleashed using divine power, merely staring at the dragon in fascinated awe can daze affected mortals. Should their Will save fail, there is a chance they will be converted into worshipers.] "As expected of a demigod-tier aura—it can actually convert people into followers. Evolving it to its final state must replicate the descent of a true deity," Cassius couldn't help but marvel. Using the Cataclysmic Dragon Eye, he scrutinized his own body. While it appeared that only slight details had shifted throughout, the result was a fundamental, world-shaking metamorphosis in his overall presence and structure. At this moment, the only word that could describe Cassius's body was "perfection." It was not the delicate grace of an elven sculpture, nor the crude brutality of a titan colossus, but an ultimate form forged from pure power and absolute harmony. His gargantuan frame coiled like the roots of a mountain range. Every swell of muscle harbored strength capable of tearing the earth asunder, yet in tense stillness, it flowed with lines as seamless as a masterwork sculpture, as though it had endured for billions of years. Mortal architecture, no matter how magnificent or sweeping, seemed like fragile toys piled from sand by children before Cassius's current dragon form, its very foundations quivering beneath the invisible majesty radiating from his body. This was an aura that transcended the physical, rising above the mundane—what scholars versed in the Outer Planes customarily called "Immortality." Right then, a new notification surfaced on Cassius's panel. Immortality [A dragon that walks this path is effectively a demigod, possessing an immortal divine nature. In theory, they share the lifespan of the multiverse itself and have no need for mortal eating, sleeping, or breathing. Only physical or magical attacks originating from a demigod or higher can slay a demigod. Mortal attacks upon a demigod will at most shatter their physical flesh, and over time, they will completely restore themselves.] Cassius experimentally sheared off a piece of the stratum corneum at the edge of one of his scales and crushed it to dust. Yet he clearly sensed those specks gathering at a visible speed, striving to merge back into his body. Only now did Cassius truly grasp the meaning of this so-called "Immortality." He felt as if his body had become a self-contained, self-sustaining miniature universe existing independently within the Material Plane. All the physiological traits of a mortal creature—breathing, eating, sleeping—had fallen away. He had not lost the ability to do those things; he simply had no need for them. For a demigod, maintaining mortal biological functions was utterly meaningless, nothing more than a burden. If he indulged them, it would merely be out of habit. The text on the system panel continued to refresh, line after line, showing no sign of slowing down, overwhelming the senses. [You have digested a portion of primal divinity. Dragon of Apotheosis level increased to: 4] [You have gained the epic feats: Draconic Knowledge, Fast Healing, Epic Fortitude, Epic Speed, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes] [At 2nd level, you gain the special quality Transcendental Vitality. Every two levels thereafter, the Dragon of Apotheosis gains a +1 bonus to Constitution. You gain the special quality Polymorph Immunity. The Dragon of Apotheosis gains immunity to polymorphing, petrification, and any other attack that alters its form, though any polymorph spells it casts upon itself function normally. At 3rd level, you gain the special quality Supernatural Damage Reduction. The Dragon of Apotheosis's damage reduction can only be overcome by epic weapons. At 4th level, you gain the special quality Lifeward. The Dragon of Apotheosis is no longer affected by attacks that deal energy drain, ability drain, or ability damage...] Looking at the dense wall of text on the system and feeling the many wondrous new powers dwelling within his body, Cassius exhaled a long plume of scorching smoke out of sheer habit from his mortal days, letting out a heartfelt sigh. "As expected of the Mother of Evil Dragons, mistress of all the world's wealth. The harvest from robbing Her once is worth years of hard labor. Looks like I truly have no choice but to wage war on this Cult of the Dragon." Meanwhile, deep within the Nine Hells, inside Tiamat's divine realm, an enraged roar resounded across the heavens and earth, shaking neighboring Avernus to its core: "Cassius! You damned traitor, you shameless thief—!"