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"Huff..."

"What a terrifying enemy."

After confirming that the Shadow Dragon had left, the Red Dragon slowly descended to the ground, licking the wounds on its body.

【Dragon's Breath】

Golden particles of life energy descended from the sky, rapidly healing the injuries. The slightly weakened dragon body visibly began to recover.

"One day, I will kill him."

"Mortifer."

Cassius spoke this name that represented the night.

The Red Dragon stared at the place where the Shadow Dragon had disappeared, its expression slightly ferocious, and golden pupils seemed to burn with blazing flames. Someone had invaded its territory, and it vowed revenge. In the near future, it would crush the dragon hidden in the shadows.

But now was not the time; its power was still far from enough.

The surroundings were already a mess, with traces of the Shadow Curse lingering. Broken branches and splattered soil still emitted faint black mist.

However, the moon in the sky finally revealed itself, casting gentle and tranquil moonlight that purified the shadow energy spreading around.

Cassius could feel that, due to Duke Brad's sacrificial offering, the space here had become incredibly fragile, almost on the verge of becoming a boundary between the Material Plane and the Shadow Abyss.

Mortifer hadn’t lied; this transformation was still ongoing. Unless the source of the curse—the Shadow Dragon—was eliminated, it would continue.

"But..."

"At least it’s temporarily over."

The Shadow Dragon was indeed powerful, exerting absolute dominance. The black mist that veiled the sky made Cassius realize his own insignificance.

Fortunately, he understood the principle of "borrowing power for intimidation." By invoking Tiamat’s name and the authority of the Chromatic Dragons, he had managed to scare off the Shadow Dragon.

But all power beyond one’s control comes with a price, and Tiamat’s terrifying illusion was no exception.

"Perhaps, it isn’t truly over yet."

Cassius gazed at the sky, holding his breath.

The illusion meant only for Mortifer now appeared before him.

This was the power of the gods. Even creating an illusion, uttering a name, or thinking of a concept could allow them to sense it and use it as a medium to descend into the world.

Unlike the oppressive strength of the Shadow Dragon controlling the night, the Dragon Mother brought a despair that transcended all levels.

Five heads loomed high, gazing down upon him.

"We meet again, my child."

Her gaze, rather than loving, was more akin to greed.

This gaze made Cassius feel as if his soul was laid bare. He dared not meet it, lowering his head and forcing himself to speak calmly: "Greetings, great Mother of Evil Dragons, Queen of the Chromatic Dragons, Her Majesty Tiamat."

"I sincerely apologize. To drive away the Shadow Dragon, I presumptuously invoked your great name and used your majestic image. This was indeed an overstep."

Tiamat chuckled softly, and the white dragon head spoke: "Heh, this is of no consequence."

The green dragon head said: "You did well. You have established a kingdom for dragons in Anzeta. You have not buried the glory dragons once held."

The black dragon head said: "But greater trials await you in the future, my child."

Finally, the red dragon head spoke: "Ten years. I want you to unify Anzeta within ten years, march south to Fadlan, and become a pillar of my rule over the world. This will be part of the grand plan for all dragons."

"When I ascend the throne, the tyranny of the gods will end. Dragon rule will return to the land. The dragon’s wings will once again cover the Material Plane. As one of my aides, you, my child, will serve as my duke, gaining immense power and endless wealth."

Tiamat's eyes were filled with boundless greed. Perhaps her time in Avernus had been too long, for her words seemed to lure Cassius into hell.

Hearing the term "grand plan," Cassius's heart skipped a beat. Something felt off; the words sounded eerily familiar as if he had heard them somewhere before.

Yet, he kept his head lowered, pretending to be overwhelmed with excitement. He respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"I shall follow your will."

The illusion of Tiamat in the sky abruptly disappeared. Cassius finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly constructing a mental barrier to seal off the 【Terrifying Illusion of Tiamat】 in his mind.

His interface refreshed with new information.

[You have obtained the status 【Tiamat’s Greedy Gaze】: Your ferocity receives an additional bonus. Proficiency: Intimidation +6]

"Looks like I’m practically a chosen one now."

"Tch, trying to rebel but can’t..."

After all, Cassius was merely a pitiful young red dragon with a challenge level of 17. What else could he do?

Under the oppressive power of the Dragon Mother, he had no choice but to be a filial child. Borrowing someone else's authority still required showing some deference.

The interface refreshed again with several warning messages.

Although Tiamat’s words seemed like praise and commendation, Cassius knew full well that the Mother of Evil Dragons was anything but benevolent. She must have some vested interest in him.

If he naively trusted Tiamat’s words, he would likely be utterly exploited, leaving nothing behind.

Her rhetoric was all too familiar to Cassius—it was the same "painting cakes" technique he often used on his subordinates. Now, it was being used on him, which felt quite strange.

"Clash of Kings, Dragon Usurpation."

"I must quickly strengthen myself; otherwise, I won’t be able to handle such a world-class event."

Cassius thought to himself.

This was one of the side quests in the 2.0 version of 【Clash of Kings】. The Holy Fadlan Empire, also known as the Sun Empire, was the largest and most powerful nation on the central continent.

Its emperor, blessed by the Sun God Amantana, wielded the artifact "Wheel of Eternal Radiance," creating the Sun Legion, a force comparable to godspawn. This army was invincible, carving out vast territories for the empire and proclaiming, "Where sunlight shines, there is our domain."

However, after the unexpected death of the old emperor, Aragorn I, known as the "Sun King," his vast empire crumbled. His three sons divided the empire’s remnants, forming the three legitimate kingdoms of Kassander, Thrace, and Seleucia. The Sun Legion's godspawn nobles also established various smaller nations.

For a time, the empire fractured, leaving a constellation of nations. This period became known as the "Great Holy Fadlan Fragmentation," marking the beginning of 【Clash of Kings】.

Tiamat leveraged her cult to control the Seleucia Kingdom in the southwestern Fadlan region, attempting to summon her true form and restore dragon rule to the land. Her resurgence was known as 【Dragon Usurpation】.

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