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The outskirts of Northwind Fortress.

One by one, portals opened, and mages arrived at a concealed clearing.

This clearing, surrounded by tall dense forests, was quiet and undisturbed, with flat ground covered only in wildflowers and weeds.

It was the site Cassius had chosen for his grand palace to be constructed in the future, now provided to Shroud as the "secure casting location."

Over the past month, he had fully transformed this area into his 【Kingdom Domain】.

Shroud glanced nervously around, finding no sign of danger. However, his high-level mage instincts detected something amiss.

"Lord Ember, this place feels unusually quiet."

He reached out to sense the air.

"The elemental flow here is extremely subdued."

Cassius calmly explained, "That’s because of the barrier isolating the area. It prevents external surveillance. Otherwise, how do you think I managed to establish this secret base right under that Red Dragon’s nose? It cost me considerable effort."

"Ingenious."

Shroud nodded slightly.

After all, the Red Dragon was capable of casting eighth-tier spells. Caution was only natural.

"Begin drawing the array."

Shroud commanded.

His voice trembled slightly, as he knew this was his last chance to turn things around.

The twelve gray-robed mages cast sound-blocking spells as a precaution.

The ominous parchment scroll was unfurled, unleashing a torrent of complex magical power.

Strange wailing echoed within the isolated clearing, muffled by the sound-blocking spells yet still resonant.

"Fear it, marvel at the dragon’s power."

"Its maw can devour me whole."

"Its fangs can rend me apart."

"Its flames can reduce me to ash."

"But I shall command it, bind it, and become the dragon!"

The players guided the magical energy, etching intricate and eerie patterns on the ground. Together, these patterns formed the powerful eighth-tier spell—【Wagner’s Dragon-Binding Array】.

"It’s finally happening."

"I will be the hero who slays the dragon."

Thinking of the Red Dragon who had destroyed everything he held dear, a deep and venomous hatred flickered in Shroud’s eyes. He had dreamed countless times of plunging his sword into the dragon’s chest, watching it wail in agony as it died before him—just as it had done to the allied forces he once led.

Shroud took a deep breath and stepped into the array’s central position.

The twelve court mages from the Northern Kingdoms stood at key nodes, forming a circular formation.

The twenty or so players positioned themselves on the outermost ring, managing the basic magical operations.

"Buzz—"

As the last participant took their position, the intricate patterns lit up, and a turbulent tide of magic surged through the array. It was a massive vortex of energy so intense that even Cassius could feel its overwhelming power.

Wagner’s Dragon-Binding Array, with its intricate chaos, strained even dozens of mages working together.

Shroud struggled to maintain control, panting as he pleaded:

"Lord Ember."

"Please revert to your majestic form and provide a dragon scale and fifteen drops of dragon blood to empower the array."

"Once you lure the Red Dragon here, I guarantee it will be restrained!"

Cassius looked at him with faint amusement, his body shimmering with magical light.

"Very well."

His form expanded rapidly, and soon a massive figure dominated the scene, casting a colossal shadow over the array.

Shroud looked up in astonishment.

But his astonishment soon turned to terror.

—The twenty-meter-long, muscular creature was a living embodiment of raw power, its crimson scales gleaming malevolently. Jagged spikes protruded along its body, and its crown-like horns radiated authority. Golden vertical pupils danced with fiery intensity.

This was no gold dragon—it was an unimaginably fearsome Red Dragon!

And Shroud instantly recognized it.

The creature that haunted his nightmares, the one who had slaughtered the allied forces—the Hellish calamity, the Ember King, the Red Dragon Cassius!

Shroud stood frozen, trembling as he shook his head in disbelief.

"No, no, this can’t be."

"You… You’re no gold dragon. You’re that accursed Red Dragon!"

Losing all composure, Shroud pointed at the players, shouting maniacally.

"They… They’re all spies!"

"Damn it!"

"This was all fake from the beginning!"

The twenty-something players revealed their true allegiances, launching attacks on the unprepared court mages. Spells of all colors lit up the chaos.

The Red Dragon remained still, towering above, watching the panicked mages with a trace of mockery in its golden eyes.

"For justice… wasn’t it?"

"I never claimed to be a gold dragon."

"Shroud."

Realizing the trap he had fallen into, Shroud’s despair mixed with unyielding hatred for Cassius.

"Red Dragon, you’ve ruined everything I had."

"My family, my status…"

"And now, you’ve crushed my last hope… I’ll kill you at any cost!"

In a fit of madness, Shroud forcibly activated the incomplete Wagner’s Dragon-Binding Array, attempting a final desperate attack.

But Cassius was well-prepared.

Over the past month, he had transformed the entire area into his 【Kingdom Domain】.

Golden energy suffused Cassius’s eyes as a phantom crown manifested above him.

An invisible aura spread outward, subjugating the surrounding elements. All magical energy bent to his will, even the weave itself yielding.

【Kingdom Domain—Negation】

Instantly, the swirling magic fell silent.

Wagner’s Dragon-Binding Array dimmed, its power extinguished.

"Damn it…"

"It failed."

Deprived of his last resort, Shroud slumped to the ground, his face ashen and eyes hollow with despair.

The twelve court mages tried to use spatial magic to escape, but the weave around them remained inert, rendering them as helpless as ordinary people.

Surrounding them, an army of earth goblins encircled the area, capturing the defenseless mages. They would be sent to Langpu’s newly constructed " Tower of the Great Sage" to serve as pitiable test subjects.

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