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"I have finally awakened."

Cassius slowly opened his eyes, wisps of smoke curling from his lips. He felt an unprecedented power surging through his body and couldn't help but gently stretch his wings.

"Damn it, what time is it now?"

The red dragon was unsure of the current time, for it seemed like he had experienced centuries within his dreams—an eternity of fierce battles, witnessing the rise and decline of dragons.

Yet, those memories that felt so real were now shrouded in a mysterious haze, growing vague the moment he opened his eyes.

It even made him feel a bit dizzy.

"If it's been decades, that would be troublesome."

Cassius looked around. The cave was now covered in flowing magma, with molten streams everywhere. Even the gold had melted into liquid rivers, erasing any trace of time.

He let out a low whistle, summoning the Cataclysmic Dragon Eye, carefully examining himself, and surveying the kingdom's territory.

Fortunately, in his expansive view, Northwind Fortress was thriving.

People bustled about the streets and squares, and the kingdom had undergone significant changes—though it was evident that only a few years, not decades or centuries, had passed.

His own transformation was even more startling to Cassius.

"This is..."

The red dragon's form had undergone a complete metamorphosis compared to before his slumber, leaving even himself feeling slightly unfamiliar.

His body had grown to nearly thirty meters long—a size only attained by ancient or elder red dragons who had lived at least five hundred years. Cassius had achieved this in just ten years.

His scales had turned a deeper red, with their glossy texture replaced by a smooth, matte finish. The edges bore dark golden streaks, like gilded armor growing from within.

His wings had broadened, with the trailing edges covered in a blue-black hue, like metal burning in the fire.

His tail had become thicker, ending in sharp bony protrusions, resembling a siege hammer.

But these were merely superficial details.

The most drastic and significant changes were in his head and chest.

His once golden eyes had lost their color, now appearing as blazing molten orbs, radiating intense firelight.

His fearsome head not only sported the two backward-curving horns but now also had spiraled, demon-like horns growing from the crown.

At the center of his chest, where countless basal blood vessels converged, a crimson crystal of extremely pure fire elements was deeply embedded. It bore ripples like flowing magma, with surrounding scales cracked in a radial pattern, glowing with brilliant light.

The energy contained within was too massive and concentrated, constantly heating the surrounding tissue. To cope, his chest, neck, and tail had developed rows of vent-like organs to expel sulfurous exhaust and release excess heat.

If Cassius had looked like a true red dragon before his slumber, then now he was unmistakably a mutation—no longer fitting the category of an ordinary chromatic dragon. Any draconic scholar present would undoubtedly be astonished by his new form.

"This form... it really resembles a true avatar of catastrophe."

Cassius shook his unfamiliar body, slowly spreading his wings, feeling the oceanic power surging within. His molten eyes glowed with anticipation.

"Let's see what this power can do."

[After your slumber, you have assimilated the 'Thin Ancestral Dragon Bloodline,' evolving your body.]

[Dragons are powerful magical creatures inherently adept at many supernatural phenomena, especially Io's favored offspring. As a descendant of the ancestral dragon, you have gained ancient supernatural abilities.]

[You have gained additional caster levels: 3 → 5]

[Your racial casting level and sorcerer casting level are combined. Your current casting level is: 17]

This level of spellcasting ability allowed him to barely touch the ninth layer of the Weave, practically reaching its surface. Beyond that lay the realm of the forbidden.

Cassius deeply felt the extraordinary enhancement.

The eighth-circle spell 'Magic Enervation,' which once required extreme caution, could now be wielded with ease, almost like an extension of his will. Common low and mid-tier spells could no longer threaten him.

"With this level of spellcasting, I could dominate Anzeta."

The red dragon merely gazed at a distant thick stone pillar, and with a minor shift in intent, the center of the pillar melted instantly, liquefying into flowing lava. A simple warlock spell, executed as easily as blinking, without a moment's thought.

However, the information on the interface wasn't finished; it continued to refresh.

[Due to the ancestral dragon bloodline, you have gained the draconic feat - 'Primordial Breath Weapon']

[Primordial Breath Weapon]:

Once per day, the dragon uses the power within its ancestral bloodline to concentrate energy into the dragon crystal, triggering a fission reaction that releases unimaginable power.

After each Primordial Breath, waste material accumulates within the dragon crystal, potentially causing irreversible pollution to the body.

It requires 125-375 seconds of charge-up time. Within the preceding three hours, the dragon must not have used its breath weapon, and the energy expended in this attack prevents breath weapon usage for at least the next three days.

"Such a powerful breath."

"Instead of 'Primordial Breath,' calling it an 'atomic bomb' breath might be more fitting, though the side effects are significant."

Cassius chose not to recklessly test the potentially harmful 'Primordial Breath' and instead performed a regular breath attack.

As he slowly opened his jaws, the complex machinery-like mechanisms of his body began to operate, energy coursing through dense basal vessels to the embedded 'dragon crystal' at his chest, gradually accumulating there. The semi-transparent crystal shone brightly.

Simultaneously, the two rows of vents opened, emitting bright plumes of flame, and expelled puffs of white smoke.

Finally, the highly concentrated energy traveled to the red dragon's throat, releasing in a burst of searing white-hot flame, instantly melting the rock in front of him.

Had the red dragon not closed his mouth promptly, the flames might have penetrated the rock layers and compromised the cave's structure.

"Tsk, it's almost as strong as my hypercharged breath before my slumber."

"To think just a thin trace of the bloodline could grant such power... what must the ancient dragons have been like?"

Cassius couldn't help but sigh.

He felt his dragon heart pounding like a superheated engine, his vitality at an all-time high—his existence now leagues beyond mere mortals.

Simply put, this red dragon had crossed a threshold almost insurmountable for mortals, reaching the level known to many as 'Legendary.'

"The security measures were well implemented."

With a slight movement of his wings, invisible waves effortlessly dispelled dozens of spells placed around the cave entrance.

Cassius leisurely stepped out of the cave and entered the Iron Dragonwing Palace.

Due to the unintentional disaster caused during Cassius's slumber, the palace was in complete disarray—molten steel re-solidified across the area, creating a chaotic but strangely beautiful scene. However, for the now much larger red dragon, even this palace felt cramped.

The metal gate had long since been destroyed, leaving only uneven remnants of the once grand entrance.

The red dragon lowered his head, folded his wings, and squeezed through, finally exiting the once magnificent main hall.

Cassius shook himself, extended his neck, and stood upright, letting out a joyful call, finally able to spread his broad wings fully, no longer confined by cramped spaces.

He looked up at the clear sky, his eyes narrowing, with flames flickering in his molten orbs.

"I think I smell... something familiar."