Page 264

Suddenly, Jezarslakh turned his head, locking his gaze on the red dragon’s avatar. His deep eyes emitted an endless, chilling coldness.

"What are you looking at?"

Roaring winds howled through the void, chaotic mist poured like rapids, and a huge, twisted, winged silhouette seemed to loom behind Jezarslakh’s frail body.

"Destruction!"

"Chaos!"

"Vengeance!"

Roars echoed from the void, overlapping and resonant.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the avatar, traversing the channel between the Material Plane and the Astral Plane, making Cassius feel as if he had plunged into an icy abyss.

Stripped of its pretense, this was the true power of a former demon lord—an existence where even a simple glance could drive mortals mad.

Cassius did his best to reinforce his mental barriers, gritting his teeth. "I was merely observing your strength, trying to see if you were worthy of my cooperation."

The surging chaotic energy around them dissipated instantly. The demon again assumed a gentle and refined demeanor, as if what had just happened was merely Cassius’s illusion.

"My dear collaborator, I would be delighted to share everything with you, but that will have to wait until we sign a contract.

It is quite rude to pry without permission, even in the Abyss that is considered a shameful act.

I believe beings from the Material Plane are not usually this discourteous. "

"I can tell you have quite a few secrets of your own."

"But we have all the time in the world ahead of us. We can exchange secrets, build trust—that’s the true foundation of our cooperation, isn’t it?"

Suspended in midair, Jezarslakh bowed slightly, seemingly apologizing for his earlier aggression, while also taunting the red dragon before him.

In the Material Plane, Cassius’s true body slightly flared his scales, and thick white smoke poured from his vents.

It had been a long time since he felt such pressure.

The erratic temperament of this "Lord of Vengeance" was almost too much for even Cassius to handle. Such was the nature of demons—they could drink with you one moment, and slaughter your entire family the next because you "refused to eat beef."

And this demon was warning him—not to use that mysterious force at his back to pry into his affairs.

At the same time, he was trying to subtly use his oppressive presence to force Cassius into submission, aiming to seize the upper hand in these negotiations.

Cassius had often used such tactics in the past—now, it was being used against him.

"Dealing with demon lords really is..."

"Troublesome."

Cassius thought to himself.

Jezarslakh spoke again: "Have you thought it through? If you have any questions, feel free to ask. For an equal partner, I will hide nothing."

His tone remained earnest, even excessively humble.

If it were any ordinary mortal, after being intimidated by such a scene, then faced with sudden sincerity, they would likely be flattered and fall into the demon’s verbal trap. But Cassius remained on high alert.

After pondering for a moment, Cassius’s eyes burned with intensity as he spoke again.

"Jezarslakh, I have already seen your might. But with such immense power, why do you need to cooperate with me? Is it simply because of so-called ’fate’?

"From what I know, you demons are creatures of chaos. You do not submit to any supposed destiny."

Jezarslakh smiled calmly, shaking his head.

"Tsk, the stereotypes mortals of the Material Plane hold... Unlike those foolish texts, demons are, in fact, the most aligned with the world’s trajectory. In this regard, we are more steadfast than any human, dragon, or even god."

The demon looked up towards the void, yet his deep eyes seemed to be gazing into the Abyss.

"The world, it always moves from order to chaos—that is the fate that runs throughout the universe. When the Abyss created most demons, it gave them the nature most suited to spreading chaos and evil, and an unmatched zeal for it."

"Through the actions of demons, driven by pure chaos, the Abyss can achieve its long-held desire—to annihilate everything, whether mortal or immortal, and to remake everything into a new universe, one that is free of order and intent."

Cassius questioned, "Then why would I help you destroy everything, even myself? I’m not some fool like Koman, blinded by revenge."

Jezarslakh replied, "No, you could become a new king with me."

Cassius found another flaw in his words. "Ha, then why don’t you want to become the sole ruler of this new universe? Or is it that you don’t want to?"

The demon sneered once more.

"Tsk, always so sharp-tongued. But I do enjoy working with smart individuals; dealing with fools is torture."

"If you had some knowledge of demonology, you would know that if a demon is killed outside the Abyss, its essence returns to the Abyss’s primal chaos."

"Thousands of years ago, I tore open an Abyssal passage, attempting to invade the Material Plane through the Astral Plane, but a god found me."

"He understood the nature of Abyssal demons well and did not kill me completely. Instead, He destroyed my body and imprisoned my ’essence’ here in the Astral Void.

Even if I break free from this seal, I cannot find a body to carry my power—I can only wander the endless void until—you appeared, Cassius. "

Cassius finally noticed that the emaciated body before him seemed somewhat translucent, clearly composed of some pure chaotic energy imbued with will—more like a spirit than a body.

The demon continued, as if reciting an epic.

"So... what do you think? Will you bear my chaotic power, merge with me, and together, we will be the destroyers of all things, the creators of a new world?"

His tone grew deeper, like the gaze of the Abyss itself, mesmerizing, enchanting, even driving one mad.

But Cassius resisted the invasion of this Abyssal will, speaking each word firmly:

"No, it is not enough."

"What you offer is still insufficient for me to take the risk of becoming an enemy of the gods to work with you."

In his previous life, Cassius had no so-called panel, yet he had grown into a nearly thirty-meter-long dragon in just ten short years. That could not have solely been the power of the Lord of Vengeance; it could only mean one thing—Jezarslakh was definitely hiding something else.

"Hahahahaha!"

The demon suspended mid-air trembled violently, suddenly bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

The eerie laughter echoed through the Astral Void, causing the surrounding chaotic mist to churn, transforming into various horrific Abyssal scenes.

Jezarslakh lowered his head, speaking in a low voice:

"As expected of the endlessly greedy red dragon."

"But... you truly guessed correctly."

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