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The Dragons Shadow City was a desolate ruin, suspended above a vast abyss, where winds that pierced through the abyss seemed to forever scream. This city was perched atop a massive stone outcropping within the Underdark, its walls and structures looming over a terrifying emptiness.

The city extended across a vast underground gorge. It was called the Howling Abyss, and its depth reached more than seventeen miles down.

"Whoosh—"

A shrill, piercing howl echoed as hurricane-force winds struck the Dragons Shadow City, threatening to sweep away any creature daring to expose itself atop the battlements of the abandoned city or attempt to cross the gorge.

Despite the unending wind, the Howling Abyss was not devoid of dangerous creatures. Beakstorm sprites and void-bound wraiths reveled in the ceaseless gales, while spectral shadow dragons and undead dracoliches often soared above the city they ruled.

This was once a trading city of the drow elves, but the shadow dragons of the Jezred Clan conquered the drow city of Charlsen and enslaved its people.

Over the following centuries, the dragons gradually culled the drow population, twisting them into beings of shadow and replacing them with their own dragon-blooded progeny, all the while pulling the city deeper into the Shadowfell.

The supreme ruler here was none other than Mortiferl Jezred, the fearsome shadow dragon known as the "Voice of the Night," and the one who was responsible for shaping this strange city.

In a dark alley, a hooded man said:

"Danyal, have you heard? That old bastard is about to strike the surface world again."

"Hmm."

"According to our intel, he’s found a passage to Erezaghe."

"The shadow dragons, shadow stranglers, and wraiths are all mobilized—it seems there’s something big coming."

The Dragons Shadow City was not only under Mortiferl’s influence; resistance existed as well. Under the brutal rule of the shadow dragons, even the infamous drow had become pitiable victims, forming various resistance groups underground.

The largest faction was the Brotherhood, led by the human Ferriton Les and the drow Danyal Berylran. It consisted of hundreds of members, and they had even succeeded in killing a newly-born shadow dragon.

A patrolling darkshifter prowled the street, sniffing the air.

The two men immediately cast spells, vanishing into the shadows, retreating to their secret gathering place.

Ferriton continued:

"Perhaps we can seize the opportunity and take power, assassinate that half-shadow drow consul—that revolting shadow hybrid."

"But once Mortiferl returns, everything will have been for nothing."

"..."

The two fell into silence.

As leaders of the resistance, no one understood Mortiferl’s strength better than they did.

Thousands of Faerlan’s troops had once attacked the Dragons Shadow City, but they all turned into undead shadows under the shroud of darkness, becoming Mortiferl’s sustenance. In the endless dark of the Underdark, that shadow dragon seemed nearly invincible.

The efforts of the resistance seemed like a game Mortiferl played for his amusement when bored. He would even deliberately let rebels escape just to savor the depth of their despair and enjoy the absolute control akin to a cat toying with a mouse.

Ferriton often felt furious at this, but there was nothing he could do, leaving him mired in deep despair.

He didn’t even dare end his own life, as any soul that perished in this land was forcibly transformed into an undead shadow, doomed to eternal unrest.

"Is there really no one who can defeat him?"

"At the very least... we have to try."

"Maybe we could contact that kingdom in Erezaghe and cooperate from inside and outside to kill Mortiferl in the surface world."

Danyal smiled bitterly, removing his hood and shaking his head, revealing his drow-black pointed ears.

"Impossible."

"From my family’s archives, I’ve read about the surface world. Erezaghe is the most barren and remote part of the continent. In a place like that—how could anyone exist who could defeat Mortiferl?"

"We can only hope for divine intervention."

"..."

Ferriton fell silent once more.

He had tried resisting countless times, but each attempt ended in failure. He even suspected that Mortiferl was using him as bait to lure more rebels out.

"Roar—"

Suddenly, a deep roar resounded.

Immediately following it were the roars of shadow dragons, the shrill wails of undead shadows, and chaos within the city.

"What was that?"

"Is it an enemy attack?"

Ferriton and Danyal both sounded excited.

They quickly donned their robes, cautiously pushing open the door and stepping onto the dim, decayed street.

Indeed, undead shadows, darkshifters, and shadow stranglers were hurrying by in troop formations, even shadow dragons flew chaotically through the air.

Ferriton clicked his tongue and said:

"What the hell is going on? What could make them deploy this many troops?!"

"Ferriton—

"Quick, quick, look."

"Dragon, it’s a dragon."

Danyal’s voice trembled slightly.

"What?"

Ferriton quickly turned his head, instinctively looking up at the sky.

What he saw was unforgettable—a massive red dragon far larger than Mortiferl, its wings spread wide, seeming to blanket the entire city. Gale-force winds howled, yet the dragon moved its powerful wings slowly, unaffected by the gusts.

The dragon’s body was completely solid, with no signs of transparency, clearly a true dragon and not a transformed shadow dragon.

It bore four menacing horns, and its body was immensely strong.

There were web-like cracks on its chest, with a core of shimmering fire.

Compared to this unknown dragon in the sky, the evil shadow dragons and darkshifters were like frightened wild dogs encountering a predator, involuntarily emitting sharp cries of terror, but the massive red dragon remained unmoving.

"Mortiferl, I’ve come for you."

The dragon sneered, his eyes filled with a barely suppressed hunger for destruction.

Suddenly, the crystal embedded in his chest shone brilliantly.

For a city long shrouded in shadows, this brought daylight to the Dragons Shadow City, a rare brightness to the subterranean Underdark—at that moment, he was like a sun never before seen in the underground, causing the shadow creatures lurking in the darkness to cower in fear.

The dragon slightly opened his jaws, an endless torrent of fire pouring out, just like Karrikex descending to the world from the visions.

It was the Breath of Chaos, also the Cleansing Fire.

It would burn everything to ash, leaving only the most thorough chaos behind.