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“Master, you... finally returned.”

In front of the portal leading to the Dark Region, Langpu waited cautiously.

He lowered his head, his ugly nose keenly catching the scent of blood on the Red Dragon, but he didn’t say a word.

“Mortifer—that rat in the gutter is dead.”

Cassius spoke in a flat tone, as if he was stating something as mundane as the weather.

Langpu suddenly thought of the Shadow Dragon City that Mortifer ruled. The city had a strategic location and prosperous trade; perhaps it could serve as the Ember Kingdom’s frontline base for the march into the Dark Region.

But the ogre mage, while secretly observing the Red Dragon’s expression, noticed that the other party seemed unwilling to say more. In fact, his demeanor appeared somewhat impatient, and so he immediately gave up any thoughts of inquiring further.

“Your might is enough to make the gods tremble.”

“From now on, no entity will ever be able to threaten Northwind Fortress again.”

Langpu knelt on the ground, offering his praise respectfully, his massive and corpulent body resembling a mountain of flesh.

Yet Cassius appeared somewhat distracted, merely nodding slightly before spreading his wings and flying off to the Iron Dragonwing Palace on the outskirts of the city.

After a long time, Langpu, still kneeling, cautiously raised his head. Only when he found that the Red Dragon had vanished did he pull out a golden handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

“Master... he’s grown even stronger, but his personality has also changed.”

“I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.”

The ogre mage gazed at the fiery sunset on the horizon, his face full of unease, and couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

Meanwhile, inside the palace.

Cassius exhaled a breath of sulfur-scented smoke, his entire body shrouded in white mist. Even sparks erupted from his pupils, and hot flowing flames seeped from the gaps between his scales.

He indifferently gazed at the panel.

[You killed 【Lion Guardian - Auckland】, gained 1800xp]

[You killed 【Guardian Sword - Tyrande】, gained 1600xp]

[You killed 【Human Soldier】, gained 400xp]

[You killed 【Human Stable Boy】, gained 5xp]

[You killed 【Human Merchant】, gained 1xp]

On the road from Northwind Fortress to the palace, he had casually obliterated a human trade caravan that had traveled from Stratholme.

The caravan was quite wealthy, with several high-level professionals serving as guards—more than enough to handle bandits along the way, or even those yetis deep in the mountains. However, in front of the Red Dragon, it was all in vain.

These unfortunate humans had barely realized they were engulfed by a massive shadow. They looked up in terror, and before they could even shout “Danger!” or “Alert!“, the dark red blazing fire fell from the sky like divine punishment.

The flames swallowed them whole, reducing them to nothingness without leaving even a trace of struggle.

No one would notice the disappearance of this caravan—at best, there might be an unremarkable line recorded in an accounting ledger.

And this caravan had provided Cassius with that final bit of meager experience.

After hesitating between “Bloodscaled Fury” and “True Dragon Sorcerer,” he made his final choice.

[Your total class level has reached 17]

[[You chose to advance 【True Dragon Sorcerer】 to level 14]

[Due to innate dragon spellcasting, your current caster level is: 19]

[You are already one of the finest Sorcerers in this world, and you have gained an ability granted by the origin of your spell power]

In his past life’s memory, this level was a new leap for all professionals.

Sorcerers, in particular, would gain the power from their spell origin, becoming true high-level professionals—masters at a kingdom level.

This was also why, after some hesitation, he ultimately decided against further advancing the Bloodscaled Fury.

[You have obtained a spell origin ability: 【Transformation into an Ancient Dragon】]

【Transformation into an Ancient Dragon】

[True Dragon Sorcerers often seek guidance from their elders or trace back to ancient beings who serve as the source of their bloodline. To better understand, they may even transform themselves into an ancient dragon.

You can choose from chromatic dragons, metallic dragons, or gem dragons to transform into, consuming a drop of true dragon blood in the process.

During the transformation, you are equivalent to a genuine ancient dragon, possessing all fundamental attributes and spell-like abilities.

However, these abilities are for experience only, and the usable time is quite brief, gradually fading once combat begins. ]

“A decent ability.”

Cassius evaluated.

After all, an ancient dragon was one of the most powerful beings on the Material Plane. Even a brief experience could be beneficial, not to mention the “short period of usability.”

It should be noted that an ancient red dragon’s challenge rating was level 22, while an ancient gold dragon’s reached a terrifying level 23—such a being could rampage through Erezaghe. Even for Cassius, without using Chaos Breath, defeating an ancient gold dragon would be challenging.

[You have gained an additional Dragon Spell: 【Primal Hunter】]

Primal Hunter

Second-tier transformation spell

Your muscles swell in memory of the strength of your ancestors, tensed for swift action.

This spell causes your body to recall the strength of your ancestors and the era in which they fought for survival. You gain a +5 performance bonus on Climb, Jump, and Swim checks.

“Useless.”

Cassius’s expression was somewhat displeased. For a dragon of his level, this spell was hardly worth mentioning.

[You have gained an additional Dragon Spell: 【Dragon’s Justice】]

Dragon’s Justice

Sixth-tier transformation spell

Bright yellow light radiates from your body, making it appear as though you are covered in glowing spikes.

You create an arcane force field around yourself that inflicts retaliatory damage on those who attack you. During the spell’s duration, any creature that attacks you with a weapon will be impaled by the force field.

“This one could still be useful.”

Cassius casually shook his head, exhaling a few wisps of flame from the corner of his mouth, feeling the heat flow within.

But he was still pondering that enticing thought.

“Kill all living beings in the Material Plane.”

“Continue to rule the Ember Kingdom, or destroy this world in pursuit of supreme power.”

“Perhaps this is truly a kind of purification.”

The Red Dragon thought excitedly, the “Heart of Karrikex” pounding along with his powerful heartbeat, pumping energy through his core veins.

He had never felt his body so brimming with energy, as if an endless power awaited release.

“Power.”

“That is everything that exists in this world.”

Cassius extended his claw, dark red flames spewing from his palm before he clenched it tightly.

Suddenly, a burst of immense energy erupted, allowing the hot wind to be felt for miles.

He felt an unprecedented surge of power in his draconic body—even if a god were to descend, he was confident he could swallow it in Chaos Fire—this was nothing less than rampant ambition.

“Heh heh heh.”

The Red Dragon bared his teeth, once again revealing a ferocious grin. Even his wings trembled constantly, as if he had made some kind of decision.

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