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Several dragon spells appeared in Cassius' mind, and he could now wield these intricate spells like an artist; this was the innate talent of a true dragon sorcerer.

The magical essence of dragons made each of their movements resemble spellcasting, from which dragon sorcerers derived various spells like scratching, flying, hatching, and breathing.

"As expected of dragon spells."

"They really suit dragons perfectly."

Cassius sighed.

For example, the Raking Claws would be entirely useless if wielded by any mortal. However, combined with the naturally powerful claws of a dragon, it became a highly effective ranged attack with zero cost.

"Raking Claws!"

Flickering magical energy resembling claw shapes materialized in front of the red dragon. As he forcefully swiped his claws, these magical forces directed themselves toward a distant stone pillar.

Instantly, stone chips flew everywhere, leaving three deep grooves several feet into the stone pillar. The weak midpoint of the pillar could no longer bear the upper weight and collapsed with a crash, shattering into pieces.

"Not bad power."

Cassius nodded with great satisfaction, exhaling a breath of sulfuric fumes.

"And this fourth-circle spell…"

He had never accessed the fourth layer of the magic weave before.

Moreover, "Into the Flames" was even more complex than typical fourth-circle spells, as it was a blend of conjuration and evocation.

Transforming the body into flames and reconstructing oneself as fire was an extremely sophisticated form of evocation, while transporting oneself to any area covered by their breath weapon was a form of conjuration similar to "Misty Step."

"Into the Flames!"

Chanting in Draconic, Cassius took a deep breath, exhaling a torrent of flames.

Just as the last bit of energy left his mouth, his massive body merged directly into the blazing fire, becoming a complete embodiment of flames.

"Boom!"

A mass of fire in the shape of a giant dragon crashed into the stone wall, causing a booming echo throughout the cave and dislodging several stones.

"Such a complex spell, requiring simultaneous control over fire and teleportation."

"I still can’t fully control the teleportation location."

"Ugh… that hurt a bit."

Cassius shook his slightly sore head, muttering to himself. Fortunately, the thick skin of a red dragon made him indifferent to such a minor collision.

While sorcerer casting was less precise than that of wizards, it still required a clear understanding of its operational principles and coordinated control.

After testing a series of newly acquired abilities, Cassius fully recovered from the drowsiness of his slumber, feeling strangely exhilarated.

With so much power gained, how could he resist testing it out?

"After sleeping so long—"

"It’s time to go out and have a look."

The red dragon stepped out of the cave, passing over the guard inscriptions that Langpu had previously set.

These inscriptions would trigger an explosion, but Langpu had excluded the red dragon from their triggering conditions.

Passing through the dark underground passage, what had once seemed spacious was now a bit narrow for him.

Finally, the red dragon saw the sunlight he hadn’t seen in ages.

"Roar—"

Cassius let out a cheerful dragon roar.

The sight before him was a nearly unrecognizable transformation of Embers Nest compared to before his slumber.

At the entrance of the valley, the Rock Fortress had undergone multiple reinforcements, making it as unyielding as its name. The walls were over ten meters high and more than three meters thick, equipped with catapults, giant crossbows, and other armaments. Hobgoblin guards stood ready atop the walls.

Several tall watchtowers stood on either side, manned by sharp-eyed lizardfolk archers, on guard against any intruders. There were also broad wooden platforms on the hillside for the landing and takeoff of dragons.

Inside Embers Nest, several wooden military camps had sprung up, built in a standard goblin style to house the most elite hobgoblin forces.

At the valley's depth, a towering stone tower stood proudly, its magical glow shimmering. The designer had clearly attempted to make it elegant and majestic, yet it gave an impression of "a tiger painting turned into a dog."

"A Mage Tower?"

"That Langpu guy… really needs an aesthetic upgrade."

Cassius looked at the hideous "Mage Tower"—especially that gaping maw of an entrance—with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Within Embers Nest, the hobgoblins and lizardfolk guards, along with the ogres moving goods, all raised their heads to the sound.

This was quickly followed by an uproar.

"What was that sound?"

"Could it be…?"

Having slept for five years, some of the more recent members had never seen Cassius’ true form, only recalling the massive disturbance his slumber caused.

"It’s the master!"

"The master has awakened!"

"So big, so powerful."

"In the name of Maglubiyet, I’ve never seen such a massive dragon."

"I knew I made the right choice coming here."

Cassius looked down upon his followers.

Their numbers had greatly increased since before his slumber, and most had completed the transformation, becoming dragon-infused creatures with scales, claws, and other dragon-like traits.

From the stone tower, a massive figure clumsily flew over—Langpu.

"Flight spell?"

Cassius observed the food ogre mage clumsily flying, a bit surprised.

"Huff, huff, huff… Master, you… you’re finally awake."

Langpu landed heavily, panting.

Cassius looked him over; compared to before, the ogre in front of him was even fatter and sturdier.

Langpu no longer wore rough animal hides; he was dressed in a large robe sewn from several magical cloaks, with several rings on his fingers—clearly human magical accessories.

Cassius chuckled:

"Langpu, long time no see. You’ve become quite prosperous—already able to erect a Mage Tower."

Langpu quickly bowed his head and replied, "Master, these are all your riches, gathered from the reckless adventurers who came here uninvited."

"Give me a summary of Embers Nest’s current status."

"Yes, Master."

Langpu cast a series of projections on the wall using spells he had prepared in advance.

Like a corporate manager from Cassius’ past life, Langpu presented Embers Nest’s situation in various aspects—something Cassius had previously taught him, calling it "a PowerPoint." Langpu greatly enjoyed this refined approach.

In this report, Langpu covered territory and follower statistics, mining and metal-smelting progress, the scale of beast taming, and even mentioned the ongoing construction of Baator City.

"I must say, good job."

Cassius sincerely praised him, finding this ogre remarkably talented. Though rough in many respects, this report was already impressive for an ogre.

Hearing the red dragon’s praise, the dragon-blooded ogre became ecstatic:

"It’s all thanks to you, Master. Under your protection, we could achieve these minor accomplishments."

"Beep…"

The ogre’s "ring" emitted a sound, and his expression immediately turned excited.

Cassius looked at his wildly delighted, ugly face and asked in slight confusion:

"Langpu, what’s going on?"

"Master, my alert spell has triggered! More adventurers have come!"

Langpu’s face lit up with the joy of a bountiful harvest; it seemed he had profited quite well from those adventurers.

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