Ashen Dragon-Chapter 147 - 76: Giant Dragons Seize Power

"Phew..."

"Such a terrifying enemy."

After confirming that the Shadow Dragon had left, the Red Dragon slowly descended to the ground, licking its wounds.

[Dragon’s Breath]

Golden life energy particles descended from the sky, rapidly healing the injuries, making the somewhat weakened dragon body visibly recover.

"Someday, I will kill him."

"Mortifael."

Cassius uttered the name representing the night.

The Red Dragon gazed at the area where the Shadow Dragon had disappeared, its expression slightly ferocious, and its golden pupils seemed to burn with raging flames. Having been attacked on its own territory, retaliation was unavoidable. In the near future, he would crush the dragon hiding in the shadows.

But now was not the time; his strength was still far from sufficient.

The surroundings were already in complete disarray. Traces of the Shadow Curse still lingered here, with broken branches and splattered mud emitting faint black mist.

However, the moon finally appeared in the sky, casting gentle and serene moonlight, purifying the pervasive shadow energy around.

Cassius could feel that due to Duke Brad’s sacrifice of everything, the space here had become extremely fragile, almost on the verge of becoming a boundary between the Prime Material World and the Nether Shadow Realm.

Mortifael had not lied; this transformation was still ongoing unless the source of the curse— the Shadow Dragon— was eliminated.

"But..."

"For now, it’s finally over."

The shadow dragon’s strength was indeed great, possessing absolute suppression power. That dark mist covering the sky made him realize his own insignificance.

Fortunately, he understood the principle of "borrowing power to do evil" and invoked the name of the Five-Colored Dragon Queen Tiamat, scaring off the Shadow Dragon.

However, any power beyond control came at a price, and Tiamat’s terrifying illusion was no exception.

"Maybe, it hasn’t completely ended yet."

Cassius looked up at the sky and suddenly held his breath.

The illusion that should have appeared only in Mortifael’s eyes now appeared in front of him.

This was the power of deities. Even by merely creating an illusion, uttering a name, or recalling a concept, they could perceive it and descend into the world using it as a medium.

Unlike the overwhelming oppression of the Shadow Dragon controlling the night, the Dragon Mother brought him a despair that transcended dimensions.

Five heads looked down on him from above.

"We meet again, my child."

Her gaze was more of a certain greed than kindness.

This look made Cassius feel as if his soul had been seen through. He dared not look directly at her anymore, only bowing his head and saying calmly, "Greetings, great Mother of Evil Dragons, Queen of the Five-Colored Dragons, Her Majesty Tiamat."

"I sincerely apologize. Just now, to drive away that Shadow Dragon, I presumptuously borrowed your mighty name and used your majestic image. This was indeed an overstep."

Tiamat chuckled lightly. The White Dragon head spoke, "Heh, it’s no big deal."

The Green Dragon head said, "You did well. You established a kingdom for the dragons in Anzeta, preserving the former glory of the giant dragons."

The Black Dragon head said, "But greater trials await you in the future, my child."

Finally, the Red Dragon head said, "Ten years. I want you to unify Anzeta within ten years, march south to Fadlan, and become my aid in ruling the world. This— will be part of the grand blueprint for the entire dragonkin."

"When I ascend the throne, the tyranny of the gods will end. The rule of the giant dragons will return to the earth. Dragon wings will once again cover the Prime Material World, and as one of my lieutenants, my child, you will become a duke serving me. You will also gain immense strength and endless wealth."

Tiamat’s eyes were filled with boundless greed. Perhaps being in Aphernas for too long, her words seemed to lure Cassius into Hell.

Hearing the words "grand blueprint," Cassius’s heart skipped a beat. He felt something was off, as if the lines were somewhat familiar, wondering if he had heard them somewhere before.

But he still lowered his head, pretending to be extremely excited, respectfully saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"I will follow your will."

The illusion of Tiamat in the sky suddenly vanished, and Cassius finally breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly constructed a mental barrier, sealing away the [Tiamat’s Terrifying Illusion] in his mind.

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Information refreshed on his panel.

[You have gained the status [Tiamat’s Greedy Gaze], your intimidating aura will receive an extra bonus, and your proficiencies: Intimidation +6]

"I might actually become a chosen one this time."

"Tsk, wanting to rebel but can’t..."

After all, Cassius was just a pitiable young Red Dragon with a challenge level of 17. What else could he do?

Under the powerful intimidation of the Dragon Mother, he was forced to play the filial role. After all, having borrowed another’s authority, one had to show some respect.

Several warning messages refreshed again on the panel.

Although Tiamat’s words seemed like praise, Cassius was well aware that this Mother of Evil Dragons was definitely not benign. There must be benefits she coveted on him.

If he blindly trusted Tiamat’s words, he would be doomed to be completely eaten away, leaving not a single crumb.

And her rhetoric was all too familiar to Cassius— pie in the sky. This was a tactic he often used on his subordinates, and now it was being used on him, making Cassius feel somewhat strange.

"Kings’ Strife, Dragons Usurping the Throne."

"I must quickly enhance my strength, or I’ll be unable to cope with such world-class events."

Cassius thought to himself.

This was one of the side quests in version 2.0 [Kings’ Strife]. The Holy Fadlan Empire, also known as the Sun Empire, was the most expansive and most powerful nation on the central continent.

Its emperor had received the blessing of the Sun God Amentana and created an army comparable to divine descendants using the divine artifact "Wheel of Eternal Radiance." This army was invincible, conquering vast lands for the empire, proclaiming, "Everything under the sun is our territory."

But after the old emperor, known as Aragon the First or the Sun King, unexpectedly died, his vast empire fell apart. His three sons devoured the remnants of the empire, forming the three legitimate kingdoms of Cassandra, Thrace, and Seleucis. The divine descendant nobles of the Sun Legion also established various small kingdoms.

For a time, the empire disintegrated, the kingdoms spread like stars, and this period was known as the "Great Collapse of the Holy Fadlan," marking the beginning of [Kings’ Strife].

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Tiamat used a cult to control the southwestern Kingdom of Seleucis in the Fadlan Region, attempting to summon her true form, restore the rule of the giant dragons to the earth, and reassert Tiamat’s name in the world. This event was known as— [Dragons Usurping the Throne]