Ashen Dragon

Cassius was curled up within his cavern, his colossal body rising and falling in rhythm with his breathing, white-hot smoke hissing out with every exhale.

The Red Dragon at this moment resembled a living, roaming volcano, his form brimming with a horrifying heat. Yet, this was merely the strength granted by the bloodline of the Ancestral Dragon—Cassius's power extended far beyond that.

The Divine Power of the Sun God, the strength of Order, the flames of Chaos, the essence of the Elemental Plane… even the essence of Heaven was entwined within his massive form.

If mortals possessed such an intricate, overwhelming array of powers, they would have been obliterated long ago. Yet within the body of an Ancestral Dragon, these forces counterbalanced and opposed one another, somehow maintaining a delicate equilibrium, akin to a miniature, self-revolving world.

"Roar—"

The Red Dragon let out a low growl, exhaling a gust of heat that warped the air before slowly opening his eyes, emerging once more from his slumber.

Since the Ashen Empire occupied North Aisier several months ago, Cassius's true body had been in repose within a region teeming with highly vital and active Magic Energy. Of course, it was Fianso—where the activity of the Magic Web far surpassed that of remote, desolate regions like Anzeta.

But in recent days, Cassius had not been idle. Not only did he command his Gold Dragon avatar to travel widely, seeking alliances against the tyrannical Evil Dragon Emperor—his own erstwhile ally—

he also crafted a Half-Dragon avatar, who called himself Count Hans and indulged in games of crime-solving and law enforcement within Dragon Head City.

Yes, games.

Now standing atop the pinnacle of the Material Plane, Cassius was simply too powerful, his every action capable of sending shockwaves across the world. Matters requiring his direct intervention were becoming increasingly scarce.

Cassius refused to spend each day in endless slumber like a common giant dragon, forgetting the concept of time and life.

Thus, he needed to occupy himself with extra pursuits to sustain his own nature, lest he be wholly consumed by the overwhelming "Dragon Nature" of the Ancestral Dragon, degenerating into an uncontrollable beast.

"This period of slumber wasn't particularly long, only three mere months, and the Empire has already fully controlled North Aisier."

Through the avatar of "Count Hans," Cassius was able to closely observe the Empire's governance of Aisier. Only the Prime Minister, Ramp, was privy to his true identity.

Although the current people of North Aisier were not yet wholeheartedly submissive to the Empire, displaying some lingering resistance to "imperial transformations," most of their opposition had already dissipated. A new society under the Empire's rule had begun operating steadily.

Still, North Aisier had yet to undergo major transformations. The Empire's ruling approach focused primarily on maintaining sociopolitical stability, without infringing too deeply on the interests of older factions.

Soon enough, the Empire's merchants and factory owners would swarm into this untamed "virgin territory," bringing to the Aisier people lofty chimneys, massive machines, ever-burning electric lights, and—new ways of life.

"It seems my true body has grown significantly stronger again; this cavern is starting to feel a bit cramped…"

Cassius twisted his neck and lowered his gaze to inspect his body, discovering that his form had expanded once more. From his snout to the tip of his tail, his length now approached sixty meters.

Furthermore, as he gradually absorbed the Divine Power of the Sun God, the surface of the Red Dragon's scales became faintly veiled in a layer of golden radiance. Even his pupils and corners of his mouth flickered with tongues of gold-red flame, imbuing him with an almost sacred aura.

"This power is highly compatible with my true form…" Cassius licked his lips, his eyes betraying the unique greed inherent to giant dragons.

"If merely the Divine Power of a dozen Angel Divine Descendants can bring me such improvement, what if I truly ascended to the supreme position of the Sun God…"

Feeling the all-consuming energy coursing within him, he tilted his head upward to gaze at the sun hanging loftily in the sky, radiating endless brilliance. In that moment, Cassius profoundly understood Aragon the First's choice from years before.

Faced with such an ultimate and unparalleled, lustrous position, who could possibly maintain their sanity?

Cassius looked toward the corner of the cavern, where the Magic Communicator sat, already accumulating numerous messages, all sent by Ramp.

—Clearly, the other party had flawlessly completed the tasks Cassius had entrusted to him.

After years of association, Cassius was accustomed to offloading troublesome work entirely onto the Ogre Mage and drifting off to sleep, only to wake later and contentedly claim the results—a perfect exploitation of Ramp's "tool-like" nature.

Ramp, on the other hand, felt genuine enthusiasm for relieving his master's burdens and striving toward the "grand blueprint," always exhausting every effort to ensure perfection.

"Beep—"

Lights flickered softly within the communicator, projecting a Magic Image. It displayed Ramp's grotesque and fearsome visage, though he currently appeared weakened and listless. Not even the dragon scales draped over him could conceal the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"My most esteemed master, as you view this projection, you must have awakened. Congratulations on growing even stronger once again…"

After offering only brief flattery, Ramp dove straight into his report on the tasks Cassius had assigned: "The Orc bodies you entrusted to me are exceptionally dangerous, imbued with something that could threaten the Material Plane itself.

Our researchers placed these fungal-like Orc remains into incubation environments of varying conditions. Within mere days, these Orc remains began prolific propagation through fungal network ruptures and spore germination. Our researchers have dubbed them 'Beastman Spores.'

Beastman Spores reproduce at an extraordinary speed; in moist and shadowed settings, their numbers can increase by tens or even hundreds of times within a single day.