Ashen Dragon

Misha's expression turned grim as she instructed Stieg, "At this point, we can only pray for our master's intervention. Stieg, try your best to stall that dwarf..."

"Ah?"

From afar, staring at the enraged dwarf who single-handedly annihilated the Imperial Army with every gesture, Stieg let out a horrified howl.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally flapped his wings, forcibly rallied a dozen bipedal wyverns under his command, and reluctantly charged forward, though he himself refrained from leading the charge and hid behind his species' cannon fodder.

Misha closed her eyes tightly, her expression devout as she began reciting the prayer with utmost reverence, exerting her full strength to unleash the Dragon Pact Warlock's ultimate ability—[Cross-border Spew].

"Supreme Emperor of Ashes, Monarch who commands Scourge and Flame, Great Red Dragon symbolizing glory and victory, your subjects face an insurmountable foe, a dwarf deity from the Outlands..."

Seemingly sensing the ripples stirred by Misha's prayer, Du Masong abruptly lifted his head, his silver-fire eyes gazing into the distance.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, several brash bipedal wyverns, under Stieg's command, lunged at the dwarf with snapping jaws and clawing talons, only to explode mid-air, raining blood across the skies.

The remaining bipedal wyverns showed fear, yet under Stieg's bloodline suppression, they roared and continued their frenzied dive toward the dwarf.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Massive boulders rained down from the skies, smashing onto the ground and turning several bipedal wyverns into fertilizer for the earth, while sandstorms around them grew fiercer.

Du Masong didn't even spare them a glance before completely slaughtering the dozen bipedal wyverns, leaving only the trembling Stieg in the distance.

"D-Dwarf, stay away from me!" Witnessing the carnage, Stieg flapped his wings desperately, trying to escape the field of death.

Seeing this ancestral wyvern, nearly twenty meters long, Du Masong seemed to finally take an interest. He raised the Molten Rock Hammer in his hand.

Instantly, an earthen-yellow radiance enveloped the surroundings. A crushing pressure descended from the heavens, sweeping up a raging sandstorm that almost caused Stieg to fall from mid-air. Yet the bipedal wyvern activated the ancestral bloodline within his body, fighting back with all his might.

However, with merely a slight sway of Du Masong's Molten Rock Hammer, the ground rose sharply, jagged rocks poised to pierce through Stieg.

Just then, Misha finally finished her prayer and abruptly opened her eyes, infinite flames emanating from her golden irises.

"Exalted Master, I, Misha, in the name of your humble pact servant, beseech your descent!"

Misha's voice was fervent, like a wildfire surging fiercely and passionately.

In an instant, the power of the pact erupted fully. The mighty link reconnected, penetrating time and space, shattering the barriers of the Magic Web, summoning the remote sovereign—Cassius Klaubow Norixius!

"Riiiip—"

The earthen-yellow sky suddenly tore open, revealing a sinister, blood-red fissure, resembling a scar across the heavens, from which blazing flames spewed forth.

"Whoosh—"

Suddenly, scorching winds howled through the mountains; the overwhelming Dragon's Might spread instantaneously, equaling Du Masong's crushing pressure.

Everyone gazed upward simultaneously. Emerging from the crimson chasm was a regal dragon head adorned with four crown-like horns projecting majesty and authority. Its pale-golden eyes shimmered like molten lava spheres.

Next, massive, sky-obscuring dragon wings stretched out from the fissure, followed by its mountainous, colossal body and a ridge-like winding tail...

"Roar—"

The Red Dragon cast its gaze upon the incarnated dwarf deity on the ground below, fury blazing in its eyes, and roared with an overwhelming presence, flapping its wings to summon an incendiary storm that blanketed the earth.

Instantly, Du Masong's earth-elemental domain began to rapidly disintegrate, half the sky dyed a fiery orange and crimson, transforming into a domain of flames.

"By Cassius above..."

"T-That's His Imperial Majesty!"

"Long live the Emperor of Ashes! Long live the Great Red Dragon!"

Seeing the Emperor's arrival, the Imperial soldiers who had been swallowed by fear and panic moments earlier now burst into cheers, their eyes filled with fervent excitement and joy.

In their hearts, the Emperor of Ashes was the embodiment of victory. His appearance already signaled the end of the war.

And the earlier catastrophe?

Compared to the ecstatic experience of witnessing the Emperor's arrival in person, it was insignificant. Such a sight was something every imperial citizen had dreamed of!

Taking advantage of this moment, the nearly executed Stieg hurriedly flapped his wings to escape, his survival fueled with relief as he let out jubilant shrieks: "Dwarf! His Majesty has descended; you're finished!"

Du Masong no longer cared about the arrogance of mere mortals. He lifted his head cautiously, his expression steely, gazing at the Red Dragon in the sky with his silver-fire eyes in a distant stand-off.

At the same time, Cassius's gaze showed him basic information about the dwarf before him.

[Silent Guardian—Du Masong (Incarnated Possession)]

Challenge Level: 33

Cassius quickly recalled the intelligence on dwarves in his mind: "Silent Guardian" Du Masong, Shield Dwarves and God of Mines—an Intermediate Divine Power-level deity.

Before launching his warfare against the High Mountain Kingdom, Cassius had anticipated a response from the Dwarf Divine. After all, this was one of the few dwarf kingdoms remaining on the Prime Material Plane.

However, Cassius had not foreseen Du Masong himself descending into the world to challenge the Ashen Empire directly.

Yet at this moment, Du Masong was possessing Ed's shattered carcass and hindered by the Beastman God System, significantly weakening his strength—even less than Cassius's own true form.

What's more... Cassius held the Achilles' heel of the dwarf deities: tens of thousands of shield dwarves trapped in the Molten Lava Secret Realm, along with Gush's Eye.

Thinking of this, Cassius feigned outrage and roared, "Du Masong—you've crossed the line! Divine beings from the Outer Planes have no right to meddle in the disputes of the Material Plane!"

The Silent Guardian still did not speak, continuing to gaze at the Red Dragon in the sky while slowly lifting the Molten Rock Hammer in his hand.

Though Du Masong remained silent, thanks to the unique authority of deities, his thoughts resonated clearly within Cassius's mind, his heavy voice reverberating.

"Red Dragon, you and your retainers have slaughtered and pillaged the shield dwarves, seized their cities, and crossed the boundaries of our Dwarf Divine!"

Cassius sneered, "You dwarves no longer have the capability to defend Aivendel from the orcs. Only the Empire can shoulder that responsibility!

If you had handed over control of Aivendel from the start, we could have negotiated. But your descendants stubbornly resisted, leaving us no choice but to take drastic measures."

"Utter nonsense!"

Thunder-like wrath echoed in Cassius's mind as Du Masong's expression turned even grimmer, his silver-fire eyes blazing in fury once more.

The sky quaked and the earth roared.

"If that's the case, then this shall be settled by battle!"

"Du Masong is allied with Geb, Flandal Steelskin, Segojan Earthcaller, and various non-dwarf deities of earth and craftsmanship. He provides mithril ore to non-dwarf forge gods and occasionally engages in trade for metal and ore with other deities (via their priests). Du Masong maintains a type of non-antagonistic relationship with Ilsensine, the Spirit Sucking Monster God, though the exact nature of this relationship is unknown to all other divine beings except that their Divine Realm locations are very close within the Outer Planes. Among the Realms, there is no such amicability between their mortal followers.

No one has ever seen Du Masong do more in the presence of mortals than mumbling or sighing (out of fatigue or woe). Du Masong arranges subtle clues in line with his goals and the inherent characteristics of the underworld, details perceivable only by the keen-eyed and wise. Among the dwarf gods, the Guardian possesses a patience and tolerance particularly absent toward non-dwarves and reckless deeds. However, when Du Masong is enraged, he transforms into a resolute and unforgiving foe, a true menace. Those who offend Du Masong, upon realizing their folly, typically rush to fervently and loudly pray for his forgiveness, often swiftly setting a time to offer gemstones and metal treasures as sacrifices in atonement at the site of their offense. If they keep their word, Du Masong is typically appeased. If they fail, they'd better never approach mountains or caves again!