Ashen Dragon

Under official guidance, the Imperial people will learn about Tiamat's hateful visage and actively participate in the war against the Five-Colored Dragon Queen.

After Adrian and others prolonged war of attrition with the Dragon Worship Church, the Ashen Empire will launch an unstoppable assault southward, crossing the Kalmats Mountain Range, devouring the entire Seleucid Region, and annexing most of the territories of the Old Fadlan Empire.

"Soon, I will have the second Eternal Sun God Tower, the Path to Divinity... is within reach." Cassius looked toward the south, murmuring to himself.

...

After bidding farewell to the Ashen Empire's Emperor, Adrian, and Rolf, aided by a group of Tiefling Guards, traveled across countless miles through a portal opened by the Imperial Court Mage, returning to the Kingdom of Seleucis with a large amount of military equipment.

In the underground cave, Dragon Tooth Dwarves and humans were bandaging their wounds, discussing how to shake off the pursuit of the Dragon Worship Church.

Just then, dense and heavy footsteps echoed from the distant tunnels, accompanied by the pungent smell of sulfur and gunpowder, causing their nerves to tense yet again.

Could it be the cultists from the Dragon Worship Church?

In an instant, the dwarves picked up their battle axes, and the humans tightened their grip on their long swords, bows, and magic wands. The air in the cave grew tense, nearly stagnant.

Arrows were strung on bowstrings, aimed at the exit of the tunnel, palms sweating.

The dwarven woman gritted her teeth and said, "These damn henchmen, they found us even here! Let's fight them!"

However, a human warrior raised a single hand, signaling to the others, "That is... the Devil Descendants from Hell! Could they also be Tiamat's henchmen?" Thanks for reading—brought to you by MVLEMPYR.

"Who are you? Drop your weapons immediately!"

"I think they're the Dragon Worship Church's henchmen! Don't forget that Evil God is also sealed in Hell!" The dwarves shouted angrily.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded among the Tiefling team.

"Don't worry, it's me, we've returned with assistance from the Ashen Empire."

Everyone's faces lit up with joy, feeling relieved.

Adrian and Rolf stepped out of the group, and behind them were boxes upon boxes of military equipment.

"You returned so quickly!"

Near the Sword Bay Region, there are several well-known cities, such as Waterdeep, Elturel, and Neverwinter. Waterdeep is established on the ruins of the Elf Empire Ilfaen's capital, Erin Vier, with numerous temples of deities. Miracle Temple is the most magnificent Magic Goddess Temple in the game, with splendid towers, embedded with various artworks and magical decorations, full of magnificent Baroque style, while Neverwinter leans more towards Gothic architecture, evolving into the earliest human settlement Aegostor after nearly a century of development. The main city of the story, Bod Gate, is the largest, most prosperous trading city-state in the Sword Bay Region, mixed with nobles down to common thieves, labeled by adventurers as the "cradle of intrigue." Bod Gate is named after a hero, the Gray Harbor adventurer Bodlan, who explored the continent beyond the Sword Sea, returned to Gray Harbor with wealth, and led his team to establish the city here. Bod Gate is divided into noble Upper City and commoner Lower District, with sprawling Outer City scattered around Chenyi Mountain, and the gate separating the Upper City from the Lower District is called Bod Gate, naming the entire city. It also serves as a monument to the city's founder Bodlan. Currently, Bod Gate is ruled by a four-person council, all of whom are Great Dukes, with one acting as council leader. If voting hits a deadlock, Great Duke Elder Ravenclaw makes the decision. The elite official police force Watch handles Upper City security, while other areas are policed by a mercenary group named Flaming Fist. Great Duke Elder Ravenclaw is also the mercenary group's supreme leader, headquartered at Bodlan Sea Tower, Bod Gate's strongest fortress against maritime invasions. Like a crescent moon wrapping around Bod Gate's lifeline—Gray Harbor, hundreds of merchant ships come and go daily, bringing wealth and also greed and sin. The Upper City's terrain is relatively high, comprising Castle District, Temple District, Manoburn District, and Wide Alley District, containing numerous religious buildings. Miracle Hall and Supreme Miracle House are the God of Craft Gund's church center in Bod Gate, showcasing Gund's great inventions. Supreme Miracle House also functions as a workshop. Lower District buildings are mostly stone houses, consisting of six districts: Sea Tower District, Blonrich District, Steep District, Crowded Side District, East Road District, and Branpton District. The middle class generally resides in Blonrich District, near the Upper City's nobility, while East Road District, close to Stone Lizard Gate connecting Outer City, is more mixed with bars and cheap inns. Sea Tower District houses Flaming Fist Mercenary Group's headquarters. On the largest Rocky Offshore Island near Sea Tower District stands Bodlan Sea Tower, mercenary group headquarters, while Branpton District and Steep District are relatively rundown, serving sailors and manual laborers. Outer City stretches along Chongsar River, filled with temporary buildings and slums, with a landmark stone bridge over Chongsar River—Flying Dragon Crossroad, harboring many vendors, even widened with wooden boards, adding numerous constructions on it. Law and order barely exist here; Flaming Fist's protection is very limited. Some displaced people or criminals gather here. Moss on the sewer vault glimmers ghostly green under dim phosphorus lights, murky sewage washing over boot soles, every step stirring a sticky "gurgle." Purple-black ooze seeped from wall cracks, converging like veins at the drain—unique nerve-corrosive material in Spirit Sucking Monster Nests. Ordinary people inhaling it experience auditory hallucinations, as if countless tiny tendrils squirm in their ear canals. Suddenly, bone misalignment clicks came from behind a broken cast-iron pipe, like something squeezing through narrow spaces. A spirit-sucking monster burst from underwater, its pale humanoid body wrapped in decay, octopus-like head tentacles vibrating intensely, releasing visible violet mind shock waves. The guard in front had his helmet dented, eyeballs burst into blood mist due to increased cranial pressure; the second person did not scream before tentacles pierced his ear, spine extracted like a puppet; the sole survivor staggered back, but gunfire roar was completely swallowed by the collective sub-frequency scream of spirit-sucking monsters. Clearly, these spirit-sucking monsters underwent tactical training. Two feinting individuals used tentacles to slap the water surface, raising fog barriers with corrosive liquid to obscure vision; the third descended from the ceiling, suckers adhered to the guard's skull, tentacle tip precisely entered the occipital foramen—not instantly fatal, but manipulating captives like puppets, forcing them to turn and use trembling hands to load ammunition for comrades' firearms. At this moment, the fourth spirit-sucking monster used bone blades on knuckles to cut open a guard's chest on the ground, devouring warm liver, pale yellow digestive liquid dripped from the lower jaw corroding the ground with green smoke. Three patrolling guards raised lanterns, sewage suddenly exploded! Four spirit-bound were not fully dead. Guard remains twitched urgently, neck gashes birthing translucent spirit-sucking monster larva tentacles, pupils dilated into milky white. He grabbed a dagger, stabbing at his former comrades, throat squeezing out inhuman synthetic sound: "Skulls…offer to the brain…" The true horror just began revealing—far sewer ponds started bubbling, more pale figures surfaced, dragging dozens of mucus cocoon-enveloped captives, human faces within cocoon shells twisted into silent screams.