Ashen Dragon-Chapter 245 - 171: Awakening (Part 2)
Chapter 245: Chapter 171: Awakening (Part 2)
“I… have finally awakened.”
Cassius slowly opened his eyes, wisps of blue smoke rising from the corners of his mouth. He felt an unprecedented strength surging within his body and couldn’t help but gently stretch his wings.
“Damn it, what time is it now?”
The Red Dragon wasn’t sure about the current time because he felt like he had experienced hundreds, even thousands, of years in a dream, enduring countless brutal battles and witnessing the decline of giant dragons from glory.
But those memories, as vivid as if he had personally experienced them, grew hazy the moment he opened his eyes, shrouded in a mysterious, elusive veil.
This even made him feel somewhat dizzy.
...
“It would be awful if several decades have passed.”
Cassius looked around. The cave was now covered in lava, magma flowing everywhere. Even the gold coins had melted into streams, bearing no trace of time.
He let out a light whistle, summoning the Heaven’s Calamity Dragon Eye, carefully scrutinizing his current self and observing the Kingdom Domain.
Thankfully, in his vast vision, Northwind Castle was thriving, people bustling about the streets and squares. The kingdom had seen considerable changes, but clearly not spanning decades or even centuries. The transformation of his dragon body, however, was what astonished Cassius the most.
“This is…”
The Red Dragon’s form had undergone a tremendous change compared to before his slumber, making him feel somewhat unfamiliar even to himself.
His dragon body had expanded to nearly thirty meters in length, a size typically attained only by ancient, even geriatric Red Dragons who had lived for at least five hundred years. Yet Cassius had achieved it in just ten years.
His scales had turned a deeper red, with a glossy texture replaced by a smooth, non-reflective one. Only the edges revealed dark gold streaks, like gilded armor growing from within.
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His wings had become broader, the rear edge of the wing membrane coated in a blue-black metallic hue burning in the fire.
His tail had grown thicker, the tip sprouting sharp bone spurs like a battering ram.
But these were merely trivial details.
The changes to the Red Dragon’s head and chest were the most significant and thorough.
His golden pupils had faded, his eyes now resembling molten lava spheres, emitting intense firelight.
And not only did his menacing head bear two sweeping horns, but at the top, new spiral, demon-like long horns had also sprouted.
At the center of the Red Dragon’s chest, where numerous blood vessels converged, a red crystal formed from highly pure fire elements was deeply embedded in his body, its surface rippling like flowing magma. Radiating cracks appeared in the surrounding scales, glowing brightly with firelight.
The energy contained within was so immense and concentrated that it constantly heated the surrounding body. This caused his chest, neck, and tail areas to grow two rows of vent-like organs, continuously expelling sulfur gas and releasing excess heat.
If Cassius resembled a pure Red Dragon before his slumber, the awakened version of him was now a complete anomaly, clearly beyond the realm of normal five-colored dragons. If any dragon scholar were present, they would undoubtedly be amazed by his new form.
“This appearance resembles a true embodiment of the Scourge.”
Cassius shook his still somewhat unfamiliar body, slowly stretching his wings, feeling the tidal surge of strength within, his lava sphere-like eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Let me see precisely what this power entails…”
[After your slumber, you have digested the “thin Ancestral Dragon Bloodline,” resulting in the evolution of your body.]
[Dragons are powerful magical creatures innately attuned to various supernatural phenomena, and Ao’s most favored offspring are no exception. As a descendant of the Ancestral Dragon, you have gained ancient supernatural abilities.]
[Your additional spellcasting level has increased: 3→5]
[Your racial casting level stacks with your sorcerer casting level, currently totaling: 17]
At this level of spellcasting ability, Cassius could barely reach the Ninth Layer of the Magic Web, almost touching the surface of its core, while the path beyond led to forbidden domains.
Cassius keenly felt this extraordinary enhancement.
The Eighth Tier Spell [Magic Withering], which he once approached with utmost caution, could now be mastered completely and used as easily as moving an arm, rendering ordinary lower-tier spells utterly powerless against him.
“With this level of spellcasting ability, I should be able to dominate Anzeta.”
The Red Dragon simply gazed at a massive stone pillar in the distance. With a slight shift in his will, the center of the pillar instantly melted and was pierced through, liquid magma flowing forth. Such a sorcerer’s spell was executed as effortlessly as a blink, requiring no thought whatsoever.
However, the information on the panel did not end. It continued to update.
[Due to the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline, you have gained the dragonkin’s additional specialty – [Primordial Breath Weapon]]
[Primordial Breath Weapon]:
Once daily, a dragon can harness the power of the Ancestral Bloodline, gathering all its energy into the Dragon Crystal, triggering a fission reaction within, releasing an unimaginable torrent of energy. After each Primordial Breath, residue will accumulate in the Dragon Crystal, potentially causing irreversible contamination to the body.
Charging takes 125-375 seconds. The dragon must not have used a breath weapon in the past three hours. The energy expended in this attack will prevent the dragon from using the breath weapon for at least three days thereafter.
“What an incredibly powerful breath.”
“It’s more appropriate to call it an ‘atomic breath’ rather than ‘Primordial Breath,’ though the side effects are quite severe.”
Cassius didn’t attempt the potentially body-damaging Primordial Breath but instead performed a regular breath.
As he slowly opened his jaws, his complex machine-like body suddenly activated, funneling all energy through dense main vessels to the ‘Dragon Crystal’ embedded in his chest, where it began to converge. The semi-transparent crystal emitted a bright firelight.
The two rows of vents flung open, releasing brilliant flares and white smoke.
Finally, the highly dense energy was transported to the Red Dragon’s throat, spewing out an intensely hot, incandescent white flame that instantly melted the rocks before him.
Had the Red Dragon not closed his mouth in time, the flame would have penetrated the rock layer, destabilizing the entire cave structure.
“Tsk tsk, it’s almost as powerful as my extremely effective spew before slumber.”
“Just a thin bloodline can achieve such an extent… what were the ancient giant dragons like?”
Cassius couldn’t help but sigh.
He felt his beating dragon heart like a high-speed, scorching engine, his vitality unparalleled, exponentially different from mortals.
To put it simply, this Red Dragon had crossed the threshold that was incredibly challenging for mortals, reaching the life level commonly known as [Legendary].
“Security measures weren’t bad.”
With a slight flick of his wings, the dozens of spells arranged around the cave entrance vanished effortlessly.
He slowly paced out of the cave, entering the Steel Dragonwing Palace.
Due to the disasters caused inadvertently during Cassius’s slumber, the place was in ruins, with melted and resolidified steel scattered about, giving it a chaotic beauty. However, for the now larger Red Dragon, the Steel Palace felt somewhat narrow and cramped.
The metal gate had long been destroyed, leaving only a misshapen, uneven entrance.
The Red Dragon lowered his head slightly, crouched low, and tucked in his wings, barely squeezing through the entrance, exiting the once magnificent main hall.
Cassius shook his body, stretched his neck, stood on his hind legs, and let out a series of relieved whistles, finally able to fully spread his broad wings without spatial constraints.
He raised his head and gazed at the clear sky, squinting his eyes, with firelight flickering in the lava sphere-like pupils.
“I seem to smell… a familiar scent.”
