Iron Dragon's Advancement Journey

Page 86

　Placed in front of it was a strange communication device called "Shadow Raven's Beak," lying at the bottom of the display shelf. The origin and principle of this thing were unknown, but its usage and effects were instantly transmitted to Iron Dragon upon touching it, suggesting that it was an otherworldly artifact that Old Roar had found somewhere.

　The brass-cast construct, a raven, had obsidian lenses for its eyes and twelve different sizes of encrypted type hidden in its beak. When Casalos inserted the matching heraldic ring into its chest cavity, a matrix of some unknown structure within it began to vibrate and operate gently. An unknown solution dissolved the ring, drawing out mithril threads that wove into resonant lines of a specific frequency. As the vibrations were transmitted to the movable type disc in the beak, encrypted text appeared on the blank parchment. Having completed its mission, the shadow raven grabbed the letter and vanished into the void, the entire delivery process revealing not a trace of magical fluctuation.

　"There's no trace of psionic energy, it's not electromechanical, and it's not a crude dwarf construct. What on earth is this thing?"

　Casalos, adopting the mannerisms of a roar, observed the movements of the various cities mentioned in the Shadowsworn Box through the unstable screen of the monitoring crystal ball. The newly added patterns beneath his scales were slightly warm. The mysterious mechanism of the artifact made him somewhat apprehensive: "Toril seems to be much more complex than I imagined... What are the contents of those secret letters left by the old roar? I haven't cracked this code yet. Is this some kind of big event...? It shouldn't be, right? I remember the old roar hasn't caused any major disturbances for the next few hundred years..."

　The gears of fate remained unshaken by Casalos's will. The poisoned wine of Neverwinter began to be packaged, the explosives of Waterdeep were being planted, and the plague ship of Baldur's Gate was about to set sail. All actions were swept up in the torrent of the collapsing magic network, like withered branches carried downstream in a downpour; even the most ingenious plans would eventually be swallowed up by chaos.

　33. Discipline

　Casalos's dragon claws gripped the edge of the parchment, the secret letter left behind by the old man gleaming bluish-gray in the cold light of the anti-magic field. Just like when they cracked the puzzle room of the Dragon Vault instance, given enough clues, the dragon's brain could easily decipher the low-complexity coded message of transmitting commands to humanoids.

　It doesn't even need to use complex cryptographic principles. It only needs to compare the contents of the secret message with the "Shadow Oath Box" and then compare it with the time nodes on the devil's contract and the map of the dragon egg's scales. The pattern of the entire code language system is as clear as the texture of a lava riverbed.

　However, Casalorus had little interest in this. While the Dragon's Roar's power and ambition were not to be underestimated, its vision was limited by the "world." Whatever it plotted, it seemed too narrow-minded and incapable of achieving anything significant to Casalorus, who possessed a semi-God's-eye view. Especially in the turbulent years when the situation in Faerûn changed drastically, even disrupting the gods' plans, the small actions left behind by the old man were insignificant.

　"Make the twelve councilors of Neverwinter drink poisoned wine, detonate the explosives underground at the Sword Bay Chamber of Commerce, and then send plague ships to attack Moonshadow Island..." The red dragon spewed a cloud of sulfurous smoke from its nostrils, and sparks burned charred holes in the letter paper: "The old reptile has been messing around for hundreds of years, just for this little bit of sewer rat business?"

　The luminous pearl on the vault's dome trembled slightly, reflecting Casalos's grinning mouth. As an "otherworldly visitor" who had participated in the reconstruction of the floating city of Elena, it had "witnessed" truly world-shaking strategies—not to mention those fantastical works of star-shifting and moon-changing, the industrial marvels in documentaries, and the global strategic deployments of major powers, far surpassing the tricks of Old Roar, who extorted gangsters and stirred up conflicts between city-states. If it weren't for the need to maintain the "Klaus" dragon persona, it could have immediately extinguished these meaningless petty actions.

　"However... it can be considered that it is making the best use of resources."

　Now that Casalos has replaced Grommash Hellscream, its goals are naturally much grander. Whether Grommash Hellscream's previous petty schemes continue is no longer important to it. In fact, the unexpected activation of these plans has become the best tool for it to strengthen its disguised identity.

　For it, what is really important is to establish contact with the forces that Old Roar originally secretly controlled. With this foundation, it will be much easier to carry out its mission, instead of starting from scratch.

　From the moment he embarked on this path, Casalos knew that to achieve his "small goal," the power of a dragon alone would be far from enough. The opening of the divinely bestowed class talent tree opened up more possibilities for him, and the identity of Roaring the Roar was an excellent choice delivered right to his doorstep.

　Due to their historical background, Bahamut and Tiamat now have very few true dragon worshippers in Faerûn. To restart the Dragonfall War in the future, they will need to first create two humanoid races, the Dragonborn and the Demise of the Wicked Dragons, in Faerûn to solidify their faith. It would be easy for Casaloz to impersonate the Holy Watchers and the Blasphemous Destroyers and infiltrate their inner circle.

　Currently, Tiamat, the Five-Colored Dragon Queen, has been cast into the realm of Enser in the form of a saint by the Supreme God AO, presumably engaging in a love-hate relationship with Gilejin once again. According to historical trajectory, she will seize the opportunity to die at Gilejin's hands, completely cleansing herself of the divine authority, divinity, and power belonging to the human Enser pantheon, and dispersing her divine essence belonging to the Dragon God among the True Dragon Chosen like Chassa. She will then incite Chassa to swallow two more, thus resurrecting herself and reclaiming her position as the true Dragon God.

　When the turmoil subsides and the gods return to their places, the Dragon Queen will be overjoyed to learn that she has suddenly gained a devout and powerful red dragon follower in Faerûn.

　To achieve its ultimate goal, Casalos needs to meticulously plan. First, it needs to further solidify its position as the Old Howler in Fel.

Chapter 272

　By manipulating Roar's existing network of influence, the dragon lich could quickly build a formidable framework, allowing it to infiltrate organizations like the Church of Tiamat and the Dragon Cult using Roar's identity, to win them over, divide them, and even destroy them at their core—just as every dragon lich that breaks free from the control of the Dragon Cult would want to do.

　In this way, the role of the Green Dragon with Carved Skin becomes apparent. This guy is one of the core members of the Dragon Worship Cult, and he is far superior to that unfortunate purple-robed man who tried to curry favor with the Ancient Red Dragon through Cecita.

　The scaly green dragon Ishnarler, whose life was spared by the "mercy" of the statue dragon, is in a rather pitiful situation.

　Its spine was twisted into a pretzel shape by the red dragon, and its densely patterned scales were mottled like charcoal dust by the dragon's flames. Casalos stepped on its head, his claws piercing into its eye sockets, and he played with one of its eyeballs on his hooked nails.

　"What kind of bewitching potion did those bone shavings of the Dragon Worship Cult give you?" Old Roar's sarcasm, mixed with the smell of sulfur, sprayed onto the green dragon's face: "Or do you think your tattoos can withstand the sharp teeth and fangs of an ancient red dragon?"

　Ishnarert struggled and roared, but only charred pus and blood gushed from his throat. The red dragon grinned and tore open its chest, pulling out a section of spine wrapped in negative energy—a mark planted by the Dragon Cult. "Look at the gifts those bone fragments gave you?"

　Casalos crushed the bones into powder and sprinkled them into the lava, stirring up wisps of ghostly green smoke.

　Before the green dragon's agonizing howl had even faded, a scroll of parchment was slapped onto its festering scales. The words of the contract of the Bato Hell floated on the paper, each stroke dripping with blood. "Sign it, or let me extract your soul and feed it to the Chain Demon." The old roar's wings blotted out the sky, casting shadows from which the phantom of the Nine Hell Lord emerged. "Of course, after signing... you can still return to the Dragon Worship Cult and continue being a 'loyal dog'."

　Ishnarlerto's vertical pupils shrank to slits with fear. The terms of the contract slithered into his mind like venomous snakes: to pass on the Dragon Cult's conspiracy to the Red Dragon, to help the Red Dragon arrange a backdoor, to sabotage key rituals, and to sacrifice the souls of his comrades when necessary... and the price of breaking the contract was to be eternally reduced to a plaything of the demons of Bartholomew's Hell—such was the nature of the devil's contract.

　“Choose,” Casalos said, pressing his claws against the green dragon’s heart. “Would you rather die now, or die in a more ‘valuable’ way?”

　Ishnarlerto finally succumbed to fear, his trembling wing hooks catching the parchment, and with his last strength, he stamped his name.

　The old roar released its grip with satisfaction, letting the dragon stagger to its feet. "Remember, every time you delay the intelligence..." The red dragon suddenly whipped its tail, shattering half a cliff, and the collapsing boulders smashed the green dragon into a crevice, "my patience will wane a little."

　Celine Della, the woman in the jeweled cloak who had witnessed the entire event, huddled in a corner. Her cracked scales reflected distorted light, like a shattered rainbow.

　34. The Red Dragon's Method of Subduing the Maid

　Roar turned and looked down at the woman in the jeweled cloak. The robust crystal dragon appeared small as a cat against the backdrop of the ancient red dragon's massive body, her crystal scales shimmering softly in the dim firelight. A playful smile flickered in Casalos's eyes, as if he were examining a rare treasure.

　“Do you know?” it spoke slowly, its voice low and hoarse, “In this world, some dragons are known for their recklessness, rage, and madness, but in fact, it is the most cunning creature in Faerûn. On the surface, it may seem impulsive and easily angered, but in reality, it is meticulously planning in the shadows, calculating every step flawlessly. ‘Madness’ is merely a disguise to deceive the enemy; true wisdom lies hidden behind it.”

　“And some dragons are known for their cunning and treachery,” Casalos continued, with a hint of sarcasm, “but in reality, they are as stupid as pigs. These creatures think themselves incredibly clever, but they are simply blinded by their own greed and shortsightedness. They think they can control everything through scheming and trickery, but little do they know that they were just livestock lying on someone else's desk waiting to be butchered.”

　At this point, Casalos's gaze refocused on the crystal dragon before him, his eyes becoming even sharper: "And you, kind and curious crystal dragon, mother of the Mibala Axe, best friend of the dwarves, are you truly worthy of the title?"

　The magma suddenly surged violently, reflecting the phantom image of the crystal dragon. Serendella's resonant scales dimmed abruptly, like a extinguished spark.

　The woman in the jeweled cloak slightly raised her head, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. The thorns suspended in the air, distorted by her mind, betrayed the lingering fear within her. She knew perfectly well that before this dangerous, mad, cunning red dragon, every question could conceal a deadly trap, and every word could be the key to life or death.

　"Or perhaps, your 'kindness' is merely a hypocritical self-pity?" Its voice was streaked with sparks, each one scorching the crystal dragon's scales. "I once saw a silver dragon who steadfastly upheld her beliefs of kindness. Even as the abyss army besieged the city, she still expended her magic to heal the wounded inhabitants before engaging the enemy. When the abyss lord breached the city, she hung her dragon head on the city gate, dying with unresolved glares as the demon army slaughtered her people."

　Would you make the same foolish choice?

　The red dragon brought its head close to the woman in the jeweled cloak, the huge scar on its face reflected on the crystal scales, divided into countless identical images by sharp angles.

　"Whether I become your handmaid or be roasted to a crisp—I'd love to see if your gem dragons' life force is truly extinguished by dragon breath and then turn into a gem."

　Celine's resonant scales trembled sharply, her mental fluctuations materializing into luminous patterns, each thorn hovering on her back inscribed with rejection. Filled with a yearning for freedom and a resistance to oppression, she remained steadfast in her principles despite facing a powerful enemy.

　The red dragon chuckled, its wing hook slamming down to plunge her head into the boiling molten lava. The sound of shattering crystal mingled with the distant cries of the dwarves, and Serendella's struggles grew weaker. Just as she was about to suffocate, Casalos grabbed her by the scales on her neck and lifted her up, lava dripping from between the scales like tears of blood.

　"Do you know why I spared your life?" The red dragon's breath brushed against her molten wingtips. "Because I suddenly realized that whenever I leave, there's always a bunch of self-righteous fools who think it's time to steal my treasure. The neutral and kind-hearted Lady in the Jewel Cloak would be more than willing to guard this treasure for me."

　Celine's body trembled violently from the excruciating pain, but the fire within her remained unextinguished. However, when a patterned adamantite collar was fastened around her neck, her will to resist began to waver. Celine's inner strength revealed a truth to it: this collar, devoid of any magical fluctuations, bound her life and death to the will of the red dragon.

　The abnormally developed Primordial Red Dragon crushed the adult Crystal Dragon beneath its body, just as the Balrog had crushed the young girl. Each earth-shaking impact was accompanied by a wailing sound that tore through the valley, surging into the Gem-Cloaked Lady's dragon soul and shattering her mental shield. With the power of her mind to distort reality, she refracted this strange pain into brilliant yet fragmented spots of light, intertwining it with the boiling lava and the Red Dragon's muffled sulfurous breath.

　The psionic phenomenon suddenly contracted inward, transforming into a colorful dagger of light that simultaneously stabbed towards the crystal dragon's head.

　Under the dual torment of mind and body, the woman in the jeweled cloak finally broke through the chaotic environmental magic, allowing her powers to manifest, but the target was herself. This wasn't the first time she had suffered such humiliation; this time, she didn't need to worry about the Shield Dwarf's safety, and was willing to die to uphold her final dignity!

　“Every gem has its flaws. But after polishing, it will always be of some use.” The old roar simply hummed, and the light of arcane fire surged from its mouth, smoothing out the energy burst that the crystal dragon had reversed, as if it had never appeared.

　The red dragon's claws scraped against the collar, the friction making a sound like...

Chapter 273

　A hypnotic spell. The crystal dragon, having failed to commit suicide, curled up in a ball, its transparent body cracking like a spiderweb from the excruciating pain. "I kindly let you take the Shield Dwarf away, but the Axe Family is there, and the survival of Mibala rests entirely in your hands. Be my handmaiden, or watch those mine rats and their city be roasted to a crisp—you should be glad I've always had limited patience for stoneheads."

　Another wave of tearing pain washed over her, and Serendella's pride and dignity crumbled under the relentless torment. She finally realized that she could no longer stand strong against this powerful enemy as before. To protect the dwarves of Mibala, she had to make a choice.

　Continuing to resist will only bring more suffering and death; surrendering to the red dragon might offer some alternative.

　“I am willing to be your handmaid,” Celinedella said softly, her voice filled with helplessness and exhaustion, “as long as you promise not to harm those innocent dwarves again.”

　Casalos nodded in satisfaction, releasing his hold on her. The thrusting continued, and Celine felt a sense of relief and a physiologically primal comfort, yet her heart remained filled with conflict. She tried to convince herself that this compromise was for a greater purpose—to protect those who needed her.

　“Every gem has flaws, but after polishing, it will always be of some use.” Old Hou’s words echoed in her ears. She understood that this was not only a mockery of her, but also a reminder: even in adversity, one can find meaning in life…

　35. Is it normal to upgrade your account when you open a new stock account?

　Casalos was filled with a strange feeling.

　The experience of controlling Old Roar's "avatar" is extremely unique. It is neither a simple copy created by traditional avatar spells, nor can it be controlled and possessed like the Soul Pot.

　Roar—a being formed by the fusion of Casalos's psychic entity, the activated construct of Roar, and the true Roar's ancient dragon soul—felt to Casalos more like a new limb growing from his own body. Even though the two existed in different realms, Casalos's control over Roar remained effortless. Apart from the increased mental strain from multitasking, there were no delays or errors, and none of the sluggishness of controlling a puppet or the sense of alienation experienced during possession.

　However, is there really no hidden danger in a young dragon so freely controlling an ancient dragon?

　The Iron Dragon's scales rippled under the chaotic elemental light of the Chaos Sea, and its consciousness tentacles extended to every neuron of the Roaring Howl's clone, sensing this extra body that belonged to it.

　At least for now, Casalos is clearly aware that many of Grommash Hellscream's actions contradict his own subjective will. However, this doesn't mean Grommash Hellscream possesses independent consciousness or is at risk of spiraling out of control. This difference in behavior is more like a reverse effect on Casaloscream resulting from the fusion of the psychic entity and the ancient dragon soul. For example, at certain decision-making moments, Grommash Hellscream exhibits a more aggressive attitude than Casaloscream, sometimes even employing strategies it had never considered before.

　If the goal was to subdue Ishnaraltor, did Casalos really need to torture the green dragon while forcing it to sign a demonic pact?

　Casalos never treated the Rainbow Dragon kindly, but any torment he inflicted was purely out of revenge. As for subduing it, he preferred a "carrot and stick" approach—of course, the stick here doesn't refer to disturbing the Crystal Dragon. Forcing the Crystal Dragon to become his servant was clearly out of character for Casalos; such an impulsive act, potentially setting himself up for disaster, was unwise.

　Roar's behavior clearly exhibits characteristics of a red dragon; its intense desire for wealth and relentless pursuit of power even surpasses that of Casalos himself. Fortunately, so far, this influence has not yet backfired on Casalos's physical form. However, the future remains uncertain. Casalos must be wary, for once these red dragon traits begin to erode its very essence, the consequences could be catastrophic.

　Perhaps we should try to create a similar "Ancient Silver Dragon" clone to balance the influence of the Red Dragon?

　The thought of creating a silver dragon avatar flashed through Casalos's consciousness like a shooting star, only to shatter upon encountering the barrier of reality. Deep within his memory, the scene of Hevilan spitting out an ice ball to purify the land desecrated by the green dragon lich resurfaced; Lylothar's skull still sat on the long table in the Underdark's dragon nest's drawing room, serving as a talking decoration. Her wingless son, Shacales, remained a mainstay of the Dragonflight navy.

　The young dragon suddenly lashed out with its tail in frustration, stirring up the chaotic elements into a series of fireworks—it wasn't disgusted by the moral dilemma, but rather annoyed by the unchangeable reality. After all, no silver dragon had ever provoked Casalos.

　Unless one is a staunchly evil individual, it's difficult for anyone to truly hate silver dragons. In fact, Casalos himself has received considerable help from silver dragons. As a being that adheres to the neutral order, it would not repay kindness with enmity.

　Moreover, creating a recyclable psychic entity is no easy task. Even after obtaining the psychic entity, it's necessary to enrage a living, ancient silver dragon, instilling strong hostility in it, and then force it into the astral plane. The Dragon Treasury must then capture this silver dragon and harvest its dragon soul to fulfill the creation conditions. The difficulty is comparable to ascending to heaven—while "reaching the heavens" isn't difficult for flying dragons, for the Dragon Treasury to capture a hostile demiplane with tens of thousands of people would require accumulating energy for several years.

　Casalos had no idea how he had found such a demiplane that had provoked him.

　Or perhaps, should he really consider following the monks of the Zeslavalin Zen Forest to practice the Path of Zes? Casalos had observed for a long time, and given the Zeslavalin Zen Forest's complete openness, it had actually already touched the threshold of the Path of Zes. The Path of Zes is an advanced application of controlling psychic energy through willpower. Based on the ascetic practices of monks, it transforms the extraordinary body by feeding back the power of psychic energy to distort reality. Referring to the source of chaos in all realms, it transforms the body into a finite Laplace's demon. This is an extremely powerful method of mental cultivation.

　Could the nature of the Red Dragon possibly affect the operation of the pseudo-Laplace's Demon?

　The problem is, Casalos doubts whether it can truly train itself to acquire the corresponding professional skills in a human-like manner. It has tried many times before, but failed to even master the simplest warrior skills—or rather, if it were in humanoid form, Casalos would now be a legendary magic warrior with a level 17 warrior and a level 5 mage.

　But generally speaking, for the same profession, the training methods for dragons and humanoids will inevitably be different.

　However, the Labarin Zen Forest had already trained Valeris, the legendary golden dragon monk, and must have figured out the way of the dragon's path of cultivation. Casalos understood that these Githzerai had been waiting for this opportunity.

　By touching the threads of fate through the calculations of the pseudo-Laplace's demon, Zen Master Bethomas had long foreseen that Casalos would encounter spiritual troubles during his time at the Zen monastery. Therefore, from the very beginning, he showed Casalos all aspects of the Way of Zes, making Casalos realize that the Way of Zes could solve his problems, while concealing the key element, Valeris.

　"That's why I hate these mystical guys, prophecies, calculations, pshaw..."

　The young dragon unconsciously tightened its forepaws, leaving five claw marks on the rocky ground. It bared its fangs at the chaotic elements with its iron beak, and the scales on the side of its neck made a crisp, bell-like sound as they trembled.

　The sea of ​​fire was suddenly obscured by surging waves, the churning elements clanging and rattling, and the flying stalagmites and leaping lightning wove together a storm powerful enough to annihilate a continent. Casalos spread his wings and charged toward the eye of the storm.

　In the instant that thunder tore through the golden curtain of the Zen forest, it suddenly realized: this struggle with its own essence might be the true trial for it to ascend to a higher level—the Dragon's Treasury.

Chapter 274

　As it fed back new information to Casalos, its body underwent a mysterious change due to the flow of primal power.

　36. Touching the Truth

　Casaloz might advance to the level of a Zess monk by simply looking at the scriptures and cultivation methods, but it is impossible for Casaloz to become a Zess monk.

　"Enlightenment" is at best a self-programming marvel of operating systems, and it's not applicable to situations requiring a significant increase in hardware size, especially when such demands far exceed the support that operating system software upgrades can provide. The Zessian path, on the other hand, involves the self-creation of a pseudo-Laplace's demon hardware system that transcends conventional understanding; this is a task that cannot be accomplished simply through software breakthroughs.

　Under the cover of the chaotic elemental currents of the Chaos Sea, Casalos once again stepped through the gates of the Dragon Vault after a long absence. This had been its primary purpose in entering the Astral Plane during this turbulent year, but plans had changed: during the process of retrieving its psychic entity, it unexpectedly encountered provocation from the Githyanki, so it took the opportunity to settle a minor score and take over the giant city of Tunaras; and its arrival in the Chaos Sea with Valeris was purely by chance. Now, through "enlightenment," Casalos received new clues about the Dragon Vault and naturally couldn't wait to investigate.

　The preparation area of ​​the Dragon's Treasury remained as tranquil as ever, with the Archbishop still standing there mysteriously, like a motionless NPC. However, this was actually Casalos's illusion. Due to the differences in spacetime metrics between different clock frames of reference, from the Archbishop's perspective, Casalos was actually constantly moving in and out of the preparation area. The Archbishop, who had only been standing there for a few minutes, could clearly observe Casalos's every move under different frames of reference and intervene in it to a limited extent through projection... Casalos's dragon brain was indeed quite powerful compared to mortals, but it was far from evolving to the point where it could understand such a sense beyond spacetime. Therefore, it could only obediently focus on the "dungeon" in front of it.

　The real change occurred in the Talent Tree. The Talent Tree was merely a graphical interface generated by the Dragon Vault based on Casalos's needs, designed to help it intuitively understand its own ability system. As Casalos's understanding of the "Path of Zeth" deepened, the Talent Tree underwent significant alterations. This change was logical, as it signified that Casalos had found a shortcut, a more efficient way to progress on the path of the Zeth monk.

　"What's going on? Why is the new branch directly grafted onto the original power tree? Crystals are so expensive... Wait, because it's a graft, upgrading it separately only requires gold coins? And it also gets the extra bonus from the main node? That's pretty good, but why is it like this?" Casaroz muttered to himself, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

　“Of course, it’s because that’s what your subconscious thinks.” The archbishop once again played the role of the “grandpa” and patiently explained, “You have already realized that the essence of the ‘Path of Zeth’ is to use psionic energy to imitate the source of chaos to construct a pseudo-Laplace’s demon. You also understand that the Chaos Sea is composed of four basic elements as its basic framework, which means that the four elements can also be used to construct a pseudo-Laplace’s demon.”

　"And the most convenient tool to achieve this goal is the primordial power that participated in shaping the four-elemental framework of the kingdom!" Casalos suddenly realized. "It is precisely because dragons are elemental subspecies that their advanced professions are based on advanced applications of the kingdom's elemental framework, which is why they intersect with the primordial power talent tree, right?"

　“Very good, you are one step closer to touching the truth.”

　"We keep pursuing the truth and seeking the truth, but what we find in the end is only the truth at the current level of understanding, and we can never reach the ultimate truth."

　"Is ultimate truth so easily attainable?" the archbishop replied calmly.

　"I won't bother asking you if you've ever seen the ultimate truth... So, did the creators of the Dragon's Treasury touch upon the ultimate truth?"

　"No."

　"I see……"

　"Isn't a partial truth enough?"

　Casalos said with relief, "Indeed, compared to those who are ignorant and confused, being able to grasp the truth at a certain stage is already far ahead."

　"are you ready?"

　"Of course!"

　The portal to the world of Eldar slowly opened, and Casalos once again stepped into the trial instance of the Dragon's Treasury. The oncoming heat made its scales tremble slightly. Although it was an iron dragon and naturally immune to fire, this heat wave was unusually special—it contained a "fire" attribute power that was more fundamental than ordinary fire element, as if it wanted to ignite all matter in the torrent of time.

　"Heat Death... no, it shouldn't be that high-level yet. An artifact on par with the Crown of the North Wind is probably at the molecular thermal motion level... Good luck, looks like I'll see that vicious dog again, heh." The young dragon stood at the edge of the rift, looking down at the rushing lava river and the restless swarm of insects below, a fighting spirit more intense than flames surging within him. Compared to his previous experience obtaining the Crown of the North Wind, Casalos had now made a qualitative leap, reaching new heights in magical abilities, physical strength, and the level of his flames. This trial would undoubtedly greatly advance his exploration of the world of El.

　The dragon's roar echoed, and the enraged swarm of insects surged forth like a tide. Casalos spread its wings and soared into the air, heading straight for the source of the heatwave. Thanks to the 20,000 layers of blazing flames beneath it, it no longer needed to adopt a conservative strategy of defending the ground.

　The dragon's breath surged, its flames as vast as the sea, instantly engulfing the surging swarm of insects. Flowers, born from the intertwining of sparks, flames, and light, bloomed on the surface of Aiur, illuminating this planet swallowed by darkness with a faint candlelight. The Entropy Core, which molten into a sea of ​​lava, added fuel and oil to this candlelight.

　"The legacy of the Burning Realm? This thing is much more to my liking than the cold, icy crown of the North Wind."

　With the Archbishop's mark breaking the seal on the artifact, Casalos received detailed information about the Entropy Core. Perhaps due to its current superior condition and increased power, this information was far more comprehensive than when it was in the Northern Wind's Crown form:

　The Entropy Core, the legacy of the Burner, was born from an accidental overlap between the Fire Elemental Plane and the Aiur Material Plane. To combat the Frost Eaters, Bishop Torahka forcibly fused pure fire with the essence of a fire elemental lord to forge this artifact. Upon its completion, Torahka and the entire mountain range he inhabited were completely melted, leaving only this crystal to fall to earth and form the present-day lava ocean.

　Casalos didn't care who Bishop Toraca was; it was too lazy to investigate what the Frostbiter was. All it knew was that even a being like Losanda had coveted this artifact, and as for the consequences, well, El was already destroyed, and the Entropy Core remained here.

　37. Fighting the vicious dog again

　The Entropy Core was a dark red crystal suspended in molten metal, its surface riddled with honeycomb-like pores, each containing a tiny, intense white flame. When unactivated, it was only the size of a fist; however, once its energy was released, the crystal would expand into a blazing sphere three feet in diameter. After Casalos retrieved it from the lava, the intense heat ceased to leak out, and only the targeted object could feel the burning sensation that struck at the very essence of matter.