Ashen Dragon

Chapter 201: Chapter 126 The Red Dragon’s Gaze
 

Chains of mind control flew out from Vagnard, binding Singo’s soul tightly.

His eyes were hollow and lifeless, with an eerie dark red glow replacing the light in his pupils. His movements were as stiff as a marionette’s, entranced.

Vagnard chuckled softly, issuing commands with his will.@@novelbin@@

“Come here”

Just a simple command, but the overwhelming mental force poured through the chains into Singo’s brain. His body moved unconsciously, walking lightly to Vagnard’s side.

He stroked Singo’s scaly arm, marveling:

“Truly… an artistic creation.”

“The perfect blend of scales and muscle—I’ve only seen this on actual giant dragons. How have I never created such a masterpiece?”

“Move him over here”

Vagnard effortlessly gave the command.

Singo, like a puppet, followed the order, lifting the unconscious War Maniac and bringing him back to Vagnard.

Vagnard led them forward, with the Soul-Devouring Pot containing Mantou’s soul floating beside them. Heavy iron doors swung open automatically as they approached, bringing them to a platform adorned with dragon scales.

Complex gravity spell runes caused the platform to ascend layer by layer.

At each level, grotesque monsters felt the tremors and erupted into a cacophony of roars, shaking and crashing against their cages. But Vagnard paid them no mind; to him, they were insignificant failures.

Finally, they reached the highest level of the Black Tower, Vagnard’s most cherished laboratory—the Land of the Demon Dragon.

Everywhere lay broken scales, dismembered limbs, and the floor was almost entirely covered in thick blood. Blood-splattered instruments, shattered syringes, and sharp implements were scattered about.

Vagnard took a deep breath, as if savoring the rich scent of blood in the air.

“Secure him”

Singo, under control, strapped the War Maniac to a metal table.

Vagnard meticulously examined the War Maniac’s robust frame. His fervent eyes seemed to penetrate scales and skin to see every intricate structure, even the blood vessels coursing with thick blood.

“Indeed…”

“It is the Red Dragon’s power. The purest Dragon Blood flows through this humanoid creature.”

“Why do they not experience rejection? I have experimented dozens of times, and even the hardy body of a Frost Giant could not endure White Dragon blood; it would just disintegrate entirely. How could this most volatile, most repellent Red Dragon Bloodline be any different?”

“And these organs—dragon heads perfectly fused with human bodies. Even my greatest creation, Valena, was just a stitched product. They naturally transform…”

Reluctantly, Vagnard tore his gaze from the War Maniac and looked into the distance.

His eyes pierced through the cold, thick metal walls, the layers of mountains, and the vast Stormy Ridge, focusing on the enormous Red Dragon in its lair, a fervent light glinting in them.

“Cassius Klaubow Norixius, a mutant Red Dragon who rose abruptly within a decade. You must harbor many secrets.”

“You interest me more and more.”

…

In Northwind Castle’s Council Hall.

Cassius was experimenting with spells when the Heavenly Calamity Dragon Eye floating beside him suddenly reacted.

Broken snippets of scenes appeared in his vision—players battling gnolls, a mysterious and dangerous tower, eerie stitched monsters, finally freezing on a pair of fanatical eyes.

— This was the unique ability of the Heavenly Calamity Dragon Eye, “Past Eye Sight”.

“This is…”

Cassius immediately recognized the Mantou he had been watching closely. But those eyes were definitely not a player’s, and “Mantou’s” eyes sparkled with layers of high-tier magical aurora.

“Black Tower, monsters, spells…”

“So it’s Vagnard. He even possesses players and dares to blatantly spy on me!”

“What a reckless madman.”

The Red Dragon’s mouth curved into a cold smile.

In his previous life, Vagnard was notorious, especially for turning his own daughter into a monster and conducting numerous inhumane experiments in secret, inciting the collective wrath of players.

The players united, ultimately sacrificing countless lives to blow this “Dragon Fan Black Wizard” to pieces.

Being targeted by this lunatic was extremely troublesome, and Vagnard, being not only a senior mage but also adept in maneuvering against dragons, was something Cassius did not fear but preferred to avoid entangling with.

Once offended, it must be eradicated root and branch.

He wouldn’t gamble on the consequences of letting a high-rank mage run free.

Cassius exhaled a puff of sulfurous smoke and decided to teach him a lesson first, before settling other scores.

“Heh, since you like to spy—”

“Then let you enjoy it!”

The Red Dragon raised his head slightly, meeting the gaze from hundreds of miles away, a sinister smile on his face, golden pupils gleaming with a breathtaking magical aurora.

Since he was already affiliated with the Dragon Queen, he could afford to be a bit more unrestrained.

Sixth Tier Spell—

“Tiamat’s Terrifying Illusion”

The illusion traversed the Stormy Ridge, pierced through layers of mountains, and instantly appeared before Vagnard in the tower, presenting itself to his eyes.

“Roar——”

With a thunderous dragon’s roar, a nightmare-like amalgamation appeared before Vagnard. Colossal dragon limbs supported a monstrous dragon body, five writhing necks and heads sprouting from it, each corresponding to a color dragon.

The five-headed evil dragon spread its wings, obscuring the sky, and looked down at Vagnard with an unspeakable terror in its gaze.

“Tiamat, it’s Tiamat!”

“Five-Colored Dragon Queen, Evil Dragon Queen, Tiamat!”

Vagnard trembled all over, exclaiming in shock.

The trembling of his body stemmed not just from fear but also from excitement and agitation.

“How… magnificent…”

Vagnard’s face flushed red, his speech even slurred.

He had pursued the power of dragons for centuries, and the legendary Evil Dragon Queen, progenitor of all colored dragons, Tiamat, was undoubtedly the pinnacle of that power, the illusionary light of his life.

Being a mere shard of his soul, he naturally couldn’t discern the illusion’s reality. In extreme fear and excitement, he instinctively regarded this “Tiamat’s Terrifying Illusion” as a True God’s descent.

Yet, with his intellect, how could he not guess that this was due to peeking at the Red Dragon?

The five-colored evil dragons in the sky looked down coldly at the earth. Fire, ice, acid, lightning, and poison spewed from the five hideous heads, delivering the god of evil dragons’ punishment.

“To witness Tiamat’s magnificent form and feel this unparalleled power in person, my existence has no regrets.”

“You are indeed special…”

“Red Dragon.”

Vagnard murmured, looking up to the sky.

The next moment, the dazzling breaths frenziedly washed over his soul, effortlessly obliterating this wisp of soul fragment completely.

Yet, the soul fragment, with its dying strength, cast a spell sending a faint stream of information to the main body.