Chapter 745: The Defiant One

The atmosphere was unbearably tense.

Even the chromatic dragons didn’t dare speak, afraid to anger either of the two overwhelmingly powerful dragons and get caught in their clash.

Tiamat remained composed, her tone still gentle: "Cassius, you’re still as headstrong as ever. But greed, bravery, decisiveness—these are the traits our chromatic dragons should possess."

The green dragon head chuckled, "Hehe, you’re worried I’ll try to seize your authority over Hell, aren’t you?"

"..."

Cassius didn’t answer. He simply flapped his wings, staring coldly at the five-headed monstrosity in the distance, seemingly in contemplation.

The blue dragon head of the Dragon Queen uttered a deep, magnetic whisper: "Cassius, relax. I have no intention of coveting this trifling power. You are free to rule Avernus alone.

I will stand behind you, fully supporting you. You just need to turn this place into a paradise for chromatic dragons and rule it with your brothers and sisters."

"Then, you’ll be the hero of our kind, the Duke of Avernus admired by all dragons! You’ll command untold legions of dragons and wield boundless power among our kin!"

Tiamat’s tone rose and fell with stirring cadence, full of incitement.

The chromatic dragons circling her flapped their wings, raised their necks, and howled endlessly.

"Praise to the Dragon Prince!"

"Duke of Avernus!"

"We will follow you! Hell shall become a paradise for true dragons!!"

Bael didn’t even dare breathe too loudly, terrified of missing a word. If that terrifying red dragon and the chromatic dragon queen joined forces, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

"Your Majesty Tiamat, what you say is not without reason."

Cassius paused for a moment, then spoke powerfully without hesitation: "But... please allow me to refuse!"

At that moment, Cassius was laughing coldly inside. He knew Tiamat far too well.

Lord of Avernus?

He had seized Hell’s authority with his own claws—why would he need the blessing of the evil dragon goddess?

If the Lord of the Nine came knocking, he’d be the scapegoat, while Tiamat would gain countless believers without lifting a claw.

She might even indirectly control Avernus through the chromatic dragon clan!

That would completely ruin his plan to semi-colonize Avernus, bringing in harmful elements and hindering the empire’s development.

Tiamat’s expression finally darkened. The red dragon head let out a thunderous roar: "Cassius, are you deliberately defying me?!"

Divine pressure surged forth, vast as an abyss, blanketing the sky.

Seeing this, the loyal blue and green dragons assumed angry stances, roaring: "Cassius, don’t be ungrateful!"

"How dare you!"

"You actually defy the Dragon Queen’s decree? Have you forgotten your identity as a chromatic dragon?!"

Though their words were fierce, these chromatic dragons honestly hid behind Tiamat, afraid Cassius would lash out in a fit of rage.

Only the female red dragon still looked dazed, her eyes filled with worship.

That Dragon Prince—no, Ember Emperor—daring to reject Tiamat to her face! What courage! What confidence!

Truly a powerful male!

After all, to red dragons with muscles for brains, power was everything. Loyalty and faith were just meaningless noise.

Facing the aggressive Dragon Queen, Cassius relied on the authority of the "Dragon of Hell" to resist the divine pressure of his racial god. He stood tall and replied, "Your Majesty Tiamat, I do not mean to defy you, it’s just—"

He paused, then continued, "I’ve already signed a contract with Lord Bael. As allies, how could I betray him?"

Cassius’s tone was righteous, as if he were a paragon of virtue.

Contracts, allies, integrity—weren’t these things meaningless to chromatic dragons? Especially to red dragons, who were brutal, erratic, and treacherous?

Even Bael looked skeptical. He was sure Cassius was spouting nonsense. That greedy red dragon definitely didn’t believe what he was saying.

Tiamat was so furious she laughed, black divine light blotting out the sky: "Cassius, you really think such a flimsy excuse could fool me? Your mother goddess?!"

Facing the pouring divine pressure, Cassius didn’t retreat—instead, he stepped forward, unfurling his molten, lava-patterned wings hundreds of meters wide.

The authority of Avernus exploded forth, sweeping across tens of thousands of meters, standing equal with Tiamat’s divine might.

"BOOM—"

The clash formed a violent storm. Even the dragons circling Tiamat were knocked around, frantically flapping their wings, screeching as they barely stayed aloft.

All five of Tiamat’s heads roared together, a chorus that shook heaven and earth: "Cassius! Don’t forget what happened to those who defied me!"

"I’ve seen many chromatic dragons like you—overconfident fools who thought they could break away, only to meet a tragic end!"

"Is that so?"

Cassius slowly flapped his wings, resisting the divine pressure with all his might. He spoke calmly, "But Your Majesty Tiamat, I’ve never done anything to harm you or the chromatic dragons."

"On the contrary, I’ve always done my best for our people’s glory. I simply cannot accept your request this time."

Cassius saw through Tiamat’s bluff—she didn’t dare go all out in Baator.

Her divine realm bordered Hell. If she went to war with the Lords of the Nine, she’d be in constant danger. The price was far too steep.

So Tiamat brought a flock of dragons to pressure him with divine might, hoping to force him into submission and take indirect control of Avernus.

As for Asmodeus’s retaliation?

Naturally, Cassius—the temp worker—would take the hit.

Gazing at the calm Cassius, Tiamat finally lost patience. The most violent and reckless red dragon head spat a blast of divine dragonfire.

Tiamat’s Breath!

"This old hag is serious?!"

Cassius’s heart jolted. He didn’t dare hesitate. Raising his head, he summoned the power of Avernus—an inferno of Hellfire surged from deep in his throat.

"BOOM!!"

The two flames collided, detonating in a cataclysmic explosion that reduced everything around to ash.

In an instant, Cassius’s breath was overwhelmed by Tiamat’s flame. The terrifying breath surged at him, scouring his body.

Even Hellfire empowered by Avernus’s authority couldn’t withstand this evil divine power. His molten body was rapidly melted away.

This was the power of a true god!

He had underestimated Tiamat!

Wracked by agony, a terrifying thought crossed Cassius’s mind—had the Dragon Queen decided he was a true threat and was now trying to eliminate him for good?!

In moments, the five-hundred-meter-long "Dragon of Hell" had been burned down to half its size, covered in gaping wounds.

This is bad—he had to escape immediately!

Cassius flapped his wings frantically, fleeing from Tiamat’s divine flames, trying to tear open Avernus’s space.

But just then, Tiamat paused and shook her head: "See, my child? You’re still too young and brash. Before true power, everything you rely on is worthless."

"As the mother goddess of all chromatic dragons, I’m willing to give you one more chance—a chance to repent."

Tiamat’s voice was low and deliberate.

Cassius caught her meaning.

Since intimidation failed, she was now trying to subdue him by force. But he hadn’t expected her to actually risk war with the Nine Hells.

Cassius’s infernal body was already disintegrating under the divine scourge, revealing his original 60-meter form, covered in wounds, steaming with dragon blood.

But Tiamat stared at the blood flowing from his wounds, her expression changing. A hint of... surprise?... flashed in her greedy dragon eyes.

She summoned a drop of blood across space, examined it carefully, and murmured, "This is... Third-Generation Ancestral Dragon blood?"

Cassius cursed inwardly.

While transformed as the Dragon of Hell, he had used [Primal Reversion] to elevate part of his body to Third-Generation Ancestral Dragon level.

And now, the Dragon Queen had noticed!

Tiamat raised her heads again, all five pairs of eyes burning with irrepressible greed and delight.

"Cassius, you truly surprise me. Who would’ve thought that after tens of thousands of years, our kind could still produce such an exceptional descendant."

The five-headed monster lifted her claw and uttered a tempting whisper: "Come, become my Chosen. You will be the next Dragon King, the start of chromatic dragonkind’s dominion over the multiverse!"

Cassius’s vision blurred. It was as if tens of thousands of chromatic dragons were roaring in his ears, calling his name.

"Submit to the Dragon Queen! Submit to the Dragon Queen!"

The psychic onslaught was overwhelming—Cassius even felt a sudden impulse to kneel in worship.

Fortunately, after his Abyssal tempering, his will was especially strong. Gritting his teeth, he resisted Tiamat’s charm and tore open the space before him.

"Tiamat, you’ve overstepped. Are you planning to go to war with the Nine Hells?"

A hoarse, deep voice rang out. A devil in crimson robes appeared in the sky.

He had black eyes, a goatee, and a blurry form—more a projection than a body.

Though not physically imposing, his presence oppressed all. He seemed the very embodiment of sin, the master of all things.

Every devil present stared at the sky, going slightly mad.

"That’s... him!"

"It’s the Lord of the Nine Hells!"

"Praise the great Lord of the Nine Hells, the Evil King—Asmodeus!"

Tiamat’s expression changed. All five heads turned toward the devil, growling: "Asmodeus, this is an internal matter of dragonkind. Stay out of it!"

Asmodeus replied coldly: "Yet you’re within Hell’s territory. To act here is to offend the order of the Nine Hells!"

"Don’t forget our agreement, Your Majesty Tiamat... and don’t forget your divine realm still relies on Baator."

The devil gently tapped his staff. Hellfire shot skyward, forming thick chains. A mighty infernal force bound Tiamat’s divine body.

This was the Nine Hells.

In this plane, Asmodeus was a godlike creator, free to manipulate everything—even gods couldn’t match him.

Seeing her body about to be expelled from Hell, Tiamat ground her teeth, but had no choice.

"We’re leaving!"

She tore open Hell’s space, opening a portal to the Dragon Queen’s Nest—a world of darkness swarming with chromatic dragons.

The blue and green dragons roared one by one, flapping their wings and entering the portal.

"Lord Cassius..."

The female red dragon looked longingly at Cassius before departing, golden pupils filled with desire.

Then the monstrous five-headed beast also dove in.

As she left, Tiamat looked back at Cassius meaningfully, her gaze deep: "Cassius, my defiant child."

"Soon, I shall return to the Material Plane at the call of the masses. That will be your final chance at redemption."

"If you insist on standing in my way—on blocking the glorious rise of the chromatic dragons—then don’t blame me for what happens next."

The spatial rift slowly closed. The divine pressure cloaking the sky also gradually faded.

"The Dragon Tyranny event wasn’t supposed to happen for another three years based on the past timeline... but thanks to me, it came early." Cassius thought.

He still felt lingering dread over Tiamat’s terrifying power.

Then, Cassius nodded slightly toward Asmodeus and said respectfully, "Thank you for your help, esteemed Lord of the Nine Hells."

"Cassius, you did well. I didn’t expect you to actually slay that Frost Giant. Truly... surprising."

Asmodeus smiled faintly, tapped his staff, then asked casually, "Interested in falling into Hell?"

"If you’re willing to become a hellborn creature, I can give you the position of Lord of Avernus."

Bael instantly grimaced. It was as if he remembered some unspeakable trauma. His heart jumped to his throat.

Centuries ago, this same Lord of the Nine had removed him from power the exact same way. Asmodeus merely tapped the ground with his staff, and Bael lost all authority—reduced to a stray dog.

Cassius calmly refused: "Lord Asmodeus, you should know I have no interest in Hell’s power. Otherwise, I’d have accepted Tiamat’s offer earlier."

"In the end, the Ember Empire is my foundation. I only do what benefits the Empire."

"What a pity. Mortal kingdoms are fleeting, but rulership in Hell is eternal." Asmodeus sighed, then vanished in a plume of fire.

Bael finally let out a long breath. Only now had he managed to keep his job and avoid being overthrown.

He stepped forward, wearing a fake smile: "Your Majesty Cassius, Avernus will always be a staunch ally of the Empire."

Cassius smiled too: "Of course. The friendship between the Empire and Avernus shall endure as eternally as your reign."

The two exchanged smiles, each harboring hidden agendas.

Bael was already scheming to promote his loyalists, stabilize his rule over Avernus, and erase Cassius’s influence.

He didn’t believe for a second that this greedy red dragon truly had no desire for Hell’s power.

Meanwhile, Cassius thought: if he governed Avernus under Asmodeus’s appointment, he’d just be someone else’s lackey.

But he had a greater ambition—he wanted to turn Avernus into a colony of the Empire.