Chapter 746: The Dragon Returning to the Nest

Tiamat’s Divine Kingdom.

This place was filled with ferocious and brutal chromatic evil dragons, flapping their wings and letting out deafening roars.

At the very center of the divine kingdom stood a majestic mountain.

It was the Dragon Queen’s treasure mountain, where Tiamat’s hoard was stored. Rumor had it that the gold coins there outnumbered the grains of sand in the Brendan Desert.

But precisely because of this, it had become the graveyard for countless wealth-seeking adventurers.

All who coveted Tiamat’s riches would suffer terrible retribution. Total annihilation was considered merciful.

Tiamat allowed no one to approach Her treasury.

Even Her chromatic dragon offspring would be flayed and dismembered if they dared steal even a single gold coin.

Above the treasure mountain stood a magnificent palace, large enough to accommodate Tiamat’s massive body and over a thousand chromatic dragons.

At this moment, Tiamat coiled upon the golden throne. Before Her floated the phantom of a uniquely shaped red dragon with four horns—it was Cassius.

"Excellent. To think that after tens of thousands of years, the chromatic dragons could still birth a third-generation Ancestral Dragon. But alas..."

Tiamat twisted Her head and sneered, "He’s gotten a little rebellious, actually dreaming of establishing his own domain."

Several ancient red, blue, and green dragons—both male and female—were kneeling by Tiamat’s feet. They were Her favored consorts. The Mother of Evil Dragons often sent avatars to revel with Her most devout followers.

At this moment, one ancient blue dragon lifted its head and said respectfully, "Great Dragon Queen, he is but a reckless red dragon. With a bit of power, he lost sight of his place. His arrogance is only natural."

"After all, Your blood flows through his veins. He cannot escape Your grasp."

"Once the ritual is complete and You descend upon the Feanso Continent with supreme power, he will surely understand the situation and bow in submission."

The ancient red dragon beside him refused to be outdone. It puffed out a sulfurous smoke and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, red dragons are Your finest offspring. If that junior pledges himself to You, he will become the strongest warrior of our chromatic dragon race—Your sharpest claw!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Tiamat laughed madly, all five terrifying dragon heads quivering slightly.

"No matter what, I will claim his bloodline. Then I shall lead the chromatic dragons in reviving the glory of the Year of Thunder!"

"Wise is Your Majesty!"

"You shall reign supreme over the world!"

The male ancient dragons responded in unison, raising their heads and howling.

Tiamat released Her divine power, vast as a sea. Five colossal dragon figures appeared in the divine kingdom’s sky. Instantly, hundreds of chromatic dragons across the Feanso Continent raised their heads involuntarily.

"It’s Her Majesty Tiamat!"

"Praise the great Mother of Evil Dragons! The Immortal Queen!"

The chromatic dragons chanted loudly in prayer, while secretly hiding their treasures from divine eyes.

In their eyes, the mighty forms of the five dragons emerged—and alongside the Dragon Queen appeared a red dragon.

"My children, this is the ’Dragon Prince’ Cassius. My blood runs through him. His arrival marks the beginning of the chromatic dragons’ return to world domination!"

"Any one of you, by any means, if you obtain his bloodline, will receive My divine favor—gain long life and immense power!"

"By Tiamat above! Just mating with that red dragon and producing dragon eggs brings divine favor?!"

"So that’s His Highness the Dragon Prince? What a majestic figure! Even without the blessing, I’d still be willing!"

"I’m heading out now!"

"Sigh, if only I weren’t male and could bear the Dragon Prince’s offspring..."

Upon hearing Tiamat’s "divine decree," the chromatic evil dragons of the Feanso Continent became restless with excitement.

Divine favor!

Tiamat’s stinginess was legendary—even Her most devout followers admitted it.

You could dedicate your life, fight for centuries, and still not earn Her favor.

And now, simply mating with the "Dragon Prince" would grant it—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for chromatic dragons!

In a cave of the Brendan Desert, Kristina Farias let out a roar: "Damn it! This was supposed to be my mission alone! Lord Cassius is my mate! No one else is allowed to touch him!"

In her fury, the blue dragon crackled with electricity, her scales bristling, her body expanding.

In the southern reaches of the continent, in the Issac Volcano, a nimble and powerful female red dragon emerged from the magma, spreading her wings and spewing a plume of scorching smoke.

She was the same red dragon who had followed Tiamat to Avernus. Her name was Dracarys.

Though only an adult dragon, Dracarys was nearly thirty meters long, the most favored of the younger generation aside from Cassius.

She growled, "What a bunch of foolish idiots. Do they really think they stand a chance?"

"I’ll show them... Only the truly strong deserve to bear His Highness’s offspring." Dracarys took to the air, letting out a thunderous roar that stirred the magma and shook the volcano.

Meanwhile, in the divine kingdom, Tiamat suddenly called out an ancient red dragon’s name.

"Kaleimas."

"Great Majesty," the ancient red dragon lifted his head and stepped forward.

"You will serve Me tonight. Remember to shape four horns."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Kaleimas instinctively shrank his hind legs. Even his voice trembled. His lower body seemed to ache faintly.

The other ancient dragons wore expressions of gloating mischief. They yearned for Tiamat’s blessings but dreaded Her intimacy.

With the body of a dragon god...

Even an avatar was more than an ordinary dragon could withstand—especially now, as the Dragon Queen seemed particularly enthusiastic.

Yet Tiamat was in high spirits, beaming with delight, as if already envisioning the glorious future where chromatic dragons ruled the land.

Not long after, low growls echoed from the Dragon Queen’s bedchamber, filled with a pain that seemed to cut to the soul.

Ember Empire, Anzeta Wasteland, atop Dragonblood Mountain.

After many days, Cassius returned to the nest he knew best, taking inventory of his gains from the hellish journey.

"Kostchtchie’s artifact."

The red dragon opened his mouth and spat out an ancient warhammer—"Father of Frost" Matalotok.

Empowered by Kostchtchie, the hammer exuded a faint white mist, chilling to the bone. Unleashing its divine power could freeze a hundred-mile radius.

[Father of Frost - Matalotok]

Weapon: Warhammer

Rarity: Mythic

Domains: Frost Giants, Cold, Ice, Evil, Storms

Description: Tens of thousands of years ago, the frost giant god Solrem crafted this hammer from one of his leg bones. During the war between dragons and giants, Matalotok froze countless mighty dragons.

After Solrem fell into slumber, it came into the hands of the demon lord Kostchtchie, serving as an anchor for his ascension.

"Worm! Sleep forever in frost—"

Equip Effects:

Fearless of Cold: While wielding Matalotok, all cold damage becomes null to you. You will not suffer from ice or frost.

Frost Command: You can control cold currents, summon blizzards, create arctic conditions, and even freeze space-time in a small area.

Hammer of Freezing: Damage from this hammer inflicts divine frost power, causing stiffness, freezing, and similar effects.

King of Giants: You can suppress the minds of frost giants. Those with weak willpower will obey your commands unconditionally.

Reading through the descriptions, Cassius sighed, "Divine resistance, elemental mastery, bonus damage, mind control..."

"Such a powerful and versatile artifact—but it just doesn’t mesh with me. What a shame."

Cassius, at his core, was a red dragon who controlled fire and magma.

Fire and ice were incompatible. Most of this artifact’s effects were useless to him—some even counterproductive.

If he could obtain a fire giant relic, Cassius would be overjoyed.

He stroked his chin. "Still, there is someone—or some dragon—in the empire who can use this frost divine power."

He looked to his data panel.

[You killed [Gos Demon], gained 0.3xp]

[You killed [Berserk Demon], gained 1.2xp]

[You killed [Frost Demon], gained 1.5xp]

Hundreds of thousands of entries refreshed. These were just the demons slain in the aftermath of Cassius and Kostchtchie’s battle.

Sadly, for someone nearing demigod status like Cassius, the XP gained from ordinary demons was pitiful.

And the XP required to level up was astronomical.

He scrolled all the way to the bottom.

[You defeated [Frost Giant King - Kostchtchie (Challenge Rating: 39)], gained 300,000xp]

Defeated, not killed.

It seemed Kostchtchie’s immortal nature wasn’t completely destroyed. His soul returned to the Abyss and would be reborn in some dark corner.

"Worthy of a demigod-level abyssal lord—so hard to kill," Cassius muttered.

Without hell’s authority bolstering him, Cassius would never have defeated Kostchtchie. Their fundamental life levels were just too different.

Challenge Rating 39—the strongest foe Cassius had overcome thus far. That freezing divine power still left him shaken.

[Your total class level has risen to: 28]

[Current classes: True Dragon Sorcerer 20 / Bloodscale Berserker 3 / Elemental Master 4 / Scalebound Dragons 1]

Cassius fell into thought. "From that battle, it’s clear I have enough destructive power to harm demigods. But my defenses are lacking. I’m becoming a glass cannon."

"So I need to focus on boosting my durability and survival tools."

[You chose to level up [Scalebound Dragons] to level 2]

Stillheart: As a draconic cultivator, your mind is tranquil like still water, resistant to external influence. Scalebound Dragonss gain advantage against Enchantment and Illusion spells and effects.

Natural Armor: Harsh training has hardened your scales. Rune-Scale Dragon’s natural armor bonus increases by +4.

Radiant Aura: Rune-Scale Dragons are detached and neutral by nature. Their confidence stems from immense defense. The runes on your scales emit a mysterious light that shields against all damage.

Invisible power twisted reality.

Cassius let out a soft cry. The gold-inlaid runes on his body began to extend and grow, becoming more intricate and shining with bright, resolute light, enveloping the red dragon’s massive frame.

When the light faded, Cassius’s body had taken on a metallic sheen. The runes sparkled like a luxurious suit of armor.

"Looks like those gold dragons of the Eternal Order Realm passed on something useful after all." Cassius glanced at himself, then looked again to the panel.

Kostchtchie brought more than just a flood of XP.

There was also advancement in achievements.

After all, Kostchtchie held the titles of Frost Giant King and Abyssal Lord.

Thus, both [Frost Giant Destroyer] and [Demon Slayer] achievements advanced.

[Frost Giant Destroyer]’s trophy turned black-gold, symbolizing a legendary feat. Its subtrait [Frost Giant Slayer] was also enhanced.

Unfortunately, unless Solrem awakened, there were no more frost giants strong enough to threaten Cassius—rendering the achievement rather useless.

[Demon Slayer]’s trophy glowed ever brighter, turning platinum with increasingly ornate decorations—signifying a mythic-level achievement.

Cassius felt a tremendous force of Order fill his chest, silver light flashing in his draconic pupils.

Now, he could unleash a far more powerful Greater Breath of Order, easily purifying abyss-tainted lands.

"This hell venture was worth it. Not only did I establish a foothold in Avernus, but I also boosted my personal strength."

"But that Dragon Queen..." Cassius’s expression darkened.

Tiamat’s hellfire-burning scene was seared into his memory. Time was running out—he had to stop the Dragon Queen from descending to the Material Plane.

Just then, the magic mirror in the cave flickered. Langpu’s ugly face appeared, wearing an anxious expression.

"Master, urgent news. A large number of chromatic dragons are trying to forcibly enter Imperial territory. The Empire’s air force is intercepting, but using non-lethal methods."

"How many?"

"So far, a total of 139—mostly young and adult dragons. Predominantly chromatic evil dragons, but also some rarer color subspecies like purple, brown, and yellow."

"That many?"

Cassius frowned.

A hundred true dragons moving together could cause a major dragon disaster—even during the Dragon Frenzy.

Even the Ember Empire would find it hard to handle so many dragons. It would require mobilizing a vast army.

Moreover, Cassius didn’t want to completely fall out with the chromatic dragons—especially not become Tiamat’s top target.

"Also," Langpu paused.

"Also what?"

Cassius looked puzzled.

Langpu lowered his head and cautiously said, "Master, nearly all of these colored dragons are female. They say they’ve been ordered to come mate with you and lay eggs."

That familiar approach...

Cassius’s heart sank, his lips twitching. He instantly realized who had orchestrated this "dragon disaster."

That damn Mother Goddess was truly a pain to deal with!