Chapter 209: Cassiusâs Summoning
âI donât have time to play with you anymore.â
Wagner finally lost his patience, raising his hand lightly.
ăCloudkillă
A rolling wave of yellow-green poisonous gas surged forward. The players tried to disperse it with wind spells, but the gas was too deadly. Even the slightest contact caused their skin to rot.
When the yellow-green poison enveloped them, even players protected by defensive spells were instantly reduced to mutilated corpses under the corrosive fog.
The potted plant that Flying Witch had transformed into withered instantly upon contact with ăCloudkillă.
The ăMagic Coinsă guild was completely wiped out.
There is a gap even among mages, and this was a demonstration of the absolute disparity in spellcasting ability. Even a simple Magic Missile differs drastically in the hands of an archmage versus an apprentice mageâin game terms, this is the concept of casting capability.
âAn archmageâs missile could bring down a dragon, while an apprenticeâs might not even kill a trained goblin.
As the players perished, Wagner didnât leave. Instead, he stood motionless, displaying the cautious demeanor of a rational mage, far removed from his rumored insanity.
Half an hour passed, and he continued to wait.
The broken bodies emitted faint sounds, first dissolving into tiny light particles before disappearing completely.
A ghostly blue glow flickered in Wagnerâs eyes as he murmured gravely, âMy divination spells show nothingâonly a void. This kind of teleportation doesnât even produce spatial ripples, as ifâŠâ
âThey donât belong to this world.â
âThese so-called players must be backed by something extraordinary.â
Wagnerâs raspy voice trembled, his body shaking violently. A chilling wind inexplicably swept through the tower, causing his black robes to flutter dramatically.
âHahahaâŠâ
âHahahahaha! Once I truly master the power of dragons and claim that berserk strength, Iâll drag you all out!â
âAnd then, not one of you will escape.â
His eyes burned with frenzied zeal, his grotesque face twitching with excitement.
At Northwind Fortress, in the Council Hall.
A red dragon lay sprawled on a massive iron throne, its body rising and falling with its breathing, occasionally exhaling sulfurous heat.
The steel beneath its body had turned red-hot from the unconscious transmission of its internal heat. A normal person sitting there would have been roasted alive. White smoke filled the hall, magma bubbled beneath the ground, and the scene resembled a hellish inferno brought to life.
Cassius activated ăKingdom Domaină, enveloping the hall in an invisible force that stabilized the chaotic weave. The raging fire elements instantly calmed, the scorching air cooled, and the inferno-like hall returned to its original state, leaving only blackened, solidified magma.
âPhew, almost lost control of my power again.â
âI canât keep sleeping in this city. I wonder how much longer until my palace is ready.â
Cassius slowly opened his eyes, a glint of relief in his golden pupils.
He didnât want to accidentally turn Northwind Fortress into a molten wasteland while sleeping. This city had become the political and economic hub of the Ember Kingdom, and its destruction would deal a heavy blow to the nation.
Beside him, a magical mirror glimmered faintly but was suppressed by the domainâs powerâit was Langpu requesting an audience.
Cassius casually lifted the restriction on the domain, allowing the ogreâs distorted face to reappear in the magical projection.
Langpu wore a respectful expression tinged with solemnity.
âMy esteemed master.â
âWhat is it?â
âI have carried out your instructions to assign investigation tasks. In recent days, the Fallen Stars have repeatedly ventured into the Polar Night Demon Tower, bringing back valuable intelligence for the Kingdom. Iâve compiled information on the towerâs location, defenses, exploration routes, and even Wagnerâs spell repertoire, and Iâm ready to present it to you.â
âI must also mentionâyour decision to recruit these fearless Fallen Stars was truly brilliant. Sending ordinary adventurers to explore such a forbidden zone would have required bounties exceeding thousands of gold coins. Yet you sent hundreds to their deaths at the negligible cost of âfaction contributions.ââ
Langpuâs report was peppered with flattery.
Hearing this, Cassiusâs lazy eyes took on a hint of interest.
âCome to the hall and report in person. Itâs time for us to act.â
âYes, master.â
Without hesitation, Langpu activated a teleportation spell. A ripple of space heralded his arrival through a dimensional gate into the Council Hall.
Cassius temporarily lifted the domain to allow the ogre mageâs entry.
Kneeling before the red dragon, Langpu couldnât help but marvel, âMaster, your power is truly beyond imagination. To my humble senses, this space feels as though forged of solid steel. Ordinary spatial spells couldnât even pierce a palm-sized hole.â
Cassius said nothing, merely studying Langpu.
The ogre mageâs physique remained robust, but his draconic features had grown more pronounced.
Previously clad in a patchwork of magical cloaks, Langpu had now refined them into a single crimson robe that nearly dragged on the ground. It shimmered with brilliant magical light, giving him a more dignified appearance.
Most striking were Langpuâs accessories.
Around his neck hung a necklace of nine pallid skulls, enough to make anyone shudder. Even Cassiusâs lip twitched slightly at the eerie sight, evoking an odd sense of familiarity.
âDid this come from the River of Sands or something?â
Cassius mused silently, a bit speechless.
Opening his interface, he saw names like ăShroudâs Wisdomă, ăRaulâs Wisdomă, and ăVadraâs Wisdomă displayed on the skulls, most of which were rare or uncommon items.
Recalling Langpuâs thorough reports, Cassius naturally guessed their origin.
As expected, before Cassius could ask, Langpu proactively explained.
âMaster, after interrogating those mages, I found their schemes insidious and their motives vile. Unable to tolerate it, I killed them.â
âUnfortunately, their intellect wasnât sufficient to craft something as perfect as before. Even stacking their enhancements didnât yield the same results. Only Shroudâs skull proved somewhat effective.â
Langpuâs tone carried a trace of disappointment, as such creations werenât easy to replicate.
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