Ashen Dragon

Chapter 58 Slumber

Cassius ordered Ramp to cast several "guardian inscription" spells at the entrance of the cave.

Any unauthorized entity attempting to breach the cave would be met with a rune explosion, engulfing the intruder in flames, lightning, and strong acid.

He also arranged for retainers to guard the entrance in shifts. In the future, Great Goblins, Bugbears, and Lizardfolk guards would be stationed at the entrance continuously, ensuring that the cave remained undisturbed.

Once everything was settled, Cassius ventured alone into the depths of Giant's Mouth Cave, his wings loosely folded at his sides.

Here, it was close to the lava region. Scalding white steam emanated everywhere, the air heavy with powerful fire elements, and hot magma oozed from the ground.

For ordinary people, this environment would be the Land of Death, but for Cassius, it felt incredibly comfortable.

The scent of sulfur and floatstone on him grew stronger, indicating that this Red Dragon's body was eager for slumber, ready to enter the next stage of its age. This magma-filled cave was the perfect place for him to absorb and store elemental energy during his sleep.

All True Dragons were warm-blooded. Given their elemental nature, they could hardly be anything else, and fire dragons, in particular, grew hotter with age.

Unlike most warm-blooded creatures, dragons had no apparent means of shedding excess heat. They did not sweat and rarely panted. Instead, dragon capillaries extracted heat from the blood flow, storing this energy.

Thus, in a sense, dragons could be considered ectothermic (as they utilized environmental heat sources).

However, when dragons lost external heat sources, their metabolism and activity levels remained unaffected, neither slowing nor forcing them into dormancy due to cold exposure.

"It is time to sleep..."

Cassius muttered to himself as he inhaled the air's scents.

Since arriving at Erezer, he had been relentlessly enhancing his strength, seldom taking long rests.

A true Red Dragon, besides occasional raiding and plundering, spent most of its time sleeping and eating.

Dragons possessed lengthy lifespans and innate strength. A giant dragon could gain enormous power, unimaginable to ordinary beings, merely by sleeping.

This made them both exceedingly proud and exceedingly lazy.

Despite their craving for power, they seldom wasted time seeking it like ordinary creatures. This stemmed from both their confidence and disdain for mortal concerns.

"How can anyone imagine anything more magnificent than a dragon, the epitome of creation?"

—Bheilorveilthion, Ancient Red Dragon.

Yet, it was precisely the dragons' laziness and arrogance that allowed them to be defeated by adventurers.

A "diligent" dragon like Cassius was considered an outlier among all dragons. Such a dragon, in a sense, was the most terrifying, a diligent evil dragon capable of causing a global catastrophe.

"I wonder how long this slumber will last."

"I hope that when I wake up, the Ashen Nest will still be intact."

"But I still haven't found the demon in the mountains."

"And my actions may have already drawn the Kingdom's attention. If they dispatch troops to attack..."

Cassius pondered silently.

He slowly lay down, pressing his body against the warm ground, feeling the continuous flow of underground energy into him.

"Forget it, let's sleep."

"Without strength, everything is in vain."

"Like a true giant dragon, grow strong by sleeping."

The Red Dragon curled up in the depths of the magma, slowly closed his eyes, and slept like a true Red Dragon.

The surrounding frenzied fire element energy flowed relentlessly into his body, entering his beating heart through capillaries, filling his every inch of flesh and blood.

Cassius's massive frame rose and fell with each breath...

...

Northwind Castle.

Rackman Castle cellar.

The surroundings were dimly lit and quiet, with the candles on the walls flickering.

A man in his fifties lay in a cold stone coffin.

His face bore an unnatural pallor, with a delicately groomed mustache on his lips, and silver-framed glasses perched on his nose.

His hair was jet black, and he wore a black and red robe trimmed with luxurious gold.

He was Brad Rackman.

The current Duke of the Rackman Family, ruler of Northwind Castle.

He seldom appeared before people, except for that speech in the dim hall and... during feeding time.

There was a faint sound in the cellar.

The murmuring whispers of bats and the flapping of their wings.

A woman with the same pale face and slender build, dressed in a heavily ruffled gown, slowly walked in and approached the stone coffin.

"Father."

The man in the stone coffin slowly opened his eyes, and a deep crimson color flickered in his pupils.

"What is it, Alexia?"

The woman lifted her skirt, bowed, and spoke in a voice as cold as ice.

"The Eagle Guards returned with news. They have found traces of Tieflings in Stormy Ridge. Those filthy creatures have set up a camp there."

Brad's expression remained unchanged as he said:

"Then send someone to wipe them out completely."

"But..."

Alexia hesitated slightly.

"They seem to be under the protection of Ashen Nest. The scouts we sent were killed by Wyverns, and only a few escaped."

Duke Brad's brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of anger appeared on his pale face.

"It's that again..."

"That damn Red Dragon."

The duke was still bitter about the loss of his Eagle Guards. These elite cavalrymen had cost the Rackham Family thousands of gold coins, and Alger, in particular, had been deemed a useful tool. The duke even planned to turn him into his eternal servant.

"So do you think we should seek out..."

"That lord."

Alexia observed the duke's expression, testingly asking.

"No, do not engage Ashen Nest directly."

"And do not summon that Mage."

"We can't control his power; it will only bring disaster to us."

His response was decisive, clearly rejecting her proposal.

Duke Brad gazed at the woman, speaking earnestly:

"You must be patient, Alexia."

"I have bestowed upon you endless life, and as noble Immortals, unlike those vile human mortals, we must learn to wait."

"Once I complete the grand ascension..."

"All problems will be solved."

"Yes, Father."

Alexia responded promptly, obediently.

Duke Brad involuntarily licked his lips, revealing sharp teeth, with deep crimson seeping from his pupils.

"Alexia, when does the feast begin?"

"I am somewhat famished."