Chapter 197: The Red Dragon's Gaze
Strands of psychic chains extended from Wagner, binding Singo's soul tightly.
His eyes turned vacant, the light in his pupils replaced by a dim red glow. His movements became stiff, like a puppet on strings, falling into a state of enthrallment.
Wagner chuckled softly and issued a command with his will.
"Come to me."
With just a simple order, an overwhelming psychic force surged along the chains into Singo's mind. His body moved involuntarily, shuffling obediently to Wagner's side.
Wagner stroked Singo's arm, covered in scales, marveling:
"Truly… a masterpiece of creation."
"The perfect fusion of scales and muscle. I've only ever seen this on true dragons. How have I never created such a marvel?"
"Bring him here."
Wagner gave the command effortlessly.
Singo, like a marionette, obeyed and carried the unconscious Born Battle Maniac to Wagner's side.
Wagner led them forward, the urn containing Mantou's soul floating behind. Thick metal doors opened one by one as they approached, and they arrived at a platform engraved with dragon scales.
Intricate gravity spell runes activated, lifting the platform layer by layer.
On each level, grotesque monsters sensed the vibration and let out chaotic howls, shaking and ramming their cages. Wagner, however, paid them no mind; to him, they were insignificant failures.
Eventually, they reached the topmost level of the black tower—Wagner's most prized laboratory, the Dragon's Domain.
Shattered flesh and scales, severed limbs, and sticky blood covered the floor. Bloodied instruments, broken syringes, and sharp tools were scattered everywhere.
Wagner took a deep breath, reveling in the thick scent of blood in the air.
"Tie him down."
Under Wagner's control, Singo secured Born Battle Maniac to a metal bed.
Wagner observed Born Battle Maniac's robust physique intently. His fanatical eyes seemed to peer through scales and skin, visualizing every muscle and vein filled with viscous blood.
"Indeed…"
"It's red dragon power—the purest dragon blood flows within this humanoid body."
"Why do they not experience rejection? I've experimented dozens of times. Even the resilient body of a frost giant couldn't handle white dragon blood—it failed completely. And yet, this volatile, exclusive red dragon bloodline works?"
"And these organs… a dragon head perfectly fused with a human body. Even my greatest work, Valenna, was merely stitched together. But they achieved natural integration."
Wagner reluctantly tore his gaze from Born Battle Maniac and looked into the distance.
His eyes pierced through the cold, thick metal walls, through layers of mountains and the expansive Storm Highlands, reaching a massive red dragon deep within its lair. His gaze burned with fervent intensity.
"Cassius Claudius Norrixius, the anomalous red dragon who rose so rapidly in just ten years… you must hold many secrets."
"You intrigue me more and more."
At Northwind Fortress, inside the council hall.
Cassius was experimenting with magic when his floating [Cataclysmic Dragon Eye] reacted.
Fragmented images appeared in its view: players fighting gnolls, a mysterious and perilous tower, grotesque stitched monsters, and finally, a pair of fanatical eyes.
—It was the special ability of the Calamity Dragon Eye, [Past Vision].
"This is…"
Cassius immediately recognized Mantou, someone he'd been observing. But those eyes—those were not a player's. Moreover, the glow of high-level magic power flickered in "Mantou's" gaze.
"The black tower, the monsters, the magic…"
"So, it's Wagner. He dared to possess a player and brazenly spy on me!"
"What a reckless lunatic."
The red dragon sneered coldly.
Wagner was infamous even in his previous life, especially for turning his daughter into a monster and conducting inhumane experiments. His actions had united players in fury, culminating in a massive effort that cost countless lives to finally obliterate the "Dragon-Mad Black Mage."
Being targeted by such a lunatic was extremely troublesome. Wagner wasn't just a high-level mage; he was an expert in dealing with dragons. Though Cassius feared no one, he had no desire to entangle himself with Wagner.
Once involved, the only solution was to completely eradicate him.
Cassius would not risk the consequences of letting a high-level mage escape.
Exhaling a sulfurous breath, Cassius decided to teach Wagner a lesson before settling other scores later.
"Hah. If you enjoy spying—"
"Then feast your eyes!"
The red dragon lifted his head slightly, meeting Wagner's distant gaze. A sinister smile spread across his face, his golden pupils blazing with awe-inspiring magical light.
As he now bore the Dragon Queen's favor, he allowed himself a bit of indulgence.
Sixth-circle spell—
[Tiamat's Terrifying Illusion]
The illusion crossed the Storm Highlands and pierced through the mountains, instantly reaching Wagner within the tower and appearing before him.
"Roar—"
A deafening dragon roar accompanied the nightmare apparition. A monstrous form with the body of a dragon, supported by four limbs and crowned with five writhing necks, appeared. Each head represented a chromatic dragon.
The five-headed dragon spread its enormous wings, casting a shadow that engulfed the sky. It gazed down at Wagner with an indescribable terror.
"Tiamat! It's Tiamat!"
"The Five-Headed Dragon Queen, the Evil Dragon Goddess, Tiamat!"
Wagner trembled uncontrollably, exclaiming in shock.
His shaking wasn't solely from fear but also from excitement and fervor.
"Such… greatness."
Wagner's face flushed, and his speech grew incoherent.
For centuries, he had pursued dragon power. The legendary Dragon Queen Tiamat, progenitor of all chromatic dragons, was the pinnacle of his quest.
This was merely a fragment of Wagner's soul, incapable of discerning illusion from reality. Overwhelmed by terror and exhilaration, he instinctively perceived [Tiamat's Terrifying Illusion] as the descent of a true god.
But with his intellect, how could he not suspect it was triggered by spying on the red dragon?
The five chromatic dragon heads in the sky looked down indifferently, unleashing fire, frost, acid, lightning, and poisonous gas from their mouths—punishments from the dragon goddess.
"To witness Tiamat's majestic form and feel her unparalleled power… my existence is fulfilled."
"Yet, you truly are exceptional…"
"Red dragon."
Wagner murmured as he gazed upward.
In the next instant, the overwhelming breaths shattered his fragment soul, erasing it completely.
However, with its final strength, the soul fragment cast a spell, transmitting a faint stream of information back to the main body.