Ember Dragon

Finally, the ancient red dragon emerged completely from the lava pool, the lava flowing down his majestic, mountain-like body like filthy blood.

His scales resembled molten metal just pulled from a furnace, shimmering with the luster of liquid flames and radiating heat that distorted one's vision.

The shadow cast by that enormous body instantly engulfed a large area of ​​the burning land.

The next moment, the ancient red dragon raised its head, its mouth suddenly opened, and deep in its throat was an extremely compressed, blinding white incandescence!

"Roar--"

A blinding flash of light pierced the sky, and a deafening roar erupted!

The lava in the pool was instantly dented by the sound waves, which then stirred up huge waves tens of meters high. The rocks on the rock walls were shaken down and melted into red raindrops in mid-air before they hit the ground.

The entire space trembled, groaned, and wailed at this roar!
The aftershocks of the dragon's roar were still violently reverberating in the scorching air when the dragon slowly lowered its head.

Those enormous, dark golden eyes were now even clearer, their gaze sweeping over the flowing lava river and jagged black rock pillars in the cave, as if embers were settling deep within them.

The red dragon gazed at the sky, then slowly lowered its head, its massive chest rising and falling slightly, each rise like a heavy pulse emanating from the depths of the earth.

Its massive mouth was slightly open, and a deep, guttural sound, like muffled thunder rolling across the earth's core, escaped from between its sharp teeth. The sound carried an ancient and indifferent penetrating power, echoing clearly amidst the clamor of boiling lava:
"As you wish, Your Majesty Tiamat, it seems that the final plan has to be activated."

Rest assured, it won't be long before that traitor's body is at your disposal, and the continent of Feanso—and indeed the entire material plane—will welcome your arrival.

The light of the lava flickered in his eyes, and deep within those dark golden pupils, a destructive will was spreading, gradually taking over his mind.

"Roar--"

The ancient red dragon raised its head once more and roared to the sky.

The earth trembled violently, shuddering and roaring, as the long-dormant volcanoes suddenly awoke.

The sky was dyed blood red, and magma surged out of the cracked earth's crust like a boiling ocean. Lava flowed down, cutting the earth into pieces. It was like the earth's blood vessels, winding and twisting through the mountains. Wherever it went, everything was swallowed by its heat.

Volcanic ash blotted out the sun and spread wildly at an unimaginable speed, like the end of the world. Countless ash particles floated in the air, draping everything in a dark veil.

Outside the Pacaya volcano, people gazed in terror at the volcanic ash that blanketed the sky and the lava that poured down, uttering a cacophony of cries: "Gods—the end times! The day of reckoning has come!"

"Could this be the sun god's punishment?"

"Amannata above!"

"The lava is flowing over here! Let's run!"

But in the crowd, a man covered in bandages stood silently, staring at the gray sky with a look of despair on his face.

Someone patted him on the shoulder in a panic, reminding him, "Raymond, what are you still standing here for? Do you want to be burned to ashes by the lava?"

"Leave?" The man called "Raymond" gave a bitter laugh, unwrapping the bandages from his body to reveal the shocking burn marks on his skin: "Give up, we can't leave."

He raised his head, gazing at the dim sky, and saw the enormous and ferocious figure hidden in the ashes. His voice trembled as he murmured, "It really is him. Crimson Embers, Kazul."

"Ka, Kazul?"

Upon hearing the name, everyone was struck dumb, their faces filled with despair and fear, as if they had heard the most terrifying story in the world.

Kazul, the "Crimson Ember," is one of the "Three Dragon Gods" of the Dragon Worship Church. He is a highly valued follower of the Five-Colored Dragon Queen and is also the most powerful and brutal among them.

Several years ago, in that brutal "Battle of the Three Emperors," the weakest kingdom, Seleucia, suffered repeated defeats under the fierce offensives of Thrace and Cassander, losing hundreds of kilometers of vast territory, and its army was ruthlessly destroyed by the Titans.

Just when all hope seemed lost, Kazur appeared. He led a large number of Seleucid soldiers in a fierce battle, turning the tide of the war. This general, with his formidable strength, was invincible, conquering cities and territories. In just over ten days, he traveled far and wide, recapturing hundreds of cities and repelling the Kasander army from the north.

From then on, Cazur rose to fame in Seleucia. He was personally appointed Marshal by King Philippa Aragon and was revered by the people of Seleucia as "the Chosen One," "the one who descended from heaven," "the Marshal favored by the gods," and "the Angel of Victory."

However, after his glorious victory, Kazul did not humble himself or restrain himself. Instead, he accepted the title of "Chosen One," established a sect that worshipped him called the "Cult of the Chosen God," and proclaimed that he would become the savior of the world and the next god, attracting many believers to worship him.

This sect was the predecessor of the "Walking Dragon Church".

For some reason, King Felipe did not stop this blatant act of usurpation; instead, he stood behind Kazur and strongly supported him, allowing this emerging sect to flourish.

Everything changed when the "Day of Embers" arrived.

Under the blazing sun, hundreds of thousands of followers of the Cult of the Chosen gathered on the outskirts of Sunset City, erected a towering altar, and sang rousing hymns in unison, fervently chanting the name of "Chosen One" Kazul.

But at that moment, Kazul, standing atop the altar, revealed his enormous and ferocious true form—an extremely terrifying ancient red dragon. He slowly flapped his wings and soared into the air amidst countless terrified and shocked gazes.

The earth boiled, and surging, scorching magma erupted from the ground, billowing ash and smoke swept across the sky, even obscuring the sun.

On that day, cries of agony filled the land, lava flowed freely, the earth turned to scorched earth, and countless Seleucids perished in this terrible natural disaster, swallowed by the scalding lava and reduced to charred skeletons.

This is a grand sacrificial ceremony!

Tiamat's phantom appeared in the sky, greedily reaping the souls and faith of the Seleucids, unleashing a violent and evil divine light, and bestowing upon them the pulsating "Heart of the Evil Dragon".

Kazul swallowed the heart, which was obtained through the souls and lives of hundreds of thousands of believers, without hesitation. He roared to the sky, spread his broad wings, and evolved amidst the wails and roars, becoming a true quasi-god-level being.

From then on, a vast plain formed of lava and ash appeared outside Sunset City, which was called the "Death Wasteland" or the "Ember Plain." Kazul also gained the formidable name of "Crimson Ember."

Even today, a thin layer of volcanic ash still hangs over the Ember Plains, and the sky remains gloomy and dark.

In southwestern Seleucia, the name Kazur has become a symbol of fire, ashes, and death, a taboo subject. But now, people are witnessing the awakening of this taboo.

Raymond's eyes were vacant, he laughed and cried at the same time, then murmured, "It's finally come. Perhaps I should have died in that catastrophe years ago, Nancy, Meg, perhaps we could reunite in purgatory." "The Day of Embers."

The old man beside him stood rooted to the spot, staring in despair at the spreading ashes. His face was pale, his body trembled, and his feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move.

The old man remembered the ballad from Sunset City and recited it in a trembling voice: "Before the crimson embers, all beings are equally buried."

"Let's go!"

"Damn it! That lava is about to spread here!"

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud, the ground in front of them suddenly cracked open, spewing out a torrent of lava from the huge fissure, blocking everyone's last escape route.

However, Raymond knew that it didn't make much difference; it was just a matter of when death would come.

He pointed to the sky with a wry smile: "It's no use, don't struggle anymore. That's 'Crimson Embers' Kazul. At this moment, the only thing we can do is pray to Amanata and ask for a miracle."

"Great and eternally radiant Lord! We beseech you to extend your help and grant us salvation—"

People clasped their hands together and prayed to the heavens, hoping for a miracle that the sun's rays could penetrate the ash and smoke. But all they received in response were howling winds, a rumbling earth, and churning, sky-covering volcanic ash.

But no miracle occurred.

The sleeping sun god seems to have long abandoned this land, and now Seleucia is shrouded in the shadow of a crimson dragon.

The next moment, lava surged forth, rampaging across the wilderness and melting the earth. Like a pack of raging beasts, it hissed and devoured the poor humans.

On the distant rocks, the Red Dragon Cult cultists, clad in dark red robes, gazed at the sky with fanatical expressions and shouted excitedly, "This day has finally come! Praise be to Kazul! Praise be to Tiamat!"

Ashes blot out the sky, lava engulfs the earth, and the great, supreme evil, the Mother of Dragons, will descend upon the world, treading upon the bones of mortals, to usher in a new era of dragon rule!

Endless, dazzling flames and billowing ash and smoke surged forth, burning everything on the ground to ashes. The cultists spread their arms, excitedly embracing the arrival of death, letting the lava engulf them.

It is a disaster, a curse, and a blessing.

Under the church's instruction, their souls will ascend to the heavens, transform into magnificent dragons, and attain eternal life and bliss in Tiamat's divine kingdom.

After the "Crimson Ember" awoke, within half a day, hundreds of miles of land were submerged in lava, the sky was covered in ash, and darkness descended, creating a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse.

Sunset City, in southwestern Seleucia.

The Tower of the Eternal Sun God still stands within the city, but its sun disc has become dim.

The former palace of the Seleucid Kingdom is now dilapidated, with broken walls and charred marks everywhere.

At this moment, the most conspicuous building in the city is an altar, decorated with various shimmering scales and bones—it is the altar of Tiamat.

At the heart of the altar is a stepped pyramid constructed of rough, massive, black rocks that appear to have been torn apart by giant claws. Its shape is not a perfect geometric form, but rather twisted and asymmetrical, like the frozen bodies of five ferocious dragons in battle, ultimately forcibly twisted together.

Inside, five twisted and ferocious giant stone pillars stand tall, each carved into the shape of a Tiamat dragon's head, corresponding to one of the five colors.

The five dragon heads are not arranged harmoniously side by side, but rather glare angrily at each other, baring their fangs and poised to bite. The eyes of the dragon heads are inlaid with gemstones of corresponding colors—ruby, sapphire, jade, white crystal, and black jade—and even in the dim light, they emit a chilling, malevolent light.

In the center of the five stone sculptures is a recessed pool of blasphemous blood, which is hundreds of meters in diameter.

The pool was not filled with clear water, but with a turbulent, viscous, mottled liquid—red like lava, blue like plasma, green like poison, white like frost, and black like a swamp.

They could not truly merge, and instead frantically eroded and collided with each other in the pool, emitting hissing, cracking, and low roars.

This is the essence of the sacrifice: all offerings—whether living creatures, treasures, or magical items—are thrown into this chaotic vortex as tribute to please the Dragon Queen. Thick, layered pools of blood and grease have congealed at the edge of the pool, along with remnants of broken limbs and bones.

In this sinister and eerie altar, the followers of the Dragon Cult, clad in dark red and scarlet robes, looked up at the ashes sweeping across the land in the distance, and the faces of those half-human, half-dragon figures shrouded in hoods also showed fanaticism.

"Praise be to the great Mother of Dragons—Tiamat!"

Praise be to Kazur!

"When lava covers the earth and ash blankets the sky, the Mother of Dragons will descend upon the world, destroying the old era and ushering in a new one!" The evil dragon priests proclaimed the prophecy once more.

Beside the desecrated blood pool, a tall, masked man also raised his head, gazing at the overwhelming ashes, his eyes gleaming with an eerie light, and a barely perceptible tear trickling down from the corner of his eye, peeking out from the gap in his mask.

His face was covered by a golden mask, which was grotesque and twisted, and was an aggregate of the heads of five colorful evil dragons. Each head seemed to be roaring its loyalty to the dragon queen, and it formed a crown on the man's head.

Beneath the heavy mask, one could vaguely see a face resembling a dragon, sky blue in color, covered with shimmering scales that gleamed like jewels.

Dragon head and human body.

Moreover, he was regarded as a sapphire dragon by Amannata, the "god of the sun and time," as a servant and messenger.

The man's identity was self-evident; he was Philippe Aragon, the current king of the Seleucid Kingdom, the third son of the old emperor of Fadlan, and a descendant of the god Gadin who had received the blessing of the sun god.

Now, wearing a dragon queen mask and a five-colored robe, he has become the nominal leader of the Dragon Worship Church and is revered as the Pope by the cultists.

"Praise be to Tiamat."

His voice was numb, and he spoke in an almost emotionless tone. (End of Chapter)