Ashen Dragon

The gate slowly closed, emitting a crisp sound, as the illusory chains created by the Spell wrapped around it, firmly locking the gate.

Once the footsteps of the cultist priest and guards faded into the distance, Mantou and his group began to discuss.

Singo scattered a handful of powder from his bag, and the room was instantly filled with white mist: "This powder interferes with divination-type Spells, blocking their Arrows and ensuring our actions remain unnoticed."

Mantou finally breathed a sigh of relief, reverting from dragon form to human form. He lay on the ground, panting heavily, his face pale: "It's finally over... using this ability for too long consumes Dragon Blood, almost caused me to have anemia."

"Can we just use Teleportation Spell to escape from here?"

Summer Night Autumn Rain shook his head solemnly: "The space here is very solid, covered by a layer of invisible Spell film, similar to Isdalia, making it impossible to use Teleportation Spell."

Natural War Maniac became interested, rubbing his fists: "Then we shall break through the walls and carve a bloody path out of here! I've long despised these oppressors of humans!"

Singo shook his head: "This city district has at least twenty Green Dragons, and hundreds of cultist priests. If we cause a commotion, we're doomed."

Near the Sword Bay Region are several well-known cities, such as Waterdeep City (Waterdeep), Elturel City (Elturel), Neverwinter City (Neverwinter), etc. Waterdeep City was founded on the ruins of Elf Empire Ilfaen's capital—Erin Vier, with numerous temples of divine beings. Miracle Temple is the grandest Magic Goddess Temple in the game, featuring magnificent towers adorned with various artworks and magical ornaments, filled with a luxurious Baroque style, while Neverwinter City leans more towards Gothic architecture. It formed after the earliest human settlement Aegostor developed for nearly a century, and the story's Main City, Bod Gate, is the largest and most prosperous trade city-state in the Sword Bay Region, a melting pot filled with nobles, commoners, and thieves, often called an "incubator for conspiracies" by Adventurers. Bod Gate's name is derived from a hero, Gray Port Adventurer Bodlan, who explored the continent beyond the Sword Sea, returned to Gray Port with wealth, and led a team to establish the city. Based on the residents' social status, Bod Gate is divided into the noble Upper City and commoner Lower City, and the Outer City scattered around Chenyi Mountain, with the gates separating Upper City and Lower City called Bod Gate, named after the city and serving as a monument to Bodlan. Currently, Bod Gate is ruled by a council of four Great Dukes, one of whom is the council leader. If a vote results in a tie, Elder Ravenclaw, the Great Duke, makes the decision. The Upper City's security is maintained by the elite official police force Watch, while other areas are overseen by a mercenary group named "Flaming Fist." Elder Ravenclaw, the Great Duke, is also the supreme leader of the mercenary group, headquartered at Bodlan Sea Tower, Bod Gate's strongest fortress against sea invasions, while Gray Harbor—a crescent shape surrounding Bod Gate's economic lifeline—sees hundreds of merchant ships daily, bringing both Gold Coins and desires and sins. The Upper City is situated quite high, composed of Castle District, Temple District, Manoburn District, and Wide Alley District, with numerous religious buildings, Miracle Hall, and Supreme Miracle House being the centers for the Church of the God of Craft Gund in Bod Gate. Miracle Hall showcases Gund's grand inventions, while Supreme Miracle House also functions as a workshop. The Lower City's buildings are mostly stone houses, comprising six districts: Sea Tower District, Blonrich District, Steep District, Crowded Side District, East Road District, and Branpton District, with middle-class individuals residing near the aristocratic Blonrich District adjacent to Upper City, while East Road District near the Outer City's Stone Lizard Gate tends to be more of a melting pot, bustling with bars and cheap inns. Sea Tower District is where Flaming Fist mercenary group is stationed, close to Sea Tower District's largest rocky offshore island, where the mercenary group's headquarters Bodlan Sea Tower is built. Branpton District and Steep District are relatively rundown, serving as living communities for sailors and laborers. Outer City is spread along Chongsar River, filled with temporary structures and shantytowns, marked by a stone bridge spanning Chongsar River—Flying Dragon Crossroad, filled with many vendors, even broadening its surface with planks to construct additional structures. Law and Order hardly exist here, with limited protection from Flaming Fist mercenary group, where many destitute people or criminals gather. Beneath the sewers, the moss on the arch dome gleamed ominously under the dim phosphorescent lamps. The murky sewage spilled over the boot soles, each step eliciting a thick "glug" sound. From cracks in the walls oozed purple-black slime, flowing into the drains like veins—specific to Spirit Sucking Monster Nest's neural corrosive substance, inhaling by ordinary people would cause auditory illusions, like countless tiny tendrils crawling inside the ears. Suddenly, a/a skeletal disjointing "click" emerged from behind a broken cast iron pipe, as if something was contorting through the narrow space. A Spirit Sucking Monster sprang up from beneath the water; its pale humanoid body wrapped in decomposing material, its octopus-like head tendrils vibrating at high frequency, releasing a visibly purple Mind Shock Wave. The foremost guard's helmet was dented, his eyeballs burst into a bloody mist under the cranial pressure; the second man didn't even have time to scream before tendrils pierced into his ear canal, his spinal cord extracted like a marionette's strings; the remaining survivor staggered back, the gunfire roar was completely drowned by the sub-frequency screeches of collective Spirit Sucking Monsters. These Spirit Sucking Monsters were evidently tactically trained. Two decoy individuals struck the water with tendrils, creating a mist filled with corrosive liquid to obscure vision; the third one dropped down from the ceiling, using a sucker to attach to the guard's skull, tendril tips accurately piercing into the occipital foramen—not immediately fatal, but forcing the captive like a puppet to turn, using his trembling hands to load ammunition for companions' firearms. At this moment, the fourth Spirit Sucking Monster used knuckle bone blades to cut open the fallen guard's chest, extracting the warm liver to stuff into the oral apparatus, pale yellow digestive fluid dripped from the jaw, corroding traces into the ground forming wisps of green smoke. Three patrolling guards had just raised their lanterns when the sewage suddenly exploded! Four Spirits being parasites weren't entirely dead. The guard's leftover bodies convulsed and crawled upward, translucent tendrils of young Spirit Sucking Monster emerging from the neck wound, pupils diffused into murky milky white. He grabbed a Dagger and stabbed at his former comrades, squeezing inhuman synthetic sounds from his throat: "Skulls… offered to the main brain…". And the true horror lay just unveiled—distant sewage ponds started boiling, more pale figures surfaced, dragging dozens wrapped in mucous cocoons, those human faces contorted in silent screams beneath the cocoons. 5th Tier: Dragon's Breath, Agile as a Dragon, Bag of Greed, Flame Dimensional Gate 4th Tier: Braving the Fiery Pits, Shape-shifting Spell, Fire Wall Spell, All-Knowing Eye, Aerial Maneuver Technique, Treasure Guardian

3rd Tier: Energy Scales, Blink Spell, Protective Energy Damage, Fireball Technique, Dimension Door, Flame Leap

2nd Tier: Egg of Sanctuary, Enhanced Attributes, Misty Step, Phantom Force, Invisibility Spell, Primitive Hunter

1st Tier: Cloud Mist Technique, Charm Person, Magic Missile, Shield Spell, Thunderwave, Searing Ray, Dragon Saliva Spell

trick: Scratch Technique, Dread Tremors, Mage's Hand, Secondary Illusion, Act Before the Enemy, Magic Tricks, Text Transmission Spell, Witchcraft Arrow, Fire Arrow, Scorching Ray

Class Magical Ability:

Once a Day: Suggestion Spell

Unlimited: Master of Flames

Challenge Level: 19 (25000xp)

Assessment: Cassius uses High-level Transformation Technique to assume human form, often displaying this form within spaces like the Imperial Senate Hall and Imperial Court.

In this form, Cassius rarely kills, thereby earning admiration far greater than fear, with some even calling him the "Merciful Lord," "Noble Ruler," "Avatar of Divine Attitude."