Burning Ember Empire, Anstika region, top of Dragon Blood Mountain.
The sulfur-smelling smoke was still filling the air, the scorching heat made the air distorted, and flickering sparks and ashes were flying in the air.
On the cliff that looks like a ferocious dragon's head, a majestic palace carved from solidified lava rises from the ground.
And here is the current residence of the supreme emperor of the Ember Empire and the common master of the dragon-blood nobles, Cassius Claudius Noricius.
If there are divine creatures and high-ranking spellcasters here, you will be surprised to find that the pure faith of millions of people is gathered and entangled here like threads, like the roots of the World Tree.
Such a strong power of faith is not inferior even to those of real gods.
According to the oral tradition among the people of the empire, Emperor Burning Ember's status has long transcended that of a mere "ruler", and has become a god-like existence in the world.
And this brand-new Dragon Blood Mountain, the highest peak of Anze Tower, which was cast by Emperor Burning Ember himself, was also named "Holy Mountain" by the people of the empire.
Every morning, there will always be devout people kneeling down in the direction of Dragon Blood Mountain three times and chanting the "Ode to Cassius" in their mouths to show their loyalty to His Majesty.
Even those Starfallen who have always been crazy often kowtow in the direction of Dragon Blood Mountain, and some choose to pay tribute to Dragon Oath Temple. Some even kowtow until their heads are bleeding.
However, they often chant incomprehensible words such as "Your Majesty, bless my shipment", "Breathe the dragon's breath", etc.
Fortunately, the people of the empire have long been accustomed to it and have figured out the temperament of these fallen stars. No matter what they do, the people will not be surprised.
Even if the Starfaller strips off his clothes and runs naked on the spot, people will only raise their heads and take a look, and then go about their own business - people from the security team will soon take them away.
In the palace, a huge red dragon with a length of more than 40 meters put its wings close to the sides of its body, exhaled a mouthful of sulfur-smelling gunpowder smoke, and its thick long tail swayed gently.
Cassius lowered his head, staring at the blood droplets refined by the silver-white flames in front of him, and couldn't help but let out a happy whistle.
"This feeling of steady improvement in strength is really wonderful."
The blood was swallowed into his belly, and fire surged in his basal blood vessels. Cassius felt a warmth flow down his throat and spread to the ends of his tail and wings.
You must know that for the current red dragon, even magma is just ordinary bath water, and the wildfire of purgatory is just a plaything in his claws.
And there are probably not many things that can make Cassius feel "hot" in the entire material plane, which shows the terrifying temperature of this ancestral dragon's blood.
If ordinary mortal objects were to come close to this, they would burn themselves before even touching the blood, or even vaporize on the spot.
"Hoo——"
With Cassius's long exhalation, the scorching wind swept over the top of the mountain, distorting the sky.
The more than 40-meter-long dragon body trembled slightly, slowly rising and falling with its breathing, and it seemed to expand a little more visibly to the naked eye.
[Ancestral Dragon Blood Concentration +0.001%]
Feeling the full power in his body, the corners of Cassius' mouth rose. He slowly got up from the ground, fluttered the wings behind his back slightly, and then turned to look at the side wall of the palace.
——On the rock wall, there is a huge map, nearly two meters long. It is made from the entire skin of a multi-headed basilisk. It is a treasure tribute from the colony of the fire elemental plane.
That map showed the entire Fianso Continent, with various forces marked in detail, and even showed the forms of alien planes such as Heaven Mountain, Nine Hells, Bottomless Abyss, and Screaming Tunnel.
On the surface of the map, spell dots floated everywhere, containing millions of confidential information, all of which were suggestions and strategies given by the empire's think tank.
According to Trump, they just want to contribute a small amount to the Red Dragon's "great blueprint" and allow the empire's conquest and expansion to proceed steadily.
Wherever Cassius looked, the spots of light that stored words suddenly bloomed, revealing densely packed words, which made him feel a little dazzled.
"Strategy for the Conquest of the Thracian Kingdom"
"Guide to Serenya Intervention"
"Occupying Victoria Harbor"
"Alpine Dwarf Kingdom Annexation Plan"
Looking at the map covered with complicated plans, Cassius shook his head and couldn't help but marveled:
"Tsk, tsk, the so-called great blueprint is just a cake I drew casually back then, and these relatives actually made it for me.
It really saves me some effort, but”
Cassius stretched out his huge claw and pressed it on the upper part of the map.
In an instant, the northern part of the continent, including the Thracian Kingdom, the Alpine Dwarf Kingdom, the Free Trade Federation and many other forces, were enveloped by his giant claws.
Looking at the [Knowledge (Future)] proficiency item on the panel, Cassius raised the corners of his mouth and said softly: "They can't see the future."
As a veteran player of "Erezegai", Cassius is quite familiar with all the major events in the Clash of Kings - such as the war between the orcs and the dwarves, the coup in Serenia, and the mind flayers in Victoria Harbor. Invasion
And these are just the tip of the iceberg. There are endless disputes and entanglements hidden in the darkness of the mainland.
After the fall of the Fadland Empire, gods and demons were rampant on the Fianso continent, and various forces wanted to get a share of this chaotic situation.
In the past, Cassius did not have the confidence to stand on Fiantho, but now, after years of dormancy and development, he is already the emperor who controls a huge empire.
Thinking of this, Cassius suddenly felt a little emotional. He caressed the huge map, swept his claws across the vast territory of the empire, and whispered:
"It's time to truly set foot in Fianthal. Only in this era of strife will the empire have a chance to stand out"
Cassius believes that in the not too distant future, he will lead the empire to the summit of Fyanthal and establish world hegemony.
It's just that the Red Dragon has created the Burning Ember Empire, completely changing the fate of Anzetta - and this will also have an earth-shaking impact on the situation on the Fianso Continent.
In the original history, with the help of players, the northern countries successfully resisted the invasion of the abyss, but that was all.
As a magical wasteland, a remote area that is not valued by mainlanders, the northern countries cannot intervene in the disputes in the south and can only stay in a corner.
Butterflies flap their wings and the Atlantic Ocean causes storms.
And what Cassius did was far more than just a butterfly flapping its wings. It was like a dragon waving its wings, setting off an earth-shattering wind in Fianso.
Cassius's pale golden pupils shimmered with light, and his gaze swept across the entire Fianso continent, with a hint of greed deep in his vertical pupils.
"However, some things will not change, and they are destined to happen - such as the war between the three kingdoms.
Humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, naga, giants.
As the center of the main material plane, hundreds of intelligent races live on this continent at the same time, giving rise to rich and colorful cultures and countless spectacular ruins.
The red dragon turned around and walked calmly out of the lava palace, then spread its broad wings and let out a powerful groan.
“It’s been more than ten years since I traveled to Erezegai, and it’s time to see the various charms of the Fianso continent.”
Cassius looked to the south. Light surged in his pale golden vertical pupils, and dragon shadows appeared in them. The hot tongues of fire swirled around him and gradually condensed.
"Ouch——"
Overlapping roars resounded through the sky, and two red dragons appeared in front of Cassius, both roaring to the sky.
Their appearance is exactly the same as Cassius, except that they are several times smaller, and are only more than thirty meters long from head to tail tip.
Even his abilities are exactly the same as Cassius, but his strength is only 30% of his.
This is the effect of the seven-ring dragon spell - [Dragon Shadow Simulation]. These two dragon shadow clones are replicas of Cassius, carrying his will, memory and all abilities.
“What a wonderful feeling.”
Cassius slowly closed his eyes and carefully felt the subtle feeling of controlling several bodies at the same time.
This is Cassius's plan: let the main body stay in Dragon Blood Mountain to absorb the ancestral dragon veins, steadily improve his strength, send clones to sneak into the mainland, and plunder everything with the advantage of foresight.
Under his control, the two red dragon clones flapped their wings, stirred up scorching wind, and roared into the sky.
They easily tear apart the space with their sharp claws, creating burning flame portals and flying in different directions outside the empire.
——Their targets are Victoria Harbor in the southwest of the empire, adjacent to Moon Bay, and the Blackstone Mountains in the southeast.
Staring at the two red dragon clones that were gradually going away, Cassius raised the corners of his mouth, revealing sharp fangs, and his pale golden pupils were full of anticipation.
He whispered softly: "Go, carry my will, and stir up the situation in the world."
Burning Ember Empire, Istaria City.
The people in the city are still immersed in the ceremony a few days ago, and it seems that they have not yet broken away from the enthusiastic carnival atmosphere. The chorus of "Caesius's Hymn" still echoes in the city.
"Your Majesty is like the sun in the sky, and we are like seeds on the ground, with endless light shining on the earth, growing vigorously and eventually becoming seedlings"
Whenever a dragon-blood noble with dragon scales and golden pupils passes by, people will cheer enthusiastically and rush to congratulate them.
Guarded by soldiers and surrounded by crowds, the dragon-blood nobles strutted through the Emperor's Avenue. They waved to the crowd and enjoyed the welcome from the crowds.
And on this great day when they received the bestowal, the dragon-blood nobles were in a particularly good mood. They would even throw out more than a dozen silver nards as a response to people.
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"
"Salute to our war heroes!"
Salutes were fired, flowers fell, and the cheers and shouts of the people of the empire came one after another like waves.
The Starfaller named "I'm going to eat steamed buns" was in high spirits, raised his arms high, and shouted to the crowd: "Come! Shout out my name!"
"Shout with me, steamed buns——"
"Steamed buns!"
"Steamed buns!"
The people of the empire didn't know the meaning of this name, but they couldn't hold back the heated atmosphere, so they still shouted along.
The steamed buns are quite satisfying.
I have another video material that can set off my majestic image!
Abil, the elf from Serenia, was also in the team. She smiled and waved to the people of the empire. As the only elf among them, she seemed a bit dazzling.
Abiel sighed softly: "Cassius, this is such a harmonious scene."
As a convert to the empire, in Abiel's mind, the memories of the past are so blurry, like intermittent images.
She only knew that she infiltrated the empire as a spy, was captured by His Majesty himself, and became a prisoner. Then, under the dedicated guidance of the empire's reform camp, Abier gradually understood the hypocrisy of those so-called "just people" and felt firsthand the changes the empire had brought to the people.
Several years later, she was finally able to walk out of the reform camp with excellent results in all assessments.
Abiel deeply repented of her past mistakes, converted to Emperor Burning Ember, and became a glorious imperial warrior. With her superb archery skills, she shined on the battlefield against the invasion of demons.
In the end, she was awarded the title of Dragon Blood Baron, climbed onto the Great Altar of Istalia, and received His Majesty's personal gift in front of the eyes of hundreds of thousands of people.
You must know that this is a supreme honor that not many people can envy, but as a former enemy, she can actually get such treatment.
Abiel was particularly satisfied with this, and her thoughts of retrieving her past memories gradually faded away.
The only trace left by her past life was the name - Abier, and nothing else.
"Life is really good now. Maybe I don't need to care about the past.
After smiling and waving to a girl holding flowers, Abiel thought to herself as she recalled her innocent smile.
To be an enemy of the great empire, I was probably brainwashed by those sanctimonious guys in the past.
This experience is not worth remembering at all. ”
The thoughts in Abier's heart gradually became firmer, and her steps became more powerful. The Dragon Vein Elf firmly believed that she was on the right path.
Suddenly, with the keenness of an archer, Abier felt a gaze following her closely, which made her feel a little panicked.
Could it be an enemy?
Abier quickly turned her head and looked at that gaze.
She saw a man wearing a hood and gray robe hidden in the crowd, staring at her closely, his vaguely exposed face full of vicissitudes of life.
"Wait, this is"
Abiel could tell that what was revealed in those amber eyes was not hostility, but some kind of more complex and tangled mood.
Abi's heart suddenly trembled.
"Richard."
For some reason, Abier said this strange and familiar name, as if it had long been engraved in the depths of her memory.
Abiel chewed the name over and over, but did not recall even the slightest memory of the name.
By the time she came to her senses, the gray-robed figure had disappeared into the crowd and was completely gone.
"It's really strange."
In this way, Abiel continued to walk with the parade, leaving this strange episode behind.
And in the shadow of the alley, the man squatted in the corner, his head lowered, muttering to himself: "No, how could this happen? She has forgotten me!
No wonder, no wonder Abier would join the empire, it turns out she lost all her memory! ”
The man, or Richard, slowly raised his head, his eyes gradually revealed determination: "I will make you remember everything, Abier."
Istalia, the inner city, is where the empire's powerful people live.
There are exquisite buildings everywhere, clean and tidy roads, and even the mage tower of Imperial Prime Minister Trump is located in the inner city.
"We have arrived at the inner city stop. Passengers please get off the bus in an orderly manner."
The clear voice of the conductor sounded, and Abiel stepped off the steam train and soon arrived at the mansion where she lived.
This is still a new house. It was a special gift from the empire official after she was granted the title of Dragon Blood Baron. If she put it outside, she might be able to sell it for five or six hundred gold coins.
Abiel took out the key from the pocket of her military uniform and prepared to open the door.
After she inserted the silver key into the hole, her movements suddenly stagnated. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Come out, I know you are nearby."
Sure enough, a trembling voice came from behind.
"Abiel, you are indeed"
I saw a man slowly walking out of the shadows behind the house, looking at him with particularly eager eyes.
"Click."
The crisp sound of loading sounded, and Abiel turned around suddenly, revealing the pistol that had been prepared for a long time in her sleeve.
She pointed the pistol at the man, frowned slightly, and said in a sharp voice: "Who are you? Why are you following me?"
Seeing the hostile eyes of the other party, the man, or rather Richard, could not help but feel a flash of disappointment in his eyes. The dragon-veined elf in front of him was completely different from his former lover.
"You really don't remember me."
He sighed softly and slowly took off his hood, revealing his handsome but somewhat weathered face and pointed ears with elf characteristics.
Abi's heart suddenly tightened. Half-elf, this was indeed someone she once knew.
But she still did not put down the gun in her hand, but continued to ask: "What is your purpose? Do you want to be detrimental to the empire?"
"I have no hostility and no thoughts of being an enemy of the empire."
Richard quickly shook his head in defense, and cautiously tried: My name is Richard, do you still remember this name? ”
Abiel nodded slightly: "I have an impression. You should be an old acquaintance of mine."
Richard was relieved. The half-elf wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to start or where to go. It seemed like there were thousands of words stuck in his throat, but he couldn't express them.
After thinking for a moment, he said somewhat confusedly: "Fifteen years ago, you and I met at a banquet."
However, Abiel interrupted him coldly: "Richard, none of this is important. I don't want to know these stories, because I am not the elf you know.
These cold words immediately made Richard feel suffocated.
Have those beautiful memories and unforgettable promises just disappeared?
Despair seemed to be grabbing him by the throat.
That rumor was true. After receiving the gift from Emperor Burning Ember, Abiel's soul had completely changed.
He took a deep breath, barely maintained a gentle smile on his face, and continued with the gun aimed at his eyebrows:
"Abiel, you just lost your past memories, I can help you get them back.
We are both members of the Harper Alliance, and we met by chance at a banquet of vampire nobles. We once sneaked into the Red Robe Mage Tower to search for information, and we watched the sunrise in the Kadavin Forest."
Richard spoke more fluently, his expression became gentler, and tears filled his eyes.
He recalled every little moment of getting along with Abier, looking forward to recognizing her after she regained her memory, and became increasingly excited.
How many days of lurking and waiting are just for this day?
Now, the lover he longs for is right in front of him, and he only needs to recall those beautiful memories of the past to reunite with him.
"Click."
At this moment, Richard felt a cold object pressed between his eyebrows, and he suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave—it was the muzzle of a gun.
Abier held the pistol with her slender hand, put it against Richard's eyebrows, and said in a particularly calm voice:
"The person standing in front of you now is not your so-called lover, let alone a member of the Harpers Alliance.
I am a descendant of His Majesty Cassius, a dragon-blooded baron who is sworn to serve the Ember Empire, Abel. ”
The Dragon Vein Elf still did not put down the pistol in his hand, nor did he take off the robe that symbolized the glory and loyalty of the empire, and continued:
"Trespassing into the inner city of Istalia and following the dragon-blooded nobles of the empire in an attempt to instigate rebellion. This is already considered a felony espionage.
For the sake of past friendship, leave here immediately, and I will not pursue your fault again. ”
Richard looked at his former lover in astonishment. He stood there, shaking his head sadly and mumbling incessantly.
"No"
"Abiel, this shouldn't be like this."
"Listen to me, you haven't recovered your memory yet, you don't know what happened between us-"
Richard risked his life and took a few steps forward, trying to grab the elf's arms.
But Abiel put down her pistol, turned like a gust of wind and entered the mansion. She closed the door without hesitation, blocking the anxious Richard from the house.
She only left one sentence, still in a calm tone: "Richard, don't stay here anymore, the Imperial Guard will not show mercy to you."
Back at her home, Abiel took off the dragon blood noble's standard robe, hung it on the hanger next to the door, and stuffed the unloaded pistol into the box.
She was silent for a long time before sticking her head out and looking out the window.
The figure that was still standing there just now disappeared, as if it had never been there.
"Richard."
In fact, when Richard spoke, she had already recovered all her memories and remembered all the things that Richard wanted to tell.
But today is different from the past. At this moment, Abier is already a loyal family member of the red dragon. Everything about her belongs only to the emperor - whether it is body, mind or soul.
The feelings may be faded, but the bond that His Majesty tied to them is eternal.
Abiel knew very well that as a dragon-blood noble of the Burning Ember Empire and a disciple of the emperor, she could never continue to associate with members of the Harper Alliance like Richard.
This is definitely not a good thing for herself or Richard.
This may indeed be a bit callous, but it is also the only correct choice they can make.
To be more precise: they are no longer in the same world.
"Sorry, I have no choice."
Abiel leaned against the door, clutching her chest, and suddenly felt a short cramp in her heart, but the feeling subsided in an instant. (End of chapter)