Chapter 216: Arrival at the Top of the Tower
As each constructed piece was destroyed, the surrounding magical weave fell into utter disarray. The energy released by the broken eighth-tier spell structure continuously assaulted the environment.
Illusory dragon limbs thrashed in the void, grotesque dragon heads emerged from the walls, and dragon blood seeped from the ground, creating chaos everywhere.
But in the end, amid mournful dragon roars, they managed to destroy the array.
The chains tightly wrapped around the white dragon suddenly disappeared.
The white dragon, bound for a century, experienced true freedom for the first time.
Tinia shook her wings, savoring the long-lost sensation of freedom. She let out a joyous, heartfelt cry.
"Wooo—Roar—"
The newly liberated white dragon bowed her head toward Cassius.
As one of the chromatic dragons, a white dragon naturally lacked a sense of gratitude, but instead acted out of respect and submission toward a stronger kin.
Despite her freedom, Cassius remained vigilant.
Upon entering the top floor, he had felt a powerful spell locking the space—a dimensional lock that prevented any teleportation spells. However, the red dragon had no intention of leaving immediately; he was determined to take advantage of the enemy's ignorance of his presence and catch him off guard, ending the "Dragon Mad Black Mage" for good.
Allowing an archmage to go underground, gather intelligence, and prepare thoroughly would undoubtedly make him an even bigger threat.
Sure enough, the [Cataclysmic Dragon Eye] floating beside him once again displayed a vision.
A grotesque stitched monster bearing Wagner's face appeared on the topmost level.
"Prepare yourselves..."
"Wagner is coming," Cassius calmly warned.
Langpu and Tinia beside him immediately grew alert.
Indeed, the dimensional lock slightly loosened.
First, a white dragon limb extended out of the void, followed by an unfamiliar monster's head, and then a human torso.
Finally, the terrifying monstrosity tore through the void and appeared before them.
This abomination was massive, nearly five meters tall, with a body stitched together from an assortment of creatures—the main component being a white dragon.
But bizarrely, none of these parts were in their correct locations. The white dragon's wings emerged from its legs, a human hand was randomly attached to its skin, and a menacing dragon head protruded from where its chest should be.
In this twisted form, the creature exuded a sense of terror that was utterly alien to the natural order.
Wagner's upper body jutted out from the top of the creature, still resembling his previous form, his waist fused with the monster's flesh, and his entire body covered in white scales.
"Roar."
Witnessing this bizarre sight and seeing her own kin's remains, Tinia stepped back, instinctively hiding behind Cassius, letting out a series of trembling growls.
At that moment, Tinia's fear of Wagner surpassed her hatred. After a century of torment, it was the first time she sensed such lethal danger from the human.
"My 'Sleeping Beauty,' have you escaped?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Wagner's eyes, which quickly turned into a sneer.
"But no matter. Heh, you cannot escape your fate of being devoured by me."
He turned his head to look at Cassius, wearing an eerie smile. "As for you, Cassius Claudius Norrixius."
"We finally meet face to face."
"You really are rude, barging into my domain, destroying my original body, and stealing my experimental subject."
"But... your body will be the best compensation for me. I shall taste what Tiamat's favored child is like—hahahahaha!"
Wagner's laughter echoed throughout the tower, deafening and paralyzing. Ordinary mortals would likely be frightened to death by such a bizarre sound.
Cassius did not reply. Instead, he remained silent, quickly utilizing his metamagic abilities to cast multiple defensive spells.
[Undying Reverse Scale], [Protection from Energy Damage], [Energy Scales].
Multiple shields and countless sparkling energy fragments appeared around him. Combined with the effects of [Golden Scales], his defensive capabilities were elevated to an almost terrifying level.
Ordinary attacks could not even break through his multiple shields, let alone touch his naturally resilient scales.
The meticulously cast [Graceful Dragon] also reached its peak at that moment, giving Cassius an incredible speed boost of up to thirty points.
"Roar—"
With an angry roar, the red dragon folded his wings and charged at an incomprehensible speed. He became a red blur, creating intense sonic booms throughout the tower.
With blazing lightning radiating around him, the red dragon seized the moment, darting like an arrow toward the abomination, spewing scorching flames from his maw.
The stitched monster's body was covered in a black energy shield, but it was effortlessly pierced by lightning and fire.
Multiple limbs, wings, and tails of the white dragon lashed out at the red dragon. Each part carried sinister black energy that could absorb dragon blood and transform it for the monster's use, simultaneously attempting to erode the dragon's mind.
However, with [Aerial Maneuverability] buffing him, Cassius swiftly evaded, leaving behind nothing but afterimages as those limbs struck empty air.
Above the monster, the red dragon unleashed a torrent of fire from his mouth, attempting to annihilate Wagner's body.
[Maximized Fire Breath]
However, Wagner, a mage who had studied dragons for centuries, was well-prepared.
His twisted limbs waved through the air, and an invisible ring infused with powerful magical energy enveloped his body.
[Breath Avoidance Aura]
The magic caused his body to abruptly shift, narrowly avoiding the devastating breath, leaving only a charred mark on his skin.
It was a spell specifically designed against dragons, granting reflective evasion capabilities against breath attacks.
But it wasn't over yet. Wagner's remaining human body gently caressed the dragon's head beside him, radiating a shimmering aura.
[Greater Dragon Ward]
Dragon Ward was a renowned seventh-tier spell that prevented the targeted entity from being detected by dragons.
But Wagner had spent a century improving it further, developing a version that blocked all of a dragon's senses. He used these spells to hunt white dragons across the glaciers, turning these genuine chromatic dragons into his experimental subjects and even materials.
Cassius suddenly felt emptiness before him—Wagner had vanished without a trace. Even the red dragon's sharp eyesight, keen sense of smell, and instinctual perception could not detect his presence.
He could only rely on the [Cataclysmic Dragon Eye] to predict where the next attack would come from.