Ashen Dragon

Amidst the howls of the Undead Shadows, the pitch-black sky rapidly dissipated, and the distant black peaks gradually vanished. The shadow creatures of the entire Dragon Shadow City—those Shadow Devourers, Shadow Shift Beasts, Shadow Spirits, and even the Shadow Dragon seemed to sense their master's death, all emitting cries of terror and panicked roars.

After seven hundred years of domination in the Gloomy Region, the "Voice of the Night," Motifel, was utterly dead.

Even the Goddess of the Night could not retrieve his soul under the complete annihilation by the Chaos Flame, leaving him to disintegrate into chaotic and disordered matter.

"ROAR——"

A fervent roar resounded once again.

Cassius's massive mouth drooled large globs of saliva and flames, his face contorted with rage, his eyes still filled with blood veins, and the bloody outline still covering his body.

"Not enough, still not enough."

"Slaughter... Destruction... Purification!"

The Red Dragon suddenly flapped its wide wings, stirring a gale that swept through the city. The gigantic dragon body soared into the sky.

He glanced down at the tens of thousands of living beings in Dragon Shadow City, grinning cruelly, with flames of destruction burning fiercely in the depths of his pupils, as if they would never extinguish.

...

"Look! The Shadow Domain is gone."

"Motifel is dead!"

Feridon looked at the rapidly retreating black sky, his expression agitated, almost incoherent.

That Shadow Dragon had cast a shadow over his entire life, destroying all his happiness, the feeling of endless dark oppression suffocating him to this day.

Now, the enemy was slain. Although it wasn't by his own hands, the joy he felt was indescribable, even bringing tears to his eyes.

He patted Daniel on the shoulder, seemingly wanting him to celebrate this "victory" together.

But the Drow Elf's face remained serious, cold sweat even beading on his forehead.

Feridon noticed his companion's unusual behavior and became somewhat puzzled.

"What's wrong, Daniel? Motifel is dead. Isn't this worth celebrating?"

"Don't be too happy too soon, Feridon."

Daniel slowly lifted his head, gazing at the sky where the black mist was dissipating.

"I always feel... This isn't over yet."

Remembering the frenzied Red Dragon, anxiety gripped Feridon's heart.

"It shouldn't be... The enemy's enemy is our friend. We just need to reveal our identity as part of the rebel army, and he shouldn't trouble us..."

Suddenly, a fierce gale struck, making them unsteady on their feet. Feridon instinctively raised his arm in front of him.

"Fe... Feridon, look up."

Daniel's voice trembled, pointing towards the sky with a shaking arm.

Feridon slowly lifted his head, looking at where the Drow Elf was pointing, and his expression changed drastically.

"ROAR——"

—They saw the massive Red Dragon appearing in the sky again, its wide wings casting a gigantic shadow, its pale golden pupils filled with a desire for destruction, a cruel smile on its hideous dragon face.

A powerful Dragon's Aura Field descended, suffocating every mortal in the city.

The Dragon Crystal on its chest emitted a blinding light.

The Red Dragon slowly opened its massive jaws.

Dark red flames poured out like a waterfall, descending upon the city.

The entire Dragon Shadow City burned, whether stone buildings or flesh and blood, anything touched by the Chaos Flame faced an inescapable end of destruction.

This was Karex's Purifying Flame, a pure symbol of destruction and power.

The dark red flames spread through the city at an unimaginable speed, turning half the city into a sea of fire in an instant.

"No——"

"It's burning!"

"It's coming! I don't want to die!"

The cries and screams of countless people echoed from the sea of fire, but the sounds were all extremely short-lived, disappearing almost the instant they were made, be they men, women, or children, humans, Drow Elves, or Dwarves. Any living being touched by the dark red flames disintegrated into pure chaos.

Escape was useless; resistance was futile.

Cassius flew above the city, flapping his wings, following the spreading flames like a herald of scourge, the embodiment of the Purifying Flame.

Feridon looked at the approaching flames, climbed to the top of a building, and waved his arms desperately towards the sky.

"We are the rebel army!"

"Red Dragon sir, please stop! We also have a grudge against that Shadow Dragon!"

Sweat streamed down his forehead as he shouted.

The Drow Elf stiffly extended his hand, patting the human warrior's shoulder, his tone bleak: "Stop, Feridon. This is useless."

Daniel looked despairingly at the giant dragon in the sky, murmuring to himself:

"I once heard a record in the ancient history of elves..."

"It was a symbol of destruction..."

"He is the purifier of the world..."

But before he could finish, the blazing Chaos Flame had already spread here, engulfing the Drow Elf and the human alike.

Cassius spread his wings, gliding through the sky, his expression filled with indifference, seemingly oblivious to the humans calling from the ground, or perhaps not caring at all.

The living beings of Dragon Shadow City, whether good or evil, from whatever faction, were mere vessels for the Red Dragon's desire for destruction, parts of cold numbers.

Ultimately, in the sound of crackling flames, Dragon Shadow City, with its history of over a thousand years, turned to ashes, not even fragments left behind.

"Crack... crack..."

The scorched ground still retained traces of the Chaos Flame. Those heavy ashes might be the only proof of this city's existence, and everything—the Drow Elves' trade prosperity, the dark oppression during the Shadow Dragon's rule, and the gathered strength of countless residents' resistance—all vanished with the burning flames.

...

Cassius finally broke free from the state of "Bloodscale Frenzy."

On his savage dragon face, there was still the blood glow from post-slaughter destruction, his pale golden pupils filled with excitement.
Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire

The notifications on his panel kept refreshing before his eyes.

[You killed the "Voice of the Night, Motifel (Challenge Level: 21)," gaining 33,000 xp]

[You killed the "Shadow Dragon," gaining 10,000 xp]

[You killed the "Undying Shadows," gaining 800 xp]

[You killed the "Shadow Spirit," gaining...]

…

[You killed the "Drow Elf," gaining 15 xp]

[You killed the "Human Merchant," gaining 5 xp]

Just this city massacre alone had brought his experience points close to the threshold for the next level up.

Gazing at those tantalizing numbers, a strange thought suddenly arose in Cassius's mind.

"If I kill all the creatures in the Prime Material World... How powerful would I become?"

"Comparable to a deity?"

"Or... surpassing the gods?"

Once this thought appeared, it was like an unstoppable flood, flowing freely in his mind.

Author's Note: There will be a twist later, don't abandon