Ashen Dragon

Cassius stretched his wings and glided over the collapsing stone bridge.

But he wasn't fleeing. He flew towards the Storm Giant's corpse.

The hurricane buffeted him left and right. Flickering arcs of lightning chased him, with bolts striking behind him, creating charred craters in the ruins.

The red dragon dodged desperately in the chaotic airflow, flapping his wings with all his might against the fierce wind and rain, wobbling towards the eye of the storm.

The closer he got to the center, the more intense the elemental reactions became. Arcs of electricity filled every inch of the air.

In a few breaths, the red dragon was already covered in wounds.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Despite having several spells for protection, his body bore charred scars under the violent elemental reactions.

The golden scales were corroded with pockmarks from the acid rain, arcs of electricity circulated around his body, and every wingbeat produced sizzling sounds.

Finally, he was only ten meters from the corpse.

"Boom!"

Another bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl struck Cassius, so fast he didn't even notice it.

[Spell Nullification Barrier]

An invisible barrier appeared, barely withstanding the bolt before shattering, saving his life once again, making Cassius feel a chill in his heart.

He couldn't waste any more time.

"Roar—"

The red dragon let out a slightly immature roar, almost a hoarse scream.

Then, with all his might, he flapped his wings, pushing his powerful body against the escalating storm, finally managing to get close to the Storm Giant's corpse.

"I have to get there!"

Cassius roared.

At this moment, the wild thunder had turned the area into purgatory, surrounding him layer by layer. A single step could turn him into charcoal instantly.

He had no way back.

Cassius ignored the incoming thunder, focusing solely on the Storm Giant's eye.

The eye looked like amber, surrounded by bright lightning and containing unimaginable destructive power.

It wasn't just the body of a giant. It was clearly a terrifying magical relic!

This was the manifestation of the Storm Giant's great power to control calamities while alive, also fulfilling his final prophecy — the bringer of ultimate destruction.

It was this eye that had launched the dreadful spell.

"Come down!"

Cassius's muscles bulged as he exerted all his strength.

Just as the thunder was about to engulf him, he forcibly pulled the eye from the Storm Giant's socket, clutching it tightly in his claw.

"Sizzle—Boom!"

In an instant, the Eye of the Storm Giant drew the surrounding lightning, forming a terrifying vortex of electrical energy in the Magic Web.

The red dragon twitched, his flesh vaporized.

Blinding light emanated from his claw, making his palm almost transparent, and even his bones were visible.

But he held on tightly, knowing that if he let go, he would be turned to ash by the surrounding lightning.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

A few breaths passed.

As the red dragon panted heavily, the light in his claw gradually dimmed.

"Rumble..."

In an instant, the surrounding lightning retreated like a tide, and the rolling dark clouds in the sky slowly dispersed under the wind's influence.

The fierce storm in the cave lost its power, becoming calm.

Everything returned to darkness and silence.

The once majestic tomb had turned into a pile of rubble, indistinguishable from any collapsed cavern, with no trace of the ancient Giant Empire's glory.

"It's over—"

Cassius exhaled a breath of sulfur-laden air.

He carefully opened his claw.

His thick paw was charred and many fleshy parts were burned, the scales melted into ugly lumps. But the red dragon didn't care, his eyes were full of anticipation and excitement.

The blue amber-like "eye" lay quietly in his palm like a beautiful gem that could be set in any noble lady's dress.

Only the faint flickering of blue light reminded Cassius of the terrifying lightning and the dreadful storm that had shaken him.

[The ancient storm yields to your strength.]

[You have acquired the legendary equipment — "Eye of the Storm King"]

[Eye of the Storm King]

Quality: Legendary

Creator: Randta Hurricane Argates

Introduction: The legendary druid, Storm Giant Elder Randta, once stared at the shining stars and deep ocean from the sky castle, seeking all signs and omens left by Annan. The Storm Giants could control the weather and change the fate of countless beings, but he knew that intervening in many matters was futile.

Randta buried his lifetime collection underground, sealing the power comparable to a scourge in an eye, waiting for himself and the remnants of his empire to be forgotten. Of course, if an uninvited guest came, Randta would gladly bring ultimate death.

"An enraged Storm Giant will bring more thorough destruction. This is my final prophecy. — Randta"

Effects:

[Storm of Vengeance] - Charge and release

[Weather Control] - Once a week

[Remnant of the Storm]: Contact causes additional lightning damage, with a chance to summon lightning after multiple accumulations, granting a certain degree of lightning immunity.

[Storm of Vengeance]

Ninth Tier Curse Spell

A tumultuous cloud forms and expands from a visible point, filling the area with lightning and roaring winds. All creatures under the cloud have a chance to become continuously deafened.

Storm of Vengeance produces different effects depending on control: acid rain, lightning, hail, strong winds, and ice rain besiege the area, heavily obscuring it. The strong winds disperse all magical or non-magical smoke and similar effects in the area.

[Weather Control]

Eighth Tier Transformation Spell

You control the weather conditions within a certain range during the spell's duration. You can freely change precipitation, temperature, and wind conditions, and spend time creating extreme weather like hail, fog, and blizzards. The weather gradually returns to normal when the spell ends.

"This..."

"A worthy relic of a legendary druid."

The red dragon couldn't help but widen his eyes, revealing the deep orange, flame-like irises.

Divine Artifact.

Cassius had only two words to assess this equipment.

Just the "Eye of the Storm King" alone made this life-threatening adventure worthwhile. It could fetch an astronomical price of over a billion dollars on the black market in his previous life.

[Storm of Vengeance] was a noble Ninth Tier top-level spell. It was no exaggeration to say it could easily determine the outcome of a battle.

[Weather Control] was also an extremely precious Eighth Tier high-rank spell with extensive adaptability.

Even the additional [Remnant of the Storm] was a powerful weapon for close combat.

Cassius tightly grasped the bluish gem, fearing to lose it, for the first time understanding how the chimera felt when hoarding gold coins.

"Boom!"

Huge stones fell from the dome, nearly hitting the red dragon's head before smashing into the ground and scattering into fragments.

Cassius looked up to see the cracks in the ceiling deepening and spreading like a web.

"No, this underground world is about to collapse!"

"Run!"

The red dragon flapped his wings, struggling to dodge the falling boulders. Fortunately, his increased agility made him more nimble than ordinary red dragons.

On one side was the joy of obtaining the treasure, on the other, the helplessness of being in danger again. Cassius was pained yet delighted.