Chapter 146: Another Advancement
This perilous encounter was a wake-up call for Cassius, making him desperately desire to enhance his own strength.
Perhaps it was the laziness in his dragon bloodline, or maybe the string of victories had instilled him with overconfidence. After falling into slumber, he had grown complacent, forgetting that this was a world full of danger and mistakenly treating Erezaghe as his personal garden.
The Red Dragon gazed at the interface; not only had the previous war but also Duke Brad provided him with an enormous amount of experience.
This time, he didn't intentionally suppress it. Instead, he chose to immediately convert these capabilities into personal power. As for the remaining two levels of experience—he already had a concrete plan in mind.
[Your [True Dragon Sorcerer] level has increased to 9.]
[Your [True Dragon Sorcerer] level has increased to 10.]
[You have gained additional metamagic feats. You chose [Empower Spell] and [Delay Spell].]
Despite leveling up twice, the newly acquired spell slots were of a higher tier, limited to just four slots. This was a common flaw for all sorcerers, including True Dragon Sorcerers—quality over quantity.
However, his current casting level had reached 13, allowing him to touch the seventh layer of the Weave. This made him a high-level spellcaster even within Erezaghe.
[You have acquired dragon spells: [Graceful Dragon], [Bag of Greed], [Immortal Reverse Scale], and [Cataclysmic Dragon Eye].]
[Graceful Dragon]
5th-tier transmutation spell
[By manipulating spatial forces, the dragon's massive body becomes agile and nimble. The Dexterity attribute steadily increases during the spell's duration, with a maximum Dexterity of 30.]
[Bag of Greed]
5th-tier evocation spell
[This spell creates a field of force shaped like a bag that trails behind the flying dragon. It allows the dragon to transport large amounts of items, making the contents within the Bag of Greed feel weightless, enabling the dragon to fly at its normal maximum speed.]
[Immortal Reverse Scale]
6th-tier protection and transmutation spell
[The dragon condenses life energy, designating a specific scale as its "reverse scale." Until this scale is shattered, the dragon can nullify one fatal attack. After it breaks, the dragon's Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity receive significant boosts.]
[Cataclysmic Dragon Eye]
7th-tier divination spell
[A spectral dragon eye appears and floats, moving according to the dragon's will. The dragon can observe normally through the eye and occasionally glimpse past or future scenes. The eye can endure the same damage as the dragon and even channel the dragon's breath weapon. However, using it for such an attack will cause the eye to disappear.]
"So this is a seventh-tier spell..."
Feeling the complex spell knowledge in his mind, Cassius was rather excited. These spells aligned with his preferences and were unmistakably unique to the dragon race.
Although he had obtained seventh-tier spells, he had not yet fully mastered them and would require further practice.
Next, it was time to take control of the Duchy of Lackman, reap the war's rewards, and prepare to occupy the entire Anzeta Wasteland.
In the Lackman Castle, Medrolash, Alger, and others managed to escape the ruins shrouded in the Shadow Curse and arrived before the Red Dragon.
Behind them were Langli Baitiao and the newly freed vampire progenitor—Yeno Lackman.
"Master, it is my incompetence that allowed myself to fall under the enemy's control, forcing you to intervene."
Alger knelt on the ground, his half-dragon face devoid of vengeance or joy, only calmness.
Duke Brad was dead.
With him perished Alger's final obsession as "Human Alger." What remained was nothing but the body of the Ember Nest's loyal draconic servant, the Crimson Scaled Conqueror—Half-Dragon Alger.
Medrolash stepped forward and reported, "Master, what should we do with the remaining vampires? One of them is a Starfallen."
As a tiefling leader, Medrolash naturally harbored deep hatred for anything related to vampires. But rationality dictated that only the Red Dragon could decide.
Cassius looked at Langli Baitiao.
Draped in a ragged black robe of unknown origin, his skin pale, canine teeth sharp, and pupils tinged with crimson.
Langli Baitiao had drunk the blood of the elder vampire, becoming a true vampire with terrifying regenerative abilities, even capable of creating his own progeny.
Noticing the Red Dragon's gaze, Langli Baitiao immediately displayed a flattering smile: "Boss, I'm super strong! No matter how hard you hit me, I won't die. If I can't win, I can turn to mist and escape."
As he finished speaking, Langli Baitiao transformed into a mist.
He had thought it through—if the faction leader decided to kill him, he could flee immediately.
Cassius: "..."
Langli Baitiao returned to his form with a puff, scratching his head and awkwardly smiling. "I was just showing you my abilities."
Cassius pondered for a moment, quickly realizing that these nocturnal undead were well-suited for special tasks like infiltration, assassination, and reconnaissance.
The Red Dragon then said, "I want you to form a special vampire unit dedicated to carrying out tasks unsuitable for exposure. As for the name..."
"Lang Squad—how about that?"
Langli Baitiao eagerly interrupted.
"..."
Noticing the Red Dragon's impatient look and sensing the tense atmosphere, Langli Baitiao awkwardly smiled again.
"Uh... Of course, it's up to you to decide."
"I just thought Lang Squad sounded cool. Or we could call it Langli Baitiao's Fan Club?"
"Nocturne—a melody of eternal rest for enemies in the night."
Cassius's tone was unmistakably commanding.
Langli Baitiao immediately praised, "What a great name, Boss! How did you come up with something so brilliant?"
Cassius continued, "Choose suitable individuals to turn into vampire progeny and join Nocturne. As for your sustenance, I'll allocate funds. Purchasing blood from infinitely reviving Starfallen shouldn't be difficult."
"Keep these bloodsuckers in check. If I find out any ordinary residents are attacked by vampires... I won't need to spell out your fate, will I?"
"Yes, yes, Boss! I, Langli Baitiao, will dedicate myself to serving you and ensuring Nocturne becomes the best-performing organization of the Ember Nest!"
Hearing Cassius mention "allocating funds," Langli Baitiao nodded fervently, repeatedly agreeing.
He had finally achieved a class leap—from a lowly grunt to a department manager!
Although the cost was high and he earned the nickname "Vampire Concubine" in the forums, his trip to Northwind Fortress had been worth it. Langli Baitiao's heart was full of bittersweet tears and satisfaction.
At this moment, Cassius had no idea that this "Nocturne" would one day become infamous.
The already fearless players, now undead, would, under Langli Baitiao's leadership, wreak havoc across the continent, spreading chaos under the motto "Eliminate all witnesses for the perfect infiltration."