Chapter 587: The Sinner's Story
"Oh?"
Cassius showed no sign of panic. He simply continued raising his head, meeting Beatrice's gaze without flinching. His sturdy wing claws lifted, and his smooth, gleaming wings spread wide.
"Is this how the Eternal Order Realm treats its guests? A stranger of the same kin, have you invited me here only to make me your enemy?"
Beatrice flapped her wings, stirring up a gale, her voice especially cold: "Before His Majesty Landis's holy relic, only justice and order are allowed. Anyone who deceives or hides the truth becomes our enemy!"
In those molten-gold eyes, each reflected the other's similarly dignified face. Two mighty dragon auras burst forth, clashing and pressing against each other. The air seemed on the verge of freezing solid.
Under the pressure of this clash, the golden dragons inside the great hall opened their eyes one after another, waking from their meditations, and flew behind their familiar teacher—Beatrice—gazing solemnly at the unfamiliar ancient gold dragon.
Aurora flapped her wings, wobbling as she flew between the two ancient dragons. She raised her head and looked pleadingly at Beatrice.
"Teacher, you must be mistaken! Elder Titus saved the Highland Kingdom and is revered by mortals as the 'Dragon of Dawn.' How could he be our enemy?"
But Beatrice did not heed her defense and mercilessly commanded: "Stand down, Aurora! This is none of your concern.
"Teacher, it's really not what you think."
"Enough! This is too dangerous. You've studied the secret history of our kind—you know evil dragons often seek to steal our power. Who can guarantee this creature behind you isn't a blue or green dragon skilled in deception and disguise?"
"But..."
"No buts. Stop this nonsense, Aurora. You're still too young and lack the ability to discern good from evil." Beatrice's cold gaze passed over Aurora and locked onto "Titus."
"But I've already..."
Seeing she could not argue with her teacher, the young gold dragon turned her head, eyes filled with guilt as she looked at the Dragon of Dawn, whom she had invited.
"Elder Titus, I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen. Teacher just misunderstood. She doesn't truly think you're the enemy."
Aurora looked around frantically, her voice anxious, as if she'd swallowed molten lava.
But neither side was swayed. In this contest of ancient dragons, Aurora even felt dizzy, as if she might fall.
"So it's true. As expected of the one who holds authority in the Eternal Order Realm—nothing escapes your eyes."
Cassius lowered his head and spoke softly. The anger on his face gradually faded, replaced with calm and helplessness.
Finally, he slowly folded his wings, drawing them behind his back like a giant golden moth, and the overwhelming dragon aura dissipated.
Feeling the tension in the air lift, Aurora finally exhaled and couldn't help but wipe the sweat from her brow with her claw before landing obediently on the ground.
But Beatrice remained floating in midair, scrutinizing the unfamiliar ancient gold dragon. She slowly opened her mouth, her long tendrils drifting by her jaw.
"Titus, what are you hiding? Regardless, it is my duty as the Scales Guardian of Landis to bar any suspicious individuals." Her voice echoed through the monastery hall, as stern as a judge in court.
Cassius gave a bitter smile, hesitated, then spoke in a low voice: "Sometimes concealment and deceit aren't out of malice, but out of habitual self-defense... and to protect those around us."
He looked up once more at the majestic female ancient gold dragon whose body was inscribed with intricate runes. "Lady Beatrice, I have no intention of being your enemy. But... we might need to find a more private place to talk."
"Fine. Follow me." Beatrice replied crisply.
Seeing this, the other gold dragons withdrew and returned to their meditations. Aurora gave a worried look but reluctantly followed suit.
Still, she firmly believed that the "Elder Titus" she invited could not be a bad person. Maybe it was just instinct, but she felt an inexplicable sense of safety around him.
Beatrice flapped her wings and flew out of the monastery with grace, heading toward a secluded valley deep in the mountains. Cassius, in his ancient gold dragon form, followed silently.
He was strategizing.
Within the Eternal Order Realm—this demi-plane built specifically for sculpted gold dragons—Cassius's avatar alone might not be enough to defeat Beatrice, the ancient guardian.
And when dealing with such a highly intelligent ancient dragon, vague riddles likely wouldn't fool her.
Half-truths are deadlier than outright lies—perhaps that's where he could work his angle, Cassius thought.
But he wasn't too worried. Even if he failed here, it would only cost him an avatar—at worst, he'd abandon this power, the Highland Kingdom's connections, and the reputation he had earned.
"Aoo—"
As he entered the valley, Cassius heard wails and howls—shrill and chaotic, blocked by an invisible barrier that prevented the sounds from escaping.
Looking deeper into the valley, he saw claw marks, cracks, and bloodstains everywhere, like a dilapidated prison. Cold winds blew, completely out of place in the orderly serenity of the Eternal Order Realm.
The rocky walls on either side were still etched with dense runes, but these gave off a strong sense of oppression, like a cage.
At the same time, an intense pressure descended, making Cassius feel a weight on his shoulders. Even flapping his wings and staying airborne became difficult, let alone casting spells. Beatrice, however, remained unaffected, flying ahead with ease.
Cassius looked around and remarked, "Heh, I didn't expect a place like this inside your serene and beautiful Eternal Order Realm. It's like a Screaming Hollow—your prison, perhaps?"
"This is the Valley of the Damned, the only place in the Eternal Order Realm untouched by sunlight." Beatrice's voice was still icy, her words sharp even amid the howling wind and wails.
"In a sense, you're right. This is where my father—Ferdinand—used to imprison the most heinous criminals, the sinners." She gently flapped her wings and landed gracefully on a protruding cliff before folding them behind her.
"Sinners?"
Cassius instinctively lowered his head, his face showing a helpless bitter smile, even the tendrils by his mouth trembling slightly. "Sinners... it's been a long time since I heard that familiar word. Perhaps... you're right."
Beatrice gave him a meaningful glance but said nothing more, walking into a cave along the cliff.
Inside the deep cave, glowing stones lit the path. The walls were still covered in complex runes that exuded a stifling aura.
Cassius looked at the oppressive, iron-grating-like markings and softly asked, "Is this a Dead Magic Zone?"
Beatrice tucked her wings and strode ahead without looking back: "Yes. My father created vast Dead Magic Zones and good-evil barriers using masterfully carved runes. This place is a prison designed specifically to hold overconfident wizards."
Feeling the pressure suppressing his primal spells, Cassius chuckled, "Such extravagant measures—I'm flattered."
"Suspicious outsider, this is just necessary caution. The runes let me see the truth of all things. Though you're shrouded in mist, I can sense—you're far more powerful than you appear."
"Thanks for the compliment, though I'd rather not receive such praise in your prison."
Beatrice spoke seriously: "This is not praise, Titus. Until I understand your goals and loyalties, the stronger you are, the greater a threat you pose to the Eternal Order Realm."
Under immense pressure, Cassius shook his claws to ease the pain and took the opportunity to voice doubt.
"That doesn't make sense. If I truly had the power to shatter the Eternal Order Realm, I would've already turned against you. Why would I follow you here? Lady Beatrice, you're being overly cautious."
"It's just necessary precautions." Beatrice gave no direct answer, merely shook her head and continued deeper into the cave.
"This is the place. Follow me."
"Boom—"
With a thunderous rumble, the heavy stone door slowly opened. The glowing patterns on its surface flickered, clearly filled with supernatural effects.
At last, they entered one after another. Inside was a spherical chamber whose walls were densely inscribed with runes—covering every angle—and at the center floated a black gem.
An even heavier pressure descended. Upon seeing that black gem, Cassius was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to spill everything.
A High-Level Sphere of True Speech.
In such an environment, even a powerful ancient red dragon couldn't use half their power. Yet Beatrice remained completely unaffected.
Beatrice turned around, her eyes scrutinizing the ancient gold dragon Cassius had become. She spoke again.
"This is my father's interrogation room. Even an ancient blue dragon could hardly escape. This chamber blocks all sound, scrying, even prophecy. It should meet your request for 'a private place.'"
"Of course."
The ancient gold dragon stepped forward, eyes burning. "Then—tell me, what are you hiding? What is your true goal?"
"Give me a little time, will you? I'm still your guest, not yet your enemy." Cassius was prepared. He closed his eyes, as if reminiscing—or perhaps hesitating.
A somber, sorrowful aura emanated from him. The air thickened, and even his golden scales dimmed.
After a long silence, he opened his eyes and slowly stretched out his left foreclaw.
"Ssshh"
The sound of fire igniting. A mottled black-and-red flame flickered in his palm.
"Chaos Flame? How dare you seek such power—it will drag you into the Abyss!" Beatrice's voice trembled, her expression shifted dramatically. She stared hard at the tiny flame in Titus's hand.
A faint smile flashed in Cassius's eyes. As expected—reveal a shocking enough truth, like the Abyss, and the opponent would overlook other deceptions.
"Boom!"
Instantly, the runes on the walls flashed rapidly, releasing all kinds of ordered forces. Hundreds of silver-white chains surged forth, aiming to imprison the chaotic, evil power.
But the mad, chaotic flame tongues danced like Abyssal tentacles, resisting the rune forces, black mist flooding the chamber, and the scent of blood spreading.
Cassius closed his claw, forcefully controlling the flame—yet some tendrils still escaped, even scorching his own scales.
"I didn't seek Abyssal power—I had no choice." Cassius's body trembled, his face twisted in pain.
He forcibly suppressed the raging flame, looked up, and gave a weak smile: "Beatrice, would you care to hear... a long-buried story of a sinner?"
Beatrice's gaze was heavy, but she hesitantly nodded.
She felt this golden dragon wasn't tainted by the Abyss, but was instead desperately suppressing that abominable chaotic force. There must be... some untold pain—she could even sense that sorrow.
A dragon like this must carry a tragic past.
And so, Cassius lay down wearily in the chamber, his voice hoarse and low. "I don't know how long ago... maybe three thousand years? Four thousand?
Anyway, back then, I was still a young adult dragon, determined to uphold the world's laws and order through my own strength. I gathered my kin and formed a close alliance.
For some reason, even before Titus said much, emotions like pity, regret, and sorrow flooded Beatrice's heart and lingered.
As Cassius spoke, she seemed to see a gold dragon full of ambition, striving to change the world—like her father, Ferdinand. She imagined hundreds of gold dragons soaring through the skies, patrolling, cleansing evil.
Beatrice didn't realize this was the full activation of Cassius's [Silver Tongue] trait, combined with his formidable 36 Charisma.
In game terms, during a [Deception] or [Persuasion] check, Cassius's Charisma and skill bonus would be at least +20—even a strong-willed ancient gold dragon sculptor would be unknowingly influenced.
"My companions roamed the land and sky. Whether evil red dragons slaughtering villages, giants plundering cities, devils tricking mortals for souls, or liches harvesting spirits—none could escape our justice..."
Cassius's words flowed on, gradually painting a majestic story that deeply resonated with gold dragon ideals.
And under the effects of [Silver Tongue], the reclusive female ancient gold dragon of the Eternal Order Realm sank into his tale—believing every word.