While Ethan was busy sealing the "contracts" with the two Nine-Tailed Foxes at the shrine, a heavily wounded Cao Cao returned to his base.
"Cao Cao! What happened to you?!"
"Talk later... heal me first..."
After half a day of intensive magical treatment, his wounds were stabilized. Cao Cao finally spoke: "Siegfried, contact Ophis. I need to make another trip to the Underworld."
Siegfried, the silver-haired descendant of the legendary dragon slayer, nodded in agreement. During the treatment, Cao Cao had explained the situation. Though they were shaken by Ethan's overwhelming power, their ambition remained unshaken. If anything, Ethan's strength made them more desperate to complete their plan and stand at the summit of the three worlds.
The Underworld.
Hades, the Lord of the Dead, stared down at Cao Cao with a hollow, skeletal gaze. "You wish to borrow Samael, the Dragon Eater, again?"
"Yes," Cao Cao admitted frankly. He didn't hide his defeat against Ethan. "You claimed it was the ultimate weapon against dragons, yet it did almost nothing to the Red Dragon Emperor. Why?"
Hades' skeletal face remained expressionless, but his voice grew cold. "I do not know why the Red Dragon Emperor was unaffected, but this is the last time I lend it to you. See that you fulfill your end of our bargain."
Cao Cao smirked. "Don't worry. I've already sent for Ophis."
Hades watched him leave. He couldn't act openly without risking the wrath of the other pantheons, which was why he used the Hero Faction as his pawns. Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon, was a Dragon God. If a single weapon could easily kill her, the title of "Dragon God" would be a joke. In the original timeline, her downfall came from her own arrogance and the betrayal of those she trusted.
Back at the base, the black-haired lolita Ophis was waiting.
"Why did you call me?" she asked, her voice void of emotion. As the leader of Khaos Brigade, she rarely cared for politics; she only associated with Vali and the others because they shared her goal: defeating Great Red.
"The current Red Dragon Emperor asked me to deliver a message..." Cao Cao said, hiding his treachery behind a calm mask.
At the mention of Ethan, Ophis's dull eyes momentarily sparked with light. The Hero Faction members exchanged glances; their leader seemed more interested in the enemy than her own faction.
"Thank you," Ophis said, turning to leave immediately to find Ethan.
"Wait, Ophis-sama," Cao Cao intercepted her. "It's late in the human world. It would be improper to visit now. Besides, we need your guidance on a few techniques. Would you stay a while?"
Ophis frowned slightly but nodded. "Fine. What do you need?"
"We've hit a plateau. We need you to spar with us."
The Hero Faction members smiled. Ophis had no combat experience—she relied purely on her infinite power. She didn't sense the trap, or perhaps, she simply didn't care.
"Forgive me then..."
Cao Cao didn't hesitate. He lunged with the True Longinus, the spearhead piercing Ophis's abdomen with blinding speed. He pulled the spear out, but the wound closed instantly. Ophis didn't even flinch.
"Even the strongest Longinus is a mere toy to you," Cao Cao remarked, a mix of awe and jealousy in his voice.
As Ophis prepared to speak, Georg began chanting a high-level spell. They had planned this perfectly: use the message as a lure, Cao Cao as a distraction, and then strike with the ultimate trump card.
The Great Cross—Samael—descended from a magic circle, firing a beam of black light that enveloped Ophis.
"Samael?!" Ophis was startled. She knew of the Dragon Eater. But it was too late. The black vines of light wrapped around her, making a sickening slurping sound as they began to drain her essence.
Even for a Dragon God of Infinity, Samael was poison. Ophis wouldn't die—you cannot kill the concept of infinity—but her power was being siphoned away. Her face grew pale, but she remained calm, watching Cao Cao with a hollow gaze.
When she was down to 25% of her original power, Cao Cao stopped the process. He couldn't handle 100% of her power yet. But with 75% of a Dragon God's essence captured, the Hero Faction was ready to create their own "True Leader."
Ignoring the weakened Ophis, they teleported away to begin their refinement, leaving her alone in the abandoned base. Ophis, bleeding and exhausted, slowly opened a portal of her own.