Ashen Dragon-Chapter 269 - 193: Stellar Prism

Chapter 269: Chapter 193: Stellar Prism

Ever since awakening from his slumber, Cassius hadn’t felt this kind of threat for a long time. Even the newly born Barlow Flame Demon was just a minor nuisance in his eyes.

And now, this call from the void made him feel a tremendous threat.

“It’s time to uncover the truth behind all of this.”

After pondering for a moment, Cassius thought to himself.

If the other party truly had the ability to eliminate him, they could have taken action during the recent battle. There was no need to lure him here.

Given the current strength of the Red Dragon, the only beings capable of preventing his escape were those Pseudogod-powered Demon Lords from the abyss. However, these beings were rejected by the Material World and could barely appear in the Prime Material Plane in their true forms.

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That entity behind the scenes definitely had some interest in the Red Dragon. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have trained him into a world boss in his previous life. He might be able to use this to his advantage, staging a ploy to seize the strength destined for “Cassius” from the hands of that hidden entity.

Thinking of this, Cassius folded his wings tightly against his body and cautiously entered the passage ahead.

This place might still be spacious for many demons and fallen giants, but for Cassius, it was somewhat too narrow. Yet, it was the only path leading to the depths of the lair.

Fortunately, his Dark Vision allowed him to see everything clearly. His pale golden pupils shimmered faintly in the dark.

Eventually, he reached the deepest part of the cave.

The cave was filled with filthy black and red bloodstains, writhing worms, and corrosive acid.

But this wasn’t all there was.

“This is…”

Surprisingly, a rare look of wonder appeared in the Red Dragon’s eyes.

A twenty-sided prism floated in the center of the cave. Each facet was inscribed with chaotic runes, emitting countless rays of dark yellow ghostly light.

Black Chaos Mist surrounded it. Tiny particles moved erratically, emitting sharp, ear-piercing screeches, almost like a miniature abyss.

“Stellar Prism.”

Cassius whispered the name.

In his eyes, this twenty-sided prism was a portal to the star realm, though it was temporarily tainted by the demon’s power.

Star realm.

A familiar name.

A purely spiritual world, the silver void between all true planes.

This place was endless and infinitely mysterious, yet extremely dangerous. The warships of the “Stellar Pirates,” the Githyanki, often drifted along the silver streams, launching raids on various planes, but they were only a tiny part of the star realm.

There were far larger and uglier things within—Stellar Behemoths, Stellar Whales, and floating islands formed from the corpses of dead Ancient Gods.

Even the powerful and mysterious traveling mages considered this plane a transit point to be departed from swiftly.

They often skipped the exploration step, preferring to use magical devices to accomplish this task. The most direct methods were through star conduits or color pools, which could propel a person from the Prime Material Plane directly to any of the Outer Planes.

“The star realm…”

If not necessary, Cassius had no intention of entering the star realm at this stage. His current strength allowed him to gain a foothold there but not enough to cope with unknown threats.

“Come, this is your inevitable destiny…”

“Do not fear, do not hesitate, embrace it all…”

The call from the Stellar Prism came again, this time stronger and almost tidal, relentlessly washing over the Red Dragon’s mind.

“No…”

“I can’t let this voice influence me.”

The Red Dragon shook his head, his pupils flickering.

Even greedy for strength, he couldn’t afford to act recklessly.

After a moment of contemplation, he summoned the [Heaven’s Calamity Dragon Eye], breathing a fierce fire to create a dragon-shaped incarnation out of flames.

The mighty will of the Dragon Sorcerer twisted reality.

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The phantom Dragon’s Eye was set in the incarnation’s eyes, becoming its way of perceiving the external world, and a conduit for the Red Dragon to control these spell flames.

“Open.”

With just a slight exertion of his will, the runes on each of the prism’s facets emitted starlight, and the Stellar Gate slowly opened before him.

Under his control, the fire elemental incarnation roared with a scorching hot wind then proceeded straight into the pathway.

Through the [Heaven’s Calamity Dragon Eye], Cassius saw a rainbow-like tunnel of flowing light beyond the gate. It traversed an indiscernibly long distance, with the surroundings becoming increasingly blurry, until finally, it passed through the ultimate portal arriving in this deep void – the star realm.

“So, this is the star realm…”

Cassius’s flame incarnation stood on a pitch-black rock, murmuring to itself.

In his previous life, he had been only a mercenary wandering the Material Plane, unaccustomed to interdimensional high-level missions. Only now did he witness such a magnificent sight.

–All around was boundless void, silver currents flowing in the darkness, dotted with countless twinkling stars, which were not just sources of light but possibly portals to other planes or projections of some outer spaces.

Huge floating islands drifted in the void, possibly the corpses of Stellar Behemoths or even remnants of forgotten Ancient Gods—their origins lost in the dust of history, unknown.

The familiar voice came once again, this time unmistakably clear.

“The flames of vengeance burn brightly…”

“Embrace the abyss…”

“Come…”

Cassius’s incarnation floated in the direction of the voice.

Weaving between one floating island and another, he finally found the source of the voice.

On a floating island nearly ten thousand meters in diameter, a three-meter-tall humanoid creature was bound there. Its spread wings, formidable horns, and exposed red skin unmistakably indicated its identity—a Barlow Flame Demon from the abyss.

This demon had three pairs of wings on its back, but they were asymmetrical. Its twisted body was wrapped in heavy chains, its hands and feet nailed to the rocks, and a profusion of intricate and arcane magic runes surrounded them.

The entire floating island seemed like a massive prison, designed solely to imprison the demon. Surrounding the floating island were floating rock fragments and kilometers-long cracks, evidence of a fierce battle.

The demon before him wasn’t as colossal as typical Flame Demons, looking almost emaciated, yet it constantly exuded an overwhelming sense of danger. Should the seal loosen even slightly, nearly tangible Chaos Abyssal Mist would leak out.

The demon was suspended in mid-air with its head drooped.

Suddenly, as if sensing Cassius’s arrival, the Barlow Flame Demon lifted its head, its deep eyes burning with the fires of vengeance, and a sinister smile appeared at the corner of its mouth.

“The trajectory of destiny may vary, but its endpoint was already anchored, unchangeable.”

“This is both the decree of the world’s rules and the ultimate choice of the Will of the Abyss.”

“Cassius, my perfect and destined contractor, you have finally arrived.”

“Nice to meet you. I am the Avenging Monarch—Jezarslack, an ancient Barlow Flame Demon, a former Abyssal Lord, and your future collaborator.”