Chapter 281: The Curse

Chapter 281: The Curse

Cassius lay in the palace, using 【Omniscience Eye】 to examine his chest. The “Heart of Karrikex” pulsed rhythmically with his heartbeat, emitting a gentle glow, seemingly fully integrated into his body.

He looked at the panel; the number indicating the fusion progress was still increasing, though its speed had noticeably slowed.

[Your absorption progress of 【Heart of Karrikex】: 1.57%]

Cassius’s expression was grave.

Gods do not possess complete free will. Divinity can influence their personalities to some extent—even Mystra, the third incarnation, had been affected by the remnants of the original goddess of magic, causing her character to change significantly. This was even more true for a mortal like a Red Dragon.

Facing Karrikex, a being whose rank and bloodline far surpassed his own, it was almost inevitable for Cassius to be influenced.

Had he not realized the change in his own personality, he could very well have become an incarnation of the God of Destruction without even knowing it.

“Jezal Slak...”

He whispered the name again.

Recalling the encounters within the Astral Prism, Cassius realized that the methods used by this “Demon of Vengeance” far exceeded his expectations.

When Karrikex’s shattered remnants reappeared in the world, his desire for power was at its peak. He even took the risk of trying to steal the heart, though it wasn’t truly necessary—driven purely by greed for strength.

“This... is the influence of the Abyssal Will.”

“Becoming chaotic, frenzied, driven by desire, at any cost.”

Cassius couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear.

That demon lord had easily affected his mind without him even noticing. It seemed there was a reason why the previous “Cassius” had been so easily deceived.

After all, how could a newly-hatched dragon stand a chance against a fox that had survived tens of thousands of years in the Abyss?

Cassius looked at his panel, focusing on the sub-class 【Bloodscaled Fury】.

This “barbarian” among dragons fit all too well with the Red Dragon’s traits, and even more so with Karrikex’s power of destruction.

Every time he entered the state of “Bloodscaled Fury,” he felt his heart rate increase drastically, a warm current surging within, and the progress of his fusion with the Heart of Karrikex accelerating.

He had once been addicted to the thrill of growing power, even becoming obsessed with the sensation of raw, bloody combat.

But now, a heavy weight settled on his heart.

“So, it was bait all along...”

Cassius gave a bitter smile.

Since the moment he killed Koman, he had already fallen into the trap set by that Demon of Vengeance. All the power he had gained might ultimately turn into a poison that led to his ruin.

He had once looked down upon Koman, who was obsessed with revenge, yet now he found himself treading a similar path.

The Red Dragon could still feel that chaos and destructive power flowing through every blood vessel, dormant in his powerful dragon body, waiting for a chance to be unleashed and destroy everything.

This was the shared curse of Karrikex, who was trapped in the Screaming Hollow, and Jezal Slak, who was imprisoned in the Astral Plane.

Ordinary mortals stood no chance against a curse of this magnitude.

If he left it unchecked, it would only get worse. When Karrikex’s blood coursed through his limbs, his body, and even his brain, that destructive force would ultimately consume him, turning him into a puppet driven by a lust for destruction and influenced by the Abyssal Will.

He could barely maintain his rationality now, but when the time came, relying solely on his own willpower wouldn’t be enough to control it.

Cassius exhaled sulfurous white smoke, lowering his head to gaze at his gently rising chest, as if he could see the amber-like blood crystal. He murmured to himself:

“Damn it... I must put an end to this state as soon as possible.”

“At any cost.”

In the remote side hall of the palace, the Silver Dragon lay powerless, her breathing shallow.

The restrictions of the Dragon Binding Formation had been partially lifted. Though there were still barriers she could not break through, at least she now had some freedom within the palace.

Recalling everything she had been through, Olivia felt immense absurdity and boundless grievance.

“Why, though?”

Olivia’s gaze was bewildered, and she forced a bitter smile.

If the illusion had never been shattered, perhaps she wouldn’t be this desperate—there would at least be some illusion of hope, a lie she could barely cling to, to indulge in the dream she had woven for herself.

But when the bloody reality stood before her, she could no longer deceive herself.

The image of the powerful Ember King overlapped with that of the mysterious Golden Dragon, Angel, and this absurdity made her feel as if the world was mocking her. It seemed as if fate itself was playing a cruel joke on her, pushing her sanity to the brink.

Strangely, though, she did not feel the kind of visceral hatred towards that Red Dragon that she thought she would. Instead, she felt confusion, incomprehension, and a strangely complex emotional dependency—a phenomenon known in some worlds as Stockholm Syndrome.

Her attachment to “Angel,” her resentment for being deceived, her confusion and despair for the future—all these feelings intertwined, forming a complex emotional state in her mind.

“He could have killed me.”

“But his personality—it was like he became a completely different dragon.”

The image of the Red Dragon’s frenzied, all-destructive gaze resurfaced in Olivia’s mind.

This was so different from the calm, shrewd Ember King, Cassius, she had once known—let alone the kind, righteous Golden Dragon, Angel.

“An Abyssal demon...”

Olivia remembered him repeating those words.

Yes, an Abyssal demon.

This chaotic, frenzied state of being, completely driven by desire, closely resembled the demons of the Abyss. Olivia had once, under the protection of her elders, visited Avernus, witnessing the brutal grandeur of the Blood War and those raging demons.

“Maybe... he really has some unspeakable burden.”

“Perhaps even cursed by a demon from the Abyss.”

Olivia couldn’t help but murmur, a faint light glimmering in her blue-gray eyes.

After sorting out her chaotic thoughts, Olivia suddenly felt that the Red Dragon wasn’t entirely beyond saving—he might even be a victim of circumstances beyond his control.

“Maybe I can save him.”

A sudden sense of mission arose within Olivia—perhaps she could help him escape this chaotic, frenzied state, maybe even guide him towards redemption under the guidance of Bahamut.

It wasn’t just about saving the Red Dragon; it was also about protecting the lives of the Material Plane.

Letting such a powerful Red Dragon become an avatar of the Abyss would be disastrous—not just for the Anzeta Wasteland but for all living beings, possibly even the entire Material Realm.

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