Chapter 5: The Origin of Sorcery
If this were the late game, Cassius would unhesitatingly choose the Mage class—after all, the power of a mage is no joke.
A well-prepared, wealthy mage has the confidence to defeat any enemy of the same level, with powerful subclass options in the late game, such as Time Mage, who wields control over space and time.
But the Mage class has a fatal flaw in the early game—it requires copying spells.
Yes, to a mage, magic is a science that requires study.
Only by meticulously studying spell scrolls to understand how to construct spell models, mastering the parameters of the Weave, and undergoing prolonged study can one successfully learn a spell.
But Cassius was currently broke, with only a few magical items on him.
And it wasn't like he could take his dragon form to a human town to study magic, right?
Was he supposed to enroll in a magic academy?
Sorcerers, on the other hand, were different. Their spells were "gifts from the heavens"—or perhaps a better word would be "innate."
After a moment's thought, Cassius made his decision.
[Chosen Class: Sorcerer]
[Dragon bloodline detected]
[Automatic selection: Dragonblood Sorcerer—Red Dragon Bloodline]
Dragons are powerful magical creatures, naturally adept in various supernatural phenomena.
Any dragon, regardless of age—even hatchlings—can possess sorcerer levels.
Some ancient scholars believe that sorcerer abilities are inherited from dragons, possibly from unions generations past.
More importantly, sorcerer spellcasting levels can combine with a dragon's innate spellcasting levels, allowing dragons to fully harness their bloodline, amplifying their internal power.
The renowned ancient red dragon Imwarnio devoted himself to mastering fire magic and possessed a casting level as high as 40.
[Your Sorcerer level has increased to 1]
[Sorcery Origin: Magic itself is an integral part of a sorcerer, a latent force embedded deep in the body, mind, and soul, awaiting release.]
[No one chooses sorcery; sorcery chooses you.]
[You have obtained four cantrips and two level 1 spells]
A comprehensive spell list appeared on the screen.
[Cantrips obtained: Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Quick Draw]
[Level 1 spells obtained: Fog Cloud, Magic Missile]
A standard early-game setup.
In the past life, Cassius had only received cold data displays when leveling up and hadn't noticed anything particularly different.
Now, he realized the astonishing power.
"This feeling..."
Each spell appeared in his mind out of nowhere.
No, not out of nowhere.
More like something innate, a natural gift.
This precious knowledge sank into his body, memory, even embedding itself in his will.
[Mage Hand]
Cassius willed it, and an invisible hand appeared out of thin air, picking up a stone from the ground and tossing it.
Even the lowest-level spell, performing the simplest action, filled the red dragon with some wonder.
For this power wasn't derived from a magical item or some program—it originated from himself.
Compared to the meticulous science of a mage's spellcasting, a sorcerer's spellcasting was more like an art.
There was no need to carefully construct a spell model or calculate Weave parameters—only to feel the Weave with his own awareness and project his will into reality.
Thus, gifted sorcerers, who could easily cast powerful spells, were often met with envy and disdain from mages, who mocked them as "barbarians among spellcasters" and "orcs with staves."
"Quite fascinating."
The red dragon strode past the half-eaten owl-bear carcass, stepping out of the cave with a light gait.
He understood now why Erezaghe's spellcasters were so proud—this sense of controlling the real world could easily make one feel like a god before ordinary people.
But the notifications on his panel hadn't stopped.
[Bloodline Tracing: The bloodline of the ancient red dragon fills your body with searing fire power.]
[You have acquired Fire Element Magic Affinity; fire damage will be enhanced]
[Breath Weapon (Fire) has been strengthened]
[Additional Cantrip acquired: Fire Bolt]
Flames reflected in Cassius's golden slit pupils, his body like an erupting volcano.
His heart beat strongly, pumping this fire element energy throughout his body, his blood surging like molten lava.
[Tracing your bloodline heritage…]
The red dragon closed his eyes, a vision forming in his mind.
It seemed to be an ancient battlefield on an outer plane, with towering metal walls hundreds of meters high in the distance.
An ancient red dragon beat its massive wings, stirring a gale, blowing the celestial army with winged backs below it into disarray.
It opened its massive jaws, unleashing an unimaginably terrifying flame that distorted the air as it burned.
The sturdy walls melted in an instant, a massive breach appearing, with molten metal slowly flowing down.
The Aasimar, a dragon-headed figure, wielded a staff to cast divine spells, while colossal celestials dozens of meters tall leapt toward the ancient red dragon. Silver-haired Baranian angels drew their bows, firing arrows toward the sky.
Yet, despite the grand battlefield, even this ancient red dragon appeared insignificant.
"Roar——"
In the distance, a fearsome creature with five dragon heads let out a resounding roar, spreading its wings that covered the sky and began to rise slowly.
A hurricane surged forth, dust flying everywhere.
Shadows cast over the land as if doomsday had arrived.
In the vision, Cassius couldn't help but look up to the sky.
And he clearly saw a red dragon head among those gazing down on all beings, eerily similar to himself, watching him from above, the edge of its grim mouth forming a slight curve.
That head slowly spoke, "My child."
The voice seemed to resonate from the depths of his soul, and the red dragon felt an intense pressure emanating from his bloodline.
This terrifying power made him instinctively want to bow, kneel, and submit under the god's immense power.
"She noticed me!"
Alarms blared in Cassius's mind.
In the next moment, the sky in the vision fractured like shattered glass.
Whether it was the ancient red dragon, the celestials, or the terrifying five-headed figure in the sky—everything in the vision splintered.
"Huff, huff."
"Huff."
Cassius barely escaped from the suffocating pressure, gasping heavily, his entire body stiff and trembling.
The red dragon looked at the game panel in shock, noticing it was glitching, as if infected by a virus, refreshing data frantically.
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[You are under the gaze of the deity [Mother of Dragons, Tiamat]]
[Mind Shield system activated]
[You have encountered the deity [Mother of Dragons, Tiamat], unpredictable changes may occur.]
Cassius stared at the panel data, feeling a lingering dread yet helpless.
"So this is the power of a deity, truly terrifying."
"An ancient battlefield on another plane..."
"Did I witness Tiamat's true form?"
In the previous life's Erezaghe, even with the player's power cap reaching legendary level (level 21), the power of deities was a mystery, and hardly anyone had seen a deity's true form, not even of a lesser god.
As for the so-called "god-slaying," it was pure fantasy.
A top player once said, "As long as it has an HP bar, even a god can be slain."
But in reality, the power of a deity was unimaginable to mortals and was described as an entity "without an HP bar."
This was divine power. Just gazing upon a deity's true form in a vision could have terrifying consequences.
But for a newly hatched young dragon, ancient dragons, interplanar wars, and even Tiamat were all too distant and overwhelming.
If powerful beings indeed harbored thoughts about him, he currently had no means to resist.
Therefore, rather than worrying about outer plane deities, it would be wiser to focus on steadily enhancing his strength for the future.
"Since I've been noticed, as a red dragon, I'd better offer a bit of incense to Lady Tiamat now and then."
"Wouldn't want her holding a grudge."
Cassius leapt up, flapping his sturdy wings, gradually spiraling into the air.
"Next, time to grind some experience."
The red dragon gazed over the endless forest and distant mountains, letting out a roar that, though youthful, already carried a hint of draconic majesty.