Chapter 343: The Sincerity of the Tower of Time
Cassius took a few slow steps forward, his menacing dragon face showing a hint of anger. Flames flickered in his pale golden pupils, and wisps of sulfurous white smoke seeped from between his teeth.
"So… this is how your Tower of Time expresses sincerity?"
"Allowing a time mage to become a so-called 'dragon slayer' and recklessly standing in my way?"
"My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty Cassius."
Despite the red dragon's aggressive demeanor, Talin Archimonde maintained his respectful posture.
The time dragon even slightly lowered his head, gracefully bending his neck as a gesture of apology.
"This was not our arrangement but a coincidence of fate. On behalf of the Tower of Time, I extend my apologies for Klein's rude intrusion."
"The future is not easily altered, and Klein still has his own role to play in it—a fact you likely understand yourself. You will not kill him."
Cassius narrowed his eyes, coldly staring down at the human on the ground, his gaze suddenly turning fierce.
"What if… I insist on killing him?"
Immediately, an almost tangible dragon's might spread across the area. A bloody sense of menace filled the air, as though countless dragons roared in the void, making the entire space freeze.
"Lord, Lord, save me!"
"He truly intends to kill me!"
Klein was utterly terrified, writhing and crawling on the ground to reach the feet of his ally.
The time dragon quickly stepped forward, preventing the red dragon from acting rashly. "Your Majesty Cassius, there's no need for further tests. We will provide the proper compensation."
The oppressive dragon's might vanished, and the suffocating atmosphere of slaughter dissipated, leaving Klein feeling the relief of narrowly escaping death.
Cassius's lips curled into a ferocious grin. "Very well."
"But I hope to see the sincerity of the Tower of Time. After all, this is the life of a legendary mage we're discussing. Its price should be considerable."
"You will be satisfied," Talin Archimonde replied gravely.
The surrounding space suddenly distorted. A delicate scroll and a crest engraved with a clock tower appeared before him. Both items glowed with iridescent patterns, like the tides of time flowing over their surfaces.
"This is a scroll of the ninth-tier spell [Time Stop], personally inscribed by an ancient time dragon. It is nothing like the flawed versions created by humans."
"And this is the crest of the Tower of Time. By focusing your will on it, you can summon the aid of a time dragon and any reasonable assistance from the Tower of Time."
"Not enough. Far from enough."
"A ninth-tier spell and an empty promise? That's insufficient to exchange for the life of a legendary mage."
Cassius glanced at the floating items, shook his head slightly, and spoke calmly.
The time dragon seemed to have anticipated this. He extended his right claw, and an invisible force acted upon Klein.
Immediately, a golden pocket watch flew out from Klein's robes. Klein instinctively reached out to grab it.
"No, my watch—"
But upon seeing Cassius's threatening gaze, Klein reluctantly withdrew his hand, his face filled with anguish and regret.
"It is now yours," Talin Archimonde declared.
Cassius used force-field magic to suspend the golden pocket watch in midair.
"Tick, tick, tick…"
The watch's hands continued to move rhythmically, producing a crisp sound. The dial was etched with intricate magical circuits, still glowing with the iridescent patterns of flowing time.
[You have obtained a legendary item—[Time Pocket Watch].]
[Time Pocket Watch]
Quality: Legendary
Creator: Roald Stefanovich
Description: The ancient time dragon Roald collected time-related artifacts, from ordinary sundials to intricate pocket watches and bizarre mechanical water clocks. Over countless ages, these items, abandoned and reclaimed repeatedly, absorbed the power of time to become invaluable treasures.
"You say I abandoned my treasures? No, to mortals, they merely appear lost. One day, they always return to me. Except perhaps this watch."—Roald Stefanovich
Effects:
[Time Stop]—Once per day
[Eternal Stasis]—Once per day
[Breath of Temporal Power]: You possess a fragment of a time dragon's power, making you highly resistant to time-based spells.
[Time Stop]
Ninth-tier transmutation spell
Accelerates your own temporal flow, allowing your actions to occur so rapidly they seem instantaneous. The environment appears frozen for the spell's duration.
[Eternal Stasis]
Eighth-tier transmutation spell
Puts an unresisting creature into a suspended animation state. Time around it freezes, halting all bodily functions without causing harm.
Cassius nodded in satisfaction but, after a moment's thought, asked again, "Is the Tower of Time always so miserly?"
"Still not enough."
"If I killed that mage, this pocket watch would still be mine. Your Tower of Time has offered nothing extra."
"…"
The time dragon appeared somewhat numb, momentarily unsure how to respond.
He looked at Cassius, then cast a sharp glance at Klein, and finally, with evident reluctance, spoke: "Of course not…"
"Six hundred thousand gold coins. They will be delivered to your palace in ten days. We ask that you temporarily lift the anti-magic field around your domain at that time."
Storing the valuable items, Cassius nodded in satisfaction, shaking his wings as he did so.
"Now that's more like it. I see a glimmer of sincerity from you, though…"
"Your Majesty Cassius, the Tower of Time is exceedingly busy and has many matters to attend to. We shall not disturb you further. Farewell!"
Before he could finish, Talin Archimonde hurriedly uttered his farewell, taking Klein with him as they fled the scene as fast as they could.
"Tsk, I wasn't done talking yet."
"As expected, even the legendary time dragon is still just a dragon, retaining the innate stinginess of its kind."
Cassius made no move to stop them, quietly standing in place and watching the faint distortion of space caused by their teleportation spell.
"The future…"
"From the time dragon's behavior, my future doesn't seem entirely bleak."
"But… is the so-called future truly immutable? If that were the case, how did a 'fate-defier' like me end up here?"
His pale golden eyes flickered subtly as if lost in thought.
"Roar…"
After a brief moment, the red dragon let out a low growl, roughly tearing apart the space before him with his claws to create a flame-encircled portal. He folded his wings and dived in headfirst.
His kingdom awaited his return.
Compared to the distant, hazy unknowns of the future, Cassius was far more concerned with the immediate, tangible benefits before him.