If it were the later stages, Cassius would have chosen the Mage without hesitation — after all, a "Wizard Lord" is no joke.
A well-prepared and wealthy mage can defeat any opponent of the same level, and in the late game there are even powerful branches such as Time Mages, who wield control over space and time.
However, mages have a fatal flaw in the early stages — they need to "copy spell tables."
Yes, to a mage, magic is a science that must be studied.
Only by carefully studying spell scrolls, understanding how to construct spell models, mastering the parameters of the Weave, and after long, arduous study, can a mage successfully acquire a single spell.
But Cassius was now penniless, armed only with a few magic items.
Surely he couldn't just walk into a human town as a dragon and start learning magic?
Or enroll in a magic academy?
Warlocks (sorcerers) were different. Their spells "fell from the heavens," or to be more precise — they were innate gifts.
After pondering for a while, Cassius made his decision.
[Class advancement chosen: Sorcerer]
[Dragon bloodline detected]
[Automatically selected: Draconic Bloodline – Red Dragon]
Dragons are powerful magical beings, inherently attuned to supernatural phenomena.
Even a hatchling dragon can possess sorcerer levels.
Some ancient scholars believed that sorcerers inherited their powers from dragons, perhaps through unions many generations ago.
More importantly, a sorcerer's casting level can stack with a dragon's innate spellcasting, allowing them to fully unleash their bloodline's power.
For example, the famous ancient red dragon Imvalnao focused deeply on mastering fire magic, reaching a spellcasting level of 40.
[Your Sorcerer level has risen to 1]
[Origin of Magic: Magic itself is a part of the sorcerer's being, a latent power within body, mind, and soul, waiting to be released.]
[No one chooses magic; magic chooses you.]
[You have gained 4 Cantrips and 2 Level 1 Spells]
A detailed spell list appeared:
[Gained Cantrips: Mage Hand, True Strike, Prestidigitation, Minor Illusion]
[Gained 1st-Level Spells: Fog Cloud, Magic Missile]
It was the standard early-game setup.
But in his previous life, when he advanced classes, all he saw were cold numbers on a screen. He never realized how different this truly was.
Now, he felt the wonder of power.
"This feeling…"
Spells appeared in his mind.
No — not from nothing, but as if born within him.
These precious truths were imprinted on his body, memory, and very will.
[Mage Hand]
Cassius willed it, and an invisible hand appeared, lifting a stone from the ground and tossing it aside.
Even the simplest spell, the most trivial act, filled the red dragon with awe.
For this power did not come from tools or rituals, but from himself.
Compared to the mage's scientific precision, sorcerer spellcasting felt more like an art.
No painstaking spell models, no calculating parameters of the Weave — only sensing it with one's will and projecting intent onto reality.
Because of this, sorcerers' ease in wielding powerful spells often earned them the jealousy and scorn of mages, who mocked them as "savages among casters" or "orcs with staffs."
"Truly wondrous."
The red dragon stepped over the massive half-eaten corpse of an owlbear, striding lightly out of the cave.
He now understood why the spellcasters of Erezegai were so arrogant. This feeling of shaping reality itself could make one feel like a god among mortals.
But the panel's messages continued:
[Bloodline Origin: From the blood of an ancient red dragon, your body is suffused with fiery power.]
[You have gained Fire Affinity; fire damage is increased.]
[Breath Weapon (Fire) enhanced.]
[Extra Cantrip gained: Fire Bolt.]
Flames flickered in Cassius's golden slit-pupiled eyes, his body erupting like a volcano.
His heart thundered, pumping fire through his veins, blood surging like molten rock.
[Tracing your bloodline heritage…]
He closed his eyes, and visions arose:
A battlefield on an outer plane, immense metallic walls towering hundreds of meters.
An ancient red dragon beat its vast wings, scattering an angelic army with the gale.
From its maw poured an unimaginable inferno, melting the walls into molten rivers.
Colossal celestials leapt to strike, silver-haired angels drew bows to the sky.
Yet all of this paled compared to what emerged:
A monstrous figure with five dragon heads rose into the heavens, its wings blotting out the sun.
Darkness spread, storms roared — the end of days.
Cassius looked up, and among those five heads, one — a red dragon head — resembled him.
It gazed down with a twisted smile:
"My child…"
The voice resonated through his soul, and the bloodline's oppressive force bent him toward submission.
"He sees me!"
But the vision shattered like glass, collapsing.
"Gh… hah…!"
Cassius gasped for air, trembling, as the panel flickered madly:
[Warning!]
[You are under the gaze of the deity: The Dragon Queen Tiamat.]
[Mind-Shield System activated.]
[You have confronted Tiamat directly; unforeseen changes may occur.]
His heart trembled as he read.
"So this is divine power… terrifying.
An ancient battlefield… Did I just glimpse Tiamat's true form?"
In the Erezegai of his previous life, even at Legendary rank (21+), the gods' power was still a mystery. Almost no one had ever seen a deity's true form, not even a lesser god.
As for "godslaying"? Pure fantasy.
For gods were "entities without HP bars," their existence beyond mortal grasp.
Simply witnessing their true form in a vision could yield dreadful consequences.
But for a fledgling dragon like Cassius, ancient dragons, planar wars, and Tiamat herself all felt far too distant, too immense.
If such beings truly had designs for him, he had no means to resist.
So rather than worry about outer-plane deities, it was better to steadily grow stronger now, and plan for the future.
"Still, since I've drawn Her gaze… as a red dragon, I'd better offer prayers to the Dragon Queen from time to time.
Wouldn't want to earn Her wrath."
With a leap, Cassius beat his mighty wings and rose into the sky.
"Now then… it's time to grind some experience."
The red dragon gazed over the endless forest and distant mountains, and let out a resounding roar. Though young, there was already a trace of true dragon majesty in his voice.
Five months later.
Snowflakes began drifting over the skies of the Bocara forests.
It heralded the coming of winter on the great Anzeta Plateau, and beasts were already hunting in packs, preparing for the long and bitter cold.
The forest rustled with sounds, as gray shadows darted swiftly among the trees.
Protruding muzzles, inverted-triangle icy blue eyes, sharp fangs—all signs revealed their identity: Direwolves.
One of the apex predators of the dense woods, masters of coordinated pack-hunting tactics.
Ahead of them, a herd of terrified deer galloped frantically for their lives.
The wolves, however, were in no rush. The strongest alpha let out a long howl, while the rest answered with lighter howls.
This pack, numbering more than a dozen, worked seamlessly—some driving the herd from behind, others flanking, while a few vanished to close the trap in a widening crescent.
After tens of minutes of pursuit, the wolves seized full control, herding the scattered deer into a narrow mountain pass with little effort.
Panicked, the deer surged into the gorge as if clutching at their last hope, trampling fawns underfoot.
But their "salvation" was, in fact, a trap.
"Awooooo——"
As the herd poured in, the wolf king howled excitedly, and the hidden direwolves appeared at the opposite exit, sealing over thirty deer inside the pass.
The deer scrambled, crashing against walls, only to find themselves encircled by ravenous eyes.
Then the wolves lunged.
Blood splattered, wails echoed, and the gorge reeked of slaughter.
In the end, a mighty stag broke through the blockade with his antlers, leading a dozen to escape, leaving more than ten corpses behind.
The wolves' goal was achieved.
They surged forward to tear flesh and feast, while the alpha devoured the choicest innards.
Suddenly, mist rose within the gorge.
At first, the wolves ignored it—until it grew dense enough to blur their sight, shadows flickering within.
Crack… crack…
It was unclear whether bones of deer—or wolves—were breaking.
Chaotic howls sounded from the mist—orders, signals, permissions—nonsense to human ears, yet carrying eerie meaning to the pack.
A well-learned mage would have easily recognized it: a simple cantrip—minor illusions of sound and sensation.
But the beasts did not know, succumbing to fear and confusion.
"Awooooo——"
The alpha howled to rally them, while others answered to fix their positions. But the fog and strange noises disoriented them, yielding no clarity.
Then the wolf king caught a strange sound above—wind rushing.
He looked up, and in his pupils blazed fire.
BOOM——
[Direwolf, adult male, slain – 200 xp gained]
[Direwolf, adult male, slain – 200 xp gained]
[Direwolf, adult female, slain – 200 xp gained]
[Direwolf leader slain – 700 xp gained]
"A bountiful harvest. Not a single one escaped."
Kaishus exhaled sulfurous breath, spreading his wings.
The crimson dragon soared above the gorge, circling the forest as a fearsome hunter, seeking his next prey.
Below, a massive wild boar rooted the soil for food—juicy ferns, hibernating snakes, or mineral-rich clods.
Standing over two meters at the shoulder, it resembled a moving hill, with tusks like curved blades, thick fat, and a hide encrusted with hardened mud armor.
Ordinary steel swords could barely scratch it; only the bravest hunters dared confront such a beast.
As it searched, a small snake lured it toward a cliff.
Then, from above, several Magic Missiles struck, bypassing its hide with unavoidable arcane force.
It screamed in agony and flew into a berserk rage.
"Beast Fury!"
Its eyes turned crimson, muscles swelled, and its body brimmed with power. A state like a barbarian's rage—it would know neither pain nor fatigue. Many adventurers had perished under its tusks, believing it already crippled.
But this time, the beast found no enemy. It rampaged blindly, smashing rocks and trees until exhaustion overcame it.
Then, Kaishus unleashed Ignis (Fire Arrow), scorching its hide, before diving down and biting through its spine to end it swiftly.
[Wild Boar, mature, slain – 1100 xp gained]
[Your level has increased to Lv. 2]
The dragon tore through hide and fat, eating raw meat straight from the carcass.
His unique digestive system converted nearly everything into growth and elemental energy, wasting little.
"Chewy pork… a bit too old, though."
Cassius remarked, blood dripping from his maw.