Ashen Dragon

```html Cassius took a few slow steps forward, a look of anger forming on his ferocious dragon face. Flames flickered in his pale golden pupils, and a whiff of sulfuric white smoke seeped from between his teeth. "So... this is how your Tower of Time shows goodwill?" "You make a time mage into a so-called 'dragon slayer' and have him foolishly stand in front of me?" "I deeply apologize, Your Majesty Cassius." Facing the aggressive red dragon, Tarrin Ackerman remained respectful. The chrono dragon even bowed slightly, curving his graceful neck to show his regret. "This was not our arrangement, but a twist of fate. On behalf of the Tower of Time, I apologize for Klein's rude offense." "The future won't change easily, and Klein still has a mission waiting for him in that future—you yourself are aware that you will not kill him." Cassius's eyes narrowed slightly as he coldly gazed down at the human on the ground, his expression darkening. "What if... I say I must kill him?" Instantly, a palpable aura of immense dragon's might emanated, a bloody killing intent spreading, as if countless giant dragons were roaring in the void, freezing the entire space. "Master, Master, save me!" "He truly wants to kill me!" Klein was terrified out of his wits, writhing on the ground, crawling toward the feet of his backer. The chrono dragon quickly stepped forward to prevent the red dragon from doing anything rash: "Your Majesty Cassius, there is no need to test us any further; we will surely make due compensation." The dragon's might abruptly vanished, and the murderous aura dissipated, leaving Klein feeling a wave of relief. A nasty smile curled at the corners of Cassius' mouth: "Very well." "But I wish to see the sincerity of the Tower of Time. You must understand that the life of a legendary mage comes at a considerable price." "You will be satisfied." Tarrin Ackerman replied gravely. The surrounding space-time abruptly twisted, as a delicate scroll and a crest engraved with a clock tower appeared before him—both items pulsed with iridescent veins as if time's tides flowed on their surfaces. "This is the scroll for the Ninth Tier spell, Time Stop, personally written by an ancient chrono dragon, not some flawed human product." "And the other is the crest of the Tower of Time. When you focus your will on it, you will receive aid from a chrono dragon, along with any reasonable assistance the Tower of Time can provide." "Not enough, nowhere near enough." "A Ninth Tier spell and an empty promise aren't sufficient for a legendary mage's life." Cassius glanced at the floating objects, gently shaking his head and speaking calmly. The chrono dragon seemed to have anticipated this. He extended his right claw, and an invisible force acted on Klein's body. Instantly, a golden pocket watch flew out from Klein's chest, and Klein hurriedly tried to grab it. "No, my watch—" But when he saw Cassius' threatening gaze, Klein reluctantly withdrew his hand, looking crestfallen and pained. "It is yours." Tarrin Ackerman said as such. Cassius controlled the golden watch with a force field spell, making it float in midair. "Tick-tock, tick-tock..." Only to see the hands on it still moving rhythmically, making a crisp sound. The dial was covered in intricate magic circuits, flashing with those same iridescent veins of time flow. [You acquired legendary equipment — Chrono Pocket Watch] [Chrono Pocket Watch] Quality: Legendary Creator: Roarald Stefano Description: Ancient chrono dragon Roarald collected time-related items, from ordinary sundials and exquisite pocket watches to bizarre mechanical water clocks. Over long ages, he discarded and gathered them hundreds of times. These collectibles often lay quietly beside the dragon breathing chrono force. Over time, they gradually absorbed the power of time, becoming invaluable treasures. "You say I abandoned my treasures? No, it's only that they eventually return to me. But this pocket watch, perhaps not. — Roarald Stefano" Effect: [Time Stop] - Once per day [Eternal Stasis] - Once per day [Breath of Chrono Force]: You possess a part of the strength of the chrono dragon, hard to be affected by time-related spells. [Time Stop] Ninth Tier Transformation Spell Accelerate your own time flow to make your movements nearly time-free, causing the surrounding environment to freeze during spell duration. [Eternal Stasis] Eighth Tier Transformation Spell Place a defenseless creature into a state of false death. Its surrounding time gets frozen, and all bodily functions stop, taking no damage in the process. Cassius nodded in satisfaction but, after pausing in thought, asked again: "Is the Tower of Time that stingy?" "Still not enough, far from enough." "If I kill that mage, this pocket watch still ends up with me. The Tower of Time wouldn't have paid any extra, would you?" "..." The chrono dragon seemed numb, not knowing what to say. He glanced up at Cassius, then glared daggers at Klein, finally speaking with resignation: "Of course not..." "Six hundred thousand gold coins will be delivered to your palace in ten days. We hope you can temporarily lift the antimagic field around that time." Stowing away these precious items, Cassius nodded in satisfaction, also giving his wings a little shake. "This is more like it. I see a bit of your sincerity. However..." "Your Majesty Cassius, we at the Tower of Time have a very busy schedule and some matters to attend to. We'll take our leave now. Goodbye!" Before he could finish, Tarrin Ackerman hurriedly finished his farewell, then left with Klein in a manner akin to fleeing. "Tsk, I wasn't done speaking." "So, even a legendary chrono dragon is just a dragon, still retaining that miserly nature." Cassius did not stop them, merely standing silently, gazing at the slightly distorted space from the teleportation spell. "The future..." "From the chrono dragon's behavior, my future doesn't seem so bad." "But... is the so-called future truly unchangeable? If it is, why would I, the 'Fate Changer,' appear here?" His pale golden pupils flickered slightly, his thoughts unknown. "Roar..." After a moment, the red dragon let out a low roar, savagely tearing the space in front of him with claws and fangs, creating a portal burning with flames, then tucking in his wings and diving in. His realm awaited his return. Compared to the distant, hazy, and unknown future, Cassius was more concerned with the immediate and tangible benefits before him. ```