Ashen Dragon

The Dragon Vein Ogre Mage Ramp had been waiting for a long time, and now he lazily flew over from the city, landing with a thud.

It was clear that his Flight Magic had improved significantly, as he could now control it freely.

Ramp greedily eyed the unconscious mages, saliva nearly dripping from his menacing mouth. For him, and indeed for the entire Ashen Kingdom, each mage was a valuable, reusable resource.

Yes, resources—the vast spell knowledge in the mages' minds and their incredibly wise brains were extremely useful to Ramp.

Ramp approached the Red Dragon, his face brimming with the joy of a bountiful harvest. He respectfully said:

"Congratulations, Master, Your wisdom shames me. You managed to round up these rats hiding in the gutters."

Cassius nodded slightly.

"These mages are yours to handle. Make good use of their worth, let them become assets of the Ashen Nest."

"Yes, Master."

Ramp grinned, unable to hide the grotesque smile on his ugly face.

Cassius noticed Ramp's overwhelming excitement and grew curious.

Had he eaten those mages?

So Cassius casually asked:

"Ramp, what did you do with the Bennett we caught earlier, and his mage apprentices?"

Upon hearing this, Ramp realized the Red Dragon suspected him of cannibalizing, a suspicion not without precedent.

He quickly responded:

"Reporting to Master, please rest assured, our 'Tower of the Great Sage' has a complete process in place. There is no chance of secret eating."

Ramp opened up, introducing with great enthusiasm:

"First, we strip them of their magical items. These will be added to the Ashen Kingdom's inventory, which means your treasury.

"Next, we subject them to severe torture, while utilizing the Truth Spell to extract the spell knowledge and intelligence from the spellcasters' minds."

"Finally, when they are thoroughly exhausted and at their most vulnerable, we can cast Charming Spells on them to completely break down their psychological defenses, ensuring total control over them."

Cassius, who either usually slept or researched spells, paid little attention to the specifics of the Ashen Kingdom's affairs, leaving them to his trusted subordinates.

Hearing this, he gained some understanding of Ramp's operations.

"Where did they end up?"

"Most of the mage apprentices have become menial laborers within the tower. Their lives, even their thoughts, are under my control. Any signs of trouble can be immediately eradicated, with no unusual situations occurring."

"As for the senior mage Bennett from Victoria Port..."

Ramp lowered his head, his tone hesitant but continued speaking:

"His spellcasting ability was too strong, making it difficult to control him. Even if successful, it posed significant risk, potentially becoming an unstable factor within the Kingdom."

"So, I made a unilateral decision to kill him and turn him into a magical item. Master, please forgive me. This item was only just completed, and I haven't had time to report it to you."

The Dragon Vein Ogre unveiled a new pendant on his chest.

—It was a human skull, even featuring a fresh, red, wet brain, preserved by the power of Spatial Magic. Mithril chains connected it on both sides, hanging from the ogre's thick neck.

On Ramp's massive frame, the skull indeed looked like a dainty pendant.

"..."

Listening to Ramp's guilty words and seeing his bashful expression, even Cassius was momentarily speechless.

Bennett's Wisdom

Quality: Rare Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Creator: Ramp

Introduction: The Ogre Mage Ramp enjoyed a congenial conversation with the noble mage Bennett from Victoria Port, appreciating his wisdom and considering him a close friend. Bennett felt fortunate, thinking he would be freed by his 'friend,' only to meet Ramp's slaughter—Ramp didn't even use his preferred club, fearing damage to the precious brain.

Thus, through a series of careful experiments, Ramp permanently hung this 'friend's' wisdom around his neck. When the wind blows through the skull's gaps, if you listen closely, you might still hear Bennett's dying scream: "Ramp—why did you kill me?"

Effect: Intelligence +3

Proficiencies: Arcane +4, Knowledge +4, Research +3

You can store spells that Bennett learned in life within it as additional spell slots, to be cast at any time, including Force Wall Technique, Monster Immobilization Spell, and Protective Energy Damage. The number of spells it can store is four, requiring a day to pre-load them.

After reading through the item's details, Cassius looked at Ramp with an increasingly strange expression. This guy definitely had the makings of a deranged boss.

"Intelligence boost, spell storage."

"If you ignore its appearance, this is absolutely divine gear for a mage."

Cassius sighed inwardly.

But this item wasn't much use to him, as his spellcasting didn't rely on intelligence.

With this Bennett's Wisdom crafted by his own hands equipped, Ramp could achieve an astounding intelligence boost of 20 points. For mortals, this was already pinnacle wisdom, only surpassed by Archmages with advanced spells capable of world-altering effects.

This was a remarkable leap in capability, and it was no wonder Ramp was so excited.

Cassius sensed the guilt, anxiety, and apprehension under Ramp's bloodline pressure.

Considering this, Cassius calmly said: "In the future, make sure to report any experiments of this level to me in advance. This is the last time it won't be excused."

"Yes, Master."

Ramp knelt down in response.

"These mages are yours to handle. Extract their value completely."

"I will complete the task, Master!"

Finding Cassius not angry, and gaining a new batch of mages for experiments, Ramp was exceedingly delighted.

Especially with the 'Grey Hawk' Schroeder, whose powerful spells like Ice Storm had long been coveted by Ramp since their days at the Arcane Priory.

After bidding farewell to Cassius, Ramp hurriedly left with the mages.

Even Cassius watched them with a hint of pity, for they were about to face inhuman torment. Ramp's hundreds of simultaneous experiments were no joke.

After the loss of its primary controller, the completed Vagnard's Dragon Binding Magic Circle remained in place, temporarily suppressed by the power of the Kingdom Domain, waiting quietly for its next use.

"The Lionheart Knights of the Boske House should be arriving soon..."

"Schroeder, I really must thank you for helping me lure this big, juicy fish."

Cassius thought.

The Lionheart Knights, the Boske Family's absolute elite force, were a formidable presence in battle. Even Dragon Vein Descendants struggled against them. During the Triel Conference, just seven of them supporting led to considerable trouble for Dolores, placing them high on the danger scale within the Ashen Kingdom.