Volume Dragon: Start by obtaining the Infinity Gems

Chapter 287 Red Robe Mage Base
Old Akbar pointed to the horizon with his rag-wrapped hand. The sand dunes twisted into jumping ghosts in the heat wave. "See those black spikes?" The old guide laughed like sandpaper friction in his throat. "Those are the road signs that the red-robed bastards inserted into the bodies of the sand bandits."

Wuermu hid his bleeding right hand under his cloak, and a blue-white energy flowed between his fingers. Ever since he was nearly burned to death by the flames in the desert three days ago, those star-like fire marks have never left his dreams. The boy looked down at his own shadow on the sand - where he should have been, there was a cold flame like ice crystals surging, and he could no longer distinguish between reality and dreams.

"You are afraid of your own shadow." Nemesis suddenly spoke, his human-like dark purple pupils reflecting the boy's pale face. His silver cloak was shimmering with a faint light that praised Selune, and whenever the desert night wind blew, the star map flickered on the surface of the fabric.

The camel bell suddenly vibrated harshly. Wuermu was horrified to find that the surface of the bronze bell was covered with frost-like energy patterns, and the dagger on his waist was wailing in its sheath. Old Akbar's old camel fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth, and his cloudy eyes reflected the blue fire that burst out uncontrollably from the boy's body.

"Control your breathing." Nemesis pressed his fingers on Wuermu's forehead, and the protective spell materialized into a silver chain that wrapped around the boy's body. "It is an extension of your soul, not a parasite."

But memories bit Wuermu's mind like a poisonous snake. He saw his mother's golden hair melting in the cold flames, and the white-haired shaman being licked by the blue and white flames until he was charred. Those shrill screams mixed with the sizzling sound of burning flesh exploded at every nerve ending.

"Stop!" The young man held his head and curled up on the hot sand, and the light cocoon formed by the star flames wrapped him. Old Akbar's wooden amulet suddenly burst into flames. The old guide screamed and slapped his clothes, but found that the flames were actually devouring the healing magic scroll he had collected for thirty years.

Nemesis sighed. "Don't resist it. Accept it. Embrace it. You'll find it won't hurt—"

"It's a star of destruction!" Wuermu interrupted with a roar, and the blue-white light cocoon suddenly expanded. The sand within a hundred feet began to float, forming a storm circle surrounding the boy. Old Akbar hugged the camel's neck tightly, watching the blue sparks burst out from the end of his gray beard.

Nemesis was riding on a tall phantom horse. Ulm could only see a pair of purplish eyes in the backlit black shadow looking at him coldly, and the silver-striped cloak behind him fluttered in the turbulent energy.

"In that case, it's up to you." His voice was cold and metallic. "Will the Red Robe Mage be able to do it? Very well, let those greedy maggots tell you whether they can lift this 'curse'."

Nemesis watched coldly as the boy gradually calmed down from the pain, and the blue flame disappeared. A rare feeling of disappointment arose in his heart.

Who is he?
He is the Scroll Dragon, an existence whose magical talent is among the top even in the multiverse.

He was born with advanced magical knowledge that ordinary people would never dare to dream of. Even the most ancient methods of making artifacts can be glimpsed in the memory inheritance.

If those wizards knew his identity, they would be eager to give him handfuls of gold coins, just hoping to get some magical knowledge from his fingers.

He told the boy that his strange flame was not a curse, but a treasure given to him by the universe.
You still don’t believe it?
How foolish he was, with nothing in his hands but no knowledge of the treasure. He even expected a group of red-robed wizards who hunted for knowledge like hyenas to help him solve the "curse"?
Nemesis felt depressed when he thought about what had happened in the past few days.

After that day, he immediately became acutely aware that there was some very terrifying power in this boy, which was of a very high-end nature and could even be compared to his [Twisted Eyes].

In other words, this is most likely some kind of power that can reach the edge of [authority].

But this human child didn't know what was wrong with his brain. Even though he was scared to death, he still stubbornly opposed his words, saying that it was the flame of the devil and a vicious curse. What's even more ridiculous is that his brother actually planned to take him to the Scarlet Spire, the stronghold of the red robe wizards in the eastern part of the Anauroch Desert, to beg those red robe wizards to remove the curse for him.

God knows how loud the laughter was when Nemesis heard these words.

Do these barbarians in the desert think that the red-robed wizard is a philanthropist? I'm afraid that as soon as the hyenas discover the boy's secret, he will be ripped open on the experimental table in the next second.

But it's okay. Let this naive child get his head covered in blood, and then he will know that what he should pray to is not a group of mediocre human wizards.

Nemesis saw great potential in his powers, and he didn't want the boy to waste the gift given to him by God.

The blood of the red-robed wizard will be the best sacrifice to make the boy realize the cruelty of reality.

The three of them rested in the desert for a night.

The next day, when the outline of the scarlet spire pierced the twilight, Wuermu finally understood the meaning of the "Blood Demon Tower" in the ancient books. The outer wall of the entire building was made of translucent blood-colored crystals, and countless distorted human figures were sealed deep in the crystal wall.

“Thirty-seven living furnaces.” Nemesis stared at the dark red clouds rolling on the top of the tower. “Every thirty full-moon nights after sunrise, the red-robed wizard will use fresh sacrifices to recharge the barrier.” He suddenly turned his head to look at the trembling boy. “It’s not too late to turn back now.”

Wuermu bit his lip, the smell of blood and the burning pain in his palms kept him awake. "I want to become a normal person again." The boy said in a hoarse voice, "even if it means sacrificing my soul."

The always honest old Akbar became excited after seeing the blood-red towers standing tall in the fortress. He suddenly grabbed the arm of the scroll dragon and said, "You can definitely take him away by force!" The old guide's cloudy eyes were full of bloodshot. "My grandson is in those crystal walls!"

Nemesis's left hand glowed with a fiery red light, and old Akbar drew his hand back as if he had been burned.

"Every choice has a price." The silver-haired, purple-eyed man walked towards the bronze gate of the stronghold fortress, "And wisdom is the decision after seeing all the costs clearly."

The gate-guarding stitched beast let out an indistinct growl. Its left shoulder was inlaid with a still-moving eyeball, and its right arm was a scorpion claw covered with barbs. When Wuermu stepped into the alert range, the three energy-storing gems on the monster's chest suddenly exploded at the same time - it was the blue-white flame that instinctively devoured the energy of the defensive array.

The door suddenly opened, and a group of fully armed black-armored warriors filed out, greeting the three with cruel eyes and cold swords.

"Guest, please put away your pet." A sharp voice came from the tower, and a wizard in a scarlet robe floated out. Basu Alasel's pale face was covered with purple blood vessels, and when he saw Ulm, those blood vessels suddenly began to wriggle.

(End of this chapter)