Volume Dragon: Start by obtaining the Infinity Gems

Chapter 296: Intimidate the Confidants
In the barracks on the west side of the fortress, six red-robed guards sat around a sand table that shielded the barrier. Under their robes were short knives and poison bottles - the symbols of Basu's personal guards, and they were the only ones who knew the truth about the "advisor".

"That monster burned three guards who spoke rudely to him today." The one-eyed captain took a sip of liquor, "What on earth is Lord Basu thinking? Letting a dragon ride on Sel's head..."

"Shut up!" The adjutant held his wrist. "Have you forgotten the brothers who died accidentally in the dungeon? That dragon can read minds... maybe it's listening to us right now."

The young guard in the corner suddenly spoke up: "But don't you think... since it came, the fortress's defensive magic net has become full of loopholes? Even the scout eagles have been withdrawn..."

Everyone fell silent. They all remembered the night three days ago—the scroll dragon tore through the scarlet spire like a silver storm, the calamity-like spell froze an entire towering stone mountain into an ice sculpture, and finally the scene of the high-ranking red robe kneeling on one knee was branded in everyone's eyes like a nightmare.

"Do your own thing." The adjutant finally broke the silence. "The Red Mage will never tolerate failure... no matter the enemy is a dragon or the Cel headquarters."

Nemesis stood on the terrace of the Scarlet Spire, his silver-scale cloak fluttering in the desert night wind.

He lowered his eyes, and his claws caressed the prophetic runes carved on the obsidian railings. These runes were his masterpieces over the past three days: a layer of anti-detection magic net disguised as a defensive barrier, wrapping the entire fortress in a false calm. The perception of the tower spirit's "scarlet eye" had been completely locked. The patrol records, magic fluctuations, and even the whistling sand outside the fortress that it "saw" at this moment were all illusions woven by Nemesis.

"You are a self-deceiving iron head..." Nemesis sneered, his silver eyes reflecting the little lights of the fortress below him. Those arcane puppets that obeyed the Scarlet Eye were still patrolling mechanically, unaware that they had already become puppets.

"My Lord." Basu's voice came from behind. The red-robed wizard held a secret order from the Cel headquarters in his hand. "The tower spirits intercepted the message from the Iron Jaw Fortress. They will launch an attack on the Scarlet Spire at dawn."

Nemesis raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him: "Oh? Iron Jaw Fortress? If I remember correctly, that is the power of the Zhentarim, right?"

Basu nodded, his face gloomy: "Those rats have been fighting us for many years. I don't know why they have gone crazy and provoked our territory recently. It seems that they are searching for something."

"But attacking a mage tower with a nine-ring mage in charge?" Nemesis sneered, "Are they not that stupid?"

Basu was also puzzled: "I am also confused. Although they have recently acquired a batch of very powerful magic weapons, which may be from an organization that uses shadow magic. But I don't think they are confident that they can eat me without any harm."

The red-robed wizard sneered and said, "Grumak, that treacherous slave, was once a slave who escaped from my hands."

"He later joined the Tyranny Church, but nothing happened. But after the fall of the Tyranny Church, he became very successful in the Dark Sun Church by backstabbing his former master."

Nemesis looked puzzled as he stared at the shining stars in the sky.

Gods are always the chess players of all beings in Faerun. The church under the command of Bane, the God of Tyranny - the Church of Tyranny was once such a powerful force.

The Zhentarim were once just an insignificant peripheral force of the Church of Tyranny, an organization that specialized in doing dirty work, but relied on the power of the Church of Tyranny to bully others throughout Faerun.

The Ironjaw Fortress has been rampant in the Anauroch Desert for a long time. Is there no justice organization that is fed up with this?

Of course there is, but there is no way.

Once upon a time, the power behind the Zhentarim was the Church of Tyranny.

After the death of the God of Tyranny, the Church of Tyranny fell apart. The followers of Cyric, the Dark Sun God, took over the legacy of the Church of Tyranny and controlled the Zhentarim and Zhentil Keep.

As one of the most important sources of income for the Zhentarim, Ironjaw Fortress was naturally taken over by the Dark Sun Church.

Compared to the God of Tyranny, Cyric is a more powerful and unscrupulous evil god. He has countless powerful people in the Dark Sun Church under his command.

Nemesis was indeed surprised by the news that Iron Jaw Fortress was about to attack, but that was all. He had already regarded the Scarlet Spire as his sphere of influence, and if Iron Jaw Fortress wanted to attack, it would have to face the consequences of being destroyed.

As for the possibility of the Dark Sun Church taking action?
He is not without support! If the Dark Sun Church really dares to attack him, he believes that the church of a dragon-loving devil will not sit idly by.

"Tell the tower spirit that its death date... has been changed to tomorrow." Nemesis left after leaving a word.

Basu returned to the fortress command room and stared at the tactical markings on the sand table. His promotion documents had been sent to the capital of Sel through secret channels. As long as he survived this attack, he would be able to escape from this desert prison and become a member of the core of the Red Robe Council.

But the prerequisite for all this is that the dragon fulfills its promise.

"Do you really trust it?" The trusted lieutenant behind him asked in a low voice, "That monster cut off all communications with the Tower Spirit. Now even the headquarters thinks that everything is peaceful here... If we lose the battle, we won't even have the chance to ask for help."

Basu's fingertips slid across the scarlet spire model on the sand table, revealing a hint of a sneer: "Defeated?"

His cold eyes stared at his confidant's eyes like a venomous snake, causing the latter to break out in a cold sweat. "Don't think I don't know what you are thinking,"

He looked around at his confidants and said coldly: "You are my most trusted subordinates, so even if I knew the truth, I never thought of killing you to silence you."

"Similarly," he smiled a sweet and creepy smile, "Even if you betray me, what awaits you will only be the cleansing policy of the Searle headquarters."

Several trusted followers swallowed their saliva and quickly began to express their loyalty: "...Unjust, Master, how dare we betray you? You only need to move your fingers and we will immediately become unconscious undead creatures."

Basu snorted coldly, "It's better not to. Remember, although I am afraid of death, I am not someone who can be bullied. Do you think that dragon can easily defeat me? Is it something that can be easily provoked?"

His eyes were as deep as the sea. "I am about to return to Cyre, but at this critical moment, an unknown strong man suddenly appears and forces me to surrender and make me a spy within the Red Robe Mage Society. Do you think this is all a coincidence?"

Several confidants looked at each other, with a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Could it be that... the origin of that giant dragon is also not simple?
Basu looked at the expressions of his confidants and felt a little relieved.

He was bound by his oath and had to submit to the dragon. Being tied to this pirate ship, of course he had to plan everything well.

If these confidants had dared to show any sign of betrayal, he would have killed them without hesitation.

However, although what he said was meant to scare his subordinates, he was actually also guessing in his heart.

His experiences in the past few days were so unfortunate that he had to suspect that the arrival of the Volume Dragon was the result of an invisible black hand.

Just as the red-robed wizards were discussing tactics.

On the sand dunes fifty miles to the east, Abronris folded his wings, and his dragon eyes like molten gold locked onto the scarlet spire on the horizon.

"I found you..." The blue dragon's whisper turned into thunder that rolled across the desert. He raised his front paw, and a bolt of lightning struck the sky. Dozens of lightning spheres suddenly appeared in the clouds. This was his declaration, and also a provocation:
At dawn tomorrow, the Scarlet Fortress will be reduced to scorched earth.

(End of this chapter)