Spellcasting Gods

Zhang Cheng stood up, not even glancing at her, and walked outside without looking back. As he walked, he instructed, "I'm leaving things here to you. I need to go to the basement to continue observing the dragon eggs. Notify me immediately if there's any emergency."

“As you wish, Master.” Moroya gave an elegant bow, then waved for the guards at the door to come in and carry her sister away.

Zhang Cheng neither cared nor wanted to know how Morroya planned to use Linness; his mind was filled with knowledge about necromancy.

Just as he began to consider whether he should destroy the increasingly dangerous creation, he was surprised to find that he had unknowingly walked to the basement door.

But before he could even push open the door and go inside, he suddenly sensed an extremely terrifying death energy emanating from the crack in the door.

The energy was so concentrated that many rats were affected, their flesh rotting in large patches, their deep red eyes revealing rage and bloodlust. They would rush up and tear at any living person they saw without a word.

"Damn it!" Zhang Cheng cursed under his breath, raised his hand and unleashed a fire blast, burning the rat that was transforming into its undead form to ashes. Then he carefully pushed open the tightly closed door.

next second...

He was completely stunned by what he saw!

In the center of the enormous magic circle, a young dragon over three meters long was curled up in a ball, its silvery-gray translucent scales shimmering, giving the illusion that it might disappear at any moment.

Moreover, compared to a normal dragon, its body is exceptionally slender, and its claws, teeth, and back spikes are covered with a layer of energy that is almost invisible to the naked eye.

As a mage, Zhang Cheng made a bet that if anyone were bitten by this guy, the most fatal thing would not be the external wound, but the death energy that seeped into their body through the wound.

It is important to understand that death energy is a terrible poison for any living being. It can not only weaken, age, and kill its victims, but also harm their souls.

Although the young dragon is not large, its danger level is already close to that of Kuro Kerba, who was born several months earlier.

Given that undead beings generally don't like living things, Zhang Cheng was unsure whether he should first call for some helpers to prepare for battle, or try to communicate and control the other party by binding them with a magic circle drawn on the ground.

Just as he was about to get a little closer, the previously motionless young dragon suddenly raised its head, and two cold stars in its eye sockets shot out with dazzling light.

But for some reason, it didn't immediately launch an attack or make any threatening moves; it simply watched quietly.

A full minute passed before it slowly lay down again, waving its paws and poking at the mountain of dried corpses on the ground.

Through brief observation, Zhang Cheng realized that the dragon of death before him did not seem to have developed intelligence, at least not at this stage, and was completely driven by instinct. This was a good opportunity to bring it under control.

Without any hesitation!

He went directly to the upper right corner of the magic circle, took out a strangely shaped stone, and began to chant a spell loudly.

In the blink of an eye, the magic circle carved on the ground emitted a faint glow, echoing the light on the stone surface.

"Roar!!!!!!!!"

The young dragon sensed the danger and opened its massive jaws full of sharp teeth, trying to rush over and tear the tiny human who threatened it to pieces.

Unfortunately, before it could even take two steps, an extremely powerful invisible force suddenly appeared within the magic circle, pressing it firmly to the ground. The more it struggled, the greater the pressure became.

After the last incantation was finished, a mark identical to the stone appeared on the dragon's head.

One second the baby dragon was struggling frantically, the next it turned into a well-behaved baby, obediently lying on the ground waiting for its owner to give commands.

Without a doubt, what Zhang Cheng held in his hand was not an ordinary magic rune, but rather a Scourge Stone used by the Lich King to identify the level of his undead army.

However, after being researched and modified by the archmages of Dalaran, this Scourge Stone is no longer limited to identifying the identity of the undead; it can also invade and control the will of a particular undead.

The only regret is that if the Lich King discovers that the consciousness of his undead minions has been invaded, he can immediately regain control with his immense mental power.

However, in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, there is obviously no need to worry about the Lich King, so Zhang Cheng chose to use this Scourgestone to control the newly hatched Death Dragon.

Chapter 0226 A Monster That Feeds on Pain and Despair

Feeling the calamity stone establish a stable mental connection with the young dragon, Zhang Cheng breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to get closer to examine this special life form that exuded an aura of death, the Demon Sword—Soul Collector—suddenly warned, "Don't go over there! At least not now! If you don't want your soul to be sucked out."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Cheng subconsciously stopped and frowned, asking in a low voice.

"Haven't you noticed that your creation can't yet fully control its abilities? If you get too close, it will be drawn to your magical soul and can't help but take a small breath. Although this isn't malicious, it will undoubtedly cause you fatal damage," the demonic sword explained calmly.

"You mean... its ability is the same as yours, devouring living souls?" A glint flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes.

It is important to know that the soul is the most important and indispensable part of life. Even in a world where magic is relatively advanced, controlling or devouring a soul is a very rare talent.

If a creature possesses a similar ability, then it can bypass most of the enemy's defenses and directly attack the fragile soul.

After all, the soul is not the body; it has a certain self-repairing ability and can regenerate with the help of various magical potions and restoration spells.

Once the soul is damaged, it is almost impossible to repair except for a very few top-tier spells that require a huge price!

If the newly hatched Death Dragon's ability is to devour souls, then Zhang Cheng possesses a trump card that can deliver a fatal blow to his opponent in the upcoming war.

"Devour souls? Don't be ridiculous! Do you think you can create a magical creation as powerful as mine with your lousy, third-rate magic rituals?" the Soul Collector mocked mercilessly.

Zhang Cheng was not angered by the sword's rude attitude. Instead, he shrugged indifferently and asked, "Then what about your earlier mention of it sucking my soul out?"

"It's simple! It doesn't devour the soul itself, but rather the intense negative emotions contained within it. Congratulations, my master, you have created a monster that feeds on pain and despair. It will grow stronger as it devours more, and perhaps one day it will develop independent thinking abilities like I do," the demonic sword taunted gleefully.

"Feeding on pain and despair? That sounds interesting..." Zhang Cheng slightly curled the corners of his mouth, a chilling smile appearing on his face.

"Indeed, it's quite interesting. You know, many foolish humans believe that positive emotions like love, joy, and hope are the source of power, but in reality, once humans possess too many such emotions, they become easily satisfied, and easy satisfaction leads to stagnation. Only hatred, shame, pain, jealousy, and greed spur humans on to constantly strive for more power and strength. My dear master, you should not restrain your nature, nor should you reject the gifts from darkness." The Soul Collector seized the opportunity to instill his ideology.

It's like a demon hiding in the shadows, constantly trying to drag its owner completely into the darkness.

Unfortunately, Zhang Cheng was not the kind of idiot who could be easily swayed by words. He completely ignored the magic sword's temptation and began to test the young dragon's physical condition with a series of detection spells.

Regardless, this was the first life he created using magical power, and it needed to be studied carefully to accumulate valuable experience for more complex and in-depth learning later.

While he was hiding in the basement of the tower, intently testing the young dragon's various abilities, the free trade city-state of Ries, far across the sea, was suffering an unprecedented catastrophe.

Countless mercenaries and Dothraki roamed the streets, robbing houses, killing civilians, and raping women. Some even drew their swords against each other over spoils of war, leaving behind a trail of crimson blood and mutilated corpses.

As for the women who had been ravaged, they had long lost the strength to scream. Their eyes were lifeless, and they were like walking corpses, allowing the invaders to commit violence against them.

Standing on the balcony of what was once the mansion of Prince Treig Omeren, a naked Eric raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp. Laughing loudly, he said to the beautiful girl curled up beside him, who had just been violated, "Look! This is what happens when you dare to defy me! No one can defy the Dragon King's will. I will lead this invincible army to conquer all known lands and become the only king in the world."

"War! Death! Chaos! Is this the kingdom you want?" the girl asked, biting her lower lip hard.

"What, is that not allowed? Once I defeat that guy, who in the world can stop me and my dragons soaring through the skies? At that time, I will be the master of the world, and you will all grovel at my feet, begging for my mercy and forgiveness." With that, Eric pounced on her again, pinning her down to vent the burning desire within him.

However, before he could vent his anger for even a few minutes, a burst of golden flame suddenly erupted from his chest, instantly burning the girl beneath him to a charred corpse.

He himself seemed to be in great pain, and fell down with a thud, his face contorted in pain.

A full minute passed before the flames slowly subsided. Erik, writhing in pain and panting heavily, struggled to his feet and roared at the guards outside, "Go tell everyone! Stop the looting and killing immediately! Board the ship and set sail before nightfall! Our next target is Old Town!"

"But...but Your Majesty, our fleet is still undergoing repairs, and a large amount of supplies have not yet been replenished," a guard stammered.

"Shut up! And obey orders! Otherwise, I'll feed you to the dragons! Understand?" Eric glared at the other man fiercely.

As a former pirate captain, how could he not understand that the larger the fleet, the more time it needs to replenish enough food and fresh water?

The problem is that Clonada has already expressed strong dissatisfaction with his slow movements, and the sudden burst of flames just now was the best proof of that.

Eric was well aware that his current power, status, and even his ability to control dragons all stemmed from his powerful master, who was imprisoned beneath the ruins of Valyria.

"I understand...I understand!" The guard was terrified by the murderous look in his eyes and hurriedly nodded vigorously.

Soon, accompanied by the resounding sound of horns echoing over Rees, the army, busy with looting, killing, and raping women, gradually surged towards the port.

Of course, this wasn't because they had good military discipline, but because the dragons circling the city began attacking those unfortunate souls who still refused to leave.

Only under the threat of death were they forced to abandon the wealth and women they had acquired...

Chapter 0227 The Shadow of War

Although the free city-state of Rhys is an island surrounded by the sea, it is impossible for anyone to miss the massive fleet of nearly 100,000 people leaving the port and heading towards Westeros.

They had barely set off when the nobles of the seven kingdoms received the news.

In an instant, whether it was the Lannisters and Tyrells busy vying for power in King's Landing, Martell ruling Dorne in the south, or Bolton who had just replaced the Starks as King in the North, they all stopped their petty actions and tried to figure out what had happened in the East and why someone would be so bold as to completely disregard the serious consequences that a failed sea expedition might have.

Of course, most importantly, there were ten living dragons above the massive fleet!

Others may not understand what dragons mean, but the ancient families who lived through the time of Aegon the Conqueror know that just three dragons were enough to make all the nobles lose the courage to resist head-on. Although Dorne once won a temporary victory with guerrilla tactics, it eventually chose to submit to the rule of the Targaryen dynasty. Therefore, they must put aside their differences and unite temporarily in order to deal with the impending crisis.

After all, even the short-sighted and foolish Cersei Lannister wouldn't believe that the other side led an army of nearly 100,000 across the sea on a distant expedition just to show off their military might and make the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms kneel down and swear allegiance.

Clearly, the master of this army has only one goal: to crush all stubborn forces and completely conquer this rich and ancient land beneath their feet.

Having received prior instructions, Olenna Redwin did not hesitate to send a messenger with a handwritten letter to Oldtown.

The contents were simple: Zhang Cheng was required to bring his dragon and personally travel to King's Landing to both calm the restless people and discuss the specifics of forming an allied army to resist foreign invasion...

Looking at the fawning and obsequious tone in the letter, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but laugh. As he laughed, he remarked, "Should I say she truly lives up to her reputation as the cunning Queen of Thorns? At this time, she's actually trying to use me to bolster the Tyrell family's prestige. Doesn't she know that once defeated, all power, noble bloodlines, and ancient family traditions will be crushed by pure violence and slaughter?"

"My lord, they are not unaware of this, but they are unwilling to relinquish any opportunity to seize power. Perhaps in your eyes this is a brutal war of life and death, but in their eyes it is also a golden opportunity to eliminate rivals and ultimately win the legitimate rule of the Seven Kingdoms. If I am not mistaken, as soon as you enter King's Landing, you will be hailed as the only hero capable of saving the kingdom, pushed to the forefront, and forced to bear all the consequences. If you win, you will naturally be lauded and might even gain the allegiance of numerous families; but if you fail, they will pin all the blame on you and kneel down begging for the enemy's forgiveness." Morroia revealed the secret plans of the great nobles with a cold smile.

Simply put, these guys are unwilling to give up the power they've worked so hard for, and they're also unwilling to bear the serious consequences that might result from failing to fight Eric.

After discussion, they decided to push Zhang Cheng, this destabilizing factor, out of the picture, so that no matter what the final outcome, they would have enough room to maneuver.

"Hehe, don't be so harsh. You have to admit, they played their hand very well, and it's understandable. Human nature is selfish, and if it were me, I would also unhesitatingly put forward a scapegoat to ensure my family's survival. However, they clearly underestimated me, and also underestimated the cards I have up my sleeve. You know, many times, quantity doesn't mean victory; quality is the key." As he spoke, Zhang Cheng gently stroked the "Dragon Binder," which was radiating a blazing red light.

Moroya glanced at the massive horn with some fear, and asked uncertainly, "Are you sure this thing can drive those dragons mad?"

Zhang Chengjia nodded thoughtfully: "Yes! The original purpose of the Dragon Horn was to control those wild dragons with violent tempers. I disrupted the arrangement of the runes in the key parts. Any dragon that hears the horn will instantly fall into an uncontrollable rage. They will attack everything in sight, even their own masters. At that time, Eric will find that his massive army will not only be useless, but will also become a burden, a fatal weakness."

“I understand. You plan to take advantage of the chaos to kill the culprit.” A thoughtful expression appeared on Moroya’s face.

“That’s right! I never intended to go to King’s Landing, nor do I need any allies or reinforcements. Alright, go and prepare. Remember, keep a close eye on Trigger Ormeren. If he has any ulterior motives, he’ll take action in the next few days.” With that, Zhang Cheng waved his hand, indicating that the other party could leave.

“Don’t worry, I’ve placed an interesting little thing next to him. He doesn’t know that his every move is being watched.” Moroya pursed her lips into a playful smile, then gave an elegant bow and turned to disappear at the end of the corridor outside.

……

Meanwhile, in the Red Keep atop Aegon Hill in King's Landing, a tense royal council was being held.

"Lady Olena, are you sure he will obey our arrangements?" Cersei asked, resting her chin on her hands.

“I don’t know if Mason will obey our orders, but one thing is certain: he foresaw the war earlier than we did, and he knows the enemy’s strength better than we do. If anyone in Westeros can win this war against such a lopsided power, it is him.” The Queen of Thorns raised her chin and retorted sharply.

Since Tywin's death, the struggle between the two families has escalated from covert to intense. In particular, the newly enthroned Tommen is weak-willed and lacks the qualities of a qualified ruler. As a result, everyone tries to influence and control him. Even the most foolish person can sense that a huge vortex is forming around this young king.

"So, you're handing over command of the Tyrell army to him?" Cersei continued to probe subtly.

Olenna Redwyn hesitated for a moment, then nodded seriously: "Yes! But not all of them! I suggest you send some reinforcements as well, otherwise, if we are defeated, the Lannisters might escape, but you and our King will be brutally killed. Think about how cruelly the Mad King's family was treated after the fall of the Targaryen dynasty. Oh, I almost forgot, you don't need me to remind you of this; you should know it best in your hearts."

As Tywin Lannister's daughter and Robert Baratheon's wife, Cersei was naturally aware of the inhumane massacre that had taken place back then, and her expression immediately turned grim...

Chapter 0228 "Allies"