[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-28":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1161844,1504,"Chapter 28: Into the Ether","ember-dragon-chapter-28",28,"\u003Cp>Fully satiated and restored, Cassius returned to the imposing stone door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't push it open immediately but instead prepared himself with spells:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Bear's Endurance]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Cat's Grace]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Owl's Wisdom]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bear's Endurance made his body more resilient, Cat's Grace enhanced his agility, and Owl's Wisdom heightened his perception, giving the red dragon an all-around boost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After layering himself with what he jokingly called the \"zoo suite,\" Cassius still felt a bit uneasy, knowing this was the legacy of a legendary druid and could contain unpredictable surprises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Gilded Sheath]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The accumulated gold elements within him gathered on his scales, giving them a metallic golden sheen that, at a glance, could make him look like a gold dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Protection from Lightning Damage]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a low growl, an invisible field formed around his body, protecting him from lightning attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Being a spellcaster, of course, means we have to go all out with spells.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got to put on a proper show.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all these preparations, Cassius glanced down at his spell-lit body, feeling much more confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon fixed his gaze on the stone door, took a deep breath, and stepped forward resolutely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Knock]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His claws shimmered with magical energy as they touched the stone door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a resounding echo, the heavy stone door rumbled and slowly began to lift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The view beyond opened up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what lay before him was astonishing, even for a red dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vast, open space lay ahead, large enough to hold an entire mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But directly in front of him was only a narrow stone bridge, while the rest of the ground was sunken dozens of meters below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cliffs on either side were perfectly straight, as if sliced down with a sharp blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down from the stone bridge under the glow of the eternal blue lanterns, he saw piles of objects below: shattered giant statues, broken remains of grand buildings, obscure inscriptions, all sorts of old, broken weapons, and even colossal giant skeletons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking up, the high ceiling was covered with murals—not intricate but filled with a primal power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see scenes of ancient wars between giants and dragons, the sprawling empire of the giants, the towering forms of giant gods, and the tragic fall of their empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't just a mural-it was a history book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This must be the legacy he collected from the Giant Empire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius marveled as he cautiously walked across the stone bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wings spread slightly, his steps light, ever alert to his surroundings and ready for any sudden danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon focused on the end of the stone bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood a throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Made of stone, towering over twenty meters high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was sparsely decorated, with only ancient and mysterious carvings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And upon it sat the lifeless body of a Storm Giant, its purple-gray skin covered in thick dust, as if it had been resting here in silence for thousands of years, watching the arrival of visitors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strangely, it had not decayed into bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The last Storm Giant Sage...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this Randta?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon was curious about this Storm Giant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did he, alone, create such an impressive tomb? The sheer magnitude hinted at the giant's formidable power in life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius continued along the stone bridge, stopping a few dozen meters from the giant's remains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a change occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the giant's eyes snapped open!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that eye swirled an endless storm, glaring at the intruding visitor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unknown crystals in the surroundings began to pulse with violent elemental energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These raging elements quickly gathered together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not good!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius sensed a horrifying magical force rapidly expanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This power...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon raised his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A churning, seething storm cloud formed around the giant's body, spreading wildly like a ravenous beast,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>threatening to consume everything in the cavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was filled with thunder, lightning, and howling winds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Storm of Vengeance!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunder roared!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a primal roar from ancient times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the aftershock of this thunder made stones on the cave ceiling crack and fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Buzz-\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thunder's boom left Cassius's ears ringing, as if struck by a hammer, rendering him temporarily\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>deaf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black cloud spread rapidly, about to engulf him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing the peril, the red dragon ignored his pounding head and summoned a spell through the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quick Cast Blink!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius activated the spell with all his will, silently hoping it would work; this \"destruction\" from the\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>druid far exceeded his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blink had only a 50% chance of shifting him to the Ethereal Plane, avoiding the storm's devastation. If he\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>failed, he'd have to withstand the storm head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It worked!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius felt a surge of relief as he sensed himself slipping beyond the boundary of reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You have cast [Blink]]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Special Status \"Into the Ether\" acquired]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ethereal Plane is a conduit between the Material Plane and inner planes, touching the Material\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plane's void in parallel. One can see the Material Plane from the Ethereal, though all appears in black and\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now hovered at the edge of this plane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, everything before Cassius turned monochrome, with chaotic lines twisting in his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his ethereal state, he couldn't move freely and could only drift in this void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next moment, he watched his former position swallowed by the raging storm clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acid rain poured down first, pocking the stone bridge with countless holes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then hail crashed from the cloud, pelting the stone with sharp clinks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful bolts of lightning descended, gouging deep craters in the ground and spawning a lightning\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>storm that tore through where Cassius had just stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunder and lightning filled the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crisscrossing prison of lightning formed, incinerating all caught within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several bolts struck, shattering parts of the stone bridge and causing massive rocks to plummet below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had such strikes hit the dragon, survival would've been slim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relentless wind and icy rain battered the area, turning it into a complete ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his vantage in the Ethereal Plane, Cassius saw the once-impressive tomb reduced to a black-and-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>white graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narrowly avoiding the storm with Blink, Cassius still felt lingering fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he'd remained there, not even his protective spells would've shielded him from the relentless lightning\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and freezing rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius sensed a powerful force trying to pull him back into the Material Plane, mending the gap he'd\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite resisting with all his might, Cassius was too weak to oppose the planar laws, forced to yield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lost special status \"Into the Ether\"]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon reappeared in his original spot, utterly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell-\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elements surged again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless wind and icy rain whipped against his body, and lightning arcs on the ground surged up his\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the clouds above, thunder rumbled as lightning gathered once more, sounding like a low, pent-up\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>growl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worst of the spell had passed, but even these lingering aftershocks were formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>",1150,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.671Z","2026-06-03T12:47:06.781Z",1,"novelbin.me","d4b91dc656b90404b5c3680a6bce740b3f62e89be77893907bfd21b342ccf724","ember-dragon-chapter-29","ember-dragon-chapter-27",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]