Chapter 444: The Fire Elemental Plane
"Swoosh—"
In an instant, the world before Cassius turned black and white, and everything around him fell silent, leaving only a narrow passage.
He had entered the Ethereal Plane.
The Inner Planes, dominated by the laws of matter, connect to the Material Plane through the Etheric Passageways of the Ethereal Plane.
"So I'm back in the Ethereal Plane again..."
Cassius gazed at the monochromatic scenery around him, letting the spell's power carry him toward his destination.
In the distance, the energy tides raged violently, but the teleportation spell would pierce through them directly to the destination.
However, after a moment of thought, Cassius spread his wings powerfully, stepping out of the "safe zone" created by the Etheric Passageway.
"Boom!"
The sound of ripping echoed like torn fabric, and the surrounding energy roared and raged.
The fire dwarf in his claw continued wailing.
"Cassius, Your Majesty!"
"Wait! Please let me out first!"
"Master, this is dangerous! The raging elemental tides will tear us apart!"
The red dragon sneered. "Hah, isn't this just bringing you back home?"
"Relax, guide. I'll ensure your safety."
The sound of air friction exploded sharply.
His massive dragon form broke through the constraints of space, gradually revealing a dangerous world brimming with firelight and searing heat.
As the red dragon approached, the fiery winds around him grew fiercer.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
One explosion after another resounded as energy clashes erupted around him, with wild elemental currents surging like tides.
The Inner Planes are domains of pure elements and raw energy in their most extreme states and conditions.
They are the foundational building blocks of the universe, the primal forms of matter and energy.
As travel destinations, the Inner Planes are extremely hostile to beings from the Material Plane.
Unprepared travelers are utterly helpless against such potent forces. At worst, they are extinguished like candles in a gale.
Yet as a red dragon with ancestral bloodline origins, Cassius felt no fear. On the contrary, he found the experience exhilarating.
"So this is the energy of the Fire Elemental Plane? Now this is intriguing!"
"Roar—"
Cassius let out a low cry, the firelight in his golden vertical pupils flaring brilliantly.
He folded his wings tightly, trailing a radiant blaze behind him.
A piercing screech resounded.
This was followed by the shattering sound of "crackling" as objects broke apart.
The red dragon crashed through the surging energy currents like a crimson meteor, forcefully entering the realm of flames.
"Boom!"
The scalding ground cracked, sending sparks and ash flying everywhere.
The red dragon looked up at the sky. Everywhere his eyes reached was a sea of red.
His crimson, searing dragon body blended seamlessly into this world, as if it had always belonged.
This was a plane of unending combustion, exuding the scent of charred flesh and ashen dreams.
This was the incarnation of flame—the Fire Elemental Plane.
Everything in the Fire Elemental Plane glowed with firelight.
The ground was nothing more than a vast, shifting, flattened expanse of flames. The air shimmered in the intense heat of constant firestorms, and the most common liquid here was molten lava, not water.
Oceans were flowing fire, and mountains leaked molten rock.
Humans were not capable of living here; this realm was home to fire elementals, fire dwarves, fire lizards, and fire genies.
It was a crematorium for unprepared travelers, and even for well-equipped adventurers, it was far from comfortable.
The flames here burned without needing fuel or air, consuming any combustible material brought in.
Flame dominated the Fire Elemental Plane. The few other elements and materials existed like islands within this fiery sea.
"Oooh~~"
Cassius let out a satisfied hum as he stretched his wings and body, gazing down at the dragon crystal on his chest.
The surrounding flames continuously poured into it, causing the crystal to gleam endlessly.
Even the "ground" beneath his feet was made of dense fire, ash, and debris.
To mortals, this was a terrifying hellscape.
But for Cassius, it was a vacation paradise. The fire elements resonated harmoniously with him.
"What a wonderful place..."
The red dragon's face twisted into a fierce grin as he seemed to relish every moment.
"Ow!"
He opened his right claw, allowing the fire dwarf named "Grin Cardoso" to tumble to the ground, curling up into a ball.
After a long moment, the dwarf examined himself and, seeing that his bronze-crafted body was unharmed, let out a long breath.
"By Moradin…"
"Breaking through into the Elemental Plane with a physical body—what a mad journey, what a horrible ordeal!"
Soon, Grin turned to look up at the red dragon and cautiously said, "Cassius, Your Majesty, entering the Fire Elemental Plane like this, your strength is far beyond my imagination."
Back in the Fire Elemental Plane, the fire dwarf's hair and beard blazed even more intensely.
Cassius glanced at him and simply asked, "Where are we now?"
Grin surveyed the surroundings for a moment before replying, "This is the Ember Wilds, Your Majesty Cassius. It's part of the fire genies' territory."
Hearing the mention of fire genies, Cassius's gaze flickered, but he quickly asked another question.
"Where is the Empire's outpost?"
Grin answered in detail: "In the Brass Fortress of our fire dwarves."
"Your army has defended us from multiple invasions by fire lizard raiders sent by the fire genies. You are the benefactors of all fire dwarves."
"Good, then lead the way for me."
Cassius picked up the fire dwarf again with his claw. Flapping his wings, he stirred a scorching gale and soared into the sky.
Flame-winged creatures in the sky scattered in fear, screeching in terror.
"Is it this direction?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. By Material Plane measurements, the Brass Fortress of our fire dwarves is over 1,300 miles from here."
"Excellent."
"We'll reach it in about an hour."
Cassius flapped his wings again, his speed surging dramatically as he sliced through the sky. A piercing sonic boom echoed.
This was merely Cassius's cruising speed.
Protected by energy shields and being a bronze-elemental creature, Grin did not lose consciousness.
As they flew, Cassius asked, "Why are the fire genies sending armies to invade you?"
In his memories of his previous life, fire dwarves and fire genies were mortal enemies. Many fire dwarves were captured and enslaved, forced into endless labor without respite.
The fire dwarves were a race that held a strong sense of duty—even to the extent of fulfilling their responsibilities as slaves.
Some fire dwarf slaves were even chosen to act as overseers to supervise their fellow kin.
Their devotion to order was deeply ingrained in their nature. They would rather wait for contracts to end or for their masters to die than to revolt against their circumstances.
This quality made Cassius particularly interested in the fire dwarves—they were practically born to serve as dependable laborers!
Their traits aligned perfectly with the needs of the Ember Empire.
Hearing Cassius's question, Grinn clenched his teeth and spoke with deep resentment, "You may not know this, Your Majesty, but long ago, the fire genies were our allies."
"Together, we stood against the tyrannical rule of the Fire Elemental Lords."
"We even helped build the fire genies' home—the Brass City. It was our proudest creation, a peerless marvel."
"And Lady Misha's journey to the 'Iron City' brought her to another of my personal projects."
"However, just as our work was completed, those treacherous fire genies betrayed us. They even attempted to enslave us, fearing that the secrets of the city's construction might leak."
As he spoke, Grinn's tone grew increasingly furious, and the flames on his body burned brighter.
Cassius's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"What despicable scoundrels," he commented offhandedly.
Outwardly, Cassius appeared sympathetic.
Inwardly, however, he was brimming with excitement, his mind racing with possibilities.
Easily manipulated.
Dutiful and responsible.
Extremely loyal to order, dedicated to their tasks, and highly skilled in craftsmanship.
They were absolutely perfect.
These fire genies weren't despicable—they were wasteful fools! Such valuable resources, squandered by their clumsy attempts at enslavement, only alienated potential allies.
The Ember Empire would never make such a mistake.
The empire could present itself as the fire dwarves' most "faithful" ally, ensuring no formal slavery in name.
"The empire has been lacking loyal allies like you," Cassius remarked sincerely.
"Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty," Grinn replied, failing to notice the dragon's sinister intentions. He scratched his head sheepishly, mistaking the compliment as genuine acknowledgment of the fire dwarves' virtues.