Chapter 1823 - 1823. Gathering

King Elbas and the others turned toward Noah. The dragon was clearly speaking about him, and they inevitably showed their helpless feelings during their glares.

The experts couldn't believe that Noah had managed to cause problems that had stretched inside the storms. They didn't even know how something like that could be possible.

Noah had to search through his memories before connecting the words used by the creature to the long-necked dragon met during his first journey inside the storms. The similar terms used by the two magical beasts assigned them to the same pack in his mind.

Noah raised his head toward the sky before spitting a pillar made of black flames. Words were useless in that situation, so he gave one of the best proofs about the blood inherited by the Light-devouring dragons.

The dragon above the group inspected the flames without showing any emotion. Noah didn't manage to understand if his attack had satisfied the creature even with his superior awareness.

"Are the others your portable food?" The dragon asked after the flames dispersed.

A series of snorts and suppressed complaints resounded around Noah, but he ignored them and explained his relationship as best as he could. "They are part of my pack."

"They must also come then," The dragon announced. "Mother is waiting, and she needs all her children."

"Needs for what?" Noah couldn't help but ask. "We are on a journey. I don't know if we have time to attend this meeting."

"You must," The dragon growled, and multiple growls suddenly echoed around the creature.

Large chunks of the storms disappeared as flames with different shades filled areas next to the dragon and revealed other creatures belonging to similar species.

Five more dragons were flying above the first creature, but the group managed to sense them only after the storms in the area vanished. Those magical beasts all had different shapes. They were dragons, but they didn't belong to the same species.

Divine Demon's eyes lit up at that scene. The expert seemed to feel a special attraction toward dragons, so he grew eager about the imminent meeting. He couldn't wait to see a pack of dragons inside the storms.

Instead, Noah and the others didn't share the same feelings, especially since one of the dragons was a middle tier specimen. The previous orders became impossible to refuse in front of that threatening creature.

"How did you find me inside the storms?" Noah asked.

Scents and auras couldn't go far among the storms. It should be impossible to find someone there. Yet, it was clear that the dragon knew exactly where he was since it had brought its group along.

"A Mother always knows where her children are," The dragon proudly explained. "Move now. She is waiting."

'What a boring answer,' Noah cursed in his mind.

The dragon didn't reveal the secret behind its tracking abilities, so Noah couldn't find countermeasures. His gaze even fell on King Elbas at some point, but the expert shook his head when he understood his silent question.

The silent answer made Noah wear a grim expression. It seemed that the long-necked dragon had access to superior tracking abilities that even King Elbas couldn't understand. Noah ended up fearing that the creature would always be able to find him.

"Do you plan on going against Mother?" The dragon growled when it saw that Noah remained silent.

"Is it possible to know the reason behind the meeting first?" Noah asked.

"No," The dragon announced. "We have yet to learn it ourselves."

"Did you fly through the storms just to pick me up?" Noah continued with his questions, hoping that one answer would reveal the secret behind that tracking ability.

"We were the closest to your position when the call arrived," The dragon said in a human voice as clear annoyance started to appear in its tone.

"You really had to tell it that we are part of your pack," King Elbas sighed. "Do you realize that following them now will make an escape impossible later?"

King Elbas was keeping his voice down. He had also connected the conversation to the long-necked dragon, so he could guess what was expecting them on the meeting. His group risked becoming the hunting party to a stronger creature.

"Part of me wants to go," Noah revealed. "We can learn more about these regions, and they might even show us unique places."

It was undeniable that having stronger beings as allies granted benefits. That was the very foundation of every organization, but it felt strange hearing those words coming out of Noah's mouth.

"Have you gone crazy?" King Elbas asked.

"My heir?!" Divine Demon gave voice to a worried shout.

"He didn't try to keep the centipede for himself now that I think about it," Wilfred commented.

"Something must have happened during the battle!" Robert exclaimed.

"I can inspect his mind with one of my abilities," Alexander announced. "Keep him still."

"Do you really have such a bad reputation?" Steven asked.

"The dragon helped us without asking anything in return," Noah explained. "We can repay this debt and probably gain allies inside the storms. Stop being idiots."

The experts grew serious at that point. They glanced at each other before moving their eyes on the creatures in the sky. Accepting to follow them was the better option under many aspects, especially since they could lose a lot if they decided to escape now.

"Lead the way," Noah eventually roared when he saw that his companions had accepted his position.

The dragon didn't answer. It limited itself to nod toward its companions before the middle tier specimen turned and started to fly among the storms.

The other dragons imitated the middle tier creature, and Noah's group also flew higher in the sky to follow them. The storms didn't manage to reach their position since they were moving in the creatures' trails, but energy still filled their surroundings and gave them the chance to cultivate.

The travel seemed to last for an eternity. No one dared to attack the group with the middle tier specimen in the lead. Only the appearance of other dragons that joined the group disrupted the monotony of the flight and forced the experts to inspect the newcomers.

Years went by until the middle tier specimen finally changed direction and dived toward the regions under the intense storms. Noah and the others could understand that they had gone deeper into those lands since the intensity of the gales had increased, but those chaotic laws disappeared after they descended for some time.

The environment became clear once the storms disappeared, and Noah couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise at the scene that unfolded in his eyes. His previous wonders about the actual population of those lands came back stronger than ever when he saw hundreds of rank 9 dragons belonging to different species gathered in an immense hole.

The hole featured multiple platforms and cavities in which the various dragons stood. All of them kept their eyes toward the bottom of the pit, where three massive creatures in the upper tier sat as they waited for the meeting to begin. One of them was the long-necked dragon that had helped Noah's group in the past.