Chapter 2005 - 2005. Runner

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Heaven and Earth couldn't touch the metal, so someone had to handle the fusion with the dragon. Yet, Sepunia had no memories about the island in the void, and her companions could guess that the same applied to most cultivators in the rulers' system.

That left only one option open. Heaven and Earth must have relied on one or more of the privileged cultivators for the task.

King Elbas had already confirmed that Divine Architect had nothing to do with the experiment. His evaluation could be wrong, but Noah trusted his instincts enough to remove that solid stage cultivator from his worries.

The island was self-sufficient. Heaven and Earth filled it with light when it was about to exhaust its energy, but it didn't need maintenance or similar processes. In theory, it didn't need a guardian, but Noah believed that the rulers wouldn't leave such a secretive place without multiple types of protections.

The barrier and the light were powerful tools, and the dragons' aggression only helped increase the dangerousness of the island. However, that didn't sound enough when the matter involved such a risky and powerful material.. According to Sepunia's words, the dark metal could melt the sky, and Heaven and Earth were trying to bring it on their side. It was safe to assume that seizing the material wouldn't be easy.

"I'll let you watch if you behave," Noah growled when he approached the restrained dragon.

King Elbas had given Noah another pill to quicken the regrowth of his arm. The latter had returned to his peak quickly, but the task might require more than that. The light had unclear properties, and he wanted to understand more about it, but only the dragon had answers.

"I won't let you capture more of my companions!" The dragon roared as it began to struggle again.

The creature's innate ability started to activate, but a heavy wave of pride suddenly engulfed it. Noah couldn't bother to play it nice anymore. He had treated the dragon properly and given it time to accept its new condition. The beast had to start respecting him now.

Noah's pride made the dragon retract its innate ability and lower its head in submission. The scene felt slightly surprising after confirming that the creature could release such a powerful liquid, but Noah guessed that the issue came from the type of fusion that Heaven and Earth had enforced. The rulers had probably focused on the metal, which explained why all the dragons shared the same physical features.

"I will remain true to my word," Noah explained through roars and growls as he arrived in front of the dragon. "I will save your pack and set you free. I will even fix you for free, but I need a little help here. I need you to remember if the light has ever hurt someone."

The dragon couldn't refuse Noah's order while his pride filled the area. The creature thought as hard as it could and explored messy memories that brought it back to the lie that it had lived for countless years. The images in its mind always grew blurry whenever the light appeared, but it managed to recall a few scenes that could help Noah.

"I've seen that happening," The dragon growled, "But it was a different light. It didn't even attack us leaders. I'm not sure, but I don't remember feeling fear when it descended."

'It's not strong enough to threaten rank 9 magical beasts,' Noah concluded in his mind. 'Heaven and Earth might have something stronger at hand, but I bet that they'll let the jailer handle eventual issues. My focus must be on not remaining stuck inside the barrier.'

King Elbas had agreed to help Noah with the dragons, but they had to seize the metal first. The expert wouldn't feel ready to waste time on that pack otherwise.

"You can come to watch," Noah exclaimed before retracting his pride.

Noah grabbed the dragon and led it near the barrier. King Elbas and Sepunia soon reached him with the result of their investigation. They had inspected the island again while he was busy healing and dealing with the creature, but they didn't find anything valuable.

"The metal must be in the island's core," King Elbas guessed.

"It can't be anywhere else," Sepunia added. "Heaven and Earth can't transport the metal or move it freely. Some of the privileged cultivators might help them, but they aren't the type to handle these things."

"I still believe this structure has guardians," Noah commented.

"That's possible," Sepunia stated while glancing at the island. "I don't think Heaven and Earth would involve more than one of them in such a secretive matter. They would also need to prepare suitable rewards, which makes the eventuality of a team in charge of this area unlikely."

Noah nodded before moving his gaze on the island. The area was as large as a few regions. He could cross it in no time, especially if he relied on his movement technique. A thorough inspection would take mere minutes, but he still wanted to gather as much intel as possible before his reckless sprint.

The group had already accepted that they had to cross the barrier, but none wanted to deal with the consequences that destroying that defense would trigger. It was better to steal everything silently, but doing that required teamwork and a single runner.

A vast forest divided by a couple of mountains unfolded in Noah's vision. He couldn't say much more from his position, but he wasn't sure whether the island had something else. Its base was nothing more than a chunk of the previously iconic azure ground of the Immortal Lands. The area was that simple.

The underground world could hide something, and Noah would focus most of his efforts on those areas. The group had already decided that he would go inside the barrier and explore the island on his own. His speed made him the perfect candidate for that role, and he couldn't handle the other tasks as well as his companions.

Sepunia's ability to open the barrier without triggering its defenses was unmatched, but she still required King Elbas' help in case something went wrong. Noah didn't have his friend's flexibility when it came to his inscription methods. King Elbas would be more valuable next to Sepunia, and the same went for Noah on the island, especially due to his hybrid abilities.

"Let's start then," Noah ordered while patting the dragon's head.

The creature didn't feel happy about that treatment. King Elbas' inscriptions still restrained it, and Noah was even treating it as his underling. Yet, the experts were talking about things that would benefit its pack, so it remained silent.

"Wait!" King Elbas said before taking a bottle containing a golden powder from his body. "Let's avoid the mess if we can. Focus on seizing the metal in its original form before planning experiments."

King Elbas spread the golden power on Noah and hid his presence. The expert had even adapted that item to the unique dragons in the area, and the creature next to the group could soon confirm that the defensive method was effective.

"Don't take too long," King Elbas reminded, "And don't destroy the barrier unless absolutely necessary."

Noah nodded and let the unstable substance fill his body. Sepunia opened a path in the barrier, and King Elbas reinforced it. Noah didn't hesitate to charge ahead, and a hole soon appeared on the side of the island. He had completely disregarded the surface to reach the underground world right away.

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Author's notes: Big shoutout to IndraDeus for the three Spacecrafts! Thank you a lot!