Chapter 2020 - 2020. Endless

King Elbas had made it clear that the sky had to come before everything else, and Noah couldn't go against that, especially after accepting that his companions were becoming too heavy to bear at his current level. Both of them required energy that only the white layer could provide, so they had to prioritize that mission to fix their existence.

However, Heaven and Earth had a point. Noah felt relatively sure that they had spoken the truth, meaning that the monster outside the sky could become a great problem for everyone.

The non-world was also interesting. Noah had seen how powerful the non-existence could be, so the superior realm could only bring steep improvements. It might have even solved the natural weakness that afflicted that empty creature.

The non-world could turn into a weapon or a powerful opponent, and Noah wanted to affect that path as soon as possible. He didn't believe himself to be Heaven and Earth's sole hope of dealing with that empty creature, so he wanted to arrive there before them.

Noah moved his complete focus back on the dragon. The procedure had long since reached its last phase, and he didn't need to do much to complete it. His empowered mental energy only had to finish devouring the last brims of Heaven and Earth's influence to free the creature.

The dragon struggled in pain while Noah's mental energy removed Heaven and Earth's influence from its existence. The creature had turned into a mess of injuries, blood, and gore, and its condition didn't improve after the procedure ended. Yet, Noah made sure to immerse it in the dark world to help its innate healing properties.

The dragon was unresponsive, but its body still worked. The resilience of the magical beasts was incredible, especially in a specimen that had fused with a powerful substance. Still, the damage caused by Noah's mental energy affected more than the simple flesh. It dealt with the very laws in its fabric, and fixing it required more energy than Noah had initially predicted.

"Elbas, energy!" Noah shouted without adding more details.

"You must stop using me as a power source!" King Elbas complained from his position next to the layer of black metal. "Do you know how long do I need to refill my stashes every time I help you?"

"I know that you are still using Divine Architect's reward," Noah replied.

"I earned that!" King Elbas continued.

"Come on," Noah sighed. "I just had to deal with Heaven and Earth. Don't make it harder than it already is."

King Elbas and Sepunia stopped inspecting the black metal to turn toward Noah. They had vaguely learnt the details of the procedure, but they understood that Noah meant something else with his words.

The two experts flew toward Noah, and King Elbas handed him a rectangular metallic chunk in the middle tier. Noah didn't hesitate to make the dark world devour the item and send its energy toward the dragon to give it enough power to fix its existence.

The healing process picked up speed, but it didn't limit itself to the injuries. New muscles slowly grew under the cracked scales, and faint red shades started to cover the creature. A transformation had begun, and Noah could only nod at that sight.

"What did you mean with Heaven and Earth?" King Elbas asked.

Noah felt slightly tired. He had called upon the power of his ethereal blackness, and the energy absorbed from the dragon had prevented his mind from falling into its usual mental coma. He would rather rest than describe the negotiation with Heaven and Earth, but his companions' curiosity was impossible to ignore.

"They offered me the chance to study the arrays past the sky," Noah summarized, "But they wanted me to deal with the empty monster. Apparently, it has developed a non-world."

"I didn't expect them to ask your help," Sepunia commented. "The original plan involved the normal cultivators in their system."

"How much do you know about that?" Noah questioned.

"Not much," Sepunia explained. "It's not a matter of memories. Heaven and Earth didn't disclose details since the monster had yet to develop a non-world. I believe they had yet to pick the laws to send there."

"They will probably send cultivators who have the least chance of affecting the monster's nature," Noah guessed.

"They might have special bodies ready to fill with unique worlds," Sepunia stated. "The sky can turn into a massive workshop if the situation requires it, and Divine Architect is only the lead inscription master. Heaven and Earth might really succeed."

"Then we have to get there before them," Noah uttered.

"Which means getting stronger in the sky," King Elbas finally spoke. "This non-world is too dangerous to fall in Heaven and Earth's hands."

"And we are too weak to deal with it," Noah added when he understood that King Elbas was considering prioritizing the monster over the stability of his existence.

"Heaven and Earth would be nothing more than a stepping stone if they didn't have eras of preparation more than us," King Elbas cursed.

"They are still stepping stones," Noah commented, "Annoying and troublesome stepping stones."

King Elbas nodded before pointing at the layer of dark metal in the distance and explaining the results of his inspection. "I can come up with weapons, but I believe we should focus on protections. Hiding our presence should also be a priority, but I can fuse that with the defenses."

Noah had stolen an immense amount of dark metal from the island, but that resource remained limited. The three experts were even affecting the world's fairness by using it against Heaven and Earth, so there was a chance that they might halt its natural appearance forever.

The group had to plan how to use the metal in different projects and even leave some of it in its raw form in case they needed it in the future. However, a growl suddenly resounded in the area and attracted their attention.

The dragon had transformed during its healing process. It had retained its strange neck, but it wasn't skinny anymore. Thick layers of muscles had appeared under its dark-red scales, and its wings had broadened, transforming into body parts that could endure its new weight.

"Can you use your innate ability?" Noah quickly asked through a growl.

The dragon felt a bit dizzy, but it still nodded and activated its strange organ. A black substance immediately filled its neck and flowed down its spikes.

Noah, Sepunia, and King Elbas made sure to inspect the effects of the liquid on the dark matter. The two materials didn't fuse, but they didn't try to destroy each other either.

Noah stretched his arm and tested the effects of the dark liquid on his body. Nothing happened to his mind when it touched the material. He felt the familiar trust iconic of the black metal, but his limb remained intact. The procedure had been a success.

"You are still transforming," Noah explained before retracting his hand. "Being with me will also remove the limits of your species, so your body will continue to change as you absorb energy. Yet, you are on a path that opposes the sky now."

"All magical beasts are," The dragon complained.

"Not like this," Noah revealed before gathering the dark liquid released by the dragon.

Smiles appeared among the group. The three experts didn't have to hold back anymore now.. They had just obtained an endless source of dark metal.