Chapter 2004 - 2004. Experiment
King Elbas had fought with the pack of dragons led by the four upper tier specimens that had inherited the core aspects of the world, and Sepunia had been part of Heaven and Earth's system for a long time. They didn't need to ask why the rulers had chosen those species for the experiment, but they remained amazed about the whole procedure.
Noah didn't manage to understand every detail about the black liquid. He actually knew very little about it, but his hypotheses had compensated for his ignorance.
The restrained specimen was the result of a forced fusion with the metal that the world had naturally generated to counter the sky. The dragons also had a deep connection with that role due to the four upper tier leaders in charge of the army of magical beasts. In theory, the union between the two had to create an even stronger enemy of the rulers, but the latter made sure to turn things in their favor.
"They might have replicated the same process that they had to experience after their defeat," King Elbas guessed while moving his attention between the small flash and the restrained creature. "The dragons naturally carry an echo of the previous natural order, so a corruption would put them on Heaven and Earth's path."
"The black liquid had to fight the sky," Noah added, "But it inevitably fell prey to the transformation after becoming part of the dragons. Heaven and Earth have forced a fusion between two suitable materials before proceeding with the corruption.."
"That sounds overly complicated," Sepunia commented, but her two companions shook their heads.
"It's pretty smart," King Elbas commented.
"Incredibly smart," Noah corrected. "Heaven and Earth couldn't touch the metal in its raw form, but the situation changed once it became part of the dragons. They only needed to create the right environment for the corruption to happen naturally. Incredible."
Noah couldn't help but praise Heaven and Earth. They had developed a method that left him beyond stunned. They had tricked the world again, and no one had noticed it.
"Did we find one of the hidden weapons?" King Elbas asked.
"Definitely," Noah replied. "This experiment probably is still in the testing phase, but I bet that Heaven and Earth have invested a lot in it. They have even picked dragons from different species to avoid attracting unwanted attention."
Realizing how careful Heaven and Earth had been led to an obvious question. The three experts had uncovered the rulers' experiment, but they had to decide what to do with it.
Destroying the island, killing the transformed dragons, and seizing what was left of the metal sounded like a solid plan. However, Noah wanted to do more than obtain a weapon that he would need eventually stop needing.
The metal could destroy the sky, but Noah and his companions would eventually get there too. He wanted to get that material now since it would help a lot with their imminent mission, but he didn't want to rely on it. His existence would eventually overcome the counter's power.
Moreover, the dragons had suffered for countless years because of Heaven and Earth. They were natural allies, and Noah knew how deeply his faction needed them.
The rulers were basically winning on every side, with only the old Heaven and Earth seizing success after success. Noah and his companions were also faring well, but Robert's death had confirmed how they could fall if something unexpected happened.
Adding troops that felt such a deep hatred against the rulers appeared almost mandatory due to the current balance of power between the two sides. Noah could even think about a few approaches that might turn the dragons into priceless assets. After all, those creatures were only a corrupted version of a species wielding the ability to destroy the sky.
In theory, Noah could force the dragons to face the opposite transformation. He wasn't a stranger when it came to experiments on magical beasts and existences. Those creatures could turn into specimens capable of biting entire chunks out of the sky without suffering any drawback.
The doubts inside Noah's mind didn't last too long. Part of him had already sided with one of his options, and he could only give in to his character at that point.
"We are saving them," Noah announced.
"Come on," King Elbas complained. "Killing all of them and obtaining many corpses to study would be far easier."
"The enemy is too strong," Noah explained. "We need everyone crazy enough to stand on our side."
"Can we take at least some corpses?" King Elbas almost pleaded. "I'm not asking for many of them. A few hundred should do the trick."
"The barrier doesn't even contain so many specimens," Sepunia commented.
"That's not my problem," King Elbas uttered while wearing a proud expression.
"Stop speaking nonsense and help me develop a method to revert their transformation," Noah ordered.
"Shouldn't we focus on the liquid?" King Elbas asked while bending toward the flask in Noah's hand. "This can open the path to the sky, right? We could save many years of research if we managed to use its power."
"We don't need to focus on it because I have already developed a method to revert it," Noah announced.
"Which is?" Sepunia questioned.
"I'll copy Heaven and Earth," Noah revealed as he raised the flask in front of his eyes. "I'll stuff this inside one of their followers and turn their existences on my side. It's the only way to affect something that we can't touch."
Noah was the perfect existence for the task. His ambition could affect laws and turn them into forms of energy that opposed Heaven and Earth. He could perform the opposite transformation without needing to develop any complicated procedure. He only had to capture some cultivators in the rulers' system and become able to suppress them completely.
"Can't you do the same with the dragons?" Sepunia wondered.
"He doesn't care what happens about Heaven and Earth's followers," King Elbas explained. "The same doesn't apply to the dragons. He wants to revert their transformation without risking their lives. I bet the madman would even like to improve their power."
"Exactly," Noah revealed. "Imagine if they became an actual species among the storms. They could tear holes in the sky to feed on its energy."
"I get your point, but why would I help with that?" King Elbas sighed. "I don't have much time. I might risk falling apart before that project is complete. I'd rather focus on finding the metal on my own instead of having to hurry during the last part of the mission."
"I won't go back on my word," Sepunia exclaimed. "I'll be your guide even if you'll have to approach the sky on your own."
"I don't know how comforting that is," King Elbas scoffed.
"Elbas, do you know that Divine Demon likes dragons?" Noah teased.
"Why are you even mentioning him now?" King Elbas rolled his eyes.
"He likes them quite a lot," Noah continued, "Enough to stop teasing you if you were to help save such a rare species."
"You won't trick me, Noah," King Elbas responded.
"It's not really a trick," Noah declared. "Though I wonder what would happen if Divine Demon and all the newborn pigs were to meet. Those creatures had our Foolery as their teacher. Things might be easier if you had an ally."
King Elbas' eyes sharpened. Noah had described a frightening scene. The expert didn't even want to think about being in the middle of that mess.
"I will still die if something goes wrong," King Elbas repeated.
"We'll get the metal first then," Noah announced. "We need to attract the attention of those who handle the prison anyway. It was about time we started another mess."
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Author's notes: I need a bit more for the third chapter, again. I'm sorry guys.