October 10th, 628

I turned my gaze away from the Royal Palace, feeling the chills through my body subside.

I wasn’t sure who it was that looked through me. I had a few guesses, but the Great Barrier did me no favors. It completely obstructed my Auric view of them. I could sense their power, sense their mental outreach, but I couldn’t see anything more than that. They could reach out to me with their Aura. I could not do the same.

It was an unfair difference in power. In that moment, I knew that unless I broke the Great Barrier, I wouldn’t be able to respond in kind. It was a miraculous feeling, despite how nasty that gaze had felt upon me.

The helicopter took me to one of our airfields outside the Capital where I boarded a plane to the Whetted City. Once I landed in my Estate, I made my way to Umara’s study, finding her hard at work inside.

She turned to me as soon as the door opened, leaning back in her chair with a thick book in her hands.

“Welcome back. How was the delivery?”

“Went smoother than I expected it to.”

I walked over and gave her a kiss, her small smile widening.

“I’m surprised you stopped by. Need anything?”

“Yes, actually. I need you to come with me to the Holy See. Luna has prepared a visit for you.”

Umara looked at me weird, taking my outstretched hand and standing from her chair.

“A visit to where?”

“To whom, and I’m not sure, but it’s supposed to be someone who can help you with your spatial magic. I know you’ve been struggling a bit recently, so I asked if she could help. She just contacted me earlier today. This person is available now.”

She looked at me worriedly.

“You didn’t have to do that, John. It’s these kinds of things that incur debts.”

“Debts?”

I grinned at her.

“If we’re talking debts, then it’s the Church who should be eager to repay me. Don’t forget that I’ve given them technology centuries ahead of where they are now. I owe them absolutely nothing.”

“I guess that’s true…”

She lightened up after hearing that, walking through the Study and collecting batches of her notes and grimoires.

After that we spent a little time readying ourselves. Erhan prepared transport, and soon we were in a fancy armored car on the way to the Whetted City’s teleportation nexus.

I cashed in on my VIP status, walking in and getting immediate treatment. We went to the front of the lines and were soon portaled over to the Holy See.

The teleportation was disorienting, as usual, but nothing I didn’t instantly recover from. It was quite fascinating, actually. Umara was especially focused, little runes sparking along her fingertips as we walked out of the building.

We were greeted with the rich and boisterous Holy See, massive buildings and thousands of pedestrians filling our view. The weather was significantly cooler this much farther north from the Capital, the time of the year introducing the first hints of snowfall.

There was transport waiting for us, Erhan verifying identities before we all boarded the armored car. We were taken to the outskirts of the city, to an unmarked building build no less sturdy than the Peerage highrises.

We entered, finding ourselves in a sparsely furnished reception room. Luna was sitting there, two armored individuals to her sides. Their armor used my technology, but it had the obvious customizations of the Order.

For a moment I wondered where Anderson was, but quickly remembered that he was likely engaging in the infiltration of the Pillars of Creation.

Umara and I greeted Luna with smiles.

“It’s good to see you, Umara. It seems your endeavors have caused you much grief.”

“The elusive secrets of Space will do that to you.”

The two hugged, my greeting coming afterward. Luna looked as particularly radiant as she always did. I knew she was busy but it still seemed that life in the Black Spider Market was cozy.

At this point, I knew that she was just waiting for the day that she finally got to step out.

“Well, let’s not waste time. I know both of you are busy people.”

She said that while leading us to a nearby room, Erhan staying behind. It was in there that we found ourselves in front of another teleportation platform. This was one obviously owned by the covert forces of the Church, used for going to places the rest of the public couldn’t know about.

“How well hidden. I felt absolutely nothing before walking through that doorway.”

Umara’s brows raised as she looked around, runes dancing around her fingers. It seemed the enchanthments around this building were specially designed. I could feel space thrumming with power around the teleporter, telling to its power despite the fact that it was undetectable beyond. Granted, I could probably find it if I tried. I made a mental note to have Sector 4 get an eye on this place. If the Church could hide it, I was sure the Kingdom had some places like these for itself. This place was a good reference for finding others.

The teleporter was already activated, so we stepped inside and were whisked away. Two teleportations within an hour weren’t very good for the stomach. Not to mention that this teleporter was bringing us much, much farther away considering its power.

Either that, or we were going somewhere with a lot of magical interference. The Church couldn’t establish teleporters by the Pillars of Creation because the Scourge had poisoned the atmospheric mana, creating a massive amount of interference that inhibited all forms of magic, including for the Magi who stepped foot on the continent.

I made my assumptions about why this teleportation took that much more power as we landed in our destination.

I was instantly hit by a wave of pure Magika, noticing a large number of power signatures nearby. I had to resist the desire to equip my exosuit, Umara’s body getting a little more taut than usual.

“Where are we?”

I asked the obvious question as we looked around, inside another bland building enchanted down to the brick.

Luna smiled with a hint of pride.

“This place is an island off the southern coast. We call it the Gateway. The leader of this place has agreed to teach Umara until she achieves her goal.”

“Is it safe to say that the leader isn’t human?”

My question made Luna laugh, Umara looking at me weirdly.

Luna waved, the three of us walking out of the room, then the building as a whole. Once outside, we were graced with an incredible sight.

My eyes immediately landed on the animals and Flickers around us. Most of them were huge. Bears the size of a house, felines that stood on all fours yet were as tall as I was. Wolves that were even bigger than the felines.

Huge birds flew through the sky, eagles with 100 foot wingspans and flying lizards that resembles prehistoric dinosaurs with all manner of predatory features.

There were countless claws and teeth all around us, but none of them carried any immediate hostility. It had me a bit on edge due to how… rare such a situation was for me. For Umara as well. Both of us were glancing around. I couldn’t resist taking out a pistol, a holster appearing on my waist and my hand resting atop the grip.

That’s when we both looked up, seeing a sight I never thought I’d get to see alive.

Dragons.

A squadron of them soared through the sky amidst the birds and lesser lizards. They were massive, wingspans having to be at least 300 feet for the smallest I saw and over a thousand for the biggest. They were colossal creatures, and they radiated great majesty. I was in awe of the sheer amount of mana within their bodies, my magical senses so bright I felt like they were stars of power.

They were so obvious, so grandiose. No wonder they were so easily hunted. They couldn’t hide themselves to save their species. I wondered if my sensors could tune into their signature.

This island was the Gateway. It obviously led to another place, perhaps the true Haven for Flickers and magical beasts.

Luna laughed at us.

“Calm, you two. The Gateway is a sort of haven for these animals and Flickers, away from the claws of the Kingdom. The Paragon species continue to replenish their numbers in places like this, recovering from the extinction attacks by the Kingdom many years ago.”

“It takes them centuries to recover?”

I asked while scrutinizing the details of those Dragons in the sky. They looked about the same as the Dragon corpses I had seen, perhaps a bit smaller, not as bulky. Living in this paradise seems to have gentled them somewhat.

Luna nodded, guiding us down a stone path. We were within a human city, populated not just by beasts and Flickers, but by many thousands of people. This seemed to be a major hub for the Church, connected only by teleporter.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Perhaps it was worth it for the materials they harvested from here.

“The Paragons are slow to breed. It accelerated when they were genocided, but a mere couple centuries couldn’t possibly make up for thousands of years of unrestricted procreation. The Dragons used to be the Kings of the sky, used to hold dominion over legendary places like the Skylands. Now they’re forced to share a measly island with hundreds of other lesser species, not to mention the other Paragons.”

“Do they have conflicts with the other Paragons?”

“Not many, but as their numbers grow, so do their desires. They’ve been restless in recent years, though not entirely thanks to each other.”

I nodded, Luna leading us through the city on foot. We eventually used some magic to speed up the travel, shuttling between huge buildings intertwined with nature.

Eventually, we found ourselves before a massive palace of magical stone. I could sense Dragons within, many hundreds of them. This wasn’t the only palace either. There was one other some miles away, occupied by the Lordbeasts.

We entered the palace, Dragons flying all about the interior. Many of the juvenile ones were playing, magical bolts zipping about the atmosphere, while what looked like the parental figures sat atop pillars and watched, sighing in tiredness.

Many eyes found us though. I had to keep reminding myself that the Paragons were intelligent, capable of communication. I had come across an Owlykat before, and it had been capable of controlling Flickers and planning with me. These were not just some beasts driven by instinct.

But we weren’t the only humans. One woman walked up to us, flanked by two other girls, both of whom were blindfolded. The woman smiled at us, then at Luna.

“We are pleased to host you again, Lady Luna. These are the guests of his Majesty Zirion?”

“Indeed, Magister Yessica.”

Luna answered as I observed the two girls beside the Magister. I was curious as to why they were blindfolded, but as soon as I felt a small bit of their Aura, I suddenly understood.

They were training Aura, projecting themselves like I had done a few times before. They navigated the world without their senses. Based on how they followed the Magister, they were likely rather adept at it.

Noticing me staring at them, Yessica turned to me.

“Do they interest you so, Sir Cooper?”

“A bit. They’re training Aura, right?”

“Among other things. These are acolytes who will return to the Church when they have finished their training here. Communing with the heavens through prayer and removing their senses from the world. Through this they achieve what we call spiritual enlightenment.”

“Similar to an element for a Warlock?”

“Indeed. These two have been enlightened and are going through the final rites before returning to the mainland. As soon as they choose a Flicker for themselves, they will leave.”

I stared at them a little longer, noticing a bit of irregularity with them. I could see the cloth over the eyes of one becoming slightly damp, her breathing becoming shaky.

I looked at Yessica.

“Are you spiritually enlightened?”

“No, I am not. I only help them hone their Aura techniques.”

“Hm.”

I looked away from her, back to the girl in front of me.

Her Aura was becoming less stable, shaky like her breathing and becoming increasingly emotional. I could smell the fear.

One thing I quickly noticed though, an anomaly I didn’t expect to see outside the Pillars of Creation, was the fact that the two were completely ordinary, not an ounce of Magika on them. Yet they had honed their Aura to such a degree.

It gave me some ideas. I already knew it was possible due to Invocations, as well as Katta, who gave herself artificial power. This was a different kind of training though. I didn’t intend to discount whatever spiritual enlightenment was, but there was a chance it was useful.

I wondered what changes it brought. I was curious, almost enough to send some Psyka their way.

That’s when my hand, still resting on my pistol, twitched. I saw the girl in front of me turn and start running away. Right after, I saw a large dragon plummet from above, landing in the path of the girl. The girl ran to the dragon’s embrace, hiding behind its tail as the Dragon stared at me.

It was huge, like most of them were. Its scales were black, red skin peeking out from underneath in certain places. It was at least 80 feet tall and bristling with Authority 9 Mana.

I slowly removed my pistol from the holster, flicking off the safety as the dragon continued staring at me. The pistol was chambered in .50 AE HEAP caseless rounds with a fly automatic firing mode, trajectory correcting systems, and a retinal targeting solution.

It fit nicely in my hand, and it would handle even a large dragon like that just as comfortably.

I didn’t expect that I’d be Dragon hunting so soon.

Yessica noticed the issue immediately, as did Luna and Umara. She frowned as Umara stepped back to my side, both of us facing the Dragon.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, Magister…”

The girl who ran tried to control her breathing, eventually buckling over and vomiting on the floor.

The other girl beside the Magister suddenly bowed, catching my attention.

“M-Magister…”

“What is it? What’s wrong with you two?”

“…We will take our leave. Apologies…”

She started marching toward the Dragon, helping up the girl before both of them directly left the area.

The Dragon remained, my gaze returning to it. It wasn’t openly hostile, yet.

There was silence for a few seconds before I broke it.

“Are you that bored, Dragon?”

“Magister Yessica.”

The Dragon spoke, finally turning its head.

“Why have you brought such a terrible person to this place?”

“Excuse me?”

Umara responded first, stepping in front of me with hate in her voice.

“Watch your words, Dragon. You have no clue who you’re talking to. Don’t let your ignorance get you killed.”

“Little one, you couldn’t kill me if you tried.”

“Yeah? Wanna bet?”

Umara’s hand clenched, opening a second after to expose a growing black hole, mana pouring from her body and turning the entire atmosphere stagnant with her control.

“Stop!”

Yessica suddenly stepped between them, Umara staying the spell and Yessica turning to the Dragon.

“Berryl, these are guests of his Majesty Zirion. He is John Cooper, specially invited by Lady Luna and the Commander of Iron Legion. Have some respect.”

The Dragon was silent, staring, until eventually giving way.

“I’m glad his Majesty is handling him, then.”

I didn’t respond, Umara dissipating the spell a bit before flicking it toward the Dragon.

Berryl hastily created a barrier, flush completely with Mana. The black hole made contact with it, consumed it, before exploding and violently throwing the huge Dragon to the other side of the room.

Umara returned to my side, linking with my arm and muttering.

“I told you to watch your words, Dragon. My fiancé could put you down faster than I could. Take this as a mercy.”

The Dragon recovered after some seconds, my gaze turning toward Yessica.

“Take us to our destination.”

“Yes, right this way.”

She nodded, the four of us walking through the room and into another area.

We were silent until we reached two grand doors leading to another hall. Yessica motioned toward them, stepping to the side.

“His Majesty is inside. Please enter.”

“Let’s see this new teacher of yours.”

I stepped forward with Umara, the doors automatically opening before we could push them.

What we walked into wasn’t a reception hall, but a massive study. It was filled with arcane artifacts that twisted the air and made my senses tingle with danger.

My eyes immediately fell on the Dragon in the center. Sitting atop a large stone pad, 200 feet tall even as he lay down. The room was built proportional to his bulk, the ceilings at least two thousand feet high and completely glass, with massive magical openings to allow the Dragon to fly in and out comfortably.

He looked at us with massive white eyes, his body composed of purple scales that crackled with lightning when he shifted. I noticed around the room there were huge metal pylons and metal structures along the walls, most likely grounding rods for whatever lightning inadvertently discharged off the Dragon’s body, preventing it from killing anyone.

He was at least Authority 11, not quite a Sovereign. I wasn’t sure if the Dragons even had any more of those, though I was inclined to believe they did. There was no way they were here though.

The Dragon, his Majesty Zirion, smiled at us, baring teeth bigger than I was. He spoke after the grand doors closed behind us, with a voice as deep as the thunder I’d hear during a lightning storm.

“Apologies for the incident, young ones. Please forgive their ignorance. They have been too sheltered during their lives. Sometimes, not even age can fix the shortcomings of one’s environment.”

“It’s no big deal. I know I’m not the most pleasing soul to look at.”

I responded with a casual smile, Zirion humming with a rumble before looking at Luna.

“You’ve brought me a talented one, Lady Luna. I will admit that I had little hope.”

“She’s one of the most impressive Warlocks I’ve ever seen. With little guidance, she’s reached heights that will soon surpass mine. I’m sure in your hands, she’ll break records.”

“We shall see. Since you have delivered them to me, you may leave whenever you wish. I will ensure proper accommodation.”

“Sure thing. Have fun, you two.”

Luna gave us goodbyes before exiting the room. Our attention returned to Zirion, who remained on the massive stone bed.

He looked at Umara.

“Umara Talerria. Authority 9, enlightened with your Air and Fire Elements. How fitting. You’ve been brought here so that I may impart some of my knowledge, particularly in the ways of Space. I understand that you are endeavoring in the topics of teleportation?”

“I am, Your Majesty. Some of its secrets still elude me.”

“Well, what would space be if not secretive? But fear not. Should you accept, I will take you on as my student for as long as it takes to achieve your goal. This is my deal with Lady Luna.”

“What did she give you for this?”

Umara quickly asked, mirroring my slight skepticism. I doubted that this rich Dragon would teach for nothing.

Zirion chuckled though, his laughter shaking the atmosphere.

“The deal is your success, Umara. She has informed me of why you’re doing this and the plans your fiancé has for the future. Recovering the corpses of our massacred kin has been the dream of every dragon for centuries, the most blemishing stain on our pride and our species. Your success promises to rectify this, and that was all I needed to hear.

“You will have my undivided assistance in your task, and I will teach you everything you need to know to succeed by yourself. While I could give you a spell and enchantment right this moment, I prefer to invest in a talent that can take my knowledge and continue to grow and fight the demons of this world. I will not spare the effort and I certainly won’t allow your potential to stagnate. But only if you’re open to taking me as your master.”

Umara’s brows raised. She turned to me, as if looking for an answer.

I smirked.

“What are you looking so cute for?”

“Well, I’m just worried about the time commitment. This won’t be a short project…”

“Don’t be an idiot, honey. The corpses ain’t going anywhere.”

“…Fine.”

Umara smiled and turned back to Zirion, bowing.

“I greet Master Zirion.”

“Splendid! I’ve taken few human students over the years. This should be quite entertaining. I’ll arrange residence within the palace and have a space built for your studies. For now, if you two wish, you can head to the Commons and have a gander with the beasts and Flickers there. I’m sure your own companion has been eager to play with more kindred.”

“Yes, Pup has been quite jumpy.”

Umara chuckled, going back to linking her arm with mine.

Zirion nodded and raised his head back up high.

“Very well. Come find me tomorrow. John Cooper, you are welcome to stay as you wish. The teleporter is open to you, but I ask for discretion. This place is secret, and whether you know how to find it or not, we would prefer to keep our existence hidden.”

“I happen to be very good at keeping secrets.”

Umara chuckled at that. I was willing to bet that Zirion knew little about Iron Legion in general, even from the information Luna gave him.

After a bit more discussion the two of us took our leave. We decided to hang around the city, and I didn’t mind staying in this place for a few days. It was quite the sight, and I wanted to collect as much intel as possible.

When night came, I’d know where this place was located on the map. After that, I could work on trying to find out why this place was called the Gateway.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep