Chapter 403: Caught

For a few seconds, Luke’s mind went completely blank. He remained silent for another moment until Jorma’s voice broke through his thoughts.

"They aren’t advancing straight ahead. They’ve stopped here."

Luke immediately turned toward him. "Where are they? And what are they doing?" A trace of frustration slipped into his voice when he realized the dragons had made their move far earlier than he had anticipated.

The system had most likely been wrong to give him an eight-hour timer. Forget convincing them. Luke didn’t believe Agatha would have even reached the dragons in the first place, much less persuaded them to reconsider their course.

’This is just fucked up.’

Jorma continued staring ahead, his unblinking eyes fixed on something Luke could not yet see. After a moment, he muttered, "They’re here to speak with the elder."

"Then what are we doing here?" Luke urged. "Let’s go."

Jorma clicked his tongue, clearly unconvinced. "I doubt they’ll let us in, but let’s go."

He reached for Luke’s hand, and before Luke could say anything else, the world around them vanished.

...

"Woah."

As his vision gradually cleared, Luke finally caught his first glimpse of the enormous tree these people worshipped.

He was standing directly before it.

The trunk alone was so massive that it would have taken him at least half an hour to walk around its circumference. Its bark rose like the walls of an ancient fortress, disappearing upward into a canopy so vast that, even with his head tilted back, Luke could not make out where the tree ended.

For a moment, he simply stared.

Then he remembered why they were here.

They had not come to admire the tree.

"Um, I wish to meet the masters. There is something urgent I need to talk to them about," Jorma said to the guards standing before the entrance. His voice carried an urgency that almost made Luke scoff.

Just an hour ago, this same man had been almost completely indifferent to humanity and the fate that was approaching them. Now he was willingly taking this kind of risk, even going so far as to bring Luke directly into the heart of their territory.

If it was to be revealed that Luke was a human, all the connection and influence Jorma has built over the years, it would all come down to ashes.

And yet, the man seemed to have forgotten about the risk part.

Luke could not help but find the change amusing.

Still, if nothing else, he was grateful to the man.

But, as expected, the guard did not budge.

"The elders are in a discussion with important guests. You cannot enter, regardless of how important your matter may be."

The elven guard remained completely indifferent to Jorma’s identity. Luke had expected as much. The fact that the elders were meeting with important guests, such as the apex predators, was enough to make even someone like Jorma irrelevant at the moment. Whatever status he held elsewhere, it clearly carried little weight within this place.

Luke stepped closer to Jorma and lowered his voice. "I thought elves and dragons didn’t get along very well."

He glanced around the surroundings. There were enormous pieces of artillery positioned throughout the perimeter, their designs clearly intended to bring down creatures that could take to the skies. The sheer size of some of them left little doubt about what kind of enemies they had been built to fight.

Those weapons alone spoke volumes about the animosity that had existed between the two races.

"There is a diplomatic relationship between the two races. Compromises have been made on both sides to protect the realm." Jorma folded his arms, his voice dropping as though he did not want the guards overhearing their conversation. "Dragons rarely leave their domain, and this venture of annihilation certainly didn’t require them to stop anywhere along the way."

Luke narrowed his eyes.

"Then it’s strange..." He glanced toward the entrance. "Why would they stop here to meet the elven elders? It’s not as though they came to ask for permission, would they?"

Jorma merely shook his head.

Dragons had enough strength and numbers to handle almost every other race all by themselves. And their target was the weakest of them all.

And not like elves could complain later since those compromises never limited them from waging a war. And not like they would have cared if there was one.

Luke was about to suggest something but before he could say anything else, footsteps sounded from within the massive structure.

Someone was approaching.

A female elf emerged from the entrance, her golden hair falling gracefully around her shoulders. She wore an elegant golden dress that followed the lines of her tall, slender figure without appearing restrictive, its fine fabric catching the light with every step.

There was something almost ethereal about her appearance.

Luke found himself staring for a moment longer than he should have. By the time he realized it, he had nearly missed what she said.

"Send them in. They are expected."

"But, my lady... even the slave?" the guard asked, his confusion evident.

The elf said nothing. She merely turned her gaze toward him, and whatever he saw in her eyes was enough to silence the question.

Jorma gave a faint smile and immediately grabbed Luke by the arm, pulling him along before the situation could change.

"Thank you, Lady Terra."

Apparently, Jorma knew her as well.

Luke glanced back as they passed. Terra remained where she was, her narrowed eyes fixed on him. Her gaze was unnervingly intent, lingering on his face as though the fabric covering it offered her no obstruction at all.

Jorma did not linger long enough to give her an opportunity to reconsider.

He pulled Luke through the massive doorway and into the inner structure of the elven residence, built directly against the enormous tree’s ancient trunk.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the sounds of the outside world faded behind them, replaced by the quiet grandeur of a place that had clearly stood there for generations.

They were led through the main hall, where the grandeur of the residence became even more apparent.

The interior had been built around the living structure of the ancient tree rather than against it, with smooth wooden walls curving naturally with the enormous trunk.

Intricate carvings covered the pillars and archways, depicting unfamiliar symbols, graceful elven figures, and scenes that seemed to portray events from an age long forgotten.

Soft golden light filtered through crystalline fixtures suspended from the ceiling, illuminating the polished wooden floor beneath their feet. Vines threaded through the architecture without making the place feel overgrown, their tiny leaves shifting gently despite the absence of any breeze.

Neither Luke nor Jorma spoke as they followed their escort deeper inside. The farther they went, the quieter the residence became. Eventually, they reached a tall wooden door set into the curved wall of the tree.

Two elven guards stood on either side of it.

Beyond that door was the elder’s chamber.

Jorma glanced at Luke once before placing his hand against the massive doors and pushing them open.

As the doors parted, the chamber beyond came into view.

Several figures were gathered inside. Roughly half were elves, while the rest could only be dragons. Their towering physiques and imposing presence made their identities obvious even before Luke sensed the overwhelming power radiating from them.

Luke’s attention, however, immediately settled on one particular figure.

A silver-haired man sat among them, his expression utterly indifferent to their arrival.

Unlike the others, he was neither particularly tall nor broad. Yet there was something about his presence that commanded respect without effort. More tellingly, while every other dragon remained standing, he alone sat at the center of the gathering.

Luke did not need anyone to explain his position.

"Dragon King... Astaroth," he muttered under his breath.

The man’s eyes immediately lifted.

For a brief moment, their gazes met across the chamber.

Then Astaroth spoke.

"Remove the veil."

Jorma’s expression tightened, and for the first time since entering the chamber, a hint of unease crossed his face.

"My Lord... he is just a..."

"I know who he is."

Astaroth’s voice was calm, but it left no room for argument.

Luke felt his body tense.

He had expected resistance, perhaps suspicion, but this was something else entirely. The Dragon King had recognized him without hesitation.

Had someone already told him what had happened between Luke and his mate? Was that the reason they had been allowed into the chamber so easily?

There was no point dwelling on it now.

Whatever Astaroth knew, hiding behind the veil would accomplish nothing.

Luke slowly raised his hand toward his face.

As he removed the mask, everyone in the room remained silent.

There was no gasp or anything which he actually expected considering how magnificent he appeared at the moment.

However, a moment later he realized the reason when Jorma muttered, "Luke...your transformation...it’s gone."

"..."

Nice going.

...

A/N:- Thanks for reading.