Reptiles generally prefer warm and humid environments, and even extraordinary beings like dragons are no different. Only the Frost Dragon was an exception, they chose to nest in cold and lifeless places.
Even Frost Dragons almost always opted for higher ground to build their lairs, reducing various troubles and investing their limited time in infinite slumber.
So, the ice plain was currently Adam's best choice. Without the threat of other colossal dragons and no complicated races to drive away, the annoying dragon slayers would also reduce their harassment frequency due to the harsh cold.
This would offer him a considerable amount of time for growth, arguably making it the ideal nesting site for now.
"So, Kambi, do you know the exact location of the ice plain?"
Kambi nodded repeatedly, "Yes. The ice plain is near the legendary world border, the northernmost part of our world."
World border, a concept Adam had almost forgotten if not for Kambi's mention. The Mage World was too vast and kept expanding. For an average mage, it was hard to find the real world border there. However, in this Plane, the world border remained constant, and any mortal race, if lucky, could experience it firsthand.
Knowing the existence of the world border made the ice plain even more critical for Adam. The rune array of Plane Sacrifice Magic Array needs to be placed at the Plane's strongest, weakest, and most unstable points. The world border is undoubtedly one of them.
Adam perked up and asked Kambi, "Have you been there?"
Kambi's excitement waned a bit, looking somewhat embarrassed. "No. It's not a suitable place for us, so very few external races approach it. But I know it's not far from here."
Adam nodded and gently patted his shoulder with his wing, "Lead the way then. If the information is accurate, you will get everything you desire."
After Adam left the tribe, Lina led the remaining tribespeople to meet the Dragon Slayer Guild's envoy. She had prepared a story of being a survivor of a destroyed tribe, planning to use this tale to persuade the envoy.
However, there was one major issue: the survivors were too many and too strong. Nearly forty Nature Controllers were a powerful force wherever they were. To increase credibility, she had to temporarily hide some of the tribespeople and gradually bring them back under her control once she successfully joined the Dragon Slayer Guild.
She picked out three weaker elves to follow her, ordered the rest to disperse, adjusted her mood, and slowly approached the envoy's direction.
"You're forest elves? How are you so powerful?" The envoy landed quickly, adopting a defensive posture.
Lina feigned great surprise, her voice tinged with excitement, "May I ask, are you an envoy of the Dragon Slayer Guild?"
The envoy grew more cautious. Elemental fluctuations emanated from him, his feet sinking into the ground, ready for either a strong attack or an escape. "Who exactly are you? How do you know who I am? No! You've been watching me! Have you been tracking me all this way?"
Switching to a mournful expression, Lina spoke tearfully, "Sir, we are forest elves from the Greenleaf Tribe. Our tribe was destroyed; only a few of us survived."
The envoy voiced his suspicions, "The Greenleaf Tribe? I remember your chieftain's name is Jansen. Where is he?"
Internally contemptuous, Lina thought the envoy a mere novice despite being part of a faction that openly opposed dragons. "Jansen? No, my father's name was Vernon. Before he died, he told us to wait for you, the envoy. He said only the Guild has the power to avenge us. Please trust us; all our kinsfolk and my father were killed by that evil Frost Dragon. We want revenge; let us join you, please!"
Though her performance was poor by her own assessment, Lina was amazed when the envoy seemed to believe her.
The envoy didn't cease gathering energy but was far less wary. It wasn't uncommon for unfortunate races to be exterminated by dragons for angering them. The Guild had absorbed quite a few such remnants. Although their numbers were smaller, they were powerful---Nature Controllers, a rare class.
And the envoy was confident that even if these forest elves were problematic, they wouldn't betray the Guild after witnessing its power. After all, it was a path for mortals to break free from their bloodline's limitations, to 'cultivate' just like the dragons.
Above the wastelands, Adam adjusted his direction, gripping Kambi as they flew above the cloud layer. While the extreme cold was comfortable for Adam, Kambi found it unbearable, wrapping himself with energy and shivering.
"Master, your little maid has made contact with the Dragon Slayer Guild." The journey was boring, and the devil, having nothing better to do, projected its consciousness into a slave to witness different scenarios through the slave's eyes.
"Did it go smoothly?"
"Unbelievably so. The envoy seems to have no brain," the devil grumbled, still bothered by Adam's earlier assessment. "Your little maid said a few words, and he believed her."
Adam paused slightly. He had previously agreed that Lina could reveal his existence and the bloodline purification experiments to gain trust, but he didn't expect the trust to come so easily upon actual contact.
This guild must have significant issues. Adam was almost certain that their ultimate goal was definitely not as simple as slaying dragons. The hidden agenda must be incredibly shocking and strange; otherwise, no organization would recklessly recruit members like this, effectively exposing themselves for anyone to scrutinize freely.
"Unless they're doing this on purpose. But what role could numbers play?" Adam pondered, puzzled.
The devil mumbled, "This Dragon Slayer Guild doesn't even seem like an alliance. It's more like a cult. Only a cult would indiscriminately recruit members like this because only a cult would have broad and weird methods of brainwashing."
Adam abruptly halted his flight, narrowly avoiding a massive bolt of lightning that struck in front of him. He felt the devil had hit the nail on the head; the behavior of the Dragon Slayer Guild indeed resembled that of a cult, or a real religion. Is their goal to gather believers and accumulate the power of faith? He thought to himself.
"This Plane doesn't seem as simple as I thought," Adam murmured.
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