Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner-Chapter 586: Angel of death 1

Noah sat on the steps outside Eclipse headquarters, watching the two drakes explore their new surroundings with the kind of cautious curiosity that reminded him of puppies in a new home. Except these puppies were fifteen feet long and could melt stone with their breath.

The female was more reserved, keeping close to the building’s exterior, sniffing at equipment that had been left outside, occasionally pawing at interesting objects. The male was bolder, ranging further, investigating the landing pad’s edge, the transport vehicles, even trying to stick his head into an open cargo container before deciding it wasn’t interesting.

’I need names for them,’ Noah thought, staring at the system prompt that hung in his vision.

[Bonded Creatures Require Designation]

[Please Assign Names to Larva Cave Drakes]

[Note: Names become permanent upon assignment and affect creature development]

The problem was that nothing felt right. He’d been sitting here for twenty minutes running through options in his head, and everything sounded either too generic or too ridiculous.

"What are you doing?"

Noah looked up to see Reyna and Marcus approaching, both of them wearing the curious expressions of people who’d heard about the new arrivals but hadn’t seen them up close yet.

"Trying to come up with names," Noah replied, gesturing at the drakes. "The system’s asking me to designate them, and I’m stuck."

Even though most of the recruits had no idea what he meant by "The system" since he used that phrase a lot, they just went along with it. Their leader was quite mysterious and had a lot of things going.

Marcus crouched down to get a better look at the male drake, who’d noticed them approaching and was now staring with multiple eyes that tracked independently. "What about Blaze? He’s literally on fire half the time."

"Too obvious," Noah said.

"Magma?" Reyna suggested, watching the female sniff at a piece of equipment. "Since they’ve got that lava pattern thing going on?"

"Also too obvious. And kind of lazy."

"Prometheus?" Marcus tried again. "You know, the guy who stole fire from the gods?"

"That’s just showing off that you know mythology. Doesn’t fit the drake."

Reyna laughed. "Okay, what about Spicy and Extra Spicy? Since they’re both hot?"

"Now you’re just being ridiculous."

"You asked for suggestions!" Reyna protested, though she was grinning. "We’re trying here."

More faction members had noticed the gathering and were approaching, curiosity overcoming caution. A younger recruit, maybe eighteen, edged close enough to the female drake to offer her something from his water bottle.

The drake sniffed at it, then extended her tongue to lap at the water. She drank maybe half the bottle’s contents before pulling back, tilting her head like she was processing the experience.

Then she started coughing.

Not regular coughing. Violent, hacking sounds that made everyone nearby take several steps back. The drake’s body convulsed with each cough, her patterns flaring brighter with distress.

"Is she okay?" someone asked, worry evident in their voice.

Noah was already moving toward her when ash started coming out of her mouth. Actual ash, black and grey particles that scattered across the ground with each cough, creating small clouds that dissipated quickly in the afternoon air.

The coughing fit lasted maybe ten seconds before stopping abruptly. The drake shook her head like a dog shaking off water, sneezed once more for good measure, then immediately trotted off toward where the male was standing.

The male made a questioning sound, something between a chirp and a growl. The female rubbed her head against his neck in what was clearly reassurance, her patterns returning to their normal gentle yellow.

Noah stood there watching them, and the name hit him with perfect clarity.

"Ash," he said aloud, watching the male drake who’d just witnessed his mate’s coughing fit. "Because of what just happened, and because his coloring’s got those dark patterns mixed in."

The system responded immediately.

[Name Accepted: Ash]

[Designation Confirmed for Male Larva Cave Drake]

The male’s head turned toward Noah at the sound of his new name, like he recognized it on some instinctive level.

"And Ember," Noah continued, looking at the female who was still leaning against Ash’s side. "Because she’s the spark that started this whole thing, and her patterns burn brighter than his."

[Name Accepted: Ember]

[Designation Confirmed for Female Larva Cave Drake]

[Bonding Process Complete]

[New Interface Options Unlocked]

Both drakes were watching him now, their attention focused in ways that suggested they understood something significant had just happened.

[Call Phrases Required]

[Please Designate Individual Summoning Commands]

[Note: Call phrases establish unique resonance between summoner and bonded creatures]

Noah thought about his existing dragons. Storm’s call was "Fall"—a command that brought the Blizzard Monarch down from whatever altitude he was operating at. Nyx responded to "Ascend," acknowledging his tendency to launch himself skyward before attacks. Ivy’s was "Bloom," representing her nature-based abilities manifesting.

The drakes were different. Fire-based, ground-oriented, working as a bonded pair.

"Their call phrase is Ignite," Noah said. "Joint command for both of them since they operate together."

[Call Phrase Accepted: Ignite]

[Ash and Ember will respond to joint summoning]

[Note: Individual commands can be established later if separation becomes necessary]

"Alright," Noah said, looking at the small crowd that had gathered. "I’m taking them into the domain to meet the big guys. Say goodbye."

Several people waved. Someone called out "good luck" like Noah was about to introduce his new girlfriend to disapproving parents rather than introducing fire lizards to dragons.

"Ash, Ember, come here."

Both drakes responded immediately, trotting over to stand on either side of him. Their loyalty was almost unsettling given that he’d met them less than two hours ago, but the bonding process apparently created connections that transcended normal animal behavior.

Noah activated Domain Travel, spending the void energy required to bring passengers with him. Purple energy erupted around all three of them, reality folding inward.

The transition completed in microseconds. Noah’s boots hit grass that shouldn’t exist in any physical location, standing in the pocket dimension he owned and maintained. The sky above was bright without a visible sun, just ambient light that came from everywhere and nowhere. The grassland extended to the horizon in every direction, broken only by the den structure he’d created for his dragons.

The den sat maybe a hundred meters away, a cave system that Noah had built by spending void coins through the system’s reality manipulation features. It wasn’t fancy, just functional—a large entrance, multiple chambers inside, enough space for three dragons to coexist comfortably.

Storm emerged first, his black scales with blue patterns catching the ambient light as he launched himself from the den entrance. He covered the distance in seconds, landing maybe twenty feet from Noah with enough force to create small tremors.

Ash and Ember both tensed, their body temperatures spiking, patterns flaring to orange. Defensive posture, preparing for potential conflict.

Storm tilted his head, studying the drakes with clear curiosity. Then he chirped—that same sound he’d made when he was just a hatchling, before he’d grown into a creature that could level buildings. The sound was incongruous coming from something the size of a truck, but it was unmistakably friendly.

Both drakes relaxed slightly, though they stayed close to Noah.

Ivy emerged next, her violet scales making her stand out against the green grass. She was the second largest of the dragons, her size impressive but still smaller than Nyx. She approached more cautiously than Storm had, her movements deliberate, assessing the newcomers without aggression.

Ember made a sound, something between a whine and a purr. Ivy paused, her head tilting in response, then continued forward until she was close enough to sniff at the drake. Whatever she detected must have been acceptable because she settled onto the grass nearby, clearly content to observe rather than engage directly.

Then Nyx appeared.

The Red Death Dragon was the largest by a significant margin. His red scales gleamed like fresh blood, his size making even Storm look small by comparison. When he emerged from the den, his presence dominated the space, made the air feel heavier.

Ash and Ember both dropped low immediately. Not cowering, but submitting. Clear acknowledgment of hierarchy, of recognizing something more powerful than themselves.

Nyx approached slowly, his movements carrying the kind of confidence that came from being genuinely dangerous. He lowered his head to sniff at both drakes, his breath hot enough that Noah could see heat shimmer in the air around them.

For several seconds, nobody moved. Nyx completing his inspection, the drakes maintaining their submissive posture, Storm and Ivy watching from their respective positions.

Then Nyx made a sound that might have been approval. He settled onto the grass, his massive bulk creating an indentation, and just watched the drakes with eyes that suggested he’d decided they weren’t threats.

Storm took that as permission to engage. He launched himself at Ash, not attacking but clearly initiating play. The two collided in a tangle of scales and limbs, rolling across the grass while making sounds that were definitely playful rather than aggressive.

Ember watched them for a moment, then moved closer to Ivy. The dragon and the drake regarded each other for several seconds before Ember settled down beside her, maintaining respectful distance but clearly comfortable.

Noah found himself smiling despite everything. "Glad you all get along. Would’ve been awkward if Nyx decided they were food."

Nyx’s head turned toward him, eyes carrying what Noah chose to interpret as amusement rather than consideration of that exact scenario.

’They seem calm today,’ Noah thought, studying his dragons. ’Less restless than they’ve been. Maybe the distraction of new arrivals is helping, or maybe that alpha signal is weakening. Either way, I’ll take it.’

He spent the next thirty minutes just watching them interact. Storm and Ash had transitioned from play-fighting to what looked like a race, both of them sprinting across the grassland at speeds that would terrify anyone who had to face them in combat. Ember and Ivy had apparently bonded over being the calmer members of the group, both of them resting peacefully while watching the chaos.

Eventually, Noah decided he needed to address the other thing that had been occupying his mind. The forging decision. He pulled up his system interface, reviewing the options he’d examined last night.

[Monarch’s Seal - 34% Success Rate]

[Oracle’s Veil - 41% Success Rate]

[Reaper’s Grip - 25% Success Rate]

He’d spent hours yesterday analyzing these options, trying to make an informed decision without enough information. But staring at the same data wasn’t producing new insights.

’I need practical testing,’ Noah realized. ’Not just theoretical analysis. I need to know what these items actually do, which means I need to either take the risk and forge one blindly, or find some other way to gather information the system won’t provide.’

An idea began forming. Incomplete, but promising.

He stood up, brushing grass from his tactical pants. "Alright everyone, I’ll be back later. Try not to destroy the domain while I’m gone."

Storm chirped in response. Nyx ignored him completely. Ivy and Ember didn’t react. Ash was too busy running to notice Noah was leaving.

’Good enough.’

Noah activated his domain travel, reality folding as he returned to Eclipse headquarters. He emerged outside the main building where several faction members were still lingering, having apparently decided watching the space where Noah had disappeared was interesting enough to stick around.

"Reyna," Noah called out, spotting her near the entrance. "You busy?"

She looked up from the tablet she’d been reviewing. "Not particularly. Why?"

"Need you to come with me. Grab a transport."

Reyna’s eyebrows rose but she didn’t argue, just moved toward where the faction’s vehicles were parked. "Where are we going?"

"Task force headquarters," Noah replied, following her. "The new vigilante coordination system Sebastian set up."

They boarded a transport, Reyna taking the pilot’s seat while Noah settled into the passenger position. The vehicle lifted off smoothly, rising above Eclipse headquarters before banking toward the eastern sector where the governor’s new security infrastructure was concentrated.

"Any particular reason we’re visiting the task force?" Reyna asked, navigating through aerial traffic that was still lighter than pre-Kruel levels but rebuilding gradually.

"Need to talk to someone about something."

"That’s wonderfully vague."

"I excel at vague."

The flight took maybe fifteen minutes. The task force headquarters occupied what used to be a military installation before the restructuring. Fortified walls, defensive emplacements, the kind of setup that suggested serious resources had been invested in making this operation functional.

They landed on a designated pad, cleared security through checkpoints that were thorough but efficient, and were eventually directed toward the command center.

That’s when Noah saw who he came looking for from afar.

Angel stood near a tactical display showing real-time patrol routes across the eastern quadrant, her attention focused on data streams that updated continuously. She’d changed from the tactical red suit Noah remembered into something more suited to command operations—still practical, still clearly designed for rapid deployment if needed, but with more communication equipment integrated.

She looked up as they approached, her expression shifting from focused to surprised. "Noah Eclipse. Didn’t expect to see you here."

"Surprise visit," Noah replied. "Got time to talk?"

"Always." She gestured at the tactical display. "Let me show you what we’ve built first. You’re going to want to see this."

The tour was comprehensive. Angel walked them through the entire system—patrol routes optimized based on population density and previous attack patterns, rapid response teams positioned strategically across the quadrant, communication networks that could coordinate multiple faction groups simultaneously.

"We’ve divided the eastern cardinal into sectors," Angel explained, highlighting sections of the map. "Each sector has assigned patrol groups, rotation schedules designed to prevent fatigue, backup protocols if any team encounters threats beyond their capability."

"How many factions are participating?" Reyna asked, clearly fascinated despite herself.

"Forty-seven currently, with another dozen in evaluation stages. Eclipse was one of the first to sign on, which gave the program legitimacy. Others followed once they saw it was serious infrastructure rather than just political theater."

She pulled up statistics showing response times, threat eliminations, civilian casualties prevented. The numbers were impressive, suggesting the system was actually working rather than just existing on paper.

"Since implementation three weeks ago, we’ve had zero beast breaches reach civilian populations. Category four encounters are down sixty percent because we’re catching them at the perimeter. Overall security metrics are approaching pre-Kruel levels, which honestly I didn’t think was possible this quickly."

Noah studied the data, genuinely impressed. "You built this in three weeks?"

"Built the framework in one week. Spent two weeks optimizing based on field results." Angel’s expression carried satisfaction that was clearly earned. "Governor Sebastian gave me complete authority to structure this however I thought would work best. No bureaucratic interference, no committee approvals required. Just results."

They spent another twenty minutes discussing specifics—equipment distribution, communication protocols, integration with EDF operations. Eventually they ended up in a quieter section of the command center, fewer people around to overhear conversations.

"So," Angel said, leaning against a console. "Why are you actually here? This isn’t a social visit."

Noah glanced around, confirming they had relative privacy. Reyna had wandered off to examine some equipment displays, giving them space.

"I need to ask you a favor."

Angel’s eyebrows rose slightly. "Does this favor involve fighting a Harbinger mothership? Because if so, I’m in. You don’t even have to ask."

Noah smiled despite himself. "No motherships this time. Something different."

"Then what?"

He met her eyes directly, his expression serious.

"I need you to fight me."

Angel stared at him for several seconds, her face going through several expressions before settling on something between disbelief and concern.

"You want me to what?"