Chapter 1701 - 1701. Chance
The sudden event shocked the trio. Noah and the others were returning to their army, but a rank 9 magical beast had flown relatively near them.
The lion didn"t move, but the team"s instincts only felt danger at that sight. The creature had yet to awake, but the trio couldn"t understand how injured it was.
Noah, the Foolery, and Wilfred were hybrids. Having rank 9 materials in their reach was the greatest temptation of their life. The lion"s condition also seemed quite awful, so they wouldn"t get another chance to obtain such a powerful body anytime soon.
Still, the three hybrids weren"t stupid. They knew how dangerous magical beasts could be, especially when it came to one in the ninth rank. Even their joint efforts might not allow them to defeat the injured creature. Actually, their instincts were telling them that they had no chance to win.
Countless thoughts ran through Noah"s mind. He considered every possible path and approach, but he couldn"t come up with much in that situation. He didn"t have many options when it came to rank 9 existences.
The area began to melt as the creature"s mane fused with the world. The s.h.i.+ning glow radiated from its figure was too much for the Immortal Lands. The already fragile laws of the area couldn"t withstand the lion"s pressure, and everything worsened when it started to struggle to stand up.
Noah could immediately understand that his time was running out. The magical beast didn"t seem to care about them, but he didn"t want to let go of that chance.
Talking was out of the question. The lion"s pack was still fighting against the human platoon, and the creature had just suffered a ma.s.sive blow. Trying to establish a conversation with such an angry and hurried magical beast was purely suicidal.
Running away was the sanest option, but it would bring Noah back to square one. He would lose his chance to gain an advantage in the incoming task, and he desperately wanted to improve his situation.
Noah had to activate the Demonic Deduction technique to find something that could work in that situation.
In theory, the lions weren"t much different from the sharks. Their mutation seemed to have fewer flaws, but they were nothing more than magical beasts affected by the chaotic laws.
The lions appeared able to affect the world"s laws slightly, but they lacked the Devils" overwhelming influence. They had developed a resistance to Heaven and Earth, but they weren"t perfect enemies.
The creature did its best to stand up, and Noah didn"t hesitate to condense a ma.s.sive amount of darkness in his hand. He then grabbed his two companions and threw them backward before launching his ma.s.s of energy toward the lion.
Noah"s actions had been too sudden. Wilfred and the Foolery found themselves flying backward toward their army in the distance. Meanwhile, the ma.s.s of darkness reached the lion and fused with its body.
The lion promptly turned its head toward the source of the attack. A shockwave spread through the area due to that violent movement. A large patch of the ground shattered in the process. However, the creature couldn"t see anyone behind it. It could only sense three presences that were running away in the distance.
The creature couldn"t bother to chase those weak existences while its pack was busy dealing with a threatening opponent. The lion leapt forward after it straightened its position, and its figure disappeared in a white flash.
Noah came out of the Shadow Domain when he saw that the lion had ignored him. His instincts were fighting inside his mind, but a satisfied smile appeared on his face nonetheless.
Wilfred and the Foolery eventually reached Noah, and their confused expressions spoke for them. They couldn"t understand what had happened, especially since the attack didn"t seem to affect the lion at all.
"You can"t possibly hope to fight a rank 9 existence," Wilfred shouted.
"Fighting them is impossible," Noah revealed in a cold tone. "I"ve only given the lions a weapon that could turn the scales of the battle. I bet that Heaven and Earth wouldn"t expect me to be so selfless."
"What have you done?" Wilfred asked as his gaze went on the battlefield.
"Nothing much," Noah laughed when he saw a faint dark halo appearing among the whiteness of the battlefield. "The lions didn"t have the power to mutate the environment. Now they have it."
Wilfred still struggled to believe in Noah"s words, but he couldn"t deny the event that followed his statement. A lump of blackness had appeared among the whiteness and continued to expand.
The Demonic Deduction technique had told Noah that winning against a rank 9 magical beast was impossible. It didn"t matter how injured it was. Yet, Noah"s true opponents were Heaven and Earth, and his influence could counter them.
Noah had done nothing more than giving a lump of his darkness to the lion. The creature had to understand how to use that power, but Noah believed in that rank 9 existence. It would make sense for the lion to develop a quick ability that relied on that power.
The darkness wouldn"t trigger any transformation either, but it could add something to the lions" offensive, especially if it spread.
Noah"s guess turned out to be correct since the black patch among that whiteness intensified. Noah would never be able to do something similar at his current level, but the rank 9 magical beast was using his energy carefully.
"We must regroup now," Noah ordered. "My energy won"t last for long. We have to exploit this moment when the human troops are suffering from the lions" new ability."
Wilfred and the Foolery immediately went silent and began to fly at full speed back to the army. It would take them a few months to regroup with everyone, but Noah believed that the lions were smart enough to preserve his energy.
The quick return of the trio alerted the army, but King Elbas and the others soon calmed everyone down. However, a series of shocking words followed Noah"s arrival.
"The mission starts now," Noah shouted as roars mixed with his human voice. "I"ve managed to taint one of the rank 9 leaders on the magical beasts" side. I don"t know for how long it will manage to use my energy."
"Are you crazy?" Moira complained. "What if they develop abilities similar to your law?"
"I don"t care as long as it hurts Heaven and Earth," Noah coldly replied.
His glance quickly fell on King Elbas, who promptly nodded. The trio had traveled for years, so he already had a working prototype ready for the mission.
Robert, Harold, Luke, Divine Demon, and Fergie abandoned their projects and gathered around Noah. They were ready to leave, but Moira and her army hesitated.
"This is too sudden," Moira complained. "We aren"t ready. You don"t even have a proper plan. Do you expect us to follow you into that battlefield only because you managed to taint a lion with your energy?"
"I don"t expect anything," Noah replied, "But I know what happens when I order weaklings around."
Noah roared toward the sky, and his pride intensified. Waves of his consciousness spread through the army and seeped into the experts" minds. Noah"s call was oppressive and captivating at the same time, and most of the weaker troops couldn"t resist it.
Moira saw most of her army breaking their ranks and gathering around Noah. They had fallen prey to his ability to control weaker existences, which left only liquid stage cultivators among her group.
"Are they enough?" Noah asked while turning toward King Elbas.
"More than enough," King Elbas announced. "Many of them will die, but we should still be able to reach the intended amount of power."
"We leave now then," Noah ordered while turning and shooting toward the white battlefield.
Noah didn"t plan to enter the battlefield, but it was pointless to take a long path around it, especially since the human side seemed to pay attention to that location.
Moira and the other liquid stage leaders saw most of their entire army following Noah and leaving them behind. The tables had turned for those experts, and a simple exchange of glances made them decide to suppress their hesitation. They would also follow Noah in his crazy plan.