Chapter 1699 - 1699. Tension
Noah"s army didn"t have any choice. They had to investigate the outcome of the battle among rank 9 existences to develop a proper plan. They had a vague tactic that could lead them back to the other side of the Immortal Lands, but they still had many hindrances to consider.
The journey back to the first floating lake would take years, and Noah even planned to slow down that travel. His companions still had a lot to prepare, especially when it came to matters vital to the task.
King Elbas had to build inscribed items capable of stabilizing the collapse of the dimensional tunnel. They had to be strong enough to sustain the energy released by countless experts while fending off Heaven and Earth"s external pressure.
The task couldn"t require normal rank 8 inscribed items. King Elbas had to create something that bordered the ninth rank, which required his entire expertise, countless valuable materials, and a lot of time.
The Foolery had yet to come out of the chrysalis, and Noah needed its help. Only Robert and he had the power to deal with Heaven and Earth"s laws in their current state, so obtaining a new valuable ally was vital to the mission.
Wilfred and the others had to develop methods to counter Heaven and Earth"s laws. The process would generally take millennia, but Noah"s influence quickened the evolution of their techniques. He could hope that his companions would find a solution before the battle near the floating lake.
Moira"s team and underlings had to accept Noah"s position fully. The plan sounded suicidal, but they had to follow it since their help was necessary for the mission"s success. King Elbas" item would require a lot of energy, and Noah"s companions couldn"t provide it by themselves.
"If only I could gain real access to the lions," Noah thought while flying across the Immortal Lands and spreading his influence on the world.
Noah knew how magical beasts thought. It was even easier to discern their behavior when it came to powerful creatures since their journey usually forced them to develop a rudimentary intelligence.
The lions were Noah"s natural allies, and he was the only existence in the world capable of enhancing their mutations. The Devils could normally do the same, but Noah guessed that they had all died on the battlefield.
The long journey back to the floating lake intensified the tension that filled the group. Doubts grew on Moira"s side, and even Noah"s companions started to believe that they were approaching the final battle too quickly.
The army had too much to prepare. They were advancing slowly across the Immortal Lands, but that wouldn"t be enough to achieve a decent power. The most likely outcome was death, and those experts didn"t know how willing they were to face it.
Noah could only try to explain Heaven and Earth"s behavior from time to time. He couldn"t force his companions to be brave, especially those who didn"t know him. Being the leader of that army turned out to be quite hard, but he handled the matter to the best of his faculties.
The destination drew near, and that made the army slow down even more. Noah and Robert made sure that Heaven and Earth couldn"t reach their areas, but that was only delaying the inevitable.
Truth be told, no amount of training could prepare those troops for rank 9 existences. Even Noah had his doubts about that part of the mission. His d.e.s.i.r.e to set a deal with the lions intensified as the group approached their destination, but he still lacked ideas on how he could bring those creatures on his side.
"Inspecting the battlefield has the priority," Noah repeated in his mind. "Everything will be clearer once I see how the battle has gone. It"s pointless to hesitate now."
Noah"s focus remained on transforming the environment and creating a mutated halo that s.h.i.+elded his army from Heaven and Earth. Everything else would come after seeing the actual battlefield.
Their destination eventually unfolded in their eyes. The army could finally see the first floating lake again, but they remained speechless when they noticed that blinding white light still occupied part of that area.
"Are they still fighting?" Fergie asked at the sight of the white halo.
"That"s not surprising," Noah replied. "A rank 9 magical beast should have nigh-unlimited resilience, and there are two of them on the battlefield. The chaotic laws have even improved their species, so they should be quite strong."
"The other side has a potentially immortal rank 9 cultivator equipped with weapons meant to destroy mutations," Robert commented when he joined the conversation. "I"m not surprised that Lord Augustus is keeping up with the numerical disadvantage."
"What do you think happened to the other troops?" Wilfred asked.
"The humans should also be immortal," King Elbas explained. "Instead, the magical beasts should only be resilient."
"There are many variables," Noah added. "Heaven and Earth want to spare energy. I"m not too sure they will revive the weaker troops as long as the rank 9 cultivator requires power."
"We are doing great with this plan," Divine Demon laughed while taking a jug of wine from his s.p.a.ce-ring.
"Are you having fun?" Moira shouted while glancing toward Divine Demon. "All the organizations willing to oppose Heaven and Earth have come forward. We have decided to fight by your side, but we need to act seriously on the planning part. I suggest we avoid improvising here."
"I wish I were having fun too," The Foolery"s voice resounded in the area, and everyone promptly turned toward the ma.s.s of dark matter that floated next to Noah.
"Can it hear us?" Wilfred asked.
Noah studied the insides of the chrysalis and felt happy to discover that the transformation was almost complete. The Foolery only had to go through the last phase before coming out of that layer of dark matter.
"It"s almost out," Noah explained.
"I guess we should settle and tune our abilities for the imminent battle," King Elbas proposed.
"You should," Noah replied. "I want to follow another path. I want to see if I can get to the lairs of the lions."
"You can"t leave now," Moira complained. "You have led us here. I won"t let you use us as baits."
"You can never be a bait," Robert explained. "These mutated areas protect you from Heaven and Earth"s inspection. They would sense you out there."
"I still think we should all go there," Delbert said. "We should at least share the chance to die."
"I will wait for the Foolery to come out and go alone," Noah sighed. "Maybe the pig can come, but you all must remain here and guard these safe areas."
"Do I keep expanding then?" Robert asked.
"Never stop expanding," Noah announced. "We are against an immense world. We must seize every chance we have to transform it."
Robert snorted after that remark, but he quickly went back on his task. The rest of the soldiers did the same. They built an encampment and resumed working on their laws.
Noah worked together with King Elbas to create dispensers for his ambition. He was preparing himself for the imminent travel, and he couldn"t let his companions train without proper motivation or fuel.
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Author"s notes: My right arm is still sore. I"ve endured the past two days, but it doesn"t want to move as usual now. I"ll write the next chapters after sleeping, and I might not publish Chaos" Heir at all to take care of Demonic Sword. Mind you. This isn"t a break. It"s just a delay.