Chapter 1863 - 1863

The incredible city covered by the pale-orange halo and the rank 9 Kesier ape in the middle tier that sat lazily on the floating throne created a spectacular scene. The experts would even forget that the environment featured magical beasts if it weren't for the obvious furry creatures standing in front of them. The structures simply didn't seem to suit those usually wild species, but their eyes weren't lying to them.

King Elbas glanced at the middle tier creature before taking out a few inscribed items. Sensors of various kinds started to float around his figure and study the city. His expression changed whenever he understood part of the inscriptions deployed in the area, but his eyebrows never stopped showing his surprise.

Instead, Noah and the others moved their focus on the middle tier creature. Its heavy consciousness didn't press on their minds and only covered the area. It suppressed the orange light radiated by the city and prevented it from spreading in the area, but it didn't seem to carry any ill intention.

Noah and the others stored their weapons and recalled their energy to express their peaceful intentions, and eight large cups materialized in front of the ape when it waved its hand.

The event slightly surprised the eight experts, but they relaxed when they realized that the Kesier ape had only activated the storage properties of the throne with its mental energy. The creature wasn't like Divine Demon.

The cups flew toward the experts, and the latter promptly grabbed them. A grey liquid already filled their insides, and the Kesier apes in the area fixed their gazes on the group as they waited to see their reaction.

"Do we-?" Steven began to ask, but his companions glared at him before he could finish his line.

The expert could only take a deep breath before raising the cup to his lips and taking a sip of the grey liquid. His companions did the same, and a dense warmth soon spread through their insides.

The liquid appeared meant for existences with powerful mental energy. Noah sensed the warmth rising toward his sea of consciousness and enveloping it into an aura that loosened his mental walls.

The process didn't affect the overall firmness of the mental walls. It applied a temporary effect that made them easier to enlarge, and Noah's internal pressure didn't hesitate to join that power. His mind improved at an incredible pace for a few seconds before the effects of the sip vanished.

Noah couldn't help but glance at the middle tier Kesier ape again after experiencing that process. The creature was inspecting the experts while showing a confident expression. It knew exactly how valuable the grey liquid was, but it had still decided to offer it to its violent guests.

'What is it thinking about?' Noah wondered as he took another sip of the grey liquid.

The black hole stepped in at that time. The warmth that tried to flow toward his mind entered the fourth center of power and went through the usual empowerment that the organ applied to every form of energy that it touched.

However, the warmth didn't change at all inside the black hole. The organ failed to improve it due to its already perfect state. It seemed that the Kesier species had created or found the best possible drug for the mental spheres.

That discovery made the whole matter even stranger. Noah couldn't explain why the magical beast would ever offer something so valuable. Still, he didn't lose his chance to drink all of it.

His companions did the same once they confirmed that the liquid didn't have any negative effect. Only King Elbas limited himself to a single sip before deploying even more sensors and inspecting the fabric of that substance.

A frown appeared on the expert's face as his sensors slowly uncovered the secrets behind the liquid's fabric. It turned out to be relatively easy to find out of what it contained, but his stupor came from that precise detail.

King Elbas could see the very fabric of the Kesier runes into that liquid. The substance carried a shattered and dense version of the best training method for the seas of consciousness. Still, its dense structure made it far more powerful than a simple rune.

"How did you even create this?" King Elbas asked. "Do you really belong to the Kesier species?"

Confusion spread among King Elbas' companions, but the latter promptly threw lumps of golden light toward their heads. Noah and the others could experience King Elbas' reasoning and look at the clues he had gathered since he first noticed the strange aspects of the Kesier species once that energy fused with their mental spheres.

The fact that the main materials for the liquid were Kesier runes didn't stop the experts from emptying their cups, but it made them curious about the whole procedure.

Noah even experienced a faint disappointment. The Kesier species usually could ignore their innate aggression due to their intelligence, but the pack encountered of the dead zone was clearly different. Those creatures built marvels and went beyond the limits of the inscription methods known in the world. Still, they seemed to have sacrificed their connection to their peers to achieve that.

The Kesier apes could fuse their runes to empower their leader or other specimens, but the current version appeared unable to use that ability. They lacked the unity that usually reigned among their packs, and Noah saw that as a step back in their evolution.

"Of course we belong to the Kesier species," The middle tier specimen announced in its ancient female voice. "We just tweaked ourselves to improve our potential."

The middle tier specimen pointed at its head before continuing its explanation. "First, we improved our mind. Having an incomplete sea of consciousness has always been pointless. Luckily for us, our species already strived to unique completeness.

"Then, we made sure to rebuild our society. Magical beasts have always experienced deep flaws in that aspect. The blinding hunger and the instinctive submission are pointless restraints for creatures that aim to defeat the sky. We got rid of them and optimized our value."

Noah couldn't help but feel strange when he heard that explanation. He could sense those words coming out of the creature's mouth, but they didn't seem to come from a living being. It was as if he was in front of a program.

"In the end," The middle tier specimen concluded. "We built our home to express the apex of the inscription world."

"How could you achieve all of this?" Noah asked once the explanation ended. "A piece of the sky isn't enough to give you so much knowledge and determination."

"It doesn't explain why you are telling us all of this so easily either," Alexander commented.

"Siding with organizations that have the same enemy is only logical," The middle tier specimen replied. "Also, you can remind us of our previous emotions. That alone shows your power."

Noah's group felt more confused than ever. Entire pieces of that explanation didn't make sense, and the creature even expressed a unique detachment. They weren't completely sure they were talking with that magical beast.

"Your confusion is understandable," The middle tier specimen exclaimed before turning toward the city. "Come inside the city. I'll let you meet us."

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Author's notes: I failed to be on time. I'm writing the chapters.