Chapter 278: 278. Trap

Noah didn't leave Leston forest in a hurry.

He had tested his new battle prowess so he could take his time to slowly march toward the new country.

'Odrea nation, there is basically no information about this country in my map.'

Noah's map usually had some data but, when he swept that nation with his mental energy, he could only see the words "strong soldiers".

'It shouldn't be another nation forced to slavery… I must be careful.'

The edge of the forest was clear, Noah couldn't see any danger in the mountainous landscape that followed that danger zone.

'I don't see anything wrong either, is it a wasteland?'

Noah couldn't see anything out of the ordinary from the borders of the Odrea nation.

He enveloped his figure with a layer of mental energy and exited the forest, his attention was raised to the peak and even Echo helped with its innate ability.

'It seems deserted.'

At that moment though, a humming sound resounded from the border of the nation and a series of runes lit up on the terrain.

'I couldn't perceive it, dammit!'

Noah hastily tried to warp back in the forest but he soon discovered that he could not focus his mental energy outside of the formation, teleporting was impossible!

He immediately decided to run but he found that an invisible layer was blocking the path toward the forest.

'This formation traps everyone inside!'

Noah wielded his sabers, he was ready to unleash his most powerful attack on the barrier that prevented his escape when Echo perceived many figures moving in his direction.

'Dammit!'

Noah gave up on trying to force the formation and shot toward one of the mountain peaks in the distance, if he could not escape, he would just continue on his way!

"Stop right there!"

A voice sounded from his side but Noah didn't even turn to look at its origin, he simply activated the Warp spell to make them lose his tracks.

Noah reappeared at a few kilometers in the distance and continued to run for his life.

He didn't know those cultivators nor did he know their alliances.

What he knew was that he wouldn't allow them to capture and interrogate him!

'A formation that I can't perceive, their defenses must be incredible!'

His thoughts collided non-stop inside his mind, he was analyzing the situation as fast as he could.

'Are they at war with the Empire? Are they from the Empire? Dammit, dammit!'

Noah felt even more figures nearing him, they were coming from different directions, they wanted to encircle him.

'How do they know my position? Don't tell me that the formation has marked me!'

He didn't know much about formations but he guessed that it had something to do with the quick catching up of his followers.

'Come then!'

Noah warped again and managed to escape the encirclement.

Yet, when he resumed his escape, he found out that even more cultivators were coming from him.

'I don't have enough mental energy to escape this country while continuously using the Warp spell and I'm not even sure that the formation on the other side will let me leave.'

Noah stooped himself, if he couldn't escape, he would fight!

A potion appeared in his hand and he hastily drank it, he was trying to refill as much mental energy as he could before the cultivators reached him.

"You surely ran fast."

A voice sounded from behind him.

Twenty or so cultivators appeared all around him, Noah found himself surrounded.

'They all have a rank 4 body and I can't understand the power of some of them. I can't win.'

That realization forced Noah to abandon his plan of fighting his way out.

"Who are you? Are you a spy of the Empire?"

The same man spoke again.

'So, they are enemies of the Empire.'

Noah smiled internally, he was beginning to understand their wariness.

"I'm just an outsider that was passing through. I didn't expect to find such surveillance in a seemingly desolate nation."

Noah plainly answered, his expression showed no emotions.

"That's for us to decide, do you have any proof?"

Noah took out the token acquired in Slyfall city, the name "Adam" could be clearly seen on it.

"I come from the area of influence of the Utra nation, I have crossed the border through Slyfall city. This is my proof."

Silence enveloped the area.

Noah's words made sense, it was unlikely for someone to enter that city unless they came from a different nation.

"So, why did you run when you were found out?"

Noah shrugged his shoulders before answering.

"I don't have any information about this country, as soon as I saw the runes lighting up, I thought I had fallen into the trap of some bandits. Actually, I'm still not sure of who you are."

Noah was exaggerating, no bandit would place that kind of formation just to rob some passer-by.

"What bandits!? We are proud soldiers of the Odrea nation and you just sneaked in our country like a little rat! The martial law allows us to cut your toes for that!"

"Lucy, enough, he is just probing us."

A woman couldn't stand Noah's mocking and revealed some of their information but she was soon stopped by the man that had been asking questions till then.

"Well, you are soldiers and I'm just trying to reach the northern border of the area of influence of the Empire. We don't have any business with each other."

Noah expressed his intentions and waited for the man's answer.

"I can't allow that, your story doesn't prove that you are not a spy. Men, seal his centers of power and apprehend him."

Five cultivators nodded and neared Noah but they were forced to stop due to a wave of killing intent that exploded from his figure.

Noah was staring with cold eyes at the five cultivators, his pressure was completely unleashed and his figure began to release black smoke.

"You try to seal anything and I'll gladly die to take down half of you with me!"