Chapter 1258: 1258. Slow approach

Noah's only real target was the old continent. The new one was unapproachable due to the presence of the quasi-rank 7 specimen, and most packs there could work together without creating too many internal conflicts.

One attack on those lands would cause a massive mobilization of reinforcements. Noah would find himself against hordes of rank 6 magical beasts in no time.

Attacking the old continent was safer, and it required less planning. Noah didn't even need a strategy there. He could take his time and slowly kill all the Eternal Snakes in those regions.

Noah didn't need to aim for the peak rank 6 specimens right away. He could slowly clear the area with hit-and-run tactics. It didn't matter if he happened to lose a corpse or two in the process.

Moreover, he didn't even need to salvage the Snake's glands unless he met a peak rank 6 specimen. He could pursue the quickest approach and ignore the damage that he inflicted on those creatures.

Noah flew above the old continent a few times to perform a simple inspection of its fauna. Three peak rank 6 Eternal Snakes occupied those lands, and they had thirty weaker specimens under their rule.

Those creatures had created three large packs that ruled over different sides of the continent. Ironically, they had divided the landmass according to the old areas of influence.

The mystical fog and the mountain chain were natural borders, so Noah didn't feel surprised when he saw that arrangement. He had also expected that the Eternal Snakes would consider the Papral nation more valuable due to its distance from the inactive dimensional portal.

The ground in the Utra nation was too frail. It could barely accommodate the eight rank 6 specimens that had chosen it as their home. The continent's central regions were in a similar state, but they could withstand the pressure coming from its nine powerful creatures.

Instead, the Papral nation could easily accommodate its sixteen rank 6 specimens. The main issue there was the lack of food, which would eventually lead to internal clashes in the future.

Noah picked the Utra nation as the starting point of the clearing operation on the old continent. As he flew closer to those regions, he could see that the ground was trying to recover now that the dimensional portal had stopped working.

However, the presence of the powerful pack of Snakes made those efforts vain. The energy in the environment converged toward those creatures due to their innate absorption of "Breath".

'Four in the lower tier, three in the middle tier, and the leader,' Noah summarized in his mind after completing another analysis. 'I might be able to face them together, but I don't know if the world can endure that kind of battle.'

The world was still unstable, so Noah had to avoid long battles, especially when they saw him going all-out. Part of him wanted to test the limits of his current prowess, but the hunter inside him knew that it was too early for that.

Noah approached the southern coast of the old continent and threw some leftovers of his previous hunts in the sea before hiding inside the sea.

Dark matter came out of his chest once he reached a suitable spot for his ambush. The dark world unfolded around him and hid his presence. Snore also materialized and prepared its deadly beam.

Noah wasn't sure if that bait would work. Magical beasts had sharp instincts, and he couldn't cover the aura of the dark world. He could hide inside it, but he couldn't suppress the radiations of his technique.

Still, Noah knew that the magical beasts had an instinct that often suppressed their ability to think straight. He was aware of how intense their hunger could become.

Those Eternal Snakes had never learnt what it meant to live in a poor environment. Their passive absorption could satisfy them in the Immortal Lands, but it wasn't enough in the lower plane.

Their lingering sense of belonging to the same pack led by divine beings made them resort to cannibalism only when they couldn't endure their hunger anymore. Yet, that was only a temporary solution that didn't solve their core issue.

The Snakes were in a weaker world that couldn't come close to the Immortal Lands in terms of density of "Breath". Their invasion had also killed the few preys that they could hunt.

Those who managed to adapt to the change of environment would remain calm and probably survive the imminent struggles. The others would start inevitable internal battles that would lead to a few survivors.

Noah had to wait for weeks before the area above him showed any sign of life. A massive reptilian head stuck out of the coastline and observed the bait in the distance.

Its forked tongue analyzed that part of the sea and warned the creature about the danger hiding in the depths. Still, the Snake waited a bit before retreating into the landmass.

The Snake reappeared a few weeks later. It still performed its careful analysis of the area before disappearing again.

It seemed that the creature didn't trust Noah's bait, but it was clear that it could barely hold back its hunger. It wouldn't have come to inspect the leftovers otherwise.

The Eternal Snake took only a week to reappear for the third time. Noah could see that a trace of determination had emerged on the creature's face, so he prepared Snore for the attack.

However, the beast retreated again after its usual round of inspection. Noah had to wait until its fourth visit in the area to see platforms made of ice forming above the sea.

The Eternal Snakes moved quickly. It didn't want to remain among that dangerous sensation for too long. Its idea was to fill its mouth with leftovers and return to the safety of the landmass.

Still, a ray of violent dark matter carved a hole in its head and killed the creature on the spot. The beast couldn't even hope to dodge since it could sense the attack only after it left the dark world.

His first prey on the landmass ended up being a middle tier specimen. Those in the lower rank were aware of their weakness, so they didn't explore past their patrol areas.

Noah quickly seized the corpse and took a part of its flesh for himself. The rest of its body went with the bait to improve its appeal in the eyes of those beasts.

His tactic worked since another middle tier Snake soon jumped off the coastline and began to fly toward the bait. Still, it shared the same fate as the last creature. A dark beam pierced its head and killed it on the spot.

Noah took the entirety of the corpse at that time since he didn't want to risk luring out the peak rank 6 specimen. He would directly face the leader once he removed its underlings.

The third middle tier creature appeared on the coastline and followed the example of its predecessors. Its death happened in the same way too. One beam was enough to kill that massive Snake and seize a large amount of valuable flesh.

Noah left the bait in place to see if any of the lower tier specimens would arrive. Yet, they didn't move from their territories even if they had lost their pack's higher-ups.

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Author's notes: Sorry to make you all go through this again. The next two chapters will arrive after I wake up.