Chapter 1502: 1502. Battlefield

"Do you really want to remain here?" Noah asked the rank 8 Foolery as he floated in the sky.

"We don't want to engage in battles with other packs," The pig replied. "We are at peace here."

Noah inspected the region. The blue plants seized before his seclusion had already regrown. The pigs had also eaten them while he was in the cave, but the environment appeared as rich in resources as ever.

The innate ability of those creatures was simply incredible. One of those bushes carried far more energy than any magical beast at the same level. They were the perfect resource for hybrids and magical beasts, and the Foolery could force them to grow endlessly.

The other pigs had gathered around their leader to say goodbye to the duo. Noah and Fergie had completed their training and were about to fly toward the tall tree, but Noah had insisted on having one last conversation with those creatures.

Noah didn't want to let them go. The Foolery were too valuable. Yet, they were also stubborn. He couldn't convince them to join his attack.

Noah could see some hesitation in those creatures. He had given them some of the magical beasts' corpses stored inside his separate space, so they had tasted what it felt to eat a proper meal.

The corpses didn't satisfy their hunger like the blue plants, but their bodies could absorb all their nutrients freely. Their innate ability didn't hinder that process, and their instincts learnt that hunting other creatures would provide more benefits.

Only the rank 8 leader and a few other upper tier specimens didn't show that hesitation. They were already aware of that feature, so they didn't let Noah's bribe trick them.

"Goodbye then," Noah said as he shot in the distance.

"Do we just leave them there?" Fergie asked after catching up with Noah.

"Do we have the power to capture an entire pack led by a rank 8 specimen?" Noah asked.

"No," Fergie replied, "But we could have continued to tempt them. I'm sure they would have fallen for your tricks at some point."

"That's the issue," Noah replied. "I don't want them to follow us through lies and tricks. They have to make their choice so they won't blame us if some of them die during the travel. I don't want an army of those smelly pigs hunting me through the whole higher plane."

"Do you think that they'll come?" Fergie asked.

"Instincts are powerful forces," Noah replied. "We have reminded them of how tasty is the outside world. It's only a matter of time before they return to their true form."

"What do you mean?" Fergie asked.

"The drawback of their innate ability is too harsh," Noah explained. "I think that their forgetfulness is a consequence of the regular meals based on blue plants. Their bodies compensate for the lack of nutrients by making them dumber than they actually are. I only hope that they don't get more eccentric."

"Do you think the humans from the past knew about it?" Fergie asked.

"It would explain why they have been in chains for so long," Noah replied. "Also, it is very probable that they have only eaten blue plants during their imprisonment. They literally grow wherever they are."

Fergie reviewed the scenes from the previous conversation with the Foolery and realized that they had forgotten about the topics only twice. That number was still high, but it didn't match their first interaction with those creatures.

Noah had noticed that feature during the conversation. His hypothesis had formed right after the duo left. His reasoning made sense, but he couldn't prove it unless the pigs began to eat something outside the blue plants.

That was one of the reasons why Noah didn't insist. He also wouldn't leave the area any time soon, so he wasn't in a hurry to convince those creatures.

The tall tree became closer in the duo's view as their flight continued. The battlefield under it appeared quieter now, but many magical beasts were still nearby.

Countless corpses filled the base of the immense tree. Its thin yellow leaves couldn't hide the aftermath of the many battles in the area. Noah and Fergie could soon inspect everything from their safe position in the sky.

The two packs featured monkey-like and wolf-like creatures. Those forces were now away, but Noah didn't hesitate to inspect the corpses accumulated under the tree.

The wolves were relatively small. They were seven meters tall and had silver fur. On the other hand, the monkeys were twenty meters tall and had brown hair.

Traces of innate abilities covered the area. Noah could guess that the monkeys could generate something similar to soundwaves. As for the wolves, they appeared fast, but the battlefield couldn't give Noah more information.

Noah's attention moved on the tree at that point. The pale-brown trunk partially blocked his mental waves, so he didn't manage to understand its value. The leaves were easy to analyze, but they didn't have anything special either.

'Why are they killing each other for this tree?' Noah wondered.

The situation confused him, but something suddenly moved among the leaves near the bottom of the tree, and immense energy spread in the environment.

A fruit slowly grew among the leaves. An intense scent also accompanied the discharge of energy that had marked the beginning of the event.

The area began to tremble at that point. The two packs that had left the tree moved at full speed toward the plant in a desperate attempt to seize the fruit before their opponents.

The two rank 8 specimens were in the lead of their packs. They ran through the land and clashed right under the tree without worrying about the destruction that their actions unleashed.

The energy released by the fruit intensified as it continued to grow. Noah began to feel hungry as that scent filled his nostrils and invaded his mind.

"Do we jump in?" Fergie asked without moving his eyes away from the two rank 8 beings.

"No," Noah replied. "Let's see how one battle goes. We will join the next."

The monkeys' chest enlarged before shrinking to release dense soundwaves that pierced the air and covered the entire area with shockwaves.

The wolves were extremely fast, and their fangs and claws seemed able to pierce anything. They could often dodge the soundwaves and tear open severe injuries on their opponents' bodies.

The wolves had the upper hand, but the battle among the leaders featured the opposite situation. The shockwaves radiated by the rank 8 monkey's attacks were intense enough to injure its opponent.

The fruit continued to grow and release more energy as the battle raged. It was hard to understand who would win, but a third participant suddenly joined the battlefield.

Cracks spread through the ground and revealed an intricate underground world. Large dark figures came out of those fissures and shot toward the surface, killing any unprepared beast.

Those new beasts had the aspect of fat moles with long claws that could sever both monkeys and wolves into many pieces. Still, they weren't as fast as their opponents, so the other creatures soon reacted to their arrival.

When the moles died, their bodies disappeared without leaving any trace. They transformed into shadows that seeped into the terrain. They didn't even release blood when fangs stabbed their skin.

Fergie suddenly turned toward Noah. He had sensed that something had changed in his leader, and a helpless expression appeared on his face when he noticed the greed that Noah radiated.

Something told Fergie that they wouldn't wait for the battle to end anymore.