Chapter 1537: 1537. Kill me

The negotiations with the leader of the Eternal Snakes didn't go as Noah expected. He could force the creature to stop the assault on his group, but he didn't manage to make it seal a long-lasting alliance.

The leader was too proud. Noah had killed two rank 8 Snakes, so he had to pay for that. Knowing about Shandal's position only managed to buy him some time.

The situation changed after Noah sealed that temporary alliance with the Snakes. Those creatures surrounded his group and made sure that no one left that encirclement without their permission.

The Eternal Snakes had become powerful wardens that escorted Noah's group, but they never dared to lower their guards. They didn't underestimate their opponents even when their entire pack was surrounding their enemies.

'How do you plan on getting us out of this situation?' Fergie asked through his consciousness.

'Let's follow the plan for now,' Noah replied. 'The Snakes have to join our assault on the Crystal City anyway. A window will open once chaos falls on the battlefield.'

'Do we have to put our trust in our enemies?' Fergie asked.

'The Crystal City had to face an overwhelming assault only a few millennia ago,' Noah replied. 'Those fanatics have access to countless resources, and many large organizations are willing to help them. We might end up needing the Eternal Snakes far more than our real allies.'

Fergie went silent after that answer. His situation was far from ideal, but he trusted Noah enough to stop questioning his methods.

'It's unwise to try to contact the others now,' Noah thought while his eyes darted among the various middle tier specimens in the enemy pack.

Noah's group had finally reached regions close to the human domain. His inscribed notebook could theoretically contact his allies in the Outer Lands, but the presence of the Eternal Snakes prevented him from sending mental messages outside of the encirclement.

A thick aura covered the stronger Snakes and destroyed any form of mental energy that tried to leave the encirclement. Noah could only use his consciousness to speak to his underlings and explore the environment.

'This might be a good thing,' Noah concluded after reviewing the issue a few times. 'I count four rank 8 magical beasts in the middle tier here. I don't know if I want to make the others face them.'

Noah's army was atypical. His plan also went against the human species. He wanted to assault the first line of defense of the human domain with a platoon made of powerful magical beasts. His actions would label him as one of the worst traitors in the entire Immortal Lands.

Of course, Noah wouldn't care about that title, but he didn't want his friends to face the consequences of his actions again. Divine Demon wasn't an issue, but June and the others were still too weak to become enemies of the entire human domain.

Noah led the two packs on random routes until he found familiar regions. From there, he searched the Land of the Fallen, the area ruled by the pack of Rats.

"It's safer if I speak with them alone," Noah said once the large army stopped at the edge of the Land of the Fallen.

"I will never let you escape my gaze, cunning creature," The leader of the Snakes replied, putting an end to that conversation.

The massive army barged inside the Land of the Fallen without making any attempt to hide their presence. The peak middle tier Snake even left a small platoon outside of the immense regions to make sure that the leader of the Rats couldn't escape what was about to fall on its domain.

Noah couldn't keep his eyes away from the ground. The immense prairie and the various bordering regions featured countless Inheritances, but the situation didn't allow him to explore them.

The leader of the Snakes was already mad that Noah had partially lied about knowing Shandal's exact position. The creature had pretended not to care about it, but Noah could sense that its grudges had deepened.

Truth be told, Noah had begun to respect the Eternal Snakes after spending years traveling with them. His pride had reached an insane level of influence, but those creatures managed to remain unaffected.

Noah couldn't even force some of the weaker Snakes to create openings in the encirclement. The influence of their leader was too intense.

That feat didn't only depend on the power of the leader. It was clear that the peak middle tier Eternal Snake was special even among its species. It was a true leader, a position that Noah had begun to understand only recently.

'It is born to rule,' Noah thought during the flight above the Land of the Fallen.

The atmosphere was tense, but the environment of the Land of the Fallen managed to intensify that feeling. Both packs had to be wary of each other, and the presence of a third group hiding underground only worsened their mindset.

The Rats didn't immediately attack at that time, but both Noah and the peak middle tier leader knew that they were hiding underground. Still, while Noah could keep his cool during the flight, the Snake didn't share the same control.

"Stop staring and come out already!" The leader of the Snakes eventually shouted as loud hisses fused with its human words.

The other Snakes echoed its cry, and the ice under them crumbled to let their massive bodies crash on the ground. The terrain shattered after the fall, but those creatures soon released their innate ability to freeze the whole environment.

Noah promptly considered the possibility to escape, but two pairs of reptilian eyes landed on his figure before he could even start creating a plan.

Two middle tier Eternal Snakes had remained in the air to continue controlling Noah's group. Those creatures were far from stupid.

A sea of large Rats came out of the underground world once ice began to cover the terrain. Their squeaks filled the sky and announced their will to fight the invaders.

Rats appeared everywhere. Noah's group was already deep inside the Land of the Fallen, so those creatures could surround them in an instant. Still, they were all rank 7 specimens that had no hope to win against the many rank 8 Snakes on the ground.

"Hey," Noah said while turning toward the middle tier Snakes around his group, "I'm going down."

"These resources belong to our pack!" One of the Snakes hissed while speaking human words.

"Then kill me," Noah replied in an uncaring tone before a roar came out of his mouth. "Attack!"

His figure shot downward, and a draconic armor covered him before reaching the ground. His pack didn't hesitate to follow him, and the two middle tier Snakes couldn't help but let them join the battle.

'This is the best training ground for my body,' Noah coldly calculated in his mind. 'I might be able to face the Snakes if I manage to approach the breakthrough to the eighth rank before the assault on the Crystal City.'

Noah didn't fully believe in those thoughts. He had spent centuries eating rank 8 magical beasts without obtaining significant benefits. Those rank 7 creatures couldn't do much for his growth.

However, Noah was already calculating Madame Canson's defeat in his plan. There was a slight chance that his potential could finally bring his centers of power into the eighth rank after that feat, which would give him the strength to fight the pack of Snakes.

'We need to force the leader of the Rats outside of its lair anyway,' Noah thought as a wave of flames escaped his mouth and covered the land.

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Author's notes: Thank you for your patience.