Chapter 1851 - 1851. Paranoid

The Kesier runes were almost a universal resource. Every expert who had searched methods to improve the sea of consciousness knew about them. Even the hybrids who had lived in the Outer Lands had learnt about the best training method for mental spheres.

Some might have never seen Kesier runes. Their heroic versions were quite common inside large organizations, but many divine beings might have never bothered to search for them. After all, everyone had developed personal training methods by that point, and finding suitable versions of that resource was almost impossible.​​

Noah had never bothered to look for the Kesier runes after his ascension. He wasn't even sure whether those resources existed in the Immortal Land.

He had ascended with the seventh Kesier rune to sell or trade it, but it had ended up becoming the parasite's base. There didn't seem to be a market for those resources in the higher plane, so he had eventually started to believe that the Kesier species simply didn't exist there.

Still, the remains of the silver city proved him wrong. A Kesier rune that had the power to put pressure on his mental sphere shone high in the sky right before the beginning of the storms. He had found what rank 8 cultivators and hybrids would kill to get. Even wars would start to seize a training method that could bring mental spheres to the ninth rank.

Noah didn't know how to feel about that resource after learning about the requirements connected to the ninth rank. His centers of power required more than simple growth to turn him into a rank 9 existence. They had to muster energy meant to express his law and create an ethereal organ that contained a new type of fuel.

Having access to such a valuable resource right from the beginning of the eighth might had hurt his law due to how easy it was to improve with the Kesier runes. However, Noah's mental sphere was close to the ninth rank. Even his existence felt ready to advance, so removing some struggles from his path wouldn't hurt him at all.

King Elbas had the others experienced a similar confusion at the sight of the ninth Kesier rune in the sky. Greed, stupor, and hesitation filled their minds as multiple thoughts about the ninth rank surged inside them.

That single rune had changed how they had initially planned to approach the silver city. They were there mostly to explore ruins, seize resources, and try to learn more about Heaven and Earth, but faint worries appeared inside them when they understood the nature of their opponents.

The world acknowledged dragons as the strongest species of magical beasts, but exceptions existed, and the Kesier species were one of them. Those apes had powerful mental attacks, and their intelligence could match humans. Their only weakness came from their species, but they remained quite threatening.

'Snakes, apes, and dragons,' Noah cursed in his mind before drawing the Demonic Sword. 'My life is a damned cycle.'

"I didn't sense anything," King Elbas frowned when he saw Noah drawing his sword.

The others quickly confirmed his statement, and Noah could only agree with it. His senses didn't pick up anything either, but he knew how powerful those creatures could be, and he didn't dare to underestimate them.

Also, Noah didn't forget about the time dragon's warnings. The fallen city could carry a piece of the old sky. That resource might have remained hidden from the previous rulers of the area, but the Kesier apes weren't a species that would leave something so powerful behind.

That was the exact reason behind Noah's worry. He respected those creatures too much to believe that they didn't improve during the millennia spent in such a good lair. Those creatures didn't have to resist the storms constantly, and no one was hunting them. They were probably thriving, which hinted at the existence of sensors that his instincts couldn't recognize.

Nothing happened as the experts remained right outside the city's edges. Noah continued to be wary of his surroundings, but it seemed that the group's sudden arrival didn't trigger any defense. The wide area between the storms and the buildings appeared safe and empty.

"You have become too paranoid after fighting Heaven and Earth for so long," King Elbas laughed. "Don't lose your ability to evaluate your opponents."

Noah continued to be alert, but his consciousness didn't sense anything even after it unfolded in the area. He couldn't find traps or living beings around him. Only the azure ground and the pressure of the ninth Kesier rune filled his surroundings.

"I might have," Noah sighed as the Demonic Sword returned inside his body and he took his first step forward.

Danger appeared inside his mind at that point. Noah didn't know what was happening, but he suddenly sensed an intense threat coming from under him.

His eyes fell on the ground while he jumped backward to escape the imminent attack. A half-transparent orange radiance had suddenly come out of the azure terrain and had illuminated the entire area. That energy continued to surge upward until it transformed into a blinding glow that released noises that Noah knew far too well.

Crackling noises filled the area as the half-transparent orange light took the shape of lightning bolts and surged to create a dangerous pillar. The attack connected the ground to the storms high above in an instant. The sparks had only managed to touch Noah's leg before he left their range.

Patches of charred skin filled Noah's charred legs. His innate defenses didn't manage to stop the lightning bolts, which had created deep injuries. That simple detail immediately warned everyone about the power of the attack. The half-transparent orange light belonged to the ninth rank.

Another dangerous sensation filled Noah's mind when he landed on the ground, but he shot forward without even inspecting the nature of that sensation. Another pillar threatened to come out of the terrain, but he shot forward before the familiar crackling noise could reach his ears.

Noah didn't step on the ground at that time, but danger spread again. A crack opened in the air and released more lightning bolts that threatened to engulf his figure.

Noah couldn't help but snap. The lightning bolts carried the same faint scent of the Heaven Tribulation, but their power showed features that didn't respect that punishment. They were different but still threatening enough to make him decide to abandon restraint.

The unstable substance flowed through his body as multiple faces appeared on his skin. Noah didn't move at all and endure the full power of the lightning bolts. His skin opened and burnt, but it didn't suffer the same severe injuries from before.

Dense dark matter seeped out of his body as he remained immersed in the intense lightning bolts. His flames even acc.u.mulated in his mouth and made the higher energy imitate their properties.

A pillar appeared among the half-transparent orange light. Blackness spread inside the attack and vanquished it as a tall slash severed the lightning bolts open. The blinding radiance soon disappeared, and Noah became visible again. As for his leg, it had completely healed during the last exchange.

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Author's notes: Kinda later than usual, but the second chapter should come out soon. Same goes for the third, hopefully.