Chapter 1853 - 1853. Bet

The intermediate dimension was a tight array of thin lines that spread tremors whenever one of the rank 9 magical beasts tied to them struggled to break free of their restrictions.

Those creatures belonged to different species and had different sizes. Noah could see a huge bear with white fur and crystals instead of eyes, a purple giraffe filled with dark-green spots capable of affecting his mental sphere, and a small elephant with ears bigger than its body.​​

The claws of another magical beast also peeked past one of the areas still hidden by the world's fabric, but Noah didn't manage to see enough to recognize its species. Still, the scene remained stunning, to say the least. He had never seen something so incredible and strange at the same time.

The lines that made the array of the intermediate dimension tied the creatures' limbs and suppressed the flow of primary energy through their bodies. Noah could confirm that the trapped magical beasts didn't have access to their physical strength and innate abilities in that position. They could only struggle in a desperate attempt to break free due to the hope caused by Sword Saint's attack.

"What the actual f.u.c.k," King Elbas cursed, and his companions expressed the same feelings with their expressions.

The intermediate dimension didn't only suppress those rank 9 magical beasts. It also drained them of the immense power contained inside their flesh, but the process didn't seem to bring them closer to their death. Actually, it was slow enough to allow a natural regeneration fueled by energy seeping into their bodies through different lines.

Noah stored the cursed sword and waved the Demonic Sword when he noticed the energy flowing inside the imprisoned magical beasts. His attack opened another crack that ran from the square to the storms without affecting the intermediate dimension.

The attack followed the direction of the lines that sent energy to the imprisoned magical beasts, and everyone could see where the intermediate dimension took that power after the attack. The structure drained the chaotic laws of their power and sent them to the creatures before absorbing primary energy from them.

Noah remained confused even after he decided to ignore how astonishing that structure was. Making the energy pass through the magical beasts was a pointless step no matter how he looked at it. Those creatures didn't cause any special change in that fuel in the end.

Still, the world soon acted to uncover the reason behind that seemingly clunky structure. A crackling noise suddenly spread in the area and made all the experts glance toward the sky. A series of black clouds had acc.u.mulated among the storms, and the chaotic laws fueled them to create massive white lightning bolts that fell toward the imprisoned magical beasts.

Some of the lines in the intermediate dimension lit up and forced the imprisoned magical beasts to activated their innate abilities. A series of attacks flew toward the incoming lightning bolts, but the Tribulation appeared ready to overwhelm that offensive. It pierced the techniques and slammed on their sources, causing a series of painful cries to resound in the area.

"Should we help them?" Wilfred asked as confusion still lingered on his expression.

"It depends on who you want to enrage," Noah explained. "Heaven and Earth already hate us, but we are invading the city anyway. Their rulers might be already angry at us for all we know."

"We are getting more enemies, right?" Divine Demon asked while handing a cup full of wine to Noah.

"We are indeed," Noah sighed while picking the cup and sitting on the ground.

The other experts imitated him. They took some wine from Divine Demon and sat to admire the battle between Heaven and Earth and the strange array that did its best to defend its prisoners.

The intermediate dimension didn't only rely on the magical beasts to fight. It called upon its connection to the chaotic laws to launch attacks made of invisible energy.

The shapes taken by that energy carried properties capable of countering the lightning bolts' innate features. Noah could study the structure of those attacks with his mental waves. The array was sending masses of invisible power with multiple holes running through their structures to disperse the Tribulation's destructive might.

Still, Heaven and Earth's target changed once the array's lines themselves started launching attacks. The Tribulation stopped focusing on the imprisoned magical beasts and converge its lightning bolts on the intermediate dimension. It seemed that the rulers had just noticed that immense structure.

"They are a diversion!" King Elbas announced while raising his cup, and wine magically materialized inside it.

"The Kesier species is using these magical beasts to sway Heaven and Earth's attention away from their creation," Noah confirmed. "They can steal from the chaotic laws without making the rulers notice their work."

"Why even hide that?" Robert asked. "I understand that this structure must have some special purpose, but I don't see why going through this hassle to create scapegoats. Everyone can absorb the chaotic laws in the end."

"Maybe they are enemies that Heaven and Earth have marked," Alexander suggested. "They might be like us."

"I don't know how much you can trust the Kesier species," Noah sighed. "I don't think they had a good experience with humans on the higher plane."

"We don't know for sure if they are Kesier apes," King Elbas corrected. "I know the dragons have spoken about apes, but why would they put their own rune in the sky?"

"What would I know?" Noah complained.

"I remember that you lived among them for years," King Elbas mocked. "That's enough to learn how they behave."

"The Kesier apes are basically humans with one center of power," Noah argued while shaking his head. "Their behavior depends on their leaders."

"Do you want to bet on the identity of the city's rulers?" King Elbas laughed. "I win if they don't belong to the Kesier species."

"What can you even give to me?" Noah grinned. "What do you even want from me?"

"I have been with hybrids long enough to have countless drugs meant for your kind," King Elbas explained. "I even tried to make pills specific for your incredible state during my moments of intense curiosity."

"What do you want from me then?" Noah asked as his eyes lit up.

King Elbas undeniably had good stuff, items that cultivators would do anything to obtain. He even had them in huge numbers, and Noah trusted his claims.

"I want what the dragons gave you," King Elbas grinned.

"No way," Noah laughed. "That's all mine. I can go with replicas of small parts if you really want them."

"Replicas are good enough," King Elbas agreed. "I want life first. I need it for some projects."

"Of course you do," Noah commented as the battle continued to rage in his eyes.

Heaven and Earth were on the winning side. The array's main purpose was the transport of energy through hidden channels. The lines could hold their ground against the Tribulation, but they started to snap after a few minutes.

Yet, multiple powerful figures materialized on the intact parts of the intermediate dimension once the first imprisoned magical beast died due to the sparks running through the array.

"Pay up," Noah exclaimed when those figures appeared in his vision.

Those creatures weren't precisely as he recalled them, but they clearly belonged to the Kesier species. The three newly arrived magical beasts were four meter tall apes with black runes on their grey fur and power in the lower tier of the ninth rank. Moreover, they wore grey robes that blended perfectly with their shades.