61. Sea

When Noah woke up, Assea was still on his side with just its head sticking out of his body.

He felt completely rested, both mentally and physically, but he knew that the "Breath" in his body could sustain his companion for one entire night only because of the "Breath"'s density in this place.

'Now it's time for the really dangerous stuff. Uriah's diary said that the passage to the surface is on the other side of the valley but it should also be where the King sleeps since the concentration of "Breath" keeps on rising in that direction.'

A stern expression was on his face as he ate and looked randomly in front of him still deep in his thoughts.

After some time, when he had finished his meal, he sighed and shook his head.

'If it's death that waits for me then so be it, no reason to hesitate.'

He stood up and a cold determination was exuded from him.

Mages had a mind so strong they could affect some of the environment around them, Noah wasn't on that level yet, but he still radiated a sort of pressure depending on his state of mind.

What he was spreading then was a pure resolution to do anything in his power to survive.

With his mind focused and his body rested, Noah moved out of the cavity.

His advance was slow, he was wary of anything that moved outside of his perception and he would stop every time to carefully inspect the area in front of him.

'I'm not gonna make another mistake like the one with the roots on the wall, and with this pace, I can even raise the level of my body a little before reaching the other side.'

Noah would take any chance to increase his strength before going into such a precarious situation.

However, something unusual came to his attention during the trip.

'There is not even a single magical beast.'

No snakes were present in this area of the valley, it was completely void of any beast's life forms despite the density of "Breath" being way higher than before.

Noah continued his slow voyage full of doubts.

Every time he felt slightly tired he would find a cave and rest, only to move again when his strength was at its peak.

Four days passed without him encountering any threat.

'Maybe I'm lucky and all the magical beasts are somewhere busy with something.'

Of course, that was not the case.

When he neared the end of the valley and the wall of its other side was visible, Noah saw a scene that almost made him lose hope.

The last part of the canyon was large with a waving sea in it and a small white mountain at its center.

Nevertheless, the sea was not made of water but of thousands of slithering bodies.

Noah could only stare astonished at the view.

Thousands of rank 1 snakes, hundreds of rank 2 and about one hundred of rank 3 were all coiled together forming a multicolored sea.

'I'm dead if I go in there, dantian or not there is no way I can survive.'

Noah watched attentively the huge pack trying to find anything that he could use and noticed a few details.

'Why do they seem so malnourished? And what is that thing near the mountain?'

The snakes were incredibly thin, Noah thought he could hear the rumbles of their stomachs but they weren't doing anything about that.

Sometimes a snake would bite a beast near it and continue on its way like it did the most natural thing in the world.

Most shocking thing was that the snake that received the wound would just allow it uncaring of its body being eaten.

There also seemed to be relief in those that were hurt and fear in those who ate!

Noah's conjectures of this world nearly crumbled watching their unnatural behavior.

Near the mountain, at its base, a big yellow pile of what seemed snake's skin was rhythmically emitting soft rays of light.

'What is all of this?'

Noah decided to study the mass of snakes for some time before determining his next action.

Two more days passed with him trying to find some hidden pattern in their conduct to exploit but all he managed to notice was that the pile of snake's skin had accelerated the cadence of the leakage of light.

He had a hypothesis about that event which made him restless.

'Don't tell me that it is a magical beast in hibernation to evolve? But, considering its dimensions, wouldn't that be a rank 4?'

Noah had never fought a rank 4 beast but he was sure that he wasn't its match.

'If it is really like that then it would be better to move before it evolves. The passage should be behind the mountain and since the snakes seem so passive I might be able to reach it disguised as Assea.'

He resolved himself and summoned his blood companion, entering its body.

He was about to go out in the open to join the sea when the cocoon cracked and a loud hiss resounded in the valley.

A giant yellow snake emerged from the pile of flesh, it was thirty meters long and it raised its body in the air as to show the pack its achievement.

The pack looked at it with a bit of awe as its pressure unfolded in that area of the valley, even Noah was affected and trembled a little inside Assea's body.

At that moment though, a tremor ran through the canyon and rocks began to fall from the walls due to the earthquake.

All the snakes in the pack lowered their heads in fear in the direction of the white mountain.

Even the newly evolved rank 4 beast turned to look at the mountain with reverence as a loud hiss engulfed the valley.

Noah felt pain in his ears as the sound hit him and had to focus completely on them to avoid becoming deaf.

When the noise stopped everything was silent, none of the thousands of snakes were uttering a sound.

Noah looked in the direction of the hill and, in his bewilderment, he saw that the mountain was moving.