Chapter 285: This is Interesting... (1/2)

”We don't need it, but the organization does,” Raven answered Blaze.

She would keep a check on the resources that the Three-Eyed Strangers had in their vaults, and it was obvious that they were going to run out sooner or later because of the vast scope of their expenditure.

These peak Rank-8 corpses might be useless for them, but they weren't for the organization.

”We are done,” Raven spoke to Ozul who was waiting for them to finish.

They didn't have anything to pack anyway, so Ozul began to lead them towards those sky high snow peaks.

”Keep your guard up, something feels off,” Ozul warned as they slowed down a little. He felt off because of the numerous Mana signatures he felt coming from those mountains.

As far as his senses could reach, there were no doubt tens of peak Rank-8 Magical Beasts present there. What proved to be even more peculiar was how the number of Beasts he felt in the mountain range increased the closer they got to it.

From up high in the air, Ozul could see how the mountain range extended on both sides, even curving at the far ends.

'It is as if they are encircling something,' Ozul thought. This odd terrain made him sure that there really was something strange beyond those snow peaks.

As they slowly approached the snow peaks, the feeling that there was something peculiar on the other side only got stronger.

The group of Rank-8 Mages behind him were all on edge. After a few minutes, even they were able to sense a few of those Beasts' Mana signatures. They were ready to start shooting their Spells at any sign of danger.

Though strangely, none of the Magical Beasts had any intentions of attacking them.

”Huh? How can so many peak Rank-8 Beasts remain at the same location in peace?” Blaze muttered to himself. The others had the same question as Raven had a thoughtful face.

Under Ozul's lead, they didn't land on the snow peaks and instead continued to fly straight to the other side. Clouds blurred their vision, so they had to lower their altitude a little.

Questions started to pile up among the group as they continued to observe the sight in front of them.

A few moments later, Ozul suddenly stopped in the middle of the air as realization dawned upon Raven at the same time.

”There is only a single reason why Beasts of the same rank would not tear eachother apart for territory and food...” Raven muttered, but her words were finished by Ozul instead, ”... if an even stronger Beast is near.”

In fact, it became clear now why all of these peak Rank-8 Beasts and even a few weaker were all staying on the mountains without starting an all out carnage.

”There are at least 3 Rank-9 Beasts, stay close to me,” Ozul looked at the wide view in front of him and informed the group behind him.

Raven and Blaze slowly both approached to his sides and only then were they able to gaze at the view which made them pause in shock.

Before them was a vast grassland surrounded by the mountain peaks from all sides!

The snow peaks didn't just end with a small curve that they had seen from the distance. Just as Ozul had expected, it was indeed encircling that wide plain.

And Ozul even pointed out the locations he felt the three Rank-9 Beasts in. All three of them stood hundreds of meters away from each other, but all this distance was nothing in the eyes of a Rank-9 Beast.

”What... what even is this...” Blaze muttered as he stared at the most abnormal view in his entire life.

The fact that there were three Rank-9 Beasts far in the distance had already made all the members of the Rogue Crew suck in a cold breath.

Even for Rank-8 Mages, it was rare to ever encounter Beasts at the same rank much less Beasts at Rank-9.

Only now did they start to realize that their job wasn't as simple as it seemed at the start.

Looking at the three figures floating before them, all of them had the same question inside their hearts; had they made the right decision to accept that middle aged lady's offer to join the organization that day?

They had come here believing that Rank-8 Mages were valued wherever they went and they would most likely only have to work a little more than others. How would they know that they would be following Ozul and in the face of real dangers around him, they were only a bunch of cannon fodder.

”All of them are behaving because of the presence of those Rank-9 Beasts,” Ozul uttered but his eyes were not in the direction of those Rank-9 Beasts now.