Chapter 226: 226. COUNTRY BUMPKIN
“That was inconvenient,” Noah groaned, spitting blood out of the hole that had appeared on his glass helmet. Water tried to enter his helmet, but he sealed the space shut with a dense wall of air magic and ice.
Sweeping his gaze on his body, he wondered how he hadn’t been teleported outside of the pond already. His figure missed a right leg, and a grotesque chunk of his shoulders was missing, having suffered intense burns.
His chest had missing portions, and his internals could almost be seen from the outside. Waves of crimson red blood poured out of his injuries, only his shoulders trying to sizzle, but the water around him quenched the heat.
‘Maybe the bands measure the amount of damage we can take before dying. Mine must be off the charts,’ Noah thought.
Needless to say, blinding pain flooded Noah’s mind, as tears clouded his eyes as a result of the suffering. Noah felt like he would pass out, but he knew he wouldn’t since his body had already begun to heal itself.
Essence flowed out of his almost shining black core, and his condition saw a rapid rate of betterment. The experts around him watched in horror as a human regrew his limbs in mere seconds, as though it was nothing.
‘Was it worth it,’ Noah thought comparing the amount of essence he calculated would have been lost if he had run, to what it cost to heal his injuries?
‘At least Mach 3 would have allowed me to escape, even if only barely,’ Noah thought. ‘That means 60SE per second. I would have had to move at that speed for around ten seconds, which translates into 600SE 0r 700,’ he continued vaguely noticing the injuries the experts received from the explosion. He did this by narrowing his eyes.
‘I spent 490SE fixing my body. It was worth it,’ he concluded. Thinking all those thoughts in merely one second.
Although he concluded from his calculations, that the risk had been worth it, Noah understood that the only reason it cost that little to fix his body was that, even if he had a body stronger than normal, it remained in the glass stage. Things would change when he advanced in power.
“What are you?” Nathaniel’s voice rang out spreading multiple kilometers, pulling Noah out of his thoughts.
Limiting himself to remain silent, Noah clenched his fists, and his hands shone with a deep-yellow radiance. The small magical circle on the back of his hands produced more chains, and he soon found, what resembled a small river of slithering chains floating below him.
Exactly 21 experts remained around him, if 16 were to be eliminated, the requirements for five people to successfully receive the rewards would be met, but greed shone in Noah’s eyes at the understanding of what his power could achieve.
‘What if only I remain,’ Noah mused imagining receiving all five rewards for himself. He felt able to accomplish that goal, after all his attacks were fast enough to injure the experts bad enough before the pond set instructions could take effect.
The experts stayed a good distance from him, approximately 9 kilometers from his figure, and Noah understood that he couldn’t do anything to them at that distance.
The experts seemed to sense his greed and quickly became weary of the monster in their midst. Noah’s power didn’t make sense to them, causing many amongst them to wonder if they were really battling a lower-stage tier 3 cultivator. If he was even in that tier at all.
“I have an offer,” one of the two yellow-cored individuals and also one of the three lightning affinity wielders in the pond announced, breaking the awkward silence.
“What?” Noah asked staring at the man. He couldn’t see the man’s face from that distance, but such details didn’t matter to him.
“I can join you in eliminating them, so we can both seize the rewards. You’ll take the biggest share of course,” the man announced shamelessly.
Furrowing his white brows in mild confusion, Noah opened his mouth to speak, while utilizing his power to allow his voice to reach his audience.
“Do I look like I’m struggling?” He asked shaking his head in disappointment. “How is that a good bargain. I have nothing to gain,” he added.
“I have mana stones I can trade in return for you to accept my offer,” the man quickly announced.
“What’s to say that there aren’t mana stones in the rewards,” Noah countered raising an eyebrow, ignoring the experts who continued to listen to their conversation.
“I doubt they are as high tier as mine,” the man announced without a shred of uncertainty.
“That’s big of you to say; when the rewards are from one of the three great guilds,” Noah replied feeling curious. The man’s words sounded outrageous. Causing that reaction.
“We are not part of their guild yet. I doubt there would be anything too groundbreaking in them,” the expert replied understanding that he had piqued Noah’s curiosity, and probably everyone listening.
‘He has a point,’ Noah said inwardly. “If that’s the case why are you willing to give them to me, if the rewards won’t be as high tier as your assets?” Noah asked squinting his eyes at the expert and tilting his head to one side.
A moment of silence followed his words, but the expert soon opened his mouth to talk. “That is because I wish to make acquaintance with you. For the future that is,” the man spoke surprising everyone listening.
‘Who’s this shameless creep,’ Noah thought, not sure whether to attack the man or consider his offer.
He had to admit that the man’s words made sense even if the timing made him seem shameless and silently desperate. In mere seconds Noah had proven how incredible he was even if his experience in battle was clearly lacking.
“What is your name?” Noah questioned, alerting the other experts, who could already feel their chances of attaining the rewards go down the drain. That was if they didn’t get serious.
“I am Eric, fourth son of the Randal noble family,” the cultivator announced, his words having a shocking effect on the listening experts, even Nathaniel.
“Nice to meet you Eric I am Aiden. Now can I see the mana stone or stones,” Noah immediately moved to his area of interest?
“You must give me your word that’ll you’ll accept my offer if what I reveal catches your eyes,” Eric spoke before taking any action.
“I promise to accept it if it catches my eyes,” Noah assured rolling his eyes.
Eric nodded at that point and proceeded to wave his right hand. A 4/3ft stone shaped like what one would expect a tall rock to be, appeared at the man’s wave. The stone shone with a light-yellow radiance, and motes of similarly colored lights floated out of the stone flowing with an abundance of mana.
Gasps escaped the mouths of the less privileged cultivators, and greed quickly shone in their eyes, even if they didn’t dare move towards the rare treasure. Even Noah whistled at the sight of that magnificent stone, and his interest took a sharp hike.
Although he didn’t need one due to his different energy. From Aiden’s now integrated memories, he understood that mana stones with colors higher than orange were really expensive and hard to find.
Eric delighted in Noah’s reaction but limited himself to not say anything and let the man’s greed speak for him.
“I’ll take it,” Noah announced vaguely calculating the gold he could get from selling it. Excitement tried to appear on his face but he stopped it.
“How am I sure you won’t turn your back on me immediately you store it,” Eric voiced his worry, causing Noah to roll his eyes again.
“You can come behind me,” Noah announced. “I’m sure you understand what I mean,” Noah added.
“Yes I understand,” Eric immediately replied, floating towards Noah. The others who felt unsure of what to do could only watch that scene play out.
Eric floated towards Noah cautiously, he understood that the others could attack him to deter that trade of sorts. Arriving in front of Noah he watched the young man wave his hand to store that resource.
“May I know of which noble family you hail from. I do not recall any noble family who has a descendant going by your name?” Eric requested immediately he got to a position behind Noah. “Maybe it’s my memory.”
“What do you mean noble family?! I’m just a country bumpkin,” Noah laughed heartily in response.
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