Jacob instantly noticed the Lich King's hidden gaze on him the moment the Lich King looked up.
But instead of getting alarmed, he merely scoffed, "This guy's awareness is quite sharp. But he's nothing compared to all those mutants."
"Did Sir want to end the Lich King's cortège?" Autarch asked.
"Why do you think I would want that?" Jacob questioned back.
"Because Dark Beings are the enemy of the living?"
"Then let me ask you something, will you risk your life for some stranger?" Jacob questioned again.
"No," Autarch replied.
Jacob's lips curled up as he asked another question, "Then what if someone proclaimed that the stranger is the enemy of everyone? Will you do it despite knowing that there is nothing in it for you and there is even a slight bit of a chance that you might die?"
Autarch thought for a moment before it replied, "It seemed I was asking the wrong question according to all the memories and perspectives I have collected."
"It is not your fault to be curious. This is the only way an intelligent being can progress further. You were just asking me the same question that any living being would've asked me.
"I indeed have the power to end all this right here and now, but I won't because I will gain nothing out of it, and there is still a chance that the Lich King is hiding something.
"Or do you think he would've marched straight toward the Dark City after conquering almost half of the Rare Plains? This is no longer madness, but there is a hidden motive here that has nothing to do with me or you." Jacob impassively stated as he coldly gazed at the Lich King, who was still looking up as Jacob and Autarch were flying over the Dark Being Army.
The Lich King then finally lowered its head as it continued to ride forward, no longer paying attention to the small flying object hundreds of meters high in the sky. Even if he wanted to do something about it, he simply couldn't, and it was going to be a waste of energy.
After this small encounter, Autarch and Jacob didn't encounter anything unusual except for flocks of flying magic beasts as they were migrating toward the deeper region of the forest or fleeing.
The Dark Being Army has left behind nothing but wastelands, and all those beasts on the lands were completely annihilated while only these aerial magic beasts were able to flee.
Some vicious ones even tried to attack Autarch and Jacob, but they were all met with the same fate as Jacob easily shot them down before they could even enter ten meters close to them.
As Jacob and Autarch were getting closer to the marked location on the map scanner, the lands below were turning black and dry, and no living being could be seen there. Not even a dry tree could be seen.
Another day passed, and they finally entered the Wild Nation borders, and what Jacob saw made him quite astonished.
There were strange crimson tresses on the ground without any leaves but with multiple sharp branches which were filled with long hairy dark vines. Those vines were spread on the ground as far as those trees were going, and those trees were virtually everywhere.
Furthermore, from the moment they crossed the Wild Nation borders, a strange stench and gloomy air were around, and the bright sky was now clouded as if the sun's rays were not allowed in this place.
Everything was bleak and spooky as he could see some dark being walking aimlessly among those strange trees and veins like some mindless puppets.
'Just how did that guy (Mason) end up coming here and even finding the plutonium, and he did it without getting chewed by those things first as well.' Jacob wondered.
"How much further are we from the location?" Jacob asked Autarch, who was navigating with the map scanner.
"According to this map scanner, we are still over hundred miles away. It would take around twenty more minutes to reach our destination." Autarch statically replied.
Twenty minutes later, Autarch and Jacob entered a mountain range surrounded by light green mist.
Jacob frowned as a very potent stench entered his nose, and it even left behind a burning sensation.
Autarch instantly uttered, "The air is poisonous, probably because of that mist. The lungs of this body are already started to start experienced decomposition as it is long past its limit because I kept using its magic orbits. I'm afraid now it won't last long."
Jacob nodded with narrowed eyes as he looked at that green mist surrounding the mountain range, "It seemed I underestimated the environment of the Wild Nation. Land us as close to the mountain range as you can. I'll take it from there. You played your part well by sending me here this fast.
"If I was traveling on foot, I won't be able to reach this fast here without getting exhausted a few coupes of times or meeting those annoying corpses on the way. You were very helpful. Now all left is taking all that plutonium and then leaving this goddamn place for good. You should rest."
"It is what I should do." Autarch impassively replied before he started to descend.
Jacob didn't say anything as he knew this insect had no emotions of its own or it was not evolved enough to have them, so showing appreciation was simply a waste of time. Still, he wants Autarch to know his efforts were being greatly recognized by its master.
After landing, Jacob stowed away the bronze disc with the board as a whole and directly summoned Autarch back from the kobold's brain into his solar plexus.
The moment, Autarch vanished from the kobold's body, the deadpan eyes lost the faint sheen from its eyes before its scales started to fall off as dark blood gushed out from all over its body as it fell on the ground.
'So, this is the fate of those who were being fully suckled dry by the Brain Hunter….' Jacob thought as he looked at the mutilated body, which seemed completely fine a moment ago.
Stowing away the storage ring Autarch was wearing, he moved toward the mountain range while holding the map scanner as the poison mist had no effect on him except the burning sensation in his nose or that terrible stench.
The marked location was only four miles deep into this mountain range!
