Dylan and Hartwin both shook their heads, just as confused as Jared about the cause of the illness. If there were issues with the mystical herbs used to feed the creatures, why weren’t the other spirit beasts affected?
“Your Majesty, may I take a closer look?” Jared asked, turning to Bernard.
Bernard nodded. “Of course, but Mr. Chance, I must warn you to be cautious. These sick creatures can be unpredictable and might attack you.”
“I’ll be careful,” Jared assured him, signaling for Bernard to open the arcane array.
Once it was open, Jared stepped inside while the others watched from outside, ready for Bernard to open the arcane array again if Jared needed a quick exit.
To everyone’s surprise, the spirit beasts didn’t attack Jared. They glanced at him but quickly lost interest.
Jared approached one of the sick beasts lying on the ground and gently stroked its head. The creature didn’t react, not even lifting its eyelids.
Seeing this, Jared realized the severity of its illness. Normally, such beasts were highly vigilant and would go berserk if a stranger approached, but this one barely acknowledged him.
Jared released a wave of spiritual energy, letting it circulate through the beast, but detected nothing unusual.
Next, he approached a spotted spirit leopard. As he neared it, a low rumbling sound came from the leopard’s belly-a clear sign that it was preparing to attack. The leopard’s eyes glowed red, and it bared its large fangs at Jared, warning him not to come any closer.
Jared could see that despite the spirit leopard’s fearsome appearance, it was in no condition to attack. It was sick, but still fierce enough to threaten him. Ignoring the warning, Jared continued moving closer. The spirit leopard stood up, ready to strike.
“Mr. Chance, be careful! This spirit leopard only listens to me!” Bernard quickly warned.
Even though the beast was ill, its ferocity hadn’t completely diminished. Moreover, its cultivation was at the Tribulator level. If it attacked, it could trigger the other beasts to follow suit, putting Jared in great danger.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Jared replied calmly. “I just need to investigate what’s wrong with it.”
“Then I’ll put the spirit beasts to sleep. That way, you can examine them without risk,” Bernard offered.
“No need,” Jared responded confidently. “If the spirit beasts are unconscious, I won’t be able to properly investigate their condition. This spirit leopard won’t hurt me.”
Dylan and the others watched tensely as Jared moved even closer to the spirit leopard.
Spirit beasts were typically docile compared to wild demon beasts, but that didn’t mean they were harmless to strangers. If the leopard went berserk, it could cause a chain reaction with the other creatures, putting Jared in serious danger.
“Your Majesty, please activate the arcane array and get Mr. Chance out of there!” Winona urged, fearing for Jared’s safety. She knew that if anything happened to him, Catina would be devastated.
