Noah didn't need to rally the troops personally, and the same went for the other Elders in the fifth rank. They just had to announce the decision of the Patriarch to a few rank 4 cultivators and leave those matters to them.
He had to bring the living weapons outside of the inventories though, and he even had to make sure that the cultivators wielding them were able to handle them properly.
Nevertheless, there was a task that required Noah's presence and that the other Elders had requested him to handle before going to battle.
Noah reached for the underground structure that restrained the creatures needed for the Copying technique together with the two Demons. Roars reached his ears as soon as they crossed the passage at the bottom of the new continent. Still, Noah knew that none of them belonged to his target.
The trio walked throw the cave filled by shining lines until it reached a specific branch where chains and formations restrained a familiar mantis.
"Danielle," Noah said as he faced the mantis, "We need to talk."
Danielle slowly opened her mantis eyes and took a long look at the three cultivators standing in front of her. When she realized who they were, she tried to straighten her position and stand up only to realize that her body hurt too much to complete that task.
Noah noticed a series of cracks on her silver body and clear signs of malnutrition. It was evident that she had to pay the price for the studies of the Hive, and those researches didn't stop after Noah began to build living weapons.
Yet, even if Danielle appeared weak, she was still a perfect hybrid in the fifth rank. Her body hid an incredible amount of power, even in her injured state.
"Demon Prince of the Hive," A female voice came out of the mantis' mouth. "Did you come here to kill me? Or do you just want to take away part of my body?"
There were tinges of sarcasm in her voice, but Noah didn't miss the intense helplessness that her words carried.
"I was thinking about making a deal," Noah answered.
There was more than one reason why there weren't conscious Beast Cores in the fifth rank. One of them was Noah's inexperience with materials on that level, but there was also the fear that the revolt of a weapon with that Core would cause serious problems.
However, there was another aspect of the matter to consider. A living weapon in the fifth rank was a potent asset to assign to a cultivator, but it couldn't compare to a perfect hybrid at the same level.
The Hive only had eight Elders in the fifth rank, nine if they counted Amos Udye. The value of assets at that level was incredible. They were the elites among the exceptional talents that had managed to reach the heroic ranks!
So, killing a rank 5 hybrid just to create a clouded or conscious Beast Core could only be a waste when compared to obtaining the creature as an actual ally.
Of course, convincing the hybrids to join their organization after they had to spend decades as guinea pigs wasn't an easy task, but Noah had something that the natives of the other world now lacked. He had the blood of their ancestors, beings that the natives had always worshipped and followed blindly.
Danielle snorted and complained in a low voice. "Do you think I would accept to help you after you spent years experimenting on me and my species? The political system of my world wasn't perfect, but we were united. We were humans striving to reach the pinnacle of our existence, the highest expression of our beings. You are just humans struggling to seize more resources."
Noah and the Demons knew that Danielle was speaking the truth. The cultivators of their world lacked the unity of the natives. Still, that was also the reason why they had so many talents every century.
It was their constant struggle and their desire to obtain more from the world that pushed many cultivators to escape from the traditions and old schools to invent new ways to cultivate and increase their power. That was also why they had so many inscription methods compared to the natives.
"I went further in the experiments," Noah said as coldness began to spread from his figure. "I turned your species into consciousnesses for weapons. They are quite handy. Sadly, they are a bit unruly."
Noah's words triggered Danielle's instincts, making her struggle and screech as she tried to bite his head off. However, the chains were too short, and she wasn't able to even come near him no matter how she pulled.
The Demons didn't react to her attack, but they started to leak their auras as a form of warning. They wanted to remind her who was in charge there.
Noah completely ignored her reaction and continued to speak even if the drooling face of the mantis indicated that Danielle wasn't fully conscious. "Your people were united, but they had to follow the crazy dreams of their ancestors. Look at you, did you ever think about the consequences of turning yourself into a beast? Do you even remember your individuality? Are you still convinced that exchanging your freedom for that fixed spot in Heaven and Earth's system is a good trade?"
His words seemed to have some effect on Danielle since she retracted her face. She didn't bother cleaning the saliva on her mouth though. It was as if she had fallen deep in thought.
Then, she spoke with a human voice again. "What is your offer?"
Noah hadn't decided the details behind that pact with Chasing Demon or other Elders. They just left the matter in his hands since they trusted him. Yet, he knew that he had to give up on something to add another being in the fifth rank to the assets of the Hive.
"In the other world, I gave you a chance to save your people," Noah said. "Now, I give you a chance to live instead of surviving. Mind you, I don't plan on stopping the experiments on your kind, but we can seal agreements on that topic in exchange for your battle prowess."
Danielle shot an angry glance at him after his words, but she quickly suppressed her emotions. She couldn't hope to obtain complete freedom for her kind with just a promise.
"A war must be drawing near," Danielle said as if trying to gain some edge over the transaction. "What would your fellow humans think of their Prince if they knew that he asked for the help of the monsters?"
Noah revealed a cold smile before replying. "We are a bunch of criminals, traitors, and fugitives. Monsters wholly fit our tastes."
Some seconds of silence passed before Danielle decided to speak again. "I want something specific together with the terms that we'll decide later."
It took an entire minute before Danielle managed to speak her next words. "I want to become like you. I want my sanity back."