Chapter 1458 1458. Evaluation
"Are you sure they are the best for the job?" Noah asked when he looked at the group of hybrids that Ian had gathered.
Noah"s group, Ian, and a small team from the platoon of hybrids had returned to Yellnbel to organize the attacks. The plan saw them a.s.saulting the various human forces involved in the invasion, so they required a relatively large side for the task.
Jordan, Don, Divine Demon, and King Elbas weren"t enough for the mission. The homes of the human forces could hide countless defenses and multiple opponents. Also, they would contain the reinforcements meant for the invasion.
Noah required a team made of experts with experience in multiple fields. Those a.s.sets also needed to meet specific standards for their battle prowess and sharpness of mind.
Ian had quickly gathered a group of hybrids and had led them in the structure where Noah and the others were resting. It wasn"t hard to find capable warriors among the Legion. The only feature that worried Noah was their mindset.
Noah inspected the ten hybrids who waited in a line in front of him. They were all experts in the liquid stage, and a faint fear appeared in their minds when Noah"s cold gaze swept them.
"You, you, and you," Noah said. "Out."
The three hybrids that Noah had pointed glanced at Ian, who limited himself to shake his head. It was clear that the Legion lacked experienced tacticians, so Ian had to give Noah the power to decide who was worthy of joining the mission.
"Are we taking orders from outsiders now?" One of the hybrids complained. "Look at yourself, Ian. You are taking orders from humans!"
The hybrid was a tall man with a muscular body. Long hair and a long beard covered most of his face, and a tinge of arrogance filled his expression. His cultivation level was also above Noah"s. It was slightly lower than Don"s but still near to the solid stage.
Noah didn"t hesitate to shoot forward when he saw that the other hybrids in line were about to join those complaints. His dark matter flowed inside his dark vessels before his fist crashed on the tall man"s abdomen.
A clanging noise resounded inside the structure before the man disappeared from everyone"s sight. A violent tremor swept the building, and the hybrids froze when they glanced at the hole that had suddenly appeared on the wall.
Noah had flung the complaining hybrid away with a single fist. His show of power left the other recruits speechless, and no one dared to speak anymore for fear of receiving the same treatment.
"Your raw power is useless in this mission," Noah explained as roars fused with his cold voice. "Many of you don"t even remember how to fight cultivators. You have fought magical beasts for too long. I can smell their wild instincts lingering on your thoughts. You are too unstable."
Noah was a lone cultivator at his core, but he had learnt how to rule throughout his long life. He knew how to prove himself worthy of being a leader, and the task turned out to be relatively easy when it came to hybrids.
Those experts believed in strength above anything else, and Noah was the strongest. His cultivation level placed his power among the experts in the liquid stage, but his actual battle prowess surpa.s.sed what normal labels could describe.
When the hybrids realized how strong Noah was, they began to see him in a different light. Noah wasn"t only an outsider anymore. He had suddenly become a valuable a.s.set that the Legion had to obtain.
Even if Noah didn"t bother to consider that eventuality, the hybrids soon began to think about what he could become inside the Legion. An existence with such limitless potential could very well become the most powerful leader of their organization in the future.
Moreover, the hybrids naturally reacted to Noah"s pride. They could sense that his existence was already on the level when he could build his pack.
Their instincts told them that Noah could be an amazing leader, and they didn"t dare to contradict them. The two hybrids that Noah had ruled out of the mission left silently, and they didn"t even dare to glance back at him.
"Do I need to get three more?" Ian asked as he sent a series of mental messages through his inscribed notebook.
"No," Noah replied. "A small group is better for this mission. That n.o.ble will feel too important if he has to create too many inscribed robes."
"I"m right here, you know?" King Elbas sneered, but his aura went on the seven hybrids anyway.
"Don"t be jealous, Elbas," Divine Demon joined the conversation. "It"s only normal for subordinates to remain in silence when the leader speaks."
"I swear," King Elbas said after giving voice to a loud snort. "I will make you regret not killing me."
"How will you learn my superior methods if you kill me?" Divine Demon replied. "These younglings. They always think that they are better than their seniors."
King Elbas was about to curse, but he suppressed his anger. He had begun to understand Divine Demon"s personality, so he knew that words were useless with him. Only actual achievements could free him from that annoying nickname.
Once King Elbas memorized the hybrids" auras, Ian laid a map on one of the tables in the room. The item didn"t depict much, but it had a few marked areas that featured the names of specific forces.
"We have paid a steep price to obtain this knowledge," Ian explained. "I have marked all the areas inhabited by forces involved in the invasion."
Noah only needed to inspect the marks with his mental energy to read through their information. Each sign represented a guild or an organization, even if most of them were mere branches when it came to the largest forces.
"We can attack the small guilds first," Ian suggested. "Our group features three solid stage experts. Those forces won"t stand a chance against us."
"This will only make the strongest forces retreat and build joint defensive structures," Noah explained. "That won"t prevent them from continuing the invasion."
"You really did this before," Ian said as an excited expression appeared on his face.
"He did," King Elbas replied. "He has gained this experience by attacking my nation."
"You were already in the new continent by then," Noah said as Ian"s eyes widened. "I also had a personal matter to attend. Your organization had chosen to shelter my family. Attacking your lands was necessary."
Ian began to worry when he heard that. Noah and King Elbas didn"t seem to go along, and that hostility ran deeply into their past. The hybrid didn"t know if the two of them could cooperate properly.
"Don"t worry," Divine Demon said when he noticed Ian"s worry. "My heir managed to kill his family in the end. Everything ended well."
Divine Demon"s words only intensified Ian"s worry, but the hybrid couldn"t say anything on the matter anymore. Everything was up to Noah and that eccentric group of experts.
"We will attack the strongest guild," Noah eventually said. "Facing the large organizations right away is too dangerous. Destroying one of their main hired forces is the best way to slow down their plans and undermine their influence."
"The strongest guild has four solid stage cultivators and hundreds of weaker experts," Ian replied.
"That number is perfect," Noah said. "Go and prepare. We will move once everyone is ready."