Chapter 1077 1077. Bird
Noah had used part of the theory behind the Body-inscription spell to submit the Pterodactyl's mind. He had fused his thoughts with its consciousness to limit its behavior and create a connection with his mind.
Since it was a divine beast, Noah had decided to add dark matter during the process too. The ghostly figure inside his mind would be heavier because of that, but Noah didn't want to risk any rebellion.
The limitations on its behavior and its submission had worked perfectly. The Pterodactyl was Noah's puppet and had to follow his orders as well as prioritizing his interests.
However, Noah couldn't change its personality nor alter its mindset. The Pterodactyl was still the same creature as before, but Noah was its pack leader now.
"I have truly fallen," The Pterodactyl shouted as it flew in Noah's mental sphere. "A mere mortal being has managed to suppress me. I must be the unluckiest being in Heaven and Earth's domain."
Noah ignored it as he relieved his mind of some pressure. The mental energy and dark matter ama.s.sed for the procedure came out of his sphere and dispersed in the Gorge. The same went for his saber-shaped runes that vanished when they touched the air.
A sense of relief spread once most of the useless energies left his mind. Noah had felt heavy until that moment, but he could experience some clarity again now.
The Pterodactyl continued to complain and curse him, but Noah was too busy evaluating his condition to care about it.
His mind felt sore after the battle, but it didn't suffer any damage. The internal pressure was heavier than before due to the addition of the divine beast's will, but he could endure it quite easily.
The Pterodactyl had lost a considerable chunk of its mind when Noah pulled it out of the cage. It was still heavier than Snore, but a rank 6 sea of consciousness could contain it without repercussions.
Noah knew that the internal pressure would intensify as Snore and the divine creature grew, but the Seventh Kesier rune appeased his worries. His body would then help contain such creatures, so he could focus on other aspects of his cultivation level.
"Fate is against beings of darkness!" The Pterodactyl kept on shouting, and Noah moved his focus back to it.
Its current state limited the divine creature's growth. It was only a consciousness contained inside his mind. Noah needed to give it a body and transform it into a different life form if he wanted to keep it through the entirety of his cultivation journey.
However, Snore's body was one of his masterpieces, and Noah didn't want to go through the same process for a creature that had yet to prove its value.
Reports of the invasion on the Elbas family's domain had acc.u.mulated in his inscribed notebook in that period. Noah went through them only to discover that the a.s.sault had slowed down once all the peripheral territories had fallen.
Moreover, the Elbas family had revealed five new powerhouses during the battles. They were King Elbas' direct descendants, and the defensive formations of their domain managed to fend off the invaders under their lead.
The Hive's higher-ups believed that those a.s.sets had relied on the Royal Pool to advance to the sixth rank. After all, no organization had ever owned so many powerhouses at the same time.
Yet, Noah didn't smell the Pool's scent when he fought them. He wasn't sure about the other three powerhouses, but he knew that First Prince and Second Princess had advanced without external help.
King Elbas' figure appeared in Noah's mind as he transmitted that information to the Elders. His respect for the Royals' leader had increased once again.
The Elbas family had managed to produce five powerhouses under his lead. No other organization had achieved the same, and even the Empire was inferior in that field. King Elbas' achievements surpa.s.sed Shandal's. The organization of a mere powerhouse in the liquid stage had grown more than a force led by a G.o.d.
"My only weakness is my kind!" The Pterodactyl shouted. "I've reached the peak in darkness only to face the merciless light."
Noah grew annoyed with the divine creature's will flying and shouting inside his mental sphere. He didn't mind eccentric personalities as long as they benefited him, but the Pterodactyl had yet to prove its value.
A war raged in the new continent. He couldn't go into seclusion just yet, which meant that he could gather more experience before isolating himself for a long time.
The Divine Deduction technique activated while Noah kept his focus on the Pterodactyl. He was going to fight again soon, so he could test the prowess of the annoying creature.
A blueprint quickly formed in his mind. Noah had become more experienced in creating new life forms, and his creation helped whenever he had some doubts.
Noah didn't want to do anything special. He only needed a small puppet in the sixth rank where to put the Pterodactyl's will. Its achievements in the next battles would then decide whether it was worthy of a proper body.
"How much do you remember of the Immortal Lands?" Noah asked through his ghostly figure while his material hands began to work with some small strands of dark matter.
"You cut away most of my knowledge, you d.a.m.ned Master," The Pterodactyl replied. "I remember the blinding light of the sky, humans walking inside my domain, and the metal of my cage. I remember that they gave me a hateful name to cla.s.sify my peculiar kind."
"Tell me that name," Noah ordered. The Pterodactyl had to reply due to the modifications applied during the suppression, so he took the chance to gather information about the Immortal Lands while he built a body.
"Night-blade Pterodactyl," The beast said. "I hate that name."
"What about Night?" Noah asked.
The Pterodactyl snorted, and its loud words followed its gesture. "Magical beasts don't need human names. Power is the only label that we recognize."
Noah couldn't help but like that line. A smile appeared on his ghostly figure as he replied. "You are my Companion now. You will become much more than a magical beast as long as you prove yourself useful."
The Pterodactyl stopped flying at his words. Its strange head turned toward Noah and inspected him as if trying to understand how honest his words were.
"What is your goal, Master?" The Pterodactyl asked, and some growls fused with its human voice. It seemed that its true nature came out whenever it found something that interested it.
"I want the stars," Noah replied. "According to what you are telling me, the white sky is on the way. I guess that makes it my enemy too."
The beast remained still. It a.n.a.lyzed Noah without putting its arrogance as a divine creature in the middle of its judgment.
Noah had managed to free and suppress it. He had to be extraordinary to achieve that result without having centers of power in the divine rank.
Magical beasts were innately diffident, but the Pterodactyl's connection with Noah's mind made it understand how genuine his feelings were. Noah was ready to destroy the sky to reach his goal, and he didn't lie about elevating the creature's existence.
A peculiar thought began to form in the Pterodactyl's consciousness. It would prefer freedom over anything, but it couldn't think too badly about its current situation.
Noah continued to use his inscription methods to forge a new body for the Pterodactyl. He would take a different approach at that time. Part of his dark matter would recreate a material sea of consciousness that the creature could use to control itself once outside of his mind.
"Night is fine," The Pterodactyl said after two months spent in complete silence. Its attention had been on Noah for the whole time, and it had decided that trusting him wasn't its worst option.
"Night," Noah called his Companion a few weeks later. "I'm done."
A lump of dark matter entered his mind, and the Pterodactyl's consciousness fused with it before coming out of the mental sphere and floating toward a small puppet in his hands.
"I hate you," Night said in a helpless tone when it saw the bird-like shape in Noah's palm.