Becoming a Monster

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Since the Start

Instinctively, Arachne’s eyes glowed, using her ability to lower the skeleton’s highest attribute by 30%. Her attempt at the spell was successful; however, it did nothing to affect the changes to her body. Only the cracks within his skeletal form appeared more brittle than before. Yet, she felt her body strengthening in return.

Not only Arachne but even Fenrir and every abomination were affected by the pulsing of the skeletons’ hearts. It was only the little zombie and both Noah and Ailetta who weren’t affected.

”It’s such a strong spirit ability....” Ailetta marveled at the effects trying to take place on her. ”Noah?” She called out, seeing him jump down from the building, heading directly towards the fight. Although she knew that such an ability didn’t completely put Arachne nor Fenrir in danger, she still quickly followed. Her back deformed and contorted before giant bat-like wings made of slime emerged from her back. With an unhesitant leap, her wings didn’t flap, but allowed her to slowly glide to where Noah was heading, not wanting to miss seeing the show up close.

The moment Noah landed on the ground, his presence signaled like a beacon to all of the abominations present, including one abomination that towered over the rest. The monster’s face slightly resembled Fenrir’s wolfish form, but its face was almost fully made up of one giant maw, leaving barely enough room for the set of its small beady eyes to rest. Its jagged teeth lined its cavernous mouth. It was the same titan zombie from before that had completely turned, but the twisted mutation took its eerie features even further.

Instead of the mouths etched into its hands, Noah observed the creature’s torso beginning to split, revealing an even larger, gaping mouth that stretched across its stomach. This new maw, easily twice the size of the one on its face, was lined with rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth that spiraled inward like a carnaged vortex.

As the tide of abominations rushed towards him, their disjointed steps faltered each time the pulse in the distance reverberated. Noah only gave them a casual glance before looking past them looking towards Fenrir, who was destroying whatever was left of the decayed zombie from before. His earlier goal of destroying all the creatures there became offset due to the zombie gaining his ire; it was this very reason why Noah didn’t like to always resort to using such a skill unless absolutely necessary.

”Fenrir..” Noah’s eye narrowed towards the deranged wolf. The intensity of his glare emitted a surge of an intangible force that struck the beast. All of Fenrir’s hairs rose, his body startled as his face snapped towards the familiar yet commanding presence. The moment Fenrir’s wild eyes met Noah’s, the feral aggression in them dimmed.

Seeing that Fenrir awoke of his trance, Noah finally put the creatures in his eyes. A gem within his eyes flickered just briefly, without a command or without any other gesture, every abomination froze. Just because, he could, he forced them into a prone position, exerting his dominance even more.

Noah’s eyes swept across them, his cold gaze turned to one of subtle satisfaction before narrowing once more as he turned towards Fenrir. ”These things need to be put down until you’re capable of properly controlling them.”

A low growl rumbled in Fenrir’s chest, not out of defiance but out of frustration for someone other than Arachne getting him in trouble. Until he brought an abomination into his pack, he held no feelings or kinship with them; his eyes were clear, he’d just kill them all.

Noahs’ gaze lingered on Fenrir for a moment longer, wondering if he should address their unruly behavior now or later, but the fight from Arachne’s fight was reaching its climax.

”Before killing them, Fenrir,” Noah pointed towards a giant abomination in particular that was already showing signs of recovery from the ability. ”Consider bringing that one into your pack.”

Noah left the rest unsaid. In the end, after talking to Ailetta, he realized that he needed to let his creatures gain their own independence; at least that way, just maybe they will start to place more value in themselves so situations like this could be avoided.

By now, the rest of the creatures were showing signs of regaining control, yet that didn’t concern him anymore. Fenrir should have no problem putting them down, and besides....

As he made it further away, a loud resonating roar sounded behind him. The roar resonated, a roar that forced the recovering abominations to converge to Fenrir. Meek growls sounded off from each abomination despite their orderly march to his position.

Noah didn’t need to turn around to know what was happening. He could hear the wet thuds, the crunch of bones, and the squelch of flesh as Fenrir mercilessly crushed each abomination that approached. The small creatures barely had time to react before they were flattened, their regeneration useless against the sheer force of Fenrir’s strikes. One after another, they were pounded into the ground, reduced to a mess of blood and pulp.

Despite the present control Fenrir had over them, Noah knew it was only fleeting. Fenrir’s skill, domineering as it was, only delayed the inevitable. Once its effects wore off, the abominations would revert to mindless beasts, driven only by primal instincts. There was no future for them in that state.

During the time it took for Noah to walk away, Ailetta descended beside him, her form shifting fluidly as she landed with ease. The subtle distortion of her gelatinous body returning to its humanoid shape barely caught Noah’s attention, but her presence was unmistakable.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Noah could feel her gaze on him. He knew she was watching him, studying him as she always did, but he kept his eyes forward, taking everything from Arachne’s battle in.

After a few quiet steps, Ailetta finally broke the silence. ”I understand your decision with Fenrir, but I’m curious, why aren’t you stopping Arachne? Weren’t you planning to have those two join you?”

Noah could sense that her question wasn’t born of concern. Ailetta’s ambitions were clear; she cared little for who joined their ranks, so long as her place at the top remained unchallenged.

”I still am,” he admitted after a pause. ”But I don’t want history to repeat itself. If I stepped in earlier, Arachne would only do something stupid to prove herself later on. At least now, there should be a clear difference between them....”

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With the effects the skeleton was putting her under, Arachne changed the direction of her focus. Her anger was flaring out of control having to be driven to this point even after her recent evolution. Fenrir had no problem dealing with his side, yet here she was having difficulties in taking down her target, who wasn’t nearly as threatening as the Queen Ant. With time, she knew that she could eventually take it down. The skeleton couldn’t contend with her speed, and although her body was being affected by its skill, she was still confident in overwhelming it.

Arachne had calculated what she needed to do. Now that her ability was in effect, she should just continue to wear it down until its bones became as fragile as glass. In the beginning, she sought to immobilize the skeleton with her webs. After gaining her near perfect human form, it also became possible for her to shoot out webs similar to Noah. But, unlike him, her manipulation of the strands was still limited. Nevertheless, the speed at which she could launch her webs was unparalleled.

In an instant, she unleashed a flurry of threads, shooting out like arrows, striking the skeleton’s chest and quickly spreading outward, attempting to encase its frontal body.

The sticky fibers adhered to the skeleton’s bones, making it hard for the creature to budge its limbs. As the webs secured their hold, Arachne felt a surge of satisfaction. The webs weren’t just to immobile the creature, each strand of her webs can at a sufficient cost of her mana, implicating the use of the next stage of her skill. The strands began branching out, splitting into miniature tendrils that sought to penetrate deeper into the skeleton’s frame. They slithered across the surface of the bones, attempting to etch themselves into the very structure of the undead creature.

Instantly, the webs began to glow at the areas where its tendril-like webs burrowed. The skeleton only needed a moment to understand the plight that it was in; it could feel its bone structure weakening. The glow in its eyes intensified. A roar echoed just as loudly as its beating heart before the necrotic energy from before appeared again. This time, instead of the sword, the mist-like energy festered in the areas where the webs were located. The miasma flared as if it was a burning flame.

”Don’t think you can escape your judgment.” Arachne disdainfully spoke, there was an almost regal bearing to her warning, not even she was aware of her change.

Using the ability of her newest skill, she supplied a portion of her mana into her webs. The webs glowed with a powerful intensity, the glow provided a barrier that helped to fight against the miasmic energy burning away at it.

With this, Arachne knew that her victory was assured. With its constitution already decreased by 30% and her gaining 15% of the decrease, it wouldn’t be long until the judgment of her skill takes effect, marking the end of this charade.

”Fenrir..”

Thinking that she succeeded, her eyes widened at the sound of a familiar voice behind her. Her body stiffened, not wanting to turn around to meet his gaze. She quickly realized that the two had failed. Now she had to make a decision to salvage the situation.

”There’s still time,” she told herself, her eyes glaring into the soul of the skeletons’ eyes.