Becoming a Monster

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: The Golem’s Rise

Despite Fenrir, Diablo and Dummy having to overcome the barrage of webs, including the spiders’ direct attacks; Arachne was the only one who avoided being entangled in any way. She moved with a foretelling trajectory of every web launched in her direction. Not a single strand touched her; instead, she bypassed the sticky strands, using the trees to maneuver her way towards the tree stops where the next enemy was approaching.

With her approach to the advancing bees, Noah, Ailetta, and Eve were facing their own volley of webs. Unlike the others, the attack on them seemed more prevalent than all of the others; mainly because the three of them were in close proximity to one another.

Neither of the three faltered under the excessive attack. Even as the attack was seemingly inescapable to get out of the way, both Ailetta and Eve showed no fear or hesitation of being caught up into it. They had already seen how Noah generated his slime arm, raising it up into the air even moments before the ”surprise” attack commenced. Their faith in Noah’s strength and his unnerved presence in front of the attack allowed them the comfort to await how Noah would deal with the approaching waves.

Noah’s arm, now glowing with a simmering intensity, had been imbued with nearly four hundred points of his mana. The slime spread outward from his raised arm, forming a protective dome around the three of them just as the assault began. As the onslaught of webs struck, small thuds echoed within the dome, each impact sounding softly as the hardened slime barrier held firm, tethering the webs harmlessly to its surface.

Inside the dome, an almost complete darkness enveloped the space, broken only by the flickering violet light emanating from Noah’s slime. The glow pulsed like a heartbeat, casting eerie shadows along the inner surface of the protective shell. Eve’s vision was completely hindered, rendering her unable to see what was happening beyond the barrier, while Ailetta and Noah remained aware of the situation in their own ways.

Ailetta’s vision extended far beyond her own body. Every slime with eyes acted as an extension of her awareness, creating a vast network of sight that allowed her to perceive everything around them. Even as her puppet army continued their relentless assault, the five abyssal slimes, massive creatures with a distinct aura of dark power, served as her true eyes and defensive line. These particular slimes weren’t simple, mindless constructs like the reanimated corpses she had been using; they held a sense of independence, making them formidable and versatile allies.

The abyssal slimes had focused on absorbing the swarming hordes of undead, growing larger and more menacing with each body consumed. Yet, as the spiders began to target them directly, Ailetta knew it was time for a change in tactics. With a simple mental command, each abyssal slime shifted from passive absorption to an offensive stance. Their gelatinous forms quivered with malevolent energy, and their many eyes glistened with a newfound intensity as they prepared to defend against the approaching arachnid assault.

Among the five abyssal slimes was one of them being the half ant, half humanoid version, while the other was the appearance of a regular ant but massive in size. The third slime was one of the large toads that were caught up into the crossfire. Even though there were obviously more animal life within the forest, only certain species beckoned to the call of the creature hidden behind the lurking aura, with the frogs being one of many creatures who chose not to get involved.

The fourth slime in her arsenal was one of the many dragonflies that were taken down. And finally, the last slime was the biggest snake that was a part of the attacking horde that was now much larger than its form while it was alive.

Each creature by this time had their attributes practically doubled after the absorption of so many other slimes under Ailetta’s control. Including their attributes, their size and appearance continued to change each moment they had spent devouring their prepared sources of growth.

Ailetta didn’t have a plan or preference for which kinds of creatures her abyssal slimes absorbed. In the end, they would still obtain the same results. The absorption process sounded eerily familiar to the merging process, but in fact, the two had key differences. As the slimes absorbed the others, their size grew by mere centimeters. No matter if it was a massive beetle or a smaller version of the centipedes. Nor did they obtain any special traits from the different facets of corpses that were now completely integrated into their mass.

Instead, the absorption process focused purely on raw growth and the enhancement of base attributes like strength, resilience, and speed. Each abyssal slime steadily became a denser and more formidable entity, as their gelatinous bodies grew heavier and their movements more impactful. Although the increase in size was incremental, the change in their overall power was exponential. However, what was the significant change within them, which would remain unnoticeable to all besides Noah, who could see it, and Ailetta, who was fully connected with them, was the overflowing of mana building within the core of each slime that continued to grow stronger with each absorption.

And unlike the absorption process, the merging process did the exact process of the absorption process but added three extra steps. The forms of the two creatures used would combine, taking on the properties and appearance of both creatures, regardless of the other creatures that had been absorbed before the process. While their mana cores also merged, creating a unique core that held a distinct aura, and still unknown factors to explore. Lastly, once the first two steps were completed, the final process would create a singular entity far greater than if one abyssal slime was to merely absorb the other.

The unpredictability of the final step added a thrilling edge for Ailetta to look forward to, more so than the actual strength of the abomination she created.

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With these five creatures now participating in the battle, their strengths rapidly approached attributes that were edging close to Diablo’s post-transformation stats. Each slime took to their tasks with purpose, intercepting the approaching spiders in their own unique ways. The massive ant slime charged headlong into a group of spiders, using its bulk to crash through their ranks, while the dragonfly slime darted around them, striking with rapid jabs that incapacitated its foes with the sheer strength of its stinger which no longer was capable of releasing its corpses toxins.

The snake slime that now towered at a length of nearly 20 feet, did not behave in the way of a snake attempting to coil around its target and squeezing tightly before devouring them whole. Instead, it surprisingly moved with a speed that betrayed its massive size, whipping its lower half as a powerful whip, effectively removing threats before they could reach Noah, Ailetta, and Eve.

Though they managed to hold back a significant portion of the enemy, a few spiders still managed to slip through the defenses. However, Noah wasn’t worried; he was prepared for this.

His arm, still raised high to maintain the dome shield, flickered softly with a rhythmic pulse before an unexpected change occurred. In a swift motion, his entire arm, from the shoulder down, suddenly disconnected from his body. The moment it detached, the glowing slime arm momentarily hung in the air, supporting the dome. Its shape remained constant at first, but as the dome began to stir, a transformation began.

The bottom of the dome receded, gently uplifting as it was drawn back toward the arm that had sprouted it. As the dome of slime was seemingly being reabsorbed back into the arm, the disconnected section started to shift. The once-solid figure of the slime began to elongate, flowing like molten material as it fell toward the ground.

As the slime descended, its features broke apart and reformed, shaping themselves into a pair of legs that retained their distinct form. These legs possessed descriptive features that set them apart, including two pairs of blackish-purple limbs that appeared more like elongated tendrils than traditional legs.

The rest of the body quickly formed with the rest of it, eventually forming a figure that was almost identical to the small golem he tested making before. However, this time, the golem was now at least three feet tall instead of the miniature version before. During the process, small blade-like tendrils poked out near the areas that still held the tethered webs; a single cut was all it took to sever the toughened silk. The blades being sharper and more lethal than when Noah transformed his arm into a sword. But with four hundred mana being pumped into the slime, Noah would have felt cheated if the golem couldn’t accomplish that

much.
As the golem completed its formation, its two glowing orbs of deep violet flared to life, radiating an eerie yet captivating energy. But it didn’t stand like a typical golem puppet, passively awaiting commands. Instead, its body twitched, its limbs subtly swaying as if infused with an independent life force.

Although Noah wanted to save up on mana for the upcoming fight, he didn’t want to prolong the path to get there. The incessant assault from the spiders was intensifying, and he was acutely aware of the risk of allowing them to gain the upper hand. He also didn’t desire for the creatures to take advantage of the fact that he was holding back. The fact that the spiders were able to organize a synergized attack against them was grounds for Noah to understand that these creatures would continue to try to seize any opportunity presented to them. With that in mind, he decided to rely on the golem.

He still had ways to recover his mana, and although he also had ways to recover his stamina also if he were to directly participate in the battle. He wanted to understand the golem’s potential when using the second version of the skill. This was an opportunity to gauge its effectiveness in a real combat scenario, which would inform his strategy for future encounters against opponents of equal standing.

Noah observed the golem that remained in its current position. Its eyes that had consumed two of Noah’s pupils moving around the exterior of its bodies with a frightened speed. Each eye makes it its mission to capture every bit of movement in its surroundings. Despite the golem’s emergence, the spiders that were able to break pass Ailetta’s abyssal slimes still pounced with the intention to skill.

The spiders didn’t attack in different sequences, their lunges were still rooted in tandem with one another. Fifteen different spiders jumped towards them. Still, the golem didn’t move from its position, but its next action was surprising to say the least. Thin, long slime tentacles burst forth from its body. For each tentacle that launched out, the golem’s body strongly jerked to the velocity of the burst attack.

The tentacles shot out faster than the normal eye could see, even faster than what the spiders, who had an unnerving six sense could even avoid. Each tentacle penetrated through each spider, even those that were in midair. Throughout this, the golem’s two eyes continued to jolt around in front and behind itself, fully alert to any potential threats moving towards it, ensuring that no attacker could close in unnoticed. Its directive was clear the moment it was given ’life’; protect the two people close to its creator.

Though the spiders were impaled by the spear-like appendages, the circumference of the attack was enough to put down a creature of its size. That is, if the golem’s form of attack was only over. The moment its slime penetrated the spiders, each tentacle split and branched out into web-like tendrils, expanding their reach within the bodies of the spiders. The tendrils wrapped around their insides, delivering a brutal, internal assault that shredded their organs and limbs from the inside out. The spiders were put down before they even could process what happened.

The tentacles continued to lash out, ensuring that no spider could regroup or recover, each one falling victim to the onslaught without ever truly grasping their peril. Noah found himself watching in awe as the golem dispatched the spiders, utilizing its slime with an efficiency that was purely instinctive, something that would take himself quite some time to achieve. Even if he spent days testing and experimenting using his slime, he doubted he could perform with the same efficiency. But two things he had over the golem was his imagination and creativity.

Seeing the small creature, he created performing so well had unintentionally alleviated much of the anger that originally was festering within him.

Ailetta, too, found herself momentarily distracted by the golem’s display of power. She didn’t envy Noah’s ability to create such a miniature golem; rather, it sparked something within her. Her thoughts shifted toward her own capabilities and the potential for harnessing her unique form. Often, she came to the realization that her mindset was holding her back in some ways. While she had always been innovative, thinking outside the box and exploring external avenues for growth, she now recognized that her own body could be a weapon, perhaps even the most powerful one she possessed.

As she watched the golem dispatch the spiders with ruthless efficiency, Ailetta pondered the possibilities of merging her slime-like essence with more of her own unique traits. The power of absorption had shown her what was possible, but she had never fully embraced the idea of using her own physical form as a canvas for creation. The thought ignited a new resolve within her. What if she could transform herself further? Her eyes sparkled thinking back to the entity that granted her this transformation. The entity became what it was because it fully took advantage of its unique trait.

What was Ailetta’s most unique trait? The ability of creating and merging the most perfect specimen. She wanted that trait of hers to become her foundation for her growth to keep up with Noah’s. And after witnessing the little golem in action, she was finally enlightened of a potential way of utilizing her most prized ability.

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The spiders, however, did not seem to conceive their inevitable deaths if they were to approach any closer. How many bodies did the golem put down before the spiders no longer continued their direct assault?

The spiders might’ve continued throwing away their life, engaging in a battle of attrition if not for the thundering shriek that caused every creature under its control to unhesitatingly fall back from the fight.