Becoming a Monster

Chapter 206: Chapter 206: The Weight of Sharing Loot

The moment Noah was able to get over his surprise, he nudged Eve in front of him, analyzing the new piece of equipment. His hands gripped the armored parts, the slight pressure he placed on them was with caution, not wanting to destroy the gear accidentally. Despite his initial caution, he found that as he increased the power of his grip, the armor continued to hold firm.

Eve, who tried to stand completely still under Noah’s intense observation, looked pleadingly towards him with the best puppy eyes she could muster. ”I keep it?” She asked as if requesting to take care of an abandoned animal.

Noah raised an eyebrow, caught off guard that he had momentarily forgotten that Eve was wearing the armor. He looked directly at the little ”girl”. Her fragile appearance that made one want to protect her almost made him instantly reply with a yes. But then his thoughts turned to the probability of what if the armor could also be used on someone like Fenrir or even Arachne. Someone who could benefit from the armor more since they would be in the thick of the fight.

Before he could make the decision, he needed to check exactly what the armor provided.

Attributes

Defense: 200

Mitigation: 5%

Strength: 72(147)

Agility: 88(171)

Constitution: 90(265)

Stamina: 122(219)

Magic: 199

Spirit: 187

The information elicited a deep sigh. Given how magical the armor seemed, Noah believed that it would do more than just act as a defensive item, offering more than just a straightforward defense. He was being spoiled when it came to items having special abilities, but as he thought about it, an armored equipment that could be used on any creature, even those whose figures make it impossible to put armor on, made the piece of gear still valuable.

”It’s not like the armor is terrible, in fact, the defense is even stronger than the clothing that my webs currently provide.” He thought to himself. The acknowledgement aiding him to make a decision after determining the gears value.

He looked back towards Eve. The armor wouldn’t serve as much use to her now, but strangely enough he started to feel that it was better suited for her, and it was the very reason why it wouldn’t be much use to her that made him feel that she deserved it.

In the upcoming fight, there was the chance that he would have to personally intervene. Unless Diablo was tasked with only guarding her, she wouldn’t have any protection, and from what he learned about her seemingly immortal body, she is Diablos’ biggest weakness. If she had other ways to protect herself than that would allow everyone to be able to contribute in the upcoming fight.

With a stern gaze, Noah took one last pensive look in her direction, his gaze firmly rooted on her eye etched into her forehead that continued to remain close.

”Yes, Eve...you can keep it.” His confirmation instantly gained a reaction. Eve’s face lit up as much as it was possible for a zombie girl, her body squirmed out of his hold to run over to Diablo to show off what she received. Noah watched the little girl twirling for Diablo, only for the skeletal father to sit there without much response. But Noah was perceptive of the fact that Diablo’s eyes flickered briefly during her showcasing.

Now that the deed was done, Noah focused on the last item within the chest.

Noah quickly withdrew his slime hand, the searing heat radiating from the last item in the chest catching him by surprise. The sensation was more intense than he had anticipated, and for a brief moment, he felt a sharp pang of discomfort. His slime, though incredibly versatile and attuned to his soul, wasn’t immune to extreme conditions, its sensitivity made it far more reactive than any normal flesh would have been when not imbued with mana.

The matter fully grabbed his attention, ignoring everything around him. Instead of using his slime hand, he reached out with his armored claw, tapping the crystal-like object first, testing to see if it was as hot as the heat it was radiating.

The crystallized stone before him was unlike anything he had encountered before. It stood out with its sharp, jagged edges, resembling an ancient shard of volcanic glass that had been smoothed over time by an unseen force. The exterior of the stone was a deep, obsidian black, giving off an almost eerie, otherworldly glow. Veins of molten red, orange, and gold crisscrossed across the surface, pulsing with an internal heat that seemed to radiate outward in waves. At the core, a faint shimmer of fiery light could be seen, constantly shifting like the flickering of a dying ember, creating the illusion that the stone itself was alive with energy.

When his armored claw made contact, he felt the heat seep through, but the stone was not unbearably hot, just warm enough to send a warning signal to his instincts. It was as if the stone held back its true power, waiting for the right moment, or the right being, to unleash it.

”Inferno Tamer’s Ember....” Noah seriously pondered over the name. Just like before, he was trying to consider how to use the item based on what the system titled it. Yet the moment he retrieved the item from the chest, he received his answer.

”I want it!”

”Mine too??”

”Noah?”

”Darling?”

His companions sounded all at one time, their pleas and demands blended together to make unintelligible noise as far as Noah was concerned. But their intense reactions made him understand that the item once again was for them.

”Can one of you tell me what this is exactly?” Although his direction seemed to be directed towards them all, his gaze centered on Ailetta was a clear indication that he felt he received the best answer from her.

”Its food, it smells like food, so it must be food.”

”Stupid...He knows that much.” Arachne chastised Fenrir, though her tone was more spiteful than intended because of her still lingering resentful emotions. After rebuking the massive mutt, she directed her gaze towards the crystal. ”It’s not just food, it can also make us stronger.” She said matter-of-factly.

This was exactly the reason why Noah didn’t want to hear their opinions. Noah sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. The banter from his companions, though familiar, always seemed to come at the most inconvenient times. Arachne’s comments were certainly more insightful, but his patience was already thin.

Still, Arachne’s words gave him at least something to think about. ”Make you stronger huh?” The echo of her statement elicited a somewhat proud head tilt from Arachne despite her frustrations. Clearly, she was pleased that Noah gave her more than a dismissive glance unlike what he had given her some time ago when she offered her ”knowledge”.

”I can test it for you!” Eve perked up, her childish smile growing as she bounced up to head towards Noah, only for a tentacle to slither around her body to hold her back.

”Noah, none of us can exactly say what will happen if we were to consume it, but the fact that we all see it as something to eat means that we must consume it to obtain its benefits. I wouldn’t doubt that whatever it is will significantly increase our strength. It’s hard to guess what exactly it would affect just on the name.”

”It could amplify whatever fire traits we have, maybe not even doing anything at all if we don’t originally have any fire abilities. It could make us gain a fire ability, resistance to fire, maybe even give us the capability of controlling fire.” She exasperatedly shrugged, despite the shine in her eyes showing that she was eager to uncover the truth.

”We won’t know until one of us eats it, but that’s your decision to make. Although I am tempted by the item, you can leave me out of the decision. Fire doesn’t really suit me, and I would like to call dibs on the next possible item that we come across in advance.”

Noah listened carefully to Ailetta’s analysis, but her words only served to heighten the weight of the decision in front of him. As much as he appreciated her insight, it didn’t make the choice any easier.

He glanced at his companions, feeling the pressure of their gazes. Already he crossed out Eve from the list. It wasn’t just the fact that she had already received an item, but it was also the fact that any of the possibilities gained from the ember wouldn’t synergize well with what she already has, not unless she used....”that”.

That only left Arachne and Fenrir. His desire was to give it to Arachne first, wanting to reward her for being with him since the start of it all. He imagined her webs becoming resistant to fire, perhaps even using the Ember’s magic to create traps that could burn through enemies with ease. The idea of her venom carrying a fiery, searing effect only added to the allure.

But thinking of the possible gains made him also painfully aware of potential consequences if she were to obtain it. ’What if her abilities counteract each other? If the two abilities didn’t merge but allowed her to use fire independently, then would she ever use her fire and webs at the same time?’