Becoming a Monster

Chapter 309: Chapter 309: An Illusion of Choice

No longer was Mark dazed by Jasmine’s awestricken strength, especially when he saw the person leading the team of soldiers to be one of the very people that he was most cautious of.

The elderly man descended the steps, and his quick descent made it clear that he was in a hurry, but his steady gait and non-expressive face made it appear as if the army of plant life ensnaring almost a hundred people wasn’t worth a moment’s concern.

When the old man reached the bottom of the steps, he merely took in his surroundings, but not once did he let his guard down. He noted how every person that was confined by vines and roots alike were not injured. His gaze didn’t reflect his thoughts at all as he took this in.

However, the sight of the burnt corpse entered his eyes. Majority of the body’s flesh was burned away, leaving a blackened skeleton that almost went unnoticed when lying next to a root that was equally burnt.

His alertness heightened, Mark quickly braced himself when he noticed the slight shift, the hostility that was being released with just a small action.

The old man, Malcolm, was about to lead with a question, wanting to verify the conspicuous death before he decided the measures he should take when suddenly his body moved.

The death had already driven Jasmine to push forward. She had murdered someone, the guilt led her to push herself even harder. She didn’t even consider that Malcolm hadn’t intended to attack them yet, that there could be a way to avoid any bloodshed through discussion.

With her erratic emotions, combined with the time constraints of her ability that will come to an end within minutes, she wanted-she needed to do something before her will cracked under the weight of what she’d done.

Vines lunged before Malcolm had even properly formed a word. They sprung from almost every angle, some, dense as tree trunks, aiming to bind, and overwhelm in a single moment. The ground next to him erupted with roots.

The soldiers behind him gasped. Unlike the soldiers under Burke, most of these elites were still elites who became Vincent’s bodyguards for pure self-gain alone. They didn’t have the same honor and loyalty as Malcolm, and they didn’t have the same composure either.

Some of them flinched; others raised their weapons, hesitating between using their abilities in self-preservation or waiting for Malcolm’s command.

That’s when Malcolm finally made his move. A loud grunt released from his mouth, his knee rose almost leveled to his chest. And then with a loud but curt shout, he slammed his foot into the ground.

The place where his foot landed didn’t have a major effect at all, but within the same second, a deep rumble shook the ground vehemently. Cracks broke through the tiles in a circumference all around him that continued to spread out, nearly affecting that half of the room.

With the cracks forming over the roots and vines that were part of the attack, every form of plant life that was tethered to the affected ground froze involuntarily, even Jasmine found herself unable to feel any hint of life from them.

Within the same moment that the vines froze, the tip of them began to break apart into grains of their former self. The scene continued as the breakage continued through the entire vine, destroying the vine at its roots that were even hidden under the ground. That also included all the plant life that was connected to it.

Mark narrowed his eyes. This was the reason he considered Malcolm to be dangerous. The attack he just released was simple in nature, but it was still terrifying. He had seen it firsthand. Malcolm’s attacks were similar to Bailey’s but better. When he attacks, his attacks send out vibrations that destroy his targets from the inside.

Right now, those vines and roots were undergoing the same thing. From the moment they were affected, the vibrations would continue to ravage through them until the force of the attack lost its power.

But he couldn’t stop them all. Not all of Jasmine’s vines were connected to the ones close to the floor, and not all of her plants were so fragile to be destroyed with just one attack.

The trunk size roots were still moving unimpeded, even Malcolm didn’t appear to be able to stand up to Jasmine’s display of strength.

”Jas, stop!” When Jasmine’s attack seemed to be about to reach its target. Mark saw the old man about to release another attack, a punch that would most likely have the same effect as his latest attack. There was a high chance that even then, he wouldn’t have the necessary power to stop all of Jasmine’s roots.

There were too many, coming in from too many directions, and the power within some of those vines would be able to endure the next attack enough to still perform their intended goal.

But Mark wasn’t going to risk it as he quickly rushed to Jasmine, moving her out of the way in order to wrestle the staff from the ground.

Bailey wasn’t sure what was going on, neither did Jasmine who was more disgruntled out of them all. None of them took notice of the small crack that subtly formed where the staff once was.

”What are yo-”

”Don’t be so impulsive!” Mark exploded. He didn’t even take the time to look towards his sister as he looked to where the staff once was, and just from a glance, those small cracks confirmed his fear.

”He releases destructive vibrations into everything that he attacks. Jas, Everything! Your staff is connected to the same roots that he touched. What if you were still holding onto it?”

Jasmine’s lips parted, lost for words. Her gaze looked confused, but it still ventured towards the area that her staff once was. She didn’t need to see the crack. She was still merged with her spirit, able to sense the plant life around her.

Her eyes shook with shock. And before she fully took everything in, a sense of fear seemed to stir her core. She could sense it, rather, she couldn’t sense the roots that were once connected to where the staff was planted. She realized that Mark was right, but she couldn’t accept that she was so blinded that she put herself at risk.

Her breath grew shallow; this has been one of the few times that she had been so close to death. She didn’t even notice that she was shaking until Bailey cautiously placed a hand on her back.

Malcolm wasn’t surprised nor deterred that Jasmine’s attack had stopped. He simply untensed his body, lowering his stance that was about to take care of the rest of the roots attacking him and his men. He looked around him, seeing that almost every person that was once entangled by Jasmine’s plants were now free, some worse for wear than others, but otherwise still safe and most importantly, they were still useful.

”You’ve already made a mistake, child,” Malcolm said, uncaring about the state Jasmine was in, and unmoved by the vengeful stare directed to him by Mark. ”Don’t make another. Simply stand aside and play the role you are meant to.”

Initially, Mark wanted to lash out; he wanted to make Malcolm pay for almost hurting his sister, potentially killing her. But his eyes looked like they were wavering. Everything Jasmine just worked so hard to do was overturned by Malcolm with a single move.

She still had the strength to fight. He believed that even with Malcolm’s powerful display, he could still take him on. But he didn’t believe he could do it all while trying to only incapacitate them. And then there was still the next series of steps echoing through the now quiet space, and a danger he sensed that was even more profound than Malcolm’s.

Both Vincent and Burke came down the steps side by side, not allowing one to outpace the other. And behind them were a mix of people who didn’t belong, wealthy individuals, some sneered, some looked around pompously, and others curiously spectating as if oblivious to the dangers around them.

”Malcolm, that offer wasn’t what we agreed on.” Burke was the one who spoke up, causing Malcolm to frown towards the army commander, but since his leader didn’t speak up, he chose to stand by and listen.

”Our...hero has led monsters into our base, I doubt it was done with good intentions. And what of our men that were sent out to stop them? No, simply standing aside won’t do anymore. Mark,” Burke’s eyes stared into Mark’s without a shed of apprehension of the heroes’ power.

”You have two choices. Help us kill the monsters, maybe then you’ll still have a place to live among us. Or you and everyone that decides to stand with you can die with them.”

Mark’s jaw clenched. His fists did too. He understood clearly that his choices weren’t choices at all. Kill Noah? That was no different than suicide. Should he just allow Noah to kill them all? That didn’t sound any better.

He didn’t know what he should do anymore. Every option led to blood. His indecisiveness was visible in his body language.

And the sly serpent took advantage of that.

”I told you they’d fail. They couldn’t even get past the first door. Even if we kill a few more I’m sure the shop will give us a little bit of time.”