Becoming a Monster

Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Results of Fusing Genes

The battle was over, a battle that Noah would never forget. He came to realize several hard truths from this battle. One, angels...and God, were real. And in turn, he learned that Devils and hell were real. Two, learning the uncomfortable truth that he was right all along, the title he was always labeled with, the title that he finally came to wear without a hint of hesitation, was true. He was a devil. What kind of devil? He wasn’t sure of the answer. From the Angels’ words, a devil, and The Devil were two different beings.

But that wasn’t all. The presence that was on the other side of those cracks emanated a power much stronger than the Seraphim that was much stronger than himself. What was that creature? How much stronger did he have to be so he could live his life without someone or something threatening it? The truth was undeniable now. The world was far vaster, and crueler, than he had once dared to believe.

If even Angels, God’s loyal retainers, could so easily brand him as an evil creature to put down without at first judging his character, who can he trust? What was good in this world? What did it truly mean to be a monster?

His thoughts were sporadic, his expression still strain from his ongoing transformation, and yet, his eyes held a resolve like none other before.

Noah struggled to get up as his body shifted awkwardly, his exoskeleton wiggling while shifting into a new shape, as if in direct response to his will.

The spider appendages that had become a dominant part of him were now gone. His old exoskeleton that was similar to how Arachne’s skeleton was now made up of hardened slime, shifted and changed into a state that looked eerily similar to when he was merged with Ailetta.

His facial features remained the same, save for his pupils. The pupils of his secondary eyes moved on their own, outside of the same movements of his main eyes, as if they were a separate consciousness entirely.

Lastly, the arm that was regrown was now identical to his dominant one. Both were now similar in size, both lethal in almost every aspect. His gauntleted hands were more demonic than barbaric, his fingers as sharp as blades. His fists were still unnaturally large.

Noah’s stance stabilized as his feet cracked the already brittle stone beneath him. It wasn’t that he was stronger, but the density of his exoskeleton was far denser in mass than before.

As he cautiously adjusted his footing, only to form more cracks in the ground, he soon realized the weight behind him that was no longer there, the slight imbalance that made him feel...off.

His eyes blinked slowly, with barely any conscious effort, four spider appendages, similar to before, had suddenly sprung from his back. Each was as menacing as before; however they were made up of the same substance as his exoskeleton.

Consciously Noah moved the appendages as if they were another set of arms, even extending them and swinging them in a blur of motion that appeared far more deadly than before. With a thought, the four appendages receded into his body, replaced by one singular large tail that was no different than Kratos.

Losing his chance to try his hand at receiving the Seraphim’s genes, Noah was at least content with the fact that fusing his two traits wasn’t necessarily a waste.

His mind turned to his system, unafraid of the movement that was converging on the stairwell.

[You have leveled up! Fenrir has leveled up! Arachne has....]

Sovereign Golem Genesis (Lvl 0) By using 1% to 50% of your total mana, you can create sentient advance golem from your mutated dread infused slime. The golems’ strength and sentience is heavily affected by how much mana is used in their creations. These golems share visual traits with the user while their original form is shaped by the creator’s will.

-–DreadCore Golem: When a creature core is used as a catalyst, the golem inherits one random physical trait and ability from the core’s original host. These golems last indefinitely but require periodic mana to sustain. If neglected, they will consume the core’s essence to survive.

—Netherbound Golem: Two Core Golems can fuse into a single and empowered unit. Fusion lasts 15 minutes or until their shared mana is depleted. Fused golems gain increased stats and may combine inherited traits.

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Dreadthread Synthesis (Lvl 0)

Your mutated slime and webs have fused into a single adaptive substance, dense, sentient, and deeply attuned to your instincts. This hybrid matter makes up your internal and external structure, shifting fluidly between solid and liquid states. You can passively mold your body and exoskeleton into weapons, limbs, tools, or armor. These alterations persist as long as mana is supplied, up to 50% of your total mana before risking overload. The strength of your slime is not only empowered by your mana, but also 20% of your bodily constitution.

—Construct Manifestation: Fire dreadthread like webs or shape it into external constructs; blades, barriers, autonomous limbs, sentient defenders. Power, size, and duration scale with mana investment.

—Symbiotic Guardian: With greater mana infusion, create semi-sentient armor or constructs that respond instinctively to threats. These can be worn by allies and function independently.

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—Reactive Symbiosis: In moments of mortal danger, your dreadthread acts on its own; shielding vital areas, repairing damage, or launching reflexive countermeasures. It draws on your mana or nearby ambient sources.

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Dreadcore Reconstitution (Lvl 0)

Your body has undergone irreversible mutation, your organs, flesh, and nerves now interlace with dread-infused slime, granting you the ability to regenerate even from total destruction. As long as your core remains intact and you have sufficient mana, and your body can reconstruct itself over time.

—Limb Restoration (10–30% total mana): Regrow fully destroyed arms, legs, or external appendages. Takes several minutes depending on complexity.

—Minor Internal Repair (5–10% total mana): Regenerate damaged or partially impaired organs (e.g. torn lungs, kidney trauma). Takes 1–2 minutes.

—Major Organ Regrowth (20–40% total mana): Rebuild heavily damaged or missing organs (e.g. heart, lungs, liver). Can take up to 10 minutes.

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—Core Reliant Revival (50%+ total mana): Even if the heart and vital systems are destroyed, you can slowly reconstruct yourself from your intact core over time. Requires being in a stable environment and uninterrupted focus. Duration and success depend on mana available.

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Neural Dreadspire (Lvl 0)

Your perception turns inward, fusing your mutated physiology with a lattice of accelerated thought-webs. Each pupil can still be activated by infusing 5 mana per second, and the base skill requires 5 mana per second to maintain. For every active pupil, your mind gains enhanced processing speed, enabling you to simulate multiple combat outcomes and react with near-instant precision.

—Parallel Processing: For each pupil activated, your brain runs an additional cognitive thread, capable of predicting and evaluating future movements, enemy actions, or spell outcomes in real time. This results in accelerated decision-making and advanced tactical foresight.

—Synaptic Reflex: When activated, your subconscious overrides conscious delay, executing automatic dodges, or interrupts to imminent threats. These reactions function independently of deliberate thought, acting as pure instinct while under danger.

—Neural Overload: Full activation or simultaneous tracking of multiple enemies taxes your nervous system. Prolonged use may trigger overstimulation effects such as blurred vision, sensory distortion, temporal desynchronization, splitting migraines, or delayed reaction times. These effects intensify with each additional active pupil beyond your mental threshold.

Analyzing everything. Noah wasn’t excited or surprised by the fact that both him and his creatures had leveled up.

In truth, he felt nothing close to triumph at this moment. He was filled with the sobering realization that this fight was simply a prelude to survive what came next. However, seeing the skills gathered from fusing his traits brought about a reaction.

He was already aware that he was going to lose the abilities of his individual traits. It was for this reason why he resisted the urge to merge them sooner. But now he realized that a skill created for him by the entity inside him, a creature that defied logic in every sense, whose presence made even the Seraphim look meager in comparison, there was no way a skill like that would have severe consequences.

He may have lost four abilities, but the four he now had was not inferior to having eight. In fact, these four skills were no different than having eight individual skills

From what he could tell, he had lost a good amount of his skills from the fusion, and even the resources he spent upgrading some of them were lost forever. However, at the same time he felt that he didn’t lose out at all. These skills were much better than before, even when merely being reset to the lowest level.

Again, he had found yet another path to grow stronger. But again, he understood that every path set out for him to gain power in the most efficient and fastest way was through his skills given to him by that entity.

Noah slowly turned his head when his attention was gained by something that appeared near him. A light, an aura that was more intense than the very divine light that bathed the area. A chest greater than any chest he received thus far had materialized in front of him.

But before he could even lose himself in the prospect of legendary loot. He heard someone frantically screaming his name.