Becoming a Monster

Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Too Human, Too Late

Back in her hive, the Queen barked orders frantically to her colony. She could no longer continue with her plan. How many of her children would she have to sacrifice? And even then, would their sacrifice accomplish anything?

It was infuriating, but she had to take this failure with tactical grace. And even more so, she had to not provoke the beast even further. Right now it was only her and her children that had taken a loss. Aside from a few of his soldiers, Noah hadn’t lost anyone truly worth caring for. At least, in her perspective.

What she had to do now was buy time, to preserve. She may have been denied the core and prevented from retrieving Dummy’s body. But she still had information from her imprint. Information imprinted onto her own soul that would serve as the foundation for her future children. All she needed now was time, and hope that she hadn’t poked the beast too far.

Suddenly, a scheming voice interjected with her own. An agonizing screech shook her hive. Her children, who were already retreating, picked up their speed in response to their Queen’s duress. They had never felt their Queen in such pain before.

The Queen’s attention never left Noah. She aimed to gather any bit of information she could of the mysterious King as he loomed over Dummy. She never anticipated that Noah was able to interact with her imprint.

It was as if a part of her own mind was being skinned from her consciousness. She staggered, eggs behind her squashed under the weight of her egg bearing sac. Her claws scraped, and blood gushed from the flesh of her hive.

Her tether to Dummy was diminishing. No longer could she steer his instincts; then, nothing.

A final pain surged within her as she screamed a howl so overbearing, her connection to her children caused them to stagger in their return as they indirectly shared in her agony.

She slumped forward. Her body flopped across the floor as she panted, clutching her head as though her brain would shatter at any moment.

By the time she stabilized, she clutched the floor beneath her. Her mind tunneled back to the final moments before her connection was severed.

Those flames, Noah’s aura. They would forever remain imprinted in her mind. Power, evolution, and supremacy. Those ideologies still consumed her. But Noah was no longer part of the equation. No longer did she covet anything that was his. His domain wasn’t just that of a king. It was a grave, a place where monsters went to die.

If she were to get her revenge, if she were to ever rid herself of this trauma, she would have to transcend her colony. To do that, she must survive.

At this moment, she was resolved to flee.

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During the time Noah burned away the Queen’s imprint, he watched her soul squirm, jerking with visible agony but without sound. He should’ve been pleased, but inside him, a plan was burning, a plan for genocide.

His slime receded, revealing Dummy’s body, barely breathing, his eyes open without much luster. Dummy survived, though weakened from having his soul almost destroyed in the process. It was only because the Queen’s soul was just an imprint that he was able to destroy it before Dummy’s own soul was consumed.

Dummy’s body had been regenerated, but just in case, Noah had Fenrir to watch over him. He didn’t let Dummy leave his sight until Dummy regained enough strength to consume something else to rid himself of the hybrid’s essence.

Noah returned to his home, making his way to Pandora. The tree was downcast that she had failed, regretting that she was even about to resort to using Noah’s precious core because of her own weakness.

He found her illusion form standing near the dungeon core. Even now, she was determined to continue the role bestowed upon her; she was ready to be condemned for her failures.

However, Noah didn’t say anything. He walked towards her instead, not to her illusion, but to her main body.

He knelt before her. Tens of tendrils emerged from his body, directing themselves to her roots as he firmly placed his hand on her trunk. In silence, a green, life-filled light began to grow, soothing and healing her wounds. She may be a tree, and the destruction to her roots would eventually heal and regrow, but he needed to acknowledge her effort. In the end, he needed to be a better leader, and show more support for his family.

Pandora’s illusion flickered, her illusion losing its stability as her attention snapped back to her true form. Her roots twitched beneath the ground as the restorative energies seeped into her.

”You’re... not angry?” she asked, her voice still monotone, yet her emotions were fully conveyed to Noah, who paused, looking up at the tree. He could sense her trepidation, and he could sense her fear, fear of being subjected to his disappointment.

”Yes, I’m angry,” his reply caused her entire being to shake.

”I’m angry that I put you in this position. I should’ve seen this coming. In fact, I did and yet, I was naive to believe that those bugs were too weak to do anything...”

Pandora was silent, as did the others around him. They could all sense Noah’s frustration with himself.

”I won’t make the same mistake again.” Noah’s tone changed, colder, more dangerous, as the glow in his eyes intensified looking at Pandora. ”And neither should you.” His gaze made her shudder. Here it comes, she thought, certain she was now about to be admonished for her failure.

”I told you to use the core when you were in danger, and yet you still hesitated to use it to the very end. What if I hadn’t come in time? What if using it wasn’t enough because you waited too long? I value your life more than the core’s mana. Even the core itself comes secondary when it comes to any of you. So next time... don’t hesitate.”

Pandora didn’t respond immediately. She couldn’t. She didn’t feel shame for failing her duties, but for underestimating the weight of his care.

”I won’t...” Her words were short, her emotions too overwhelmed to give a drowned out response as her illusion vanished.

Noah could see that her sights were still on him. He stood up, having done all he could for her. . He knew that her roots would regrow, with the help of the forest, her recovery probably wouldn’t even take a day.

But now he was ready to do what he should’ve done a long time ago; rid the forest of any potential competition.

His bloodlust mounted, his aura oppressive as his memories of the last cowardly attack festered in his mind. He wanted to leave right then and there. But if he left now, had he truly learned his lesson?

He turned around, facing his creatures. Before beginning his crusade, he intended to give Pandora better insurance. He was going to leave Ailetta, his second strongest, to protect everyone and their home while he was away. But even though she was strong, he still wanted her to be stronger.

However, when he turned around, he came to witness his companions looking towards him with an odd sensation. Just like Pandora, they too were overwhelmed by Noah’s feelings for them.

Ailetta’s eyes formed mini crescents alongside her body. Her aura gave an illusion as if it was in the shape of a heart. She felt the scene was ironic.

That Noah only found compassion after becoming a monster.

She felt the need to comment her thought, but then she noticed Noah’s gaze directed at her.

”Le, do you still have that creature’s core?”

Ailetta’s head slightly tilted, confused by the creature he was referring to. Her mind quickly shuffled through the events leading up to now to determine the purpose of his question, and it was when she learned what he wanted to do, that she realized what creature he was referring to.

Her arm reached into her body, receding, to pull out a core that was bigger than her normal size hands.

As Noah approached, her anticipation rose. Her excitement led her to meet him halfway, quickly but carefully placing the core in his hand.

”It’s finally my turn, I thought you had forgotten about me yet again,” she teased. Yet Noah could sense that she was also only half joking. He was aware of her obsession to be loved more than anyone else, and yet she was always the last to receive anything.

There were no words to make up for his blunder. Maybe there was, but he wasn’t familiar with such things easily. Instead, he revealed his face shrouded in darkness, a soft smile touched his lips.

The two shared their feelings, soul to soul. A silent communication bridged between them as Noah brought the core up to his chest.

His eye churned as blinding light faded as it absorbed the essence of the core, creating an image of a familiar creature that now moved around inside its gaze.

The beast didn’t rage like all the others. It stood obediently looking out of the eye, waiting.

Even as Noah’s hand reached into the eye, clamping over its soul, it didn’t resist.

Noah showed a gentleness with the soul unlike any of the others he had to handle. And with that soul, he proceeded to implant it into the center of Ailetta’s chest.