Becoming a Monster

Chapter 398: Chapter 398: A Wise Fool

A group of monsters stood in silence as the last of the humans disappeared beyond the tree line.

Noah said nothing; he simply watched. Something about the woman made him ponder. She was weak compared to him and his creatures. The fact that she was forced to run to him proved that she was weaker than the monsters that lived in this forest. And yet, for some reason, after she had gotten the information she wanted, her aura changed.

It was as if she had absolute faith that she would survive through the forest despite what happened the previous night.

He couldn’t help but to speculate why that was. But something told him that it had something to do with Anubis’s power. Thinking of Anubis, his eyes flickered. He felt that it was a waste to let her go. Her connection to such a being could’ve been valuable.

Even if he couldn’t have her, that didn’t mean he couldn’t take her ability. Her power would prove more useful in his hands.

However, he also couldn’t say for certain if Anubis would take kindly to his actions. He already had the Entity to deal with. He was sure that he had become an enemy of God after killing an angel. There were also the hybrid insects that had disappeared when the forest changed. And he still had no clue about the strength of the monster’s leaders that surrounded him on all sides.

There were too many enemies to account for. If anything, he didn’t want to make another enemy, especially one out of another god if he could avoid it.

While Noah was pondering, the last trace of the humans disappeared.

From his side, the drake spoke with an uncharacteristically calm manner. ”You’re an odd demon...”

It spoke more to itself than to him. It didn’t think much of it until now that it was watching the humans leave. A dem-no, a monster wouldn’t have done what Noah had done. It finally began to accept something that it had been denying since the start; that Noah truly had been human once.

With its knowledge, it knew that a human couldn’t change themselves without outside interference. That left it with a burning question... What powerful being could turn a human into...this

?
The drake shook off the thought with a rough exhale, smoke spilling from its nostrils. It didn’t matter what had turned Noah into what it was. The answer would come, and the best way to uncover it was to keep the fake demon close.

If it stayed near him long enough, its curiosity would eventually be satisfied. And in the meantime... it could secure more of that blood for itself.

The thought alone made its body twitch restlessly. Just imagining what the blood could do, if there truly was a possibility to transcend its limits, to become closer to its ancestral heritage; it filled the drake with a nervous

energy that was almost unbearable.

But that same excitement brought with it a strange instinct. An estranged sort of vigilance to root as its predatory pupils looked at Noah with a different kind of possessiveness than Noah’s creatures would give him. For all its pride, something deep in its blood was beginning to treat Noah less like a monster taking up space in its territory, and more like a dangerous, necessary ally.

Still, the drake thought of something as Noah watched the humans leave.

It frowned when its thoughts made it believe that Noah could still have faint attachments for humans.

”Demon,” the drake called suddenly, its tone shifting to something like an elder warning a child. ”You may mean well, but I’d suggest you interact less with humans from now on.”

Noah’s nonexistent brow furrowed, caught off guard by the uninvited advice. His expression was confusion itself, as if trying to understand why the drake found it had the right to lecture him.

The drake took that look as confirmation... The demon truly was a lost lamb.

The drake exhaled slowly as if it were carrying the world on its shoulders. ”Monsters can coexist because we are honest about what we are. A beast feeds, a predator hunts, and prey mates enough to survive. There’s balance in that... a kind of order, because every creature accepts its nature.”

Its eyes narrowed, glinting with a faint disdain. ”But humans... Humans are different. They pretend to be above the instincts that guide the rest of us. Yet they kill for greed, for fear, for sport, and for reasons that in the end, aren’t built on a foundation to create a balance.

They can be as malicious as goblins, as greedy as dragons, as stubborn as trolls, and as prideful as vampires... and they could still call themselves righteous.

The drake tilted its head slightly, as though studying Noah to see if he was catching on. ”They don’t belong to any one nature, and that’s what makes them dangerous. You can understand the nature of a monster, or a demon. But a human? You can never be sure which part of them you’re speaking to.”

It turned its gaze back toward the treeline where the humans had vanished. ”They may feel grateful for what you have done for them, but who knows what side they will carry tomorrow, or the next day. Maybe tomorrow, they’ll only remember you as the monster who could have killed them, and that will be enough.”

For once, the drake wasn’t boasting or mocking. It seemed to be recalling something from a distant past.

Noah didn’t respond immediately. But he was surprised.

He gave the drake another look over, amazed that someone would see humans the same way he saw them.

Noah couldn’t hold back a chuckle, earning an aggrieved gaze back from the drake, who believed Noah wasn’t considering its warning at all.

”You don’t have to worry about that... I’ve had my own experiences. What I did was because I wanted to do it, and in the end, it’ll benefit me more.”

The drake felt Noah’s response was cryptic; it didn’t understand what Noah could mean by benefiting in the end.

However, Noah was done talking about it. He looked back to his family. There were still things he needed to do, but first, he needed to deal with his neighbor.

”The deal still stands. I’ll give you my blood for one question answered. Deal?”

For a brief moment, the drake just stared, the words catching it off guard. But the hesitation didn’t last long. Its cunning returned almost instantly, sliding back into its natural rhythm.

”I want the blood first,” it said, puffing up its chest. ”Then I’ll answer your question. That’s how trust is built, isn’t it?”

Noah didn’t even blink. ”No.”

The drake’s mouth twitched. ”What do you mean no? We had already made the deal.” It wanted to scream, but the chance of losing this opportunity forced it to hold it in.

”Like you said, we need to build our relationship on trust,” Noah said calmly, but the drake could hear mockery in his tone. ”You already seem to know the value of what I’m giving, but I still don’t know the full extent of how you’ll answer my question. You’ll answer first. Otherwise, I’ll just figure it out on my own.”

The drake’s jaw tightened, smoke once again curling from its nostrils. It wanted to retort, to argue that he was breaking their agreement. Yet Noah was hard to read. It didn’t want to take the chance in calling Noah’s bluff.

It clicked its tongue in irritation. ”You’re an impossible creature to negotiate with...”

”Then don’t,” Noah’s quick rebuttal shut it up completely. The drake’s throat rumbled in frustration.

But the pull of its temptation was too strong.

Finally, it huffed. ”Fine, demon. Ask your question. But if you lie about your end of the deal...”

”You don’t have to worry about that. I don’t go back on any promises I make...”

For some odd reason, the drake felt that Noah’s words were more of a threat than a reassurance. It felt disturbed, how did it go from threatening him, to becoming the one threatened?

Its pupils narrowed to thin slits, trying to read the intent behind Noah’s calm tone. It was the kind that only beings who meant what they said could ever carry.

It swallowed the lump of pride that threatened to rise and looked away with a low grumble. ”You have a strange way of reassuring others, demon...”

Noah didn’t respond. He merely waited to hear if the drake agreed. And after a moment of continued silence, he finally spoke. ”Then it’s settled. I’ll ask, and you’ll answer.”

Noah’s gaze dropped slightly, his thoughts turning inward. He had countless questions, but what he needed now was perspective.

His eyes lifted to the drake again. ”Tell me... how powerful are the creatures in this world that are stronger than you?”

In response to the question, the drake tilted its head slightly, studying him. Then, slowly, it huffed, the corners of its jaw pulling into something between amusement and approval. ”Hmph... a good question,” it admitted.

The drake’s tone carried an odd pride, as though Noah’s question had affirmed something about his nature.

”And the truth is...” The drake lifted its head, eyes glowing faintly. ”There are many stronger than me.”