Becoming a Monster

Chapter 494: Chapter 493: A Natural Disaster Given Form

At the sound of the beating heart, Noah sensed something trying to affect his soul.

It was the faint feeling of despair, of unadulterated fear. And that was when he remembered what that ability was, because it was one of Diablo’s strongest, and it was also one Noah would never allow him to use when fighting in a group.

The reason revealed itself almost instantly, as Baka, Dog, and the remaining spider all began to falter, their bodies lowering as they were forced into submission by the pressure that spread through the area.

Even Arachne and Fenrir were affected, though, rather than submitting, their reactions turned aggressive as their instincts pushed back against the influence.

Noah and Ailetta remained unaffected because their spirits were strong enough to resist it entirely, while Kratos didn’t react at all since the effect held no meaning over him as a revenant.

Noah let out a slow breath and kept his focus on the ritual because there was nothing he could do to interfere, and nothing he needed to change. It was already nearing completion.

The bones began to align and restructure as they changed, shifting away from their original human form and into something far more familiar, while armor formed over the skeletal frame as if it had always been part of its body, matching exactly what Diablo had been before his death.

The mist slowly receded, the core settled, and the figure stood.

”Papa!”

The skeleton remained still at first, its empty gaze fixed forward without reaction, but the moment Eve threw herself into him, he responded as his head tilted downward to look at her.

He did not return the embrace, but Eve never saw his actions as a lack of affection, because their connection had never relied on something as simple as that.

—

”Noah, the human who had escaped earlier, has been dealt with. They’re bringing his body back now.”

After Ailetta updated him on the escapee, Noah kept his gaze on Eve for a moment longer before shifting his attention away. His thoughts had already begun moving toward what needed to be done next.

”And the other one? Have we still not found out what happened to Ophis?”

He was well aware that the last survivor had given chase to Ophis, but that was earlier in the fight, and now he couldn’t say for certain whether the serpent had died or if the human who chased it had gotten away.

Noah couldn’t understand what the serpent was thinking, because if it was still alive, then there was no reason for it to remain away from them, which only made its absence more frustrating than concerning.

There was nothing else he could do right now, because while he could have Ailetta send out slimes to search for its location, that would take time.

It would be quicker to wait until he returned to their territory and ask Pandora directly, so for now, all he could do was hope that the serpent would return on its own.

With that thought settled, Noah turned his attention forward as he approached the tiger kin, who watched him warily without showing the resentment that should have followed.

The tiger wasn’t even sure what he was feeling anymore, because while he grieved for his fallen comrades, the events that had just taken place had already changed the way he saw everything.

After witnessing Noah’s true strength and after feeling the pressure that had forced his instincts to submit, he could no longer see this as a simple battle that had gone wrong, because in his eyes, they had walked into this themselves.

You don’t step into a natural disaster and then blame nature for what happens after, and that was what Noah had become in his mind. He was something that existed beyond what they had any right to challenge.

They had come here believing they deserved answers, and they treated him as if they were equals, or worse, as if they stood above him, and only now did he understand how wrong that was.

Even if Noah had the strength to spare them, there was no reason for him to do so, and the tiger understood that better than anyone.

Because if his kind had possessed that same strength, then they would not have endured years of humiliation, nor would he have spent his life lowering his head while those same humans enslaved and killed his kind without consequence.

If the roles were reversed, then mercy would not have been given, and that truth simmered heavily within him as he stood there.

Because of that, when he should’ve hated Noah for what he had done, that feeling never came, and instead, the only thing that remained was the weight of his own helplessness.

Now, all he could do was wait for Noah’s judgment, even though a part of him still resisted that outcome.

”Couldn’t you have at least spared Gwen? She didn’t deserve to die...”

Noah stopped directly in front of him, and for a brief moment, he didn’t respond as he tried to place the name, but it didn’t take long before he remembered. He didn’t remember the name; he just remembered seeing the girl who was closer to them than the others.

Even though they had fought together, they were never truly one group, and when it came to the tiger kin’s side, there was only one person who fit that name.

A group of humans, two beast kin, and an elf, while the others were all humans. They were a bunch of misfits. He could see it clearly now, not just who she was, but what she meant to him. While that may have mattered to the tiger, it held no value to Noah.

”If she didn’t want to die, then she shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place. I gave you all a choice, and in the end, you chose your own fate.”

There was no hesitation in his voice and no sympathy behind it, because it didn’t matter whether she intended to attack him or not. The moment she chose to stand beside those who did, that alone was enough to make her his enemy.

The tiger took his answer in silence as he slowly lowered himself to his knees, his head dropping while his gaze fixed on the ground. The strength in his body seemed to leave him all at once as the reality of everything settled in.

He understood now why he had been left alive, and it had nothing to do with who he was as an individual, because he wasn’t important in any meaningful way.

He was simply the one who happened to be ”lucky,” if one could call it that. Because from the very beginning, Noah had intended to leave one of them alive to carry a message.

There was no comfort in that realization.

”Kratos, you can release him.”

Noah could already tell that the tiger had accepted his fate, so there was no reason to keep him restrained any longer. Kratos released his hold without question, yet he didn’t step back, choosing instead to remain where he stood as if he had no intention of allowing the tiger even the slightest misstep.

The moment the pressure around his head eased, the tiger’s first instinct was to rise, because even now, some part of him refused to remain completely lowered.

That movement was stopped immediately.

A heavy hand came down onto his shoulder with enough force to halt him in place, and the impact drove through his body as both his shoulder and knee buckled under the pressure.

The pain was sharp, but the tiger didn’t cry out.

A low groan slipped through his teeth, yet even then, he forced himself to remain still, resisting the urge to react any further. He didn’t complain, and he didn’t turn to look at the one who had forced him back down.

He simply stayed where he was, kneeling, as if that was the only position he was allowed to take.

Meanwhile, Noah acted as if he didn’t see it all happen as he began to speak again.

”Honestly, I shouldn’t even let you live...” The tiger flinched, but he didn’t move.

”I only needed one of you, but one of your people managed to get away. If he’s going to tell them what happened anyway, then what would I need you for?”

At those words, the tiger finally looked up, and for the first time since everything ended, there was a trace of life in his expression.

He had already realized that Ethaniel had never returned after giving chase to the creature that had taken Gwen away, and it had been impossible not to hold onto the thought that maybe he had succeeded. If Noah didn’t know what happened to him, then there was still a chance.

A small, restrained smile threatened to form, but the tiger forced it down as quickly as it appeared, afraid that even the slightest change in his expression might cause Noah to reconsider.

If he could leave now, then maybe he could still find the others. His kin had fallen, but it wouldn’t all be for nothing.

That thought alone was enough to pull him in, and before he realized it, he had already begun imagining a future where he walked away from this alive. A future where Gwen was still alive.

He didn’t notice when Noah stopped speaking.

”Noah... what is it?”