Becoming a Monster

Chapter 596: Chapter 595: Your Terms, Not Mine

Both groups gradually moved away from the center of the territory, creating enough space for what Morvyr continued to insist would be nothing more than a casual bout.

Noah had accepted the request far more easily than either side expected.

He could already tell that Morvyr was strong. More importantly, the elf said his status was that of being directly below one of the Demon King’s generals.

Noah still had no clear understanding of how powerful a general was supposed to be. Even Bolas had been unable to give him a definitive answer.

The drake could only infer that the generals belonged among the strongest beings in the world.

If S-rank monsters represented the height of strength most nations were prepared to confront, then the Demon King’s generals could likely be considered SS-rank monsters.

Noah had taken that comparison seriously because Bolas had made certain to emphasize the word monster.

The distinction mattered much more than the other nations were willing to admit.

In this world, an S-rank party, an individual S-rank adventurer, and an S-rank monster were three entirely different things.

An S-rank party could consist almost entirely of adventurers whose individual strength remained within A-rank. Their classification came from the coordination and abilities that allowed them to challenge an S-rank threat together.

The title of S-rank adventurer was even less definitive.

Someone capable of defeating an A-rank monster alone while merely surviving an encounter with an S-rank monster could still receive the title. Yet an adventurer capable of contending with an S-rank monster directly would be placed within that same rank.

An S-rank monster carried no such ambiguity.

Their classification referred directly to the overwhelming level of power they possessed as an individual existence. Regardless of their abilities or species, every creature placed within that rank had enough strength to threaten entire cities and overwhelm nearly anyone beneath the same classification without assistance.

If the Demon King’s generals truly stood beyond even that level, Noah couldn’t afford to treat Morvyr as nothing more than another powerful elf.

Even if Morvyr himself wasn’t a general, his position meant his strength had to be substantial enough for the position to carry meaning.

Noah wanted to know exactly how substantial that meaning was. If he can analyze Morvyr’s strength, then perhaps he could better understand how strong a general would be.

Yet when both sides finally finished creating enough distance between themselves, Morvyr wasn’t the one who stepped into the center.

The troll that had been glaring at Noah and his creatures with barely concealed hostility since the moment they arrived moved forward instead.

Noah’s anticipation immediately gave way to confusion.

At the same time, a trace of irritation entered his eyes.

“Are you trying to say I have to fight him instead of you?”

Noah’s tone did little to conceal his frustration.

Morvyr had been the one to request the bout. More importantly, he was the reason Noah had agreed to it so quickly in the first place.

“It isn’t because I’m looking down upon you,” Morvyr assured him. “Consider this another sign of my goodwill.”

His gaze briefly shifted toward the troll.

“He is the strongest warrior among the forces I brought here. This bout is only meant to give us a better understanding of your strength. I have no desire to turn what could become a beneficial relationship into something more dangerous by personally testing how far either of us is willing to go.”

Noah continued staring at him. The answer made sense, but it did little to lessen his disappointment.

A fight between the two would’ve helped Noah gain more than what the elf understood.

Instead, Morvyr had chosen a creature he had no interest in fighting if he wasn’t going to get anything out of it.

“You were the one who asked for this,” Noah said. “Yet you expect me to reveal my strength while you stand there and watch.”

Morvyr didn’t deny it.

“I expect both of us to reveal only as much as we believe is necessary.”

His response caused Noah’s eyes to narrow.

“Should you defeat him without difficulty, then I will have learned enough to reconsider what comes next. If you cannot, then there would be little reason for me to step forward personally.”

The troll’s lips pulled back into a wide grin.

Unlike Morvyr, it made no attempt to hide how badly it wanted the bout to become something more.

Noah’s irritation gradually faded now that he knew exactly what the other party’s stance was.

“Your warrior doesn’t seem interested in having a friendly fight.”

His gaze remained fixed upon the troll.

“If he intends to kill me, does that mean you won’t object if I kill him first?”

The troll’s grin faltered. When Noah glanced towards him in that small instance, Otuk felt a strong pressure on his soul.

But that pressure didn’t linger, yet it was enough to make Otuk even more maddening than before. His emotional state was ever more fragile since becoming a demon.

Morvyr frowned; whether his displeasure was directed toward Otuk or stemmed from his inability to determine whether Noah’s question carried a deeper meaning remained unclear.

Other than the slight change in his expression, however, he showed no immediate reaction.

Noah didn’t rush as he waited for his answer.

It would determine how seriously he treated this little test.

If Morvyr was willing to gamble the life of the strongest warrior he had brought merely to measure Noah’s strength, then Noah had no reason to hold himself back for the sake of preserving it.

The troll’s soul alone would make accepting Morvyr’s inadvertently condescending test worthwhile.

Morvyr finally turned his attention toward Otuk.

The ring around his finger suddenly released a sharp burst of energy.

Otuk was immediately forced onto his knees before he could understand what was happening.

A pained grunt tore from the troll’s throat as its entire body tensed under the pressure. Its hands dug into the ground while every muscle strained against whatever force the ring had unleashed inside it.

Morvyr allowed the pain to continue for several seconds before finally withdrawing the energy.

The pressure disappeared, but Otuk remained on its knees. Its chest rose and fell heavily as it struggled to recover from the lingering recoil.

“Do not forget why we are here,” Morvyr said.

His voice carried no concern for the creatures’ suffering.

“You should be content that I am allowing you the opportunity to prove yourself after your previous failure.”

Noah immediately understood the nature of their relationship.

He did not comment on the master-and-servant dynamic between them.

Otuk had clearly grown arrogant after obtaining his new strength. That belligerent pride had likely driven it to seek power after its defeat in the first place.

Whatever price came with that decision was something the troll had chosen for itself.

It could only reap what it had sown.

After confirming that Otuk remembered its place, Morvyr returned his attention to Noah as though nothing had happened.

“You needn’t concern yourself with that possibility. This troll understands what is and isn’t appropriate.”

His gaze remained steady while his arm gestured in an open gesture.

“Shall we proceed?”

As if responding to an order, Otuk forced itself back onto its feet. The malicious grin had disappeared from its face. Its killing intent, however, had only become more pronounced.

Noah had no problem with the trolls’ still obvious intentions. Even so, he made no move to enter the center himself.

Instead, he called out a single name.

“Fenrir.”

The beast hadn’t expected to be chosen. However, the moment Noah called for him, excitement and anticipation overwhelmed him as Fenrir made his way toward Noah’s side.

Fenrir might not have remembered Otuk’s appearance, but the scent was still there.

It had been buried beneath the unfamiliar odors belonging to whatever had merged with the troll, yet there was no mistaking it.

His fighting spirit immediately surged.

He already understood what Noah wanted from him. And this was exactly what he wanted since that day.

Morvyr’s expression couldn’t be hidden this time. Seeing the beast by Noah’s side, he knew exactly what Noah intended.

“This isn’t what we agreed on?” His tone was bitter, and the noble pride he tried to keep under wraps revealed itself as he spoke, as though his word was final.

Noah, however, looked towards the elf, tilting his head ever so slightly.

“It’s not?”

“I was under the impression that neither of us needed to participate personally.”

Morvyr’s eyes narrowed. “You agreed to this fight so we could better understand your strength.”

“And you decided that fighting me yourself might create unnecessary animosity between us,” Noah replied. “Instead, you chose one of the strongest warriors you brought with you as a gesture of goodwill.”

His hand settled lightly against Fenrir’s back. “I’m simply returning the gesture.”

The bitterness in Morvyr’s expression deepened. “That beast cannot tell me what you are capable of.”

“No more than your troll could tell me what you are capable of.” Noah’s replies were instant, one after another.

For a moment, Morvyr had no answer.

Noah hadn’t misunderstood his reasoning. He had understood it perfectly and turned every word back against him.

“You said this was meant to help both sides understand one another’s strength.”

“There’s no reason that understanding has to come from either of us fighting personally.”

“And you don’t have to worry. Fenrir is one of the strongest creatures I have here.”