Becoming a Monster

Chapter 604: Chapter 603: Convinced at Last

Noah began walking toward Fenrir.

Morvyr didn’t know what Noah had decided. However, his gaze continued to follow him closely, never once leaving his back as he approached the troll’s ruined corpse.

Part of the elf wanted to learn more about the devil, hoping to witness at least one spectacle, one miracle that would cement Noah as an actual devil that demons had revered for so long.

And then there was another part that still had to do his job. His loyalty was still to his Queen first and foremost.

Before Noah approached, Fenrir noticed him almost immediately.

The wolf stopped tearing at what remained of Otuk’s face, lifting his head. Fragments of stone and darkened flesh clung between his fangs.

For a moment, he remained standing over the corpse, an ugly, wide smile plastered on his face as he made sure to show Noah his trophy.

Then, without needing to be told, Fenrir stepped aside.

He had fulfilled what Noah asked of him; he was able to accomplish his revenge, and he had grown stronger because of it.

Noah redirected his attention from Otuk’s body, placing a hand on Fenrir before enveloping him in potent life energy to heal anything that Fenrir’s regeneration possibly missed.

Fenrir’s posture relaxed at once; the tension from the life-or-death battle felt as though it was also being healed away. Still, he remained by Noah’s side, making sure that no one disturbed Noah with what he was about to do next.

Noah could still feel the elf watching him, studying his every move. That alone should’ve made Noah rethink what he was about to show him.

But there was no reason to hide it.

The reason had nothing to do with the fact that Noah was considering allying with them. It was the fact that Noah was certain that if Morvyr had an informant back where Varkesh was sent, then they would’ve already heard about his ability to take someone’s soul.

Still, Morvyr’s reaction afterward would help Noah determine how he would treat the elf.

—

Just as Noah suspected, Morvyr had already heard the rumors.

It was one of the most important pieces of information handed to him before entering the territory. The devil supposedly possessed some means of taking the souls of those he killed and using them to strengthen himself.

But rumors were one thing. Witnessing it happen was something else entirely.

At first, Morvyr assumed that Noah would absorb the soul directly from the body.

Instead, Noah drove one hand through the ruined section of Otuk’s chest, breaking through what remained of the troll’s hardened flesh before reaching deeper inside.

A moment later, Noah withdrew the troll’s core.

Even after everything Fenrir had done to him, the core remained largely intact. It was nearly the size of Noah’s head, its dark surface still pulsing with traces of strong demonic energy.

Noah’s eyes widened for a moment as he examined it.

The size wasn’t surprising; however, it was the fact that it was identical to the fractured core that housed the powerful evil soul inside it.

Otuk’s core was nowhere near as powerful, but the similarity was enough to confirm that the other core had also originated from a demon.

That realization immediately brought Ethaniel to mind.

Noah still didn’t understand what the human had hoped to accomplish by consuming it, but Morvyr might.

He would have to decide later whether asking the elf was worth revealing what he knew or even revealing that he had such a core.

For now, Noah brought Otuk’s core toward the Nexus Eye.

Meanwhile, Morvyr saw it all as a transparent image of Otuk rose from the core.

It lasted for little more than an instant, but the form was unmistakable. The troll’s soul was pulled toward the same eye that had left him unsettled whenever its gaze landed on him.

The soul resisted for only a moment before disappearing into it entirely.

Morvyr couldn’t immediately explain what he had witnessed. The sight left him both mesmerized and disturbed in equal measure.

He had seen souls manipulated before. He had witnessed rituals that bound them, corrupted them, and forced them into new vessels. Their own methods of creating demons relied upon principles that were not entirely different.

He had even heard of liches capable of devouring the souls of the living.

Yet what Noah had done was still difficult to accept.

There had been no preparation.

If a ritual was involved, Morvyr couldn’t identify its conditions or prerequisites. More importantly, Noah hadn’t used the one thing that even the Demon King or the most powerful lich would require.

A catalyst.

Noah had taken the soul and absorbed it as though the process were no more extraordinary than breathing.

Morvyr’s gaze shifted toward the eye embedded within Noah’s chest.

The discomfort he felt whenever it watched him now carried the first trace of genuine fear.

It was the fear of something he couldn’t understand.

If the eye’s gaze alone could leave his instincts so unsettled, and it could consume a soul without preparation or restraint, then Morvyr could only wonder what else it was capable of.

—

Once the soul had been absorbed, Noah lowered the empty core and looked over what remained of Otuk.

He had no further use for the corpse himself. That didn’t mean he intended to waste it.

Even in its ruined condition, the troll’s body still contained an extraordinary amount of life and mana. Its demonic transformation had saturated everything from its flesh to the stone-like layers covering its body.

To Noah, leaving something so valuable to the elf would have been senseless.

His gaze moved towards the cats and dogs, and then to the goblins.

All of them were still too weak. And only those who had a spiritual connection to him could truly benefit from the dungeon core.

The goblins in particular were nearly physically weaker than everyone here.

He was sure Otuks’ body could help change that.

Noah turned his attention to Fenrir, who quickly sat at attention.

“This is your prey, but make sure to share it with the others.” He was about to turn back to Morvyr, but then he stopped when he remembered someone else. “Make sure Dummy only gets a leg, but that’s it.”

Fenrir’s mood was promptly soured when he thought about his strong yet worthless member, but even so, he didn’t hesitate to do what Noah ordered.

That left Noah to continue what he and Morvyr had originally done all of this for.

Noah looked back to Morvyr’s army. Their morale was shot, and almost all of them were more cautious than they were vigilant. One would think that Noah was the one who came to them with bad intentions.

“Morvyr,” He spoke loud enough so that everyone could hear him.

“I believe that this should have qualified as enough to help you make your decision, right?”

—

Some time had passed since Otuk’s death.

The earlier apprehension had largely faded, though none of Morvyr’s people had completely relaxed.

The larger groups had withdrawn, leaving only Noah and his closest companions across from Morvyr and the elves who had accompanied him.

There was also one new face among them.

The goblin chieftain who had been stripped of his position earlier now stood at Morvyr’s side once again, his former authority apparently restored after Otuk’s death.

Neither side spoke of the battle anymore.

Their attention had shifted toward what would happen when the humans arrived.

“You said you would help us fight,” Noah began. “Does that mean you intend to participate yourself, or should I assume that help only extends to the forces you brought with you?”

Morvyr’s expression remained composed despite the implication behind Noah’s question.

Only a short while ago, he might have taken offense at having his word challenged so openly. Now, he understood that reacting with pride would only damage the opportunity Otuk’s defeat had created.

If he intended to build any form of rapport with the devil, then he needed to prove that his earlier hostility no longer dictated his decisions.

“I intend to participate.”

Noah studied him closely.

Once again, the difference in Morvyr’s behavior was impossible to ignore. The arrogance hadn’t disappeared entirely, but it was no longer being used to challenge every word Noah spoke.

That didn’t make the elf trustworthy. It only made Noah more curious about how sincere the change actually was.

And there was one question that would test that sincerity better than any other.

“Then tell me why your Queen wants me involved.”

Right at this moment, Noah could see a switch in Morvyr’s stance.

However, Noah continued before the elf could answer.

“From what you’ve already admitted, your Queen wants me to keep their attention focused here.”

His tone remained even, but the pressure behind his words was unmistakable.

“I don’t like being used without knowing why.”

Moryvr clearly hesitated to answer.

What the Queen intended was not information Morvyr had been authorized to share freely. If Noah allowed even a portion of it to reach the wrong ears, the entire operation could collapse before it began.

Yet the longer Morvyr considered it, the less likely that possibility seemed.

Noah was already regarded as an enemy by the humans.

According to the reports Morvyr received, the Church was treating him with the same seriousness they would normally reserve for one of the Demon King’s generals.

There was no reason for him to warn them.

In fact, Morvyr wondered if Noah would be more welcome to agree if he knew the actual reason.