Becoming a Monster-Chapter 102: Is he F*** serious?

"Dummy Fenrir, don’t you remember Noah said that she was allowed to approach?" Arachne’s sudden voice came like a spell and easily dissipated the oppressive pressure. Fenrir’s overbearing aggressiveness shifted to one of shame, having recalled that his master did in fact give an exclusion for the human in front of him.

It took longer than expected for Ailetta to come to her senses. Although the pressure receded, it was Arachne’s voice that allowed her to understand what was going on. Still fearful of Fenrir’s presence, seeing Noah’s body still spasming gave her the courage to move past the two creatures, though the vigilance in her steps was evident.

Arriving at Noah’s side, worry filled her heart while overwhelming fear gripped her thoughts. She didn’t know what was happening to Noah, but she could only fear the worst. A thought occurred to her that she could ask Arachne, who could speak human speech, about what was happening. However, when she peeked towards the human-spider, the oppressiveness in her aura urged Ailetta not to disturb her right now. So Ailetta was left to her own worrisome thoughts.

On Noah’s side, he was still consciously aware of everything going on around him, but the changes in his body made him unable to move. The rarity of Fenrir’s evolved undead trait was strong, it was the only explanation for the intense reaction. It was the evolution of Fenrir’s undead trait that caused the strong change. Internally, his bodily features were barely changing, but Noah could still feel something changing within him. The feeling was indescribable; if he had to find words to explain it, he would say that he felt as if he were becoming complete.

What he didn’t know was that transcending his human race again was triggering one of the hidden functions of his Falling title. Each change was very subtle, altering the core of his very being.

Minutes dragged on before a glaring change initiated the finishing touches on his transformation. An oppressive aura enveloped everyone within at least a 20-meter radius. The fear that consumed them was different than any other, as if death were lurking around the corner, waiting to end their lives in the worst possible ways.

The dreaded aura lasted for roughly ten seconds, but to the victims, it felt like an eternity. When Noah’s body finally stirred, signifying that he was waking up, everyone tensed, wondering if the prior aura signaled that Noah had turned into a raging beast.

"Urgh...man, I hate when that hap—"

"Noah!"

Noah’s complaints were interrupted by Ailetta’s sobbing. Her worry for his safety, her vivid imagination that assumed the worst, disrupted her common sense as she embraced Noah. She was oblivious to the fact that Noah’s eyes had undergone another significant change and that his teeth had taken on the same qualities as Fenrir’s.

Startled by the abrupt affection, Noah had half a mind to shove Ailetta away from him, but her sobbing tears kept his initial impulses at bay.

Ignoring the crying girl attempting to suffocate him, Noah glanced towards his creatures, seeking assurance. "How long was I out?" he asked specifically to Arachne, but instead, Fenrir felt the need to answer in her stead.

"Long enough for me to think about digging the rest of my hole," Fenrir answered energetically, eliciting a deadpan stare from both Noah and Arachne. Ignoring Fenrir, Arachne answered, hoping to earn more favorable points in Noah’s view.

"Not long," she answered triumphantly, a boosting smile on her face, expecting to be complimented for her aid. Yet silence ensued, and Noah’s lack of response caused Arachne to look over in worry. Anxiousness filled her thoughts when she encountered his deadpan stare, the same one they both gave to Fenrir.

Noah breathed out helplessly, wondering why he believed his creatures would be helpful in telling time. So he turned to the disturbing mess on his shoulder.

"Le," his commanding tone startled Ailetta from her tears. A short, stifled sniffle entered his ears before Ailetta slowly turned in his direction, her eyes beckoning for his question.

"How long was I out?" he asked again, this time his voice indicating his impatience, which Ailetta quickly picked up on.

"Hyupp! Maybe 10-15 minutes!" She instinctively answered in a hurry, spurred on by the intensity of his gaze, accompanied by the overwhelming oppression emitted from his new look that was nowhere compared to his eerie gaze before. His circular pupils morphed into vertical ovals, akin to the eyes of a predator. Whilst his violet pupils retained the red gemstone within.

Noah noted the terror in her eyes when she looked into his. He was met with confusion before he concluded that his transformation must have done something else to his eyes. He chose to ignore her antics for now, hoping that she would eventually get used to his new look. Instead of placating her, he was more interested in learning what changes had occurred after the transformation, hoping that his gamble was worth it. He could already feel it: the internal changes brewing inside of him, the knowledge of the skills that were already drilled into his mind. He was assured that his gamble had paid off, but seeing it would bring a bigger impact to his heart.

[Detecting genes of a higher strain originating from the host zombie trait! Traits are undergoing a significant change! Zombie King genes have mutated into the genes of the new unique zombie consumed. The zombie trait has changed to Undead Alpha! Your old abilities have been replaced and reset with new ones, while your base zombie skills have been upgraded to suit your new zombie trait due to its evolutionary genetics.]

[Your old level of growth has been improved and integrated into your new genetic trait. You now gain +2 strength and +3 constitution per level.]

[Skill ’Subservarint Hierarchy’ and ’Decree of equivalent exchange’ has been stripped from his genetics. Skill’s ’Infectious Leader’ and "Eternal Vassal" have been obtained. All of the other skills pertaining to zombie traits have been improved.]

[Infectious Leader(Lvl 0)-The Undead Alpha exudes a potent aura of dominance and control, infecting the minds of nearby zombies with a compulsion to follow commands. This power, however, comes with a double-edged sword — while it can temporarily subjugate nearby zombies, it also draws the wrath of those outside its influence, making the Alpha a primary target. Each use of the skill costs 10 mana, only being able to command the target for 1-10 seconds, with each successive use of the skill drastically reducing its effectiveness by half when used on the same creature. However, your suppression using the fullest extent of your bloodline will allow you to order the zombie of a significantly lower bloodline for 5 minutes, using 100 mana. The potency increases when used on one individual zombie, allowing you to potentially command a higher tier zombie for half the time.

Effect:

Zombie Subjugation: Upon activation, all uncontrolled zombies within a certain radius are compelled to follow the Undead Alpha’s commands for a limited duration. Inevitable Wrath: Simultaneously, all zombies outside the infectious radius become acutely aware of the Undead Alpha’s presence and are driven into a frenzy, prioritizing the Alpha over other potential targets.

[Eternal Vassal:The Undead Alpha wields the power to bind a zombie to their eternal service, transcending the temporary control granted by "Infectious Leader." Through a dark ritual, the chosen zombie becomes a permanent vassal, forever loyal to the Alpha. With each level of mastery in "Eternal Vassal," the Alpha can command an additional zombie, each undergoing a unique mutation that enhances their abilities based on one of the abilities they received when they were once human.

[Killing Instinct has been upgraded to "Rulers’ Fury(Lvl 1)": As an undead ruler, the user taps into their primal rage, unlocking their latent combat prowess at the cost of their sanity. Unlike its former ability, "Rulers Fury" also applies the same effects to creatures under the effects of "Infectious Leader" and "Eternal Vassal". When activated, temporarily increases body stats up to 50%, while only losing the same increase in sanity, further lowering your spirit in the process.

[Stamina regeneration has been upgraded to "Undying Vigor(Lvl 0)": Restoring stamina by 1% every five minutes. However, the effect is increased by 1% for every subordinate affected by the skills "Infectious Leader" and "Eternal Vassal".

[Immortal body has been upgraded to "DeathLord’s Domain(Lvl 1)": As an embodiment of undead supremacy, you now wield a deathly domain that augments your existence by 10%; further increasing the minions under the effects of "Infectious Leader" and "Eternal Vassal" by 10% when under the influence of your range of 10 meters.

[Budding Feeder has been upgraded to Sovereign Devourer(Lvl 0): As the ultimate manifestation of undead hunger, this ability allows the Alpha to consume the essence of their enemies, converting it into strength and vitality for themselves and their minions affected by the skills "Infectious Leader" and "Eternal Vassal". Consuming the essence of enemies will not only increase all bodily stats by 15% for 1 hour when fully satiated, but will also replenish total mana reserves and stamina by 15%; effects are halved when used by minions.

Looking at his new abilities, a crazed smile etched across Noah’s face, his expression entirely sinister from anyone else’s perception. The rising onlookers noticed his terrifying expression, gasping and backing away as a result. As for Ailetta, although his sudden eerie grin caught her off guard, seeing the person she had watched all this time being able to show his most genuine feelings filled her with warmth. A smile graced her own face, though not nearly as intimidating. Spontaneously, lost in her emotions, she hugged Noah again, disrupting his early happiness.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Noah heard Ailetta giggle to herself. Finally, he inspected the girl who was unintimidated by his monstrous features. She was now wearing a full suit of armor similar to his own. Now that he was aware of the emotions he was showing, the smile he wore disappeared, but he still wore a small smirk when he saw Ailetta wearing something that didn’t match her personality at all.

Thinking of her question, he looked into her eyes, the intensity in his gaze twice as strong as before, given his heightened emotion. He noticed Ailetta flinched, the action was subtle, but it was there. He expected Ailetta to fear him, only to still be met with her caring smile and endearing gaze, making his small smirk morph back into a smile.

"I’ve become stronger again!" he responded with anticipation, wanting to move on to his next goal immediately now that he got a taste of such easily obtained power. However, he noticed Ailetta’s confusion pertaining to his ambiguous words, making him realize he should explain himself before he took the next steps.

"What I mean is, I..." Noah spent the next few minutes summarizing his chimera ability and the newly acquired trait he obtained. At first, when hearing of Noah’s dangerous yet overly powerful ability, Ailetta felt a sense of alarm and worry for Noah’s mental well-being, fearful of what consuming monster qualities would become of him in the future. The thought of the person she loved turning into a crazed beast filled her with never-ending dread.

But his smile, accompanied by his two ferocious beasts that remained loyal by his side, made her realize her error. Dejected, she smiled to herself, admonishing her "pathetic" thoughts. Now she fully realized what he meant when he told her to become stronger she must become a monster. Once again, dangerous thoughts filled her mind, this time she had a better idea of not only what she must do but how she could possibly accomplish it.

"Uuuuhh..."

Noah’s and Ailetta’s moment was interrupted by someone walking close to them, stopping when they heard Fenrir’s heavy growl. Both Ailetta and Noah looked over to see Jasmine trying to get their attention. Her face paled in fear, taking a step back when confronting Noah’s gaze. But after her first step back, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then attempted to meet his gaze again. She was able to succeed for a second longer but failed in her attempt, opting to look at Ailetta instead.

"Ailetta, it’s almost time...should we wait a little bit longer, or...?" She hesitated to ask, thinking that her question could be taken the wrong way. Ailetta herself wasn’t sure about the answer either, so she curiously turned to look at Noah, inquiring his thoughts.

"Not yet." His curt response left the scene in an embarrassing atmosphere. They watched him get up and move towards his spider. Despite Jasmine being the one to approach, everyone behind her was intensely listening in, only becoming baffled by his frigid response.

"Not yet? What the hell does that mean?" an instigator voiced out, only bringing about more tension within the group.

Listening to the others’ discontent, Ailetta followed behind Noah, asking in their stead so she could deescalate the situation. "Noah? Is there something else you need to do before we leave?" She asked in good faith, knowing that Noah must have had something in mind. Her question was loud enough for the others to quiet down to listen in, anticipating another heartless answer.

"Of course, I plan on getting stronger." He replied matter-of-factly, opening his hand towards Arachne, who anxiously cut her palm, hovering it over his face. Terrifying curiosity and minor disgust filled everyone’s hearts at his actions. Unlike last time, Noah didn’t have to make a decision between traits, naturally accepting the system’s warning. But he forgot an important matter: he was still standing when accepting the changes, not understanding that this change would bring about bigger changes than Fenrir’s. His body froze in suspense before his eyes rolled back, and he suddenly fell backward, colliding with the ground.

Stillness gripped the air after witnessing such a bizarre scene. No one knew how to react or what to say. The only one brave enough to talk was Neal.

"Is-is he fucking serious?"

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