Becoming a Monster

Chapter 436: Chapter 436: Potential Over Power

Noah and Ailetta stood side by side within the forest clearing.

The humorous tension between them eased after their brief exchange. It was a banter that the two deeply appreciated, despite the lack of outspoken honesty. Instead, their bodies spoke for them.

In the way Ailetta’s steps carried a pep, and each stride was more than usual. Her smile reached her eyes, which reflected someone reminiscing about a fond memory. While Noah’s void experience didn’t reveal his expression hidden beneath it, his tail swaying behind him without realizing it was enough to tell his mood was lighter than usual.

Behind them, the others weren’t so relaxed.

Most of them looked past the clearing, glaring within the forest. The silhouettes were slowly appearing before them. Despite the lack of presence compared to the monsters they previously fought, their vigilance didn’t lessen in the slightest.

However, there were two expressions within Noah’s group that stood out from the rest.

Eve’s eyes sparkled as she made out the appearance of the creatures making their way to them. Her curiosity was already sparked at the moment Ailetta had shown interest in them. And after seeing them, something deep within her yearned to collect one for herself.

She was already contemplating what face she should make when she made the request to Noah. She didn’t care if the creature was alive or not, just as long as their appearance could be kept intact.

And then, there were a pair of eyes that didn’t care about the new intruders. Arachne’s gaze was just as uncomfortable as her feelings, watching Noah and Ailetta get along so well.

There was a part of her that despised Ailetta’s presence, a part of her that she couldn’t get rid of no matter how much the rest of her respected Ailetta. Instead of acknowledging that her inaction was the reason her relationship with Noah had never developed, it felt safer... easier, to say that it was because Ailetta was taking all of his attention.

But on the same coin, she didn’t just want Noah’s affection anymore if that also meant depriving Ailetta of it too. She thought that, after becoming powerful, and obtaining a power that could rival Ailetta’s, that it would give her the courage to speak her feelings just like Ailetta has all this time. Yet in the end, nothing changed.

No... She couldn’t say that nothing had changed. The pain in her chest has been heavier than before, her thoughts constantly distracting her. And the position she had claimed as Noah’s Queen, a title that once felt unquestionable, now felt as if it were slowly drifting farther from her reach, the more she noticed what she lacked the courage to act upon.

Arachne looked away after acknowledging the one thing she had been avoiding. Her expression hardened into something carefully neutral, stripped of emotion and intention alike. For now, she would deal with the creatures who had entered their territory. Her feelings could wait until afterward, when there was time to face them without consequence.

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The dogs and cats finally came into view, stopping just before they fully emerged from the cover of the trees.

Noah had already seen the creatures before, but the glint in his eye was looking at them from a different lens. His attention wasn’t focused on their size, or their numbers, or even the strength of their auras. Through his Nexus Eye, he could sense their state more clearly than before.

They weren’t necessarily strong, but strength wasn’t the prerequisite for what he sought in someone he wanted among his companions.

He could make creatures strong. That much he had already proven. What he desired instead was loyalty, and beyond that, potential.

And potential, to Noah, wasn’t measured by how powerful a creature could eventually become. Even if that was the case, he wasn’t able to measure how strong someone could become in the future.

What he cared about the most was the unique trait that defied the creature or person’s existence.

For instance, Dummy’s ability to devour and grow based on what he consumes. The trait itself was powerful, and with a powerful trait, the potential it had when he fused a soul into him would gain better benefits than a creature without a powerful trait.

That was what Noah valued. And that was exactly what he saw as his gaze passed over the gathered cats and dogs.

He saw creatures who all had potential; each one contained a unique trait that defined their very nature. The urge to collect them all pressed heavily at the back of his mind.

While Noah’s interest was barely contained, the same couldn’t be said for the creatures facing him.

The dogs’ postures were stiff, not in an aggressive sense, but ready to defend themselves if need be. It wasn’t that they believed Noah would attack them outright. If anything, his stillness was more unsettling than any overt hostility could’ve been. His presence, and the presence of the creatures behind him, was impossible to ignore.

It felt as if making one wrong move could lead to their deaths. And yet, beneath that tension, there was a sense of hope that each of them shared. The strong beings didn’t attack them, unlike the monsters of the night. That alone made this place different from everywhere else they had been since being thrown into the dangerous forest.

The cats, however, trusted nothing.

To them, Noah was guilty under the laws of beasts until proven otherwise. They were more perceptive than the dogs. They could feel the way Noah looked at them, a creature that appeared to be born from darkness itself, observing them with an interest that went beyond simple curiosity.

Their bodies shivered under the gaze. It felt invasive, as if the being’s eye was doing more than just observing them.

Before the silent tension could escalate further, Noah spoke.

"Everyone, don’t move unless I tell you to." Noah and Ailetta moved closer to the creatures, who instinctively stepped back. The two didn’t react at all; in fact, the smile radiating on Ailetta’s face only widened. The expression did nothing to ease the creatures’ nerves, and Noah was keenly aware of that, though he didn’t correct her.

For now, he wanted to see how they would respond.

The two of them stopped once Noah judged the distance to be appropriate, close enough to make conversation unavoidable, yet far enough that his own companions looming behind them wouldn’t feel like an execution waiting to happen.

What surprised him more was how quickly the other party adjusted.

No... It wasn’t that "they" understood. A cat, one whose eyes barely opened, seemed to speak to the others that led them to their next actions.

Both Dog and Alexandria walked out together. The two weren’t sure how far they should approach; however, they stopped the moment they felt a sense of danger surging behind Noah.

A helpless sigh tugged at Noah’s lips. Both Kratos and Fenrir were just too overprotective, no matter what he says.

Noah didn’t turn back. Instead, he focused on the two creatures standing before him. There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his mind that these were the leaders of their respective groups. It wasn’t just their positions or how the others deferred to them, but the way they carried themselves.

"For someone who entered my territory uninvited, let’s not drag things on." Noah’s demeanor suddenly shifted, replaced by something colder and far more frightening than the bloodlust behind him. One would think that Noah’s interest in them was gone completely. The change was abrupt enough that both Dog and Alexandria stiffened, instinctively bracing themselves.

"You’ve been outside my home long enough to sense what went on, and yet you still dared to enter. So, tell me... what are your intentions?"

For a brief moment, neither side spoke.

Not because Dog or Alexandria were afraid to answer, but because neither of them knew how they were supposed to.

Dog glanced sideways toward Alexandria.

"Are you able to talk to them?"

Alexandria didn’t answer right away. Her narrowed gaze returned his, and they were openly displeased. Why would he ask her something so stupid? Cats couldn’t speak to humans, and she certainly couldn’t communicate with the monsters from last night. How was she supposed to suddenly speak a language she didn’t know?

"How about you both talk to me? I can understand you just fine." Before she could snap back, Noah’s interruption caused the two to freeze in place.

"You... you can?" Dog was the first to recover. Even after Noah’s clarification, his tone was still filled with uncertainty.

"If he said he can, then he can. Why would he lie?" Alexandria, still upset about Dog trying to put her in a bad position, almost snapped.

Her body suddenly stiffened soon afterwards, realizing that she had just disgraced her image. She released a light cough before turning back to Noah, slightly lowering her body with a slight bow.

"My name is Alexandria the third. And this foolish one is called Dog. If I can speak plainly, we came here to seek shelter."

Dog remained oblivious to his unfavorable introduction. What he cared for most was finding a place where no more of his kind would have to die. His eagerness urged him to speak in a hurried manner.

"I want to speak plainly too." His voice rose louder than normal, eliciting an eyeroll from Alexandria.

Their interaction left Noah dumbfounded. While Ailetta was even more pleased with herself as she took more notice of Alexandria’s actions.