Becoming a Monster-Chapter 62: Another Monster in the making?

"Tell me, what were you planning to do by approaching him just now?" Noah’s stern tone in his question pierced her Ailetta’s dense exterior. Overwhelmed with shame, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze, but she knew she had to respond.

"I...I had to...They were going to try to use me to get to you! I didn’t...I didn’t know what else t-Ah!"

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a presence in front of her, and as she turned, Noah swiftly flicked her on her forehead. The sudden jolt of pain caused her to cry out, thankfully Noah’s stats were lowered because he had every intention to use his full force.

The physical reprimand left Aletta feeling small and feeble in his presence. Every action, every word she spoke was anxiously done to not let the person that she cared for the most down. And yet the pain she was induced to, served as a heavy reminder of her failure.

"If you really feel that way, then answer for me one thing." Noah said, but the question never came. Curiously, she tilted her head, still holding the area that was in pain, to see Noah staring her down. His expression, which he considered playful, appeared devilish to her, making her nervous about what his question might entail.

"Can I kill everyone in this room then?"

"!"

Not only Aletta, but everyone listening was shocked to hear Noah’s question. He didn’t bother to lower his voice, and anxiety rippled through the crowd as they awaited his words.

’What did I just hear?’ was the first thought racing through most people’s minds.

Mark grew flustered upon hearing Noah’s question and was about to interrupt. However, when he saw Noah’s face, he gulped in fear before trying to calm himself down. The small smile Noah had initially wore was now replaced by a grin that showed all of his teeth, some of which were covered with blood and bits of red meat.

Some individuals were put on edge by the question and aimed their weapons and abilities towards Noah, while others, more frightened, prepared to make a run for it.

That brief moment of fighting back didn’t last long when Fenrir also responded to the question by positioning himself on his hind legs, salivating uncontrollably. His wild gaze shattered whatever little courage remained in the people.

They had already realized from the first two attempts that nothing they did to the werewolf could stop it. If the beast actually fought back, they were too afraid to consider the consequences.

Jasmine and Bailey were the closest to the two when the question was asked and hurriedly backed away in fear. For a moment, Jasmine even considered if she should attack Noah now while his back was turned if that meant saving everyone here. However the thought was fleeting, they still had to wait on Ailetta to answer before they did anything drastic.

No matter what Noah has done during this time or how villainous she’s witnessed him becoming, she has never once viewed him in fear. But his question, adorned with his smile, frightened her. She had no doubt that he would do what he said if she answered yes. ’But what would happen if I say no?’ She felt conflicted in her thoughts, yet when she saw Fenrir preparing for Noah’s orders she hurried in her response to answer him, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"No!" She almost screamed. She then noticed Noah’s smile disappeared and he looked on to her indifferently.

"I mean...no...I wouldn’t want you to do that...Please don’t ask me something like that again." She followed up in a somewhat pleading tone. Her anxiety intensified when she saw Noah’s expression remain unchanged, and fear consumed her when she saw him begin to stand.

Not only Aletta, but everyone in the vicinity felt a sense of dread wash over them as they witnessed Noah rise to his feet.

"So you don’t want me to kill them and yet you didn’t think I would kill them all after making you feed yourself to Fenrir? Have you not learned anything from what you said you enjoyed reading? Weak people who view themselves as weak will always resort to sacrificing themselves. Sigh...With that mindset, I was right to believe you would hold me back."

"Arachne? Can you go get my things?" Disregarding the turmoil Aletta was going through, Noah spoke to Arachne, who remained by his side, instructing her to retrieve his sword and bag from the second floor. With just one jump from Arachne, she arrived on the second level, startling those present on that floor.

At that moment, Aletta was struck by the realization that she was indeed becoming like the female love interest she despised from those stories. She had spent countless hours scoffing at the clichéd portrayal of female protagonists in stories, the ones who were always too selfless, too quick to sacrifice themselves for their love interest. She prided herself on her pragmatism, having the common sense to see beyond the selfless "sacrifices", knowing that the action never solved or benefited anyone besides the villain who forced them into that position.

And yet, here she stood, a mirror image of the very character archetype she despised. The weight of the irony settled heavily on her shoulders.

It didn’t take Ailetta long to awaken from her self-reflection and notice Noah walking away with his sword now in hand and his backpack strapped on his shoulders. The direction he was heading wasn’t towards the cafeteria or where they all came from, but down another hall leading out to the other side of the building.

Ailetta’s heart sank as she recalled Noah’s words about her holding him back. Frustration boiled within her; she longed to change, yet she didn’t know how. She wanted to follow him, but after what she had done, she feared it wouldn’t be possible. Frantically, she called out one last time, desperate for guidance, feeling as though she would be lost in this chaotic world without it.

"What do I need to do to grow as strong as you?" Her tone betrayed her desperation. If she continued on her current path, she feared she would either always have to depend on others or meet an untimely demise. Though her body was too weak to stand, her voice managed to reach him, halting his departure.

He turned partially, feeling amused once again by the desperation in her voice, there was a raw honesty in her plea, a strong desire for change that he couldn’t ignore. ’Maybe, just maybe...’ His thoughts began to churn at the possibilities.

Curious to see what lengths she would go to in order to gain strength, he didn’t hesitate to impart his "wisdom" as he turned to walk away through the doors leading into the hall.

"You need to become a ’monster’," he emphasized the last word. With that enigmatic statement hanging in the air, Noah and his beasts exited the room, Fenrir being the last to follow.

As he departed, the tension visibly drained from the others in the room, relieved to see the threat disappear.

Meanwhile, Ailetta was left to rack her mind, pondering exactly what Noah meant by his cryptic advice.

’Does that mean I have to kill people too? Or do I need to eat a beast?’ Ailetta couldn’t come up with an answer, so she began to contemplate Noah’s actions up till now and his change in appearance. It was then that she came to the realization of what she needed to do.

’A Demon Lord...’ The thought struck her as she recalled his figure and the demonic red gems in each of his pupils.

Recalling the stories they had read together, she remembered Noah’s fascination with the Demon Lords, particularly those who were misunderstood. They did as they pleased, often appearing bloodthirsty and evil to humans, yet in reality, they were merely following their desires, much like humans themselves. Despite this, they were still viewed as monsters.

She understood that to become what she considered to be a monster, she needed to abandon human moral standards and rules and act according to her own desires. However, to do that, she needed to become stronger.

"Ailetta? Ailetta??" The repeated calling of her name snapped Ailetta out of her heavy thoughts, causing her to look up and find her two friends standing over her with worried expressions. Her mind raced with conflicting emotions as she struggled to focus on the present moment.

It took awhile for both groups to recover emotionally after what happened regarding the situation with Ailetta. The atmosphere between the groups was stifling at best. Neal tried apologizing and making it seem that it wasn’t his intention to harm her in any way, but the people close to her weren’t buying it. Ailetta’s friends exchanged skeptical glances, their trust in Neal shattered by recent events.

However, despite their animosity towards each other, they all still had one common goal.

"So you think if we bought a radio from there then we should be able to reach out for help? That’s kinda far-fetched don’t you think Jas?" Neal asked, acting as if the situation before never happened. He was happy that Noah was finally out of the picture again. He also realized that the shop only had a little bit over an hour left, so Noah no longer had a reason to come back after his little falling out with Ailetta. He just had to get on their good side and he can have everyone under his lead in no time.

"....I don’t think so. I think the government will have more people at hand to properly gauge that information is more important. Who knows, instead of purchasing one, they may have someone skilled in repairing or operating communication devices. It’s our only shot or we’ll be left guessing on our next destination, we may even have to wait here for help or until our supply of food runs out."

A little while later, everyone could be seen huddled inside the cafeteria, gathered around a certain table. It didn’t take much effort for them to acquire a radio. Contrary to their expectations, mundane items were surprisingly affordable. The radio was priced at only 500 gold, mainly because they were paying more for the distance it could reach.

"Now what?" A voice called out from the sea of people, all waiting anxiously for some sign of direction. Yet, in this era of advanced technology, they found themselves at a loss, unsure which channel to use for emergencies.

"I think I know!" Another voice sounded, its tone notably prideful. They all turned to see a male with a small stature wearing glasses. Mark recognized him immediately, and if Noah were present, he would too. It was Charlie, a member of Mark’s group who had been involved in their initial attempt to subdue Noah after discovering he had been bitten.

With no objections from the group, Charlie confidently strode over to the radio and began adjusting the knob to tune in to the correct frequency. After a brief moment, he paused, causing a wave of anticipation to wash over the group. They were eager to make contact with any form of help. As soon as Charlie found the frequency, a voice crackled through the radio, signaling a connection.

Buzz!* "-street, South Kenyastad. Accepting any survivors. Buzz!* For those who aren’t able to, stay in your homes and don’t leave! Help will come in a few days when the military gets everything under control. Buzz!* I repeat! 3982 Broad street, Sout~"

The voice was a broadcast being repeated, but just hearing that there was a place that was safe brought a huge relief to everyone there.

"Soo it’s not the end...we can be saved?" The words broke the silence, igniting a spark of hope in the hearts of all who listened. Amidst the excitement, however, a crucial detail was almost overlooked.

"Everyone wait!" Jasmine’s voice rose above the commotion as she stood atop a table, commanding attention.

"We need to decide now, whether we are going to sit and wait here...or if we find a way to go there ourselves."

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