Becoming a Monster-Chapter 90: Watch your Backs

Perhaps it was love, or perhaps it was the harsh realities of the world that had spurred this change, but they couldn’t ignore the transformation in Ailetta ever since she had been willing to sacrifice herself.

Ailetta had been slowly changing, but that could also be said about everyone else who were adapting to the harsh realities of their new world.

Jasmine herself had witnessed how the world had changed her brother to such a degree that she was constantly reflecting on how to proceed with him. She just wasn’t prepared for the quirky girl who would always smile and say the most random things to undergo such a drastic change too.

What she said was enough to shock the others, but the impact it had on Mark was another thing entirely.

Ever since Mark obtained his unique skill, any sign of weakness has become his own worst enemy. In any event in history, movies or books, history would always have legends of heroes, but those stories usually always symbolized their hero’s as one individual, while that individual trumped everyone else. Either in terms of strength, charisma or potential, they were always a cut above the rest.

Mark was more than stable when he first obtained his skill, believing he was destined to be that singular hero. He thought he was the chosen one, the leader who would guide everyone out of this hell.

However, his pride suffered blow after blow with each interaction concerning Noah. The first time, Mark still believed he was superior. Despite Noah killing an enormous number of zombies, Mark thought he could still best him in a fight due to his unique skills.

But the next time he saw Noah, it became clear that Noah was developing much faster. This realization marked the beginning of a shift in Mark’s mental state. He became more obnoxious and controlling, driven by an increasing need to prove himself. Without a boost to his ego, his pride continued to grow more fragile, and his need for validation more desperate.

And when he felt that the goal that he set for himself, the goal that he needed to surpass to reclaim all of his diminished pride was almost completely out of his reach. He became livid hearing Ailetta insult him, targeting his Achilles heel. She could’ve talked about him having a small third leg, or that no one ever loved him, but talking about his inferiority to the person who made him feel the most inferior was his bottom line.

Heavy breathing could be heard from his mouth and nose simultaneously. It was barely noticeable since everyone’s focus was on Ailetta, but her eyes never left him from the start. The mocking look she had before had changed to one of solemnity, prompting everyone to pick up on the emotional changes Mark was experiencing.

What followed after his heavy breaths was the intense trembling of his body as anger overwhelmed him. He couldn’t speak, not while gritting his teeth in frustration. Just insulting her back wouldn’t be enough for him. Suddenly, his body flinched as his eyes instinctively went to the source of his reaction. The window of the room Noah was in was still broken, and his silhouette could be seen in the dark, unlit space. Mark recognized him by those monstrous purple eyes.

Initially, his anger was about to subside, tempered by the fear he had gradually built up from past encounters. However, his fury flared up even more when he noticed that those piercing eyes weren’t even looking in his direction.

This riled him up to the point that he couldn’t take it anymore. If at first he wanted to hurt Ailetta for what she said, now he wanted to do so much more since that would be his way of getting back at Noah who seemed to be out of his reach.

"Ma-Mark?" Jasmine hesitated to question him, seeing the erratic state he was in. She had always felt a subtle fear towards her brother since his change, but the fear she felt now was incomparable to those earlier feelings. She wasn’t sure how he would react now that his wrath seemed to warp his entire being.

Her first instinct was to jump between her brother and best friend before looking to the others for help. She believed that the first thing she should do was to physically stop him before trying to reason with him. She just hoped that it didn’t go that far.

"Mark, please," she called out, her voice trembling. "You need to calm down."

Mark’s eyes flickered to her, but they were wild and unfocused, as if he barely recognized her. His breaths were heavy and erratic, each one sounding like a growl.

"Stay out of this, Jasmine," he snarled, his fists clenching tighter.

"Mark, look at me," Jasmine pleaded, stepping directly into his line of sight. "We’re family. Don’t let this tear us apart."

For a moment, it seemed like her words might not reach him. But then, slowly, the intensity in his eyes began to waver. He blinked, as if seeing her for the first time, and the wildness in his gaze dimmed just slightly.

"Jas..." he muttered, his voice breaking. fгeewebnovёl.com

Thud!*

While Jasmine struggled to deescalate Marks’ rage, one of the priests accompanying Mark and his group suddenly collapsed without warning. Before that, there was a faint sound, almost imperceptible, which went unnoticed as they were all preoccupied with the violent discussion.

"Ia-Ian?" The words escaped one of the women’s lips as she rushed to the fallen priest’s side, her voice trembling with concern and dread. Stooping down, she carefully observed his motionless form, her furrowed brow and quivering hands betraying her deep-rooted worry.

With a bloodcurdling shriek, she recoiled in horror as her senses were assaulted by the sight and smell of death. The grass around Ian’s body was saturated with blood, and the putrid stench overwhelmed her senses. She gagged as she observed the lower section of his torso, nearly cleaved in two, exposing his ruptured bladder. The nauseating odor engulfed her, threatening to overwhelm her senses as she struggled to comprehend the grisly scene before her.

The earlier death of Ian wasn’t enough to distract Mark from what he wanted to do, but the grating sound of the girl’s screams forced him to reel in his emotions and focus on what was at hand.

Before Mark could react, the piercing scream abruptly ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence that hung heavy in the air. Another thud echoed through the surroundings, followed by yet another, each impact signaling the collapse of another member of the group.

"Mark, get away!"

"Everyone, run towards the dor-No! Blake!" Bailey’s cry was filled with panic, distraught as she watched a tentacle heading towards one of her closest friends.

Mark didn’t waver, stopping to turn and see what was going on behind him. Not only was he naturally curious, but he also wanted to blow off the steam he had built up. However, it was the identity of the culprit that inspired a different mindset.

His body tensed, the hairs on his skin prickling with fear, and his eyes widened in sheer panic. The zombie, now sprouting tentacles from her grotesque form, had finally caught up to them. Dread washed over Mark as he realized the gravity of the situation.

They may have lost her in the beginning, but they weren’t aware that Noah’s final confrontation with the queen alerted the zombie to the area of their fight. And not too much later, their lack of vigilance and excessive yelling was the final touch that led her to where they are now.

The zombie’s menacing presence cast a shadow over Noah’s thoughts, drawing his attention away from the unfolding events below. The memory of the seemingly invincible undead, impervious to bullets, lingered in his mind, a reminder of why he had been driven to expedite his growth. As he gazed upon the creature, Noah couldn’t help but feel a sense of urgency creeping in, knowing that both of his trusted creatures were currently incapacitated.

Lost in contemplation, Noah mulled over his options for confronting the zombie. Perhaps the skill scroll he had acquired ages ago held the key to his dilemma. With a flicker of hope, he reached for it, only to discover that it was a summoner skill, its power reliant on having a summon as a catalyst. Disheartened, he returned his focus to the looming threat before him.

His gaze bore the weight of grave consideration as he mentally sifted through his options, all the while keeping a wary eye on the advancing zombie. Doubt gnawed at him as he questioned whether he could face the creature alone, now that he had awakened. The realization of his skills reliance on his monsters for battle sent a wave of helplessness washing over him, particularly now that they were incapacitated.

"I either need to tame another creature for occasions like this or get more skills...But what do I need to evolve my skill?" He pondered aloud, contemplating his options. Heading to check the requirements for the monster taming skill, he reflected on his past approach. He had never been in a rush to check the requirements of his other skills before, assuming that he could still upgrade them without fully meeting the criteria. However, he now realized that the 75% threshold remained constant over time, prompting him to reassess his strategy.

[Monster Taming Lvl 0 progression requirements:

Defeat 250 enemies purely with tamed creatures-416/250Tame two monsters-2/2Have two tier one monsters-1/2]

The realization that he lacked only one requirement for his skill did little to assuage his unease in facing the zombie before him. Instead, it served as a hidden trigger, compelling him to confront the creature at any cost. He knew that defeating the zombie would provide the opportunity to level up Arachne, allowing her to evolve as well.

He jumped down from the window again, but he wasn’t going to engage the creature, not just yet. He would use the people here to get accustomed to the speed of the tentacle that was even harder to see with only the light of the moon to brighten the courtyard, the eerie shadows only serving as camouflage for the tentacle’s rampage.

Noah’s attention soon rested on a certain individual, his attention drawn towards Blake’s demise at the sound of Bailey’s screams. Noah recalled that Blake was one of the few who stayed by Bailey’s side, and was all a fellow monster tamer. Although the two had the same class, Blake still died tragically and pathetically without having a chance to defend himself. Without his squirrel, he wasn’t capable of fighting most monsters on his own.

Noah held no emotional attachments to care about his death, but he was curious to what happened to his tamed creature.

The squirrel that always stood by his side first attempted to dodge the tentacles. Just from its instinctual awareness, avoiding the attack should’ve been durable. However the death of its owner caused an adverse reaction to overcome it, abruptly causing it to fall over as it spasmed uncontrollably, with each spasm, its movements grew weaker until finally, it lay still, its life force gradually diminished, leaving only a shell of its former self.

Ding ding ding*

As Blake’s life ended tragically, Paul and Ibby found themselves next in line for a similar fate if not for Paul’s quick thinking. Utilizing his skill, he encompassed himself into a man made of stone, embracing Ibby in his arms, shielding them both from the deadly tentacles that threatened to impale them. Three tentacles lashed out as he figured, the impact against his stone barrier echoed loudly. Though they were spared from the grim destiny that befell their companions, the impact of the tentacles still sent them reeling backward, crashing into the unforgiving wall of the building.

Meanwhile, Bailey was paralyzed by shock and horror at witnessing Blake’s sudden demise. It took the violent collision of Paul and Ibby against the wall behind her to snap her out of her traumatized state, springing her into action to assist her companions.

Even as they struggled to recover, two more unfortunate souls succumbed to the relentless onslaught of the tentacles, their fates sealed in an instant.

And then, a tentacle was approaching Mark, hurtling toward him with terrifying speed.

"Arrrgh!" Mark yelled with his heart and soul, splurging his mana to increase his agility to dodge his death.

The speed of the attack left Jasmine reeling, her mind struggling to comprehend that her brother almost died. The fear in her heart surged as she realized the perilous situation they were in. Just moments ago, she had feared losing her brother to Noah, but now she faced the very real possibility of losing him altogether. Relief washed over her as she saw Mark narrowly evade death, but her relief was short-lived as panic gripped her.

"Mark, we need to retreat! Only Noah can fight it right now! Please come back!" She screamed, her chaotic mind not realizing that what she did was far from helping.

Mark was already planning to run as soon as he saw who the attacker was. After dodging the attack, his ego became satisfied enough that he was ready to leave right after. He was preparing to turn to run to safety, but then the words of his sister followed, ’only Noah, only Noah’. Was all he could hear, that made him stop in his tracks. He looked towards Noah and saw that Ailetta was standing near him with a fearful expression on his face while Noah, in Mark’s opinion, was paralyzed with fear.

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