Becoming a Monster

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Calm Before the Storm

As the two distinct sounds grew louder, the oppressive atmosphere weighed down on everyone present. The rapid clatter, like the tapping of countless skeletal fingers on stone, and the deepening, ominous buzzing seemed to come from the depths of some nightmare. Noah’s eyes stayed fixed on the approaching silhouettes, his instincts screaming at him to mentally prepare.

The tension in the air felt suffocating the creature’s arrival. A stifling silence engulfed everyone, all eyes dreadfully awaiting the approach of the sounds.

Suspiciously, the two monsters managed to arrive at the same time, eliciting collective gasps of horror from the surrounding people.

The first creature was a colossal centipede-like entity that seemed to stretch endlessly. Even from a distance, Noah could gauge the creature to be at least twenty meters long, if not more. The backside of its body was covered in armored plates that clattered together with each movement, while the underside was composed of its natural exoskeleton. Its legs were no different than swords, sharp and deadly as they moved in a coordinated frenzy, creating the unnerving tapping sound.

Its eyes were devoid of pupils, a light amber that matched the color of its underside, as they seemed to stare into the souls of its would-be victims.

Extending from the sides of its monstrous face were a deadly set of mandibles, each ending in a razor sharp point. They clicked menacingly, ready to puncture and immobilize prey, ensuring a slow, agonizing consumption.

The second creature was a menacing, enormous insect, resembling the largest of the beetles, they had previously encountered, but its unique mutated features made it far more terrifying than all its numerous minions combined. Its glossy black exoskeleton appeared nearly impenetrable, reflecting the dim light like a suit of armor. Where mandibles should have been, the beetle had one singular, grotesque horn jutting out from its armored head. The horn curved upward before branching out into two colossal, bone-like points, resembling a crown of terror.

The beetle’s size was staggering, its bulk nearly the size of a small bus. Muscular, spiked legs supported its frame, when it landed, the ground trembled under its weight. Its legs appeared capable of withstanding immense loads of weight, making it an imposing adversary.

Its body was segmented, with each segment covered in thick, overlapping armor plates, giving it a layered defense that made any attempt to harm it seem futile. The beast’s wings were a nightmarish fusion of hard, protective outer shells and delicate, membranous inner wings. When the wings flared, the beetle could launch itself with sudden, explosive bursts of speed, allowing it to close distances rapidly, though it was incapable of sustained flight due to its massive size.

But what truly set this beetle apart were its gargantuan pincers, which closely resembled two massive gauntlets more than natural appendages. These gauntlets-like hands were studded with jagged, protruding spikes that could crush or skewer anything unfortunate enough to be caught with their grasp.

Yet the true nature of the beetle’s pincers were not for crushing, but for delivering devastating punches, pummeling its prey into minced meat for easy consumption. Each pincer was built with a dense layer of chitinous armor that could withstand tremendous impact.

The oppressive atmosphere grew heavier with each passing second, the fear among the defenders rising more than ever, bordering on helplessness. Their desire to defend their base now seemed futile in the face of the massive beast. The arrival of the monsters tipped the entire scale of the battle in their favor.

Noah’s gaze flickered back and forth between the two behemoths, his thoughts racing as he gauged whether he could take on the two threats. Could he take on these two threats? He had faced countless dangers before, but nothing of this magnitude.

”Arachne, are these two the danger you were worried about?” he asked, making sure to confirm before making a move. He had full faith in Arachne’s instincts; if she believed the two beasts weren’t significant threats, then he could feel more assured about taking on the two boss-like creatures head-on without reservation.

A brief pause followed as Arachne took in the sight of the creatures, her many eyes narrowing as she assessed the aura radiating from them compared to the haunting sense she picked up on before. Her voice, usually calm and devoid of any emotional attachment, carried an edge of tension as she finally responded.

”Yes....” Arachne’s initial response gave Noah a momentary sense of relief. His muscles relaxed slightly, and he exhaled slowly, feeling some of the tension ease from his body. But then, almost immediately, he noticed her hesitation. His eyes narrowed as he picked up on the subtle shift in her tone, the way her gaze darted between the two monstrous creatures before glancing off into the distance, toward something unseen.

”No....” She corrected herself. ”They are powerful, but there’s something else, watching us, something far more dangerous...”

Noah’s breath caught in his throat, the fleeting relief evaporating as quickly as it had come. His gaze followed Arachne’s, scanning the area beyond the battlefield. His second pair of eyes opened to aid in his search. The two creatures alone were enough to put him on edge, but the idea of something more menacing lurking out there, watching them unnoticed; a creature that managed to even avoid Arachne’s radar; made him realize that this last creature was a cut above the rest.

Noah’s grip on his weapon tightened once more, aware that the situation was far beyond his control. Given the supposed strength of the two creatures, Noah knew that his tactical options were limited. He knew that he would need one of his companions to delay one of the creatures while he and another ally tried to quickly put down the second. As for the abomination? Noah didn’t factor it into the equation, only if it was evolved would he have considered that option. But with this plan, there was a high risk of losing one of his companions if he tried to face both creatures by himself.

The thought of losing another of his companions weighed heavily on him. The idea of diminishing his already limited strength was unacceptable. Most importantly, the loss of a companion was not just a tactical disadvantage but a personal blow that Noah couldn’t afford to bear again.

”No,” he muttered to himself, resolving not to make a hasty decision.

His head snapped in Raven’s direction. Her ashen expression was even more pronounced given her titan size and her confidence to protect everyone was wavering with the new insect’s appearance.

”Hey, woman!” Noah called out, his voice cutting through the tense silence.Everyone, including Raven, looked over.

”I’ll take on one of those things, but you guys need to pull your weight too or I’m leaving.”

Raven’s massive form shifted slightly, the color returning to her face as her gaze met Noah’s. There was a momentary lapse in her reaction. Her brain didn’t immediately register that Noah was inadvertently telling them he was helping until she replayed what he said. Despite the tension, a small, relieved smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. ”Don’t worry ’boy’, We’ll handle our end. Just make sure not to die.”

Noah snorted, a smirk playing on his lips, but he didn’t respond. His mind was completely focused on the beasts, ready to make their next move.

”You heard him! Peterson, Levi! It’s up to us to take on one of those things. Everyone! Don’t give up! Leave the bigger beast to us. We will all survive this together! I swear on my life!”

Her words ignited a spark among the people around her. Their fear was momentarily pushed aside as they prepared for the grueling fight ahead. A loud mechanical whirling began to echo from the rooftops as Peterson readied the gatling gun once more. A unified battle cry filled the air, building the momentum that they desperately needed.

Noah’s side also took a moment to prepare themselves. The recent explosions had triggered Arachne’s level up. Using all of her points, Noah allocated two of her points into her constitution, granting her the perk ’Reconstructing Limbs’.

Reconstructing limbs(Lvl 0): No matter if it’s your spider legs or human arms, as long as the limb is lost, you can regrow it. A fully lost limb can take up to 24 hours to grow.]

Noah only had the time to briefly glance over the skill before adding the rest of her points to what he felt she would need the most, strength. The newly added points pushed her strength above one hundred, advancing her ’Tainted Demise’ ability, empowering the application of the enemies stats being decreased from 0.25 to 0.5 per second.

Noah took a deep breath, centering himself as he sized up the monstrous threats, wondering which of the two creatures he would have to face. He exchanged a glance with Fenrir, who let out a low growl of anticipation. Arachne, though silent, radiated a similar readiness, her many eyes staring intently into the monster’s direction, tracking their every move.

The battlefield was momentarily still, neither side making the first move; like it was the calm before the storm. The two supposed leaders of the insects seemed to be in communication with the ant generals. The general’s antennae twitched sporadically while their hands made expressive gestures, occasionally pointing towards Raven, Noah and Peterson.

Both the giant centipede and the beetle looked in their direction. Without warning, both creatures advanced. The centipede let out a shrill, bone-chilling screech, its legs scrapping harder against the ground as it suddenly gained a burst of speed. The beetle responded with a deep, resonant roar of its own, its massive gauntlets thumping into the ground; eliciting a sound no different than mini explosions. Its wings unfolded behind it before it launched into the air, heading in a straight line. The ant generals maintained the same distance from each other, this time cohesively moving to finally join the battle.

Everyone braced themselves as the storm finally broke. But when they noticed the insects’ targets, they realized that their plans were ruined.

Boom!*

”Peterson!”

The first sign of battle erupted on the station’s rooftop. A large dust cloud of cement debris covered the collision, but it couldn’t hide what had caused it.

The beetle had flown straight into the edge of the building where Peterson was positioned, using its horn to slam directly into his location. The beetle’s horn punctured through the structure, while the rest of its body managed to make everything that it collided with to collapse.

Raven’s eyes widened with horror as she saw the attack. She roared in fury, about to rush to Peterson’s aid, determined to save him. However, before she could move, the sound of a hundred swords stabbing toward her forced her attention to focus on her own safety.

Meanwhile, Noah had yet to make a move. He saw the three ant generals looking in his direction, preparing to attack. From their stance, he understood that they would be his opponents.

But his eyes kept shifting from the giant beetle and the giant centipede. His body felt restless, his fingers twitching, he needed to make a decision. From what he could tell, Peterson was nothing without his guns, and his opponent was a perfect counter to Peterson’s strengths.

If Peterson wasn’t dead from that first attack, Noah was sure that his death was only a matter of time.

”So in the end, I’ll still probably have to fight the bosses by myself...” Noah’s anger flared as he thought about the other Awakeners’ lack of strength. ”And the true boss is still out there...Fenrir, Arachne!” Noah called out, grabbing their attention. Both of them were instantly snapped to his call of alert, their muscles tensing for the call to attack.

”Change of plans. Fenrir, go help them with that giant beetle. You’ll probably have to fight it alone for a while, but if anyone can do it, it’s you. And take that other one with you.” Noah motioned to the lingering abomination before addressing Arachne. ”Arachne, help them with the other creature. Don’t hold back, use everything you have to kill it as fast as possible.”

Noah quickly gave out his orders, which Fenrir immediately carried out, grunting for his pack member to follow as he rushed back to the base.

”Arachne, why are you still here? I need you to go.” Noah’s tone was noticeably agitated. His annoyance wasn’t directed at her, but at the dire situation they found themselves in. Despite his best efforts, he was forced to take on more than he intended.

Arachne flinched at his aggressive tone, but concern quickly replaced her initial shock. She regained her composure, her voice firm as she stood her ground ”I want to fight with you.”

Noah’s eyes softened at her stubbornness and her desire to protect him, but this wasn’t the time to hesitate.

Movement from his peripheral vision caught his attention. The ant generals were now approaching, but not alone as he had hoped. Neither of the evolved creatures would be fighting solo. With the ant generals leading the charge against him, the rest of the swarms of insects were now rejoining the battle on all fronts.

”Arachne, now isn’t the time. The faster you kill that thing, the faster you can return back to my side. So go! And don’t do anything stupid...”

Noah no longer diverted his attention, his body turned to face the approaching horde, led by the three evolved ants.

Arachne’s gaze lingered on Noah for a moment longer, her expression hardening with determination. She resolved to kill the giant centipede at all costs. In just the time it would take someone to blink, Arachne vanished, her destination set towards her target that prevented her from fighting alongside Noah.