Becoming a Monster

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: First Wave, Webs

The spiders began to reveal how they were able to take control of the Forest despite the overwhelming population of the other creatures. Their size was one thing, their poison was another, but it was their webs that gave them the ability to reign supreme. Each thread was strong enough to resist the struggle of the majority of the most powerful creatures within the forest when not accounting for the creatures that were of the snake’s caliber. This web network was both their fortress and their weapon, allowing them to keep rival predators at bay and establish themselves as apex hunters.

Before the bees arrived, strings of thick webs shot out from multiple directions around them. The ambush was perfectly coordinated, with webs descending from above, shooting across from the sides, and even attacking from behind them. Their attack was synchronized, each web was clearly targeting all of them at the same time, seemingly trying to pinpoint the weakest of their group. However, more webs were targeted towards Fenrir than all of the others. Although the spiders showed heightened intelligence, it appeared that they weren’t smart enough to still determine Ailetta to currently be the most threatened aspect of the group.

The webs, though not strong enough to completely hold Fenrir down, were more than capable of slowing him. The sheer quantity of threads tangled around him was relentless, forming a dense webbing that clung to his fur and limbs, restricting his movement in layers. His powerful limbs clawed into the entangling fibers, ripping through fur and skin in a furious attempt to free himself. The webs had an unexpected elasticity, and each time he pulled against them, they stretched and snapped back, clinging tighter. Undeterred, Fenrir’s massive jaws tore at the fibers, shredding them with sheer force.

His struggle was overwhelming, and within moments, it was clear that he would tear himself free. But the spiders hadn’t misjudged his strength; they had anticipated it. Just as Fenrir made headway through the webbing, the forest seemed to shift, shadows flitting among the branches above. The spiders had used the first wave of webs to bait him into a position they could exploit.

With an almost coordinated precision, each of the enormous spiders, weighing at least 200 pounds due to their dense exoskeletons, descended from above. Their legs stretched wide as they dropped down, their collective force aimed at pulling Fenrir in every direction. Some anchored their threads to nearby trees, creating a network of tension meant to restrict him, while others clung tightly to his limbs, their sharp mandibles clamping onto whatever they could find.

Fenrir roared in fury, muscles bulging as he strained against their weight. His powerful limbs thrashed, and each time he shook a spider loose, another one latched on, weaving more webs across his body while also attempting to bring him down with their venom that held a parasitic effect.

Fenrir appeared to be in trouble, with their relentless assault, the spider’s numbers would eventually take their toll on the towering wolf. However, that was only if Fenrir continued his struggle without changing his tactics. He may have been simple minded, immature, and lacked critical thinking skills when he first became a wolf. But now, he could at least make smarter decisions on his own.

An overbearing howl sounded from his maw, the howl released a suffocating pressure of mana and will. Though his roar sounded oppressive enough to deter the spider’s onslaught, to them and the other creatures in the vicinity, his roars were just a last-ditch effort to intimidate him before his downfall. But, out of all of the creatures there, an unexpected ally emerged. The beetles that fought in tandem with the other creatures suddenly turned; every beetle, no matter how small or large, all turned to the creatures they had fought hand in hand with.

Fenrir wanted to show Noah how powerful he was, that he was more capable and dependable than everyone else, believing that his werebeast form would allow him to tear his way through the hordes rank without the need for aid. Now, his undergoing transformation was a good indicator that he was learning; his fur shedded, a hardened exoskeleton sprouting from underneath. His arms, legs, and face restructured, taking on jagged edges and thicker joints, resembling an even more enhanced version of the natural armor of the beetles that had come to his aid. If he could power his way through with sheer strength, then he would do so with his impenetrable defense.

Gradually, his form took on the shape of more of a beetle in essence, compared to his werebeast form, the change was a little more drastic than before. Just like Ailetta and the others, Fenrir’s main abilities also upgraded, causing his constitution and defense to increase by another 5%. This change in stats, coupled with his hardened skeleton, made him almost impervious to the attacks that had threatened him moments before. Resounding clangs sounded each time a spider attempted to sink their fangs into him. Despite the fur and skin that still made-up part of his body, the unearthing armor made it impossible for the ants to bite into him without encountering the hardened shell.

Fenrir’s transformation was fast, but during the time it would take for him to finish, he was still vulnerable. It was during that time where the beetles were able to slightly supplement his disappearance from the battlefield, making sure that their enemies’ attention would remain off of Noah. And with his roar, his only pack kin dropped everything it was doing. It ran in Fenrir’s direction, dragging an ant that clung to its legs and chewed futilely, Dummy ignored the pain, fixating on its true purpose, a purpose now shifted from mere hunger to loyalty. The roar of its alpha was unmistakable, breaking Dummy’s usual cycle of ravenous feeding.

Dummy’s unpredictable appetite had always served as its main drive. To the ever-hungry creature, the fight was never a battle for conquest, nor one for survival, but one where it was unsure if its unsatiated appetite would finally be appeased. Each creature it consumed seemed to leave an imprint on its form, adding temporary enhancements, a hardened beetle shell from one victim, toughened snake scales from another, all melding with its body in odd but effective ways. However, none of these changes concerned Dummy; its focus remained solely on filling its insatiable hunger. But now, that same hunger was tempered by a new directive: shield Fenrir.

The unspoken order from Fenrir was simple and instinctual, yet it transformed Dummy’s ferocity into something greater. With every creature it devoured, Dummy reinforced its own defenses. As it approached Fenrir’s side, the spiders and other forest creatures found themselves facing a beast that was as unpredictable as it was insatiable. Its maw opened wide, ignoring the retaliating attacks against it just so it could take a bite out of them.

_____________________

There were hundreds of spiders, but the amount of webs currently aimed at the two didn’t seem to show justice to their numbers. And it was all due to the army of puppets. Like before, the spiders weren’t smart enough to connect the puppets to Ailetta; they only saw them as threats; traitors that needed to be put down.

Diablo, who fought tooth and nail in the front line with Fenrir, was also attacked. His appearance was almost no different than a mummy as he wasn’t quick enough or smart enough to avoid the webs completely. His shield stuck in his previous raised position to block out the webs only led to the other webs to ensnare and encircle him. Diablo didn’t seem to put up a fight, but the palpitations still echoing from inside him still triggered the spiders to directly assault him.

What they didn’t notice was the smoke rising from his figure. The scent of something burning quickly filled their senses, while the pressure of evil and negative energy pricked at their fine hairs.

Thin wisps of smoke began to seep through the layers of webbing, accompanied by the acrid scent of burning fiber. The air around him thickened with an unnatural pressure, prickling the senses of the spiders nearby, though they seemed undeterred. They swarmed closer, eager to exploit the perceived vulnerability. But as one spider lunged, its fangs ready to pierce, it was met with a searing agony.

In an instant, the webs around Diablo combusted, threads fraying and dissolving as if consumed by an invisible fire. The miasmic energy that had once enveloped only his sword now poured outward, enveloping his entire body in an aura of consuming malice. The first spider, too late to retreat, writhed in agony as Diablo’s corrupt mana latched onto it, searing through its exoskeleton, burning deeper until it fell limp, its body reduced to charred remnants.

The remaining spiders recoiled, their hairs standing on end as Diablo’s aura pulsed with barely contained wrath. Freed from his bindings, Diablo’s sights were no longer on the creatures he was once fighting prior. His crimson gaze was set on killing the spiders that he felt was the most threatening to what he held most dear.