Becoming a Monster

Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Illusions of Power

The branches of the tree shook violently, while its veins pulsated with the ever growing power now that it has been put through the blood pact. Its attributes skyrocketed due to the many buffs provided by his perks. With the skill Noah provided, he didn’t expect a mutation, however he was sure that the skill would reflect on its future growth the same way it did with Fenrir’s evolution when he gave him ’killing instinct.’ However, both Noah and the others were met with a surprise when they noticed a drastic change.

Black leaves began to sprout from the tree’s seemingly lifeless branches at an alarming speed. At first, they were small, barely large enough to the point that one could still easily make out the branches they originated from. But within moments, they grew larger and denser, their surface absorbing the light around them, helping to see the light glow originating from the leaves’ stems that were glowing with the same dark violet as Noah’s mana. As the leaves grew in size, its features began to obscure the branches they grew from, while at the same time, the glow emitted even stronger than before, giving off its only source of light.

As the transformation progressed, Noah noticed a significant shift in the tree’s structure. The veins running along its trunk, which had once resembled molten lava, began to shift in appearance. Their fiery orange hue gave way to deep, shifting shades of violet, as though they had been infused with the very essence of his mana. The once-molten flow now resembled a sinister, otherworldly tar, its surface rippling with faint, iridescent patterns that shimmered like radioactive energy. The pulsating veins carried the glow throughout the tree, creating a mesmerizing, rhythmic display that seemed alive.

His eyes followed the change as it extended downward. The roots, still unearthed and exposed to the open air, began to pulsate with the same eerie violet light, each root pulsating with nearly the same intervals. Its changes made the appearance of the once deathly corrupted tree into an imposing force of nature.

The others were lost for words, their silence stripped by the mesmerizing beauty that the tree held, a beauty that even someone like Fenrir could appreciate.

Although Ailetta wasn’t excluded from the shared awe, her tantalization wasn’t purely directed towards the tree but for Noah instead. ”Your blood is frightening....” She muttered with a hint of amusement as she walked towards Noah, a sly smirk played on her lips as she reached his side. ”I’m reminded once again about the similarities between you and what a god could be.” Her words caused Noah’s brow to furrow faintly at her words as he considered the heavy insinuation. Truthfully she wasn’t wrong, they had previously had a similar conversation before.

Noah’s ability to turn creatures into Fallen, turning an entire race into one of his own creation, and add on to the fact that his blood was a catalyst that could create superior zombies. When used in tandem with his mana, is able to allow creatures to transcend themselves. All he was missing now was being able to create life from nothing. Even that achievement wasn’t far out of his reach. His golems could already be granted sentience when created with a specific amount of mana, giving himself a pseudo version of creating life from nothing.

However, that alone was only considered when taking that ability at face value. He always had the idea of trying to improve all of his skills in a way to be improved without the system. And watching Ailett’s creative way of merging a core constructed from her own ability into herself gave him inspiration to be able to replicate the feat in his own way entirely, not only giving the temporary golem sentience, but perhaps even giving it a life of its own.

His thoughts churned, eventually he glanced at Ailetta, her amused smirk still lingering as she studied him. He could tell she was fantasizing on ways they could experiment with his blood.

”Perhaps you’re right.....” His words lingered in the air as he watched the tree begin to resubmerged all of its roots back into the ground. ”But a god is immortal, a power that completely surpasses my reach. Even if I believe I have the potential to imitate a god in the future, I still have to live long enough to see it though.”

Ailetta tilted her head slightly, her smirk softening into a contemplative expression. Immortal? She pondered his words, her thoughts drifting to the entities that had already left indelible marks on their existence. The slime entity that had transformed her into her current form, was that not akin to a god? And what of the being that lay dormant within Noah’s soul? How was it any different from a divine force, a god-like entity tethered to a mortal vessel?

To Ailetta, Noah didn’t merely have the potential to become a god-like existence. In her eyes, he had already begun the journey down that path, whether he realized it or not. The transformation he had wrought on the tree, the overwhelming power that coursed through his veins, and the fact that a being so powerful relied on him to act as its host, all of it painted a picture that Noah himself refused to see.

’Even if you don’t accept it, the fact doesn’t change...’ Her eyes moved independently, lingering on the creatures following Noah’s lead, creatures who no longer resembled what they once were, creature’s who were continuously transcending their limits due to Noah’s influence. ’Everything you touch can’t escape the inevitability of what you’re becoming.’

With the two opposing thoughts, for a moment they said nothing else to each other, merely diving into their own thoughts as they watched the mesmerizing few. But then, when they thought the tree’s transformation was finally over, something else inconceivable happened. Blades of grass overtook the once barren land, trees instantly appeared in the open space. The abruptness of their appearance gave the others a rising alarm.

Noah, however, remained calm, his gaze sharp and appraising as he observed the changes. His lips curved into a faint smile, a mixture of satisfaction and curiosity flickering across his face.

”I was worried you may have trouble using it, but it seems my worries were unnecessary.” He spoke directly to the tree whose veins pulsated even more strongly to his acknowledgment. It was so overtaken by its surge of overflowing power that it briefly forgot about the very one who made it possible.

Hearing his cryptic words, Ailetta’s eyes widened in realization. Her eyes churned in every direction with intense scrutiny as she began to understand what was going on. ”It’s an illusion,” she muttered under her breath in confirmation. Now that she was aware of it, she gradually realized the imperfections of the sudden intrusion of plant life in the area. Every piece of grass, every tree, each were imperfectively identical to the other, making the unnatural symmetry out of place. And as she moved her figure though the grass, and eyed the larger beast such as Fenrir and the snake, she realized that their bodies were phasing through the objects. The snake alone had over seven trees lodged within its body.

She understood how this was possible, her gaze snapped back to Noah. Wonder was reflected in her eyes as she tried to understand the reasoning behind his choice. But then it hit her, the reason for Noah choosing to tame an immovable tree, the reason for giving a creature that held sentience, but lacked intelligence and creativity a skill that required both to make the full use of such a complex ability. Noah was preparing for when they created their home.

Noah’s gaze remained fixed in the direction of the tree, who wasn’t done with its surprises. A figure materialized between them, a figure that instantly drew in the gazes of the others. Another Noah was now facing them, a Noah that was eerily similar to the original, however the one facing them held no emotion in his expression and his oppressive aura was nonexistent.

Behind them, a low growl rumbled. Fenrir’s posture became rigid, his eyes glinted with malice towards the fake version of its master, ready to pounce at any moment.

”It’s ok Fenrir.” Fenrir’s growls quickly subsided at the steady tone of Noah’s voice. Noah remained still, knowing that this version of him too was just an illusion, but he was curious as to what the tree was trying to accomplish.

The doppelgänger stood motionless in front of them, not acknowledging Fenrir’s aggressiveness. Its mouth slightly parted, moving as if it was speaking but no sound was coming out. For a while, the doppelgänger failed in its attempt to speak. Noah could sense the frustration in its attempt.

”You’re trying to say you’re happy? You don’t need to force yo-”

”Hap...py....happy...” The moment it heard Noah voice the word it wanted to convey all this time, the tree was finally able to make the illusion speak using the same voice as Noah’s. However, its monotone voice and blank expression was still much to be desired.