Becoming a Monster

Chapter 234: Chapter 234 : To Build and Protect

Within the confines of the makeshift wall, Noah found himself too distracted to fully embellish the ”completion” of the dungeon. For him, there was still a lot more to do for him to fully call this place a home. He wanted individualized spaces for his creatures, for the ascetics of the home to fit his acquired taste. And for that, he spent his time thinking of different ways to accomplish this goal.

All of this could simply be achieved if he had more mana to feed to the dungeon’s heart. With endless mana, he could make a glorious dungeon that extended throughout his entire territory. But with deep contemplation also came understanding. Realizing that most of the mana was derived from the mana of his territory already, he couldn’t be too greedy. Trying to draw anymore could have irreparable results on the forest itself.

For now, he needed inspiration, and ideas to make his dream home into reality that wouldn’t demand harming what was his.

”What are you obsessing over now?” Ailetta asked, her tone carrying a mix of curiosity and exasperation. She leaned against him, her head nestling against the side of his, her multiple eyes watching him closely. ”This should be the first time we can truly just relax.”

Noah glanced at her, his lips twitching into a faint smirk before returning to his usual pensive expression. ”Relaxing isn’t really a luxury I can afford anymore, no matter how much I desire it. I want this place to not only feel like a true home to everyone, but I want to make this place fulfill its role of a true dungeon...” As he spoke, his eyes flickered dangerously. ”To prevent anyone from disturbing us.”

At the mention of potential threats, Ailetta’s expression darkened momentarily, her own gaze taking on a predatory gleam. But just as quickly as it appeared, it softened. She turned to face Noah fully, a warm smile replacing the brief flash of menace. ”Then what’s the point of us being here if you’re shouldering everything alone?” she asked, her voice was soft but firm.

Her hand reached out, gently grasping his chin and tilting his face toward her. ”Your burden is our burden, Noah. Lean on us more.”

Without giving him time to respond, she leaned forward and placed a quick, deliberate peck on his lips. The unexpected gesture left Noah momentarily stunned, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he accepted the display of affection with calm composure, though the faintest trace of color touched his cheeks.

Noting that he didn’t reject negatively to her sudden spurt of affection, Ailetta licked her lips, while an ominous smile widened on her face that were accompanied by the deathly smiles around her form. However, as her main eyes were centered on Noah, her other eyes that were now looking in a certain direction led her to motion Noah’s gaze up above them.

The moment the two looked up, they were greeted by a mesmerizing spectacle. Arachne appeared to be floating in the center of the room, but it quickly became apparent that she was standing atop her own intricate webwork. Threads shot out in all directions, not only from her hands but also from the newly acquired appendages that now extended from her back.

Her actions continued unabated. Within mere seconds the layer of webs grew to the point where the ceiling was quickly becoming covered by dark violet intricacies of her web nest. A nest that was not only prepared for her own resting place, but it was a necessary preparation for her skill.

”See Noah, even now we already consider this place our home. Not because of how complete or perfect it is, but because you made it for us. That’s all that matters.” Ailetta’s words began to settle within Noah’s heart, gently stirring something within him. He said nothing, his gaze fixed on Arachne as she wove her intricate masterpiece above them.

As if aware of their attention, Arachne paused momentarily, her hands stilling mid-motion. Her glowing violet eyes shifted downward, meeting Noah’s attentive, almost mesmerized gaze. The faintest flicker of pride passed through her expression, and a subtle smile graced her lips, a rare acknowledgment of his appreciation.

Without a word, she turned back to her task, her movements resuming with the same steady precision, as if the brief exchange was all the connection she needed.

Noah’s chest tightened slightly, though his face betrayed no emotion. He glanced briefly at Ailetta, her confident smirk meeting his contemplative expression. ”You’re right,” he admitted quietly. ”This is our home, and we should build it together.”

Ailetta’s smirk deepened, her multiple eyes gleaming with satisfaction. ”Finally, you get it,” she said with a teasing tone, a reply that was met with Noah’s smile before he was suddenly caught by surprise when Ailetta suddenly thrust a shiny object into his face.

”What’s thi- is this the core that you created from before?” His thoughts centered on the chimeric like slime from before that enabled Ailetta’s power to soar through new heights after melding with its mana core. The power she gained was undeniable. Confusion furrowed his brow as he eyed the object suspiciously. ”Why are you giving it to me?” he asked, his tone cautious. ”If you’re suggesting I use it for the artifact because of what I said earlier, then forget it. I’m not wasting something like this.”

”It’s not what you’re thinking...” She quickly spoke, grabbing his hand to place the core within his palm. ”I’m not able to merge with another core for so long. Not only would it wastfully drain the mana within the core, but it could potentially destabilize me the longer it merged with me, or worse...”

Noah didn’t need to hear anything else. His movements were swift and decisive as he brought the core over his ring. With a subtle flicker of light, the core disappeared, stored securely within the dimensional space of his ring.

”You should’ve told me sooner,” he inwardly sighed towards her disregard for her own safety. ”I know you plan on doing something like this again, but now that I know, understand this, if I find even a hint that something is off, I’ll restrict you from using this method again until we find a better solution to make it work.”

For a moment, Ailetta was silent, her multiple eyes studying him intently. Then, she let out a soft chuckle, though it carried a note of warmth rather than mockery. ”You really do worry too much for someone who would do the same if it meant being able to protect us.”

Her words struck a chord, and Noah found himself momentarily at a loss. She wasn’t wrong, he would, without hesitation, make the same sacrifices if it meant ensuring their safety. Ailetta’s soft chuckle deepened as she caught the flicker of acknowledgment in his expression.

”That’s what I thought,” she said as she basked in the small victory. ”But don’t worry, that’s why I’m telling you about it now.”

Noah instinctively nodded, the gesture small but enough to acknowledge her point. For a moment, the two simply stood there, the quiet understanding between them strengthening the bond they shared.

Realizing the amount of time they spent without talking, Noah believed their little moment was over as he began to make his way towards the entrance.

”Noah!” But before he reached the entrance, a small excited cry erupted from his side. Looking over, he found himself warmly smiling again as he saw Eve struggling to walk to his side. The silken skirt he created for her when her form was combined with Diablo was still there, however, now that her form regressed, the skirt continued to get caught under her feet, frequently causing her to stumble.

Noah chuckled softly and crouched down, extending one hand to steady her, while the other hand held onto her skirt. ”Eve, you’re going to trip and fall at this rate.” As he spoke, the skirt made of his webs began to stir. As if by magic, the skirt began to recede from underneath her, continuing to shorten before it reached an approvable length.

Eve pouted, clutching at his hand as she tried to maintain her balance. ”I can walk just fine! I want to come with you...it’s boring here.” Her determined tone wavered slightly as she looked up at him.

Noah shook his head, despite her mischievousness, he found her attention seeking antics cute. ”Then let me help you.” Without waiting for her protests, he scooped her up effortlessly, resting her securely in his arms.

Eve huffed but didn’t resist, instead curling against him with a contented hum.

From behind, Ailetta watched the exchange with a sly grin. ”I knew you would be good with children. How about it? Want to make our own?” Her tone was one of teasing, however, the crazed obsession in her eyes showed that she meant it.

He glanced back at her, his expression unreadable but his tone was calm despite the abruptness of her question. ”In time, yes.” He curtly responded, turning towards the entrance as he existed out with Eve still in his arms.

Watching him leave, Ailetta’s eyes flickered once more. Time? When would that be? When was the right time? There seemed to never be the right time. And from what she could guess from the slime entity’s mission for her to eventually free her from her restraints, there would possibly never be a time where danger didn’t lurk past the corner.