Becoming a Monster

Chapter 256: Chapter 256- Uninvited Players Foreshadowed

Standing before Noah was now a hulking mass of a creature, a creature that was just as massive and even bulkier than the zombie that they were facing. Its entire form was consumed by a writhing, tar-like substance that never settled, constantly shifting and reforming, its movements more unsettling than the slimes that were hidden within it.

The slick, black mass pulsed and slithered over its own body, stretching into jagged tendrils one moment before retracting the next.

The tar constantly dripped onto the ground, the odorless substance pooling beneath it. The puddle never expanded beyond its initial size, almost as if it was being reabsorbed back into its body. The liquid was impossibly dense, thicker than any tar or sludge Noah had ever seen, yet it never seemed to run out.

Its surface occasionally split apart, revealing glimpses of something lurking beneath, something with too many teeth and two soulless black eyes stretched three times wider than normal. The parts of its body that were exposed were just as difficult to describe. Beneath the tar, a red layer made it resemble the exposed musculature of a human body with its skin removed. However, the tendons and muscles twitched with small tendrils of its ”skin,” moving just as eerily as the slime that concealed them.

The massive creature was now looming over Noah, its hidden gaze staring endlessly onto Noah’s abnormal appearance.

The two were seemingly in a silent standoff. But the reason for the stifling atmosphere was due to the increased movement of the aberration’s tendrils. The tar-like substance began to split, making way for the bulge that was extending out from its body.

Noah reacted with a prophetic movement, a tendril of his own extended from his slime exterior, creating a hand that plunged into the tar, retrieving a almost completely black core that withheld dark shades of grey intensity shifting within. The core was completely different from all of the other cores created by Ailetta’s slimes, but the difference was only because of the materials used. Despite its unique composition, reality proved it was still weaker than any of the three previous cores.

Yet Noah’s anticipation didn’t waver. The same tendril that held the core now completely covered the orb. Noah’s slime visage began to contort, an excessive amount of his slime began to release towards the slime enveloping the core, forming a massive irregular sphere with the core at its center.

With a soft thud, slime was disconnected from his body, the ball of slime shifted, moving on its own as it began to take shape. Two eyes blinked eerily from within the amorphous mass before the ball suddenly sprang to life. The transformation accelerated, the slime expanding as if its initial size had been an illusion, eventually rising to match the height of the core’s original owner.

Its final form took shape, solidifying in key areas while remaining fluid in others. The two eyes that had blinked earlier took its place among where its face resided. Each eye showed a significant difference than its past golem counterpart. They showed an intellect that bordered something beyond mere instinct. Its eyes carried a clarity of one that was aware of its own existence.

A low, resonating hum echoed from the newly formed body; a sound devoid of true vocal cords yet carrying an undeniable sentience as it acknowledged its creator. The figure took a single step forward, and the ground beneath it warped, not from weight, but from the sheer presence of its mass shifting unpredictably between states of matter.

This was Noah’s first time creating an elite golem, an entity that would normally require an immense one thousand mana to forge. Such a feat would have been impossible under normal circumstances, but in his abyssalith form, he had finally reached the threshold necessary to achieve it. The transformation had not only amplified his slime-based abilities by 30%, but also enhanced their efficiency, reducing their mana consumption by the same margin.

Outwardly, Noah’s expression remained unreadable, but inwardly, he was perplexed. The result of his creation was... unexpected. The golem met his expectations, surpassed them, even. He could feel the sheer density of mana radiating from it, a presence strong enough to rival Ailetta’s before she had merged her cores, despite the core used being weaker. This made him understand the true value of his transformation states.

However, the problem remained, the mana he used for the golem still required nearly 700 mana rather than 500. His spirit normally increases an ability by an additional percentage of 24%, but the amount of mana spent determined that the same rule didn’t follow the same principle.

”!”

The urge to figure out the mechanics behind the discrepancy burned within him, but he had no time to dwell it. A roar so domineering had shaken his very being. The sheer presence it carried made even Noah feel insignificant. It was a presence that reminded him of the moment Ailetta had first transcended into a monster.

For once, Noah felt a sense of dread. Within his chest, his slime separated to reveal his Nexus Gaze that remained unchanged from his transformation. He recalled the reason for the powerful outburst when Ailetta had been the one to unleash it, understanding now that the initial pressure had come from the god-like being who had bestowed power upon her. He could only hope this case was the same.

The zombie, despite its unholy nature was bathed with a golden aura, its body being forged anew. Its bulky form grew smaller, its muscles more compact, reshaping its once undesirable appearance into something almost human again. The golden aura flared, lifting the zombie momentarily into the air as its eyes erupted with a radiant brilliance. A second later, the aura vanished, along with the overwhelming presence.

If possible, anyone would’ve been able to see the relaxing of his body, the released tension of his muscles underneath the slime and lightening of his expression. In the future he wouldn’t hesitate to fight the source of that aura, but he was painfully aware of his limits.

With the aura vanishing, Noah knew that its transformation was just about done. He, too, needed to finish his preparations.

”Go.”

A short, curt command was directed towards his slime. an order received and executed almost simultaneously. The golem, different from its smaller version that uses its mana to make ranged attacks as it released tentacles to attack, the current golem sprung into a sprint towards the creature that stood with a foreboding confidence as the golem approached it.

”Weak...”

The zombie sneered; the single word dripped with a contempt that went beyond mere pride.

Noah’s eyes narrowed at the insult, ’weak, huh?’ He thought to himself. The ridicule of the creation he created reignited his burning passion to fight. His many eyes quickly darted around him, noting his creatures that were waiting for his orders. Arachne was still going through the final stages of her mutation.

Her body didn’t experience the same changes as Noah, where his slime only originated inside of his body. The moment she underwent her own transformation; the armor she wore had dissolved into the slime emerging from beneath. As the armor fully deteriorated, her bare form began to reveal itself.

The slime had not once enveloped her skin. However, every inch of her exoskeleton was now a fusion of slime and dense remnants of hardened armor. But the most startling aspect of her change was the spider abdomen that was still attached to her. The abdomen that was once just covered by her spider-like natural exoskeleton now resembled a large, hardened slime mass. The exterior appeared even more solid and dense than before, however its solid substance seemed like an illusion as one could see ripples of purple energy moving on the surface.

Looking over his creatures, Noah was aware that he couldn’t fight his opponent in the form he was in now. His slime form was strong in its own right, but he needed to fight the zombie away from his creatures, especially away from the likes of Arachne and Eve.

His thoughts on his next decision seemed to stem from the protection of his creatures. But as his slime receded within himself, and each one of his eyes began to dilate, turning in predatory pupils, Noah was aware that he was making excuses. He wanted to fight the zombie up close and personal; he desired to show it who was truly weak.

A powerful shockwave brushed past everyone, a force that was created from the beginning of the standoff between the golem and the zombie. The shockwave nearly knocked the likes of Eve and her subordinates away. However, Eve couldn’t uphold herself like the rest, nearly being blasted into the air if not for Diablo taking the place of Noah, using his body to take the brunt of the impact.

Noah should be concerned, and yet his attention wasn’t on his creatures or the monster in question. His eyes radiated a feral ferocity that was no different from Fenrir. And under everyone’s eyes, his body began to change once again, but this time instead of slime, fur began to take its place.