Becoming a Monster

Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Blood That Has No Equal

It wasn’t just that one group. With a heavy caution, he approached each of the other five groups. Each time, he extended the distance in between them as he observed. And every time his existence was snuffed out by that same particular brown goblin that led the group.

Maybe the goblins had a more evolved communication than even humans did, but the last group was already alert on the lookout before he even arrived. By the time he did, the goblins gawked loudly. Their leader pulled out a curved tooth with a hole at its tip, he blew into it before running off towards the direction that the others were.

Noah sought to give chase. It was more out of the safety of him and his creatures than his curiosity to find out just how many more goblins were there, and if so, were the other ones stronger than the ones currently.

He had nothing to aid his assumption besides stories and games. But he believed the goblins just now were only scouts. Which meant there had to be a tribe. A gathering of goblins who had different roles, ranging from soldiers, shamans to even a leader who was more ferocious than the others.

His surprise almost caused him to forget the other set of intruders. With just a thought, his vision shifted, pulling his focus toward another distant disturbance, and there they were. Eight giants. This was the first time Noah had ever set eyes on them, but once he laid eyes on them, a name surfaced... Trolls.

Trolls, at least in the stories Noah knew, were supposed to be ugly, misshapen monstrosities with ugly teeth, hulking frames, and eyes too small for their warped heads. The kind of creatures you expected to lumber from a cave, club in hand and stench following them like a natural cologne.

And these creatures... they weren’t that far from the lore. Except their bodies weren’t just hulking frames, they were bulky frames. Each troll wasn’t layered fwith fat, but muscles were compacted within their bulky figures.

Just like the goblins, their skin bore the earthy tones of the forest that would grant them a subtle camouflage, shades of deep green and rugged brown that blended naturally with the forest. All except one. In the center of the formation lumbered a giant with pale blue skin, a color so alien against the forest scenery that it drew Noah’s gaze instantly.

The blue one was physically different compared to the others, and it wasn’t just because of its skin. It was at least a foot larger.

And... Its muscle was overlapped by its fat. Instead of defined muscles, its arms were ginormous and heavy. Its gut hung low, but firm, it might as well be used as a living battering ram.

But giant felt like too small a word for their massive appearance. They were titans in their own right, each towering at least five meters high. And unlike the goblins’ scattered, organized movements, these beings advanced almost in a single, solid line that would’ve been shoulder to shoulder if not for their different pacings.

The rest of the trolls seemed to move around without much thought, their spacing subtly widened as they continued to try to match the pace of their blue leader. The space they commanded was staggering, nearly twice what ten groups of goblins could occupy combined.

Their footfalls were slow but heavy, the kind that didn’t just press into the soil, even though Noah couldn’t hear anything, the subtle imprints left behind them left a deep impression.

The forest reacted to their presence: branches trembled, birds fled in panicked bursts, and the distant underbrush shifted as smaller unique creatures bolted to safety.

Noah’s gaze locked on the pale-blue trolls. Instinct gnawed at him, a clear warning that this one stood apart from the others, not merely in appearance, but in power. From what he’d already learned with the goblins, skin color often meant something more, a reflection of rank, strength, or some other dangerous trait. What that power might be, however, was another matter entirely. He would need to be close enough to use his Nexus Eye to uncover the truth.

Drawing in closer, he noticed something peculiar: not once did a single troll turn its head toward him. Their focus remained fixed on their destination ahead. Either the goblins were far more perceptive than these titans, or the trolls were simply too dull to understand the sensation of someone watching them even if they felt it.

Still, Noah wasn’t without some measure of understanding. If anything, the system’s attribute readings had given him a rough metric to go by. Judging from that, it was likely the trolls’ spirit, their inner perception, will, and attunement, were far lower than that of the goblins. But their sheer bodily strength more than compensated for it.

With nothing left to see, Noah retrieved his senses from the core. There was more he wanted to test out, but now that he was aware of a group of trolls encroaching on them, he had to warn the others to decide on their approach.

With this current world and their monsters being unknown to him, he was unsure how strong the trolls were compared to the drake. However, he slightly remembered the drake mentioning that he was the most powerful creature, at least in the forest they were in.

But he wouldn’t allow that to affect his vigilance. As long as he wasn’t aware of their power, he would treat them as the same level as the drake.

He was about to head outside to fill in the others. Yet, his body didn’t move.

"Pandora?"

His voice was soft enough to not alert the others. He didn’t need to see Pandora’s illusion to know that she was listening, she was always listening.

He looked towards the tree, noticing the energy pulsing through her quicker than before. He could sense just how nervous she was. But he could also feel her fear.

"Why weren’t you with us?" He walked towards hers before stopping with a few feet of space in between them. "It’s not like you at all."

Silence followed. A new threat was coming towards them, yet he stood patiently to hear her answer. He didn’t have to wait long. A voice carried itself within the space of the room.

"Hot... Too hot to stay... It hurts..."

Despite the monotone voice, Noah sensed the tree’s feelings grew stronger. He frowned, in thought about what exactly she was referring to. The forest wasn’t hot at all. He could only think of the drakes fire, but even then, the fire was only directed towards him.

However, when he thought about that attack, a flame whose heat completely scorched the ground and was almost capable of melting his entire body, he realized why she was afraid. He didn’t believe that Pandora had ever experienced that kind of sensation before.

Even though her main body was here, her senses were still attuned with the earth around them. And her roots were more than likely under that very spot that had been struck.

It made sense now.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment. He didn’t feel dispirited with her fragile will, nor was he upset. If anything, he felt a bit sympathetic towards her. It was the first time she had shown fear, and she reacted without fully understanding what that feeling was. To her, she was the one to abandon her comrades.

His brows furrowed for a moment. Pandora wasn’t like the others, so he couldn’t exactly encourage her the same way.

However, there was one universal method that he believed would work on all of them.

His hand raised, the slime armor that covered his hands receded to show bare skin. Part of his armor extended to create a fine blade that cut into his finger.

Pandora had only ever experienced Noah performing such an action when he had formed his blood pact on her. But that moment had forever etched itself inside her core memories. Although she was still in shock, her mood was lingering on the edge of depression. The sweet aroma of Noah’s blood coating her bark and roots filled her with an nervously greedy anticipation that she couldn’t control.

Noah could sense it all as he held back a chuckle, straightening his face before he got carried away in the moment. This was only the carrot.

"It’s alright to be afraid, but it’s not ok when you let that fear control you. This is for all you have done for us until now. Though... if you allow yourself to hide away here, there’s nothing else I will give you."

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Outside, the moment Noah released his blood enriched with his mana, all heads snapped towards the entrance of the home.

How long had it been since they tasted Noah’s blood? Their vigilance faltered. Their behavior varied; even Dummy had awakened from his seemingly never ending slumber. But none of their reactions were as intense as Ava’s. Her aura stirred stronger than ever. It was never this intense. Her reaction didn’t escape Ailetta’s notice.

Yet, as Ailetta scrutinized Ava’s behavior, all of her eyes widened before they snapped on the presence behind them.

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The drake couldn’t peel its eyes away. That scent...That mana...

No... The feeling of power. Despite its old lineage, and its severe injury, it could feel its bones being invigorated by the smell alone.

Dangerous thoughts surfaced. Noah’s image appeared in its mind.

Its body desired to devour him.