Becoming a Monster

Chapter 603: Chapter 602: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Morvyr watched everything without speaking.

The bitterness of seeing his strongest warrior reduced to such a state was impossible to ignore.

Otuk’s defeat reflected poorly upon the forces he had brought with him, especially after Morvyr had spoken with such confidence about the troll’s strength.

Even so, beneath that bitterness was an undeniable sense of relief.

This battle had answered several questions Morvyr might otherwise have needed far more time to resolve. But most importantly, it spared him a possible risk to his own life.

Had Morvyr learned about what Noah and his monsters were capable of only after committing his forces against him, the consequences could have been disastrous.

The process of Otuk’s defeat had spared him from making that mistake.

There was another reason Morvyr found himself less troubled by the troll’s impending death than he should have been.

Otuk was strong, but he was difficult to control. Someone like Noah was one thing, but a troll who constantly went against him? Morvyr felt no obligation to keep someone like that.

In fact, Morvyr was already determined to use the troll to create an even more powerful demonic tree beast.

His attention soon shifted to Noah.

He was waiting for what was about to happen next.

Whatever purpose he had for requesting the body would soon reveal another piece of what the devil was capable of.

—

Meanwhile, Noah waited to see whether Morvyr would say anything after watching his warrior being killed.

And yet the elf didn’t move at all.

There was a time when Noah was mentally prepared to move if Morvyr decided to act during the trolls’ last moments.

Yet despite the elf barely flinching to interfere, even now, there was no anger in his expression, and no sign that he intended to dispute the terms they had already agreed upon.

At first, just like before, Noah wondered what Morvyr was trying to accomplish.

Yet the longer he observed him, the more apparent it became that the elf’s earlier hostility had disappeared entirely. Or at least the elf’s new agenda wasn’t being imposed on by the troll’s death.

“Le, what do you think?”

Ailetta didn’t immediately understand what he was asking.

Noah never had to struggle to understand the intentions of those connected to him. Their emotions, thoughts, and reactions were often exposed through the bonds they shared.

Morvyr was different.

Without that connection, Noah could only judge him by what he chose to reveal. It wasn’t merely the change in the elf’s behavior that made him suspicious. Only moments ago, the two had been openly challenging one another, yet Morvyr now carried himself as though none of it had mattered.

Only after Noah shared those thoughts did Ailetta understand. A quiet giggle sounded within his mind.

“Even a demon can’t resist your charm.”

Noah’s expression remained unchanged, but his displeasure was immediately picked up by her.

Ailetta laughed again. She knew exactly how he had interpreted the comment.

“Dear,” she corrected herself, the amusement in her voice gradually fading once she realized Noah was taking the matter seriously. “There’s no point in thinking yourself into endless circles.”

“Just do what you want to do. That’s how we’ve made it this far. Why change now?”

“If you decide he’s too dangerous to leave alive, none of us will hesitate. Nearly everyone we’ve encountered these past few days has become our enemy. One more wouldn’t change much.”

Her whispers were as sweet and tempting as a devil. But Ailetta had already decided that this was how she could help Noah the most.

To be a part of his consciousness that would feed into his most evil desires, and at the same time, challenge the “good” part of him that they all loved.

“But…” Her tone softened as she took a little longer to consider everything. She felt that what Noah was most worried about was reenacting the story that they once shared together many times.

“If we were given the chance, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have someone that we could also call an ally.”

A faint stir rose in his soul. If they had an ally before all of this happened, couldn’t they have avoided being attacked altogether?

Being able to live in the forest without having to worry about anyone constantly threatening them. And even if they did, they wouldn’t have to take on everything alone.

It didn’t remove the risk that even allies can be your worst enemy, but it also reminded him that avoiding every possible risk would eventually leave him standing against the entire world alone.

That had never bothered him before.

Now, however, after he and his companions put in so much effort building their home. The short days of comfort and joy they got to spend with one another, all of it gave him far more to consider.

Ailetta didn’t rush him to choose, nor did she want to influence what he chose. In the end, he would carry more of the risk than any of them. And she knew herself more than she would like. If she had to choose, it would be the choice that benefited him the most before regarding anyone else.

So instead, she left him with one last bit of advice.

“Either choice is fine with us. And I’m sure everyone else wouldn’t care what you decide to do as long as that’s what you wanted to do.”

—

Noah remained silent as he considered everything she said.

The decision wasn’t as simple as choosing between trust and suspicion. He knew too little about Morvyr, the Queen he served, or the Demon King they represented to place any genuine faith in them.

But trust wasn’t necessary for cooperation.

Noah only needed to decide whether allowing that possibility carried more value than gaining another enemy.

When he compared the elf’s actions with everything that had happened since entering this worl- no, even before this world, the answer became easier to reach.

Morvyr belonged to the side humanity considered its enemy. A side that held no qualms with killing humans. But that distinction held little meaning to Noah currently.

Despite once being human, he had long stopped making decisions according to what humans considered right or wrong. Their morality meant very little to him, especially after seeing how quickly those same principles disappeared whenever they were confronted by something they feared or didn’t want to understand.

The conflict between humans and demons killing one another mattered just as little.

Humans were capable of cruelty in their own way, while the demons had at least proven capable of communication.

Morvyr had arrived with an openly hostile demeanor. He had questioned Noah, challenged his authority, and repeatedly attempted to place himself in the stronger position.

Yet he had still spoken with him.

They had negotiated terms, reached an agreement, and Morvyr had honored that agreement even after it cost him.

The humans Noah encountered had rarely given him that opportunity.

Most saw a monster before they saw a being capable of thought. By the time they considered asking what he wanted, they had usually already decided that his existence alone made him an enemy.

Noah understood that not every human was the same.

Another group might have approached him peacefully, just as another demon standing in Morvyr’s place might have turned this meeting into a bloodbath before either side exchanged more than a few words.

But there was still a difference in how the two sides were likely to perceive him.

Demons would first recognize him as a potential threat. Whether they respected, feared, challenged, or attempted to use him would depend upon what he proved himself capable of.

Humans would almost always recognize him as a monster first.

The distinction by itself didn’t make Morvyr trustworthy. It merely meant that cooperation between them was possible.

And after everything Noah and his companions had built, that possibility was no longer something he could dismiss without consideration.

His gaze subtly fell on Morvyr as the last of his uncertainty settled.

Killing the elf would remove one immediate risk, and his soul would definitely be useful to strengthen himself almost just as much, if not more than the archon.

But it would also guarantee that whoever stood behind him became an enemy.

Rejecting him and allowing him to leave presented its own dangers too. Morvyr would have information about Noah, his companions, and the territory to take back to his Queen, who could then use that against him.

But that would happen regardless of whether Noah treated him as an ally or denied their alliance.

The only meaningful difference was what Morvyr would do for them.

And all of that can be determined by seeing just how sincere they were when the humans came to attack them.

—

“You’re right.” He began to walk towards Fenrir, who immediately stopped what he was doing as he noticed Noah approaching.

Ailetta showed no particular eagerness toward either outcome. Just as she had promised, she would support whatever he decided.

Even so, Noah wanted her to understand why he had reached this choice.

“This time, I want to take one more risk.”

He had already learned what could come from placing his trust in others. He had helped humans before, only to be betrayed or taken advantage of whenever his existence became inconvenient to them.

Perhaps, instead of repeating the same cycle with humanity, it was worth seeing what would happen if he took a chance on the other side.

After this, I’m going to try to do timed-released chapters for 11 a.m. Eastern Time. That way, it will be more consistent than what I’m doing now.