Becoming a Monster

Chapter 599: Chapter 598: A One-Sided Battle

The first exchange didn’t bode well.

The impact had driven Fenrir into the ground with enough force to leave a shallow crater, yet the wolf was back on his feet before Otuk could follow after him.

Even so, the difference between them had become impossible to ignore.

Fenrir didn’t understand the exact nature of the ability reinforcing the troll, but he didn’t need to. His claws had failed to move Otuk or leave more than a faint mark across the troll’s weapon, which was enough to tell him that fighting the same way would only end with him being overwhelmed.

Under Otuk’s watchful gaze, flames began pouring from the seams running across Fenrir’s body.

They didn’t flow as wildly as they had in the past. Instead, the fire condensed tightly around him, gradually forming a dense layer that clung to his body like a second coat of armor.

Otuk’s eyes narrowed at that. Even from where he was standing, he could feel its heat.

Fenrir’s Aegis had changed considerably since Noah’s blood strengthened him.

The flames had grown denser, allowing far more power to be contained within a much smaller area.

That included the temperature.

Not only was his shield capable of resisting both physical and water-based attacks more proficiently than before, but the flames themselves became an even stronger weapon.

That improvement hadn’t come from Noah’s blood alone.

The mana abilities belonging to all five of Noah’s main creatures had grown significantly stronger when under the dungeon’s effective range through the connection binding them to his soul.

Ever since Noah devoured the Archon, those changes had become even more apparent.

Their abilities began responding to mana with far greater efficiency than before, allowing them to produce stronger effects while expending less than they once required.

Fenrir lowered his body as the armor of flames finished forming around him.

The heat distorted the air surrounding his figure, while the earth beneath his paws began blackening from those very flames.

Otuk watched the transformation without moving.

The troll’s earlier confidence remained, but his bloodthirsty grin had long disappeared as he sensed the difference in Fenrir’s aura.

"Coward! You think a little fire will change anything?"

Fenrir gave no response other than revealing his teeth.

His straightforward attack earlier had failed, and yet that didn’t stop Fenrir from rushing forward again.

He knew he was simple-minded, that he didn’t have the brains to come up with a strategy to win. No matter how much he tried to disprove Arachne, he understood that thinking in a fight wasn’t something that he could do.

But there was one thing he was good at.

Never giving up.

He could take a beating, his bones could break, his flesh may rip, but at the end of the day, can his opponent continue if they had to withstand the same amount of pain?

Otuk immediately raised his sword, expecting another immediate attack. Anticipating to crush the wolf with one swing.

Instead, Fenrir’s pupils contracted until only narrow slits remained.

Fury burning within him exploded through every part of his body as he activated ’Wrathful Fury’, forcing his already heightened physical abilities through another rapid increase. His aura expanded with it, climbing closer to Otuk’s own.

Still, it wasn’t enough to erase the difference between them. But Fenrir didn’t care as he exploded forward for the next round.

Otuk’s body stiffened when Fenrir’s aura suddenly rose, but the hesitation lasted for only an instant.

He remained wary of the flames covering the wolf’s body, yet seeing Fenrir charge directly toward him for a second time caused a mocking grin to spread across his face.

The beast had learned nothing.

Otuk stepped into the attack and swung his sword with enough force to split the ground in two.

Fenrir leaned into it at the final moment, allowing the crude blade to tear across his shoulder instead of cleaving through his chest. Flesh opened upon contact, while the impact sent him tumbling backward with full force.

He hadn’t even finished coming to a stop when his claws dug into the ground to stop him.

Fenrir barely allowed himself time to reflect on his failure as he forced himself upright and charged again.

Otuk met him without any intent of retreating; even more so, he was determined to make sure the beast stayed down.

This time the sword descended across Fenrir’s back, splitting through the flames, while breaching the exoskeleton to rip through his flesh until the blade scraped against bone.

One of his rear legs buckled beneath the force, but Fenrir used the lowered position to bite into Otuk’s forearm.

His fangs failed to pierce deeply through the rocklike layers covering the troll’s body.

Despite his failure, Otuk was forced to learn that Fenrir’s flames couldn’t be ignored.

Fire poured from Fenrir’s mouth, spreading across Otuk’s arm, forcing the troll to release his sword before striking the wolf across the skull.

The blow sent Fenrir crashing into the ground. A second strike landed before he could recover.

Several cracks sounded from Fenrir’s ribs.

Otuk continued to follow up before Fenrir could have another chance to act. His foot was already raised, driving it into the wolf’s side, sending him rolling several times before his body finally stopped.

The wolf was being destroyed, yet the beast kept rising.

The wound across his shoulder had already begun closing. The flesh along his back pulled together just enough to slow the damage, while the broken bones were already shifting back in place, attempting to restore themselves.

Otuk’s grin widened at the sight. Regeneration of this degree wouldn’t faze a troll. This only meant that he could enjoy killing Fenrir a little bit longer.

"I will break you until there’s nothing to fix."

Fenrir answered the taunt by rushing toward him again.

What followed could barely be called an exchange. Otuk dominated every clash.

His sword continued to carve deep wounds across Fenrir’s body. His fists shattered so many bones that it felt like a miracle that Fenrir could keep going.

It was a bloodbath; however, there was barely any blood in sight. The blood would be eviscerated by Fenrir’s flames before it could even touch the ground.

Yet no matter how many times Otuk broke his body, Fenrir continued rising.

Each time he returned, his movements became more aggressive and more powerful, and his flames gave the illusion of growing hotter.

And the fury driving him forward continued, forcing more strength from a body that should’ve already reached its limits long ago.

—

Morvyr watched the battle with a faintly pompous smile resting across his face.

Noah’s beast was being overwhelmed even worse than he had anticipated.

Fenrir possessed unusual abilities and regeneration for his species, but neither changed the difference in physical power between the two.

Every exchange ended with the wolf suffering a major injury, while Otuk was never put at risk of losing.

There was nothing Fenrir could do.

Even so, Morvyr had to acknowledge that he didn’t account for Fenrir’s flames to be so promising.

Otuk’s sword had begun glowing red from constant exposure to it.

The portions of the blade that sank too deeply into Fenrir’s body showed visible signs of softening, with several edges already beginning to warp.

Otuk himself wasn’t faring much better.

Steam continuously poured from the gaps within his armor as the heated metal pressed against his skin.

The rocklike layers protecting his body had edges glowing red hot from the raging heat.

Without them, Otuk would most likely have been unable to persist through Fenrir’s flames alone.

But none of that mattered, because Otuk was capable of enduring them, leaving Fenrir no way out of this.

Morvyr’s smile remained as he glanced toward Noah. The devil hadn’t moved or said anything since the battle began.

His gaze remained fixed on Fenrir, showing neither panic nor regret despite the condition of the creature he had called his partner.

"Your beast is strong," Morvyr said. "Unfortunately, my warrior may have been the worst opponent you could have chosen for him."

Noah continued watching the fight. Morvyr was quick to assume that Noah was going to ignore him altogether.

"In some ways, you’re right." Was all he said, leaving nothing to allow a discussion to continue.

Noah made it seem as if he didn’t care, but Morvyr took the answer as an unwilling concession.

The devil simply refused to admit how badly he had misjudged the match.

"You know," Morvyr continued, "although we have already agreed upon the terms, there is still time to renegotiate them. All we would need-"

"You don’t have to go through all that trouble."

Noah interrupted him before he could finish. This time, he gave Morvyr the courtesy of turning toward him.

"I don’t go back on my promises."

His gaze remained, while his veil continued to make it impossible for Morvyr to glean anything from it.

"Let’s continue watching."

Noah returned to the fight, leaving Morvyr in silence. For several moments, he didn’t even realize that he was still staring at Noah.

His lips parted, wanting to say something, yet if he kept trying to get Noah to change the terms, it would make him seem unconfident.

He could only wait until the battle was over.

By the time he returned his attention to the fight, Otuk’s sword was already crashing into Fenrir’s side again.

The wolf was thrown across the battlefield and struck the ground hard enough to bounce before rolling to a stop.

Morvyr’s brow furrowed.

Hadn’t Noah just called this creature his partner?