Becoming a Monster

Chapter 592: Chapter 591: Sizing Each Other Up

The towering barricades gradually separated before finally revealing the gathering waiting for them.

Noah’s expression immediately hardened.

The humans he had expected were nowhere to be seen. Instead, nearly seventy monsters stood beyond the walls, the majority of them goblins and trolls, accompanied by a handful of elves whose appearance immediately separated them from the uncivilized creatures surrounding them.

The sheer number of powerful presences gathered before his territory warranted caution.

However, it wasn’t their strength that immediately put him on guard.

It was the presence of the goblins and trolls. They may look significantly different than the ones he encountered. And possibly they share no connection to them at all.

That doesn’t change the fact that every encounter he had with either race since arriving in this world had ended the same way.

There was no reason for him to believe today would be any different, especially with what he could see on the surface.

His gaze swept across them all, carefully studying each unfamiliar face, while his Eye habitually checked their auras and their individual powers.

Most of the monsters looked upon the settlement with unconcealed excitement, excitement in the worst sense. He could feel that thirst for violence the moment he noticed them.

Others couldn’t stop glancing toward the elf standing at their front, as though waiting for permission to act.

Among all the creatures gathered here, the elven leader was the only one who seemed completely unaffected by the tension surrounding them. His attention remained fixed upon Noah, his expression carrying none of the barely restrained aggression shown by the monsters behind him.

More importantly, every goblin and troll instinctively deferred to him.

Regardless of how much they wanted to charge, none of them acted without his permission.

That alone told Noah who truly controlled the group.

It was also why the immense troll standing nearby didn’t concern him nearly as much as it should have.

The moment Otuk raised its head and found the creature it should blame for everything it had lost, the hatred within its eyes became impossible to overlook.

Both Arachne and Dobby immediately sensed the change.

Dobby had been unable to identify any direct hostility from the gathering before now. Otuks’ bloodlust had been scattered and unfocused, directed more toward every creature here in general instead of the one who led them.

Otuk changed the moment its gaze settled upon Noah.

Every bit of its resentment, humiliation, and murderous intent finally had somewhere to go.

Noah didn’t need Dobby to explain any of that to him. The troll’s malice was plain to see. Even so, he made no move against it.

The creature clearly wanted him dead, but it wasn’t the one deciding what happened next.

As long as the elven leader continued holding its leash, the troll’s hatred wasn’t what concerned Noah the most.

Instead, his attention settled upon its abilities.

Demonic Terra Absorption and Demonic Terra Enchantment.

Noah remembered those abilities well. They belonged to the troll that escaped him and were among the few skills he genuinely regretted losing.

Now they had become demonic variants of themselves.

Noah didn’t believe that was a coincidence. Although the troll’s appearance had changed beyond recognition, it still possessed the same abilities while looking at him with the same unmistakable hatred. To Noah, there was only one conclusion.

The troll that escaped the forest had somehow become a demon.

The significance of that realization was mounting, yet when compared to their supposed leader, Noah couldn’t focus on the troll for more than a moment.

The elven leader had become his priority.

The moment Noah focused upon him with his Nexus Eye, his expression subtly changed.

For the first time since obtaining the skill, his vision was obstructed. It was different from when he was normally blocked from seeing something.

Normally, it was in a sense where only partial information could be seen.

In this case, a dense crimson aura completely enveloped the elf’s body, concealing everything within it.

Under ordinary circumstances, there would’ve only been one explanation.

The elf standing before him was stronger than anything Noah had encountered to date.

Perhaps... Even stronger than himself.

Most would’ve treated that realization as a reason to become cautious. Some would’ve even allowed fear to cloud their judgment.

Noah saw it differently.

The possibility that someone stronger than himself existed wasn’t the problem.

The problem was understanding why.

Panicking over an opponent’s strength accomplished nothing. Understanding how that strength was achieved gave him something he could actually use.

Because of that, Noah refused to accept the first conclusion that came to mind.

The more carefully he examined the elf, the more the crimson aura betrayed subtle irregularities that shouldn’t have existed.

Rather than remaining evenly distributed throughout the elf’s body, the energy continuously flowed toward the ring upon his finger before spreading outward once again.

It was almost as though the ring had become the true source supporting everything his Nexus Eye was seeing.

His gaze gradually settled upon the ring itself.

Only then did Noah notice the faint strands of crimson energy extending away from it before connecting themselves to the troll kneeling behind the elf.

The connection immediately drew Noah’s attention.

The longer he observed it, the less convinced he became that his Nexus Eye was failing to see through the elf.

Instead... It appeared the ring itself was interfering with what his skill could perceive. And this ring’s origins were perhaps more profound than even the grimoire.

The elf leader’s expression finally shifted.

He could already tell that Noah was analyzing them. He didn’t know how, but it was reasonable to guess that the illuminating eye functioned more than just as a second pair of regular vision.

However, it was when that eye shifted to his hand that he misunderstood what analyzing meant in this situation.

He had no reason to believe it, but his instincts screamed that Noah could sense the peculiarities behind it.

Immediately, he put on a protective coat as an extra precaution. And this time, his air of prideful arrogance, as though he was in control of everything, was gone.

"Explain yourself."

The words left the elf’s mouth before he had the opportunity to reconsider them.

For the briefest of moments, he inwardly frowned. He quickly realized that he reacted too instinctively.

The moment Noah’s gaze settled upon the ring, his mind was consumed with thoughts.

Was he able to see past the ring made by the Demon King himself?

That shouldn’t be possible!

What did he see?

The panic wasn’t like him at all. He had allowed his initial panic to dictate his actions.

Fortunately, no one seemed to notice.

Almost everyone...

Only Dobby seemed to notice.

Although the elf hid it well enough that no one else reacted, the ring couldn’t conceal the emotions themselves. There was a brief surge of anxiousness intertwined with an unfamiliar sense of doubt.

The feeling disappeared almost as quickly as it surfaced. Even so, Dobby quietly committed it to memory.

Sensing nothing from Noah himself, the old feline remained silent.

At the same time, the question reminded Noah of his first encounter with the adventurers.

Back then, they had reacted much the same way after realizing he had openly used his eye to observe them.

Of course, he understood why.

Using a skill to analyze someone without permission could easily be considered disrespectful.

Even so...

He found it difficult to care.

Nearly seventy monsters had arrived at his home without so much as introducing themselves.

Many of their subordinates hadn’t even attempted to conceal the hostility they felt toward him and his companions.

Some openly looked upon them with undisguised killing intent.

Why should he concern himself with courtesy when they had shown none in return?

Meanwhile, the elf had already regained control of his thoughts.

The brief lapse only strengthened the conclusion he had already begun to reach.

The fact that Noah’s attention had immediately settled upon the ring only reinforced what he had begun to suspect.

The demon truly was different. The more extraordinary Noah proved himself to be, the greater his value became.

And the greater his value became, the more important it was that this meeting proceeded according to his Queen’s wishes.

Only then did the elf continue.

"I stand before you openly with no hidden intentions, and yet the moment we meet, you immediately choose to use a skill upon me."

"Ordinarily..."

"I would’ve taken your head for such discourtesy."

The words carried neither anger nor a threat. To him, they were the consequence Noah should have expected.

"Yet I did not come here to satisfy my own displeasure. My Queen’s wishes take precedence over my own."

"For that reason, I’ll overlook your transgression, only this once."

Only then did the elf pause.

"So how about we have a proper introduction?"

He stepped forward, and ever so slightly, barely even an inch, he gave a bow.

The elf stepped forward before lowering his head in a slight bow.

The gesture itself was almost imperceptible, yet it immediately unsettled the elves standing behind him. Throughout all the years they had served him, they had never once witnessed him lower his head before another.

The only two beings he had ever shown that level of respect to were their Queen and the Demon King.

To their leader, this much was needed. Because what he witnessed from that eye alone, what they initially believed about this demon’s identity was most likely true.