Chapter 101: Monster

A massive aura burst out that disintegrated all the skeletons within a 5-meter radius of me. It didn't matter if they were above, at level, or below me… they turned to dust. But this hardly created a dent in the seemingly endless army.

My consciousness grew heavy but for some reason, I didn't pass out. My body moved on its own as my appearance took a monstrous change. My skin turned into scales but was still the same color, pale white. My teeth were razor-sharp and massive black deer horns erupted from my head.

My eyes had turned completely black with a yellow X and grey diamond in them. I could feel my skin crawl and noticed that my tattoos had started slithering all over my body like they were alive.

I didn't even realize as my body moved on its own and started to slaughter the skeletons below, that my other body modifications were activated. My tail and tattoos were activated which is why the slithering tattoos started to glow slightly.

A single move of my arm wiped out 100s of skeletons. It felt like my vision had been soaked in blood despite my opponents not having blood. My body felt like a puppet as a higher being seemed to pull the strings making me wipe waves of the skeletons from existence.

I had truly become a… monster.

It didn't take long for the skeletons to adapt and try to surround me as that worked for a split second before I released my aura once again, screeching an inhuman cry.

AHHHHHH

It was high-pitched and didn't sound like me at all but it seemed to even send fear down the skeletons, only delaying their moves slightly. They charged towards me from all angles but I sliced... and sliced... and sliced... and sliced, until I couldn't feel my body anymore… but it kept going.

My body didn't stop even when the numb feeling vanished and was replaced with a tingling feeling that I assumed was supposed to be a pain.

When air-borne skeletons swooped down on me, I cut them into thousands of pieces. The giant skeletons with various skeletal monsters tried to grab at me and pull me down which they completely failed at.

I didn't even need to use my weapons since [Forbidden Magic: Zeus's Nimbus] and [Domain of the Dark Garden] had taken care of them. With my transformation, they didn't get much of a power-up but more of an increased attack speed.

With the combination of lightning and shadow carnivorous plants, the skeletal monsters couldn't even come near me.

As the battle continued to rage on, I felt more mental fatigue pile up… but I couldn't pass out. It was like somebody was gripping my head and not letting me go to sleep despite how much mental exhaustion I'm receiving from my body analyzing the opponents and coordinating my skills with them.

It was almost enough to make me go insane… but I held on to the rope that kept me from falling into the abyss of insanity.

…

The dark sky returned to normal and instead of seeing the bone-ridden dirt, it was cracked stone tiles. The piles of skeleton bones were gone and thousands of small cuts were on my body. Both of my arms were broken but still somehow held onto my weapons.

Instead of returning to normal even out of danger, my body wouldn't come back to me. No matter how hard I tried to force myself into control, I felt like an ant trying to push an elephant.

My body proceeded to slice the stone building around me, causing it to cave in on me and the dragon corpse behind me. Even before the stone rubble could fall on me in a 1-meter radius, I had cut them into tiny pieces that fell on me slowly.

AHHHHHH

I let out another high-pitched scream that seemed to vibrate the air and then…

plop

『Status』

[Name: Arpious]

[Race: Lamassu of Ancient Fires]

[Status: Near Death]

[Servants: 6]

[Subordinates: 7]

[Pets: 1]

[Level: 39/100]

[HP: 58/700 MP: 0/500 SP: 17/500]

…

I fell to the ground. My consciousness slipped out of my grasp as my scythe returned to normal, while Raiu and Arae's dress dispersed into black flames. The last thing I saw was a smooth grey orb rolling towards me and a panel that said…

[Requirements met for the [Mind Magic] test]

…

A black room. I was in a room that looked to be the void as images of my wives and happy moments with my kingdoms flashed in front of me. I couldn't suppress the smile that contrasted with my previous savage expression.

"Why do you act like that?"

I snap my head in the direction of a strangely familiar voice.

In the pitch-black void, standing in front of me was my old body. A middle-aged man with a semi-built physique, white skin, and ruffled black hair. For some reason, my face was shadowed out, but I could tell he was looking at me.

"Why do you act like that? Why do you act so human now?" says my old body.

"What are you talking about?" I respond.

"Do you not remember? You're the one who set up the plane crash. You're the one who prayed for your parents to die even though they loved you,"

My face instantly went pale at my old body's words.

"You were already a monster in the form of a human body. No wonder you were called a monster in school. You beat up one of your earlier bullies so bad that they went to the hospital and almost died? But then more bullies came and they were stronger, faster, had more allies that teamed up against you, making you powerless..."

"W-why are you here? What are you?" I ask.

"I'm you but also not you. I've been gone for a while and you act like I'm not here anymore,"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't mind it... but maybe you should… hehe," my old body giggles as it shrinks into my body when I was a child.

"Now will you answer me? Why do you act like that? Why do you act so human now?"

"I've always been human until this life, I don't understand,"

"You don't understand? You crashed the plane because one of the 10s of bullies that abused you were on it? You sacrificed hundreds of other humans including yourself to get a split second of satisfaction… how could you not be a monster?" says my old body.

"..."

I couldn't refute my old body's point. It was satisfying. Of course, it would be satisfying when you kill somebody you hate but also have nothing to leave behind. You can just pass on when you don't have the will to live anymore.

"Your classmates were right… weren't they? Even though they didn't know the other circumstances, that one word still squirmed in your head… monster… monster… monster… Monster… Monster… MONSTER… MONSTER!"

"SHUT UP!" I shout, grabbing my head as memories of my parents flowed into my brain.

We were playing in the park. We were playing at the beach. We were playing cards at the kitchen table. We were watching a movie together. We got ice cream together. We went on road trips together.

"You decided to pray for their death because you thought it would be… interesting? What a despicable bastard you are,"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I KNOW! I INSTANTLY REGRETTED IT! I JUST THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD FEEL BAD FOR ME AFTER I LOST MY PARENTS AND THEY WOULD STOP CALLING ME A MONSTER!" I shout.

"Then why didn't you change?"

"I-I… I DID! DO YOU SEE ME NOW!"

"You enjoy killing because you have the power to do it now. Before, you couldn't because there were laws... You created a kingdom so you can make your laws and do your own thing... didn't you?

"TH-THAT WASN'T MY INTENTION! YES, I THINK KILLING IS FUN, BUT I DIDN'T TRY TO BECOME A QUEEN TO PROCEED WITH SLAUGHTERING EVERYTHING! PLUS THIS WORLD IS SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST! ALSO, I ONLY KILL THINGS THAT OPPOSE ME AND NOT JUST KILL ANYTHING THAT I SEE!" I shout.

"Are you sure… you always had the notion of strong rule over the weak… and the weak have to obey. Did you learn that from those bully bastards didn't you? They also ingrained that notion into your head,"

"SHUT UP! I'M BETTER NOW! I-I'M EVEN ABOUT TO START A FAMILY!" I shout once again.

"When a monster refuses to no longer be a monster… are they still a monster? They can act human, laugh, smile, cheer but is what they've done wiped from existence? No… in the end they are still a monster,"

"SHUT UP!" I shout once again, lunging at my old body, choking it by his neck.

"That's right. You're a monster now. Not just metaphorically but also physically. Once you kill me you can't go back. I'm the only human side left of you. If you kill me you fully become a monster. Embrace it. This is what you were reborn for. Reborn to be a monster that conquers all. A monster that wants to slaughter and rule over all... Yes, *cough* *cough*... what's a good name for you *cough* *cough*... You will be… Arpious of the Planes…"

His body falls limp and disengages into a pile of dust in the endless void.

[The test given by [Mind Magic] has failed]

[You have failed to accept your inner demons]

[Conquer your inner demons otherwise you will become a mindless monster that slaughters all]

[Inner demon loaded]

[Commencing battle in 3… 2… 1…]