Becoming a Monster

Chapter 574: Chapter 573: Too Many What Ifs

Noah took a few moments to gather his thoughts.

It had been years since he last heard the story, and even then, it was one that no one would know unless they looked for it.

"If I remember correctly..."

"The title of a primordial dragon is very similar to your definition of an Elder dragon."

"But to put it in better perspective. An elder dragon is usually among the first of its kind in the world. But a primordial represents the beginning of its kind in the universe."

"Among all of them, Nicol Bolas stood at the very top."

According to the stories Noah remembered, there were very few beings capable of standing beside him.

One of them... Was his own twin brother.

The two were born together, yet their paths eventually diverged.

After the death of their sister that was at the hands of a human, Nicol Bolas gradually came to view the world through a single belief.

There were only predators...

And prey.

He intended to stand above everything else.

That conviction eventually drove the two brothers into a conflict that lasted centuries.

Neither dragon was willing to yield.

The war only came to an end after Bolas was finally defeated and sealed away.

Noah slowly shook his head.

"I don’t remember every detail."

"It’s been a long time since I last read about them."

"I only remember that those two dragons were capable of destroying the universe if they had banded together."

Silence settled throughout the cave after Noah finished.

Noah first checked on Eve. Wondering if she was silent because she lost interest.

But then he noticed her expression. Just like before, she took the story at face value, looking towards Bolas as if he had an amazing history.

No matter how Noah would try to explain to them that the legends in the story were their own entities, he doubts they would believe him at this point.

After some time, Noah eventually noticed that Bolas hadn’t said a single word.

The drake’s breathing had gradually become heavier.

His pupils were noticeably more dilated than before. Even his claws were digging into the ground without realizing it. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

"...Bolas?"

The drake flinched, but he didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the cave floor for several long moments before he finally spoke.

When he finally spoke, his voice sounded strangely restrained.

"...Did they..."

"...truly exist?"

Noah searched the other’s expression, clearly not expecting the question.

His first instinct was to answer no. They were nothing more than stories from another world.

Those words nearly left his mouth, and yet, he stopped himself.

He found it difficult to refute it. Those creatures didn’t exist because they were a part of fantasy stories he read about?

If that was the case, what about vampires, werewolves, giant monsters, and gods?

Heck, a lesser dragon was sitting in front of him right now, listening to bedtime stories.

Every one of them should have been fiction.

They were nothing more than stories from another world.

And "The" God existed, and Anubis existed; who was to say Nicol Bolas had never existed?

Or that the other names Noah had given his companions belonged only to stories?

Noah slowly looked back toward Bolas. He genuinely couldn’t arrive at an answer. Instead, he asked a question of his own.

"...Why would you ask that?"

Bolas remained silent for several moments. His eyes somberly closed as if being forced to rekindle a memory he didn’t want to remember.

When he finally spoke again, there wasn’t the slightest trace of the pride he normally carried.

"...Because..."

"...I have a twin brother."

Noah’s expression gradually stiffened. For some reason, those words seemed to echo throughout the cave longer than normal.

His thoughts immediately returned to the story he had just finished telling.

’No... that can’t be."

It was far too similar... And far too coincidental. It was one of the few times that Noah instinctively thought to deny something.

But then, a possibility quietly surfaced within Noah’s mind.

Could a name... actually influence fate?

Or had fate been quietly influencing him from the very beginning?

Even Bolas appeared to be considering the same possibility.

Eventually, the drake slowly shook his head.

"...No."

"Perhaps I’m simply overthinking it."

A bitter smile crossed his face. When he was about to continue, his jaws clenched as if what he was going to say next was something he didn’t want to acknowledge.

"My brother is far stronger than I am."

"And unlike me..."

"...his hatred toward everything that isn’t a monster has been strong for as long as I can remember."

"If there truly was a dragon worthy of bearing that name..."

"It would be him... Not me."

Noah could easily see that Bolas’ spirit was at an all-time low, but he currently found himself wanting to sigh in relief that Bolas’ history had no other similarities besides that.

And as he thought about it, he naturally began to reconfirm this with his other creatures, relating their stories with the possibility of what was happening now.

He didn’t recall the others having any similarities to the stories besides their physical growth.

But that also could be because their world wasn’t a magical world

It would have been better if the story had remained exactly that.

Because if somehow Noah made his creatures connected to deity figures, then he might as well have placed them in eternal danger.

Because if the names Noah chose had somehow connected his creatures to the figures behind them, then he might have unknowingly placed every one of them in danger far greater than they were prepared for.

Just as Noah finished comforting himself with the thought that the story and the name weren’t as connected as Bolas seemed to fear, Eve quietly destroyed that moment of comfort.

"But... does Bolas even have a sister to make him angry?"

Noah slowly turned toward her.

Eve tilted her head, speaking with the same innocent seriousness as before. freёwebnoѵel.com

"I think if Bolas’ sister never died, then he would be a happy Bolas."

That one question created a silence heavier than everything said before it.

It was simple.

Almost painfully simple.

Yet it was also something Noah had completely overlooked.

Because if that was true, then the Bolas in front of him could still resemble the dragon from the story.

The story wasn’t as similar now. But what if that was because the events that shaped the story hadn’t occurred yet?

Before thinking any further, Noah looked toward Bolas, seeking confirmation.

The drake immediately noticed his gaze. Noah’s heart couldn’t take it when the drake was struggling to answer.

"I..."

Bolas was growing timid under Noah’s increasingly intense gaze.

"I have a sister."

Noah’s aura rippled beyond his control. He truly couldn’t take it anymore.

"But!"

Bolas quickly interjected before Noah could misunderstand.

"She is still alive."

The sudden movement in Noah’s aura gradually steadied, though the tension in the cave didn’t disappear as easily.

Did it matter if she was alive?

Honestly, Noah really was beginning to believe that they were going to reenact the stories themselves.

Bolas was jealous of his brother? Check!

Has a sister that can still die? Check!

Now that Bolas has become stronger, what’s stopping the story from actually happening?

Now he just hoped that the same wasn’t true for the others.

Would Odin try to seal off Fenrir in the future?

Would Athena become jealous of Arachne?

And what about Eve? Will the devil try to get her to eat the f-

"!"

Noah thought about that stupid grimoire.

He truly didn’t want to consider any of it anymore, at this point. He didn’t want to think about gods, legends, names, or fate for that matter. He already had enough to deal with.

The more he tried to understand it, the more questions appeared, and he had the uncomfortable feeling that he could spend the rest of his life speculating without ever reaching an answer.

Noah still had half the mind to ask Bolas about his relationship with his sister, but he didn’t believe that he could take the answer with a proper state of mind at this point.

So he chose the only response that made sense.

"Let’s just hope the story isn’t true."

He paused before looking toward the drake, whose own expression showed that he was beginning to reconsider whether the name he had been so eager to learn was truly something he should celebrate.

"And if it is true, then Bolas..."

The drake jerked slightly when Noah called his name again.

"You need to start taking becoming stronger more seriously."

Bolas didn’t say anything, but he took Noah’s words to heart.

He found himself wondering whether receiving that name had truly been a blessing.

Noah could sense how much the drake was worried about it now.

He let out a quiet sigh before walking over and patting his snout.

"Don’t think too much about it."

"If names really decide someone’s future. Then that would mean that all our actions and our struggles would mean nothing."

"I refuse to believe that."

He looked directly into Bolas’ eyes.

"You aren’t some dragon from an old story."

"You’re my Bolas."

"Whatever happens from here on..."

"...those choices will be yours. And you’ll create your own legends."

Bolas was shocked and yet strangely at ease as the heaviness in his expression dissipated.

Whether Noah truly believed those words or whether he was simply trying to reassure them...

It was enough that he was the one who said them.