Chapter 149 — Monster

Vorgath also looked toward the sky, his body unable to move due to the serious injuries, but his remaining eye looked upward.

"So... You’re a monster wearing human skin. But you’re a monster who protects humans and cares for them despite trying to hide it. I can see that clearly."

The Giant’s voice grew softer.

"And that will be the cause of your death one day. Caring makes you vulnerable and gives enemies leverage.

The moment someone figures out what you actually value, they’ll use it to destroy you."

"I only care about my people. Not humanity in general."

Damian’s response was immediate.

"I’ve killed more humans than I’ve killed Giants, probably. Anyone who threatens what’s mine dies regardless of their species. My protection extends to a very small circle, and outside that circle, I couldn’t care less who lives or dies."

Vorgath stared at him silently for several long moments.

Then sighed with a wet rattling sound.

"...Humans are the most divided species I’ve ever encountered across all my campaigns.

You fight each other more viciously than you fight external threats. You create hierarchies that exploit your own kind. You allow corruption and injustice to fester in your governments."

His remaining eye met Damian’s directly.

"It won’t be long before Giants and the other species conquer your planet. Not because you lack power or capability, but because you can’t unite against external threats. You’re too busy fighting each other."

Damian said nothing, his expression completely unreadable.

Then he leaned closer with his mouth near Vorgath’s ear, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.

"I know about the Giant clans uniting under a single leader. About the coalition being formed to coordinate the invasion. About the resources being pooled and the armies being assembled."

Vorgath’s remaining eye went wide with shock and horror.

"That’s... that’s classified information. Only the highest-ranking commanders know about the Unification. How could you possibly–"

"I know many things I shouldn’t know."

Damian’s smile was cold.

"And I’m telling you this so you die understanding one thing clearly: I will find your Unification Leader... And I will kill him.

Your grand coalition will collapse before it fully forms because I’m going to eliminate everyone involved in coordinating it."

"You’re only one human! You can’t–"

"Watch me."

Damian’s hand plunged into Vorgath’s chest, breaking through armor and ribs, wrapping around the still-beating heart.

"You won’t be watching, obviously. Because you’ll be dead. But trust me when I say your leader is already marked for death as well... It’s just a matter of time before I become strong enough to reach him."

Vorgath tried to speak, tried to warn about the impossibility of what Damian was planning.

PUCHI

But his words died as Damian pulled, the heart coming free with a wet tearing sound, arteries and veins snapping.

The Giant commander’s remaining eye went glassy, life fading as his heart beat twice more in Damian’s palm before stopping.

Damian stood slowly, holding the massive organ, looking at it clinically.

Then he brought it to his mouth and bit down, consuming the B- rank heart, his Devourer Body Art working to integrate the most potent genetic material he’d acquired so far.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

...

Strength: 385 → 400

Speed: 410 → 420

Stamina: 400 → 410

Vitality: 425 → 450

...

━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The power surge was immediate and intense, his body restructuring itself at a fundamental level, integrating B- rank genetics in ways that pushed him beyond any reasonable human limits.

He could feel it.

He was physically stronger now than most B rank awakeners despite being only C- rank himself.

The Devourer Body Art had done exactly what he’d designed it to do: break human biological limitations by incorporating genetics from other species.

The cost was his humanity, his moral boundaries and his acceptance by normal society alongside some side effects.

But he’d made that choice consciously and he wouldn’t regret it now.

Damian turned toward the survivors, his expression carefully neutral despite the blood covering him, despite having just consumed a heart in front of them.

They took an unconscious step backward as he approached.

"The Giants are all dead... This portal is ours now. We will wait for it to stabilize a little and create an opening back to our world, then we go home."

His voice was steady, controlled, showing none of the madness that had consumed him days ago.

"Damian..."

Ryan’s voice came out strained, the military officer clearly struggling with what to say.

"What you did... what you became... we’re grateful for being saved but we need to talk about–"

"No, we don’t."

Damian interrupted, his tone flat.

"You don’t need to talk about anything. You don’t need to understand what I did or why. You don’t even need to accept it or approve of it."

He gestured toward the cave.

"You just need to stay alive until we can return home. That’s all.

Whether you fear me or hate me or think I’m a monster doesn’t matter. I didn’t do this for your approval."

The survivors exchanged troubled glances, none of them knowing how to respond.

Marcus stepped forward, the businessman showing more courage than the others.

"We do fear you. I won’t lie about that. What we watched you do was... beyond anything we thought humans were capable of."

His voice was careful, measured.

"But we’re also alive because of you. Our families will see us again because you did things nobody else could or would do. So... thank you. Even if we don’t understand it. Even if it terrifies us. Thank you for saving us."

Damian stared at him for a long moment.

Then nodded once, acknowledging the sentiment without commenting on it.

"Get some rest. I’ll keep watch."

He walked away from them, moving toward the edge of the clearing, putting distance between himself and the people who couldn’t look at him without flinching.

Kuro limped over to him, the raven’s injuries severe but already healing thanks to his bond with Damian providing accelerated regeneration.

Damian didn’t understand Kuro’s abilities well. But it seemed he was deeply tied to his own state.

The bird settled on Damian’s shoulder despite his smaller size making it awkward, his presence offering silent support.

’At least you don’t judge me... At least you understand that sometimes survival requires crossing lines.’

Damian sat down on a boulder at the clearing’s edge, looking out at the forest filled with Giant corpses, his mind already working through what came next.

The portal was stabilizing faster, he could open the path back to home soon.

Until then, they were trapped here together.

Ten human survivors and one teenage monster who’d saved them by becoming something they could barely recognize.

Behind him, the survivors gathered in small groups, their voices low as they discussed what they’d witnessed, processed their trauma and tried to reconcile being saved by something that terrified them.

"He ate their hearts. Their actual hearts."

"Did you see how he moved? Almost like teleportation."

"He killed almost five hundred Giants together."

"But he saved us! Twice now! Whatever he is, he protected us!"

"I don’t know if I’m more relieved or terrified that he’s on our side."

Damian heard every word despite the distance, his enhanced perception picking up their whispered conversation.

He didn’t react or respond.

Just sat there covered in blood, staring at the alien sky, wondering what waited for him when they finally returned home.

’Luna. Mother. Father. The Mafia. Everyone I left behind. What would they think if they knew what I did to survive?

Will they fear me like these survivors do? Will they look at me with horror and disgust? Will they understand that I did what was necessary?

Or... will they see only a monster wearing a familiar face?’

He had no answers.

The sun – or whatever served as a sun in this dimension – began setting behind the strange clouds, casting everything in a deeper shadow.

Damian sat alone with his thoughts and his raven, covered in the blood of five hundred enemies, physically more powerful than he’d ever been.

And more isolated mentally than he’d ever felt.

The price of survival had been paid.

Now he would live with the consequences.

Whatever they turned out to be.