The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14. A Reckless Madman (1)
An eerie sound that sent shivers down my spine, resonating with primal instinct.
I turned my head toward the source, and there it was—a colossal creature roughly four to five meters in length, advancing with deliberate, measured steps.
Camouflaged skin as white as snow itself.
Its head resembled a serpent’s, while its body bore the form of a bird.
Yet unlike legless snakes, it moved on four powerful limbs.
Primitive yet formidable legs occupied the space where wings might have evolved, as if nature had abandoned that path midway.
If my memory served me correctly….
‘A Demexus?’
A monster by that very name.
The Demexus was a creature found only in the northern reaches, possessing a temperament of considerable ferocity and a body of immense power.
Moreover, it was one of the monsters I absolutely had to devour.
The only reason I hadn’t attempted to hunt it was because this particular specimen was exceptionally formidable.
In every sense, it was an apex predator even above the Icetroll.
Perhaps that’s why Kai’s face bore such unmistakable alarm.
In truth, the Demexus was a creature native to the Snowy Mountain.
While it occasionally descended in search of prey, it had never ventured this close to the Whitewolf Territory before.
A low, guttural growl rumbled forth.
The Demexus’s roar echoed across the landscape.
It had identified us as prey.
The Demexus, inherently savage by nature.
Once marked as quarry, there was no escape.
I had to fight, but….
“Huff…! Huff…!”
…I was exhausted.
Two full days of relentless running.
My stamina had not merely depleted—it had shattered completely.
Even the preserved meals I’d stored in my inventory had run dry.
I couldn’t summon my regenerative abilities any further.
Facing the Demexus in this state was impossible.
If I fought alone, I would surely become the Demexus’s meal, but….
I glanced sideways at Kai.
Kai wasn’t even looking at me.
Those blue eyes remained fixed entirely on the Demexus.
Kai watched the creature’s movements with meticulous attention, carefully bringing his hand to rest upon his sword’s hilt.
Kai understood as well—we had to fight.
And yet.
“Huff…! Huff…!”
Kai was exhausted too.
His breathing had grown ragged, and his long golden hair was damp with perspiration.
Even Kai would struggle to face Demexus in his current state.
Kai was well aware of this fact—
Yet he charged toward Demexus without hesitation.
* * *
The monster that had suddenly revealed itself: Demexus.
The moment I caught sight of Demexus, the emotion that surfaced was confusion.
And for good reason—Demexus was not a monster typically found near Whitewolf Territory.
A creature that primarily inhabited the Frozen Peak.
It rarely descended this far into the territory.
‘But how…?’
The question flickered through my mind, but I quickly cast it aside.
Now was not the time for such inquiries.
I drew in a harsh breath, pulling the biting cold air of the frozen wasteland deep into my lungs.
Demexus was no creature to be underestimated.
A beast that required ten trained soldiers working in concert to face adequately.
Even for me, exhausted as I was from the physical toll, victory was far from assured.
Two days of relentless running had depleted not only my body but my aura as well.
Facing it alone would be difficult.
Yet I had to face it alone.
I acknowledged that Adrian had changed to some degree.
But it was only “to some degree,” as the saying went.
Above all, what Adrian had done thus far was nothing more than training and conditioning.
But a battle with Demexus was real combat.
Training and actual combat were fundamentally different.
Training merely tested the body’s physical limits.
But real combat tested not only physical limits, but also mental fortitude, pressure, tension, and emotional anguish.
The psychological preparation required was on an entirely different level.
That was not something a mere few days of training could overcome.
Moreover, in real combat, events do not unfold as predictably as they do in training.
An endless succession of unpredictable situations.
Danger becomes reality at any moment, in any place.
Every decision and action stands at the crossroads of life and death; a single mistake leads to fatal consequences, and the price is death itself.
Therefore, I could not afford to rely on Adrian for anything.
Adrian was a liability rather than an asset.
Thud!
My feet pounded heavily against the snow of the Snowy Plain.
Through my blurred vision, I could make out Demexus’s massive frame and razor-sharp fangs.
As I drew closer, the creature’s eyes became unmistakably clear—and deeply menacing.
In an instant, Demexus’s gaze blazed with fierce intensity.
Roooaaarrr—!
Sharp claws slashed toward Kai, cutting through the air with lethal intent.
I twisted my body to evade, but the evasive maneuver cost me my balance. I fought desperately to keep my wobbling legs from buckling beneath me.
Squeezing out every last ounce of remaining strength, I drove my blade forward.
But my body had reached its limit.
My arms, heavy as lead, could barely muster any force behind the strike.
A guttural screech—!
Blood boiled from Demexus’s neck where my blade had pierced.
I pressed harder, but the aura-depleted sword refused to advance any further.
Demexus’s eyes flew wide open in agony, its massive jaws gaping grotesquely.
In that instant.
Demexus’s eyes blazed with light.
A primal warning screamed through my instincts.
Alarm bells tolled ceaselessly in my mind.
I yanked my blade free from Demexus’s neck in panic.
And in the same breath, I kicked off the ground—.
Where I had stood, Demexus’s gaping maw snapped shut with a sickening crunch.
Had I not instinctively dodged, I would have been swallowed whole.
…gulp.
I swallowed hard and tightened my grip on my sword.
Demexus was not yet dead.
A wounded monster.
Its already savage nature grew even more ferocious.
And it was at that very moment.
While Demexus’s attention remained fixed on me.
Adrian burst forward like lightning, his blade slashing toward Demexus’s neck.
But Demexus’s tough hide could not be wounded by a simple blade.
One had to channel aura through the weapon.
And Adrian was not channeling aura.
More precisely, he could not.
Adrian’s mana talent approached zero.
Yet.
The trajectory of Adrian’s blade suddenly shifted.
The wound I had just carved open with my strike.
Adrian aimed for that gap with perfect precision, driving his blade into the exact same spot without the slightest deviation—.
“…!”
My eyes widened in shock.
A piercing shriek—!
Demexus’s blood boiled once more.
The creature thrashed about in agony.
But Adrian did not retreat.
I suppressed Demexus’s thrashing with the sword gripped firmly in both hands.
Adrian pressed forward, driving Demexus back relentlessly.
Movements that could never belong to Count Whitewolf’s House’s wastrel.
“….”
Kai found himself at a loss for words.
This was no wastrel drowning in gambling and indulgence.
Adrian had only recently begun physical training.
And yet.
It had been merely ten days.
Nothing more than physical conditioning at that.
In other words, he had never once held a sword before.
A greenhorn with zero combat experience—that was the reality.
And yet….
Crash-!!
How could anyone call that greenhorn swordplay?
Who could possibly believe this was a wastrel and novice who had never touched a blade, with no real combat experience whatsoever?
Demexus began to rampage.
Like an enraged bull, he thrashed in all directions, desperate to shake me off.
But Adrian did not retreat.
Instead, I drove the blade deeper into Demexus’s neck, pressing the advantage without mercy.
Adrian maintained relentless pressure on Demexus.
“…!!”
Kai’s eyes widened once more in shock.
Even seasoned knights who had seen countless battles and brushed death many times, even mercenaries who had crossed countless battlefields—none could match this.
Kai himself had no confidence he could perform at such a level.
Whoosh!
…It was absurd beyond words.
The audacity was one thing, but the swordsmanship itself rivaled that of a true knight.
No matter how he thought about it, this did not seem like someone wielding a blade for the first time.
Yet somehow, it could be rationalized.
Reaching such a level in merely ten days was impossible—yet The Continent harbored ‘geniuses’ capable of such impossibilities, and there were quite a few of them.
In a sense, Kai himself belonged to that category of genius.
But….
Slash!
…not to this degree.
The timing and rhythm of each sword stroke, adjusted flawlessly to match Demexus’s every movement.
Every motion flawless, without a single flaw.
Screech-!
…This was not something that could be explained away as mere ‘genius’.
Knowledge gained only through experience was true knowledge, after all.
Such movements cannot be achieved through talent alone.
Countless real combat experiences and the seasoned knowledge gained from treading battlefields where lives hung in the balance.
Without the complex support of such experiences, it was absolutely impossible to master.
‘How on earth….’
As Adrian poured strength into his blade, it sliced through with a sharp whistle!
From Demexus’s neck to jaw, a clean severance.
A fatal wound that alone would bring death.
But Adrian did not stop.
Adrian swiftly retrieved his blade and clenched his fist. Then, with all his might, he drove it toward Demexus’s head—.
A deafening crack erupted—!
Demexus’s skull caved inward from the impact.
“…!!!”
Kai’s eyes widened further.
Adrian’s fist, which had just shattered Demexus’s skull.
There was no aura infused within it.
It meant the power came from pure human flesh alone.
Yet what had just occurred was by no means the strength and destructive force a human could produce….
With a heavy thud, Demexus collapsed to the ground.
There was no further movement.
The snow beneath the Snowy Plain was stained crimson with Demexus’s blood.
“Haah…!!”
Adrian exhaled deeply and slumped down where he stood.
Adrian lay sprawled across the ground, unable to even remain seated.
His stamina had been completely drained.
Kai was in no better condition.
The only stamina he had left was what kept him standing on his two legs.
In other words, without Adrian, he would have faced grave peril.
Demexus was that formidable a creature.
Of course, had his stamina been sufficient, Demexus would not have posed much threat to Kai.
But with both stamina and aura depleted, Demexus had proven quite a dangerous opponent.
‘Why did Demexus venture to Whitewolf Territory….’
I still couldn’t fathom why a monster that primarily dwelled on Frozen Peak had descended near Whitewolf Territory.
But I could only feel relief that the first prey Demexus encountered was Kai.
Otherwise, the territorial subjects of Count Whitewolf’s House would have perished.
And Kai too would have been in danger ‘had Adrian not been there.’
‘Hmm.’
Kai replayed Adrian’s combat once more in his mind.
Adrian’s skill with the blade was of considerable caliber.
But the swordsmanship he employed lacked systematic structure.
Adrian’s blade served only one purpose: slaughter.
It couldn’t truly be called swordsmanship.
At best, it was practical; at worst, it was crude.
Yet through meticulous calculation and exceptional combat instinct, I covered those shortcomings entirely.
In that sense, Adrian could be considered closer to a ‘knight’.
But his actual combat style resembled that of a ‘mercenary’.
However, those efficient movements aimed solely at killing were like those of a ‘beast’.
A knight, a mercenary, and a beast.
…I couldn’t gauge what kind of person he truly was.
The only thing I could discern—
Adrian was no longer ‘Count Whitewolf’s House’s reckless fool’.
Adrian had changed drastically since running away.
I had no idea what happened during that single week.
But Adrian had transformed completely.
Kai’s gaze upon Adrian had undoubtedly shifted.
In that moment.
Adrian, sprawled across the ground, suddenly sprang to his feet.
Adrian had recovered enough stamina that his movements were fluid and unhindered.
Adrian retrieved the fallen sword and climbed atop the corpse, driving the blade through without hesitation.
‘What…?’
Kai’s question hadn’t even fully formed.
Adrian extracted something roughly thirty centimeters in diameter from the corpse.
‘A heart?’
It was the Demexus’s heart.
The Demexus’s heart cradled in Adrian’s hand exhibited faint tremors.
But that didn’t mean the Demexus was alive.
It was merely that the heart’s nerves hadn’t yet ceased functioning.
In other words, Adrian’s killing blow had been so swift and decisive that it had driven the Demexus to death.
The lingering warmth of fresh blood.
Meeting the frigid air of the Snowy Plain, it billowed forth in thick, steaming clouds.
The crimson blood pooling in the heart dripped onto the ground, staining the pristine white snow an even deeper red.
Adrian gazed at the Demexus’s heart and broke into a satisfied smile.
…Was he insane?
To Kai’s eyes, Adrian looked like a madman.
What else could you call someone who tears out a monster’s heart and grins about it?
Regardless.
Adrian brought the Demexus’s heart to his lips.
‘Why would he suddenly—’
Crunch.
“Are you in your right mind?!”
Kai’s voice erupted unbidden, his face and expression no longer those of someone addressing a fellow human being.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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