The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 17

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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 17. The Hunt (2)
As always, Kai made his way to the Frost Trial Grounds.
Ever since the race with Adrian, my entire body felt as though it were weighted down by a thousand stones.
A week had passed since then, yet the aftereffects showed no signs of subsiding.
Rest, too, was a form of training.
My body needed respite, yet I found myself incapable of remaining idle.
Adrian’s growth was extraordinary.
To say he was advancing explosively was no exaggeration whatsoever.
And the Royal Court’s decree would arrive in approximately two and a half months.
Once that time elapsed, I would kill Adrian.
I had to.
But I could not foresee how Adrian would have transformed by then.
In merely ten days, the man had undergone a complete metamorphosis.
I could not even imagine what seventy days would bring.
I could not afford to remain complacent.
To ensure Adrian’s death, I too had to train relentlessly.
With my body heavy as lead, I quickened my pace toward the Frost Trial Grounds.
Upon arrival at the Frost Trial Grounds.
Yet the atmosphere felt distinctly peculiar.
Contrary to my expectation that the training grounds would be warm with exertion, the interior lay cold and still.
The soldiers and instructors stood tense and rigid.
I surveyed the grounds and quickly discerned the reason.
An unexpected visitor had arrived at the trial grounds.
A woman with ethereal silver hair that seemed to hold the very essence of moonlight.
“Oh, Sir Kai.”
Upon spotting me, Seraphia came rushing over with quick, light steps.
My head tilted involuntarily in confusion.
“What brings you to the Frost Trial Grounds?”
“Ah, well…”
Seraphia offered an awkward smile before speaking again.
“I thought I’d do some exercise.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
My face and expression went slack with bewilderment.
For Seraphia to speak of exercise?
In some respects, this was far more shocking than Adrian exercising.
To exaggerate only slightly, it was as shocking as Adrian devouring a Dermexus’s heart.
The curse of bitter cold, which left her naturally frail, was merely a secondary concern.
Seraphia currently oversaw the vast majority of the Whitewolf Territory’s administrative duties.
Though Bernard, the head steward, held the title of acting lord, Seraphia effectively handled all matters as the true lord.
In other words, she had no time.
Seraphia’s eyes were distinctly hollow, betraying her exhaustion.
There was no doubt—this was reality, not an excuse.
“But I don’t know what to do or how to do it….”
Seraphia lowered her head slightly.
She gently touched her left shoulder with her right hand, gauging the attention of those around her.
Kai turned his gaze and surveyed the surroundings.
The Frost Trial Grounds were filled with soldiers undergoing training.
There were instructors who drilled these soldiers daily.
Yet all of them stood frozen in rigid attention.
Not a single soul dared approach Seraphia’s side.
And for good reason—Seraphia was the lord of Whitewolf Territory.
Though she had not yet received formal recognition from the Royal Court, it was merely a matter of time.
To the soldiers, her presence was no different from the supreme commander conducting an inspection.
There was no other reason for the soldiers and instructors to remain so rigid.
But Kai was Seraphia’s sworn knight.
Even if the entire world turned away from her, I had sworn to always stand by her side.
Kai turned his gaze back to Seraphia and spoke.
“I will teach you.”
“Really? Truly?”
Seraphia’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Eyes as red as rubies set in precious metal.
They gleamed like jewels beneath her radiant smile.
“Then would it be alright if I asked you?”
“You need not ask—you may command me instead.”
Kai moved forward with measured steps.
Seraphia’s face and expression radiated such anticipation.
I could not turn away from that.
Kai began gathering the equipment scattered across the trial grounds one by one.
Since she was a complete beginner, I had to start with lighter exercises.
Especially given Seraphia’s delicate constitution, I needed to exercise utmost caution.
“Kai, Sir Knight.”
I lifted my head at the sound of Seraphia’s voice calling to me.
Seraphia was glancing around restlessly.
As if searching for someone.
Sure enough, Seraphia asked me a question.
“Has my brother not arrived yet?”
She continued glancing around, her eyes darting in all directions.
Like a chick searching for its mother.
“I heard he trains here every day….”
Disappointment had begun to settle across Seraphia’s face.
Kai’s gaze drifted toward Seraphia’s pale neck, where finger-shaped bruises still lingered.
They had faded considerably since the beginning.
Yet they remained vivid.
“They will disappear soon.”
Kai showed no particular reaction.
* * *
A week had already passed since I continued hunting in the Frozen Peak.
Only after that time could I finally encounter the prey I had been searching for so desperately.
A body roughly two meters in length.
Large, brutish eyes and rippling musculature.
An Icetroll.
Upon discovering me, the Icetroll did not unleash a threatening roar.
Yet that drool trickling from the corners of its mouth—
It recognized me as certain prey, as a hunt.
Icetrolls were not monsters docile enough to release prey they encountered.
In fact, the concept of “gentleness” could not be found in monsters at all.
The Icetroll’s eyes gleamed with radiance.
I read the emotion dwelling in that gaze.
Hunger.
Which transforms into ferocity.
The Icetroll lunged at me in an instant.
I quickly reached for my waist, about to draw my sword.
Then I stopped, halting that motion.
The Icetroll’s weakness is its heart.
Therefore, targeting the heart with my sword, as I had done before, was the surest method to hunt an Icetroll.
Unlike Dermexus, the Icetroll’s hide was not particularly tough. Even I, unable to manipulate aura, could pierce its skin and destroy its heart.
But….
‘The Icetroll’s heart will be damaged.’
Just as before, the Icetroll’s heart would sustain damage.
When the heart is damaged, the genetic factors I can obtain are reduced. From a completely destroyed heart, I cannot obtain any genetic factors whatsoever.
Icetrolls were monsters rarely encountered.
A variant of trolls that inhabit only the Northern Snowfield. Even then, they were so rare that I had wandered for a week just to find a single one.
I had no way of knowing when I might encounter another.
Therefore, I could not afford to damage its heart as I had before.
Even then, I was not ignorant of this fact.
I simply had no choice.
Had I not targeted the heart, I would have died.
But now is different.
Through ten days of training, my body has grown.
Through seven days of hunting, my body has evolved.
Icetroll’s movements became crystal clear before my eyes.
A heavy fist bearing down across my entire field of vision.
Meeting that head-on would be foolish.
But.
I don’t dodge the incoming fist.
I meet it directly.
Crack!
The moment my fist collided with Icetroll’s, my knuckles shattered first with a sickening crunch.
My strength had grown far beyond what it once was.
Yet compared to Icetroll, I still fell short.
Even so, I’d grown strong enough to inflict genuine damage on Icetroll.
Thud!
A crushing sound echoed from Icetroll’s fist. Its body recoiled backward with each step.
Perhaps it hadn’t anticipated such powerful recoil.
Icetroll’s face twisted in pain.
Roooarrr!!
Icetroll unleashed a bestial cry.
In those brief moments as it staggered backward.
Icetroll’s crushed fist had already returned to its original state.
Truly, its regenerative capacity defied reason.
Indeed, Icetroll lived up to its name.
But that was—.
The same for me.
◆Skill ‘Regeneration [C+]’ is activated.
◆Consuming vast quantities of calcium to regenerate the shattered skeletal structure.
Translucent messages materialized before my eyes.
My crushed fist regenerated in an instant.
Krrk?!
Icetroll’s face flooded with visible astonishment.
A human displaying regenerative prowess rivaling its own—clearly, it was taken aback.
Roooarrr!!
Icetroll, consumed by rage, charged forward once more.
And this time, I didn’t retreat either.
I threw my fist toward the descending blow.
Crack!
Our fists collided again, bone and flesh pulverizing from the impact.
My injuries ran far deeper.
Consequently, the calcium accumulated within my body depleted rapidly.
I retrieved monster meat from my inventory and chewed it down voraciously.
Monster flesh was rich in protein and fat.
In other words, calcium—the primary component of bone—was difficult to obtain.
But now, that posed no problem whatsoever.
◆You can synthesize [Calcium] by consuming calories.
◆Surplus Calories – 3,880Kcal
◆Will you use the skill ‘Nutrient Synthesis [C]’?
Over the past week, I had managed to hunt additional Icetrolls.
Through that, I was able to elevate Nutrient Synthesis from [C-] grade to [C] grade—a single tier advancement.
Now I could freely synthesize not only [carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water], but also [vitamins and calcium].
The conversion efficiency had improved considerably as well.
Flames erupted within my body, surging violently as calories ignited.
The burned calories transformed into calcium, which in turn became nourishment for my Regeneration [C+] ability, instantly mending my shattered skeletal frame.
Krr, krwaaaagh?!
Icetroll bounded upward with a violent leap.
Icetroll had transcended mere bewilderment—now it was seized by sheer horror. I continued to meet its fists with my own.
Boom! Boom! Crash!
As time elapsed, Icetroll’s regeneration noticeably decelerated.
And for good reason—Icetroll’s regeneration also demanded nutritional sustenance.
Yet Icetroll’s reserves were finite.
But I could replenish my nutrients continuously.
My inventory overflowed with the meat of monsters I had hunted over these days.
Moreover, with Nutrient Synthesis [C], I could selectively extract the precise nutrients I required.
“Let’s see this through to the bitter end, shall we?”
Whoever’s regeneration reached its limit first would lose.
* * *
◆You have defeated Icetroll!
◆You have acquired 120 combat experience points!
◆Your level has increased!
Translucent messages materialized before my eyes.
Soon after, Icetroll’s massive body tilted and collapsed. Buried beneath the snow, it lay motionless.
“…A relentless beast.”
The words escaped my lips unbidden.
After all, the meat I had stored in my inventory had been completely depleted.
This was undoubtedly a far different caliber from the weakened specimen I had faced before.
Still, I was fortunate to have managed victory, however narrowly.
I stepped forward to examine Icetroll’s corpse.
Save for the absence of movement, it hardly seemed dead.
But the translucent message had confirmed its demise, so a finishing blow was unnecessary.
I drew my blade and carefully carved open Icetroll’s chest, revealing its heart—pristine and unblemished.
A heart untouched by any damage.
Which meant the genetic factors I could obtain remained equally intact.
“If I’m lucky, my regeneration ability might strengthen by another tier.”
Clinging to that hope, I brought the Icetroll’s heart directly to my lips without hesitation.
Crunch.
The tough texture and sharp, metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth.
And then, right on cue, madness came crashing down.
Like a crimson fog seeping into my consciousness, my mind stained itself red.
Blood vessels burst across my eyes as my vision turned entirely scarlet.
Just as my final thread of reason was about to snap—
◆The encroaching madness is resisted by the player’s will [EX]!
A translucent message suddenly materialized, and my mind snapped back into focus.
The crimson fog that had been consuming my thoughts vanished, and my vision returned to normal.
“So it’s not complete immunity, then.”
My ability—the player’s will [EX]—didn’t grant perfect immunity to madness after all.
The precise description was: [You gain immunity to all effects exceeding the player’s mental fortitude (curses, illusions, brainwashing, hypnosis, suggestions, etc.)].
In other words, the player’s will [EX] only activated once I exceeded my maximum mental capacity threshold.
And my maximum mental fortitude…
“I don’t know the exact number.”
But it didn’t seem particularly high.
In my past life, I lost my sanity without fail every time I consumed something, raging like a beast.
Later, with Ian’s help, I managed to gain some control.
Though honestly, Ian’s “help” wasn’t much to speak of.
“I don’t even remember how many times Ian beat me senseless.”
It was simply beating me like a dog.
Whenever madness consumed me, Ian would pummel me relentlessly until I regained my senses.
…Come to think of it, I took quite a beating from Ian.
Back then, I didn’t even have regeneration, so I suffered considerably.
Well, regardless, with the player’s will [EX], I no longer needed to fear madness.
Crunch.
I shoved the last remaining fragment of the Icetroll’s heart into my mouth.
The Predation [S+] ability took some time to analyze and apply the genetic information.
“Hmm…”
I fell into thought for a moment.
“Seventeen days have passed.”
It had been seventeen days since I returned to the past.
Ian still hadn’t shown himself.
Of course, seventeen days wasn’t an extraordinarily long time.
But it wasn’t particularly short either.
If it were Ian, he should have revealed himself by now.
Yet he still hasn’t shown even a trace of himself…
“Could it be that only I returned to the past?”

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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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