The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 20

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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 20. Master of the Frozen Peak (1)
A paradoxical sensation—fear and exhilaration intertwined.
They twisted together, resonating through my mind with overwhelming intensity.
Terror surging from the depths of my instinct left me breathless.
My heart thundered wildly against my ribs.
Blood rushed through my veins with accelerating velocity.
Every nerve in my body sharpened, all my senses heightened to their peak, yet within that state bloomed a strange, exquisite pleasure.
I was undeniably gripped by the terror of death.
Yet an inexplicable thrill coursed through me like electricity, my body tingling. Even amidst the fear, satisfaction wove itself through my being.
In that moment, my instincts screamed endless warnings, but an intense desire to transcend this danger overwhelmed every ounce of fear and dread.
Unrestrained exhilaration.
It was then.
◆Sudden Quest [You’re that strong?! Follow me to the Frozen Peak!] has begun.
==[You’re that strong?! Follow me to the Frozen Peak!]==
[Objective] – Survive against Gelu Drake.
[Reward] – 【Title】 Unlocked
[Failure] – Death.
Semi-transparent text materialized before my eyes in an instant.
This was a “Sudden” Quest—distinct from Tutorial, Main, and Affinity Quests.
A Quest that manifests unexpectedly, true to its name.
A Quest merely provides direction.
Whether I survive Gelu Drake by “fleeing”.
Or by “fighting”.
It does not dictate how I reach the objective.
The choice of how to achieve the goal rests entirely with me.
And the responsibility for the outcome is mine alone.
But this Quest was different.
The choices were semi-forced.
Having encountered Gelu Drake, the option to “flee” had been erased from my available choices.
That hunger directed toward me.
I could never escape from Gelu Drake.
Now I had no choice but to fight.
As I steadied my gaze, Gelu Drake regarded me calmly.
Those reptilian yellow eyes rolled slowly, deliberately.
Gelu Drake did not rush at me recklessly.
But this was not an attempt to gauge my strength.
Nor was it to determine whether I was prey worth hunting.
As the Master of the Frozen Peak, Gelu Drake had no natural predators in this mountain.
Therefore, this was.
Merely the amusement and curiosity of toying with prey.
In an instant.
Crack!
Gelu Drake’s claws tore through the snow at the base of Snowy Mountain.
Tremendous speed.
…My reaction came too late.
More accurately, I couldn’t react at all.
Crunch!
A sickening sound, and my entire right arm was torn clean off.
The resistance of Reinforced Skin [D] proved useless.
This limb was beyond saving.
I shifted my strategy and immediately clenched my left fist.
In exchange for surrendering my right arm, I drove my left fist into Gelu Drake’s torso.
Boom!
The impact and deafening sound erupted as if I’d struck a thick steel plate.
Gelu Drake staggered backward.
I seized the opportunity and quickly retreated.
Gelu Drake didn’t pursue me.
It seemed the blow had dealt considerable damage—the creature continued to sway unsteadily.
A strength stat reaching 22.
The force equivalent to twenty-two adult men was sufficient to inflict genuine damage on Gelu Drake.
But the price I paid was catastrophic.
The bones in my striking left fist shattered completely.
My right arm, torn away, was gone entirely.
Now it hung empty where it had been.
It reminded me of Ian.
…Wait, now that I think about it, Ian’s missing arm is his left one.
No—this isn’t the time for such trivial thoughts.
Blood gushed from my severed right arm in torrents.
Maddening pain ravaged my consciousness.
“Ugh…!!”
Just as I was gritting my teeth against the agony—
◆Sensory nerves temporarily blocked!
A translucent message materialized, and the unbearable pain vanished instantly.
My reeling mind finally cleared. I immediately activated my regeneration skill.
◆Skill ‘Regeneration [B-]’ activated. Damaged body tissue can be restored.
◆Required nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, phosphorus, iron, sulfur, magnesium….
But the list of nutrients needed for regeneration seemed endless. It made sense—my entire right arm was gone.
But that was fine.
◆Skill ‘Nutrient Synthesis [C+]’ activated. Required nutrients can be synthesized.
◆Surplus calories – 230Kcal
Enhanced Nutrient Synthesis [C+] ability.
Thanks to the enhanced ability, I could synthesize all the nutrients necessary for bodily reconstruction.
However, calories were severely insufficient.
But even this did not pose a significant problem.
◆I retrieve ‘Alacron’s flesh’ from my inventory.
I pulled out the pre-cut flesh of Alacron from my inventory and chewed it with deliberate, audible bites.
Over the past two weeks, I had consistently stored it while hunting monsters.
Nutrients were abundant.
Gulp.
As I swallowed the flesh down my throat, my mangled right arm regenerated in an instant.
My shattered left fist also regenerated, returning to its original state.
As my regenerative ability strengthened to [B-], the efficiency and speed of regeneration increased dramatically.
Kruk?
Gelu Drake trembled in bewilderment.
Gelu Drake, who had believed me to be human.
But witnessing regenerative prowess rivaling that of an Icetroll, Gelu Drake now eyed me with suspicion—wondering if perhaps I were a ‘troll’.
Yet my appearance differed far too greatly from a troll, causing Gelu Drake to tilt its head in confusion.
Krurkuruk?!
Gelu Drake’s expression twisted grotesquely, regarding me as though beholding a creature never before witnessed in its lifetime.
With my fully regenerated right hand, I drew my sword.
I possessed sufficient odds of victory.
“Come at me again.”
I would yield bone and claim flesh.
* * *
Boom! Crash!
Explosions continued to erupt, drawing the attention of Kai and the soldiers.
The deafening blasts sent violent tremors through the Snowy Mountain.
The shock from the explosions shattered the mountain’s tranquility, and massive snowballs accumulated on the peaks began to tumble downward.
At first, it was a quiet movement.
But soon it grew rapidly, becoming heavier.
In an instant, colossal masses of snow and ice cascaded down the mountainside—
Kuguguguguung…!
A violent roar shook the Snowy Mountain, and white snow engulfed the entire sky.
A wall of snow bearing down upon us.
Like an ocean erupting, it consumed everything in its path as it surged downward.
“W-what?!”
“Everyone, be careful!”
The soldiers panicked greatly.
Unable to maintain their balance from the tremors shaking the ground, they collapsed one after another.
The cascading avalanche crushed boulders as it relentlessly bore down upon the soldiers.
At this rate, we’ll all perish.
Kai’s voice cracked like thunder.
“All units! Gather behind me!!”
The soldiers, who had been caught off guard, snapped to attention at Kai’s aura-infused command. They moved in perfect unison, assembling behind him.
Once Kai confirmed all the soldiers had gathered, he drove his sword into the ground.
Then, expanding his aura greatly, a translucent barrier of pure force materialized around the embedded blade.
At that very moment, the avalanche crashed down upon them.
My vision turned completely white.
The air became thick with frigid dust and snow.
Within it, I could sense only the force of destruction itself.
How much time had passed?
The avalanche descended to the plains below, forming a colossal white tomb, and only then did the tranquility of Snowy Mountain return.
“Oh my…!”
“We… we almost died…!”
The soldiers’ legs gave way beneath them, and they collapsed to the ground.
Where the avalanche had swept through.
Nothing remained.
“Is everyone… all right?”
Kai checked on the soldiers’ condition.
His long golden hair was dusted with pristine snow. His hand gripping the sword and his voice trembled slightly.
It was only natural, having faced the raw fury of nature itself.
I had never imagined such a thing would even be possible.
This was no exaggeration—I had stood against nature itself.
Though I sustained considerable injuries, I did not flee.
I stood against nature’s wrath and protected my soldiers.
Had I not blocked the avalanche with my aura at the front, what would have happened?
How many of these soldiers would have survived?
“We’re fine!!”
“We’re unharmed!!”
The soldiers’ eyes fixed on Kai gleamed with profound respect and reverence.
Then, at that very moment.
Boom—boom—boom!!
A massive explosion erupted once more from Snowy Mountain.
Though it couldn’t be called fortunate, the avalanche did not occur again.
And so, where the explosions were occurring.
Kai’s instincts screamed a warning.
Do not go there under any circumstances.
“Gelu Drake…!!!”
One of the soldiers cried out.
“What… what did you say?!”
“Why is Gelu Drake here…!”
The soldiers’ faces drained of color in an instant.
There was not a single soldier among them who didn’t know what that name meant.
And it wasn’t just the soldiers.
Everyone in Whitewolf Territory knew.
Moreover, every living creature in the Northern Region of The Continent would not be ignorant of that name.
For it was a calamity that transcended even the terror of nature itself—an avalanche.
* * *
Clang—!
Gelu Drake’s hide refused to allow the blade to penetrate. Yet that didn’t mean it absorbed all the impact as well.
The shock of metal striking metal.
Gelu Drake’s body staggered from it.
I quickly widened the distance between us.
The sword I currently wielded was one used by the soldiers of Count’s Castle.
It lacked any distinctive features, but as a practical weapon, it was more than sufficient—a steel blade of quality.
Not some ornamental thin blade like last time.
Yet even so, I couldn’t cut through.
I couldn’t even leave a scratch.
‘The hide is far too hard.’
It wasn’t merely tough—it was ‘hard.’
Gelu Drake’s hide, too, was inherited from a dragon.
Of course, it couldn’t compare to true dragon scales.
Yet still, hide imprinted with dragon genetics.
Without an Aura Sword, there was no way to cut through Gelu Drake’s hide.
And I couldn’t even manipulate mana, let alone aura.
‘The sword won’t work.’
I had to settle this through blunt force. The decision came swiftly. I hurled the sword away. Gelu Drake didn’t dodge.
Clang—!
Sparks erupted as Gelu Drake’s hide collided with the hurled blade.
I’d felt it from the start, but that wasn’t hide—it might as well have been metal.
In other words, even if I beat it to death, I couldn’t win.
But.
I am no longer a wastrel of Count Whitewolf’s House.
I belong to the Special Task Force under Allied Forces Command.
Commander of the Special Operations Unit.
If Gelu Drake has dragon genetics imprinted within it.
Then every memory and experience I accumulated as a Predator of the Allied Forces is etched perfectly into my mind.
◆I activate the skill ‘Promote Metabolism [E+]’.
◆Strength decreases by [-25%].
◆Agility and Stamina increase by [+10%].
Thump!
Every ability channeled through my nervous system amplified temporarily.
The thrown sword dealt no damage whatsoever.
Yet it granted Gelu Drake a moment of hesitation.
And in that fleeting moment of hesitation—
Tap-tap-tap!
I surged forward, wedging myself into that gap. My movements suddenly accelerated. Gelu Drake lost track of me for an instant.
And with that, his flank lay completely exposed.
I clenched my fist tight.
Metabolic Acceleration [E+] was a skill that elevated stamina and agility at the cost of [-25%] Strength.
In other words, my Strength of 22 would plummet to 16.5.
A loss equivalent to the strength of five and a half grown men—and with it, my strikes against Gelu Drake would weaken proportionally.
But Metabolic Acceleration [E+] was an On/Off skill.
I deactivated Metabolic Acceleration [E+] the instant before impact.
In that heartbeat, my full strength surged back.
A complete strike channeling all 22 points of Strength.
It struck Gelu Drake’s ribs dead center—
Crack-boom!!
A tremendous explosion of sound. Gelu Drake’s body shook violently—
Snap!
The sound of bone fracturing echoed out.
But it hadn’t come from Gelu Drake.
◆Sensory nerves temporarily severed!
The message that materialized before my eyes meant I felt no pain.
When I glanced down, my mangled fist came into view.
Meanwhile, Gelu Drake merely staggered a few times. He shook his head once or twice and quickly regained his composure.
At this point, it wasn’t that I had struck Gelu Drake’s ribs with my fist.
Gelu Drake’s ribs had struck my fist.
Sacrifice bone to gain flesh—a strategy of exchange.
It seemed like madness, a tactic that made no sense.
Yet for me now, it was devastatingly effective.
◆You can use the skill ‘Regeneration [B-]’ to restore your damaged body.
◆You can use the skill ‘Nutrient Synthesis [C+]’ to synthesize necessary nutrients.
I activated both Regeneration [B-] and Nutrient Synthesis [C+] simultaneously.
From my inventory, I pulled out monster meat and chewed it down ravenously.
My shattered fist regenerated in an instant.
Gulp…!
Then the light in Gelu Drake’s eyes shifted.
Until moments ago, he had regarded me as nothing more than prey—a creature to be hunted.
But now, that was no longer the case.
Evenly matched predators.
Competitors who could devour each other if given the chance.
My gaze locked with Gelu Drake’s.
Neither of us rushed forward recklessly.
A standoff that seemed as though it would stretch into eternity.
I taunted Gelu Drake by flicking my fingers.
“Go ahead and keep gnawing at me, why don’t you?”
Yet Gelu Drake still did not charge forward carelessly.
Not quite fear, but now it was clearly treating me with caution.
But that hesitation was short-lived.
“What, did you lose your nerve?”
At those words, Gelu Drake’s eyes rolled back and it clawed at the snow beneath the Frozen Peak.

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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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