The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 334

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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 334. An Uninvited Guest (1)
Checkpoint at the Territory Outskirts.
Numerous visitors stood in orderly lines, and long queues formed as each person had their belongings and identification verified.
Merchants, scholars, mercenaries, travelers, and more.
With people streaming in from every corner of The Continent, the checkpoint was absolute chaos.
“This way, please.”
I followed the soldier’s guidance into the interior of the checkpoint.
Administrative Building.
A stern-faced figure greeted me immediately.
“Lord! You’ve arrived!”
Sarpedon saluted with crisp precision.
I nodded and spoke.
“You mentioned there’s a strange creature looking for me.”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
Sarpedon answered cautiously.
Normally, he wouldn’t even file a report without a prior appointment.
This was Sarpedon, after all—the man who had even defeated a Master-rank mercenary.
The fact that he’d reported this to me meant something.
“Sending it away seemed unwise, given how peculiar it is….”
There was something unusual about this creature.
But just how strange could it be?
“It’s over there.”
Sarpedon pointed in a direction.
A metal cage where unidentified individuals were temporarily detained.
Inside was indeed something extraordinary.
A massive frame reaching three meters in height.
Broad, muscular shoulders and elongated arms.
Its skin was covered in hard scales, and its face resembled a lizard.
In other words, it was not human.
But it was not a monster either.
“How much longer must I wait?”
It could speak human language.
Not human.
Not a monster.
Truly, an impossibly strange creature.
‘…Who is this?’
I had no recollection of it.
I had never seen it in my previous life either.
Activating my predator’s instinct, information materialized before my eyes.
==【Character Information】==
Subject: Zemu (male)
Classification: Animalia, Draconic Order, Human-Drakan Hybrid
Gender: Male
Age: 1 year
Distinguishing Trait: Perfect Evolution [S]
Drakan.
It referred to the draconic race.
In other words, a Werebeast that blended Dragon and human—
‘Character Information?’
This wasn’t mere creature data.
Which meant he possessed intelligence and reason—
“I sense it. The power of formidable evolution.”
Zemu’s head swiveled sharply left and right.
Then his gaze locked directly with mine.
“Found you. Evolution Lord.”
The three-meter monstrosity tore through the iron bars.
Though forged from mana-steel, the bars—crack!
—ripped apart like tissue paper.
Zemu strode toward me.
Sarpedon and the soldiers drew their weapons, raising them in threat.
“Stand down!”
“Come any closer and we attack!”
Zemu stopped immediately.
There was no hostility in his bearing.
More than anything, he clearly understood why he was being threatened.
“No hostile intent. Only wished to confirm.”
Zemu raised both hands to signal his peaceful purpose.
He was undoubtedly a being of reason and intellect.
I observed Zemu’s actions completely, then raised my hand to the soldiers.
“All units, stand by.”
At my command, Sarpedon and the soldiers lowered their weapons.
I stepped closer to Zemu and asked.
“You came seeking me?”
“Yes. I came to find the Evolution Lord.”
Evolution Lord.
It seemed to be the title by which he addressed me.
Suddenly elevated to lordship—well, in any case.
“Why did you seek me out?”
“I am Zemu. I was born for evolution, and I live only for evolution.”
“…And?”
“I want to learn from the Evolution Lord.”
“Learn? Learn what?”
“Evolution.”
…What is he talking about?
Communication was possible.
But I had no idea what he was saying.
As I furrowed my brow, Zemu paused in thought before speaking with utmost seriousness.
“I can evolve. But I cannot do it at will.”
“You cannot do it at will?”
“That is correct.”
I activated my predator’s instinct once more.
This time, I examined Zemu’s abilities in detail.
◆Essence Evolution [S]
: Extracts the essence of a living being and applies only [dominant traits]. Recessive traits are automatically discarded.
‘I see.’
…I was beginning to understand.
Essence Evolution [S].
At first glance, it seemed like a powerful ability.
But dominant traits did not mean superior genes.
They simply referred to genes with higher priority in expression.
Take male pattern baldness, for instance.
Baldness is a classic dominant trait.
It expresses before all other genes.
But is baldness a superior trait?
Does it aid survival?
Dominance does not equal superiority.
Recessiveness does not equal inferiority.
Essence Evolution [S] could only obtain dominant traits that expressed first.
Even unnecessary abilities had to be accepted if they were dominant.
In other words, evolution was forced upon him.
There was no choice involved.
An evolution ability that obtained even unnecessary traits—Essence Evolution [S].
An evolution ability that extracted only what was needed—Selection Pressure [S+].
It was a degraded version of Selection Pressure [S+].
Function, efficiency, completeness.
Everything fell short.
That was why it was ranked one tier lower at [S] grade.
To be honest, even [S] was generous.
Since it merely accepted everything unconditionally under the guise of evolution, dropping it to [A+] would have been justified.
Regardless.
“I’ll handle the hunt. I’ll handle the genetic selection.”
He was saying he’d take care of his own share.
Especially given that he was personally conducting genetic selection, his understanding of biotechnology and molecular biology appeared to be quite advanced.
‘Well, he inherited Dragon’s genetics, after all.’
His intelligence was bound to be exceptional.
A degraded version of T-Rex.
That was precisely what it meant.
“But extraction. I can’t do it.”
He was a degraded version of T-Rex.
Zemu lacked the ability to extract the most crucial genetic information.
He could select the necessary genetic traits, but he couldn’t actually extract them—
“I need the Evolution Lord to do it.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Zemu nodded briefly.
I fell silent in thought.
I’d never attempted essence extraction before.
But it was possible.
Because my Perfect Organism [UL] skill contained the power of Selection Pressure [S+].
But setting that aside—
“Why should I do that?”
Why should I evolve Zemu?
Then Zemu spoke.
“I serve you.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all?”
“I obey you.”
“And?”
“I revere you.”
“That’s it?”
“I follow you.”
…It was relentless.
But for such commonplace words, there was something—
A sincerity that felt unmistakably genuine.
“Can you prove it, rather than just spouting empty loyalty?”
Zemu didn’t hesitate.
“Whatever you command, I will do.”
“Anything?”
“Yes.”
“Crawl.”
Zemu immediately dropped to the ground.
Despite his bipedal frame, he crawled on all fours with desperate urgency.
I watched him in silence before speaking.
“Doesn’t your pride hurt doing something like that?”
“It does.”
Zemu replied.
So he wasn’t devoid of emotion.
“But evolution takes precedence over pride.”
Zemu continued crawling desperately as he spoke.
“This act demonstrates submission. The evolutionary benefits gained by executing the Evolution Lord’s commands are substantial enough.”
“…That’s enough. Stand up.”
“Command acknowledged.”
Zemu sprang to his feet instantly.
Every movement was immediate and precise.
There was no wasted motion whatsoever.
I paused to consider, then asked.
“What if I ordered you to die right now?”
“I would first analyze the true intent of the command.”
“Then analyze it.”
Zemu stared at me and spoke.
“A deceptive command designed to induce action. A psychological test to verify the submission structure. Not an actual order for self-destruction.”
His analytical capacity was remarkably sharp.
Truly, he possessed the keen intellect of one who inherited the Dragon’s intelligence.
But separate from that.
“So you won’t offer absolute obedience to my commands after all?”
“Correct.”
His answer came without the slightest hesitation.
In other words.
He was not bound by hive consciousness.
“Because the Evolution Lord can make mistakes.”
“My orders could be wrong?”
“Yes.”
“And sometimes your judgment might be more correct?”
“Logically speaking, yes.”
I asked a beat later.
“Then if you judge one of my orders to be wrong, what will you do?”
“I will reconfirm it first, then raise an objection.”
“And if I insist on proceeding anyway?”
Zemu paused briefly before answering.
“At that time, I follow the Evolutionary Lord.”
But.
“The awareness that it was a wrong command does not disappear.”
“I will keep it in my heart?”
“To analyze and accumulate. So that the same error does not repeat.”
“Hmm.”
I pondered.
Or rather, to be honest.
‘This one is actually decent?’
First, the fact that it was not enslaved by collective consciousness.
Through that, not blindly obedient, but capable of independent judgment.
Of course, it was dangerous too.
It meant raising a hand against me.
But from another perspective?
‘It means Zemu can cover the parts where I fall short.’
Just as Zemu said, I could make mistakes.
Even as a perfect organism [UL].
I was not omniscient.
So if Zemu could correct judgments and fix errors without undermining my will, it was worth accepting.
Especially, it would be an enormous help in educating and teaching the Werebeasts.
‘Assuming everything about serving me is true.’
Nothing had been proven.
It could have been mere words.
But it was not entirely just words either.
At least, there was no lying.
The true heart of not offering absolute obedience was not hidden either.
‘The desire for evolution certainly seems genuine.’
After a moment of deliberation, I spoke.
“Very well. Then I will give you a chance.”
* * *
The spacious Grand Hall.
Today too, countless Werebeasts gathered to attend the lesson.
And Seraphia was present as always.
How to describe it.
It was fascinating.
The mysterious world of beasts, so utterly wondrous.
What absurd lesson would unfold today?
Seraphia waited with eyes brimming with anticipation.
Soon, Adrian took his place on the podium.
And something following in Adrian’s wake.
A grotesque form reaching three meters in height.
A massive beast with a lizard-like face, its scales packed densely across its entire body.
“From today onward, I shall introduce your instructor.”
…An instructor?
Seraphia tilted her head in confusion.
“Zemu.”
Seraphia’s eyes widened dramatically.
‘It can speak!’
It was nothing short of shocking.
As Seraphia’s eyes grew wide, the Werebeast introduced as Zemu ascended the platform.
And his opening words.
“By order of the Evolution Lord, I shall teach you all how to think for yourselves.”
And the sentence written on the blackboard.
[Philosophical Reflection on Self and Existence]
“…??????”
Was he really about to teach this to the Werebeasts?
“Then what am I?”
Zemu’s lecture continued unabated.
…A lecture?
Seraphia’s mind momentarily froze.
Regardless.
Zemu pressed forward with his instruction.
“You there. What is your name?”
Croak, croak?
“Werebeast. That is not a name.”
Croak….
“That may tell you which pack you were born into, but it does not tell you who you are.”
Therefore.
“From this moment forward, I shall bestow names upon each of you.”
Croak?!
Screech?!
“Come forward one at a time in order.”
The Werebeasts began to stir with agitation.
But soon, one by one….
‘…One by one?’
Seraphia’s gaze fixed forward once more.
Before her eyes, a hulking Werebeast shuffled nervously forward.
Behind it, a boar-shaped Werebeast followed hesitantly in its wake.
In other words.
‘…One by one?’
How in any way does that qualify as human?!
“Kyyyyyeeeeek?!”
Seraphia’s shriek pierced the air.
Yet remarkably.
No one paid her any attention.
The Werebeasts lined up one after another.
Zemu assigned names to them in sequence.
“Your name is Raul now. You are Dor. And you are Bran.”
Not a moment’s hesitation.
As if all the names had been prepared beforehand, he showed no sign of deliberation whatsoever.
“Remember this: a name is not for others to call you by. It is the bare minimum starting point for recognizing yourself.”
The Werebeasts who received their names blinked their eyes.
And then, after a moment.
“…Raul….”
“…Dor… I… Dor….”
“Bran…?”
They began to speak.
Halting, yet unmistakably human speech—
“…?????”
Seraphia’s mind shut down.
As if consciousness had been severed, she had no memory of what came after.
And when her senses returned.
“…Now then, the next lesson is Introduction to Ethics.”
The second period had already begun!
The Werebeasts straightened their postures in unison.
Hooves, claws, wings.
Bodies of varying forms assumed attentive positions.
Seraphia could say with certainty.
Anyone witnessing this would have their mind stop nine times out of ten.
“Kyyyyyeeeeeeek?!?”
Seraphia screamed until her throat tore.
But regardless.
Zemu continued with his lecture.
“A question: when you feel the urge to bite a human, what should you do?”
A brief silence.
Then one creature carefully raised a claw.
It was a Werecat.
“…Deep breathing…meow?”
“Good, Tom.”
Zemu wrote [Impulse Control] on the blackboard.
“Does anyone else have an answer?”
“…Create… distance….”
“Jeff, excellent.”
Zemu wrote [Distancing] beside it.
“…Hold your breath… Clear your mind….”
“Who just spoke?”
“Bran….”
“Bran, very good.”
Zemu continued writing [Stimulus Blocking] next to it.
“Impulse control, distancing, stimulus blocking. These three are the most fundamental methods of controlling emotion. However, these are merely temporary measures.”
Zemu surveyed the Werebeasts.
“You must learn to judge for yourselves—why you cannot bite humans, and conversely, when you must bite.”
And then came Zemu’s lecture.
…A lecture?
“…?????????”
Seraphia could not comprehend the scene unfolding before her eyes.
* * *
Zemu’s instruction continued unabated.
Third period, fourth period.
Lunch break.
Fifth period, sixth period, and seventh period.
Only after a full day had passed did all the lessons conclude.
“Well? Can you see a sense of ‘self’ emerging within you now?”
Several of the Werebeasts nodded at Zemu’s words.
They said nothing.
But their eyes had changed.
It was proof they were truly breaking free from the hive mind.
I glanced sideways at Zemu.
A massive lizard.
The sight of a Werebeast standing before a chalkboard was somewhat absurd—
‘…This one is far more capable than I expected.’
Indeed, a Drakan who had inherited the Dragon’s intellect.

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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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