The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 14: The Mad Fool (1) (Part 1)

A strange sound sent a chill down my spine, rattling my instincts.

Turning my head toward the source, I saw a massive creature—about four or five meters tall—approaching with steady, lumbering steps.

It had snow-white skin that blended perfectly with the surroundings, almost like camouflage.
Its head resembled a serpent’s, while its body was bird-like.

However, unlike a snake, it had four legs. And unlike a bird, its limbs looked primitive, as if they had started evolving into wings but stopped halfway—yet they were powerful.

If my memory serves me right…

‘Demexus?’¹

That was its name—a monster known to appear only in the North.

Demexus was notoriously violent and had a remarkably tough physique.
It was also one of the monsters I absolutely needed to Predate.

The only reason I hadn’t hunted it yet was because it was too strong to face recklessly.
In fact, it was a higher-tier predator than even the Ice Trolls.

No wonder Kai looked visibly shaken.

Normally, Demexus was found deep in the Snowy Mountains.
Though it occasionally came down in search of prey, it never approached this close to the County.

KRRRRRRK!

A low, guttural roar rang out from Demexus.
It had recognized us as prey.

Demexus—violent by nature.
Once it marked you as prey, there was no escaping it.

We had to fight. But…

“Huff… Huff…”

…I was exhausted.

Two full days of running.
My stamina wasn’t just low—it was utterly wrecked.
Even the packed meals I had stored in my inventory were gone.
My Regeneration couldn’t activate anymore.

Fighting Demexus in this state? Impossible.

If I went in alone, I’d definitely become its next meal…

I stole a glance at Kai.

He wasn’t even looking at me.
His icy blue eyes were locked onto Demexus.

Kai carefully reached for the hilt of his sword, keeping a close watch on the monster’s movements.
He knew he had to fight too.

But—

“Haa… Haa…!”

Kai was tired as well.
His long blond hair clung to his sweat-drenched face, his breathing ragged.

Even for Kai, fighting Demexus like this wouldn’t be easy.

And yet—

Kai charged without hesitation.

Demexus had appeared without warning.

When Kai first laid eyes on it, the emotion that surged within him was doubt.

And for good reason. Demexus wasn’t a monster you’d find near the County.
It was native to the Snowy Mountains.
It never descended this far.

‘So why is it here…?’

The question flashed through his mind, but he quickly brushed it away.

This wasn’t the time to think about such things.

Kai inhaled sharply, drawing the freezing air deep into his lungs.

Demexus wasn’t a monster to be taken lightly.
It took ten trained soldiers working together to take one down.

And right now, Kai was physically exhausted.
After two days of continuous movement, even his Aura was drained.

Facing it alone would be reckless.

But Kai had to do it.

He admitted that Adrian had changed to some extent.
But only to some extent.
All Adrian had done so far was train. That’s it.

But this fight—this was real combat.

Training and real battle are completely different.

Training merely pushes your physical limits.
Real combat tests everything: your body, your nerves, your mental fortitude, even your emotions.

The psychological readiness required was on another level.

And that couldn’t be achieved with just a few days of training.

Real battle wasn’t something predictable like training.
Unexpected events happen back-to-back.
Danger became reality at any moment.

Every decision, every move, was a matter of life and death.
A single mistake could be fatal.

So Kai couldn’t afford to expect anything from Adrian.
He was no help—less than useless.

Thud!

His heavy boots slammed into the snowy ground.

Through blurred vision, he saw Demexus’s towering figure, its fangs bared.
As it approached, its threatening eyes came into focus.

Suddenly, Demexus’s eyes flashed with intensity.

KRAAAAH—!

Its sharp claws slashed at Kai.
He twisted his body just in time to dodge, but the movement threw off his balance.
He staggered, barely staying on his feet.

Somehow, he forced strength into his trembling legs and thrust his sword forward.

But his stamina had hit rock bottom.

His arms felt like lead. The sword barely had force behind it.

Kerk…!

Blood spurted from the wound Kai carved into Demexus’s neck.

He tried to press deeper, but with his Aura depleted, the sword made no further progress.

In pain, Demexus’s eyes widened, and its massive jaws opened wide.

In that instant—

Its eyes lit up.

A primal warning rang in Kai’s head.
Alarms blared in his mind.
He yanked his sword free in a panic.

At the same moment, he leapt back—
CHOMP!
The spot where he stood was swallowed whole by Demexus’s gaping maw.

Had he hesitated even a second, he would’ve been devoured.

Gulp.

He swallowed reflexively and re-gripped his sword.

Demexus was still alive.

And a wounded monster only became more vicious.

Then, it happened.

While Demexus’s attention was locked on Kai—

Adrian rushed in like lightning and slashed at the monster’s neck.

But Demexus’s thick hide couldn’t be pierced by a simple blade.
It required the power of Aura.

Adrian didn’t use it.
More precisely—he couldn’t.
His aptitude was practically zero.

But then—

The trajectory of Adrian’s strike shifted.

He aimed precisely at the wound Kai had created earlier.

His blade plunged into the exact same spot without a millimeter of deviation—

“…!”

Kai’s eyes widened.

KERK—!

Blood burst out once again.
Demexus writhed in agony.

But Adrian didn’t retreat.

Gripping his sword with both hands, he pinned the beast down.

He pressed in, driving Demexus further back.

There was no trace of the so-called ‘mad fool of the Whitewolf House’ in his movements.

“……”

Kai was speechless.

That…
That wasn’t the same wastrel who wasted his days in gambling and indulgence.

Lately, Adrian had begun physical training.

Even so—

It had only been about ten days.

And even then, all he did was basic conditioning.

Translatin_Otaku

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