The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 15: The Mad Fool (2) (Part 2)

◆ Kai holds an intense aggression that seeks to kill and destroy you!
◆ Kai will definitely eliminate you if given the slightest chance!

A translucent message popped up out of nowhere in front of my eyes.

“…The hell is this all of a sudden?”

I looked up to see Kai walking away.
His long golden hair fluttered behind him, blending with the snow blowing across the landscape—it reminded me of a noble wolf of the snowy plains.

It must’ve been the sight of me eating Demexus’s heart that finally disgusted him…

Crunch. Crunch.

So what?

Of course, I knew eating a monster’s heart wasn’t exactly normal.
Even the Allied Forces comrades who first saw my ability freaked out so badly they nearly passed out.

It was best not to use Predation in front of people.
But to absorb an ability, I had to personally eat a living heart.

If the heart’s life fully faded, I couldn’t absorb the ability.
So waiting wasn’t an option.

Kai’s favorability rating was already in the gutter anyway.
It’s not like I was planning to raise it.

Not like I was any different.

I, too, held a violent aggression aimed at killing and destroying Kai.
I just couldn’t act on it.

‘Monster bastard.’

He was at the brink of collapse—his Aura shattered—and yet, he fought like that? I couldn’t have imagined it.

I only delivered the so-called “last hit.”
It was Kai who really hunted Demexus.

There was a reason he was called Commander of the Frost Legion.
Even I, once the Predator of the Allied Forces, couldn’t handle it.

But this time…
It’ll be different from my previous life.

◆ You have defeated Demexus!
◆ You gained 200 combat experience!
◆ Level up!
◆ Level up!

The level-up message popped up late, probably delayed because of that favorability notice from earlier. I’d gained +2 levels.

And as I chewed and swallowed the final piece of Demexus’s heart—

◆ You have Predated the genetic code of ‘Demexus’!
◆ Skill acquired: [Toughened Skin][D]!

As the system message declared the new skill, I felt my body react instantly.

My skin became sleek, like polished metal.
It still retained a subtle flexibility and elasticity—outwardly, it looked no different from regular human skin.

But its durability was like rubber—tough yet solid, almost metallic.
A faint, shimmering membrane formed over its surface, shielding me from the cold.

Once the transformation ended, another translucent message appeared.

◆ [Toughened Skin][D]

Upon acquiring this skill, the player’s skin cell membranes are enhanced.
The enhanced skin prevents moisture loss, promoting internal blood circulation and improving the player’s [Thermoregulation] by [+50%], while also granting [+12%] resistance to [all external trauma damage].

The biting cold now felt noticeably less intense.
My skin, now thicker like leather, had become as tough as calloused flesh.

Even at its current level, the ability was incredibly useful.
And once it evolved further, it would become completely broken.

Eventually, [Thermoregulation] would grant complete immunity to both freezing cold and scorching heat.
[Trauma Resistance] would allow me to deflect even steel weapons.
My skin would become more protective than any armor.

So now that it’s come to this…

“Maybe it’s time to go hunting.”

I felt like I could finally start a proper hunt.

Of course, physical training wasn’t a bad growth method either.

No, not “not bad”—it was outright cheat-level.
With [Regeneration][C+], I could push my body past its natural limits.

And even then, it was tough.

Watching Kai fight made that abundantly clear.

“I don’t think I can kill him just yet.”

There’s a limit to growth through brute training alone.

That monster trains his Aura every single moment.
The more I grow, the more he grows too.

Which means I need to evolve faster—explosively.

And not just because of Kai.

There’s also the Monarch of Frost, and the other Monarchs—especially—

◆ Player’s Will[EX] resists the Erased Trace!

To ultimately face the Emperor, body training alone isn’t enough.

I needed to regain my past-life abilities—my former strength as the Predator—quickly.
No, not just regain—surpass them.

If possible, I needed combat power comparable to that of the Hero, Ian.

Back then, such a thing was impossible no matter how hard I tried.
But this time is different.

When I hunt monsters, I don’t just gain experience points—I gain their abilities.

I can surpass who I was in my previous life as the Predator.

I had made up my mind.

“Time to go monster hunting.”

Ian’s ability: [Solo Leveling][EX].
My ability: [Predation][S+].

Monster hunting, where I could combine both abilities, offered a growth rate far beyond anything physical training could provide.

And now, unlike my previous life, with [Player’s Will][EX]…
I could use [Predation][S+] with no limits.

“Let’s see here…”

I calmly combed through my memories—
Recalling the abilities I’d consumed as the Predator during the war.

And one by one, I began to identify the powers I needed most right now.

“First, hunt Ice Trolls as top priority.”

I needed to evolve [Regeneration][C+].

“I remember something about Nutrient Synthesis being in the north…”

Nutrient Synthesis:
The ability to synthesize all necessary nutrients from calories alone.

With that, I could use [Regeneration][C+] without worrying about nutrition.

And if I combined that with my newly acquired [Toughened Skin][D]?

My entire body would become a self-regenerating, indestructible armor.

“But I still lack offensive power.”

I could wield a sword, but I couldn’t handle Aura yet.
That had been a problem even in my previous life.

But I’d overcome it.

“There was a Heightened Keratin ability in the north too, right?”

Heightened Keratin:
Enhances the body’s keratin production, drastically increasing its density and strength.

This would greatly boost the hardness and toughness of fingernails, toenails, and hair.

With it, fingernails became harder than steel.
Its offensive power surpassed even Aura Blades.

It was no exaggeration to say this skill made me the Predator.
It was my core ability.

And that’s not all.

Abilities that created bio-electricity for attacks.
Abilities that generated poison freely.
Abilities that caused powerful explosions.
Abilities that detected ultrasonic or infrasonic frequencies.
Abilities to see light waves like UV, infrared, and X-rays, and more.

This continent housed countless lifeforms—
And just as many rare evolutionary abilities.

And, who knows… maybe even—

“Could there be Extra Sensory Perception too?”

Commonly known as ESP.

Extra Sensory Perception:
This ability hyper-activates the sensory nerves to perceive enemies through terrain and obstacles.

An absurdly overpowered skill.

Even in my previous life, I’d only heard rumors of a monster possessing it.
I’d never seen one myself.

The Emperor had driven them all to extinction.

But now I’ve come back to the past.

And now, with [Player’s Will][EX], I can use [Predation][S+] as much as I want.

Do I really have time to sit around thinking?

“Let’s get to it.”

I turned and set off—not toward the County—but toward the Snowy Mountains.

Translatin_Otaku

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