The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 17: Hunt (2) (Part 1)

Kai headed to the Trial Grounds of Frost as usual today.

His entire body still felt unbearably heavy since the running competition with Adrian.
It had already been a week, but the aftermath had yet to fade.

Rest was a part of training, too.
He should’ve taken it easy—but he simply couldn’t sit still.

Adrian’s growth was no joke.
Calling it explosive wasn’t even an exaggeration.

And in about two and a half months, the royal decree would be issued.

When that time came, Kai would have to kill Adrian.
No—he must kill him.
But there was no way of knowing what Adrian might become by then.

He had already changed so drastically in just over ten days.
It was impossible to imagine what he’d turn into after seventy.

That’s why Kai couldn’t afford to stay idle.
If he wanted to ensure Adrian’s death, he too had to keep training without pause.

Dragging his heavy body, Kai picked up the pace toward the Trial Grounds of Frost.

Upon arriving—

—he immediately sensed something was off.
Contrary to the heated energy he expected from a training ground, the place was ice-cold.

The soldiers and instructors were all visibly tense.

Kai glanced around and quickly understood why.

There was an unexpected guest at the training grounds.
A woman with dreamy silver hair that shimmered as if soaked in moonlight.

“Oh! Sir Kai!”

It was Serapia, who came skipping over to him.
Kai tilted his head instinctively.

“What brings you to the Trial Grounds of Frost?”

“Well, um…”

Serapia gave an awkward smile and spoke again.

“I was thinking of doing some exercise.”

“…Excuse me?”

Kai’s face and expression went blank, as if his brain had short-circuited.

Serapia? Exercising?

That was somehow even more shocking than Adrian working out.
Slight exaggeration—on par with Adrian chewing out Demexus’s heart.

Being born under the Curse of Frost, her weak constitution was only part of it.
She was currently handling the full administrative workload of the County.

Technically, the Chief Steward, Bernard, served as the acting lord,
but in reality, it was Serapia who was managing everything.

In other words—she had no time.
One look at the dark circles under her eyes made that painfully clear.

“But… I don’t really know what I should be doing.”

Serapia lowered her head slightly.
She rubbed her left shoulder with her right hand, glancing around nervously.

Kai looked around the training grounds.

There were plenty of soldiers undergoing training,
and several instructors who supervised them every day.

Yet not a single one dared approach her.
All stood frozen in place, at rigid attention.

It was only natural—Serapia was the de facto Lord of the House of Whitewolf.

Though the royal decree hadn’t officially recognized her, it was only a matter of time.

To the soldiers, this was no different than the Supreme Commander inspecting the troops.
That’s why they were all so paralyzed.

But Kai—Kai was her sworn knight.

Even if the whole world turned its back on her, he had vowed to remain by her side.

Kai turned back to Serapia and said,

“I’ll teach you.”

“Ah! Really?”

Serapia’s eyes sparkled.
Her ruby-red gaze, paired with her bright smile, shone like a gem.

“Then… may I ask for your help?”

“You don’t even need to ask. You can order me if you’d like.”

Kai moved calmly.
He couldn’t bring himself to ignore that face filled with hopeful anticipation.

He began tidying up the equipment scattered across the ground.

Since she was a beginner, they’d start with the lightest exercises.
And given how frail Serapia was, he had to be especially careful.

“Um, Sir Kai?”

He looked up at her voice.
Serapia was glancing around again, searching for someone.

As expected, she asked:

“Has my brother not come yet?”

She turned her head again, still scanning the area—
like a baby bird looking for its mother.

“I heard he works out here every day…”

Disappointment had already settled over her face.

Kai’s eyes drifted to the pale nape of her neck.
There was still a bruise shaped like a handprint.

It had faded since the first time he saw it—
but it was still unmistakably there.

“…He’ll be back soon.”

Kai didn’t let any emotion show.

A week had passed since the hunt began in the Snowy Mountains.

Only after that time did he finally encounter the prey he had searched so desperately for.

Roughly two meters tall.
Bulging muscles and brutish eyes.

An Ice Troll.

The Ice Troll didn’t growl or roar.
But the drool dripping from its mouth said enough—
It had already recognized him as prey.

Ice Trolls weren’t monsters that let prey escape.
No monster, in fact, could be described as gentle.

Its eyes glinted ominously.
From that gaze, he read its emotion: hunger.
Which quickly twisted into savagery.

It charged in a flash.

He reached instinctively toward his waist—going for his rapier—
Then paused mid-motion.

The Ice Troll’s weak point was its heart.

Just like before, stabbing its heart would guarantee a clean kill.

Unlike Demexus, the Ice Troll’s hide wasn’t that tough.
Even someone who couldn’t wield Aura (오러) like him could pierce through it.

But—

‘The heart will be damaged again.’

If the heart was damaged, the genetic material he could extract would be reduced.
A fully destroyed heart would yield nothing.

Ice Trolls were rare monsters.
A mutated species of troll that lived only in the northern Snowy Mountains.
Even with a week of searching, he’d only found this one.

Who knew when he’d find another?

He couldn’t afford to mess this up again.
Last time, he knew it too—but he had no choice.
If he hadn’t aimed for the heart, he would’ve died.

But now was different.

Ten days of training had strengthened him.
Seven days of hunting had evolved him.

He could see the Ice Troll’s movement clearly.
Its massive fist came barreling toward him.

Trying to meet that head-on?
A foolish idea.

But—

He didn’t dodge the incoming fist.
He countered it.
BANG—!

When my fist collided with the Ice Troll’s, CRACK!—mine was the first to shatter.

My Strength is much higher than before.
But compared to an Ice Troll, I’m still lacking.
Even so, I could deal some damage.

Crunch!

Translatin_Otaku

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