The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 20: The Master of the Snowy Mountains (1) (Part 1)

A contradictory sensation, mixing terror and exhilaration.
They tangled into one and struck my mind with staggering force.
Terror surged from deep within my instincts, making my breath short.
My heart pounded like it was about to explode.
Blood raced through every vein in my body.

My nerves sharpened, my senses heightened.
And yet, amidst it all, a strange thrill blossomed.

I was clearly feeling the fear of death.
And yet a jolt of ecstasy ran through me as if electricity coursed through my body.
Even within the fear, a sense of satisfaction mingled.

My instincts were screaming warnings nonstop,
But a stronger desire to overcome this crisis drowned out all fear.

Unrestrained excitement.

It was then—

◆ Sudden Quest [So You’re That Strong?! Follow Me to the Snowy Mountains!] has begun.

==[So You’re That Strong?! Follow Me to the Snowy Mountains!]==
[Objective] – Survive against the Ice-Drake.
[Reward] – Unlock Titles
[Failure] – Death.

A translucent message suddenly appeared before my eyes.
It was a “Sudden” quest—different from the Tutorial, Main, or Favorability ones.

Just as the name suggests, this was an unexpected quest.

A quest merely sets the direction.

Whether I choose to run away from the Ice-Drake and survive…
Or fight and survive…

The method of achieving the goal isn’t defined.
That choice belongs solely to me.

And the consequences of that choice?
Also mine alone.

But this time… things were different.
The choices were practically forced.

Now that I had encountered the Ice-Drake, the option to “run away” was gone.

That hunger directed at me—
There was no escaping from the Ice-Drake.

In that case… I had to fight.

As I refocused, the Ice-Drake stared right at me.
Its yellow eyes, like those of a reptile, slowly rolled.

But the Ice-Drake didn’t charge me recklessly.

It wasn’t trying to measure my strength.
Nor was it assessing whether I was prey worth hunting.

As the so-called Master of the Snowy Mountains, the Ice-Drake had no natural predators here.

Which meant—

It was merely toying with me.
Amused. Curious.

In a flash—

Crack!

The Ice-Drake kicked off the snowy ground.
Ridiculous speed.
…Too late to react.
No—I couldn’t react.

Crunch!

A chilling sound, and my entire right arm was bitten off.
Even [Toughened Skin][D] couldn’t resist.
It was unsalvageable.

I changed plans instantly and clenched my left fist.
In exchange for my right arm, I struck the Ice-Drake’s torso.

Bang—!
A deafening impact echoed like hitting a thick sheet of steel.
The Ice-Drake staggered.

I quickly retreated, using that brief opening.

The Ice-Drake didn’t follow.
It seemed the blow had rattled it more than expected.

My Strength stat was a whopping 22.
The power of 22 adult men was enough to land a meaningful hit on the Ice-Drake.

But the cost was severe.

The bones in my left fist were crushed.
My right arm had been completely torn off.

The empty space where my right arm used to be…
It reminded me of Ian.
…Except Ian had lost his left arm.

No, this wasn’t the time for such random thoughts.

Blood was gushing from the torn limb.
The pain was maddening, clouding my mind.

“Grrraaah…!!”

I grit my teeth and swallowed the pain. That’s when—

◆ Temporarily blocking sensory nerves.

A translucent message popped up, and the searing pain disappeared at once.
My reeling mind snapped back. I immediately activated a skill.

◆ Skill ‘Regeneration [B-]’ can restore damaged body parts.
◆ Required Nutrients – Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Vitamins, Phosphorus, Iron, Sulfur, Magnesium…

The list of required nutrients was endless.
Well, I had lost an entire arm, after all.

Still—it was fine.

◆ Skill ‘Nutrient Synthesis [C+]’ can synthesize all necessary nutrients.
◆ Surplus Calories – 230 kcal

With the enhanced [C+] grade Nutrient Synthesis,
I could generate every nutrient needed to reconstruct my body.
The only problem was the lack of calories.

But even that wasn’t a dealbreaker.

◆ Retrieving ‘Alacron’s Flesh’ from inventory.

I pulled out the chunk of Alacron’s meat I had saved and chomped it down.
I had spent the past two weeks steadily stockpiling it by hunting monsters.

Plenty of nutrients.

Gulp.

As the meat slid down my throat, my bitten arm regenerated in an instant.
Even my crushed left fist was restored.

With [B-] rank Regeneration, both the efficiency and speed of healing had drastically increased.

Grkh?

The Ice-Drake trembled in confusion.
It had thought I was human.

But now it was wondering… ‘Is he a troll?’—
That kind of regeneration rivaled even the Ice Trolls.

Yet, my appearance was too different from a troll’s.

Grhrk?!

Its expression twisted in grotesque disbelief,
like it was seeing a creature for the first time.

I grabbed my sword with my fully regenerated hand.

I had a fighting chance.

“Go on. Try biting again.”

Give up the bone, and take the flesh.

Boom! Boom-boom!

Explosions rang out, drawing Kai and the soldiers’ attention.

The thunderous blasts shook the entire mountain.

The shockwaves shattered the snowy calm, and avalanches began to form at the peaks.

At first, it was just a quiet shift.
Then it grew—fast and heavy.

Massive snow and ice masses tumbled down the mountain—

Kugugugugung…!

A brutal roar thundered through the range.
White snow blotted out the sky.

A wall of snow surged forward—
As if an ocean had exploded, swallowing everything in its path.

“W-Whoa!!”
“Everyone, brace yourselves!”

The soldiers panicked, unable to keep their footing from the quaking earth—
collapsing one after another.

The avalanche barreled down, crushing rocks and charging straight toward the soldiers.

At this rate, they’d all die.

Kai shouted like a thunderclap.

“All troops! Get behind me!!”

Translatin_Otaku

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