The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 38: Monster Legion (Part 1)

Creatures born from wild beasts mutated by the factor of madness—monsters.

Monsters never form legions.

All monsters classified under the monster category inherently possess “madness.”
They retain their primal savagery and reveal it without hesitation.

There are a few monsters said to be docile, but that only means they don’t recognize enemies or attack preemptively.

The reason is simple: to avoid unnecessary battles.
In the wild, injuries are fatal to survival.

They don’t attack because it’s a matter of survival—not because they are friendly to humans.
And not just humans.
They’re not friendly toward other animals either.
They even show aggression toward other monsters.

Therefore, monsters do not form legions.

A Legion refers to a group of various beings, subsumed under a hive mind, commanded by a single leader.

A “Monster Swarm” made up of the same species is possible.
But a “Monster Legion” made up of different species, moving as one massive group, does not exist.

Except for one.

The six Monarchs who serve the Emperor.

‘How can the Monarch of Beasts be here…?’

Except for the Monster Legion led by the Monarch of Beasts.

That’s why…
I wasn’t merely shocked—I was horrified.

Of course, the soldiers might have been mistaken.

They could’ve seen a swarming group of monsters and assumed it was a legion.

But I was certain that wasn’t the case.
Because of the quest notification that appeared before my eyes:

==[We Are the Legion!]==
[Objective] – Defend the County from the Monster Legion.
[Reward] – Increase in Territory Citizen Favorability
[Penalty Upon Refusal] – Fall of the House of Whitewolf.

The quest clearly referred to them as a “Monster Legion.”
And the penalty for refusal was severe.
This suggested that the County’s current strength wasn’t enough to withstand the attack.

Even with Kai and Serapia present.

That meant there was an extremely high chance that the Monarch of Beasts was involved in this quest.

The sudden appearance of the Monarch of Beasts—
At the time, I had no idea the Monarch of Beasts had attacked the County.

But now that I think about it… something was off.

‘Could it be? Was that why the Ice-Drake descended from the summit?’

The reason Ice Drake, who never came down from the summit of the Snowy Mountains, suddenly did.
The reason Demexus, who lives in the snowy peaks, was found near the County.
The reason I first encountered a starving Ice Troll.

And lastly, the reason the monster population in the mountains suddenly decreased.

‘Was it all because of the Monarch of Beasts?’

Only now do the puzzle pieces begin to fit.

And if this truly is the work of the Monarch of Beasts…

‘I can’t win.’

No matter what I did, I wouldn’t be able to clear this quest.

A Monarch’s power is on “another level.”

The Emperor slaughtered indiscriminately those who weren’t citizens of the Empire.
As if he despised life itself, he wiped out all living creatures across the continent.

He bred life only when it was needed.
And when it wasn’t, he culled it.

In that sense, even the Imperial Army was merely a “bred” force to him.
Breeding and butchering.
Any lifeform that faced the Emperor met one of those two fates.

And the six beings that such a mad Emperor did not breed or butcher, but instead “acknowledged”—
They were the Monarchs.
Beings granted sovereign rights and permitted to rule over certain regions of the continent.

Compared to them, the legion commanders I defeated were nothing.
Even the heroes of the Allied Forces couldn’t handle a Monarch.

Serapia was one of those Monarchs.
The Monarch of Frost who ruled the northern continent.

But not now.

The current Serapia, who had returned to the past, was small, weak, and fragile—nothing more than a delicate young woman.

With her current strength, she couldn’t win even if she fought with all she had.
It would be a pointless death.

Even during my past life as a Predator, I couldn’t do anything against the Monarch of Beasts.

And now, my combat strength isn’t even a fraction of what it was back then.

So this emergency quest had to be abandoned.

Here.

I couldn’t die a meaningless death.

Beyond the horizon of the snowy field, an overwhelming and chaotic sight spread out.

Like crashing waves of snow, a white tide surged endlessly forward, swallowing up the entire field of vision.

Huge monsters led the charge, clearing the piled-up snow to make way.
Following them, smaller monsters scattered in all directions, charging forward at a frenzied pace.

The Monster Legion moved as if it were one colossal organism.

Countless claws trampled the snowfields.
The ground quaked under their weight, echoing loudly across the frozen land.

Kruuuoooooooh—!!

Roars and booming cries erupted from every direction, vibrating the frigid air.

Atop the high walls guarding the House of Whitewolf’s County,
Serapia instinctively took a step back.

“G-Good heavens!!”

…This was unmanageable.
Serapia knew the moment she laid eyes on it.

With all the monsters from the mountains and snowy fields gathered into that legion,
There was no way the County would survive.

Serapia bit down hard on her lower lip.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, mentally steeling herself.

And when she opened them again…

Her crimson eyes had turned pure white.
Kiiiiiiing—!
A sharp sound rang out as icy-blue frost lines burst from her entire body.

As they spread wildly, ready to engulf everything—

“It must not be used.”

Kai dashed in like a bolt of lightning and stopped Serapia.
The creeping frost lines retracted and returned to Serapia’s body.

Only after confirming the frost had fully dissipated did Kai speak.

“You mustn’t use your power.”
“But—!”
“Please trust me and the soldiers.”

At Kai’s words, the soldiers behind them nodded heavily.

A sense of resolve emanated from them—as if they were prepared to die.

And that resolve wasn’t just for Serapia.
It was for their families, friends, and lovers living in the County.

The soldiers were prepared to give their lives to protect them.

Serapia bit down hard on her lip again, almost unconsciously.

“…Understood.”

Only after Serapia gave her reply did Kai turn around.
The soldiers followed him, gripping their weapons tightly.

Even at that moment, the Monster Legion was drawing closer.

KWEHHHHHH—!!

Beast-like howls and disordered roars mixed together,
The bloodcurdling noise creeping closer, signaling the battle’s imminent start.

Huff… huff…
The soldiers’ breaths grew ragged.

They were ready to die—but facing that monstrous threat still required immense courage to overcome fear.

And from their determination, Serapia reaffirmed her own resolve.

If things got truly dangerous, she would not hesitate to use her power.
Not because she didn’t trust Kai or the soldiers—

Serapia was no different.

If it meant protecting the people of the County, Serapia was ready to lay down her life.

In the blink of an eye, the monsters had closed in.

At the front of the charge was Rex, the fastest among all creatures in the Snowy Mountains.

Baring his massive fangs and claws, Rex charged in a frenzy, followed by a horde of monsters surging forward in a mass.

The monsters shoved past each other’s backs and shoulders, endlessly advancing toward the walls of the County.

“Full formation—prepare for combat!!!”

At Kai’s thunderous command, the soldiers on the wall grit their teeth hard.

“Bring it on, you bastards!!”

“As long as I’m alive, you’ll never breach these walls!!”

Each shouted to overcome their fear.

But they couldn’t completely shake off the dread festering deep inside.

Can we even survive this?

That despair began to spread—until it happened.

“Move aside.”

A single motion streaked past Serapia and the soldiers’ eyes.

Translatin_Otaku

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