The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 39: The Predator’s Method (1)

The apex of all living beings—
The Ultimate Lifeform.

Ian had laid out the conditions for me to become one:

“It’s not enough to simply acquire a creature’s abilities—you must surpass them.”

However, the ability of Predation [S+] merely absorbed a creature’s genetic traits.
It didn’t cause mutations or grant power beyond the original.

In other words, it only allowed me to get close to what the creature had—
but never exceed it.

And in my previous life, I couldn’t even control the madness that came with Predation.

I was never able to fully absorb a single creature’s abilities.
Most of the powers I gained back then were degraded versions.

Yet even with those degraded abilities, I had surpassed the original capabilities and limits of the creatures I absorbed.

How was that possible?
It was all thanks to this:

◆ Activating Combination Skill: Metabolic Overdrive [U] ◆

Combination Skill—
As the name implies, it’s a skill formed by “combining” other skills and abilities I possess.

Its grade: [U] for Unique.
A one-of-a-kind ability that exists nowhere else in this world.

And there’s a reason for that—
Such a power simply shouldn’t exist. More precisely, it can’t exist.

Metabolic Overdrive [U] is the result of merging three distinct abilities:

• Promote Metabolism [D] — from Rex
• Regeneration [B-] — from the Ice Troll
• Nutrient Synthesis [B-] — from Alacron

These were three entirely separate monsters with incompatible skills.
But I combined them into one unified skill.

Here’s how it works:

Promote Metabolism [D] stimulates the endocrine system to drastically increase metabolic rate.
In return, Strength decreases, but Agility and Stamina significantly increase.
This was Rex’s ability.

The reduction in Strength was a strategy for survival in the harsh, food-scarce Snowy Mountains, where energy had to be conserved.

But what if nutrients were supplied abundantly?
There would be no need to reduce Strength at all.

Furthermore, even Promote Metabolism [D] had limitations—
Excessive stimulation of the endocrine system could cause irreversible damage.

The endocrine system governs hormone secretion.
Once damaged, it cannot be healed naturally.

So Rex had evolved to never exceed a certain metabolic limit.

But I’m different.
Because I have Regeneration [B-].

Even if my organs are damaged, I can heal them.
There’s no need to restrict my metabolic output.

Using Nutrient Synthesis [B-], I can override the metabolic limits of Promote Metabolism [D], and forcibly drive my body into overdrive.
Any damage to my organs? I heal it instantly with Regeneration.

◆ Combination Skill: Metabolic Overdrive [U]

When activated, the player’s endocrine system enters [Overdrive] mode.
The biological limit of metabolic output is removed.
For every 100 Kcal consumed, all stats increase by [0.1%] for that duration in seconds.

<This skill is a combination of Nutrient Synthesis [B-], Promote Metabolism [D], and Regeneration [B-].>

I could now boost my stats freely depending on the calories I consumed.

And I had already stored up 1,350,000 Kcal worth of fat.

◆ Usable Calories – 100,000 Kcal

Unfortunately, my current body could only store 100,000 Kcal.
My storage system wasn’t capable of holding more than that yet.

So for now, it was an incomplete skill.

Still, as I evolve further or fuse it with new abilities, it holds limitless potential for future growth.

Out of the 100,000 Kcal I had stored,
I burned 50,000 Kcal in one go.

◆ Activating Combination Skill: Metabolic Overdrive [U]
◆ Calories Consumed – 50,000 Kcal
◆ All stats increased by +50% for 500 seconds ◆

Thump!!

Hormones surged through my system.
My nerves sharpened to the extreme.

My muscles, flooded with energy, contracted tighter and more efficiently.
My senses sharpened—
Nothing could escape my awareness.

But then my endocrine organs suddenly ruptured,
and nerve cells between synapses were torn to shreds.

Yet within a split second—
they were restored.
Organs healed. Nerves reconnected.
The pain? Suppressed by blocking my sensory nerves.

==「Player Information」==

[Name] = Adrian Whitewolf
[Title] = Master of the Snowy Mountains
[Level] = 28
[HP] = 3,100
[MP] = 0
[Stats] =

• Strength: 43.5 (+19.5)
• Agility: 42 (+19)
• Stamina: 31.5 (+15.5)
• Mana Force: 6 (+5)
  [EXP] = 34.7%

With the effects of my title combined with the stat boost,
It was equivalent to having leveled up over 62 times.
An explosive surge in raw stats.

“The hunt begins.”

My body shot forward like lightning.

To be honest—

Kai thought Adrian had gone insane.

The way he leapt into a monster legion without hesitation…

“Hahahahahaha!!”

That manic laughter in front of a horde of monsters—
was proof enough.

Kai’s blue eyes watched Adrian standing beneath the outer wall,
facing down a legion of monsters.

And Adrian didn’t show a shred of fear.

“No one interfere.”

In fact—he was enjoying it.

As if declaring,

“This prey is mine. Touch it and you’ll regret it.”

Kai was sure.
Adrian had lost it.

But what came next—
forced Kai to reconsider.

Adrian’s body swelled unnaturally,
his veins bulging grotesquely from his skin.

It was as if some monstrous instinct,
buried deep within Adrian,
had finally taken form.

What Kai saw wasn’t fear.

It wasn’t terror.

It was something far more dangerous.

Adrian was not trembling with fear.

It was the hunting instinct of a Predator.

It surfaced—right then.

Crack!

Adrian’s figure vanished in an instant.

And the next moment, he appeared in the middle of the monster legion.

It was reckless.

But Kai wasn’t struck by how reckless it was. What came to his mind first was—how.

‘When did he…?’

…He’d lost track of Adrian’s movement.

Kai hadn’t taken his eyes off Adrian for even a second.

And yet, he missed it.

He could only vaguely register that Adrian had moved.

……This is different.

This was on a whole other level from the Ice Drake.

If Adrian back then had been a hunter, then the Adrian now was—

A Predator.

Adrian stood in the very heart of the monster legion.

Surrounded on all sides, there seemed to be no path of escape.

……There are too many.

Adrian couldn’t handle this alone.

This was by no means something one could resolve solo.

I have to help.

Kai gripped his sword, ready to leap in—and that was when it happened.

“Don’t interfere!!”

Adrian shouted.

Kai’s movement froze mid-action.

He didn’t understand why. It was just like back then.

During the Ice Drake subjugation, when Adrian gave a command and Kai’s body responded on its own.

Now, too, Kai couldn’t move—as if bound by an absolute order.

And Adrian stood, encircled by monsters.

Blocked on all sides, there appeared to be no way out. Only death seemed to await him.

But even so—

Adrian’s eyes did not tremble in fear.

His crimson pupils darted about rapidly, targeting the monsters that filled his vision, like a predator locking in on prey. The instinct to hunt was stretched taut.

His breathing was cold and calm.

But inside that calm—was joy. Ecstasy.

Fragments of unknowable emotions boiled up within him.

Kuwaaaah—!!!

Monsters from every direction surged toward Adrian like a crashing wave.

Just as Rex’s claw came down to strike—

Adrian dodged it with speed far exceeding that of Rex.

Kai’s eyes widened.

The soldiers still hadn’t grasped what was happening.

Adrian bent his knees and shot upward.

A counterattack followed immediately—without a single wasted motion.

Adrian’s razor-sharp claws, before anyone realized it, had already torn open Rex’s chest.

Splatter—!

Before they knew it, Adrian was gripping Rex’s heart in his hand.

“W-What the hell!!”

“No way!”

Only then did the soldiers begin to comprehend the situation, gasping in shock.

Serapia’s crimson eyes also wavered violently.

But Adrian—without hesitation—shoved the heart into his mouth.

Kieeeeehhk—!!

The enraged howls of the monsters echoed through the heavens.

Within them burst an uncontrollable frenzy to tear Adrian’s flesh apart and devour him.

That blood-red madness caused several of the soldiers to collapse on the spot.

Even those still standing trembled uncontrollably.

But even in that moment—

Adrian’s gaze remained cold.

He exploded forward, charging headlong into the horde.

Every time Adrian swung his arm, the monsters’ hides tore like paper. Flesh split, bones shattered, and blood drenched the battlefield.

Each movement was sharp and precise.

His power and speed blended in perfect harmony with each attack.

A black wolf weaving through a herd of sheep.

Adrian’s combat style was the fusion of a beast’s savagery and human finesse—an art form.

Before long, the area around Adrian was dyed completely red with monster blood.

The ground was littered with corpses and mangled remains.

And yet, the number of monsters remained overwhelming.

And yet, Adrian’s movements never wavered.

His breaths were heavy, but his eyes continued scanning—hunting for the next prey.

A battlefield of madness and destruction.

And within it, Adrian was hungrier than the monsters themselves.

◆ You have slain Alacron!
◆ You have slain Demexus!
◆ You have slain Alacron!
◆ You have slain Alacron!
◆ You have slain Demexus!
◆ You have slain Rex!
.
.
.

Lines of translucent text filled his vision in black.

Alongside them, a flood of messages indicating increased battle EXP scrolled by.

◆ You have leveled up!

Now and then, messages about level-ups popped up.

Normally, there were limits to how much EXP one could gain from hunting alone—but the horde of monsters pouring in was so massive, it easily ignored that limit.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

◆ You have devoured additional genetic material from Demexus!
◆ The skill [Toughened Skin][D+] has been upgraded to [Toughened Skin][C]!

The more I fought, the more I evolved and grew stronger.

And thanks to continuous Predation [S+], my [Toughened Skin] skill had jumped two whole tiers in an instant.

Thanks to that, I now had access to a new fusion skill I couldn’t previously combine due to the low grade of [Toughened Skin].

◆ You have acquired the fusion skill [Dragon’s Skin][U]!

Translatin_Otaku

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