The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 48: The Commander of Beasts (2) (Part 1)

A night of deep darkness blanketed the Snowy Mountains.

In the darkness where even the moonlight hid behind the clouds, Kai and the lycanthrope clashed.

Kaang—!

Sparks burst as metal struck metal.
Kai’s sword, cloaked in Aura.
But it failed to cut through the lycanthrope’s claws.

The sparks briefly pushed the darkness away.
Within that moment, the lycanthrope’s two eyes gleamed red.

The eyes were filled with the savagery of a beast and the pure killing intent of a monster.

‘Danger!’

Instinct screamed a warning, and Kai quickly pulled back.
Chwaaak—!
At the same time, the lycanthrope’s ferocious claws tore through the space Kai had just been in.

Kai involuntarily swallowed.

Had he not dodged that attack just now, both he and his sword—despite being cloaked in Aura—would’ve been shredded.

Incredibly nimble. Astonishingly strong.
Was Adrian really fighting this frenzied beast alone?

Kai steadied his breathing and adjusted his grip on the sword.
At that moment, the lycanthrope’s claws tore into the ground as it surged forward, closing the distance in an instant.

Over 6 meters tall.
Muscles tightly packed into that hulking frame.
Razor claws swung with deadly precision—without a sound.

But Kai’s sword had already moved.

The lycanthrope’s right arm was slashed. Not a fatal wound.
But it wasn’t meaningless either.

The lycanthrope’s arm muscles trembled. The trajectory of the claw strike wavered.
Kai slipped into that fleeting opening.

Kwaaang!

An explosion rang out where sword and claw collided.
There was no more metallic ringing.
Each clash of Kai’s Aura-wrapped sword and the lycanthrope’s claws was a killing blow.

The wounds they dealt to each other no longer held equal weight.
Kai’s sword strikes danced like madness—Dance of Fangs.

Bang! Kwa-kwaang!

Sword and claws collided repeatedly. Neither side yielded.
The lycanthrope stepped forward.
Kai stepped back.

Gaining the upper hand, the lycanthrope aimed its claws at Kai’s side.
As he twisted to dodge, Kai’s body froze.

Serapia, strapped to his back.
Dodging now would put her in danger.

He had to protect her.
Even if it cost his life.

He didn’t expect anyone to understand.
Since when did one need understanding to follow their heart?

Chwaak—!

Kai’s side was ripped open.
Blood gushed out in torrents.
If he had worn armor, it might’ve softened the blow,
But he had discarded it for the sake of his disguise.

In other words—it was a critical wound.
So severe the fight should’ve ended then and there.

But Kai didn’t fall.

A power gained from reaching the level of a Master: Immortal.

But Immortal wasn’t a regeneration or healing ability.
It simply made wounds non-fatal.
A byproduct of agelessness, allowing his life force to continue indefinitely.

As long as his Aura didn’t run dry.

And it didn’t mean he couldn’t feel pain.
The sheer agony was tearing through Kai’s mind.

But the soft heartbeat of Serapia on his back—
The peaceful, rhythmic breaths she exhaled—

That gave Kai deep tranquility.

With a composed expression, he readjusted his grip.

Swaeek—!
He swung his sword. The edge was dulled.

At its core, swordsmanship is about cutting and thrusting.

The continent’s advanced sword styles all build on how well and efficiently one can use those two basics.

Some wield lightning-fast blades.
Others, blades as unyielding as stone.
Some as scorching as the sun.
And others, fluid as water.

Kai took inspiration from the hunting style of wolves.

First strike—disturb the lycanthrope’s defense.
Second—create an opening with a side slash.
Then the third.

Wolf Swordsmanship – Form 2: Claw of the Moonlight.

A rapid series of slashes like a wolf’s flurry of attacks.
The lycanthrope recoiled, bleeding.
It growled, glaring warily at Kai.

And yet—the wounds were already healing.

Lycanthropes possessed immense regenerative power.
Typical wounds had little to no effect.

In other words, “wounds” alone weren’t enough.

Kai swallowed a breath—and dashed forward.

Mimicking the moment a wolf pounces on its prey.
A fast, powerful thrust to pierce through defense and land a critical blow.

Wolf Swordsmanship – Form 3: Crimson Moon Strike.

Kai became a blood-soaked wolf tearing into the lycanthrope.

Hunting the Legion—no, replenishing nutrition —wasn’t difficult.

Unlike the lycanthrope, the Legion monsters couldn’t break through my Toughened Skin [B].

And just like the lycanthrope, the Legion monsters’ hides tore like paper against my Dragon’s Claw [A].

Lastly, the title .
All Legion monsters facing me were suffering from -15% debuff in all stats.

I stuffed torn flesh into my mouth from all directions.
Quenched my thirst with the blood that sprayed everywhere.

◆ Usable Calories – 100,000 Kcal

I easily hit the max 100,000 calories in an instant.

◆ You have leveled up!

An extra level up was just a bonus.

And then—

I saw Kai relentlessly pressing the lycanthrope.

Even with his side torn open, Kai was fighting furiously.
The lycanthrope couldn’t bring him down.
In fact, it was being pushed back.

The truth is, there was one reason I brought Kai on this mission.
His role was to be the “hunting dog.”

But being a hunting dog wasn’t just about being good at hunting.

The role of the hunting dog isn’t the hunt.
It’s to track the prey and pin it down until the hunter arrives.
To wear the prey out.

Thus, two virtues are critical for a hunting dog:

Patience and endurance.
Until the hunter gives the order, the prey must not be attacked.
Only restrained.

If it barks madly, charges recklessly, and gets killed?

That dog is unfit to be a hunting dog.

By that measure—

Kai was completely unqualified to be one.

Rather than holding the lycanthrope back, he was driving it to the edge.

Kai was never a hunting dog.

Military Dog.

Unlike hunting dogs, military dogs support operations and kill enemies.

Kai’s sharp blade severed the lycanthrope’s left arm.

Translatin_Otaku

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