The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 60: Homunculus (Part 2)

More precise than the Battle-Type itself—
That was Kai, grown immensely since the battle with the Lycanthrope.

But one problem—

Unlike Clone-Types, Battle-Type homunculi don’t share human weaknesses.

Despite being decapitated, they didn’t fall.
Even headless, they kept fighting.

“D-Dullahan?!”
“Gyaah!”

The Count’s soldiers flinched in horror.
Even Kai was visibly rattled.

Only I remained calm.

I opened my [Player Info] window and invested the +3 stat points gained from my level-up entirely into Agility.

By then, the oil had fully digested, calories stored within me.

◆ Using Combo Skill: [Metabolic Overdrive U]!
◆ Calorie Consumption – 50,000 Kcal
◆ All Player Stats increase by [+50%] for [500 seconds]!

Endocrine system in overdrive.
Nervous system hypersensitized.

With [Metabolic Overdrive U], my Agility now stood at 103.35.

◆ Using Derived Skill: [Find Weakness U]!

I identified the homunculus’s weak point at a glance and launched myself forward.

Benneron soldiers, still fighting without their heads.

“……!!”

Just then, a massive gust of wind swept past Kai.

Movement nearly equal to a Lycanthrope—
Even a Master’s perception could barely track it.

But it wasn’t a Lycanthrope.

It was a black wolf.

Crack—!

Adrian.

Adrian ripped through an enemy soldier’s armor with raw, primal force.
Blood gushed from the torn gaps.

Even then, Adrian was already calculating his next move.

Without giving the soldiers time to regroup, he launched toward his next target.

Precision lethality.
Merciless instinct.

Each time Adrian’s red eyes flared, a Benneron soldier fell.

Finally, the enemy soldiers regrouped into formation.
As if trained solely for slaughter, they moved to surround Adrian.

Clang! Clink!

Swords swung from every direction, about to shred him.

Kai leapt to act.
Adrian didn’t dodge.

As if tracking every slash, Adrian’s red eyes darted.
Then—he stepped forward.

Into the eye of the storm—

Boom!

A thunderous shockwave.

The formation shattered.

Kai dove into the opening, breaking their line again.
Adrian deliberately took non-lethal hits, disrupting their coordination.
Kai slipped into the gaps—

“Aim above the navel.”

Shraaack—!

One soldier’s life ended instantly.

A pair of wolves, butchering the flock.

“What the hell are they…?”
“H-Heavens…”

The Count’s soldiers were stunned.

They knew how powerful Benneron’s soldiers were—
Each one comparable to an Aura Knight.

And yet—

They were helpless.

One by one, they fell to Adrian and Kai’s teamwork.

Before long—

A crimson silence fell over the field.

Only Adrian and Kai stood, backs to each other, breathing heavily.

Adrian slowly lowered his bloodstained claws.
Kai, however, did not lower his blade.

“What exactly are you thinking?”
Kai asked quietly.

A sudden question from Kai.
Surprisingly calm.

I expected him to lash out, but he didn’t.

‘Maybe because his Affection stat toward me is now Friendly?’

That might be part of it.
But the bigger reason was surely—

He’d seen it with his own eyes.
Benneron’s soldiers, fighting even without heads.

No explanation needed.
They weren’t normal.

So Kai’s question was simple.

“If the royal family hears about this, they won’t let it go.”

In other words—what now?

If I could prove Altheron was a homunculus, we’d be fine.
But unlike the others, Altheron was a Clone-Type homunculus.

A perfect imitation of the original.

Unfortunately, I had no way to prove it.

But—

“The plan is simple.”

Not that I had no plan.

It wasn’t blind action on my part.

“Altheron got lost wandering the Snowy Mountains on his way to the County… and was killed by monsters. That’s the plan.”

In other words—

“We never met Altheron.”

Destroy the evidence. Play dumb.
Without proof, what can the royal family do?

“……”
“……”

The soldiers fell silent.
They had a lot to say, but no solid objections.

“Still, you won’t fool Viscount Benneron.”

Only Kai voiced cold opposition.

“That’s true.”

I agreed.

And in my view, Viscount Benneron was likely a homunculus too.

Which meant—

“We strike first, before he grasps the situation.”

The soldiers collectively lost their minds.

“…W-What?”
“Strike first?”
“Are you saying… we go to war?”

They couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Their faces said it all: “Did this lunatic really just say that?”

“I’ll ready the soldiers.”

Only Kai accepted the order without question.

He looked composed, like he was calmly thinking things through—

But no.

What I saw in Kai was seething rage and hatred.

All aimed at House Benneron—for what they did to Serapia.

Let me repeat:

Kai is the kind of madman who would declare anyone an enemy for Serapia’s sake.

“No. Bringing soldiers will slow us down. This operation depends on speed and stealth.”

We had to move before Avarus caught wind of this.
And to maintain plausible deniability, we had to remain hidden.

‘I’d rather go alone, but…’

If I run into Avarus, I can’t handle him by myself.

So—

“This mission is for you and me, Kai. Just us. The soldiers will stay back and defend the County. Bernard.”
“…Yes, sir?”

Startled, Bernard snapped to attention.

His face pale, likely from the stress.

“While we’re gone, you command the County.”
“…Y-Yes, understood.”

Bernard quickly nodded and began organizing the troops.

He’d looked dazed, but he was competent.
There’s a reason his father made him Chief Steward at such a young—

“Ugh—!”

—age.

Probably.

Anyway—

“Kai, we’re attacking Viscount Benneron’s territory. Right now.”
“Right now?”
“Obviously.”
“But this is so sudden—”
“Didn’t you know?”

Maybe in this life, he hadn’t experienced war yet.

◆ Sudden Quest: [An Ambush Is Always Sudden!] has begun.

“An ambush is always sudden.”

Translatin_Otaku

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