The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring - M.L.U.B.D Chapter 14 (Part 2):

The Hwarang prospects were no pushovers.

All of them were armed with [Rare] grade equipment or higher, and their traits and skills were powerful.

Even with my stats boosted through [Devour], the gap was partially closed by their superior gear.

But.

“Urgh…”

“Cough.”

Five minutes later, the only Hwarang prospect still standing was Park Jong-won.

The magic-type players had long since fainted.

The other two were barely conscious, completely incapacitated.

“H-How… how do you fight so well?”

The spear-wielding player muttered in a strained, almost screaming voice.

Fair enough.

I’m used to fighting multiple opponents.

Thanks to [Devour]’s penalty.

The effect that reduces monster corpses to zero value forced me to go solo.

“It’s not over yet.”

The only player still standing on two feet, Park Jong-won.

He swung his sword desperately.

[Sharp Claws activated.]

The hooked claws extending outward caught the blade of his longsword.

*Skree—* The tips of my claws were slightly chipped.

Unique items really are something else.

I infused mana into my claws to hold out.

Even with mana reinforcement, they’d last maybe two seconds longer.

That’s enough.

At the same time, I stepped forward, closing the distance to Park Jong-won’s inner range.

A distance where neither of us could swing our arms freely.

In this situation, I, clad in [Spiked Armor], could deal one-sided damage.

“Have you danced in a club before?”

Just swaying my body side to side chipped away at Park Jong-won’s armor.

“D-Damn it!”

Park Jong-won’s panic was palpable.

Probably his first time in a situation like this.

It’s all experience that’ll make you stronger.

“My mana’s drained, I can’t help Player Park Jong-won anymore.”

The support player wore a tearful expression.

After using recovery and shields a few times, their mana had run dry, and they’d given up.

Meanwhile, I was still brimming with energy.

Even without [Devour], my stamina and mana showed no signs of depleting.

All thanks to [Blessing of the Earth Mother].

As long as my feet touched the ground, my stamina and health recovery rates soared—a divine power!

The skill [Dragon’s Heart], obtained from the Dragonfang Soldier, also played a part.

Even after using multiple skills, my mana barely dipped.

“Grr—ah!”

Park Jong-won gritted his teeth, trying to push me back.

When he overexerted himself to shove me, I lowered my stance and tripped his leg.

“Wha—?!”

Park Jong-won lost his balance and fell.

An exposed vulnerability.

I placed my foot on the chest of the now-defenseless Park Jong-won.

“If you want to have a ‘body conversation,’ you need to level up a bit more.”

“Urgh…”

Park Jong-won’s eyes reddened.

The bulging veins showed how frustrated he was.

I like his grit.

But at this rate, it’ll be hard to break his stubbornness.

If I let him go now, he’ll probably come back later, aiming for first place again.

Hmm, no choice then.

Dying in the tutorial doesn’t lead to actual death.

Not in 2025, anyway.

So why hesitate?

Because a death in the tutorial strips you of your player privileges.

It’s like winning the lottery but missing the claim deadline.

Better to crush future problems now.
Don’t blame me—you brought this on yourself.

As I aimed [Mighty Strike] at Park Jong-won’s head—

“Skreee—!!”

A piercing screech, sharp enough to tear eardrums, echoed through the mountainside.

“W-What’s that sound?!”

“Why is a monster that should be at Emirite Mountain’s peak…!”

The conscious Hwarang rookies pointed at the sky in panic.

Their trembling fingers.

At the end of them, a red eagle glared down at us.

Talon Flame.

The apex predator reigning over Emirite Mountain.

* * *

Talon Flame was a rare species, like Deep Slime or Wolf King Seorin.

In other words, defeating it would yield a full essence!

“I was just thinking about hunting it. Good thing it came to me.”

I licked my lips with my tongue.

I was starting to feel hungry, and the appearance of a rare species made my stomach rumble.

“Are you serious?”

“Talon Flame’s charge attack is insane. It’s on a whole different level from Spiked Boar.”

Dark shadows fell over the Hwarang rookies’ faces.

These guys were so confident earlier, but the moment Talon Flame showed up, they acted like they were about to die.

“Was that birdbrain really that strong?”

“Birdbrain? Talon Flame is one of Rainbow Island’s top player-killers!”

“Its charge speed is as fast as a bullet, and there’s no way to stop it or escape.”

Was that thing really rated that highly?

Before my regression, fighting mythical enemies was my daily routine.

Maybe that’s why.

A red bird didn’t feel intimidating at all.

I glanced at the Hwarang rookies.

They were already half-broken in spirit.

The appearance of this birdbrain completely crushed their morale.

I looked down at Park Jong-won.

“You think so too?”

“At our level, we wouldn’t survive a single hit.”

Park Jong-won’s face hardened.

Tch— I clicked my tongue.

“You’re killing my mood.”

“What?”

“Boring.”

I stepped past Park Jong-won and climbed the mountain.

*Skree!*

Talon Flame’s eyes gleamed.

It had marked me as prey.

Park Jong-won got up and followed behind me.

“P-Player Yu Jin-ho! You can’t take on that monster alone.”

“What, you wanna team up?”

“This might sound ridiculous, but… I’ll help.”

I shot Park Jong-won a cold glare.

“That birdbrain is my meal.”

“Huh?”

“Stay out of it.”

Look at this guy.

Trying to mooch off a boss raid without fear?

After glaring at Park Jong-won, I shifted my gaze to Talon Flame.

At that moment, the Talon Flame circling the sky began its dive.

Blazing flames enveloped its wings.

Descending at a speed several times faster than Horned Rabbit.

The claim that it was as fast as a bullet wasn’t an exaggeration.

At that speed, even Park Jong-won, the most skilled among the Hwarang rookies, wouldn’t dare try to block it.

Not that it matters to me.

As Talon Flame charged in a straight line, I calculated the angle precisely and put strength into my legs.

[Agile Hind Legs activated.]

My body shot upward diagonally.

It was slightly slower than when I kicked off the ground.

No matter.

I jumped to disrupt Talon Flame’s charge timing.

[Spiked Armor activated.]

[Mighty Strike activated.]

Spiked Armor wrapped around my right arm.

It looked almost like a cast fixing my forearm.

At the same time, I thrust my clenched fist forward.

At the end of my fist’s trajectory was the head of the rapidly descending Talon Flame.

Dangun

I'm currently Translating the following novels: "Labyrinth Exploration 101" & "The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring " If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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