The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring - M.L.U.B.D Chapter 19 (Part 1):

[A large amount of experience has been acquired.]

[Your level has increased.]

[You have hunted the boss monster – Blood Mountain Lord.]*

[You have achieved an outstanding feat. Player Yu Jin-Ho’s name will be recorded in the Tower.]

The tiger’s head was bent backward at an unnatural angle.

I dragged my exhausted body toward its corpse.

“That was damn tough.”

The Blood Mountain Lord’s carcass was a mangled mess.

A badge of honor, proof of how fierce the battle had been.

If it weren’t for [Blessing of the Earth Mother], I might’ve been the one to collapse first.

[Devouring the Blood Mountain Lord’s essence.]

[Essence Devoured: 100%]

[Essence Grade: Rare]

[You have completely absorbed one species’ essence.]

[Strength +6]

[Stamina +3]

[Endurance +3]

[Skill – Sixth Sense has been added.]

[Sixth Sense]

– Rank: ★★★

– Type: Passive*

*Highly sensitive to mana fluctuations, killing intent, or fighting spirit.*

*Range: 30 meters*

“Huh?!!”

A strange exclamation burst from my throat.

What the hell—I can get *Sixth Sense* through Devour?!

‘To acquire Sixth Sense, you have to meet all sorts of ridiculous conditions.’

– Hunt over 200 boss monsters.
– Stay in a mana-rich environment for at least a week.
– Fight while restricting one of your five senses.

…

And that’s not all—there are several other conditions to meet to obtain the *Sixth Sense* skill.

In my previous life, it took me seven years to acquire *Sixth Sense*.

If it were the current me?

It’d probably take about two years to get the skill through the standard method.

“And I got it just like this.”

I compressed years of effort into just three days.

Truly, I couldn’t even guess how far the limits of Devour stretched.

But the changes didn’t stop there.

[Big Bat’s ‘Ultrasound’ resonates with the Devour ability.]

[The sensitivity of Sixth Sense is further enhanced. You can now interpret mana waves as sound.]

[Sixth Sense detection range increases to 50 meters.]

“Whoa.”

I couldn’t even scream anymore.

The *Sixth Sense* obtained through the Tower’s standard methods didn’t react to other essences.

But the skill gained by devouring the Blood Mountain Lord’s essence was different.

A [Synergy] effect was applied, linking the devoured essences together!

Wait a second. If Sixth Sense reacted to the Big Bat’s essence…

‘Does that mean acquiring other sensory-related essences will further enhance the Sixth Sense skill?’

A shiver of excitement ran through my entire body.

Skills obtained through the Tower’s rewards or by meeting specific conditions don’t synergize with skills gained via Devour.

But if the same skill is acquired through Devour, synergy becomes possible.

This was knowledge I didn’t have in my previous life.

‘Now, I won’t let a single one slip through my fingers.’

No essence is worthless!

I was certain of it once again.

* * *

A silent cave.

I used [Ultrasound] to read its internal structure.

It was about 50 meters long.

There was no sign of life besides the cave’s master, the Blood Mountain Lord.

Each step I took echoed loudly through the cave.

“Here they are.”

At the end of the cave, I found two books.

[Blood Claw Technique]

[Three Talents Qi Technique]

Titles written in Hanja [T/N: Chinese characters used to write the Korean language].

Thanks to the Tower’s system, I could read them instantly.

If it can provide simultaneous interpretation, reading text is child’s play.

I checked the details of the two books.

[Blood Claw Technique]

– Rank: ★

– Type: Active

– Mastery: 1 Star [0%]

*A claw technique modeled after a tiger’s movements. Consists of four stances.*

*Requires Internal Energy stat to execute.*

[Three Talents Qi Technique]

– Rank: ★

– Type: Active

– Mastery: 1 Star [0%]

*A cultivation method that harnesses the energies of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Allows the user to accumulate Internal Energy.*

*Grants Internal Energy stat upon acquisition.*

“This is it.”

A satisfied smile crept onto my face.

Was it because these two techniques were exceptional?

Hardly.

By martial arts standards, *Blood Claw Technique* and *Three Talents Qi Technique* are third-rate.

The absolute bottom tier. Techniques you’d recommend to beginners just starting their martial arts journey.

But there’s a reason I’m smiling.

‘I can create an Internal Energy stat.’

In the Moonlit Cave, I crafted 32 Moonlit Stones, elixirs tied to Internal Energy.

Elixirs with an absorption restriction of once every 15 days.

Even if they’re third-rate techniques, I’d welcome anything that lets me build Internal Energy.

In fact, it’s fortunate that *Three Talents Qi Technique* is a cultivation method without unique properties.

As I climb the Tower in the future and learn superior cultivation methods, I’ll be able to seamlessly integrate my Internal Energy.

‘What if it had been a Daoist cultivation method?’

The thought alone is horrifying.

Daoist cultivation methods only accept pure, natural qi.

They’re rigid techniques that don’t tolerate any shortcuts.

The exact opposite of Devour, which thrives on absorbing multiple essences.

You could say the Internal Energy would resist.

‘Blood Claw Technique isn’t bad either.’

Claw techniques are a type of martial art performed with the hands.

Unlike fist techniques that use punches or palm techniques that rely on open-handed strikes, claw techniques mimic the gestures of ferocious beasts.

It’s a perfect match for me, who has absorbed the strengths of various monsters through Devour.

‘By 2025, martial arts related to bare-handed fighting weren’t highly regarded, were they?’

Not only were the techniques themselves poorly rated, but…

Fist, palm, kick, and claw techniques.

Martial arts that rely purely on the body, without weapons, were evaluated even more harshly.

It’ll take quite some time for the perception of martial arts to change.

Wait a minute. Could I buy the martial art manuals released in the Tower of Babel on the cheap?

‘I’ll look into it once the tutorial is over.’

I pushed aside my wandering thoughts and opened the first page of the manual.

Dangun

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