The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring - M.L.U.B.D Chapter 20 (Part 2):

My original plan was to tackle this task in the second week of the tutorial.

But my stats had grown far faster than I’d anticipated.

What gave me confidence, in particular, was the essence of the Blood Mountain Lord.

‘With Sixth Sense, I can dodge any trap.’

Antonio claimed his unique ability let him breeze through traps to claim the Shadow Orb effortlessly.

I, on the other hand, had no shadow-related traits or skills.

In the darkness, reacting to sudden traps would be tough.

But now, thanks to Sixth Sense, I could read attacks I couldn’t even perceive.

‘Since I’m in the forest, I’ll grab the Shadow Orb while I’m here.’

Shadow abilities.

They’re a step below [Devour], but their versatility in offense and defense makes them incredibly useful depending on how they’re wielded.

Far too valuable to be wasted on trash like Antonio, don’t you think?

So, I’ll take them for myself.

“The biggest tree in the forest.”

No need to search hard.

A tree four or five times larger than the others.

It towered into the sky, impossible to miss.

‘Not far.’

I approached the tree leisurely.

Sure enough.

As Antonio said, the roots were stained pitch black.

At a glance, it might seem like mere tree shade, but on closer inspection, the shadow writhed in an eerie, unnatural form.

I pressed my finger against the rippling darkness.

*Clang!*—My hand recoiled with a repelling force.

“Oof.”

A structure that reflected back the exact force I applied.

If I’d tried to brute-force my way through, I’d have been the one hurt.

Well, I expected as much.

This time, I gently caressed the surface of the darkness.

A faint repelling force pulsed beyond the black veil.

This, I could work with.

I summoned the divine power I’d absorbed from Zeus’s temple.

[Divine Power: 1]

A minuscule energy compared to Mana or internal energy.

Tiny as a grain of millet, but I coated my palm with it like a glove.

I’d handled divine power before my regression, after all.

Activating the myths related to [Time] by linking them in series was possible because I knew how to handle divine power.

Its small size actually made it easier to control.

The divine power enveloping my hand reacted with the darkness beneath the tree.

*Ziiing—!*

The darkness churned violently, ripples spreading outward.

Just as I’d expected.

‘To think the shadow power he wielded was a form of divine power.’

Antonio’s boastful words.

The hint to parting this darkness lay within them.

The power of a nameless god.

In other words, the barrier blocking entry to this hidden space was ‘divine power.’

Divine power surpasses all ‘intangible’ energies—Mana, internal energy, ether, or mental force.

If the divine power’s attribute didn’t match, a player in the tutorial had no chance of breaking through!

I turned that logic to my advantage.

‘Even a sliver of divine power can open the way.’

A nameless god.

In other words, the divine power guarding this hidden space lacked a will of its own.

The divine power within the manifested darkness was far stronger than mine, but merely opening a path didn’t require much—just my millet-sized divine power was enough.

‘Make a path.’

*Shaaa!*

The darkness split in two, revealing the interior.

A spiral staircase.

Exactly as Antonio described.

‘That was close.’

The condensed divine power was slowly being eroded by the darkness’s repulsion.

Squeezing out the last of my divine power, I pushed the darkness back and used [Agile Hind Legs] to leap through the gap.

* * *

[Your current location is the Passage of ???.]

[You are the first to discover the Passage of ??? in the tutorial stage. Stamina and Endurance increase by 3.]

*Thud!* The moment I set foot inside, the parted darkness sealed shut.

A split second slower, and my foot would’ve been caught.

My ankle would’ve been sliced clean in two.

*Whew*—I let out a sigh of relief.

‘By the way, the location’s name is marked with question marks, huh.’

As expected.

They called it a nameless god, and sure enough, question marks appeared instead of a constellation’s title.

The god who rules shadows.

Could it be an Administrator, like the ancient gods?

‘That Antonio guy didn’t talk about that part.’

Did he know the nameless god’s identity and stay silent?

Or was he clueless and thus said nothing?

I couldn’t tell.

Either way, all I needed was the Shadow Orb, the core of the ‘shadow’ ability Antonio wielded.

“Can’t see a thing.”

Just in case, I used [Energy Bolt].

Normally, a blue orb would’ve dispelled the darkness, but even that light was swallowed by the passage’s shadows.

This place was anything but ordinary.

[Ultrasound activated.]

[Scanning terrain structure within a 100-meter radius.]

A straight passage.

Not a maze, thankfully.

I cloaked myself in [Spiked Armor] and advanced cautiously.

After about ten meters.

*Thump*—Sixth Sense’s warning pulsed through my mind.

I ducked instinctively.

*Whoosh—!*

A massive blade grazed past my scalp.

Had I not trusted my instincts, I’d have been gravely injured.

‘So this is where it begins.’

No room to let my guard down.

I resumed my advance toward the end of the passage.

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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