The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring - M.L.U.B.D Chapter 3 (Part 1):

Athens.

The cradle of Greek culture, a place where the myths of Olympus still breathe.

‘They don’t call it a city that lives off tourism for nothing, huh?’

The airport bustled with people of various ethnicities, most of them tourists visiting Athens for sightseeing.

But not everyone had come solely for tourism.

Some, adorned with owl-shaped carvings or necklaces, murmured prayers under their breath.

“I beseech you, I beseech you, O Athena, Goddess of Victory.”

A middle-aged woman clutched an owl figurine, her voice trembling with desperation as she recited her prayer.

Athena—the guardian deity of Athens, the goddess of victory and war.

*Tsk.* I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

‘Praying to those damned gods won’t do a damn thing.’

After the Tower of Babel appeared, it was revealed that the gods, once thought to be mere myths, were real.

The Aesir, the Olympians, the Vedic gods—countless deities and demons resided in the upper floors of the Tower.

The world was turned upside down.

Regional folk religions, once considered mere literature, were revived, and the faith of religious people also took concrete form.

‘As if those bastards would give you so much as a crumb for your devotion.’

A cold smirk twisted my lips.

The gods did not watch over humanity.

They only extended their hands to those they deemed worthy.

‘Those guys even prevented humanity from uniting.’

Those who caught the gods’ eyes—the so-called Chosen Ones—abandoned Earth when the Tower’s corruption began, joining the divine realms instead of fighting the ancient deities.

Their paradise was reserved for them alone.

Only about 10,000 escaped Earth’s ruin.

A pitiful number—less than 0.1% of the global population.

‘If those bastards had steeled their resolve… we wouldn’t have lost so pathetically.’

*Grind.*

My teeth clenched with a sickening sound.

Two of the Monarch-class Players had betrayed humanity.

All for their own survival!

*Haa…*

I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to calm down.

‘This time, it won’t happen.’

Suppressing my anger, I moved toward my destination.

The most famous ruin in Athens was the Parthenon—a grand temple dedicated to Athena.

But the Parthenon wasn’t my goal.

At my current level, I couldn’t handle more than one divine essence.

If I was going to Devour, I might as well aim for the highest-tier essence available.

That’s why I chose the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Though reduced to just sixteen columns by earthquakes, it still stood—albeit far less impressive than the well-preserved Parthenon.

‘Well, the essence should still be here.’

I strolled leisurely through the overgrown ruins.

*Sniff, sniff.*

A scent unlike that of any Primordial Species teased my nose.

The lingering traces of countless prayers offered long ago.

This place had been consecrated to Zeus—its very stones steeped in divine resonance.

I crouched, brushing aside the grass and dirt until my fingers met marble.

A faint energy pulsed beneath.

A divine essence, infused with the authority of a god.

Immediately, I activated [Devour].

A surge of power rushed up through my palm.

As expected.

Even in my past life, I had rarely encountered an essence this potent.

The title King of Gods was no empty boast.

[Devour activated.]
[You have Devoured the Essence of Gaia, the Personification of Earth and the Ancestral Mother.]
[Essence Rank: Mythic.]

…Wait, what?

I nearly yanked my hand back in shock.

Gaia, the Earth Goddess.

The mother of the Olympian gods and many other divine lineages.

The personification of the earth itself—not just a god, but a concept.

‘Right. She’s more of a symbol than a being.’

Even the ancient Greeks, who worshipped the Olympians, didn’t pray to Gaia.

She wasn’t a deity to be worshipped—she was the land beneath their feet.

‘I barely even heard of her in the Tower.’

I never expected to absorb Gaia’s essence in a temple dedicated to Zeus.

An unexpected variable.

A smile crept onto my lips.

‘This is even better.’

Gaia’s Authority was classified as Supreme-tier.

Even Zeus paled in comparison to the Earth Mother who birthed countless gods.

Higher mystery, higher hierarchy.

An opportunity I hadn’t even dreamed of.

*Swaaaaah—!*

An immense energy flowed in through my palm.

The moment I touched Gaia’s essence, it felt like a tidal wave crashing over me, threatening to swallow me whole.

This… is dangerous.

‘If I’m not careful, this energy might devour me instead.’

Gaia’s essence.

It doesn’t bear malice toward me—it’s simply the ‘earth’ in its purest form.

True to its nature, Gaia’s essence tries to absorb even my sense of self into the ground.

‘If I lose focus, I’ll be digested by the essence itself!’

I bit down hard on my lip.

The metallic taste of blood sharpens my mind.

Who the hell gets devoured by a god’s leftover resonance?!

I viciously [Devoured] the essence, tearing into it with everything I had.

At times, a soothing numbness crept in, tempting me to let go.

But the memories of my past life kept me grounded.

I didn’t stop.

How long had it been?

In the haze of my fading consciousness, I saw light.

[The Blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess has taken root within you.]
[Mana efficiency has greatly increased.]
[Mana increases by 50.]
[Divine Power has been generated.]

Divine Power?!

I almost screamed.

Clamping a hand over my mouth, I focused inward.

‘It’s really there.’

Divine Power.

A force reserved only for gods.

The fuel behind miracles, the key to wielding divine Authority.

‘This tiny amount won’t mean much yet.’

The speck of Divine Power nestled in the crown of my head was no larger than a grain of rice.

Furthermore, this power called Divine Power cannot be used at will.

It can only be manifested by achieving feats worthy of being recorded in ‘myth.’

In my past life, maybe. But this time, I hadn’t lived dramatically enough to forge legends.

Still, Divine Power wasn’t useless.

Thanks to my past-life knowledge, I knew one way to utilize it.

‘Boost mana sensitivity with divine power.’

Mana sensitivity.

The time it takes for a player to ‘perceive’ Mana.

Mana was consumed in skills, equipment, and body enhancement.

For example, to activate [Mighty Strike], the user had to precisely recognize their own mana.

It’s a concept similar to physical reaction speed.

Mana detection → Will manifestation → Skill activation.

The fundamental mechanism of mana manipulation.

‘An average Player’s Mana Sensitivity is around 0.9 seconds.’

I closed my eyes, focusing.

Using the Divine Power in my crown, I reinforced my mind.

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!

•