The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring - M.L.U.B.D Chapter 4 (Part 1):

Vision dyed black.

Like being submerged in the ocean—or experiencing zero gravity—my body floated weightlessly, drifting through the void.

[Tower of Babel – Floor 0]
[You have entered the Tutorial Stage.]
[Mission – Survival]

Rainbow Island is a mysterious space where various natural environments intertwine.

Players setting foot in the Tower for the first time must adapt to each environment and learn survival methods.

The achievements you accomplish here will greatly aid your ascent of the Tower of Babel.

▶ Objective: Survive for 14 days.
▶ Trials of Floor 0 cannot be retried.
▶ Death will be considered a failure, and player privileges will be revoked.

‘The Tutorial Stage.’

A place you can’t return to twice.

The fact that I had truly returned to the past sank into my skin.

[Rainbow Island is divided into seven regions.]
[Players may choose their starting point.]
[Areas with higher danger levels cannot be selected.]

Plains: Danger Level – Low
Forest: Danger Level – Low
Wasteland: Danger Level – Medium
Mountain Range: Danger Level – Medium

In my past life, I had chosen the Plains.

‘Because that was the standard strategy.’

It had been ten years since the Tower of Babel revealed itself to Earth.

The number of players who had cleared the Tutorial alone reached the tens of millions.

– Head south from the Plains to obtain the [Patience] skill.
– While climbing Emirates Mountain, you’ll find a red boulder halfway up. Circle behind it to discover a cave containing [Mighty Moss], a material for crafting high-grade potions.
– In the Forest region, there’s…

The Tutorial Stage already had established standard strategies.

‘Back then, I followed them too.’

Starting point: Plains.

I formed a party with others who had entered the Tower and hunted monsters.

At the time, I thought that was the right way.

A grave mistake.

Rainbow Island still held many undiscovered secrets.

Especially for someone like me, blessed with the [Devour] talent—it was practically a hidden treasure trove.

‘Essences obtainable only in the Tutorial.’

Antlions.

Nessies.

Blood Mountain Army.

All rare species exclusive to Rainbow Island.

Beyond that, there were items and titles obtainable only in the Tutorial.

‘This time, I’ll take everything.’

Without hesitation, I selected the [Wasteland] as my starting point.

[You have selected the Wasteland region as your starting point.]
[We wish the player good fortune.]

As the system voice faded, all sensation in my body dimmed.

* * *

A parched wasteland.

A dry wind, devoid of moisture, brushed past my cheeks.

[Your current location: Wasteland.]
[Wasteland – Stamina consumption increased by 10%.]

*Whoosh-!* Round, tangled thistles rolled across the ground.

It felt like a scene straight out of a Western movie.

Just as I remembered.

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

The scenery was nearly identical to my past memories.

*Flash! Flash!*

Blue light erupted sporadically across the wasteland.

New players setting foot in the Tower, entering Rainbow Island.

‘Unexpected.’

Quite a few challengers had chosen the Wasteland as their starting point.

Either they were bold outliers—

Or players confident in their granted abilities.

‘Either way, they wouldn’t know about the hidden elements.’

I followed the swaying thistles at a leisurely pace.

Explorer Laurent.

An eccentric who had uncovered countless hidden elements within the Tower of Babel.

It was Laurent who had discovered Rainbow Island’s hidden space— [Forgotten Ruins].

2025… So, five years from now.

‘Sorry, but I’ll be taking it first.’

Information advantage was the privilege of a regressor.

If not now, when else would I reap the benefits of knowing the future?

I might not remember stock market trends, but when it came to the Tower’s secrets, I was sharper than anyone.

With slow steps, I traversed the arid plains.

In the Wasteland, the dust-laden air made breathing laborious.

Preserving stamina was essential outside of combat.

*Degurrr*_ More tumbleweeds joined the rolling procession, one by one.

How long had I been walking?

“Keeek.”

A low hiss tickled my ears.

Throughout the Wasteland, funnel-shaped (▽) pits dotted the landscape.

Antlions.

The lairs of monsters that lured prey into their pits, sucking them in to devour.

“Grrrng?”

An Ironclad Armadillo, a creature native to the Wasteland, took notice of me.

Hostility gleamed in its eyes.

From across a sand pit, the Armadillo bared its teeth and growled.

“Stay back. Come at me, and you’ll die.”

“Grrrrrrng!”

The Ironclad Armadillo curled into a ball and launched itself toward me.

After bouncing off the ground several times to build momentum, it hurled itself into a pit.

*Shhh*_ The previously still sand pit began spinning violently.

The armadillo, unable to escape the vortex, was sucked into the depths.

“Told you. Come at me, and you’ll die.”

I shrugged.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t specified the subject.

The one ending the Ironclad Armadillo wasn’t me.

“Keeek!”

The pit’s owner—the Antlion—revealed its massive pincers.

*Crunch!*_ Even the armadillo’s tough shell was useless against those vicious jaws.

In an instant, the armadillo was reduced to minced meat.

“Still as brutal as ever.”

My physical stats were on par with a Level 20 player.

The average level for someone who had already cleared the Tutorial.

The problem? With those stats, I stood no chance against an Antlion in a direct fight.

‘They weren’t made to be defeated.’

In the Tower’s early days, countless players had fallen to Antlion traps.

Even now, it remained a creature to avoid in the Tutorial Stage.

The silver lining? Unless you stepped into their pits, they wouldn’t attack.

I maneuvered carefully, avoiding the traps.

“Here it is.”

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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