The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring - M.L.U.B.D Chapter 8 (Part 2):

I coiled into a crouch.

[Agile Hind Legs activated.]
[Executing high-powered leap.]

My thighs bulged to nearly twice their size—the Horned Rabbit’s leaping ability. Muscles pushed beyond limits unleashed several times their normal force.

*BOOM!*

I kicked off the ground. The Silver Fang’s pupils dilated too late to track my movement.

“Grrr?!”

“What, surprised?”

Eliminate all witnesses, and it’s not a battle—it’s an assassination.

“Woof! Grrr!”

The Silver Fang bared its fangs in panic, but I was faster. My fist crushed its snout.

*Yelp!* It crumpled, trembling too violently to stand.

Mercy meant a quick end. After finishing the three, I devoured their essences.

[Devouring Silver Fang’s essence.]
[Essence Grade: Common]
[Essence Devoured: 2.7% → 5.3% → 7.1%]

Nice.

Absorbing the Horned Rabbit’s essence paid off.

The standard tactic was using [Taunting Shout] to aggro fleeing Silver Fangs—but why bother when I could outspeed and crush them?

“This’ll work.”

I licked my lips, eyeing the shattered corpses.

—

Silver Fangs moved in packs, ranging from 3 to 7 scouts.

“Grrr!”

This time, I faced seven—the largest patrol unit.

They hunted as a pack. One exploited an opening, lunging at my flank.

[Armor activated.]

A gray shell formed around my waist.

*Crunch!* The Silver Fang’s fangs struck, rattling me with the impact.

“Grrr?!”

“Not very tasty, am I?”

The [Armor] couldn’t fully negate the force, slightly destabilizing me. A direct bite would’ve been more than just painful.

[Armor durability depleted by 32%.]

Damn, that one bite already left cracks all over the shell.

[Armor] wasn’t invincible. Once deployed on a body part, it couldn’t be reused for a minute—so I’d need to protect my flank better.

[Mighty Strike activated.]

I smashed the Silver Fang’s skull.

*Smash!* Its head exploded, spraying blood and flesh.

“Ugh.” I shook my hand out to the sides.

“Grrr!”

Another Silver Fang lunged. Did they think I’d just let that happen again?

I backstepped, dodging its claws, then punched its exposed belly.

Because there were many, by the time I landed a blow on the second one, other Silver Fangs had taken positions behind me.

[Armor] shielded my back just in time.

I brawled strategically, using [Armor] to block 3-4 attacks per body part. Switching protection areas allowed me to hold out for a decent amount of time.

[Agile Hind Legs activated.]

I broke free of the encirclement and roundhouse-kicked a rear Silver Fang.

[Agile Hind Legs], born of the Horned Rabbit’s essence, was originally a movement skill.

I couldn’t use it continuously like [Brute Strength], but—

Depending on how I used it, it could be pretty damn powerful.

“Yelp!”
“Gack!”

One by one, the Silver Fangs fell. Within two minutes, none remained standing.

“Whew. That was rough.”

I exhaled sharply. My clothes were shredded beyond recognition. The fight had been brief but brutal.

[Armor] covered various parts of my body—most of them now cracked, ready to crumble at the slightest touch.

Jumping lightly in place and shaking my body, the Armor attached to my skin fell off.

“At my current level, the maximum is about 15, huh.”

Factoring in [Armor]’s cooldown and durability, that was the max I could handle. With proper offensive skills, even 30 Silver Fangs would be manageable.

Which brought me to—

“The Silver Fang’s essence will help.”

I devoured all the corpses.

[Devouring Silver Fang’s essence.]
[Essence Devoured: 100%]
[You have completely absorbed one species’ essence.]
[Skill Acquired: Sharp Claws.]

[Sharp Claws]
– Rank: ★
– Type: Active
– Effect: Enhances nail sharpness and hardness. Infusing mana deals bonus damage.

I activated it immediately.

*Shink!*

My nails extended by 20 cm, thrumming with lethal energy.

In the future, if I collected 100% of a [Primordial Species]’ essence, I could fuse [Sharp Claws] into [Predator’s Claws].

Channeling mana, a pale aura enveloped them.

I tested them on a nearby rock.

*Scrreech!* The claws left deep gouges.

“With these, even 30 of them would be a joke.”

The Silver Fang’s own weapons had turned against them. Ironic.

Though I’d devoured their essences, one prize remained: The ruler’s essence.

Now, I’d claim what could only be obtained in the tutorial stage.

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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