The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring – Chapter 5

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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The Dragon Tooth Warrior firmly suppressed its flustered state.

It was a heroic being born from the molars of the Ismenian Drakon*, after all.

Although it was weakened due to the penalty of the 【Trial】, it wasn’t weak enough to be pushed back by a player who had just entered the tutorial.

‘My sword cannot reach this man.’

Hwoong-!

The gladius cut through the empty air.

A few strands of Jinho’s hair fluttered in the path the blade had passed through.

At the same time, Jinho skillfully took a step forward and approached it again.

‘I mustn’t let him get close.’

The Dragon Tooth Warrior had the upper hand in strength.

Meanwhile, Jinho was ahead in agility by a slight margin.

But Jinho had a skill powerful enough to overturn the difference in their strength.

[Monstrous Strength].

The shining armor of the Dragon Tooth Warrior had long since lost its color.

When Jinho deployed [Monstrous Strength] with his body that had been strengthened by predating the essence of a primeval species, albeit only a part of it, the armor of the weakened Dragon Tooth Warrior couldn’t withstand it.

「Things will not go as you wish.」

The Dragon Tooth Warrior flicked its wrist.

Its joints trembled from making a forced movement, but thanks to that, it was able to drastically change the trajectory of its sword.

“Yeah. Even this is within my prediction.”

Jinho bent his waist to avoid the gladius flying towards his back.

The Dragon Tooth Warrior was full of openings.

「This is not the end!」

It twisted its wrist again and swung its sword vertically.

Its power had dropped a little, but it was still a sword strike at a level that would inflict a fatal wound if it just landed properly.

It was an attack that took into account that Jinho would close the distance again.

However…

“Are you doing a sword dance or something?”

Jinho pulled his body back one beat earlier, as if he had expected it.

「Why? Why did you retreat even though I clearly revealed my opening!?」

“Because I’m tired.”

Jinho said while shaking his arm.

His muscles were having minor spasms.

It was the aftereffect of repeatedly using the [Monstrous Strength] skill.

「You mean you were just closing in with no intention of attacking from the start?」

“Yeah. I enjoyed watching you get scared and perform a sword dance by yourself.”

「Uuugh!」

While sneering, Jinho didn’t forget to loosen the muscles in his arm.

As long as his feet were on the ground, it was a buff that he could receive permanently.

The Blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess weakened the penalty of [Monstrous Strength], which couldn’t be used often because it squeezed out all of his power.

It was also thanks to the Blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess that he was able to struggle against the Dragon Tooth Warrior, which was superior to him in strength and stamina.

As the battle dragged on, the winner and loser began to be clearly distinguished.

On one hand, Jinho didn’t allow a single effective hit on him.

On the other hand, the Dragon Tooth Warrior’s armor had been crushed to the point where its original form could no longer be recognized.

Kwadeuk!

Finally, Jinho’s fist crushed the nape of the Dragon Tooth Warrior’s neck.

The tattered Dragon Tooth Warrior fell to the floor.

「Challenger. It’s your victory.」

“I know.”

「You are truly a great warrior. If there is a chance next time…….」

The Dragon Tooth Warrior couldn’t finish its words and hung its head low.

Clatter.

The armor, which had been crushed here and there and was halfway dismantled, tumbled to the floor.

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Even if it was weakened, the Dragon Tooth Warrior was still a level 50 monster.

My level rose by one in an instant.

Though my level could only be raised by one level at a time.

No matter what powerful enemy I defeated, the experience bar didn’t exceed 100%.

“Wow.”

A sound of admiration came out of my mouth on its own.

To think that a Legend grade artifact would come out in the tutorial stage.

I had heard of the trial from the explorer Laurent, but I didn’t know that I would get such an exceptional reward.

‘He did say that Ares’ reward is different each time.’

The reward for the trial depended on how you fought the Dragon Tooth Warrior.

It was close to impossible for a player who had just entered the Tower of Babel to win against a Dragon Tooth Warrior.

In a sense, the objective of the hidden quest was not to defeat the Dragon Tooth Warrior, but the ‘process’ of the battle itself.

It seems like…

That pushover, no, the great God of War, seems to have taken quite a liking to me.

As soon as I received the reward, Ares’ presence began to fade.

The hidden quest was also finished.

There was no longer an urgent reason for me to stay in the tutorial stage.

“Let’s meet again. O, great God of War.”

Since he had given me a good reward, I didn’t forget to give him some lip service.

The uninvited guest had also left.

Now, there was no need for me to be mindful of anyone’s eyes.

Ares’ reward was a secondary objective.

My real purpose in coming to this temple was the corpse of the Dragon Tooth Warrior.

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The corpse of the Dragon Tooth Warrior.

I swallowed hard.

Even if it was weakened, its essence was real.

It was something I had often experienced before my regression.

Even if I defeated monsters weakened by the intervention of the Tower system, there was no penalty at all when I predated them.

I placed my hand on the corpse of the Dragon Tooth Warrior.

A feeling of fullness filled my stomach.

The essence of the Dragon Tooth Warrior breathed new power into my body.

“Hehehe.”

The true value of [Predation] didn’t lie in stat absorption, but was something else.

When I predated 100% of a creature’s essence, I could absorb not only its stats but also its special abilities.

To obtain the opponent’s ability!

A normal player acquires skills through repetitive training, learning, or skill books.

On the other hand, I could steal unique skills just by defeating monsters.

I checked the newly added ability.

This much alone was already incredible.

My mana increased by 30 and my mana consumption had also decreased.

Right now, my mana stat was so much higher compared to normal players that the effect of this skill didn’t seem to be making much of a difference.

But it would show its true worth later on when I obtained various skills with the [Predation] ability.

However, the system voice didn’t stop there.

Skills with similar properties cause resonance with each other.

The skill’s current effect increases.

Or a new one is sometimes added.

The so-called 【Synergy】 effect.

The reason I challenged the Dragon Tooth Warrior to the point of even pushing myself…

It was to not suffer even the slightest loss when using Predation.

I got everything I needed to get.

I looked up at the ceiling.

Sand poured in through the wide-open door.

…You mean I have to climb that again?

With my feet planted on the ground, I leaped with all my might while using Monstrous Strength.

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I came out of the pit.

I was covered in sand all over in the process of climbing up, but I felt good because I had gained a lot.

‘The next target is on the outskirts of the wasteland.’

How long had I walked?

I discovered a green slime the size of a pig.

A slime, the scavenger of the wasteland.

To find one right away…

“I’m quite lucky.”

Following the Dragon Tooth Warrior, it was a monster whose essence I prioritized.

As I leisurely closed the distance, the slime slowly turned its body towards me.

Though it didn’t have eyes, a nose, or a mouth, so I didn’t actually know where it was facing.

20 meters.

10 meters.

And when I reached the 3-meter point, the slime wriggled.

‘It’s a tricky opponent for a beginner player to face.’

A monster whose entire body is made out of slime.

Because it disperses impact, its physical resistance is quite high.

To hunt slimes effectively, you must have fire or electric type skills, or equipment of a similar effect.

I have neither.

But there is another way to conquer it.

When I had narrowed the distance with the slime to 1 meter.

“Chyureureup!”

Along with a strange sound, it spread its slimy body wide.

The slime’s main method of attack is its dissolving fluid.

It shoves its enemies into its body and digests them.

‘Its dissolving fluid melts even iron.’

Though that’s only possible if the exposure time to the dissolving fluid is long.

Because one fight greatly shaves off equipment durability, it is noted as a monster to be avoided by beginner players.

‘Even if slimes are tricky, they’re not invincible.’

The slime spread itself wide like a pizza dough.

The green stone in its center was reflected in my eyes.

Now.

Kwajik!

As I threw a punch, the green stone was shattered into pieces in a single blow.

There was no need for me to even use Monstrous Strength.

“Chyureup?!”

The widely spread slime let out its final death throes and its liquid body poured out on the spot.

“Even if it’s a difficult enemy, it’s enough if you just know the trick.”

A slime only exposes its core when it tries to swallows its prey.

The time it reveals its core is about 1.5 seconds.

If you aim for that timing, even a beginner can easily kill it.

Though if you fail, your skin will melt a little.

Now, it was time to predate its essence.

I pushed my hand into the green slime without hesitation.

If you break a slime’s core, its dissolving fluid also evaporates, so there is no chance of getting hurt by it anymore.

The pig-sized slime rapidly shrinks.

Not long after, the shriveled corpse of the slime could be seen.

Only the skin was left, as if an animal’s hide had been peeled off.

The stats I gained from predating one monster were 0.3 points.

Besides the bonus points from leveling up, I could also raise my stats this way.

I smacked my lips while looking at the slime corpse, of which only the skin remained.

Unlike the unique Dragon Tooth Warrior, I have to hunt ordinary monsters repeatedly to achieve 100% of their essence.

I rubbed my stomach with my hand.

This hunger would only be filled by predating more essences.

I took my hand off the slime corpse, of which only the skin was left.

From now on, it was the time of [Predation].

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I wandered around the wasteland and searched for slimes.

Perhaps because this vicinity was the slimes’ territory, I was able to find other ones quickly.

“Chyureup!”

The slime’s body collapsed.

Green liquid poured onto the floor.

I repeatedly shoved my hand into the slimes’ bodies.

How much time had passed?

Just like with the Dragon Tooth Warrior, I acquired this monster’s unique skill.

What use did I have for a skill that only slightly increases absorption efficiency?

‘There are no bad skills in the world.’

I smiled.

Dissolve.

Looking only at its description, it had an effect where you would not know what to use it for.

What would I use a slight increase in absorption rate when eating food for?

The past me had also thought that.

Until I found out the true value of the [Predation] ability.

Synergy with Predation!

The synergy effect doesn’t care about the skills’ grades.

If the skills were somewhat similar, it was safe to say that they would definitely produce a synergy effect.

‘That’s why I obtained the slime’s essence first.’

What I’m saying is that I didn’t make the slime’s essence a top priority for no reason!

Knowledge from before my regression.

It was experience I had built up while going through all sorts of hardships as I climbed the Tower of Babel.

What kind of synergy the essences of various monsters caused with each other.

And among them, which essences should be prioritized were all in my head.

‘Then, shall I go hunt a Deep Slime next?’

Deep Slime.

A variant of the slime, and a rare species that appears in the wasteland.

Rare species.

Among monsters, it referred to those with special abilities or extraordinary combat power.

In slang terms, players called them ‘boss monsters’.

‘A useful skill is engraved in its essence.’

Gurgle.

Just then, a loud noise came from my stomach.

Smacking my lips, I moved to a place where a Deep Slime was likely to be.

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T/N – You know, I would have expected something a bit more warrior-like from the Dragon Tooth Warrior’s skill, but Dragon’s Heart is fine too.

And the synergy effect is quite a good idea too. That way, the MC won’t just hunt unique enemies and the author can introduce even more types of monsters.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.

*The Ismenian Dragon was a giant serpent that guarded the sacred spring of Ares. It was killed by the hero Cadmus with a giant stone. Athena gave half of the dragon’s teeth to Cadmus and advised him to sow them. When he did, the Spartoi sprang up from the furrows. This seems to be the inspiration of the Dragon Tooth Warrior here.