Chapter 25. Evolution
Given the Gelu-Drake’s enormous size, its heart was also massive.
Even after eating nonstop for nearly five minutes, I hadn’t managed to consume half of it.
Becoming full wasn’t a problem because I could use Nutrient Synthesis [C+] to burn the calories away.
‘Ugh, I can’t breathe.’
After remaining trapped inside its body for so long, the oxygen had become scarce.
And Nutrient Synthesis [C+] still could not synthesize oxygen.
In the end, I carried the half-eaten Gelu-Drake heart and climbed out.
When I emerged from the Gelu-Drake’s body—
“I guess he already left.”
Kai was nowhere to be seen.
Judging by the footprints imprinted in the mountain’s snow, he appeared to have descended.
Sure enough, I could see Kai’s retreating figure in the distance.
The fluttering snow, the scenery of the Snowy Mountains, and his long blond hair blowing in the wind—
He resembled a solitary, dignified wolf, but for some reason....
Today, he also looked like someone who was sulking.
Judging by the fact that his Affinity had entered the [Disgust] state, that seemed to be exactly what had happened.
I had no idea which part had upset him, though.
Still, if there was anything fortunate about this, it was that his Affinity was in the [Disgust] state rather than [Hatred]—
Crunch.
But why should I care about that?
He was someone I would eventually have to kill anyway.
“He doesn’t seem tired at all.”
In that sense, I could have killed him this time.
But doing so would also have placed me in danger.
Unfortunately, the same applied to both Kai and me.
Without each other, we would have become the Gelu-Drake’s prey.
“Still, I am curious about Kai’s ability.”
Predation [S+] was an ability that allowed me to absorb the abilities of a living creature by consuming its heart.
This ability did not discriminate between beasts, monsters, insects, vermin, or even humans.
In that sense, I had consumed quite a few human hearts in my previous life.
As the Predator of the Coalition Forces, I had used Predation [S+] on several Imperial Legion Commanders.
They possessed abilities that could only be described as absurdly overpowered.
Unfortunately, however, there had not been many occasions when I could consume the heart of a Legion Commander.
That was because of Predation’s side effect—madness.
In my previous life, madness consumed me without fail whenever I used Predation, and I could not overcome it without Ian’s help.
“Well, all he did was beat me senseless.”
Right up until the verge of death, at that.
Furthermore, unless I used Predation [S+] on the target’s heart immediately, I could not acquire any abilities from it.
In the end, because I feared falling into madness, I had been unable to use Predation [S+] on most of the Imperial Legion Commanders I eliminated during missions.
After all, I couldn’t bring Ian, the Commander-in-Chief of the Coalition Forces, along on every mission.
In any case, I had also failed to use Predation [S+] on Kai, the former Commander of the Frost Legion.
But I didn’t particularly want to use Predation [S+] on him.
Judging from my memories of my previous life, I felt as though I would acquire some bizarre ability like “Lichification”.
More importantly—
“It would be difficult.”
Using Predation [S+] on Kai in my current state would be difficult.
That much was obvious merely from the sight of him walking away perfectly fine immediately after fighting the Gelu-Drake.
Of course, I had blocked the Ice Breath for him, but even so, he was undeniably a monster in his own right.
Crunch.
“The other Legion Commanders would also be beyond me.”
Likewise, I couldn’t handle the other Legion Commanders in my current state.
It would only become possible after I had recovered at least the combat power I possessed during my time in the Coalition Forces.
“It would have been nice if I could use Aura....”
Unfortunately, my body was incapable of manipulating Aura. More precisely, I had no talent whatsoever for Mana.
I had been born that way.
I couldn’t sense or perceive Mana at all.
I had tried every possible method to cure myself.
Fortunately, I had been born into the noble House of White Wolf as its eldest legitimate son, allowing me to attempt countless treatments.
But they had all been useless.
I still couldn’t sense or perceive Mana.
And so—
My family abandoned me.
Even after I became the Predator of the Coalition Forces, the Saintess’ miracle could not cure me.
After regressing into the past and seeing Ian’s ability, Solo Level Up [EX], I began to wonder.
If I increased my Mana stat, wouldn’t I also become capable of manipulating Mana?
I allowed myself to hope.
But nothing changed.
“Increasing my Mana stat didn’t change anything.”
The only thing that changed was my Mana capacity.
Simply put, the “maximum amount of Mana” I could possess increased.
However, my ability to absorb Mana did not improve.
Even if my maximum Mana increased, I still lacked the ability and talent required to fill it.
It wasn’t even like pouring water into a bottomless jar.
The jar kept growing larger, but there wasn’t any water to pour into it in the first place.
I still couldn’t sense Mana.
Because I couldn’t manipulate Mana, I couldn’t use Aura or Magic Power either.
Whether as a knight or a mage—
I was incapable of accomplishing anything.
That was why I had never studied magic or even learned any systematic swordsmanship.
Even the swordsmanship I currently used could hardly be called swordsmanship.
It was merely something I had naturally acquired while struggling to survive on the battlefield.
To put it favorably, it was practical swordsmanship. To put it unfavorably, it was crude swordsmanship.
That was why I once approached Ian with a request.
I asked whether he could teach me swordsmanship.
Even with a body incapable of manipulating Aura, there was a world of difference between learning systematic swordsmanship and learning nothing at all.
Of course, the continent’s supreme swordsmanship styles were built on the assumption that their practitioners could use Aura.
But Ian could create a style of swordsmanship that I could use.
It didn’t necessarily have to be swordsmanship.
Ian primarily used a sword, but it wasn’t the only weapon he knew how to wield.
Spears, sabers, staffs, axes, bows, and more—
He could wield every kind of weapon.
The same applied to hand-to-hand combat techniques that utilized the body.
Naturally, his proficiency with them was by no means low. Ian possessed the highest level of skill with every weapon.
He wasn’t the Emperor’s sole rival for nothing.
Therefore, whether it was swordsmanship, spear arts, or anything else—
Anything I learned from Ian would become the Hero’s Swordsmanship or the Hero’s Spear Arts.
I made my request.
—Teaching you wouldn’t be difficult.
Ian had answered like this.
—But Adrian, I don’t want to teach you.
He didn’t want to teach me.
I had been slightly disappointed.
No, to be honest, I had been deeply disappointed at the time.
Not in Ian, but in myself.
His words seemed to mean that my talent was so hopeless that even Ian couldn’t teach me.
Perhaps that disappointment showed on my face because Ian smiled faintly.
—Adrian, why do you think people learn swordsmanship?
—To wield a sword more effectively.
—Then why do you think people learn martial arts like swordsmanship?
—To become stronger.
—Correct. It is to become stronger. More precisely, you could say it is to overcome “weakness”.
—Isn’t that the same thing?
—It’s slightly different.
Ian smiled lightly before continuing.
—There are two ways to become stronger.
—The first is to maximize your strengths.
—The second is to minimize your weaknesses.
—We humans aren’t as strong as Ogres. We don’t have the sharp claws of predators or sturdy skeletal structures.
From a purely biological perspective, humans were among the weaker creatures in the ecosystem.
They were creatures riddled with weaknesses.
—That is why humans used their strength—their intelligence—to overcome those weaknesses.
They created weapons to replace sharp claws. They processed Mana and discovered the power known as Aura.
Through it, they overcame their physical weakness.
They created armor and acquired skin harder than any tough hide.
—Martial arts such as swordsmanship are the same.
They had all been created to overcome the “weakness” inherent in humans.
Humans learned swordsmanship because they were weak.
Then what if one wasn’t weak?
—Have you ever seen a dragon learning swordsmanship?
There would be no need to learn such things.
A dragon’s scales were harder than any metal, its claws sharper than any weapon, and its strength greater than that of any other living creature.
Martial arts such as swordsmanship were completely useless to a dragon.
That was why dragons came to be known as the strongest creatures on the continent—
Yet they ultimately fell to Ian.
Dragons were known as the continent’s strongest creatures.
But even dragons possessed an element of “weakness”.
—Then what if there were a perfect life-form completely devoid of anything that could be considered a “weakness”?
A perfect life-form?
—Exactly what it sounds like. A life-form capable of surviving in any environment, acquiring every form of natural adaptation, being born instantly, reproducing instantly, living forever, possessing no natural predators, and having absolutely no biological weaknesses.
—Could such a life-form actually exist?
—No.
Ian firmly shook his head.
That was only natural.
How could something like that even be defined as a “living creature”?
If such a being existed, it should rightfully be called a God rather than a living creature.
—But there is someone who possesses that potential.
—Are you talking about the Emperor?
—No.
Ian answered.
—I’m talking about you, Adrian.
He said that I alone possessed the potential to become such a being.
—The swordsmanship, spear arts, saber arts, and hand-to-hand combat techniques I know were all created according to human standards. They were created to overcome human weakness.
—In other words, they are “methods of fighting as a human”. And Adrian, they don’t suit you.
—You must not fight like a human. Fighting like a human would be detrimental to you. That doesn’t mean you should abandon your humanity. I mean those words literally: you shouldn’t fight like a human.
—Adrian, you must discover your own way of fighting by yourself. No one can teach you. No one should teach you. Even if that person is me, the Hero.
After Ian’s final words, we fell silent for a moment.
—Ian, does that mean I could become like you someday?
—No way.
Ian shook his head as though wondering what I was talking about.
In truth, that answer was only natural.
Even from my perspective, Ian’s strength made no sense.
Thinking I could ever rival Ian was nothing more than greed on my part.
—Then could I at least become like a dragon?
—That’s not it either.
Ian firmly shook his head at that question as well.
To be honest, I was somewhat disappointed, but I wasn’t discouraged.
Despite everything he had said, I was ultimately still human.
But Ian’s next words were completely different from what I had expected.
—It’s the opposite, Adrian.
They were also the complete opposite of what I had been thinking.
—I’m the one who can never become like you.
Ian said that he could not become like me. Furthermore, he said that even a dragon could not become like me.
—Adrian, you stand at the “apex of all life”.
They said there could be many geniuses, but only one could stand at the apex.
Ian belonged among the ranks of geniuses.
Dragons also belonged among the ranks of geniuses.
But although both were geniuses, neither could stand at the apex.
That was because they also possessed “limits”.
The limits of being human.
The limits of being a dragon.
The standards of those limits were simply unimaginably high.
Nevertheless, both possessed clear limits.
That was why dragons could not surpass Ian.
Ian could not surpass the Emperor.
Of course, I had also failed to surpass not only the Emperor but even Ian and the dragons.
—You’re different, Adrian.
However, I possessed the “potential” to surpass them.
—Only your power of Predation can reach that apex.
Predation [S+]—my ability to acquire the Genetic Factors of every living creature in existence.
By consuming the heart of my prey, I could undergo a dramatic evolution using the abilities possessed by that prey.
Through that power, I could continue evolving endlessly and surpass the biological limits of living creatures....
—How could mere humans and dragons possibly compare to the “Ultimate Lifeform”?
Ultimate Lifeform.
That was what Ian called me.
Ian alone had never called me “talentless”.
The Predator’s true instinct had remained suppressed by madness and had never been allowed to manifest.
But contrary to Ian’s expectations, I ultimately failed to reach that apex.
I met my end as merely an “exceptional life-form”, not the Ultimate Lifeform.
Predation possessed the fatal side effect of madness.
Because of it, I had failed to transcend the limitations of a mere “hunter”.
But—
That was no longer true.
Ian’s ability, Player’s Will [EX].
As long as I possessed it, I no longer needed to fear the madness caused by Predation.
Perhaps I could surpass my limits.
Perhaps I could finally reach it.
The apex of all life.
The ultimate predator—the Predator.
◆You have consumed the Genetic Factor of the entity “Gelu-Drake” through Predation!
◆You have acquired the skill “Dragon’s Claw [A]”!
That deadly instinct was slowly beginning to awaken.
* * *
Kai descended the Snowy Mountains without hesitation.
His forceful steps carried both revulsion and a trace of disappointment.
He could not identify the precise reason, but….Kai was undeniably experiencing those emotions.
Kai descended without looking back.
How long had he been walking?
A man entered the edge of his vision. It was a face he did not recognize.
That meant the man was not from the County.
When the man discovered Kai, his expression brightened.
He immediately ran over to Kai.
“Oh, thank goodness! I thought I might freeze to death out here...!”
The man breathed heavily, repeatedly expressing his relief.
His head was covered in snow.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed to have wandered through the Snowy Mountains for quite some time.
The man soon gave Kai an awkward smile and asked him a question.
“Excuse me, but could you tell me which way I should go to reach the House of White Wolf?”
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