Chapter 50. Predatory Instincts (1)
◆You have cleared the Sudden Quest [We Are a Legion!]!
◆You have gained 959,600 quest experience points!
It was not the message I had expected.
Then again, it had taken quite some time to absorb the dragon’s Genetic Factor engraved within the Gelu-Drake.
The Genetic Factors engraved by the Monarch of Beasts would naturally take even longer.
They were merely taking time to appear, not disappearing, so I waited calmly.
More importantly, the message currently before me was exciting enough on its own.
‘That’s almost nine times as much.’
It was nearly nine hundred and sixty thousand experience points.
‘The experience gained from clearing quests is definitely far greater than what I get from hunting.’
That allowed me to gain an astonishing sixteen levels.
My level, which had ultimately reached level 30, instantly soared to level 50.
That alone was a tremendous reward.
However, the true rewards were only beginning.
◆Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!!!
Another translucent message appeared before me, sounding as though it might faint from excitement.
◆And that isn’t all!
◆Fearless courage! A sacrifice made without regard for your own life! The residents of the territory who witnessed your actions were moved! Deeply moved!
◆As a reward, the residents’ Affinity will increase substantially!
◆But it doesn’t end here! An opportunity like this doesn’t come every day!
◆As an additional reward, you will receive [All Stats +5]!
◆Are we really allowed to give away this much?!
◆I don’t know! This quest has gone crazy!!
◆Now, who dares stand in my way?! Everyone, step aside! The <Ruler of the North> has arrived!
◆Finally, you will also receive the ‘Title—<Ruler of the North>’ as a bonus!
◆You did not merely repel the monster legion! You accomplished the astonishing and absurd feat of subjugating its leader, the Lycanthrope!!
◆Who could possibly witness your incredible achievement without being astonished?!
◆Tell anyone who isn’t impressed to come forward! Hi-yah! Smash! I’ll teach them a proper lesson!
◆Beyond imagination! Irrefutable! Real facts! Absolutely undeniable!
....I had never seen anything make such an absurd fuss.
The messages practically covered my entire vision in black as they performed a frenzied dance all by themselves.
‘I swear this thing has a mind of its own.’
Considering that messages occasionally appeared as though they had read my thoughts, that seemed increasingly likely.
In any case, setting aside the theatrics, the rewards were genuinely insane.
I had subjugated none other than the “Commander of the Beast Legion”, so perhaps that was only natural.
High risk, high return.
The greater the danger I assumed, the more certain the returns became.
‘I’ll check the residents’ Affinity and the additional stats later….’
First, I checked the newly acquired title, <Ruler of the North>.
== <Ruler of the North> ==
[Acquisition Requirement]—Subjugate the previous <Ruler of the North>.
[Effect 1]—Within the northern region, enemies attempting to challenge the player experience tremendous psychological pressure, reducing [all their stats by 20%].
[Effect 2]—The Ruler’s majesty and presence greatly increase allied morale. When fighting in the north, [all stats of the player and their allies increase by 15%].
The only regrettable aspect was that its effects were restricted to the northern region.
Unlike <Master of the Snowy Mountains>, which granted All Stats +5 regardless of time or location, this title’s effects applied only within the north.
‘It’s still good.’
Even so, it was a better title than <Master of the Snowy Mountains>.
Although limited to the northern region, its effects alone could create a combined thirty-five-percent difference in stats.
Furthermore, the benefits would increase exponentially as I grew stronger.
‘And the stat reduction isn’t restricted to monsters.’
[Effect 1] of <Master of the Snowy Mountains> frightened “all monsters” inhabiting the Snowy Mountains and reduced the stats of frightened monsters by fifteen percent.
It did not affect enemies who were not monsters.
Furthermore, a monster’s stats would not decrease unless it became “frightened”.
That was why the effect of <Master of the Snowy Mountains> had failed against the Lycanthrope.
The Lycanthrope had not been frightened.
However, the same had also applied to me.
Judging by the acquisition requirement for <Ruler of the North>, the Lycanthrope appeared to have been the previous <Ruler of the North>.
In other words, the Lycanthrope had been applying the effects of <Ruler of the North> against me.
‘No wonder the monsters belonging to the legion seemed unusually strong.’
I now understood that all their stats had been increased by fifteen percent because of the Lycanthrope.
Consequently, all my stats should have been reduced by twenty percent.
That was the effect of <Ruler of the North>.
Yet none of my stats had decreased.
‘Was that thanks to Ian’s ability?’
It was thanks to Ian’s ability, Player’s Will [EX].
The twenty-percent stat reduction caused by <Ruler of the North> was based on “psychological pressure”.
However, psychological pressure had no effect on me.
That was why my stats had not decreased.
In other words….
‘Kai was fighting with his stats reduced by twenty percent.’
Even in that state, he had driven the Lycanthrope backward.
He had even forced it into a Berserk state.
‘Lunatic.’
I could not help but think that.
But upon further consideration, Kai was also a Legion Commander.
The Commander of the Frost Legion.
Based on my experience, Kai, the Commander of the Frost Legion, had been stronger than the Lycanthrope, the Commander of the Beast Legion.
Far stronger.
‘Lunatic.’
A lunatic truly was a lunatic.
In any case, I invested all the Bonus Stat Points gained from leveling up into Agility.
‘And the All Stats +5 additional reward was applied automatically.’
Finally, I deactivated the title <Master of the Snowy Mountains> and replaced it with the new title <Ruler of the North>, activating its effects.
== 「Player Information」 ==
[Name] = Adrian White Wolf
[Title] = Ruler of the North
[Level] = Level 50
[HP] = 611
[MP] = 0
[Stats] = Strength: 37.95 (+4.95), Agility: 65 (+15), Stamina: 27.3 (+6.3), Mana: 6.9 (+0.9)
[Experience] = 31.7%
My stats had increased tremendously compared to before.
In particular, my Agility of 65 gave me senses that almost resembled Extra Sensory Perception.
Another change was that I had lost the [All Stats +5] effect granted by the title <Master of the Snowy Mountains>.
Instead, it had been replaced by the [All Stats +15%] effect of <Ruler of the North>.
‘My Strength has decreased slightly.’
That was because the percentage-based increase provided a smaller benefit than an absolute numerical increase.
However, the decrease was negligible.
The increases to Agility and Stamina were especially noticeable, so my combined stats had unquestionably risen.
‘And once I increase my Strength and Stamina through physical training, the amplification will become even greater.’
Furthermore, the title could reduce the stats of every target—including monsters—by twenty percent.
Although restricted to the north, there was no better title than <Ruler of the North> within that region.
With this….
‘Good.’
I had once again surpassed the person I had been in my previous life.
When I looked around, the cold that had consumed the world was gradually disappearing.
I immediately pulled taut the tension I had briefly released.
The Lycanthrope was unquestionably dead.
However, one more person who absolutely had to die remained.
Seraphia….
No, I had to kill the Monarch of Frost.
Until now, Seraphia had shown none of the characteristics of the Monarch of Frost.
But everything had changed today.
Seraphia had finally awakened as the Monarch of Frost. There was no longer any reason to wait for Ian to arrive.
I needed to kill Seraphia immediately.
....But could I do it?
That question was irrelevant.
It was something I had to do.
I retrieved oil from my inventory and replenished my calories.
Sharpening my fingernails, I entered a complete combat stance.
And then—
“What...?”
I became even more bewildered than when the Lycanthrope had fled.
The cold covering the world disappeared.
The frozen space and time returned to normal, and Kai was once again permitted to move.
However, Kai could not move easily.
As he faced Adrian, fear surged from the deepest part of his instincts.
It was the fear of confronting a natural predator, even more intense than the terror he had experienced from Dragon Fear.
The pressure crushed Kai’s entire body, making it difficult for him to move.
Attempting to summon Aura was useless. More precisely, he could not summon Aura at all.
Kai’s mind was completely consumed by Adrian’s resentment and his laughter filled with madness.
A faint voice awakened Kai from his stupor.
“I’m….sorry, Sir Kai....”
Seraphia’s powerless voice came from behind him.
“I couldn’t….keep my promise....”
Seraphia, who had been secured to his back, collapsed toward the ground.
Thud.
She fell like a flower petal scattered by the wind.
The bindings that had firmly secured her froze and shattered like pieces of glass.
* * *
“What...?”
The tension I had pulled taut naturally loosened.
My face became bewildered without my realizing it.
“Lady Seraphia!!!”
Kai hurriedly examined Seraphia.
I followed him and checked her condition as well. Seraphia’s face was not merely pale but deathly white.
Frigid energy surrounded her entire face.
The beads of cold sweat on her forehead had frozen into ice crystals.
Her moonlit silver hair was scattered across the ground like snow.
Her half-open eyes had lost their strength and contained only a faint, clouded red light.
Her small, trembling lips had turned blue.
Only her faint, sigh-like breathing indicated that she was still alive.
She was not the Monarch of Frost.
Only moments earlier, Seraphia had demonstrated authority comparable to that of the Monarch of Frost.
She had been a Monarch on another level, sweeping away both the Lycanthrope and the monster legion.
I had believed that Seraphia had finally awakened as the Monarch of Frost.
But the Seraphia before me was nothing like that.
She was cold and powerless, like a doll trapped inside transparent ice.
She remained an exceedingly small, weak, and delicate woman.
“Lady Seraphia!! Please wake up!!”
Kai desperately called out to Seraphia.
Nevertheless, Seraphia did not move.
Kai continued calling her name as though pleading with her.
“Please...! Please...!!”
But Seraphia still could not properly regain consciousness.
This was almost as though….
‘She can’t control the authority.’
Far from controlling it, she was being consumed by it.
It resembled how I had once been consumed by the madness of Predation [S+].
‘She wasn’t like this in my previous life.’
Nothing like this had happened in my previous life.
Seraphia had wielded her authority freely.
That was how she had become the transcendent Monarch known as the Coalition Forces’ Greatest Enemy.
‘Why is it different now...?’
It happened just as that question occurred to me.
◆You have consumed the Genetic Factors of the entity known as ‘Lycanthrope’!
◆You have acquired the skill ‘Predatory Instincts [S]’!
A message appeared before me, announcing that the process of Predation [S+] was complete.
It was immediately followed by a description of Predatory Instincts [S].
◆Predatory Instincts [S] : Upon activating this skill, the predatory instincts engraved within the player awaken. The player can know information about any target [a priori], without learning about or being conditioned toward that target.
A priori.
It was a term opposite in meaning to empirical or learned.
In other words, it referred to knowledge and information understood through innate intuition rather than experience or learning.
Even without conscious effort, information available through my five senses—such as Seraphia’s appearance, physique, and scent—was naturally gathered.
Knowledge that I could understand a priori unfolded and combined within my mind without the need for study or instruction.
That knowledge assessed Seraphia’s current condition.
It then became new knowledge and was naturally engraved into my instincts.
Finally, I examined the information about Seraphia that appeared before me.
Predatory Instincts [S], a skill that allowed me to know information about a target a priori.
== <Character Information> ==
Name: Seraphia White Wolf
Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Class Mammalia, Family Hominidae, Human
Gender: Female
Age: 15
Trait: Frost Curse [P]
One piece of Seraphia’s information stood out more than anything else.
‘Frost Curse?’
The instant I questioned it, Predatory Instincts [S] activated once again.
Information about Frost Curse [P] appeared before my eyes.
No comments yet. Be the first to leave a review!