TLWD 38

Chapter : 38. The Monster Legion

Creatures born from wild animals mutated by the element of madness—monsters.

Monsters never form legions.

All monsters categorized under “monsterkind” inherently possess “madness.” They are savage by nature and express it without hesitation.

There are some monsters known to be docile, but that merely means they don’t attack unless provoked first. This is simply to avoid unnecessary fights. Injuries in the wild can be fatal to survival.

Thus, their lack of aggression isn’t a sign of friendliness toward humans.

And it’s not limited to humans. Monsters aren’t friendly to other animals either—nor even to each other.

So, monsters do not form legions.

A Legion refers to a group of various beings unified under a single leader, all acting with a hive-like consciousness.

While there might be swarms made up of the same species of monster, a monster legion—a massive group made up of different kinds of monsters—should not exist.

There is only one exception.

The six lords who serve the Emperor.

“How can a Beast Lord…?”

Except for the monster legions led by the Beast Lords, they shouldn’t exist at all.

That’s why I wasn’t simply surprised—I was utterly horrified.

Of course, it might have just been a misunderstanding by the soldiers.

They could’ve mistaken a monster swarm for a full-fledged legion.

But I was certain that wasn’t the case.

Because of what just appeared before my eyes:

==[We Are Legion!]==

[Objective] – Defend the Count’s territory from the monster legion.
[Reward] – Increased affinity with the territory’s residents.
[Penalty if Declined] – The downfall of the Whitewolf County.

The quest clearly used the term “monster legion.”

And the penalty for refusing was significant.

That meant the current military power of the County wasn’t enough to withstand the threat.

Even with Kai and Seraphia present.

Which implied a very, very high possibility that a Beast Lord was involved in this quest.

A sudden appearance of a Beast Lord.

Back then, I had no idea that a Beast Lord would attack the County.

But now that I think about it… Something doesn’t add up.

“Don’t tell me… the reason Gelu Drake descended from the summit was…?”

Gelu Drake rarely ever left the mountaintop. So why had he come down?

Why had a Dermexus—native to the Snowy Mountain—been spotted near the County?

Why did I first encounter a starving Ice Troll?

And why had the monster population in the Snowy Mountains sharply declined?

Was it because of the Beast Lord?

Now the puzzle pieces were finally coming together.

And if all this really was the work of a Beast Lord…

“There’s no way we can win.”

No matter what I did, there was no way I could clear this quest.

Because the Lords were simply on “another level.”

The Emperor slaughtered anyone who wasn’t one of his own, as if he loathed life itself. He obliterated all living beings across the continent.

He only “raised” creatures when it was necessary.

And if they weren’t? He slaughtered them.

In that sense, even the Imperial Army was merely a herd “raised” by the Emperor.

Nurturing or butchering—those were the only two fates for anyone who met the Emperor.

And among all his madness, there were six beings the Emperor neither raised nor killed—but acknowledged.

He gave them sovereignty, allowing them to rule designated regions of the continent.

These Lords were not even comparable to the commanders of the Imperial legions I had previously defeated. Even the heroes of the Allied Forces were helpless before them.

Seraphia was one of those Lords.

The Lord of Extreme Cold, ruler of the Northern Continent.

But not now.

The present-day Seraphia—having returned to the past—was nothing more than a small, fragile, and delicate woman.

With her current power, there was no way she could win.

This would be a meaningless death.

Even in my past life, as a Predator, I couldn’t defeat a Beast Lord.

And now? I didn’t even have a fraction of that power.

So I had to abandon this sudden quest.

Here and now.

I couldn’t afford to die in vain.

Beyond the snowy horizon, an overwhelming and chaotic sight loomed.

Like a tidal wave of snow, a white surge spilled over endlessly, filling the entire field of vision.

Massive monsters led the front, clearing the snow to make a path.

Behind them, smaller monsters spread out and charged in a frenzy.

The monster legion moved as though it were a single living organism.

Countless claws trampled the snow as they advanced, making the earth tremble under their weight.

KROOOAAARRR!!

Roars and thunderous howls erupted from every direction, shaking the frigid air.

Atop the fortress wall guarding Whitewolf County, Seraphia instinctively stepped back.

“G-Good heavens!!”

…This was beyond control.

Seraphia could tell at a glance.

Against that legion of monsters gathered from the mountains and snowy plains, the County would never hold.

She bit her lower lip tightly.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and braced herself again and again.

When she opened her eyes—

Seraphia’s crimson pupils now gleamed a pure, icy white.

Kiiiiing—!

A strange sound rang out, and a freezing aura burst from Seraphia’s entire body, casting blue streaks of cold into the air.

As the frost surged outward—

“Stop.”

Kai darted in like a thunderbolt and restrained her. The freezing aura collapsed and retreated back into Seraphia.

Only after confirming the aura had completely vanished did Kai speak.

“You must not use your power.”

“But—!”

“Trust me and the soldiers.”

At his words, the soldiers behind him nodded heavily.

Their resolve was palpable—even ready to sacrifice their lives.

Not just for Seraphia.

But for their families, friends, and lovers living in the County.

Even if it meant death, the soldiers were determined to protect them.

Seraphia bit her lip again.

“…Understood.”

Only after her answer did Kai turn around.

The soldiers, too, gripped their weapons tightly, following Kai’s lead.

Even now, the monster legion drew closer.

KWEEEEHHH—!!

Bestial howls and chaotic roars melded into one. The terrifying sound came closer, signaling that battle was imminent.

Haa…! Haa…!

The soldiers’ breathing grew heavy.

They were prepared to die—but fear still clung to their hearts in the face of such overwhelming force.

From that, Seraphia reaffirmed her vow.

If danger truly came, she would not hesitate to use her power.

Not because she didn’t trust Kai and the soldiers.

But because—

She too was prepared to die to protect the people of the County.

Then—

The monsters closed in.

At the front was Rex—the fastest monster on the mountain.

Rex, fangs and claws bared, charged wildly. Behind him, monsters surged in packs, boiling with frenzy.

They pushed and shoved over each other’s backs and shoulders, advancing toward the fortress.

“All units, prepare for battle!!!”

Kai roared, and the soldiers on the wall gritted their teeth.

“Come at us, you bastards!!”

“As long as I live, you’ll never breach this wall!!”

They shouted to overcome their fear.

But they couldn’t shake the dread entirely.

Can we survive this?

Despair was spreading—

Until that moment.

“Step aside.”

One figure dashed forward, past Seraphia and the soldiers.

To be honest—

I was planning to abandon this sudden quest.

But instead, I leapt off the wall—

CRASH!

I grabbed Rex, who had been climbing the wall, and slammed him into the ground.

With my [A]-rank Dragon Claws, I tore into Rex’s chest and ripped out his heart.

His hide and flesh were torn like paper—and the heart was mine.

SPLAAASH—!

Bright red blood splattered everywhere. The world turned crimson, and at the center of it all, a familiar pair of red eyes came into view.

Seraphia’s red eyes trembled as they looked at me.

I shoved Rex’s heart into my mouth and looked around—

The monsters glared at me with blazing red eyes, drooling with bloodlust and madness.

But underneath that madness was unmistakable fear.

Effect of the title: Master of the Snowy Mountain.

It instills fear in all monsters dwelling in the Snowy Mountain. Fear-stricken monsters suffer a 15% stat reduction.

Krrrk…! Kekekeek—!

Because of that, the monsters hesitated to charge me.

To be honest, I had no emotional attachment to Whitewolf County.

But I needed it—for when Ian returns.

It also served as a base for the Predator Trading Company.

Most importantly—

There were so many genes here ripe for [S+] Devour.

I didn’t even have to go monster-hunting—they were gathering before me.

If I devoured all of them, completing my ability evolution would be a breeze.

So there was no way I could abandon this quest.

And if I’m being honest, beyond all these reasons, the biggest was—

“Haha…”

The overwhelming ecstasy pounding in my brain.

I couldn’t get rid of it.

This was a thrill on an entirely different level than when I encountered Gelu Drake.

In my previous life, I fought in a war against a Beast Lord.

It was brutal—not something that could be taken lightly.

All the power and lives of the Allied Forces were poured into it.

Even Ian and all the heroes of the Alliance joined in. Every unit commander was summoned. I was there too.

After countless life-or-death battles, the Beast Lord finally fell.

He knelt before Ian’s sword.

And I—

I didn’t devour the Beast Lord.

Not because I didn’t know.

I knew that devouring his heart would grant me immense power.

But I couldn’t devour it.

“You must not devour the Lord’s heart, Adrian.”

Ian warned me.

“Your mind won’t survive it.”

First, he feared it would destroy me mentally.

In my past life, I couldn’t control the madness.

The more I devoured, the more I was consumed by it—and not even the Saintess’ miracles could cure me.

Only Ian could control me—by beating the madness out of me.

If I devoured the Lord’s heart, I’d go completely insane.

The madness of a Lord would be beyond anything I had experienced.

So Ian said—

“I won’t be able to handle you.”

He feared the stronger, maddened version of me.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to subdue you without killing you.”

He worried he’d have to kill me.

“You must never devour the Lord’s heart.”

And I agreed.

Without control, I’d become no different than a monster.

That’s how you create another Lord.

Uncontrollable power is disaster.

So I never devoured a Lord—not even once.

But now—

Things are different.

Now, I can control the madness.

With Ian’s ability—Player’s Will [EX]—

As long as I have that, I’ll never be consumed by madness.

Even the madness within a Lord’s heart can’t destroy my mind.

Ian’s power surpasses that of the Lords, and it would completely suppress the madness in their hearts.

In other words—

Now I can [S+] devour a Lord’s heart.

What I couldn’t obtain in my past life, I now could.

How could I not—

“HAHAHAHAHA!!”

—feel a surge of electricity throughout my whole body?

Of course, all of this hinges on me being able to defeat a Beast Lord in the first place.

Naturally, I’m still not strong enough—but the Beast Lord won’t be at full strength either.

Just as Seraphia isn’t displaying her full might as the Lord of Cold in this timeline.

The Beast Lord must also be weaker, having returned to the past.

So this was doable.

With Kai and Seraphia, the chances weren’t bad.

No sign of the Beast Lord yet…

All I saw was an endless horde of monsters, worthy of being called a Legion.

And even the weakest creature is dangerous when in a mob.

But these weren’t weaklings.

So even though fighting before the Lord appears may waste energy—

I turned to Kai, Seraphia, and the soldiers on the wall and said:

“Nobody interfere.”

Actually, this was perfect.

A great chance to test my still-incomplete skills while evolving my abilities.

A battle style not meant for humans—one that no human should ever use.

◆ Combo Skill Activated: ‘Metabolic Overdrive [U]’!

This was the perfect chance to complete my unfinished battle system.