Chapter 18

A possibility.

The possibility that Ian had failed to return to the past.

It had occurred to me from the moment I realized I had returned to the past. But I had quickly shaken my head and dismissed it.

I could be certain Ian had returned to the past, because of the mechanics of my own ability, Predation[S+].

Predation[S+] allowed me to acquire a creature's abilities by devouring its heart. And I had acquired Ian's abilities by devouring his heart.

But I wasn't sure whether that meant “absorbing” those abilities or “copying” them. In other words, was I taking the abilities away from the creature whose heart I devoured? Or was I simply making a copy of its abilities for myself?

If I absorbed them, the creature would lose its abilities. If I copied them, the creature would retain them.

But there was no way to check. It was a question I hadn't been able to answer even during my time as the allied army's Predator. No creature could live without a heart, so I couldn't check whether its abilities remained after I devoured it.

If my Predation worked by “absorbing abilities,” then I had taken Ian's abilities away from him. Conversely, if it worked by “copying abilities,” then both Ian and I would possess them.

But either way...

“Ian definitely returned to the past.”

That fact remained unchanged.

So far, I knew of three abilities Ian possessed.

I Alone Level Up[EX].

Player's Will[EX].

And returning to the past.

By devouring Ian's heart, I had acquired I Alone Level Up[EX] and Player's Will[EX]. But I hadn't acquired the ability to return to the past.

It didn't matter whether Predation absorbed abilities or copied them. Either way, if I had absorbed/copied that ability, I should have had a skill displayed as something like Return to the Past[EX].

But I didn't. I had only I Alone Level Up[EX] and Player's Will[EX]. I possessed no ability or skill whatsoever related to returning to the past.

Which meant...

“I didn't absorb the ability to return to the past.”

That ability remained with Ian.

Whether Predation absorbed or copied abilities, the fact that I didn't have an ability related to returning to the past meant Ian still did. That was possible because Predation didn't let me acquire all of a creature's abilities at once.

It took devouring hearts from that creature's kind anywhere from a few times to hundreds of times to acquire its abilities in full.

I hadn't absorbed/copied all of Ian's abilities. Therefore, he was guaranteed to retain at least the ability to return to the past. Ian had definitely returned.

Above all...

==[Find the Hero!] ==

[Details] - Find the Hero.

[Reward] - ???

[Upon Failure] - The end of the continent

The main quest proved that Ian was somewhere on this continent. Why he hadn't shown himself after seventeen days was still a mystery, though...

“Let's wait a little longer.”

That didn't mean I intended to sit around doing nothing.

◆You have devoured additional genetic material from an ice troll!

◆The skill 'Regeneration[C+]' is being enhanced to 'Regeneration[B-]'!

Translucent messages appeared before my eyes, suggesting the devouring process had finished.

“It actually got stronger?”

I'd hoped it would, but that was all it had been—a hope. I hadn't expected it to actually happen. Enhancing an ability after devouring just one creature wasn't merely rare; it was practically unheard of. Even Nutrient Synthesis[C] had evolved only after I'd hunted eight Alacrons.

“Let's see how it improved.”

The instant I finished speaking, translucent text about Regeneration appeared before my eyes.

◆Regeneration[B-]

: Consumes nutrients stored in the body to repair physical damage. The types and quantities of nutrients consumed vary according to the affected body part and the severity of the damage.

+You can temporarily cause sensory nerves to degenerate, blocking the perception of pain.

<Absorbing additional genetic material strengthens this ability.>

Enhancing Regeneration to [B-] had added a new feature.

“No pain, huh.”

Being unable to feel pain sounded like a good ability at first glance, but it really wasn't. Pain was a defense mechanism for survival. All living things had a strong tendency to avoid pain, which allowed them to detect and avoid danger. The instinct to avoid things that hurt was the surest defense mechanism for protecting one's life.

But what if you couldn't feel pain?

You couldn't detect and avoid danger. You couldn't tell whether you were hurt. Even an injury that left you pouring blood would feel like nothing. For a living creature, being unable to feel pain was effectively a serious “disease.”

But what if you had an ability called Regeneration?

Pain was utterly useless. You could simply heal any injury on the spot.

“Not bad.”

It wasn't merely good. It was excellent.

Even if I could regenerate, I still felt every bit of the pain of my bones shattering and my flesh being crushed. The mental strain was enormous. Of course, I had Player's Will[EX], but that only kept me from going insane. It didn't take away the pain.

But if I could temporarily block pain?

“That means I can regenerate as recklessly as I like.”

I would truly become a “regenerating monster.” I'd acquired the most necessary and useful feature Regeneration could have.

Taking all those risks to kill it with its heart intact had been worthwhile.

“So the Emperor didn't round them all up for nothing.”

But now that I had returned to the past, plenty of monsters with abilities as rare as the ice troll's still existed in the wild. I had to acquire all those abilities before the Emperor began acting in earnest, before the imperial army wiped out all the vegetation on the continent.

Starting with the abilities available in the northern snowy mountains.

“Shall we get going again?”

I headed higher into the mountains.

* * *

Time flew, and another week passed. It had already been two weeks since I entered the snowy mountains.

Not once in those two weeks had I descended. I had neither the time nor the need. I could feed myself by tearing into monsters, and for water, all I had to do was burn calories with Nutrient Synthesis[C].

The only problem was getting a good night's sleep. The mountain cold was lethal, hardly suitable for sleeping out in the open. But even that was tolerable if I dug a hole in the snow.

◆Toughened Skin[D] resists the freezing cold!

More precisely, Toughened Skin[D] let me withstand it well enough. The environment was still harsh, but compared to my days in the special task force, it was nothing.

Sleeping outdoors on a mission had been relatively comfortable. Some missions required going days without sleep, and there had been days when I'd had to spend a full day in a cesspit. Now, on the other hand, I had plenty to eat and could dig myself a place to lie down in the snow.

“This is paradise.”

It truly was as good as paradise, so I cut back on sleep and focused on hunting.

Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to hunt that many creatures. The mountain environment meant its population of living things was rather small. As a result, the monsters I'd managed to hunt over those two weeks were as follows.

Two Dermexus.

Fourteen Alacrons.

One ice troll.

And...

“I only managed to catch one Rex, too.”

I'd caught one monster called a Rex. With its two short legs and fearsome jaws, it had a vicious bite to match its appearance, but surprisingly, it was an herbivore.

Not all monsters were carnivores. Even herbivorous monsters, however, couldn't control their Madness and charged at any human they saw. Every species in the monster kingdom posed a threat to humans.

At any rate, I'd only managed to catch one Rex. It, too, lived exclusively in the northern snowy mountains, and it was one of the monsters I absolutely had to devour.

That was because its strategy for surviving the cold was a “developed endocrine system.” It had adopted the survival strategy of burning more calories to generate heat.

But it couldn't create something from nothing, so it had to increase its metabolic rate accordingly. The snowy mountain environment, however, didn't have enough vegetation to support that level of metabolism.

So it had opted to drastically diminish its muscular strength. By severely reducing its muscles, the body's biggest calorie consumers, it had balanced its metabolic requirements. In other words, it had sacrificed strength in exchange for quick movements, excellent recovery, and body heat.

This was the ability I'd acquired by devouring its heart.

◆Promote Metabolism[E+]

: Activating this skill stimulates the player's endocrine system, greatly increasing metabolism. The player's Strength decreases by [-25%], but Agility and Stamina increase by [+10%].

<This skill can be toggled [On/Off].>

<Absorbing additional genetic material strengthens this ability.>

Looking at my stats overall, I gained “+20%” at the cost of “-25%,” for a net loss of “-5%.” But this was an [On/Off] skill that I could toggle as needed. Since I could use it only when I needed quick movements, it was quite a useful ability and skill.

“And once I enhance this one, it'll become far more efficient.”

If I kept enhancing it, it would go well beyond useful. I'd find myself calling it “broken” without even thinking.

“Then the abilities I've devoured so far...”

Before I'd even finished speaking, a stream of translucent text appeared before my eyes.

==「Possessed Skills」==

◆I Alone Level Up[EX]

: The player can accumulate experience to increase their level. Each level gained grants one stat point.

◆Player's Will[EX]

: Grants immunity to all effects that exceed the player's mental fortitude (curses, illusions, brainwashing, hypnosis, suggestion, etc.).

◆Predation[S+]

: Devour a living creature's heart to absorb its abilities and convert them into skills. Consumes mental fortitude.

◆Regeneration[B-]

◆Toughened Skin[D]

◆Nutrient Synthesis[C+]

◆Promote Metabolism[E+]

Fortunately, the abilities I'd acquired through Predation appeared in an abbreviated format. Otherwise, the skill descriptions alone would have completely blotted out my vision. That was certainly a relief.

“Let's see...”

Aside from the addition of Promote Metabolism[E+], there hadn't been any major changes to my skills.

Perhaps because Alacrons were the monsters I'd hunted the most, I'd at least managed to enhance Nutrient Synthesis from [C] to [C+], one grade higher. Its calorie conversion efficiency had increased slightly, and I could now synthesize minerals the human body needed, such as [sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, etc.].

There was one thing, though.

“I didn't get Heightened Keratin.”

For one thing, monsters with Heightened Keratin were extremely scarce. There was also a monster in these mountains that I mustn't disturb, so I couldn't go poking around indiscriminately. For the same reason, I hadn't found a monster with ESP either.

“That's a shame...”

Still, it wasn't as though I'd come away empty-handed. I'd devoured abilities that I hadn't been able to acquire in my previous life.

Above all...

“My level should have gone up quite a bit, too.”

The translucent text before my eyes smoothly changed.

==「Player Information」==

[Name] = Adrian Whitewolf

[Level] = Level 13

[HP] = 1,600

[MP] = 0

[Stats] = Strength:22 Agility:8 Stamina:15 Mana:1

[Experience] = 53.2%

“I was level eight when I first entered the mountains, so...”

I'd gained a full five levels here alone.

I'd also gained additional stats outside of leveling up. Fighting and chasing monsters had naturally trained my strength and stamina. Thanks to that, my stats were high for my level.

“Agility sure isn't easy to raise, though.”

For that reason, I'd invested all the stat points from leveling up into Agility.

That made Promote Metabolism[E+] all the more necessary. I was already short on Agility, and it was a difficult stat to raise.

“From now on, I should put my level-up stat points into Agility whenever I can.”

In return, I'd need to train my strength and stamina even harder. As it happened, I'd enhanced Regeneration[B-] and acquired Nutrient Synthesis[C+], a skill that worked well with it. Physical training alone would let me make substantial, rapid gains in Strength and Stamina.

“Time to head back, I think.”

Of course, it was quite disappointing that I hadn't devoured the keratin ability. But I was tired, too.

I could withstand the mountain cold, but withstanding it was all I was doing. Two weeks of pushing myself relentlessly had left me considerably exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Above all...

“I wonder if Ian's arrived.”

He might have come looking for me by now.

After all, I'd spent ten days training my body and fourteen days hunting in the mountains. Twenty-four days in total—nearly a month. No matter how far away Whitewolf county was, Ian would have had more than enough time to reach it.

The chances that Ian had arrived were probably very, very high. For all I knew, he might even have killed Seraphia and Kai already.

“Let's head back.”

My mind made up, I turned to head down the mountain.

And that was when it happened.

An inexplicable sense that something was wrong seized my entire body in an instant. I had... no idea why.

My survival instinct. That primal instinct was simply screaming at me.

'... I'm going to die!'

I instinctively activated Promote Metabolism[E+]. In an instant, my endocrine system went into overdrive, and my nervous system accelerated. Before my brain could make a decision, my nerves moved my body—

BOOOOM!!

The spot where I'd been standing exploded. Snow scattered in every direction, and a thick flurry blotted out my vision.

... I'd nearly died.

What if I hadn't raised my agility? What if I hadn't acquired Promote Metabolism[E+]? I could say with certainty that I would have died just then.

I swallowed hard. Tension pulled taut, and my body kept trembling despite myself. Instinctive terror left me rigid.

The flurry slowly settled. My obscured vision gradually cleared—and my heart began pounding as though it would burst. One thought filled my mind: It couldn't be. Surely not.

Even then, my instincts kept warning me, screaming that I would die unless I ran right now.

At last, when my vision cleared completely—I found myself face-to-face with the one being I should never have encountered in these snowy mountains.