The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 151

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 151. The Thread of Fate (2)
The Frost Trial Grounds.
A training facility where the soldiers of Whitewolf Territory underwent military instruction, tactical exercises, and physical conditioning.
Until recently, it had been nothing more than simple wooden structures hastily erected on bare earth.
But now it had transformed entirely.
The wooden pillars and beams had been reinforced with steel.
In place of wooden walls, massive stone ramparts now encircled the Frost Trial Grounds.
The earthen floor had been covered with sturdy stone, engineered to withstand tremendous impact.
The Frost Trial Grounds, reborn by the Dwarves.
CRASH—!!
The tremendous impact sent the entire training ground trembling violently.
From that concussion, hairline fractures spider-webbed across the stone floor in countless directions.
The faces of the soldiers conducting their training bore similar cracks of disbelief.
“This is… insane…”
Every eye fixed upon Adrian in the corner of the grounds.
With each shift of weight, the muscles of Adrian’s arms bulged like tensed sinews, appearing ready to burst.
“What… what is that?”
It was simply incomprehensible.
Of course, I knew.
I knew Adrian’s training was utterly unreasonable.
And yet it had remained within the bounds of common sense.
Unreasonable, perhaps, but at least comprehensible—
Or rather, something one could attempt to understand.
But now…
“A boulder… no, is that…?”
“I think… it actually is?”
Now he was obliterating common sense entirely.
Could a human even lift a boulder?
And not just any boulder—an enormous one.
A boulder whose weight defied estimation.
Yet Adrian was hoisting it as though it were a plaything.
Adrian’s bare torso, his shirt discarded.
Muscles drenched in sweat rippled once more with exertion.
“Is he… doing it again?!”
“Not… not in that condition too?!”
The soldiers’ eyes widened in shock.
Especially the Bister New Soldiers—their eyes were stretched wide enough to tear.
“How is he lifting that weight with bare hands?!”
“Is that even… possible?!”
Of course, I knew.
Adrian, who had felled a colossal beast in Violess.
Everyone naturally knew Adrian was monstrously strong.
Yet even so, he remained within the bounds of comprehension.
Not sane by any measure, but at least intelligible—
Or rather, at a level one could attempt to understand.
But then….
“W-wait… is he actually going to throw it?!”
“No way, how could he possibly lift something that heavy—”
CRASH!
An enormous boulder tore through the air.
Just before it fell, Adrian moved with blinding speed and caught the boulder again.
BOOM!
The entire Frost Trial Grounds trembled from the impact of catching it.
Every soldier’s jaw hung slack in unison.
…He wasn’t human.
He was a monster.
Not merely comparable to a monster—he was simply a monster!
And for good reason, just look at this.
“The weight is insufficient.”
That expression of complete dissatisfaction despite holding something so massive.
If that wasn’t a monster, then what in the world was it?
“He’s completely Adrianesque!”
One of the soldiers cried out.
“Huh?”
“…Adrianesque?”
“That’s because he’s ‘Monster Adrian’ after all.”
Adrianesque.
A state or act of accomplishing the impossible with transcendent power or ability like Adrian—something done with ease.
Or alternatively.
A difficult problem or task that no one but Adrian himself could possibly resolve.
“Don’t even mention it—today’s training was Adrianesque level.”
“Lucia! You worked all through last night. Don’t push yourself like this or you’ll hurt yourself!”
Thus was born the neologism of Whitewolf Territory.
* * *
BOOM!
With a heavy thunderous roar, the Frost Trial Grounds resonated greatly.
“Woooooah!”
“Adrianesque class!!”
The soldiers’ cheers (?) echoed through the Training Ground.
Soldiers excitedly exchanging these strange new words amongst themselves.
“We’re going at Ian-class intensity too!!”
“Crank the training to maximum!!”
“We are Ian’s soldiers!!”
Waaaaaaaaaah─!!
A sudden wave of training fervor swept through the Frost Trial Grounds.
‘What is this.’
I wondered why they were acting like that.
But I didn’t particularly mind.
There were far more pressing matters at hand.
I carefully examined the state of my body.
A physique evolved through Ogre Predation [S+].
It had been reconstructed into a form entirely different from before.
Muscle fibers compressed tightly by Ultra-High Density Muscle Fibers [A+] could not be severed even by steel blades.
With Rigid Body Transformation [U] added on top, even an Aura Sword would struggle to leave a mark.
In essence, it was impossible to pierce my skin without an Aura Blade.
However, my power output fell short of the Ogre’s.
I could not exert the kind of catastrophic force the Ogre possessed.
There were two main reasons for this.
The first was that I didn’t receive the amplification effect of the composite skill Impregnable Fortress [S-].
And the second reason was—
‘Did my ability get consumed improving the density of muscle fibers.’
The magnitude of force is proportional to the cross-sectional area of muscle.
The larger the muscle, the greater the force it can generate.
The Ogre’s catastrophic power was possible because of its massive 20-meter frame.
I was different.
I wasn’t even close to 2 meters, let alone 20.
Precisely 177 centimeters.
My physique wasn’t bulky either.
My Predation [S+] ability recognized that limitation.
Therefore, I utilized the Ogre’s Ultra-High Density Muscle Fiber [A+] genetics by increasing density rather than muscle size.
This was similar to brain evolution.
The larger the brain, the greater its capability.
But the space within the skull is finite.
I could not increase brain size any further.
So I maximized surface area by creating folds in the brain, increasing the density of neural networks.
As a result—
—the brain became far more precise and efficient within that limited space.
This was the same principle.
Predation [S+] improved the efficiency of muscle fiber arrangement and neural system structure instead of enlarging my body.
Thus, within my limited frame, my power output evolved to be far more precise and potent.
To put it simply.
‘Has my growth ceiling finally broken through?’
I had transcended the ability stats capped at 99, awakening the potential to grow into a power greater than the Ogre.
Though I was weaker than the Ogre for now, with consistent training, I could eventually surpass its strength.
But that wasn’t all.
Thanks to the multi-layered neural network structure of Hypersensory Motor Control [A-], I could now develop ‘agility growth’—something that had been difficult to raise through training alone.
In other words, even if I invested the ability stat points from Solo Level Up [EX] into mana, it seemed feasible.
‘If this continues….’
Maintaining Predator [M] constantly was no longer just a dream.
I felt I could endure ‘physical overload’ right now.
I had grown incomparably compared to my past life, and now a path to grow even further had opened before me.
Perhaps that’s why.
‘The weight isn’t enough.’
Even the boulder I had torn from Snowy Mountain left me unsatisfied with its weight.
It couldn’t provide sufficient strain on my muscles.
‘I need to acquire new equipment.’
But when even a boulder couldn’t satisfy me, ordinary equipment was out of the question.
Plain iron weights could barely stimulate me, let alone provide adequate resistance.
‘Hmm.’
I was just pondering what to train with next when it happened.
“Ah, there you are!”
A voice calling for me from the entrance of the Frost Trial Grounds.
“Monster friend!!”
Steelmaster, Srandel.
He approached me with quick strides on his short legs.
“You’re already training just days after waking up? You’re truly something, monster friend!”
Srandel gave a thumbs up as if to say ‘of course.’ Then, gazing at the soldiers training in the trial grounds—
“They’re all overflowing with energy, taking after you! That’s the way!”
Srandel laughed heartily.
I scattered my thoughts and asked.
“What brings you here?”
“Ah! It’s about the Ogre’s corpse.”
While I was unconscious, the Dwarves had carefully preserved the Ogre’s remains.
The Lycanthrope had been torn to shreds by Seraphia and was unusable, but the Ogre was intact.
“Do you have any use for it?”
“I hadn’t given it much thought.”
“Would it be alright if I took a hand to it?”
“By ‘took a hand to it,’ you mean….”
“There are various things I’d like to craft from it.”
Srandel’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
The perfect form of biological evolution—the Ogre.
The Ogre itself was nothing less than the finest material imaginable.
The sheer volume of byproducts from its massive 20-meter frame was staggering.
And Srandel was a master of supreme refining techniques, a blacksmith whose skill rivaled even Broombar when it came to metallurgy.
“If there’s nothing particular you need, I was thinking of crafting various things for my monster brothers. What do you think?”
“That would be excellent.”
There was no reason to refuse, naturally.
In fact, it was something I had hoped for.
“I noticed there seemed to be some Benelon timber as well. Would it be alright if I used some of that?”
Former Benelon wood.
The finest timber native to what is now Whitewolf County 2.
“You’re welcome to fell and use it all.”
Even with my permission, Srandel didn’t fell indiscriminately.
Dwarves are elves.
Simply dark elves who refused to be bound by nature.
Harvesting or felling resources beyond necessity was not the Dwarf way.
Dwarves were a race that knew how to return to nature what they had taken from it.
“Hahahaha! I’ll craft my greatest masterpiece!”
The soldiers of my territory, armed with Ogre equipment.
They could rightfully be called a ‘knight order’ without any exaggeration.
In fact, calling them an elite knight order surpassing most others would be no overstatement.
“Then the payment—”
“Payment?! What kind of nonsense is that!!”
Srandel cut me off with a booming voice.
“If anything, I should be the one paying you! You’ve given me the honor of crafting equipment using an Ogre as material!”
Steel Master, Srandel.
In any case, nothing had changed from his days with the Allied Forces.
“Besides, if it weren’t for you all, we’d have all died there! We wouldn’t have been able to protect Feractrum either!”
And with that, Srandel thumped his chest resoundingly.
“The monster brother, the wolf brother, and the frost sister—they’re all our kin!”
Dwarves are fundamentally deep in their trust.
They simply rarely acknowledge anyone as kin.
But once they call someone brother, they remain brothers until the end.
However, if they betray that trust, then they’ll have their skulls split open with a pickaxe.
“A brother’s land is our land! There can be no such thing as payment!”
This was also why the Frost Trial Grounds had been completely transformed.
It wasn’t only the Frost Trial Grounds.
The entire territory was now completely different, reshaped by the Dwarves’ craftsmanship.
They generously bestowed Dwarf techniques that would be difficult to obtain even for countless fortunes.
Thanks to this, my territory achieved unprecedented development.
“If it’s a matter concerning our brother, we Dwarves would overturn entire mountains to help!”
And so I would maintain good relations with the Dwarves going forward.
This too was a situation I had hoped for.
And with perfect timing, I had something I needed to ask, so I continued speaking.
“If it’s not too much trouble, might I impose upon you with a personal request?”
“A request? Just say it!”
“Could you perhaps craft training equipment for me?”
“Training equipment? You mean exercise apparatus?”
As I nodded, Srandel tilted his head in confusion.
But upon noticing the boulder placed beside me, he quickly grasped the situation and burst into laughter.
“Krahaha! A monster-kin who’s even grappled with the Ogre wouldn’t find such a rock worth a damn!”
Srandel pounded his chest with both fists as if to say, “Just leave it to me.”
“I’ll craft exercise apparatus perfectly suited for a monster-kin, so don’t you worry!”
The Dwarves’ technical prowess extended far beyond simply striking metal with hammers.
Arcane Engineering.
A discipline and craft reborn through the fusion of dwarven craftsmanship with the arcane arts.
I didn’t understand the details, but it was essentially a technique blending metal and magic?
That was roughly how I understood it.
Through this, they could harness Ether—an energy closest to mana—and design systems that functioned even without the ability to manipulate mana itself, such as controlling gravitational fields.
In other words, they could artificially create a high-gravity environment capable of placing sufficient strain on my muscles.
With physical training seeming so daunting, there could be no better solution than this.
Everything was progressing smoothly.
Yet there was one thing.
“I’ll craft something so merciless that your monster-kin muscles will scream in agony, so steel yourself! Krahaha!”
Kai is a wolf-kin, so why am I a monster-kin?
Well, Ian did call me a ‘mad-kin,’ so I suppose it’s fitting.
“…Ah, by the way, is Frostsister doing well?”
This must be referring to Seraphia.
Sister was a term Dwarves used for women they recognized as brothers, expressing both respect and familiarity.
For males: ~kin, brother.
For females: ~sister, sister.
In that sense, Iliana was Starlight-sister.
Isolde was Goldthread-sister.
And the Spirit Summoner was….
‘They called her Leaf-gambler, I think?’
In other words, the Dwarves did not recognize the Spirit Summoner as a brother.
Elves and Dwarves.
More precisely, Elves and Dark Elves.
Due to differing values regarding nature, relations between the two races were poor, and despite sharing common roots, they did not particularly recognize each other as brothers.
…In any case.
“If you’re referring to Seraphia, things should improve.”
Not immediately, though.
But it would be soon enough.
“While we’re on the subject, is Broombar doing alright?”
“The clan leader will be fine soon enough.”
He’s an iron fortress, after all—what could go wrong?
“Truly a remarkable leader.”
I couldn’t agree more.
The fact that he could move at all with injuries of that severity was nothing short of astonishing.
Without exaggeration, his condition was more critical than Predator’s physical overload.
…In any case.
“How are the repairs on the Arcanoheart progressing?”
“Nearly complete. Stabilization work is still needed for full operation, but we should be able to activate it soon.”
“Is there anything I can assist with?”
“Nothing right now, but I’d appreciate your help when we start digging the tunnel.”
Srandel’s eyes gleamed with peculiar brightness as he regarded me.
Somehow, his gaze held even more anticipation than when he looked at the Ogre—
“Excavating 11 kilometers is quite difficult even for us.”
…I was beginning to understand why they called me the Monster Aura.
“Understood. Let me know when you’re ready.”
“Hahahaha! Then I’m counting on you, Monster Aura!”
And with that, Srandel departed as if there was nothing more to say.
Whether before or now, Srandel remained Srandel.
In any case.
I had my own work as the Ogre.
‘I should visit Frecce now.’
It seemed like now was the only time I had.
I needed to prepare to hook The Emperor while the Runesteel mining was about to begin.
There was simply too much to do in Frecce.
* * *
Beneath the soaring ceiling of the Papal Palace, hundreds of candles flickered, casting their dim light downward.
Below, countless faithful gathered in preparation for the Holy Communion.
Holy Communion.
A sacred ritual to honor the grace of the divine and inscribe its will.
Though performed daily, the weight of the ceremony was never light.
Therefore, only those possessed of noble faith could preside over the Holy Communion.
The Attending Priest hastened his steps toward the Chapel, where Isolde remained to purify her heart through prayer before the ceremony.
The Chapel was filled with quiet, reverent atmosphere.
Soft candlelight along the walls illuminated a path forward.
The Attending Priest came to a halt before the Chapel’s entrance.
Then, lowering his head, the Attending Priest carefully opened his mouth.
“Your Majesty, the ceremony will begin shortly.”
But—.
“…Your Majesty?”
There was no response.
Perhaps she hadn’t heard him, lost in prayer.
The Attending Priest stepped closer.
“Your Majesty, the ceremony will begin shortly.”
His voice slightly louder this time.
But again, there was no answer.
“Your Majesty, forgive my intrusion.”
Carefully opening the Chapel door—.
“Huh?”
Isolde was gone?
The empty Chapel interior.
Where Isolde should have been….
[I’m going to get my homework checked and will return.]
…only a cryptic note lay abandoned in its place.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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