The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 157

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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 157. Instruction (2)
Within hazy darkness.
Consciousness flickered dimly for a moment.
Something pressed deep into my mind, coursing through my neural pathways and forcibly awakening my consciousness.
“Ugh—!”
My limbs trembled.
Spasms rippled across my back, and as the rigid muscles loosened, sharp pain jolted me awake.
My eyelids rose heavily.
Yet my focus remained blurred.
The ceiling above, though hazy, felt oddly familiar.
‘…The Territory?’
My room in Whitewolf Territory.
When I closed and reopened my eyes, my vision finally sharpened.
As I tried to sit up—
“Ugh—!”
…My head felt as though it might split open.
It was like experiencing Predator’s physical overload concentrated in my skull.
“Hah…! Hah…!”
As I breathed heavily, fragmented memories began piecing themselves together.
* * *
“The Extreme?”
“I would like to hear your perspective on it, just as before.”
“…Ah! You mentioned it in your letter as well.”
Iliana nodded in understanding.
Then, after a moment of contemplation—
“To help clarify the true nature of the Extreme….”
Iliana spread her fingers before me.
Blue mana shimmered from her fingertips as she inscribed something in the empty air.
0 x ∞
“What would this equal?”
“Zero, wouldn’t it?”
There was no need to deliberate.
And yet—
“No, it isn’t.”
My head tilted involuntarily.
Anything multiplied by zero becomes zero.
Isn’t that basic knowledge?
“Imagine a point for a moment, would you?”
“A point, you say…?”
“A point in zero dimensions.”
A point with neither width nor length.
A point is zero.
“What happens when such points gather together?”
“They become a line.”
“And a line has length.”
0 x ∞
“Do you understand why this value might not be zero?”
…I found myself beginning to understand.
And the vision I had witnessed while devouring Memoria with Predator [S+].
The same question that the speaker in that vision had harbored now surfaced in my mind.
“How can a point that contains nothing become a line that has length?”
“An important concept emerges here.”
As Iliana swept her fingers through the air again, azure mana etched something minute into the void.
ϵ
“Do you know what this is?”
“…I’ve never seen it before.”
Even accounting for memories from my past life, this was my first encounter with it.
“It’s called epsilon. It’s a symbol representing the ‘infinitesimal.'”
Infinitesimal.
“Technically, it’s not the true symbol for infinitesimals, but since mages lacked a proper notation, they borrowed this one.”
Iliana gathered her mana and posed a question to me.
“Have you ever heard of infinitesimals before?”
“I have heard of them.”
From none other than Seraphia herself.
◆Power of Cold [P]
: The user generates [supernatural thermal energy deficit], reducing [entropy] and [enthalpy] arising from energy dynamics to [infinitesimal] values. Consequently, all thermal energy and molecular motion within [finite systems] converge to [zero], bringing all physical, chemical, and biological processes to a complete halt.
“But I’ve only heard of it in passing.”
I hadn’t truly grasped its meaning.
“Simply think of it as ‘infinitely small.’ It’s the opposite of infinity.”
Infinity is infinitely large.
Infinitesimal is infinitely small.
“More simply, imagine a number with endless zeros after the decimal point. Like 0.0000…”
“I see.”
“But it’s still greater than zero. And a point is infinitesimal.”
“You mean to say…”
I gathered my thoughts before speaking.
“That the length and size of a point aren’t actually zero?”
“Yes. However minute, it possesses a value greater than zero.”
“Then why do we call a point zero?”
No matter how small, if something possesses any value at all, isn’t it not zero?
“It’s due to the limitations of perspective.”
“…?”
“What I mean is this.”
As Iliana gestured with her fingers once more, a different equation came to mind.
1
1 + 0
“Which of the two is larger?”
“Aren’t they the same?”
“No, they’re not.”
“What?”
“From our finite perspective, they appear identical. But from the ‘perspective of infinitesimals’, there is a difference.”
Iliana swept her hand through the air.
A number line materialized in the void, marking the position of ‘1 + 0’.
It was positioned precisely at ‘1’.
“Just as +0 makes no difference on a finite number line. But—”
As Iliana moved her hand, the scale at 1 + 0 began to magnify.
Magnifying, magnifying, magnifying….
…magnifying, magnifying, magnifying….
As the magnification repeated endlessly—
1 + ϵ
A value infinitesimally different from 1 appeared on the number line.
“You see, when viewed from the perspective of infinitesimals—this ultra-microscopic realm—zero possesses a certain value.”
“….”
“Of course, from our finite perspective, it’s indistinguishable from zero.”
…I couldn’t grasp it at all.
“In any case, you’re saying it’s greater than zero, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Then shouldn’t we call it something other than zero from the start?”
“From our perspective, it’s still zero.”
“So you’re calling it zero for convenience?”
“No. It truly is zero. Because infinitesimals don’t exist.”
…What in the world does that mean?
“What did I say infinitesimals were at the beginning?”
“You said they were infinitely small.”
“Exactly. And ‘infinitely’ small doesn’t simply mean extraordinarily small.”
Infinite.
“It means small in the truest sense of the word—infinitely small.”
“….”
“Zero never stops. Endlessly, infinitely, perpetually—”
Zeeeeeeeeeeeero….
Iliana’s rambling voice continued on and on until she ran out of breath.
“Phew…! It, it continues on like this eternally.”
“But still, it’s greater than zero, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
“Then it’s different from zero, which doesn’t exist at all, isn’t it?”
“Just as Adrian said, the definition of zero is ‘a quantity that does not exist.'”
Iliana nodded slightly and continued.
“But when you say infinitesimals are not zero, you’re saying that infinitesimals are ultimately ‘a quantity that exists,’ aren’t you?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then imagine something infinitely small for a moment, would you?”
“….”
“Can such a thing even exist?”
“Well—”
“There is a finite limit. In other words, nothing in this world can become smaller than the atomic level.”
As Iliana waved her fingers, letters inscribed themselves in the empty air.
[Existence is defined because it stops at a point where it can no longer become smaller.]
“But infinitesimals are not like that. They become smaller ‘infinitely’ without end. Such things don’t exist in this world. Therefore, infinitesimals are zero.”
…My head began to ache, beyond mere confusion.
“In that sense, there is no perfect zero. The zero Adrian knows, the zero used in magic theory—they’re all infinitesimals. Minute values, but greater than zero.”
“You’re saying not all zeros are zero?”
“Yes. They all merely appear to be zero, but they’re infinitesimals.”
…It felt as though all my previous understanding was shattering.
“Now do you understand the concept of infinitesimals a bit better?”
…I understood nothing at all.
And yet.
“Well then, I’m finally ready to explain limits in earnest.”
“…?”
Suddenly, Iliana said something absurd.
“Weren’t you just explaining limits to me?”
“Not at all. Infinitesimals and limits are different. They’re concepts that must never be used together.”
“Then why—”
“Simply put, in terms of understanding, they’re not vastly different. After all, infinitesimals were devised to understand limits.”
And so Iliana’s teachings continued on.
“To explain limits in detail….”
…Beyond this point lay territory beyond my intellectual capacity.
* * *
“…That’s as far as my understanding of limits goes.”
Finally, Iliana’s explanation came to an end.
I could say with confidence.
…This was unprecedented.
I had broken yet another record.
“You don’t quite understand it, do you…?”
Should I be honest?
I hadn’t understood a single thing about the Extreme explanation.
Still, there were some parts that made reasonable sense—
“I could vaguely grasp the concept of infinitesimals.”
“Really?!?!”
At that, Iliana sprang to her feet with a bounce.
Her large blue eyes widened dramatically.
Within them lay not mere surprise, but utter astonishment.
“That’s an advanced course in higher magical theory!!”
…Somehow, my head felt like it might split open.
“Even formal mages need years to understand it! And even at Langritd Magic Tower, you can count on one hand the mages who grasp it perfectly!”
…Was this praise?
Or was she boasting about herself?
“But if you understood that all at once, you’re truly! Truly a genius!”
“…I haven’t understood it perfectly. As I said, only vaguely—”
“Even so! You’re not a mage or a magical scholar!”
“That’s true, but…”
I had some knowledge from my previous life.
So really, Iliana, I learned all of this from you.
“A genius among geniuses!”
…She either knew or didn’t know this.
Surely she didn’t know, but regardless.
◆The comprehension level of the Concept Skill, Extreme [M], has increased.
I had successfully raised the comprehension level of Extreme [M] that I had aimed for.
Even as this happened, Iliana continued to praise me, calling me a genius and whatnot.
Letting her praise go in one ear and out the other, I applied all the increased comprehension of Extreme [M].
And then—
◆The Concept Skill, Extreme [M], and Weakness Detection [U] are being fused.
Unexpectedly, it seemed to fuse with Weakness Detection [U]—
◆You have acquired the Fusion Skill, ‘Weakness Hunt [M]’.
◆Weakness Hunt [M]
: When this skill is used, the player can [analyze] the information identified by Weakness Detection [U] through the [perspective of infinitesimals].
Through this, the player can perceive the opponent at the [atomic level], immediately identify [all vulnerabilities], and precisely [track] the opponent’s [cellular activity], [muscle fiber arrangement], and [neural transmission processes].
【This skill is a fusion skill combining Weakness Detection [U] and Extreme [M].】
…I had acquired an absolutely insane skill.
Its measurement grade was Mythic [M].
The effect truly deserved to be called Mythic [M].
The moment I used Weakness Hunt [M] on Iliana before my eyes—
I activate the fusion skill, Weakness Hunt [M].
First and foremost, the heart, the brain, and so on.
The fundamental vulnerabilities inherent to any human were instantly laid bare.
Moreover, weaknesses perceived at the cellular level.
In other words, the unique genetic vulnerabilities exclusive to Iliana—those far from universal—became starkly apparent.
Among them, Iliana’s Peak Intelligence [A+].
An ability where the neurons and neural networks of brain cells proliferate explosively, allowing her to reach the highest echelon of biological intelligence limits.
However, she suffers an additional [+2,330%] damage when struck by attacks directly linked to aging and brain trauma.
Specific sound waves, high frequencies, electrical shocks—
Overloading her neural networks could render Iliana completely incapacitated.
Rapidly shifting attack patterns during combat could temporarily paralyze her information processing capabilities.
Beyond that lay mental collapse and fatigue.
Information addiction and sensory hypersensitivity.
Most critically, emotional disturbance.
With her intellectual senses extraordinarily acute, every object and person in this world becomes a source of psychological stress for Iliana.
Weakness Hunt [M] revealed that triggering emotional turmoil in her would certainly bring her down.
Yet this was not the end.
“…Infinitesimals are quite a difficult concept even in arcane magic—!”
The chemical neurotransmitters released from Iliana’s synapses were instantly comprehended, revealing that she was in a state of excitement.
Furthermore, her arms spread wide open.
The electrical stimulation of neural neurons writhed, and changes in potential difference were detected.
The electrical signals flowing through the neural neurons were analyzed.
Thus, approximately 0.25 seconds later, Iliana’s muscle fibers would contract—
“…You truly possess incredible talent!”
I could perceive that her arm would move.
An ability akin to glimpsing the future itself.
Much like my Lumen Pax, I could ‘predict’ my opponent’s movements.
‘Insane.’
…A truly insane skill.
Not merely unhinged—genuinely insane.
It was no wonder it bore the Mythic [M] grade.
However, there was one thing.
Like Predator [M], Weakness Hunt [M] harbored an extremely serious flaw.
‘Ugh—!’
My mind could not keep pace with the excessive volume of information and analysis.
My vision blurred as dizziness threatened to sever my neural pathways.
Rising nausea from within left me unable to maintain focus.
Yet Iliana.
“Would you perhaps be interested in learning magic?!”
She seemed completely oblivious to my condition.
Iliana’s eyes sparkled like a tamer who had just discovered a young griffin.
“Oh! That’s right, you also asked about anti-mana earlier, didn’t you?”
“T-that can wait until later….”
If I heard about that now, my head might literally explode.
“Ugh!”
My vision swam dizzily, and my body swayed.
But Iliana—she didn’t seem to notice my condition at all.
“Anti-mana is energy with properties opposite to mana, so—.”
Dopamine was erupting explosively from Iliana’s synapses.
* * *
That much was my last memory before losing consciousness.
So to sum up the reason I fainted in one phrase—
…my intellect was insufficient.
Absurdly so.
“Ugh—!”
…I really felt like I was losing my mind.
For a while, I clutched my head as if it might shatter.
Only after a long time could I finally calm down.
“…More importantly, how much time has passed?”
Given that it seemed to be a forced shutdown due to cerebral overload, quite a bit of time must have elapsed.
I slowly rose and looked out the window.
And at that very moment.
-Proud brethren!!!
Suddenly, a loud shout echoed from outside the window.
From the resonant quality of the cry, it seemed to come from a Dwarf….
-Our kinsmen have refined the mined runesteel and delivered it!!
…Ah, the runesteel mining is already finished?
-The two great calamities threatening Feractrum have completely vanished!!!
…Ah, even Feractrum’s problems are all resolved?
‘Hmm.’
…Maybe I should just faint one more time.
Then perhaps The Empire will have sorted itself out too?

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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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