The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 161

—————

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

—————

Chapter 161. Adrian vs Kai (2)
Anti-Mana Evolution.
A primordial evolution that completely excludes mana.
From the moment I chose this specialization, I gained an anti-mana characteristic that prevented me from interacting with mana under any circumstance.
And what Anti-Mana means—
—it’s a reverse-phase energy possessing the opposite phase and properties of mana.
Simply put, a force that erases, reverses, or negates mana.
Yet this power is unstable and perilous.
—When anti-mana and mana collide, an ‘annihilation reaction’ occurs.
…To be honest, I have no idea what that means.
Even with Iliana’s explanation added, I couldn’t comprehend it.
From what I gathered: ‘When mana and anti-mana collide, a massive explosion of energy erupts!’
…Something like that, roughly.
Therefore, to handle anti-mana, I needed a separate method to dissipate the enormous energy generated by the annihilation reaction.
And the answer to that was Devourer of Mana.
Another form of Predator [S+] that evolved through Anti-Mana specialization.
I could completely nullify and devour mana-based energy.
The energy I devoured was then reconverted within my body and stored as annihilation energy, usable whenever needed.
In conclusion: ‘When mana and anti-mana collide, the world shatters, and I consume all that energy to recycle it!’
…That seemed to be the mechanism, roughly speaking.
Therefore, this power was both different from and similar to Ian’s mana manipulation.
Mana Manipulation.
A technique that controls or regulates an opponent’s mana flow through precise mana control.
The method differed from Devourer of Mana.
But the essence was similar.
That’s why I could imitate it.
The mechanism of neutralizing auras.
The structure of breaking magic.
I had observed and learned these from Ian before.
◆I activate the fusion skill, Weakness Hunt [M].
My senses contract with atomic-level precision.
Kai’s cellular activity surges.
Muscle fibers bunch and compress.
Neural impulses flow in sequence.
All information begins to unfold from the perspective of the infinitesimal microscopic world.
The undulation of cell membranes. The variance in ionic concentration within cells.
The subtle vibrations of nerve fibers.
And the gaps in electrical stimulation flowing between muscle fibers.
Even the intermittent fluctuations of action potentials occurring at synapses between nerve cells.
I could detect those minute variations in displacement.
The flow of mana is… invisible.
Yet even unseen, it undoubtedly exists.
The inflection point where cellular reactions amplify abnormally.
─That is precisely.
The conduit through which mana flows.
Crackle—!
Sparks erupted as the air currents warped.
Kai’s muscle fibers, mid-reassembly, fractured, and the neural cells connecting them severed.
Kai’s mana failed to transform into an aura and dissipated entirely.
In other words, the activation condition for the Immortal Aura had been lost.
“Just now…!! What did you just do?!?!”
Iliana screamed in horror.
Thud-thud-thud.
Kai’s unhealed flesh fragments fell to the ground.
But soon they reconnected and restored themselves.
…Still immature.
Compared to Ian’s mana manipulation, I hadn’t even taken my first steps.
Proficiency. In other words, I needed more experience.
Weak Point Hunting and Mana Predation.
I needed practical combat experience to wield both more flawlessly.
“…Come.”
I destroyed my overloaded brain and regenerated it as I spoke.
“This time, I’ll let you have the first move.”
* * *
Whoosh!
The sound of wind being cleaved. Kai lunged forward.
A sharply-formed aura blade was swung.
Adrian’s claws were already moving to meet it.
…A minuscule difference.
But Isolde’s eyes caught it.
‘He was faster. Half a beat.’
Adrian moved half a beat faster than Kai.
…Coincidence? …Prediction?
Or perhaps intuition?
‘No.’
He had read the movement beforehand.
Adrian already knew how Kai would move.
‘How?’
Isolde’s question hadn’t even fully formed.
Whoosh!!
Flames erupted from Adrian’s legs.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
Boom!!
With a deafening crack, the stone floor shattered, and Adrian shot forward like an arrow.
Isolde’s breath caught in her throat.
‘That’s….’
A technique she recognized.
Concentrate energy in both legs, then detonate it to propel the body forward.
She knew it because Adrian had taught her directly, and she understood better than anyone how difficult this technique was to master.
But Adrian’s speed, his reaction time.
…Everything surpassed her imagination.
It happened in an instant.
Kai’s both arms shattered.
A gaping hole tore through his abdomen.
Blood sprayed like a fountain, and Kai’s body wavered as if about to collapse.
But—
…it was healing.
His shattered arms found their way back into place.
The punctured abdomen reformed as if drawn by some invisible force.
—In that moment.
Crackle!
A thin bolt of lightning lashed across, severing the muscle fibers and nerves that were knitting together.
But even that was brief.
Kai’s body healed once more and quickly resumed his combat stance.
Wounds restored, Kai charged at Adrian again.
Adrian, as if he’d anticipated it, was already swinging his claws preemptively.
Crack!
Kai’s left leg was torn clean off. Yet Kai didn’t stop—he thrust his blade forward with all his might.
Splash!
Blood erupted from Adrian’s shoulder. Kai’s blade had already carved through it.
There was no time to breathe. Adrian twisted his body.
A semicircular arc.
Energy condensed once more in Adrian’s legs—
Boom!!
Adrian’s kick unleashed a sonic boom, striking Kai’s flank with devastating force.
Crack!
Kai’s flank burst open, his body hurled through the air.
Crash—!
Kai slammed violently against the Trial Grounds’ wall, crashing into a heap of shattered stone.
A brief silence.
Kai emerged from the rubble and thrust his sword forward once more.
My ruptured flank and left leg mended themselves.
Adrian’s torn shoulder regenerated.
“!!!”
“!!!”
The onlookers’ eyes flooded with awe and shock.
…These were not human beings.
A battle beyond the mortal realm.
Honestly, even monsters don’t fight like this.
Rather, they couldn’t.
Instantaneous reactions, technique density.
Raw power and the physiology to withstand it.
Everything transcended the boundaries of human capability.
“What… what am I even witnessing right now….”
Sarpedon’s murmur echoed like a phantom through the air.
* * *
Kai emerged unscathed from the collapsed debris.
His leg had been torn away, his flank completely ruptured, yet Kai stood perfectly intact.
…His immortality was running rampant.
Even as I nullified it through Mana Predation, this was still happening.
Of course, my insufficient mastery of Mana Predation played a role.
But the fundamental issue was my absolute numerical limitation.
My Anti-Mana capacity of -1,560.
This was the maximum total of annihilation energy I could store through Mana Predation.
It wasn’t enough to consume the entirety of Kai’s aura.
Through relentless winters, Kai trained daily in full plate armor.
Even as the cold-infused metal tore at his flesh, Kai stubbornly cultivated his aura.
The aura Kai possessed was the fruit of countless trials and efforts.
I couldn’t consume it with a mere -1,560 Anti-Mana capacity.
It seemed I could only devour the Arcanoheart’s runaway energy because Seraphia was there.
In any case, Mana Predation couldn’t completely neutralize Kai’s immortality.
I had to overwhelm him through sheer physicality.
Metabolic Overdrive[U]?
I had no reserves left.
Maintaining Weak Point Hunting[M] and the calories needed for Regeneration[B+] were already pushing me to my limits.
Above all, my body—evolved through devouring Ogre[S+].
More precisely, my muscle density had exploded through Ultra-Dense Muscle Fibers[A+].
This wasn’t without its drawbacks.
Muscle was the second-most calorie-consuming organ in the body after the brain.
In other words, as my power output increased dramatically.
The caloric expenditure had increased exponentially.
Each time I wielded Ogre’s power, I burned anywhere from hundreds to thousands of calories.
I was practically a biological incinerator.
An ancient model with the worst fuel efficiency imaginable.
If not for the title Saint of the Black Moon, even Regeneration [B+] would be unsustainable.
Thus began this precarious balancing act.
One misstep, and my brain would be completely destroyed—.
‘It’s coming!’
Crash!
Kai’s aura blade collided with the dragon’s claws [A].
The movement I’d already read in advance through Weakness Hunting [M].
But—.
‘…He blocked it?’
Kai isn’t being pushed back.
Yet that should be impossible given my current strength stat.
True, my strength still falls short compared to Ogre. But it shouldn’t be this simple to block—.
‘This bastard….’
…He didn’t block it.
He redirected it.
In other words, he’s grasped the essence of Flow.
He’s redirecting my strength and attacks rather than meeting them head-on.
He understood it by observing my mucus fluid [U].
He’s making the essence of Flow dwelling within it his own.
In this life-or-death battle, Kai’s experience was skyrocketing.
Thus, by mimicking Predator’s combat style, Kai was rapidly shedding the way he fought as a human.
The Frost Legion Commander.
Right now, Kai was approaching the Frost Legion Commander from his past life.
He sharpened the dragon’s claws [A] further. He raked forward, tearing the aura of my aura blade.
Rip!
Kai’s aura blade expanded. The torn aura was instantly replenished.
The overwhelming aura blade bearing down.
A sharpness that could cleave anything in this world threatened my death.
Crash!
But I endure. And I push back.
My ultra-dense muscle fibers [A+] don’t rupture.
My reinforced skeletal structure [A] doesn’t fracture.
My body, enhanced by Ogre Predation [S+], is the pinnacle of biological evolution.
Crack! Instead, Kai’s bones shattered. His muscles tore. The trajectory of his blade shifted. He’d determined that a direct confrontation with me was impossible.
Keen killing intent closes in from all directions.
The swordsmanship of a wolf.
What matters in wolf swordsmanship is feinting and swift transitions between offense and defense.
Weaving countless false strikes and variables to create openings, then exploiting those gaps to swiftly sever the opponent’s life.
Just as a wolf herds its prey, lures it, and finally tears out its throat.
Without excessive flourish—
Without relying solely on brute force—
Kai’s blade. Wolf swordsmanship.
…I learn it.
Just as Kai mimics and internalizes my combat style, I too mimic and internalize Kai’s swordsmanship.
Through Weakness Hunting, I decomposed, disassembled, and reassembled the countless patterns woven within wolf swordsmanship.
Attack and defense. Transitions and responses.
I absorb them. And make them my own.
I elevate them through Predator’s methods.
—If it’s now—
◆Activating skill, Assimilation [B]!
My body blurs for an instant.
Kai loses track of my presence.
But he quickly traces my location.
As expected, it’s difficult to completely deceive a master’s senses.
So I add to this.
Kai, the wolf’s way you taught me.
Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Weaving countless false strikes and variables to confuse the opponent—
Crack!
Cutting off the opponent’s breath in one swift motion—your way alone, Kai.
Though this is Ian’s swordsmanship.
Illusion.
It would be insignificant compared to the ultimate void that exists far beyond—
—Adrian, the path to reaching the ultimate doesn’t have to be the same as mine.
Though the paths differ, all their endpoints are identical.
Countless rivers flowing across this Continent.
Each begins differently, flows in its own way—
—yet all rivers eventually meet in the sea and become one.
◆Skill, Assimilation [B] evolves!
◆You have acquired the evolved skill, Phantom Assimilation [U]!
◆Phantom Assimilation [U]
: Upon activation, the player consumes [100Kcal(per second)] to generate [higher-dimensional pigment cells] and [cognitive induction particles]. This allows the player to [distort] all [cognitive information] of the opponent, enabling [cognitive blockade], [illusion induction], and [simultaneous dispersal].
【This skill can be toggled [On/Off].】
【This is an evolved skill derived from Assimilation [B].】
My remaining calories are limited.
Dragging out time puts me at a disadvantage.
‘I’m going all out!’
◆Ultimate Skill, Predator [M] activated!
* * *
…The momentum had shifted.
Adrian’s eyes flooded crimson with blood.
As reason drowned beneath the tide, the whites of his eyes stained entirely scarlet—his gaze inverted into something primal.
Uncontrolled ferocity.
It pierced through me.
A speed even my Master-level perception couldn’t track.
Yet… something was wrong.
My vision caught only one figure.
But the movements… were three?
An illusion? No—it carried weight too real, suffused with killing intent.
Sight, sound, temperature, texture.
Every sense I possessed screamed that the phantom was ‘real’.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Boom!
Three distinct movements collided with my blade simultaneously. The impact shattered through my body, and I was driven backward, step by relentless step.
My thoughts fractured.
I forced the splintered fragments of consciousness back together.
…Honestly… I’ve reached my limit.
…Coldly… I cannot win.
I cannot defeat Adrian.
If I continue fighting here, I will die.
Crack, crack, crack-boom!!
My body erupted in successive impacts.
…My reflexes couldn’t keep pace.
I was barely holding on through restoration alone—
“Kghaaaah!”
I couldn’t endure any longer.
Above all, I felt every ounce of the pain.
Alongside the agony of my wounds, the excruciating torment of blood vessels clotting and reassembling tore through my consciousness.
Thud-thud-thud!
…Yet I cannot lose.
I will not lose.
I know.
There’s no need to push myself this far.
But… if I retreat even a single step now.
The oaths and promises carved deep into my heart.
All of it would crumble to dust.
And in that moment, it felt as though I could never stand beside her again.
If that is what defeat means.
Then I cannot retreat any further.
Rather, I would die here and now.
“Why…! Why must you fight so desperately…!!”
No matter what the world whispers.
“Brother, and Sir Kai too…!”
I will become the strongest knight on this Continent—
“Please, stop…!!!”
Seraphia. I will protect her to the very end.
Even if death itself stands in my way…!
“Aaaaaaaaa!!”
I will become a Death Knight who cuts down even death itself.
* * *
Crimson radiance and azure brilliance hurtled toward one another.
The light collided with deafening thunder, tearing through the atmosphere and shaking the very space itself.
─Kaboom kaboom kaboom!!
Isolde rushed forward without hesitation.
This was no sparring match, no mere fight, nothing of the sort.
A slaughter transcending dimensions.
Literally, a massacre where existence sought to annihilate existence itself.
…Why were they fighting so fiercely?
She could dimly sense why the knight Kai was fighting.
He had reasons that could not be broken.
But… Adrian.
“Kai, I will defeat you here and prove it!!”
What was he fighting for with such desperation?
“─Never again! Not once more! I will never recreate that nightmare from that day!!”
And against whom was he fighting?
“Fear and terror are now your burden!! Now it is I!! I shall become your nightmare!!”
Why did Adrian have to be so utterly anguished?
Unable to find an answer, Isolde crossed both arms.
Whoooosh!
A veil of holy light enveloped Isolde and those around her.
Holy Martial Art. Seraphian style.
Celestial Guardian.
Crash!!
Shards of violent force battered relentlessly against the holy veil.
Cracks etched themselves across the barrier.
The veil trembled and shook, as if it would shatter at any moment.
“I’ll help you!!”
Iliana cried out, raising both hands skyward.
Mana surged forth in torrential waves, conjuring intricate magical circles in the void.
Whoooosh—!
Threads of radiant light crisscrossed in layers, and shields stacked upon shields reinforced the wavering sacred barrier with unshakeable strength.
And then—collision. Force meeting force.
“Uuuuuaaaaaahhhhh!!”
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!”
The convictions of two men converged in a single, crystalline moment—
Kabooooooooom—!!
The Frost Trial Grounds shattered and scattered into oblivion—
And victor and vanquished were decided.

—————

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

—————