The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 211

—————

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

—————

Chapter 211. Journey into the Forest (3)
KABOOOOM!!
A deafening explosion thundered in an instant.
The ground where Allerion had stood mere moments before was torn asunder, earth and soil erupting skyward.
Allerion, pressed against Adrian’s side, swallowed hard.
If Adrian hadn’t been there?
…I would be dead.
Killed instantly at that very spot.
Allerion glanced toward Adrian.
And at Iliana, who clung to Adrian’s other side.
“Wh-what?!”
Iliana’s voice trembled.
Her body curled tight, fingers gripping Adrian’s garments desperately.
Adrian carefully set Allerion and Iliana down.
“W-what was that just now…?”
Iliana asked breathlessly.
Adrian offered no answer, merely glancing briefly before fixing his gaze forward.
Allerion and Iliana’s eyes followed suit, turning toward the distance.
Through the settling dust and swirling earth.
Black silhouettes emerged from the fissures of the torn ground.
“A mole…?”
Iliana murmured as if to herself.
But she quickly shook her head.
For one, moles didn’t grow to two meters tall.
SHRIEEEEEEK─!!
…And nowhere in this world existed a mole that shrieked like that.
There was only one possibility.
“Grotmauls.”
The mole monster, Grotmaul.
That was all it could be.
Allerion cried out, shock etched across his face.
“This is impossible!!”
Allerion stared at the horde of Grotmauls with a hardened expression.
Adrian gazed upon the same sight.
Yet his reaction differed from Allerion’s.
“Iliana.”
“…Yes? Yes, of course!”
“Please protect Allerion.”
“Ah, yes! Don’t worry!”
CRASH!
A deafening explosion erupted from where Adrian stood.
Allerion’s gaze snapped sideways.
Adrian was nowhere to be seen.
The ground where he had been standing was cratered and sunken.
When Allerion’s eyes turned forward again.
Crack!
Adrian was already tearing a Grotmol apart with his bare hands.
The Grotmol didn’t even have time to scream.
Adrian sharpened his nails to razor points and slashed at another Grotmol nearby.
Screech!
With the sound of armor tearing, another Grotmol fell lifeless.
Then, extending his other hand—Boom!
A blast of pure force shot out in a straight line, piercing through yet another Grotmol.
“What the—!!”
Allerion’s eyes widened in shock.
Shriek—!!
Screech!!
The Grotmols wailed in anguish.
But they didn’t recklessly charge at Adrian.
Rather, they couldn’t.
Even for monsters, intelligence was not absent.
They weren’t foolish enough to underestimate someone who had torn apart three of their kind in an instant.
They were simply overwhelmed by the primal instinct of madness, rendering fear meaningless.
The Grotmols crouched low, growling menacingly.
For a moment, their claws gleamed with deadly sharpness.
The Grotmols simultaneously burrowed into the earth.
Rumble rumble rumble!
They had judged that a direct confrontation was impossible.
It seemed they intended to ambush from underground.
“That won’t do.”
Adrian raised his foot high.
Then he brought it down with all his might—
Boom!!
With a tremendous impact, the entire ground convulsed.
Dirt and soil erupted upward.
From within, a Grotmol burst forth, shrieking.
Screech, screech!!
One by one, the other Grotmols tumbled out onto the surface.
Adrian moved.
And what followed was a merciless hunt.
Five Grothmoles eliminated in an instant.
Nothing remained.
“Good heavens…!!!”
Allerion was astounded.
Of course, I had heard the rumors.
That Adrian had faced the calamity known as the Death Knight alone.
But I thought there must be exaggeration mixed in.
That was always the way with rumors.
Yet it wasn’t.
It wasn’t exaggeration… it was understatement.
Grothmole corpses scattered in all directions.
Adrian picked one of them up. And extracted something from the corpse….
‘A heart…?’
And it was a heart that was still throbbing vibrantly(?).
Adrian held the heart in his hand, blood dripping steadily.
And he wore a satisfied smile?
“….”
…Was he insane?
That thought naturally occurred to Allerion.
I mean, what else would you call someone who extracted a monster’s heart and smiled contentedly about it?
And good heavens.
Adrian was bringing the heart, blood dripping steadily, toward his mouth.
“Surely… not…!!”
Allerion’s face drained of all color.
* * *
◆You have defeated a Grothmole!
◆You have acquired 15,000 combat experience points!
Messages materialized before my eyes.
Due to the Growth Acceleration Factor [EX], experience points were amplified a hundredfold.
‘I didn’t level up.’
The required experience was simply too vast.
Hunting just a few creatures like this wouldn’t suffice.
But if I could hunt tens of thousands, beyond hundreds and thousands?
I could achieve explosive level growth.
Of course, such numbers were impossible in the wild.
‘I’m actually looking forward to the Beast Lord.’
The monster legions commanded by the Beast Lord.
My heart already raced at the thought of hunting monsters that would fill my entire vision.
Just like the Grothmole heart now held in my hand.
The Grothmole heart, still vibrant and throbbing with vitality, not yet drained of life.
By devouring this creature [S+], I obtained the following ability.
==【Individual Information】==
Creature: Grotmol
Classification: Monster-type Mammal, Mole Family
Gender: Female
Age: 11 years
Trait: Tactile Resonance [C+]
Tactile Resonance [C+].
Simply put, it was an ability to detect targets through touch.
Since it primarily lived underground, this was a case where tactile sensation had evolved more than vision.
‘It’s a similar mechanism to Tremoeantrang.’
Tremoeant’s Vibration Detection [B-].
The operating principle was similar to the ability to detect vibrations.
‘Devouring this wouldn’t be ideal.’
Duplicate genetic factors could actually cause unnecessary interference.
Especially with sensory-type abilities.
When duplicated or ambiguously overlapping, responsiveness and accuracy would deteriorate.
But my ability, Devour [S+].
I didn’t simply ‘absorb’ abilities.
I could understand and analyze the mechanisms of different abilities, then develop them further.
I brought the trembling Grotmol’s heart to my mouth.
And crunch.
As I bit into the tough heart—
“Y-you absolute madman!!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Screams poured out.
Allerion and Iliana.
Both of them were recoiling in horror as they watched me.
It was even worse than when I’d faced the cactus monster, Calcatus.
The direct consumption of a heart seemed to provoke a more visceral revulsion.
Though I could understand Allerion’s reaction.
Crunch, munch munch.
‘Is Iliana not accustomed to this?’
…So Iliana was seeing Devour [S+] for the first time.
Now that I thought about it, that made sense.
Iliana knew I supplied monster meat.
But she had never known or seen how that meat was produced.
“Ugh!! Blood dripping…!!”
Her distress wasn’t without reason.
Still, there was no particular need to explain.
After all, it was an ability of Predation [S+] that I couldn’t even explain in my previous life.
There was no point in trying to explain it now.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!!”
It would only deepen Iliana’s confusion.
I chewed and swallowed Grotmol’s entire heart.
◆You have devoured the genetic material of the individual Grotmol!
◆3 Sanity points have accumulated.
◆You have acquired the skill, Tactile Resonance [D-]!
The completion message for Predation [S+] appeared before my eyes.
However, due to the incompleteness of Predation [S+], I couldn’t obtain a complete rank.
‘I should eat everything here.’
I tore out another heart.
And then, crunch again.
As I bit down on the heart filling my mouth—
“Y-you madman!! Again!! You ate again!!!”
“Please stop eating…! I’m begging you, please stop!!”
Both of them screamed at the same time.
Iliana in particular was on the verge of tears.
‘Even in my previous life, I didn’t lose consciousness to that extent.’
…Ah, whatever.
They’ll get used to it if they keep watching.
Crunch.
◆You have devoured the genetic material of the individual Grotmol!
◆3 Sanity points have accumulated.
◆You have acquired the skill, Tactile Resonance [D]!
.
.
.
◆You have acquired the skill, Tactile Resonance [C+]!
I was able to obtain the complete genetic material perfectly.
But it didn’t end there.
Tremolent’s Vibration Detection [B-].
Grotmol’s Tactile Resonance [C+].
If I combined the mechanisms of both abilities to complement each other—
◆You have acquired the combination skill, Spatial Perception [U]!
◆Spatial Perception [U]
: When this skill is activated, the player’s [three-dimensional perception] becomes extremely developed, realizing complete spatial awareness.
Through this, the player can detect and track [all types of vibrations] in real time.
【This skill is a combination skill merging Vibration Detection [B-] and Tactile Resonance [C+].】
I had obtained a Unique ability that doesn’t exist in nature.
‘This should reduce the burden on Weak Point Hunting[M].’
Weak Point Hunting[M] detected changes in the nervous system in advance.
In other words, it was reading the target’s ‘intentions’ beforehand.
Therefore, predicting movements with Weak Point Hunting[M] was limited only to living creatures.
I couldn’t predict the trajectory of projectiles like magic.
Especially with irregular reflective objects like blind arrows, there was a disadvantage in responding easily.
But Spatial Sense[U] was different.
Vibrations, pressure, changes in air currents, and so on.
Because it detected ‘phenomena’ rather than the target’s intentions.
Now I could respond to random or rapid-fire attacks without any blind spots.
Moreover, it was a ‘sense’.
An ability that could be used without requiring high intelligence.
With this, I had taken one more step closer to becoming the ultimate lifeform.
‘Excellent.’
I clenched my fist tightly.
Right then.
“Phew, phew…!!”
Iliana wiped her startled chest.
She seemed relieved that I was unharmed even after she had consumed my heart.
Iliana’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
“Again, just like with Calcatus…”
Her shoulders hunched up tightly.
Her earlobes flushed red.
“Ugh…!!”
Iliana’s fingertips, clasped together at her knees, trembled with tension.
* * *
The trees that filled my vision.
They vanished in an instant.
And then, a vast gorge spread before me.
“This is Limorak Gorge.”
Allerion spoke.
At the same moment, I understood.
‘No wonder I couldn’t even find it.’
Cliffs and rock faces that curved like waves.
Mist pooling in crevices of unfathomable depth.
Even if someone gave me the exact coordinates, I wouldn’t be able to find it.
Perhaps that was why.
‘The scenery is quite beautiful.’
It was a landscape that evoked both the majesty and grandeur of nature.
“Wow!!”
Iliana let out a gasp of wonder.
She approached the cliff’s edge and spread both arms wide.
“It’s absolutely breathtaking!!”
Her pale blue hair danced and swayed in the wind.
Her azure eyes shimmered like a girl who had stepped straight out of a fairy tale.
“I wish Seraphia could have come with us! It would have been truly wonderful!”
Iliana gazed around at the landscape of the gorge.
Then, abruptly.
Her gaze froze upon the mist hanging within the cliff’s crevices.
“Huh…? A Barrier Space?”
Iliana tilted her head in confusion.
In that moment, Iliana’s Insight[L] flared with brilliance.
“It’s a form of Barrier Space I’ve never seen before. It’s as if… nature’s own will itself is rejecting external intrusion.”
“How could you possibly…?”
Allerion’s eyes widened and he held his breath.
Seeing Allerion’s reaction like that.
‘It appears to be a spirit’s mist.’
A Barrier Space of spirits that blocks external access.
It differed from barriers that forced through magical power or blocked structural approaches.
It was a method where nature’s will itself was embedded, fundamentally rejecting approach at its core.
Because of this, even perceiving the spirit’s mist was not easy.
Perfectly harmonized with nature, it was like finding a single particularly hard stone among a path filled with gravel.
To distinguish it meant possessing a sense that pierced through nature itself.
‘Has Iliana already reached this level?’
It was nearly on par with The Grand Mage’s abilities.
It seemed that recently, learning from Broombar’s perspective had also deepened the profundity of her Insight[L].
Iliana was growing faster and more explosively than in her previous life.
In any case.
‘It’s not far from where Grotmol appeared.’
That’s why it was strange.
Grotmol is a ‘monster’.
And monsters are mutations of flora and fauna.
The aberrant cognition called Madness transforms flora and fauna into monsters.
Therefore, monsters can exist anywhere flora and fauna exist.
But there is one exception.
‘There should be no monsters in Sylvandir Forest.’
Sylvandir Forest, the land of the Elves.
That place alone is the only one where monsters do not exist.
Sylvandir Forest is saturated with nature’s essence, so Madness does not exist there.
Therefore, the flora and fauna that inhabit Sylvandir Forest do not undergo monsterification.
Therefore, monsters did not exist here either.
‘We haven’t reached Sylvandir Forest yet, though.’
But we were close.
Close enough that if I fell forward, my nose would touch it.
‘The purification hasn’t worked either, though.’
It merely blocked the madness and prevented monsterification.
It couldn’t restore those already transformed back to their original state.
So if monsters had flowed in from outside, that would make sense.
‘Something feels off about this, though.’
In many ways.
I felt I needed to verify Sylvandir Forest directly to understand what was happening.
“Then let’s go.”
I quickened my pace toward the spirit-mist-shrouded gorge.
* * *
A landscape surrounded by mist on all sides.
With each step Iliana took, the mist tangled against her skin.
It felt as though invisible hands were grasping her clothes and pulling her back.
Iliana condensed her mana.
She altered her mana as if analyzing the nature of the mist.
“It has a property that excludes us. It’s not pushing us out—it’s reacting as though we were never here in the first place.”
“So it’s a structure that doesn’t recognize our existence at all, is that what you’re saying?”
Adrian’s words.
Iliana nodded.
“Exactly. It judges us as if we were never here from the beginning.”
Not as if the entrance were closed.
But as if the entrance itself had never existed.
“How is this even possible….”
Iliana’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Allerion gazed at Iliana with even greater surprise.
Though she appeared young, her insight rivaled that of ancient sages.
Now I finally understood why Adrian had said she was the person most capable of analyzing the forest’s problems accurately.
“This way.”
Allerion continued guiding the two of us.
Only when we reached the point where the mist grew thickest did Allerion stop.
Beyond this lay the land of the Elves.
Sylvandir Forest.
Allerion turned his head and stared intently at Adrian.
…Still, my danger-sensing instinct sent no warnings.
“Is something wrong?”
“No.”
Allerion slowly extended his hand forward.
The mist parted delicately, and a narrow passage opened before us.
“How is such a Barrier Space even possible?!”
Iliana asked.
But Allerion answered by stepping into the open path instead.
After walking for some time, the hanging mist gradually lifted.
A lush forest revealed itself.
Towering trees stretched toward the heavens.
Leaves shimmering with emerald light.
Soft sunlight filtering through the canopy.
…This was what should have unfolded.
But what lay before Allerion’s eyes now was something else entirely.
Black branches that shrouded the sky.
Leaves bleached to ashen gray.
Murky mist and a sickly crimson aura.
…Sylvandir Forest had transformed into hell itself.

—————

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

—————