The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 212

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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 212. Sylvandir Forest
Trees that should have gleamed like emeralds were grotesquely warped and twisted.
Corrupted roots sprawled like spider webs across the earth, staining the ground black.
The pond bubbled and churned with sickly green ichor.
A forest landscape indistinguishable from hell itself.
“What… what in the world is this?!”
Allerion cried out in bewilderment.
In other words, it had never been like this before.
I expanded my senses.
ESP perception enhanced by spatial awareness.
This transcendent sense—no longer definable as mere ESP—allowed me to perceive all phenomena in three dimensions.
With such heightened perception, I detected quite a number of presences.
Were they Elves?
No, that couldn’t be…
‘The auras are far too distinct.’
Elves are a race that mirrors nature itself.
Therefore, their presences are indistinguishable from the natural world.
Even accounting for the limitations of my current transcendent senses…
‘They’re far too distinct.’
In other words, these were not Elves.
Having reached my conclusion, I launched myself forward without hesitation.
* * *
BOOM!
A sudden deafening explosion, and something streaked past Iliana’s vision like an arrow.
“…Adrian?”
It seemed to have been Adrian.
Sure enough, Adrian was nowhere to be seen.
The ground where Adrian had been standing moments before was now deeply cratered.
I wondered what was happening when—
ROOOOOOOAAAAARRR—!!
A tremendous roar echoed through the air.
The entire forest trembled and resonated with the sound.
“What… what is this?!”
Allerion stopped in his tracks, his expression one of shock.
“I’ll go check it out!”
Iliana reflexively dashed forward.
She drew upon her mana, her eyes blazing with power.
In that instant, the variables of spacetime unfolded before Iliana’s vision like a lattice.
Adrian’s distance, direction, trajectory—
All information materialized and processed through her mind in an instant.
And as I drew upon the mana I had gathered and unleashed it—
A brilliant flash.
Light erupted in a dazzling burst, and Iliana’s form was pulled along in its wake.
Spatial leap magic—Blink.
And yet, she still couldn’t catch up to Adrian.
Adrian’s speed exceeded even Blink itself.
But how was that even possible?
Movement faster than a spell that transcended spacetime itself?
“Wh-what in the—!!”
Iliana, caught between astonishment and awe, pursued Adrian with frantic determination.
* * *
Sylvandir Forest—a land where nature and harmony dwelled in perfect accord.
The serene sanctuary of the Elves, who breathed with the forest and sang alongside the wind.
But now, that harmony was shattering into countless fragments.
ROOOOOAAAAARRR—!!
A grotesque stag bearing massive antlers rammed itself against a tree.
SHRIEEEEK—!!
SCREEEECH—!!
Ear-piercing shrieks echoed from every corner of the settlement.
A fox that, mere moments ago, had nuzzled affectionately with playful charm.
But now, its abdomen lay half-exposed, spilling forth writhing larvae like maggots.
And beyond that—spine-backed wasps, flame toads, fungal wolves, and more.
KYIEEEEK—!!
KWEH, KWEHEHEHEHK—!!
The once-tranquil forest was consumed by twisted, agonized screams.
The cries of the Elves mingled with the forest’s own distorted wails.
“Th-those are… the friends we played with near the Oasis—!!”
“Why… why have they become like this?!”
Animal companions they had lived alongside until just moments before.
But now, they tore at their own flesh, and from that flesh, something new was born—harbingers of fresh devastation.
“We have to stop them!”
“But the spirits won’t—!”
They did not answer the call.
As if the spirits no longer regarded the Elves as companions, they turned away.
Or perhaps they had become hostile.
Just like those corrupted creatures.
Currently, only a handful of Elves with exceptional communion abilities could command the spirits.
“What has become of the Forest Wardens?!”
The Forest Wardens who protected the woodland.
They too could no longer draw upon the spirits’ power.
Yet the Forest Wardens were warriors who knew how to fight even without spirits.
“They should be stationed on the forest’s outer edges!”
“But how did they get here…?”
“Wait, could it be…?”
“Are all the Forest Wardens…?”
The forest’s final defensive line had collapsed.
It meant no one remained who could protect this forest.
Kroooooooooo—!!
An enormous stag roared.
It lowered its massive antlers forward and charged straight ahead.
Crash, crash, crash, crash!!
The forest’s skin was laid bare.
The earth was gouged deeply.
Boulders shattered into fragments, and ancient roots were torn from the ground without resistance.
Crack! Screech!
…The forest was screaming.
“No, this can’t happen!!”
“Kyaaaaaaaa!!”
And so the Elves cried out in terror.
Just as the stag’s antlers were about to be leveled at the Elves—
Boom!!
An explosion came streaking through the air from somewhere, traveling in a straight line.
The enormous stag was pierced through and fell dead on the spot.
“Huh?”
“W-what just…?”
No one could comprehend what had just happened.
Gwaaaaaaaa—!!
The monsters shrieked and charged forward.
Pushing and destroying one another, they rushed toward the Elves.
At that very moment.
Someone stepped between the Elves and the oncoming horde.
Black hair. Unfamiliar clothing.
And… ears that weren’t pointed?
“A human…?”
One of the Elves murmured softly.
* * *
A horde where reason had vanished entirely, leaving only madness in its wake.
Kieeeek!!
Kwe, kweeeek!!
Hundreds upon hundreds of grotesque creatures came surging forward.
There were simply too many to deal with one by one.
I could have handled them all at once with Radiant Dragon’s Wrath[L], but….
‘That won’t do.’
After Ogre’s Predation[S+], its power had grown far too devastating.
Moreover, my caloric limit had expanded dramatically with Ultra-Dense Adipose Tissue[U].
I hadn’t used Radiant Dragon’s Wrath[L] since then, but I could say with certainty.
Another Level.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Radiant Dragon’s Wrath[L] now bordered on Overlord-class power.
I couldn’t evaporate an entire river just to kill a single slime.
And using Dragon Burst[E] to deal with them one by one would be….
‘There are just too many.’
It wasn’t quite a monster legion.
But it was certainly enough to be called a swarm.
Especially since several of them carried toxins.
I was fine with Broad Immunity Enhancement[B+].
But the Elves were not.
If I didn’t eliminate them quickly, the Elves would be in danger.
‘Let me try something.’
I focused my senses and activated Dragon Burst[E].
Kiiiiing—!
Calories converged as if condensing into a single point.
Dragon Burst[E] consumed only as much caloric energy as I desired.
And I could concentrate that consumption wherever I wished.
If Radiant Dragon’s Wrath[L] was a skill that dealt broad-scale destruction and damage.
Then Dragon Burst[E] was a precision sniper shot that pierced a single point.
But what if.
I could pierce multiple points simultaneously instead of just one.
What if I could fire multiple shots instead of just one.
It wasn’t easy.
It demanded the intricate circuitry of my nervous system and precise response speeds.
But things were different now.
A new combination skill—Spatial Awareness[U].
I could now perceive the flow of energy.
I could even feel it through my senses.
As a result.
I could subdivide the energy, distribute it with precision, and control explosions that branched into dozens of trajectories.
Now if I could channel it to be released from various pathways throughout my body—fingertips, elbows, shoulders, and so on—.
—then.
◆Modified Skill acquired: Dragon Burst: Rapid[E]!
Modified Skill (Tuning Skill).
The functions, forms, and methods of existing skills.
A skill redesigned by reinforcing various components.
◆Dragon Burst: Rapid [E]
: Upon activation, the player randomly consumes [100~200Kcal] to emit [10 shots per second] of rapid-fire energy projectiles.
The firing speed scales with the player’s [Strength and Agility] stats, with each explosion dealing [consumed calories x2.5] damage and inflicting brief stun and knockback effects.
【This skill is a modified version of Dragon Burst [E].】
‘Now!’
◆Activating the modified skill, Dragon Burst: Rapid [E]!!
* * *
Iliana barely managed to keep pace with Adrian.
But she found her eyes deceiving her in the next instant.
Hundreds of aberrant creatures filled every direction.
A twisted wolf bloated with fungal growths.
Wasps bristling with venomous spines.
A toad engulfed in roaring flames.
Grotesque lifeforms she’d never even read about in books shrieked with feral madness.
And at the center of it all.
Adrian spread both arms wide to either side.
Boom! Boom-boom-boom! Boom-boom!!!
His chest, shoulders, forearms, waist, legs—
Light erupted simultaneously from every part of Adrian’s body.
Condensed energy from each point unleashed rapid, indiscriminate barrages in all directions.
Crash! Boom-crash! Boom-boom-boom-crash!
Kaboom!!
Energy projectiles poured down like a deluge.
Agonized shrieks tore through the barrage.
Creatures struck directly by the explosions perished where they stood.
Those caught in the shockwave were hurled skyward.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!!
Shattered to fragments under the relentless bombardment.
…And that was the end of it.
The grotesque creatures that had filled her vision moments before evaporated without a trace.
All that remained were scraps of flesh and debris.
Charred remnants scorched black.
“…!!!!!”
“…!!!!!”
Gasps of shock erupted from the Elves.
And then.
“Wh-wh-wh-what?!?
“Huh?!?”
Iliana’s shock erupted like a tempest, delayed by a beat or two.
* * *
◆Fungal Wolf defeated!
◆Thorn Hornet defeated!
◆Flame Toad defeated!
◆Lingering Black Bear defeated!
.
.
.
◆Acquired 4,435,000 combat experience!
◆Level increased!
Boom! Kaboom! Kaboom-boom-boom!
…It was absolutely devastating.
The destructive force far exceeded my expectations.
Each individual explosion was weaker than Dragon Burst [E].
But the relentless barrage of successive explosions created a chain reaction, generating tremendous destructive power.
No wonder it was rated Epic [E] grade.
It was classified at a level capable of landing effective hits even on lords.
‘It seems viable even as a single-target strike.’
The applications were truly limitless.
Of course, it wasn’t without drawbacks.
‘It’s unfortunate that I can’t accumulate Sanity points.’
More precisely, I couldn’t use Predation [S+].
The wide-area explosion reduced everything to fragments.
And the second drawback.
‘…My body doesn’t survive intact.’
Firing explosions from my entire body took its toll.
It was as if my body had been ground through saw blades.
Currently, my muscles, bones, and organs were completely exposed.
Wounds could be healed with Regeneration [B+].
But my clothes were another matter entirely.
Thus, using it once left me nearly naked—a fatal drawback.
Perhaps that’s why.
“U-uaaaaaahhh!!”
“A m-monster…! It’s a monster!!”
The Elves screamed.
The look in their eyes as they gazed upon me.
“I-is that… actually human?”
Multiple conflicting emotions swirled within their gaze.
I turned my body.
Before I knew it, Iliana had appeared before me—though I had no idea when she’d followed me here.
“Eek?!”
Iliana let out a shriek.
Her face flushed crimson as she stumbled backward, caught her foot on a tree root, and tumbled down with a thud!
“I-I-I-I don’t know…!!”
Iliana covered her face with both hands, trembling.
I quietly retrieved clothes from my inventory and dressed myself.
Then I slowly approached the Elves.
“Ahhhhh!!”
“D-Don’t come closer!!”
This time, the Elves recoiled in terror, backing away.
Their eyes trembled with fear as they looked at me.
“It’s a monster…! A monster, I tell you…!!”
Conversation was out of the question.
They were too busy screaming.
I was wondering what to do when it happened.
“Huh?!!”
One of the Elves cried out.
All eyes snapped toward the source of the voice.
“Adrian!”
A female Elf called out joyfully, as if greeting an old friend.
A radiant smile adorned her face.
She welcomed me warmly, as though meeting a childhood playmate.
The other Elves, bewildered by her reaction, asked in confusion.
“You know this monster…?”
“Yes! He’s the human I told you about before!”
“The human you told us about?”
“The one who went whoosh and bang, punishing those wicked humans and that terrifying monster!”
At her words, the Elves’ eyes widened in unison, fixed upon me.
But then.
‘She knows me?’
I was equally bewildered.

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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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