The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 221

—————

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

—————

Chapter 221. Paradox (3)
The Emperor of The Empire.
In my past life, there were three ways to refer to The Emperor.
A Distant Presence (Aucta From Afar).
The Overlord Beyond All.
And the Madman of Slaughter.
The expression that suited The Emperor best was the Madman of Slaughter.
But it wasn’t the expression that explained him most accurately.
The expression that best described The Emperor was “The Overlord Beyond All.”
The Emperor could cast every king on The Continent from their thrones.
With a single word, he could determine a city’s fate overnight.
The possessor of absolute power—The Emperor.
But if that were all there was to it, I’m not so sure.
We probably wouldn’t have called The Emperor “The Overlord Beyond All” otherwise.
Had he merely ruled over The Continent’s territories and people, The Emperor would have been called nothing more than “The Hegemon of The Continent.”
Naturally, The Emperor was far more than that.
Approximately eight years from now.
The Emperor proves the power befitting The Overlord Beyond All.
Even the laws of the world crumbled as if bowing before him.
The constellations of the heavens tangled together.
The boundaries of the seas vanished.
Absurdities that seemed to belong only in legends and myths erupted one after another from The Emperor’s grasp.
Thus, in merely one year.
Every kingdom and city on The Continent is erased from the map.
Of course, having returned to the past, The Emperor’s strength wouldn’t be what it once was.
If he possessed the power of my past life, there would be no reason for him to cower like this.
He could ignite a war to shake The Continent itself right now.
Therefore, the current Emperor couldn’t quite be called “The Overlord Beyond All.”
‘I cannot defeat him.’
His power remains overwhelming.
The Emperor’s only rival is Ian alone.
That’s why Ian commands The Emperor’s attention.
In crude terms, he’s drawing all the aggression.
But then.
‘How is The Emperor in Sylvandir Forest?’
No matter how grave the matter related to The Death Lord might be.
With Ian directly shaking the heart of The Empire, there was no reason for The Emperor to reveal himself in such a distant frontier land.
The Emperor’s primary objective has always been Ian.
In my past life, The Emperor desperately tried to kill Ian.
He tried to kill Ian at all costs, even at the expense of losing most of The Empire’s military strength.
Of course, having returned to the past, The Emperor would have lost his memories of Ian.
But the moment The Emperor laid eyes on Ian, he would have instinctively known.
That Ian’s very existence posed a threat—that he was the only rival capable of standing against him.
Which is precisely why I’ve been able to act freely all this time without him stepping in directly, delegating to others instead.
‘But then, why suddenly…?’
Why did The Emperor reveal himself in Sylvandir Forest?
Was it truly because of some grave matter involving The Death Lord?
‘No.’
That wouldn’t have been reason enough for The Emperor to move personally.
Leaving The Empire undefended would have been far too dangerous.
The Emperor’s only rival is Ian.
Which means, conversely.
Ian’s only rival is also The Emperor.
Even the lords couldn’t stop Ian.
Only The Emperor could contain him.
So if The Emperor abandoned his post, Ian would obliterate The Empire—reduce it to ashes.
The Emperor would never overlook that.
Then.
The possibilities narrow to just a few.
First: the matter involving The Death Lord is more important than Ian.
And second.
‘Ian was defeated…?’
Ian was defeated by The Emperor.
Which means there is no one left in this world to oppose The Emperor.
The moment that thought crystallized—
My heart plummeted.
My mind flooded with a hollow emptiness.
Ice-cold blood surged backward, constricting my throat.
I staggered.
My vision wavered and strength drained from my legs, when—
“Adrian!”
Iliana caught me.
The warmth of her small hands transmitted through to me.
“Are you alright?!”
That gentle warmth barely managed to anchor my consciousness.
“I’m… fine.”
“Really? Your complexion is terribly pale.”
“I pushed myself too hard during the fight with Valrok. It’s nothing serious, so please don’t worry.”
“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved, but….”
Despite her words, Iliana continued to monitor my condition carefully.
I continued to reassure Iliana, soothing her anxieties.
Even as I did, I steadied the turbulence in my own mind.
‘…It’s too early to jump to conclusions.’
I couldn’t definitively say that Ian had fallen to The Emperor.
The reason was simple—the main Quest, [Find the Hero!], was still in progress.
==[Find the Hero!]==
[Objective] – Find the hero.
[Reward] – ???
[Failure] – The end of The Continent
If Ian had truly fallen to The Emperor, this Quest should have ended in ‘failure.’
But it was still ongoing.
‘Ian hasn’t fallen.’
Then what in the world was this situation?
“Oh, that’s right! This isn’t the time for this!!”
Iliana suddenly cried out, as if remembering something urgent.
Her face etched with desperation, she shifted her weight anxiously from foot to foot.
“The Elves are in terrible danger right now!!”
Iliana’s breathless voice reached me.
And at that very moment.
Kieeeeeeeek—!!
A piercing, agonized shriek erupted from beyond the forest.
* * *
Moonlight bathed Sylvandir Forest.
Yet the Elven Village, instead of silence, was consumed by screams and bestial cries.
Kieeeeeeeek—!!
Beyond the village walls, creatures of unknown origin surged forward like a tidal wave.
Eyes gleaming with malice.
With razor-sharp claws, they scaled the outer walls, leaving grotesque gouges in their wake.
The Forest Wardens fired arrows in desperate resistance.
“Hold the line!!”
“Don’t let them climb over!!”
Yet even with arrows embedded in their bodies, they writhed and continued their ascent.
Some had already hurled themselves over the top of the walls.
At first glance, it appeared the Forest Wardens were holding them back.
But Allerion, the master of the Greenleaf Trading Company.
Suddenly, every hair on his body stood on end—a primal warning that made him shudder.
And sure enough.
Kwooooooarrrrgh—!!
A tremendous roar tore through the air.
Followed by thunderous impacts. Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled with a deafening roar, and in the distance—
A colossal beast emerged, tearing through the forest.
“What is that…?!”
“Fire! Shoot everything!!”
The Forest Wardens drew their bowstrings in unison.
Dozens of arrows, carrying the wind’s fury, pierced the creature’s vital points.
The beast’s agonized roar shattered the forest as it erupted.
Its massive body toppled forward, crashing against the outer wall.
Crash!!
“The village’s outer wall…!!”
In an instant, hundreds of monsters poured through the collapsed wall like a pack of wild dogs.
“Hold the line! We cannot let them through!!”
“Ahhhhhhh!”
“Kyeeeeeek—!!”
The roars of the Forest Wardens, the screams of the Elves, and the shrieks of the monsters intertwined.
And thus.
Allerion could sense it.
…Everyone would die here.
All defensive lines would crumble, the Elven Village would burn to ash, and the Elves would vanish from history.
“No, this cannot be….”
Deep despair washed over Allerion’s face.
In that moment.
A crimson streak of light shot in a straight line beyond the outer wall.
And then.
The head of the foremost monster shattered in mid-air like fragile glass.
A tempestuous wind followed in its wake.
From within the swirling dust and haze, a silhouette descended, backlit by moonlight.
“Adrian?”
Adrian, the merchant lord of the Predator Merchant Company.
He walked smoothly, as if strolling through moonlight itself.
In that instant.
Crash!!
Dozens of monsters lay scattered and dismembered on the ground.
The creatures emitted bizarre shrieks—whether laughter or cries, none could tell.
Kyeeeeeee!
Kee, keeeeek!
In response to those shrieks, a larger and more sinister shadow stirred within the forest.
Allerion’s instincts screamed a sharp warning.
Adrian’s gaze hardened as he stared beyond the forest.
In that moment.
A crisp breeze swept across from beyond the forest.
As if the forest itself were catching its breath.
Leaves scattered on the wind’s current, and an Elf slowly emerged from within the forest.
“It’s the Forest Warden!!”
The Forest Warden.
A guardian of the forest and an Elf who protected both its boundaries and interior.
The Forest Warden preserved the forest’s ecosystem and served as a sentinel defending against those who sought to invade.
Given the importance of the role, it was customary for the most exceptional among the Elves to assume the position of Forest Warden.
And this generation’s Forest Warden was extraordinarily powerful beyond precedent.
“W-we’re saved!”
“Now that the Forest Warden has come, this terrible calamity will end!”
“Our village will be safe again!”
The Elves embraced one another in relief.
* * *
A slender frame reminiscent of a cat.
Golden hair that fell as smoothly as waves.
Her emerald eyes held a deep and gentle light, as if infused with the essence of vegetation itself.
And as she took her steps—
The withered grass leaves began to breathe, and the air grew clearer.
As if the entire forest welcomed her presence.
An Elf I knew.
An Elf I could not help but know.
That Elf, whose very existence spoke for nature itself—
Was the commander of Supply Command.
A hero of the Allied Forces.
“It’s the Forest Warden!!”
The Spirit Summoner—the most noble Elf who resonated with nature’s will.
With her arrival, spirits revealed themselves from all directions.
Beginning with the water spirit that draped a silver veil and embraced all life.
The wind spirit, the earth spirit, the fire spirit, and more.
Each elemental spirit joined their power to create a vast circulation.
At that sight, the Elves exhaled in relief.
And I too could release the tension I had been holding.
The hero of the Allied Forces, The Spirit Summoner.
She could commune directly with nature itself.
Her spirit summoning, unified with the great natural world, seemed to speak for the will of heaven itself.
Thus, the Allied Forces called her the [Spirit Summoner of the Celestial Heavens].
‘It was no coincidence that she bloomed life in opposition to the Death Lord.’
Compared to the Death Lord, these mere monsters—
Could be swept away with a single gesture from The Spirit Summoner.
I deactivated the Monomolecular Blade [S].
Then I retrieved oil from my inventory to replenish the calories I had expended.
It was at that very moment.
“Everyone!!!”
Someone cried out urgently.
From where the voice came, there stood Allerion, the guildmaster of Greenleaf Trading Company.
He was shouting with a desperate expression.
It seemed Allerion’s Crisis Sense [G] had been triggered.
His instinct was sending out a warning….
“Everyone, flee from the Forest Warden!!!”
Allerion bellowed.
At that same instant.
The Spirit Summoner’s spirits began to transform violently.
The water spirit suddenly became laced with poison.
The wind spirit transformed into razor-sharp blades.
The fire spirit erupted with calamitous flames.
The earth spirit became an ignorant maul that shook the very ground beneath us.
The spirits of nature began to threaten the Elves and the forest itself.
Therefore, these were not spirits at all.
‘Wraiths?’
…No, they were not wraiths either.
Wraiths are dead spirits that have ceased to be nature when the cycle of return is severed.
However, The Death Lord was currently sealed.
The cycle of return that had been closed was now open.
Yet they did not return.
More precisely, they were refusing to return.
Thus, beings that despise nature and life—
Demons.
In other words, devils.
Kyaaaaaah—!!
The demons shrieked with maddened cries.
“Forest Warden…?”
“Why… why…?”
The Elves stumbled backward in confusion.
All eyes turned toward The Spirit Summoner.
The Spirit Summoner writhed in agony.
“Ugh…!”
Her trembling fingers gripped her head, quivering.
But she quickly regained her composure.
As if nothing had happened.
The Spirit Summoner smiled.
True to her noble elven nature, her smile radiated both beauty and grace.
Yet.
‘Something was different.’
…Something had changed.
Her appearance remained identical.
But her aura, perhaps.
Or her presence, one might say.
It was as though an entirely different being stood before me.
I instinctively activated my predator’s instinct[S].
And only then.
Could I perceive the complete truth.
Within that truth, I could not help but recall a figure from the folklore that had emerged during my conversation with Adlern.
John Sakamoto.
Born in a village inhabited solely by women.
And bearing the distinctly unusual surname ‘Sakamoto’.
His mother had claimed she heard it in a dream.
The villagers naturally did not believe her.
Neither did I.
I had dismissed it as merely a tale from ancient lore.
Yet remarkably.
John Sakamoto is believed to have been a real person.
Scholars today speak in unison: the illegitimate child of a nightmare and a human.
A Cambion.
John Sakamoto was the ‘first Cambion’.
And among the Cambions, those who sought harmony with nature gave rise to a new race—the Elves.
Therefore, this being before me was.
The father of all Cambions.
The mother of all Elves.
==【Character Information】==
Name: Sakamoto Yomi
Classification: Demonic Imaginary Beast—Human and Nightmare Hybrid
Gender: Bigender
Age: ※Error※
Characteristic: Reality Manipulation[M]
A Nightmare.

—————

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

—————