The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 223

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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 223. Demon Predator
Just as humans fear what they do not understand,
demons too fear the unknown.
In fact, demons fear the unknowable far more acutely than humans do.
When humans experience fear, they manifest the will to overcome it.
But demons are beings that feed on fear and grow stronger from it.
If they cannot comprehend the source of that fear at all, demons perceive it not as something to overcome, but as an encroaching force of corruption.
Thus, the terror demons feel toward the unknown touches upon that primordial dread of death itself—and
“This… this can’t be real…”
it resonated perfectly with what Mongma felt in this moment.
Crash!
Adrian’s strike swept through the demon creatures in a devastating arc.
Mongma ground her teeth together.
She forced herself to ignore the rising tide of terror.
…After all, he was merely human.
Mongma extended her hand forward.
Spacetime crystallized into a barrier, forming a wall.
Mongma retreated a step backward.
She swept her outstretched hand through the air, preparing yet another defense.
Then.
Adrian tore through spacetime itself.
Shatter!
Fragments of the fractured spacetime scattered in all directions.
Mongma froze in an instant of shock.
…He tore through spacetime?
Of course, Adrian’s claws could easily lacerate the very skin of the world.
But tearing through spacetime was an entirely different matter.
Carving through the world’s surface and rending asunder the very framework that upholds that world were never the same thing.
One could shatter the solid ice atop an oasis.
But one could not rupture the oasis itself that supports the ice, could one?
That was the magnitude of the difference.
‘How in the world…!!’
Mongma’s eyes widened in disbelief.
And then she understood.
‘That is…’
He had not torn through spacetime at all.
He had simply restored the spacetime she had manipulated back to its original state.
But.
‘What in the—!’
…That made even less sense.
Restoring a distorted spacetime was far more impossible than tearing through spacetime itself!
In that instant.
Adrian’s crimson eyes blazed.
I steadied myself against the panic.
Defense was meaningless.
In a fraction of a second, I unleashed my attack.
The shards of the torn spacetime became razor-sharp blades.
And then.
‘Too late…?’
Before the blade fragments could cut into Adrian’s flesh, his attack struck me first.
Paaaaang—!
The sound followed a beat too late.
In other words.
It was an attack faster than sound itself.
“This can’t… be—!”
My body and scream were swept back by the impact.
Crash! My body slammed hard into the ground.
My consciousness flickered for a moment.
I ground my teeth together.
I am the father of all Cambions and the mother of all Elves.
I have witnessed every moment of the Elves’ birth, prosperity, and decline.
That is why I could say it.
This Elf that I now inhabit.
It is the finest vessel in all of history.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
I screamed as though my throat would tear and unleashed a torrent of magical power.
Chasms split open across the earth like gaping mouths.
Through those gaps—.
Demons crawled upward.
As if the gates of hell itself had opened, they clawed their way into this world one after another.
But in that moment.
Adrian’s entire body erupted with torrents of energy.
Pppppppboom!!
The demons were swept away and vanished.
Without even a scream, they evaporated in the explosion.
And each time, for some reason, Adrian burst into wild laughter.
“Hahahahahaha!!”
…He’s insane.
This is no demon hunter.
“Kahahahahaha!!”
…a madman who devoured demons.
* * *
◆You have defeated Pibldrow!
◆You have defeated Glutspore!
◆You have defeated Bloodhauler!
◆You have defeated Shadecrow!
.
.
.
◆You have acquired 37,990,000 combat experience!
◆Level up! x9
The text painted my vision pitch black.
Every time I defeated the demons Mongma summoned, experience continued to accumulate.
Every time I was affected by Mongma’s reality manipulation [M], Sanity continued to stack.
The Valley of Kardun was a hellish paradise where experience and Sanity skyrocketed simultaneously beyond comprehension.
Truly, it was the ultimate training ground.
“Hahahahahaha!!!”
Laughter burst forth unbidden.
Because of that, Mongma was trembling.
It wasn’t just Mongma.
The Elves were watching me with expressions mixing astonishment and fear.
Especially Iliana.
“A-Adrian…??”
Iliana couldn’t distinguish who was the demon anymore.
In any case.
I wanted to keep farming….
No, hunting…. No, training?
Either way.
I wanted to continue fighting Mongma.
But unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.
Currently, Mongma was possessing The Spirit Summoner’s body.
Fortunately, that possession wasn’t yet complete.
‘She can’t properly utilize The Spirit Summoner’s power.’
The fact that she only summoned demons from hell rather than nature spirits proved it.
If Mongma ever began to properly harness The Spirit Summoner’s power, then it would be different.
‘Honestly, it would be difficult.’
I couldn’t overwhelm her so easily.
Rather, I would be easily overwhelmed instead.
The Spirit Summoner’s strength was formidable enough, but combined with Mongma’s reality manipulation [M], I honestly had no chance of victory.
As time passed, Mongma would completely possess The Spirit Summoner.
There was no benefit in dragging out time.
No—I couldn’t afford to drag it out.
◆Activating Divergence Skill, Dragon Impact [E]!!
An explosion concentrated in my legs propelled my body in a straight line.
Before the supersonic impact even tore through the air.
I had already seized Mongma by the nape of her neck.
“Kgh…!!”
Mongma let out a strangled sound.
Her legs flailed off the ground, thrashing desperately.
“Aaah…!”
Mongma shrieked.
Her nails raked across my arm.
But my skin bore not a single scratch.
“Let go…!!”
Mongma flailed her arms wildly like a child.
She thrashed and struggled desperately to shake me off.
I gazed at Mongma calmly.
Mongma was a demon without substance.
She existed only in imagination, taking form solely within the mind.
Therefore, the simplest way to eliminate Mongma was to kill the possessed vessel—The Spirit Summoner.
If I tore out The Spirit Summoner’s neck right now, Mongma would vanish instantly.
Naturally.
But that wasn’t an option.
I had to use a different method instead.
‘I need to sever the connection.’
The Spirit Summoner and Mongma.
I had to break the link between them.
Fortunately, Mongma’s possession was incomplete.
If I severed the connection of the possession, The Spirit Summoner’s consciousness could be restored.
The problem was how to break their link.
But this was surprisingly straightforward.
Mongma was born from the lies of the Monks, rooted in sacred power.
Yet Mongma gained her strength from human fear.
In other words, she was like a spirit.
Therefore, Mongma was the very essence and embodiment of sorcery itself.
And sorcery was ultimately a transformed energy of aura.
And aura was one of the usable energies derived from mana.
It was possible to forcibly sever the connection with Mongma through mana consumption.
I invested all my level-up stat gains from the battle with Mongma into mana.
Thus, my anti-mana stat surged explosively.
I had now reached a level where I could land a decisive blow even on the lord.
Crackle—!!
Sparks erupted from my fingertips.
They began tearing apart the connection between the two beings.
Mongma let out a scream as if being torn asunder.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaah—!!!”
On her beautiful face, incomprehension was far more vivid than fear or rage.
Crack, crackle—!!
Sparks detonated in rapid succession.
In contrast, Mongma’s screams grew progressively fainter.
When I had consumed all of her mana and sorcery.
The body held in my grasp crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut.
I carefully lowered her to the ground.
“Haa…! Haa…!”
She exhaled ragged breaths.
When I activated Predator’s Instinct[S], information materialized before my eyes.
==【Character Information】==
Name: Rielin
Classification: Mammal, Humanoid, Elf
Gender: Female
Age: 53
Traits: Shared Dream[L], Neural Superconductor[A]
She had truly returned.
As the hero of the Allied Forces that I—that we—remembered.
“Cough! Cough…!”
Rielin hacked violently.
She clutched at her throat, clearly in considerable agony.
‘I should have been gentler.’
An unexpected pang of guilt washed over me.
“Are you alright?”
At my question, Rielin steadied her breathing and her shoulders trembled.
Soon her hoarse voice reached my ears.
“K-kill… me….”
What?
“K-kill… me…!!”
When I remained silent, Rielin’s gaze fixed upon me.
Her luminous emerald eyes had already lost their luster.
“Please…!!!”
Rielin cried out as if in desperation.
And at that very moment.
Kwaaaaaaaaah─!!
A thick, frigid darkness poured forth from Rielin’s body.
A pressure that crushed the very air.
I swiftly increased the distance between us.
And from within that darkness, an eerie laugh seeped out.
“Kekekek…!!”
I could sense it instinctively.
This was not Rielin.
The moment I activated Predator’s Instinct[S], the altered information materialized before my eyes.
==【Character Information】==
Name: Sakamoto Yomi
Classification: Demonic Imaginary Beast—Human and Mongma Hybrid
Gender: Bigendered
Age: ※Error※
Distinctive Trait: Reality Manipulation[M]
“Ahahahahahahahahaha!!”
Mongma threw her head back, erupting into wild laughter.
Woven within that laughter was Rielin’s voice as well.
As if two consciousnesses were manifesting simultaneously within a single body, they tangled and overlapped.
Soon, Mongma’s gaze descended upon me.
Those emerald eyes had shifted to an obsidian black.
The black eyes reverted once more to emerald.
The colors shifted in succession, emanating an uncanny yet mesmerizing radiance.
“Did you truly believe I had forcibly seized this child’s body?”
Mongma’s lips curved upward.
Her expression bore mockery and arrogance.
And the malevolent cruelty of a demon who treats life as a plaything.
“It was this child who summoned me. She willingly surrendered her body to me.”
What did she just say?
Rielin had willingly given up her own flesh?
As I swallowed my confusion, the Elves who had been observing the entire situation grew agitated.
“What do you mean—!”
“Why would the Forest Guardian—!”
“You’re lying! Don’t lie to us!!”
Denials erupted from the Elves in rapid succession.
But as if to refute their denial itself.
A voice emerged—Rielin’s voice, yet not.
“It’s the truth. I chose this.”
The Elves’ breath caught.
None of them could find words to continue.
The greater the sun, the deeper the darkness when it is lost—or so they say.
The forest keeper of the Elves.
Rielin, the guardian who had protected the forest, the pillar upon which all Elves had leaned.
When that radiant sun consumed itself and became darkness, the forest sank into an endless void.
“No, no… this can’t be…!”
“It’s impossible! It has to be….”
The Elves fell into despair.
And with them, the entire forest was consumed by that same despair.
Despair transformed into fear.
Fear, in turn, was converted back to Mongma—
“Yes… this is it. More… I want more.”
Her power amplified infinitely.
Despair draped across the entire forest.
Mongma wept in ecstasy.
Soon her gaze turned toward me.
“Do you still believe this is a lie?”
To be honest, it felt like a lie.
But speaking coldly.
‘It’s not a lie.’
The reason my connection with Mongma hadn’t severed moments ago could only be explained by this.
In other words, Rielin had summoned Mongma of her own accord.
But why…?
For what reason?
“This child desired power.”
Mongma spoke to me.
Perhaps.
It was Rielin speaking to me through her.
“And with great power comes not merely desire.”
“….”
“Earnest hope follows as well.”
Mongma whispered softly.
And so, at some point in time.
Words Ian had once spoken echoed like a phantom in my mind.
-Adrian, it’s not only the wicked who desire power.
And at another moment.
Words Rielin had spoken in my previous life returned to me.
-Humans live in moments, but we Elves live in the flow.
Even if she perished, so long as nature and her kind endured, Rielin had accepted it as an inevitable cycle of the natural world.
“This child desired the power to protect her people.”
Rielin had coveted Mongma’s strength.
The power to save the Elves and the forest.
I couldn’t fathom what had driven Rielin to such desperation.
Perhaps the Empire had extended its reach.
Or perhaps the Emperor himself had intervened directly.
For reasons unknown, Rielin had coveted Mongma’s power to protect the Elves. But Mongma had instead consumed Rielin entirely.
And so, in the end, what Rielin chose was—
Self-destruction.
To vanish alongside Mongma.
“I merely answered the call.”
Rielin had resolved to use her own body not as a vessel, but as a trap.
Had such resolve not existed, Sylvandir Forest would have long since been stained by nightmare.
“And so I remain within this child. Until the child’s wish extinguishes, until that spark of hope fades away.”
In any case, Rielin had imprisoned Mongma within her own body.
By doing so, she had mercifully delayed the moment when the Elves and the forest would perish.
But.
Finite time flows and flows until it inevitably arrives.
“You cannot stop me.”
Mongma’s hand tore through the empty air.
Screeeech—!
At Mongma’s gesture, the forest’s space was rent asunder.
A jet-black radiance flooded forth.
A viscous, murky darkness spread in all directions.
A world of absolute shadow unfurled.
Sinister malice seeped into every corner of space.
‘She’s grown stronger.’
The bond between Mongma and Rielin had solidified further.
But since Rielin had willingly accepted Mongma, severing the connection by force was impossible.
The two had already become one in spirit.
Therefore, Rielin would have to die.
Only one way.
‘There is a method.’
…There remained but a single way to sever Mongma’s connection without killing Rielin.

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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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