The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 287

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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 287. Omens
Whitewolf Territory 2, situated in the Frozen Lands.
At its heart lay the Runesteel Ore Vein, the territory’s most prized possession.
A colossal cavern spanning a kilometer in diameter stretched deep beneath the surface.
Its interior was reinforced with facilities constructed through arcane engineering.
The roots of Yggdrasil provided both biological flexibility and regenerative capacity.
Thus, hundreds of tunnels branched out with meticulous precision, and on each level, the wooden stems of Yggdrasil transported Runesteel in place of conventional lifts.
Yet there were no workers.
Eleven kilometers underground, where the Runesteel Ore Vein lay.
The extreme pressure and scorching heat made it an environment I could scarcely endure for more than an hour.
‘How long can I manage now?’
I could probably last roughly a day.
Of course, I wouldn’t know for certain without descending myself.
‘There’s no real need to verify it.’
In any case.
Eleven kilometers underground was an environment of extremes.
Even Yggdrasil’s roots couldn’t reach that far, making it impossible to send workers down.
So the earth spirits—the Nomes—took their place.
They filled that role instead.
True to their nature as earth spirits, they were unfazed by the depths of 11km underground.
With thick, sturdy hands, they excavated the ore veins.
With their small frames, they crawled through deep and narrow passages.
‘Rielin insisted she’d never admit it, but…’
They bore an unmistakable resemblance to Broombar.
Yet even the Nomes couldn’t fully adapt to the depths of 11km underground.
Therefore, the aid of Arcanoheart was essential.
We needed Arcanoheart’s energy to create an appropriate environment where the spirits could work.
“How does it look?”
At my inquiry, a Dwarf crawled out from beneath Arcanoheart.
The Dwarf was covered in dark ash.
Srandel brushed his palms clean and spoke.
“Fortunately, the internal structure is intact. However….”
Srandel paused briefly, then exhaled sharply.
“The ether binding circuit board is completely destroyed. Arcanoheart itself hasn’t malfunctioned, but the external connections are entirely severed.”
“You mean….”
“It cannot be activated. If we operate it in this state, it could explode.”
An explosion of Arcanoheart.
That was no exaggeration—it would possess the force to obliterate Whitewolf Territory 2 entirely.
Perhaps.
It could even devastate Bon County.
“Can it be repaired?”
“It’s possible. We’d need to replace the Ether Binding Plate and reconfigure the external connections through rebinding.”
But.
“I can’t do it.”
Srandel shook his head and continued.
“Ether binding is an extraordinarily delicate procedure. To reconfigure such bindings requires advanced magitech knowledge and exceptional technical skill.”
The Arcanoheart was no mere mechanical device.
The pinnacle of magitech engineering.
Handling the Arcanoheart was not something anyone could accomplish.
“Such techniques are far beyond my capabilities—I cannot undertake this work directly.”
Srandel was a Steelmaster.
A supreme master of the refining arts.
If even Srandel could not do it, then none among the Dwarves could.
Only one person.
“Only the clan leader could accomplish this task.”
Broombar.
The master of magitech and the Blacksmith of the Heavens alone possessed such capability—
‘But Broombar isn’t in Whitewolf Territory.’
He had returned to Feractrum, the Kingdom of the Dwarves.
And I had no idea when he would return to the territory.
‘I need 150,000 tons of Runesteel to enter the Imperial Palace.’
Yet without the Arcanoheart, it was impossible.
Runesteel mining was not viable without it.
‘…Damn it.’
I never expected my sparring with Kai to end like this.
But whom could I blame?
It was my own fault for failing to control my strength.
‘I’ll have to go to Feractrum.’
I would need to ask Broombar to repair it.
I reached out toward the damaged Arcanoheart.
◆Error: Player ownership not confirmed.
◆Cannot store in inventory.
‘As expected, it won’t work.’
My enhanced inventory.
Now it could store not just objects, but concepts and phenomena as well.
‘But the condition that I must own the item remains unchanged.’
The Arcanoheart was Broombar’s masterwork of a lifetime.
Though it remained in Whitewolf Territory, I could hardly claim ownership of it.
‘Either way, I have to go to Feractrum regardless.’
My inventory had no transfer function, after all.
Even if it could be stored away.
I still had to go to Broombar and ask him to fix it.
‘But where exactly is Feractrum located?’
I only knew it was somewhere in the Eastern Region of the Continent.
In my previous life, it was already destroyed.
When I fought the Ogre in this life, I only made it to the vicinity.
Therefore, I didn’t know its exact location.
But then again.
It wasn’t really a problem.
“Srandel, if you don’t mind, could you guide me to Feractrum?”
Srandel tilted his head in confusion.
“…Hm? You’re going to Feractrum yourself?”
“I thought it would be better that way.”
“Well, if that’s the case.”
Srandel nodded without much concern.
The Dwarves were not favorably disposed toward humans.
But that didn’t apply to me.
“When will you depart?”
“Right now.”
There was no benefit in wasting time—
“I’ll go.”
A voice suddenly cut through the air.
Rielin stood there with a serious expression.
“I’ll guide you to Feractrum.”
“You, Rielin?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you not know where Feractrum is?”
The Elves and Dwarves had always been at odds.
They’d only recently grown closer, but “recently” was the operative word.
They couldn’t possibly know where each other’s kingdoms and forests were located.
To be precise, they didn’t even care.
So just as Broombar didn’t know where Sylvandir Forest was, Rielin couldn’t possibly know where Feractrum was—
“I do know.”
“You know?”
“Yes. When I went to retrieve Yggdrasil last time, I made note of its location.”
“Ah.”
I nodded in understanding.
And besides.
It didn’t matter to me who I traveled with.
“Then it would be good to go with you.”
It was Srandel speaking.
“I’ve been preoccupied finding a sword befitting the wolf cub, so it was rather inconvenient to step away.”
Kai, whose cultivation realm had recently advanced.
As his ability to manipulate aura had grown stronger, ordinary blades were utterly inadequate.
Moreover, since he now had to employ swordsmanship that transcended human conventions, Srandel’s deliberation ran deep—or rather, it didn’t.
Wait, what did he just say?
‘Leaf Sister?’
It was clearly a title for Rielin.
But I’d never heard it before.
In my past life, she was only called Leaf Warrior.
Occasionally, Chlorophyll Guardian.
Or.
Branch Warrior as well.
But Leaf Sister was a term I’d never encountered.
That made sense, for “Sister” was a title Dwarves used to address women they recognized as kin, expressing both respect and familiarity.
In other words.
‘They’ve recognized Rielin as a brother—or rather, sister.’
The two races had certainly developed their relationship considerably.
Conversely.
The Elves, too, now regarded the Dwarves as family and kindred.
“…Something feels off about this.”
Rielin spoke, lightly biting her lower lip.
I wasn’t sure what she meant by something being off.
“Then let’s go together.”
I set out with Rielin toward Feractrum, the Dwarf Kingdom.
* * *
The journey to Feractrum was smooth.
There was nothing whatsoever that could threaten Rielin or me.
Not that there were no threats.
Monsters attacked on occasion.
Bandit gangs also rushed at us, captivated by Rielin’s beauty.
But it was utterly meaningless.
Truly, utterly meaningless.
Various environmental obstacles were easily overcome thanks to Rielin.
And with the next-generation ether carriage at our disposal, there was no reason the journey shouldn’t be smooth.
‘It’s been a while since things went this smoothly.’
The landscape blurred past the carriage window.
Savoring this rare moment of leisure, I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing.
‘Ah, now that I think about it.’
Something suddenly came to mind.
‘There was a letter Iliana left behind.’
I hadn’t had a chance to check it after returning to Whitewolf Territory, what with everything that had happened.
‘Might as well look at it now.’
I retrieved the letter Iliana had left from my inventory.
====
Hello, Adrian.
Since you weren’t here, I’m leaving this letter for you.
By the time you read this, you’ll understand.
I think I need to return to the Magic Tower.
You said it would be fine for me to stay in Whitewolf Territory, but….
I’m worried that because of me,
my presence might bring unnecessary complications
…there’s something that bothers me.
I can’t explain it clearly.
I’m afraid I’ll only cause you worry.
I’m concerned it might snowball into something bigger, so I’m being cautious.
So I’ll return to the Magic Tower and sort things out myself.
I need concrete information to make the right decision.
I’ll contact you again soon!
Until then, please take care of yourself!
Most importantly, you absolutely cannot disappear again!!
From Iliana.
====
It was just an ordinary letter.
Except for one thing.
‘Something that bothers me.’
Whether there truly was something bothering her.
Or.
Whether those words simply emerged as she searched for an excuse.
‘Looking at the crossed-out passages, it seems like she was searching for an excuse.’
If that were the case, there was nothing to worry about.
After all, if something truly bothered her, there would be no reason not to mention it.
‘There’s no need to overthink this.’
I placed Iliana’s letter back into my inventory.
Then, suddenly.
‘Rielin also mentioned something that bothered her.’
I looked toward Rielin, who sat across from me.
Rielin’s gaze was directed out the window.
The wind blowing in.
The way her long golden hair danced and swayed was….
…It was hardly without reason that she was considered a beauty of the highest order.
It was the only aesthetic merit Isolde could acknowledge.
‘Come to think of it, Mongma was also a being created by sacred power.’
Mongma, born from the lies of the Monks.
The Elves were descendants of such a being.
That is, Isolde and Rielin.
Both could be said to possess beauty sculpted by sacred power.
In any case.
“Rielin.”
“….”
“Rielin?”
“….”
“Rielin!”
“…Ah, yes.”
Only after calling her name a third time did Rielin turn her head.
“What were you thinking so intently about?”
“….”
“Is something troubling you?”
“…Yes.”
Rielin nodded.
“Would you mind sharing what it is?”
Rielin hesitated briefly before speaking.
“When I went to Feractrum last time.”
“Yes.”
“I felt something… strange.”
“Strange in what manner?”
“I’m not entirely certain.”
Rielin fell into thought for a moment before continuing.
“I sensed an overwhelming presence.”
“A presence?”
“Yes.”
Rielin lowered her head briefly.
“It was difficult to describe in words… a vast magnitude, so immense that even the spirits were overwhelmed by it, as if all existence would be consumed by it… that sort of presence.”
“You mean this presence was in Feractrum?”
“Yes. Based on my perception.”
Rielin nodded slightly.
‘Hmm.’
Could it be the Death Lord?
The Death Lord was a spirit of death and nature itself.
And Feractrum was the Dwarf Kingdom, established by Yggdrasil.
Therefore, now that Sylvandir Forest has vanished.
Feractrum was where the forces of nature remained strongest.
In other words, there was a possibility the Death Lord lingered near Feractrum—
‘That couldn’t be.’
It couldn’t be.
The Death Lord was currently sealed? Imprisoned? In the Valley of Kardun.
Or perhaps in some endless cycle?
Something along those lines, roughly speaking.
In any case, the Death Lord existed in a state interpreted as ‘circulation.’
Even if it wandered near Feractrum, it wouldn’t possess that overwhelming presence—that sense of devouring all existence.
“…I’m not certain.”
Rielin added quietly.
Her eyes betrayed her lack of conviction.
It seemed like nothing more than ‘something that bothered her’—a vague unease.
Yet dismissing it as mere intuition felt wrong.
Looking at Rielin now.
There was something more to it than simple intuition.
‘Hmm.’
I methodically traced through my memories of my past life.
The Dwarf Kingdom, Feractrum.
In my past life, it was destroyed by the Emperor.
After its destruction, Yggdrasil vanished and the Death Lord began its full-scale activities.
‘And then what happened after that….’
Wait.
Something struck my mind forcefully.
It was an event that could be dismissed as mere coincidence of timing.
But given Rielin’s concern now.
What if that event wasn’t merely coincidental timing?
What if it was inevitably connected?
What if it was structured so that it could only unfold as a chain reaction?
If that were the case.
Then the identity of that overwhelming presence—so vast it eclipsed even the spirits Rielin mentioned, so dominant that all existence seemed to be devoured—would be—
‘A dragon…?’
I arrived at such a conclusion.

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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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