The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 293

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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 293. Dragon Hunt (1)
Long ago, the Dragon was sealed beneath Feractrum by Yggdrasil.
“We cannot prevent the Dragon from awakening immediately.”
Even in my past life, I couldn’t stop it.
Of course, there were differences from my past life.
“We could borrow Yggdrasil’s power again, but…”
There were problems.
First, there was no suitable way to bring the Yggdrasil from Whitewolf Territory here.
And second.
“The Dragon has likely already adapted to Yggdrasil’s power.”
Thousands of years ago, the Dragon was sealed by Yggdrasil.
This meant, in other words.
“It would have been exposed to Yggdrasil’s power for thousands of years.”
Over that vast span of time, it would have seeped into the Dragon’s very being.
In other words, it likely transcended immunity and achieved complete assimilation.
A Dragon that survived the Great Extinction.
The mightiest living being that even nature itself bowed before.
The Dragon’s adaptability surpassed that of any other creature, and even Yggdrasil could not completely suppress it.
“In the worst case, we must consider the possibility that the Dragon has absorbed Yggdrasil’s power.”
The worst scenario imaginable.
Therefore, Yggdrasil had to be excluded from this hunt.
We couldn’t bring it anyway.
How could we possibly move something already rooted in Whitewolf Territory?
“In the end, we must face the Dragon differently than our ancestors did.”
Broombar murmured.
His voice held no tremor.
The Dwarves possessed the strength to fill the void left by Yggdrasil.
Arcane Engineering.
In a land where myth had faded, the Dwarves forged their own will.
“But can we overcome this?”
Broombar asked quietly.
It was neither fear nor hesitation.
He was simply stating facts.
“With our Dwarven strength alone, facing the Dragon will be difficult.”
Our opponent is a calamity that endured the Great Extinction and withstood sealing.
“Our Arcane Engineering is merely an application that bends natural law slightly.”
The Dragon, by contrast, is the supreme being that subjugated the laws of nature itself and reigns over all creation.
Myself and Rielin.
Even with both our full strength combined, it remains uncertain.
“Our power alone is insufficient to end the Dragon.”
Broombar answered coldly.
And I agreed.
I was in accord with his assessment.
Of course, I was strong now.
I had ascended to a level comparable to the Lords themselves, and possessed combat prowess that would not falter even against a Lord.
And the Dragon was no different.
I could tell just from watching the Dragon and The Death Lord clash in my previous life.
That battle was not one-sided.
It was fierce enough that The Death Lord was being pushed back.
In other words, the Dragon possessed combat prowess that would not falter even against a Lord.
Therefore, if I could devour [S+] the Dragon, I could certainly ascend beyond the Lords.
But if I made even a single mistake?
I would be the one to suffer.
Thus, I had to approach this with utmost caution.
And currently, this is the only viable method.
“We must hunt the Dragon before it fully awakens.”
To strike while it was still recovering its strength.
“I’ve considered that as well.”
But Broombar immediately countered.
“The Dragon appears to be sealed approximately 7km beneath Feractrum’s foundation.”
Seven kilometers underground.
Considering that Feractrum was a Kingdom built 3km beneath the surface, this meant the Dragon was sealed a full 10km below ground level.
“To hunt the Dragon, we’d have to bore directly through to that depth.”
But at 10km underground, extreme heat and pressure were at work.
Temperatures exceeded 300 degrees Celsius.
The ground pressure could crush steel itself.
We’d all be dead before we even reached the hunt.
An environment where even approach was nearly impossible.
‘I could endure it, at least.’
The problem was that only I could manage it.
And even that was merely endurance, not comfort.
The extreme environment at 10km underground was taxing even for me.
‘But the Dragon is different.’
It had been there for thousands of years.
By now, it was practically its home.
Even a stray dog eats half its meal in its own yard.
What more could be said of the Dragon?
“With the ground-softening control device I created, we can manage some degree of regulation.”
But there were limits.
As he said, only ‘some degree’ of control was possible.
“Perfect heat insulation and pressure dispersal are impossible.”
And secondly.
“The controllable range is not that wide.”
A radius of 100 meters.
Beyond that exceeds stability thresholds.
Therefore, I had to transport the ground liquefaction control device from the point where the Dragon was sealed to a distance of 100 meters.
“But the stratum where the Dragon is sealed is entirely bedrock.”
Feractrum, a colossal kingdom.
To support its weight, the ground structure required corresponding strength and density.
So the Dwarves’ ancestors constructed Feractrum atop ultra-dense bedrock capable of supporting the entire kingdom.
Ultimately, the depth at which the Dragon was sealed.
Structural constraints.
Considering various factors, direct access was impossible.
“In the end, there was nothing to do but wait for the Dragon to awaken and emerge on its own.”
Two months.
During that time, I could only make thorough preparations.
But conversely, the Dragon would also make thorough preparations during those two months.
Recovering lost senses.
Restoring muscles and mana.
Reviving instincts, drawing forth the power from thousands of years past.
Or perhaps, power even greater than it possessed thousands of years ago.
Thus, the sacrifice of the Dwarves became inevitable.
I had to risk the danger of Feractrum’s complete collapse.
“It was the lesser evil we could choose.”
Not the second-best option, but the lesser evil.
A choice to avoid the worst, not to achieve the best.
In other words, Broombar harbored no illusions of victory against the Dragon.
“The moment the Dragon awakens, I must stake everything.”
I grasped only the faintest yet highest possibility.
* * *
Broombar knew it well.
Before the Dragon fully awakened.
Hunting the Dragon while its formidable power had not yet recovered.
That was the method with the highest success probability among all means to protect Feractrum.
But it was a method impossible in practical terms.
In the end, not the best option but the second-best.
No, not the worst but the lesser evil had to be chosen.
“There are still two months remaining. Feractrum will not fall so easily.”
Broombar steeled his resolve.
But in his mind, the harsh reality circled relentlessly.
The probability of hunting a Dragon that had fully recovered its strength was realistically less than 1%.
A battle bordering on the impossible.
But if I didn’t even attempt it, the result would be zero.
Above all, for some reason, I felt no despair.
Adrian.
It was because he existed.
If Adrian helped me, I could elevate that 1% possibility to 10%, or even 30%.
That would be more than enough to attempt.
But.
Adrian didn’t seem to think the same way.
“Waiting for the Dragon to awaken is not a good choice. As you said, it’s merely ‘the lesser evil.'”
Adrian continued with unwavering resolve.
“That’s why we must choose ‘the best option.'”
“…The best option?”
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he turned his gaze toward Rielin beside him.
“Rielin?”
“…Ah, yes?”
“Can you mitigate the heat and pressure at 10km Underground using the power of spirits?”
Rielin closed her eyes for a moment.
Her face concentrated as if resonating with the earth itself.
Soon, Rielin’s delicate lips parted.
“It won’t be perfect… but I can maintain a passage.”
Broombar’s eyes widened in an instant.
Something that had been impossible even with Broombar’s Arcane Engineering.
“Is that… really possible?”
Broombar asked in disbelief.
Rielin nodded without hesitation.
“It should be easier than what I was doing in Whitewolf Territory.”
“Ah.”
Now that I thought about it, Rielin was the one who had already endured the heat and pressure of 11km Underground while mining Runesteel.
Moreover, Runesteel nullified mana.
It was an environment where even spirit magic couldn’t function properly—11km Underground.
“Without the aid of Arcanoheart, at least I can certainly receive the spirits’ response.”
Broombar clamped his mouth shut.
He was suddenly struck by the realization of Rielin’s strength.
“It’s all thanks to the Dwarves.”
“…?”
“Because the Dwarves willingly shared Yggdrasil with us, we Elves can now truly commune with the spirits….”
Rielin’s words trailed off.
Suddenly, he lowered his head and scraped at the ground with his foot, kicking up dirt.
“I’ve been thinking that I absolutely must repay him for that someday.”
“….”
“Ah, anyway!”
Rielin spoke irritably before continuing.
“It’s not perfect. I can mitigate the heat and pressure, but it won’t be permanent.”
“How long can you maintain it?”
“At most, thirty minutes.”
Once that time elapsed, Rielin’s power would reach its limit, and the underground environment would revert to its original state.
The ground would collapse.
The scorching heat would consume the passage.
In other words, I had to hunt the Dragon within thirty minutes.
“Let’s try.”
Adrian answered.
…It was reckless.
From the start, it was an operation that made no sense.
No matter how weakened the Dragon was, it was still a Dragon.
It wasn’t something that could be hunted in a mere thirty minutes.
But Broombar said nothing.
Why?
…Because it seemed possible.
Adrian was strong.
He had even stepped into the realm of transcendence while wielding an energy called Lilcelium in Whitewolf Territory.
It seemed like Adrian could hunt the Dragon within thirty minutes.
Broombar clenched his fists.
“I’ll clear a path to the Dragon’s seal point as quickly as possible.”
Supporting Adrian so he could focus entirely on the hunt.
That was the role of Broombar and the Dwarves…but.
“All of you Dwarves should evacuate to Whitewolf Territory.”
What was this now?
“We need to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.”
Then who would clear the ground?
Surely not Adrian?
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to conserve your strength?”
“That would be ideal.”
“…?”
“Ah, I won’t be clearing the ground myself.”
Then who?
Broombar’s head tilted to the left.
At the same moment, Adrian pointed his thumb backward.
Croak!
Kwuang!
The Beast Legion stood in perfect formation, awaiting orders.
“We can have them handle the excavation.”
* * *
Werebeast.
Creatures born from the Were-factor extracted from the Lycanthrope.
Werebeasts possessed strength and speed far exceeding that of humans.
With senses and regenerative abilities superior to mankind, they trampled the Allied Forces and the Continent without mercy.
But.
‘Not all Werebeasts are created equal.’
There were differences even among Werebeasts themselves.
It wasn’t a matter of different species.
The distinction was stark depending on whether they belonged to the Beast Legion or not.
Werebeasts that didn’t belong to the Beast Legion.
The Werebeasts that attacked Whitewolf Territory were typical examples—just ordinary Werebeasts.
Bears, tigers, foxes.
Nothing more than animal characteristics grafted onto human forms.
But the Werebeasts of the Beast Legion were different.
‘They had genetic engineering from the Beast Lord.’
The Beast Lord was proficient in bioengineering and molecular biology.
Proficient didn’t even begin to describe it.
Even Iliana was left speechless by the level of mastery.
Thus, the Beast Lord had evolved the Werebeasts by focusing on optimizing their abilities and maximizing their advantages.
“Weremoles, forward.”
At the command, mole-like creatures surged forth in perfect synchronization.
As if awaiting nothing but orders.
They crouched with their front limbs pressed against the ground, bodies lowered in readiness.
“Begin excavation down to 7km. Execute.”
Kwang!
The Weremoles burrowed into the earth in unison.
Pabababababa-crack!!
Swift and relentless.
Weremoles piercing through bedrock at tremendous speed.
Biological excavators, as it were.
They possessed a wild efficiency that Arcane Engineering could never replicate.
At that pace, they would soon breach the Dragon’s resting place.
“Leave the excavation to them, and all Dwarves should evacuate to Whitewolf Territory.”
But for some reason, no response came.
Wondering why, I turned to look back.
“Ugh, ugh!!!”
…Broombar was collapsing in real-time, tumbling backward.

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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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