The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 340

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

Chapter 340. Langritd Tower (1)
“…Permission granted. Please enter.”
The words of the Langritd Tower guard.
Only then could I rise from my seat.
After sitting for so long, my entire body felt stiff and sluggish.
‘It took longer than I expected.’
Marzen.
In other words, despite the pressure from The Empire, it had still taken this long.
‘There’s definitely a connection between The Empire and Langritd Tower.’
The Empire wielded considerable influence over the tower.
But the supreme authority.
The higher power the elders spoke of.
‘It wasn’t The Empire.’
In other words, the supreme authority’s true master was not The Emperor.
Marzen had said that Langritd Tower possessed an even higher hierarchy internally.
‘The Tower Master of Langritd Tower.’
But even Marzen had ultimately failed to uncover who that person was.
It was information that even the Director of the Distribution Bureau was not permitted to access.
‘This is the first I’m hearing of it.’
Of course, in my previous life, I had never properly investigated Langritd Tower.
By the time I was active in the Special Forces Unit, Langritd Tower had already been destroyed.
I felt no need to investigate an organization that had already collapsed.
‘Hmm.’
I moved my steps toward the inner corridor.
A long hallway leading to the tower’s main entrance.
Gargoyle statues lined both sides.
A transparent mana barrier hung from the ceiling.
And beyond the barrier.
The outline of the tower’s upper levels shimmered like heat haze.
As if viewed through water, the tower’s form was distorted, twisted, and warped.
It felt like a warning.
Do not look beyond this point.
If you lift the barrier and peek at what lies beyond, there is no turning back.
Such a silent warning.
Sensing the warning with my entire being, I walked deeper inside.
At the end of the long hallway.
My vision suddenly opened wide.
There, in the center, the main entrance of Langritd Tower revealed itself.
An overwhelming scale.
The colossal gate, towering well over thirty meters, seemed less like a tower entrance and more like a doorway to another dimension.
At the very top of the door.
An elegant script displayed the following inscription.
[Place no limits on curiosity. Save only infinity.]
I gazed upon those words in silence.
It was then.
“Those visiting for the first time always linger over that passage.”
An unfamiliar voice reached my ears.
As I turned slowly, an elderly man stood before me.
A neat beard tinged with silver.
Deep navy robes adorned with golden embroidery.
The very image of someone announcing, “I am a mage!”
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Ellem Theopollis, director of the Outer Gate Division of Langritd Magic Tower.”
In simpler terms, the tower’s gatekeeper.
I met Ellem’s gaze and slowly opened my mouth.
“I am Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound, merchant lord of the Raven Dung Merchant Company.”
Ellem showed no particular reaction.
Despite the unusual guild and name, not even a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
He had already heard of me beforehand.
“The tower does not typically welcome strangers, but given these exceptional circumstances, I shall make an exception.”
Ellem smiled.
A gentle impression.
Yet somehow, a subtle pressure emanated from him.
“Then, allow me to guide you.”
Ellem gestured toward the interior of the door.
Rumble!
The colossal door began to open slowly.
As the door opened, Ellem posed a question.
“May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?”
I reflected on why I had come to Langritd Magic Tower.
‘First and foremost… I must locate Iliana.’
Iliana, who had vanished.
Or rather, she hadn’t truly vanished yet.
Simply because contact had been lost.
I couldn’t hastily declare her missing.
Given the tower’s nature, isolation from the outside world was commonplace.
Besides, Iliana’s temperament often led her to disappear without warning.
‘Still, something felt amiss.’
It could be called a leap in logic.
Yet the sealing of Langritd Magic Tower appeared connected to Iliana.
Thus, my immediate objective was to ascertain Iliana’s whereabouts.
‘Mentioning Iliana here wouldn’t be wise.’
I was currently Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound, after all.
If I were Adrian Whitewolf, it would be different.
He officially sponsored Iliana and even served as her official guardian.
But that wasn’t the case now.
‘Connecting Iliana to Kim Fujiwara would be dangerous.’
Iliana could be put in harm’s way.
Since Kim Fujiwara was entangled with The Empire, unwanted attention could easily be drawn.
So I had to search discreetly.
But it wasn’t easy.
Ellem Theopollis stood before me.
He had volunteered to be my guide, but his true purpose was transparent.
‘He’s trying to monitor me.’
To discern what I came to the Magic Tower for.
And simultaneously, to restrict me from acting freely within the Magic Tower.
‘I need to shake him off.’
Only then could I move with complete freedom.
I had to cut off Ellem’s surveillance.
And moreover, escape the surveillance network spread throughout the entire Magic Tower.
There was only one way.
‘Turn the entire Magic Tower upside down.’
Plunge Langritd Magic Tower into complete chaos.
* * *
The Top Floor of Langritd Magic Tower.
The heart of the Magic Tower, where three Supreme Elders dwelled.
“…What did you just say?”
One of the Supreme Elders asked in bewilderment.
The other two Supreme Elders’ reactions were hardly different.
None other than Kim Fujiwara Bloodhound.
The reason he had come to visit Langritd Magic Tower was precisely this.
“You’re saying he came to sell a Dragon corpse?”
“Y-yes, that is correct.”
Ellem Theopollis, the chief of the outer gate division, answered.
He too seemed not to have fully grasped the situation.
Or rather, he seemed unable to believe it.
Understandably so.
“A Dragon corpse…?”
What in the world was this talk of Dragons in the dead of night?
Dragons were calamities.
They were natural disasters themselves, mythical threats incarnate.
As long as one lives, they remain the supreme being above all—unreachable and untouchable.
Therefore, Dragon and corpse.
These two words formed a combination that simply did not match.
It was a contradiction, like satiated hunger or a fresh zombie.
But what in the world was this…?
“Is he mocking us?”
One of the Supreme Elders ground his teeth.
But Ellem Theopollis soon responded.
“I thought the same at first. I assumed he was spouting boasts to obscure his true purpose… but.”
“But?”
“He actually showed me a Dragon corpse.”
Silence descended for a moment.
“…Is that truly the case?”
“A Dragon corpse, you say?”
“Yes. The outer skin, scales, blood—all of it registered a mana conductivity rate of 100%.”
That meant it was a mana superconductor.
On this Continent, only Dragons—those who manipulate mana itself—could achieve such a thing.
In other words, Kim Fujiwara had indeed brought a Dragon corpse.
“Where did he obtain a Dragon from?”
“That is…”
Ellem Theopollis continued slowly.
“He purchased it from the Predator Merchant Company.”
“The Predator Merchant Company, you say…?”
“Could it be Adrian Whitewolf?”
“Indeed.”
Adrian Whitewolf, who had recently hunted a Dragon.
There was no one on the Continent who had not heard the rumors.
Naturally, the Supreme Elders gathered here were no exception.
“Kim Fujiwara purchased a Dragon corpse from Adrian Whitewolf?”
“Yes.”
“How…?”
Was this not the Dragon corpse that the Langritd Magic Tower would not sell even for astronomical sums?
Even invoking the Tower’s authority had not swayed him.
He had refused to sell even a single drop of blood.
Yet some mere merchant.
And one with such a peculiar name at that, had purchased it?
“He exchanged it for Rune Steel.”
“…Ah.”
The Supreme Elders nodded simultaneously.
Rune Steel.
Those two words alone were enough to convince me.
Especially since Kim Fujiwara was in the midst of concluding a massive contract with The Empire for Rune Iron.
It meant he possessed enough Rune Iron to exchange for a Dragon.
In other words, it was genuine.
Kim Fujiwara truly possessed a Dragon corpse.
And thus, the reason for entering the Langritd Magic Tower despite its sealed state.
“Upon hearing that our Magic Tower conducts ultra-high-precision magical research, I thought—wouldn’t this be the perfect time to sell for the highest price possible?”
A merchant with impeccable instincts and timing.
Truly, a god of commerce.
* * *
Dragon.
The ultimate form of biological evolution.
A Dragon possessed such exceptional value in every part that it had nothing to discard but its yawn.
To anyone, for any purpose.
A Dragon held astronomical worth.
But among all its qualities.
‘Mages would go absolutely mad for it.’
A creature that manipulates mana itself.
The source of mana, its flow, and more.
Every aspect of that process was condensed within a single Dragon.
A single scale was a living thesis.
A single drop of blood became a masterwork.
‘Their eyes would roll right out of their heads.’
Every mage in the Langritd Magic Tower would have no choice but to lose their minds.
And.
The Langritd Magic Tower was unlike ordinary Magic Towers.
The cradle of all mages.
In other words, it was entangled with the interests of countless kingdoms across The Continent.
The interests of their home kingdoms.
Political connections, factional rivalries.
All of it was tangled together within the Langritd Magic Tower.
‘They would compete fiercely.’
Would they merely compete?
That was impossible.
Scheming, seduction, coercion, bribery, and more.
All manner of machinations would erupt simultaneously, and the entire tower would descend into absolute chaos in an instant.
Surveillance resources for me?
Where would such a thing come from?
While all eyes remained fixed upon the Dragon.
‘I would search for Iliana’s whereabouts.’
I could freely search for Iliana.
* * *
Top Floor of Langritd Magic Tower.
The three Supreme Elders fell into prolonged silence.
A Dragon.
It could not be allowed to slip away.
The value of its corpse was beyond measure.
Perhaps that was why.
“Multiple departments within the Magic Tower have already begun mobilizing.”
Ellem Theopollis continued cautiously.
“The Transmutation Research Division, the Mana Response Institute, the Advanced Magic Research Lab… even the Trade Planning Office and the Council Advisory Committee have requested internal access permissions.”
“….”
“That’s not all. The Fusion School, Circulation School, Symbolism School, Summoning School—all the academic factions are mobilizing as well.”
“….”
“And on top of that, every internal political coalition and faction has become involved.”
Essentially, the entire Langritd Magic Tower was in motion.
A brief silence.
The three Supreme Elders exchanged glances.
“…How much of our budget remains?”
“This isn’t a matter of budget. This is a critical matter that must be reported to the Tower Master.”
“But the Tower Master is completely preoccupied with ‘that problem’ right now.”
“Ugh…!”
The Supreme Elders immediately convened an emergency meeting.
* * *
My past life and my present life.
Across both existences, this was my first time visiting Langritd Magic Tower.
Therefore, I had no knowledge of the tower’s layout.
But I knew where Iliana was likely to be.
The Library Section.
Iliana was someone who read books whenever she had a spare moment.
Without a doubt, she would be quietly buried among the bookshelves alone.
‘Unless she’s gone missing, that is.’
I hurried through the corridors.
Loud voices echoed throughout the hallways.
The commotion triggered by the Dragon.
“I’m telling you, we have priority over the Dragon!”
“Ha, these fools won’t listen to reason!”
…It was now verging on complete chaos.
Exactly as I had intended.
Thanks to this, all surveillance of me had vanished entirely.
Even so, I didn’t forget to conceal my appearance through phantasmal embodiment.
‘My looks are far too captivating, after all.’
I should have known better than to take Isolde as a reference.
In any case.
I arrived at the Library Section through sheer persistence.
This was truly the cradle of continental mages—the Library Section of Langritd Magic Tower.
‘It’s incredibly vast.’
Genuinely, absurdly vast.
The bookshelves stretched endlessly in every direction.
Every shelf was crammed densely with volumes.
In that sense, what greeted me first was the scent of books.
‘Strangely, there’s not a soul around.’
Well, the Magic Tower was in complete upheaval over the Dragon.
Not a single mage was leisurely reading.
But Iliana was different.
The situation didn’t apply to her.
Whether the Magic Tower burned or not.
‘She’s probably tucked away in some corner, absorbed in her books.’
I moved forward slowly.
Weaving between the towering shelves, I searched for Iliana.
Then.
—…Still can’t find her today.
A familiar woman’s voice registered in my heightened senses.

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