The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 37

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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 37. Love and Hate (2)
The peak of Snowy Mountain, blanketed in pristine white snow.
As I gazed quietly at the summit rising toward the heavens, the boundary between sky and mountain blurred into obscurity, appearing as though a single, unified mass.
The accumulated snow covered every ridge and ravine of the mountain.
The rough surface of the stone wore a garment as soft as pale skin.
Snowy Mountain after the blizzard.
Within a landscape resembling an endless world of pure white.
◆Snow has been stored in inventory.
◆Snow has been removed from inventory.
I carved a path by repeatedly storing and retrieving the accumulated snow in my inventory.
My current Strength stat stands at 29.
In other words, I could clear as much as 1,160 kilograms of snow in a single action.
Clearing the path blocked by the blizzard proved far from difficult.
I continued climbing Snowy Mountain.
First, to search for Icetroll; second, to obtain monster meat for sale at the next town.
With Gelu Drake, once called the master of Snowy Mountain, already subjugated, there was nothing to fear.
The master of Snowy Mountain now was me.
Nothing on this mountain posed a threat to me.
I searched the mountain without hesitation.
Thus I spent an entire day on Snowy Mountain.
And unfortunately.
“…Nothing.”
There was nothing.
I found not a single Icetroll, nor any monster at all.
Well, as the season of bitter cold approached, monsters naturally became less active.
Moreover, in the midst of this blizzard, movement was even more difficult.
“Still, something feels off.”
Yet something felt wrong.
No matter the circumstances, activity shouldn’t be this scarce.
After all, I had searched the entire mountain.
Even in such harsh weather, at least one monster should be prowling in search of prey.
Even if it wasn’t Icetroll.
But there was nothing.
Only the distant sound of wind whispered through the silence of this mountain.
“Did the habitat change after Gelu Drake disappeared?”
That was possible.
But that alone couldn’t explain everything.
“Hmm….”
I pondered, but no clear answer emerged.
“At least I’m fortunate to have procured provisions from Frecce beforehand for the settlement’s reconstruction.”
Regeneration [B-] required sustenance without fail.
Until now, I had consumed monster meat, but going forward, monster meat would need to be sold as merchandise.
I had to replenish the nutrients for Regeneration [B-] through alternative means, and this time I had purchased an ample supply of substitutes from Frecce.
“The blizzard makes further searching impossible at this point.”
It seemed I would need to check again once the blizzard subsided.
That didn’t mean I would simply wait idle until then.
“Let me check my current stats….”
As I muttered to myself, a translucent window materialized before my eyes.
==「Player Information」==
[Name] = Adrian Whitewolf
[Title] = Lord of the Snowy Mountain
[Level] = 28
[HP] = 2,200
[MP] = 0
[Stats] = Strength: 29(+5) Agility: 28(+5) Endurance: 21(+5) Mana: 6(+5)
[Experience] = 34.7%
By clearing the Territory Quest [Humble Beginnings, Glorious Ends!] in Frecce, my level had reached 28.
The growth I had achieved was incomparable to when I first returned to the past.
Yet I could never be satisfied here.
“At this rate, I’m nowhere near ready to face The Emperor, let alone a warlord.”
What was a warlord, anyway?
I couldn’t even defeat the legion commanders.
Moreover, I had not merely copied Ian’s power—I had absorbed it. Finding Ian was just as crucial as my own growth.
“Still, my agility has risen considerably.”
That made sense, since I was currently investing all my level-up stat points into agility.
As a result, my agility stat had risen to nearly match the others.
“Endurance has already caught up.”
That said, I had no intention of investing level-up stat points into endurance.
I planned to continue investing all level-up stat points into agility.
In other words, I needed to consistently train my strength and endurance through physical conditioning.
“I should focus on physical training today.”
With that resolve, I descended the Snowy Mountain.
* * *
The Frost Trial Grounds, where soldiers were in the midst of their training.
Or so it should have been, but today was different.
All the soldiers stood transfixed by a sight far removed from the usual—something rather astounding.
A dark-haired man hoisting an enormous steel beam.
Whoosh—! Whoosh—! Whoosh—!
Adrian exhaled with rhythmic, razor-sharp breathing.
Adrian continued his physical training at the Frost Trial Grounds.
But then….
“What on earth is that?”
“What is he lifting?”
The iron bar Adrian was hoisting was far from ordinary.
It bore no resemblance whatsoever to the barbell he’d lifted before.
An exercise implement that had never once been seen in Whitewolf Territory.
“That’s something Adrian purchased from Frecce on this trade expedition.”
“From Frecce? That?”
It was an item Adrian had brought back from this trade venture.
The testimony came from soldiers who had accompanied Adrian on the expedition, so it was certainly reliable.
A circular iron bar compressed to extreme density—a solid iron rod.
Its weight was….
“1,500 kilograms, they say.”
“What?! 1,500 kilograms?! That’s 1.5 tons?”
“This is no joke.”
Every soldier’s jaw hung slack in disbelief.
One and a half tons—could any human being even lift such a weight?
How could this possibly be called exercise equipment?
This wasn’t exercise equipment at all; it deserved to be called construction material.
Sure enough, Adrian’s muscles were rupturing and compressing to extreme density with each repetition.
Yet Adrian’s physique remained lean and defined.
To the naked eye, Adrian’s frame was not particularly large.
Clear evidence that his muscles had been compressed to extraordinary density.
Adrian didn’t so much as furrow his brow.
Despite the excruciating agony of muscles tearing, rupturing, and compressing, he didn’t even twitch a single eyebrow.
Whoosh—! Whoosh—! Whoosh—!
His breathing remained steady and controlled as he silently continued lifting the iron bar.
Truly extraordinary mental fortitude.
The soldiers watching Adrian’s display felt something beyond mere respect—it was reverence.
“He’s truly incredible….”
“I’m watching with my own eyes, yet I still can’t believe it.”
Perhaps that’s why.
“If Kai and Adrian fought, who would win?”
“Well, that’s…?”
“Before, it would definitely have been Kai….”
The soldiers’ gazes naturally shifted to Kai, who was practicing swordplay.
And the moment their attention focused on him.
Kai’s blade cut through the frigid air with a sharp whistle. His footwork was swift and fluid, his balance never wavering even amid such explosive movement.
Was he imagining an invisible opponent before him?
Kai suddenly twisted at the waist, evading a phantom strike, then unleashed a lightning-fast slash that drew gasps of admiration from the watching soldiers.
“Wow—!”
“What was that just now?!”
The soldiers erupted in astonishment at the display. But Kai never let his concentration waver.
One hand wielded the blade while the other maintained perfect balance. My entire body moved as a single, organic whole.
Those blue eyes gleamed with intensity.
They remained locked solely on the swordplay, oblivious to everything else around me.
Kai, Whitewolf’s chief knight.
The soldiers could now see that his natural talent—the very gift the Royal Guard coveted so desperately—was no exaggeration.
On one side stood Adrian.
On the other, Kai.
Each pushing themselves through training that transcended what could be called human.
“Hyah—!”
Suddenly, a thin, crystalline voice pierced the soldiers’ ears.
It was unmistakably feminine.
The soldiers’ gazes instinctively turned toward the source of that cry.
And there—
“Yooh—!”
They saw Seraphia lifting an iron bar with her slender arms.
Though calling it an iron bar was generous.
Compared to what Adrian held, it was little more than a toothpick.
Yet her arms trembled violently, quivering with strain.
“Hyo-op!”
The soldiers couldn’t help but worry her arms might snap.
* * *
An empty bar without added weights weighed roughly fifteen kilograms.
But even that was too heavy for Seraphia to lift.
After struggling, I had no choice but to give up.
Eventually, I compromised by using a one-kilogram dumbbell as a makeshift bar.
“Hyah—!”
And yet this was the result.
‘How does my brother manage this…!’
How could he do this every single day?
And he was lifting iron rods thousands of times heavier than this.
“Yooh—!”
Adrian seemed truly extraordinary to me now.
My trembling arms could barely move anymore.
As I finally lowered the bar, my entire body was drenched in sweat.
My long silver hair, disheveled and matted, clung persistently to my neck and cheeks.
I gathered my wet hair to the back with both hands, tied it with a cord, and let the rest fall naturally.
With some strands falling at the sides, my hair looked like a perfect ponytail.
Her silver ponytail shimmered like a unicorn’s tail.
It was comfortable, but exposing her nape so openly was a style she hadn’t been able to wear until now.
After all, the bruise marks Adrian had left on her were still visible.
‘Now it’s fine.’
But the bruises had completely healed by now.
With that, I could savor the cool breeze brushing against my nape.
My mood lifted without reason.
I surveyed the Frost Trial Grounds with a smile on my face.
And the reason I had suddenly started exercising.
It was none other than to watch Adrian exercise. Through this, I wanted to grow closer to him, even if only slightly.
Adrian was lifting a heavy iron bar with rhythmic breathing.
According to the soldiers’ talk, that weight alone was 1,500kg.
I couldn’t even lift a 1kg weight without trembling—how was he managing that?
‘He’s truly amazing….’
Kuuuuuung—!
As Adrian set down the heavy iron bar, the entire Frost Trial Grounds resonated.
Adrian’s muscular body, his shirt cast aside.
Hot steam rose from it in wisps.
Just as I was about to turn my gaze away out of embarrassment.
‘Oil…?’
He poured it straight into his mouth in large gulps.
At that sight, I froze, my gaze fixed.
The oil’s condition was quite dark and murky.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it waste oil.
In other words, it didn’t look good at all.
‘Why would he…?’
What reason could there be to consume such oil?
If it were for nutritional supplementation, Adrian had procured delicious food.
Food brought by none other than Adrian himself.
He could eat that instead, so why deliberately consume oil—.
‘Could it be for the territory’s people?’
Indeed, the provisions Adrian had brought were insufficient.
“How much longer do you plan to stare?”
To endure the coming harsh season, one had to conserve and conserve again.
Therefore, Adrian was giving up his provisions for the territory’s people, while he himself—.
“Are you not hearing me?”
At that moment, Adrian’s voice struck sharply against my ear.
Without thinking, I startled violently, my body trembling greatly.
Hastily refocusing, Adrian was glaring at me with deadly intensity.
“Y-yes?! What, what did you…say?”
“How long do you intend to keep staring?” I asked.
“Ah… ah, well….”
“Stop staring. It disrupts my concentration.”
“…Yes.”
Seraphia answered with a dejected expression.
Why did he say nothing when the soldiers were watching, but only to me?
Still.
‘He spoke to me first….’
All the effort I’d put into coming here to exercise had been worthwhile.
And like this, step by step, gradually, I could grow closer to Adrian.
Of course.
“Hnngh-!”
Though it felt like my arms would break soon.
* * *
Seraphia’s gaze, which had been irritating me since earlier.
After finally saying something to her, Seraphia stopped staring at me.
“Hnngh-!”
Seraphia exhaled sharply as she lifted the dumbbells.
I wondered if her arms might break, but I didn’t particularly concern myself with it.
I brought the oil to my lips once more.
It was oil I’d purchased from Frecce—waste oil at that. Since it was inexpensive, I’d been able to buy it in bulk.
‘Oil certainly does have a lot of calories.’
Monster meat yielded approximately 250 Kcal per 100 grams.
But oil provided a staggering 900 Kcal per 100 milliliters.
The caloric difference was nearly fourfold.
However, since oil contained only fat, I couldn’t obtain any other nutrients like protein.
Naturally.
◆You can synthesize [Protein] by consuming calories.
◆Surplus Calories – 93,200 Kcal
◆Will you use the skill ‘Nutrient Synthesis [B-]’?
With my Nutrient Synthesis [B-] ability, there was no problem whatsoever.
When it had improved to [B-] rank last time, both its efficiency and the compounds I could synthesize had expanded dramatically.
Moreover, since it was liquid, digestion and absorption occurred rapidly.
In other words, oil was the most efficient food for me.
Just one thing.
‘Ugh-.’
A greasy sensation welling up from within.
If I could only overcome the drawback of sacrificing the pleasure of eating, it would be nothing but advantageous.
I poured the oil into my mouth without wasting a single drop.
And the oil container I’d just consumed was 10 liters.
With fifteen 10-liter containers of oil in my inventory, that meant I had a total of 1,350,000 calories prepared.
‘I’ll burn through all of it today.’
Today’s goal was to consume all 1.35 million calories.
I had no intention of stopping until every last calorie was burned.
‘Let’s begin again.’
I grasped the steel reinforcement bar once more.
* * *
Kai swung his sword while observing Adrian lifting the enormous steel reinforcement bar.
That was something no human could possibly accomplish.
It was absolutely impossible for anyone bound by human limitations.
Yet Kai no longer doubted or denied Adrian.
The power to transform the impossible into the possible.
He now believed that Adrian possessed such power.
Because of this, Kai threw himself even deeper into his training.
To not fall behind Adrian, he had to push himself harder.
Above all, he had come to understand something.
That mediocre strength and martial prowess could never protect Seraphia.
Kai did not possess the same talent as Adrian.
But he had natural talent in aura and swordsmanship.
So then.
He had to transcend.
The limits of aura and swordsmanship.
Just as Adrian was doing, Kai too had to surpass the boundaries of what he possessed.
He had to grow stronger and stronger—strong enough to effortlessly cut through even this brutal frozen season.
Shing! Shing!
Kai’s movements as he wielded his sword grew faster and faster.
Lost in that trance of training, it was at that very moment.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Urgent bells rang out across the Frost Trial Grounds.
* * *
◆A sudden quest has arrived!
A translucent message suddenly materialized before my eyes.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
At the same time, urgent bells rang out across the Frost Trial Grounds.
The bells were ringing from the tower of the fortress that stood tall, surveying the surroundings.
And those bells were a warning that rang only during emergency situations like enemy invasions.
“Monsters from Snowy Mountain are attacking Whitewolf Territory in formation!!!”
One of the soldiers urgently reported to Kai, who was in the midst of training.
At that moment, Kai’s eyes widened in shock.
And I felt the same.
My eyes widened just as dramatically as Kai’s.
I’d wondered why I hadn’t spotted a single monster on Snowy Mountain.
No matter how I thought about it, the logic didn’t add up.
But now I understood—the monsters inhabiting Snowy Mountain had congregated in one place.
That was the reason.
My eyes didn’t merely widen; they filled with sheer dread.
“A monster legion…?”
It was the same question Kai voiced, yet for a different reason entirely.
Because the word ‘legion’ when spoken of monsters—
‘The Demon Lord!’
That phrase could only mean one thing: the Demon Lord.

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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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