The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 42

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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 42. Traces (1)
Thank heavens for small mercies.
With the help of the soldiers who rushed over afterward, I was able to replenish my nutrients.
◆You can use the skill ‘Regeneration [B+]’ to restore your damaged body.
◆Regeneration [B+]
: Consumes accumulated nutrients within your body to recover damaged tissue. The type and amount of nutrients consumed varies depending on which body part is damaged and the severity of the damage.
+You can temporarily devolve sensory nerves to block pain sensation.
+You can temporarily modify the player’s cellular structure and durability.
This time, my Regeneration ability had reached [B+] grade.
Regeneration [B+] transcended mere restoration—it could alter the very structure of my cells.
Through this, I could transform my skin’s proteins into keratin, creating a combination skill called Dragon Skin [U].
So I began by regenerating both my arms first.
“Ugh, uwahhh!!”
“What the—!?!”
The soldiers gasped in horror and stumbled backward in shock.
I wondered if it was really something to be so startled about, but thinking about it…
‘They’ve never seen Regeneration before.’
I had never used Regeneration [B+] in front of the soldiers until now.
While I had regenerated ruptured muscles with Regeneration [B+], this was the first time I’d restored severed limbs in such a manner.
Watching arms that had nearly vanished regenerate before their eyes—it was only natural they’d be shocked.
Because of this, the light in the soldiers’ eyes had changed noticeably.
When I subjugated Gelu Drake, there had been hints of respect and awe.
But now, only fear and dread were visible in their gazes.
The soldiers huddled together with frightened expressions, their trembling eyes silently pleading for explanation and justification.
Naturally.
I ignored them lightly.
“Stop standing there gawking and start moving those monster corpses immediately.”
The creatures I had hunted were piled up like mountains.
All of them were specimens I’d used Predator [S+] on.
They were ingredients overflowing with commercial value.
It was fortunate timing, as I needed materials to sell at the next merchant transaction.
However, for now I had to postpone this—I needed to track the Beast Lord.
I couldn’t simply leave them to rot.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you moving them?”
“Y-yes, sir!!”
“We’ll move them right away!!”
Only after I repeated myself did the soldiers snap into action in panic.
As if I might devour them, they frantically hoisted the monster corpses and began transporting them.
I observed the scene once, then slowly turned my head away.
And even then, the translucent system message showed no signs of appearing.
‘The Quest hasn’t been cleared….’
At this point, it was certain that the sudden Quest remained incomplete.
Even though I had annihilated every last monster fleeing with Dragon’s Wrath [E].
“Hmm….”
I reviewed the sudden Quest’s details once more.
==[We Are Legion!]==
[Objective] – Protect Whitewolf Territory from the monster legion.
[Reward] – Increase territory residents’ favorability
[Failure] – Collapse of Whitewolf Territory.
The objective was to protect the territory from the monster legion.
But the fact that it hadn’t cleared meant there were still more monsters.
What I’d just faced was merely the first wave—that much was clear.
Which meant.
‘The Beast Lord is somewhere in the Northern Region.’
It could only mean that.
So I had no time to waste here.
I had to track down the Beast Lord.
Just as I turned to leave.
A hesitant cluster of soldiers appeared before me.
They stood motionless around the monster corpses, stealing glances at me with uncertainty.
“Did you not hear my order to move the monster bodies?”
The bitter cold had drastically slowed decomposition, but that was no longer the case.
The heat from Dragon’s Wrath [E] had warmed the entire territory.
If they didn’t move them quickly, the flesh would rot and spoil.
Of course, it didn’t matter to me.
As long as I obtained the calories, it was all the same.
But these were all products meant for sale.
Precious goods that would make Predator Merchant Company the greatest merchant guild on The Continent.
“That is….”
The soldiers stammered, their words trailing off.
Then they glanced nervously toward one direction.
Following their gaze, I saw Seraphia collapsed on the ground.
To the soldiers, Seraphia was the territory’s lord and supreme military commander.
They clearly couldn’t leave her abandoned like this.
“She’s not dead. So leave her and move the monster corpses first.”
“But… we cannot possibly leave Seraphia like that….”
“She needs to be moved inside for treatment….”
If we spent time treating Seraphia, all the monster meat would spoil.
Besides, she was merely knocked unconscious by the impact—there was nothing physically wrong with her.
“Sigh.”
I exhaled a short sigh and strode forward, scooping the limp Seraphia into my arms like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Is that enough?”
The soldiers’ eyes went wide as saucers. Even those rushing out from inside the castle froze mid-stride.
Every gaze fixed upon me, cradling Seraphia in my embrace.
“Ah, Adrian…”
“Lady Seraphia…”
“He’s carrying her?!”
They looked more horrified than when they’d witnessed Dragon’s Wrath [E].
“Aren’t you going?”
“Y-yes, we’re going!!!”
The soldiers scrambled forward in a frenzy.
Those who had frozen regained their senses and rejoined the formation.
Despite the commotion, Seraphia showed no sign of waking.
It seemed less like sleep and more like death itself.
Yet the soft, steady breathing that reached my ears assured me she still lived.
Seraphia, cradled in my arms.
She was terribly gaunt.
Hidden beneath thick woolen garments, her frame felt fragile—emaciated beyond mere slenderness.
The Northern Region of the Continent, where food was scarce.
It was only natural she’d been deprived of proper nutrition during her formative years.
As I gazed quietly at Seraphia…
Memories from my past life crept in, unbidden.
People crying out for salvation. Comrades of the Allied Forces dying in agony.
Special Task Force operatives, their bodies frozen and torn to shreds. And Ian, who returned without his left arm.
The suffering and tribulations the Allied Forces had endured.
My teeth ground together involuntarily.
Blood vessels burst in my eyes.
I wanted to snap her neck on the spot. I wanted to tear her heart out with Dragon’s Claws [A].
Emotions erupted like a violent surge.
Though I hadn’t devoured a monster’s heart with Predator [S+], whispers echoed in my mind—”Kill her now,” like auditory hallucinations.
Screams of the people. Despair of my comrades. Resentment of the operatives.
They tangled together, suffocating my sanity.
Had it not been for Ian…
◆The encroaching madness is resisted by the Player’s Will [EX]!
I would have twisted her neck without hesitation.
Slowly, yet surely, reason returned.
“Hah…!”
As I exhaled deeply, Kai approached, dragging his exhausted body toward me.
I strode forward and thrust Seraphia into his arms.
“Take her.”
Kai caught Seraphia in his arms without thinking.
He staggered momentarily under the weight.
Seraphia was so frail and gaunt that she felt weightless, yet Kai nearly toppled over.
His condition was that dire.
Yet through sheer willpower and unwavering resolve not to drop Seraphia, he managed to stay upright.
I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.
‘He took that head-on and survived.’
Honestly, I’m starting to think Kai might be undead at this point.
Dragon Rage Explosion [E] was never a skill anyone could survive.
◆Dragon Rage Explosion [E]
: Upon activation, the player consumes all accumulated [calories] to synthesize energy and matter that trigger chain explosions over a [30-second] casting period.
Once the [30-second] casting concludes, all synthesized energy and matter are released.
The player deals [consumed calories × 10] damage in a forward cone and [consumed calories × 1cm] radial damage at that distance.
The player then receives [0.01%] of the damage dealt as backlash.
【This skill is a combination skill merging Dragon’s Claw [A], Nutrient Synthesis [B], Regeneration [B+], Reinforced Skin [B], Dragon Skin [U], and Metabolic Overdrive [U].】
The calories I consumed were at maximum capacity: 100,000.
In other words, it was equivalent to unleashing 1,000,000 damage across a 1-kilometer radius—a breath attack of apocalyptic proportions.
In Solo Leveling [EX], each point of health grants 100 HP.
An adult male possesses 100 health.
Thus, 1,000,000 damage meant the destructive power to instantly kill 10,000 adult men.
It was no mere dragon’s prerogative for nothing.
And this was only the mimicked power of a non-dragon form.
A true dragon’s breath transcends imagination.
Naturally, the backlash I received was equally catastrophic.
I mitigated that reflected damage with Dragon Skin [U], so the damage returned to me was minimal.
Yet Dragon Rage Explosion [E] still left me on death’s door.
And here Kai was, not only surviving a direct hit but walking around as if nothing happened—how was that even possible?
But the crimson blood trickling from the corner of Kai’s mouth told the truth.
The undead don’t bleed, so he was still human.
‘A monster.’
Though I’m not sure “human” is the right word for him anymore.
Regardless, Kai’s condition was appalling.
Which made this moment possible.
My regeneration was complete; my condition was optimal.
Kai, meanwhile, was shattered and on the brink of death.
I could easily kill him now—but…
‘Not yet.’
There was a problem with killing him now.
‘Hunting the Beast Lord alone would be impossible.’
The Beast Lord’s strength operates on an entirely different level.
Of course, Dragon’s Wrath [E] could certainly deal a decisive blow to the Beast Lord. But I would suffer equally devastating damage in return.
Dragon’s Wrath [E]—a skill that wrung out every ability and combination technique I possessed.
In other words, I had to squeeze out every calorie, pouring all the food in my inventory into the skill’s execution.
Each time I used Dragon’s Wrath [E], I would fall into a state of near-death.
‘I cannot use it recklessly.’
I had to save it until the very end and unleash it as my final strike.
Ideally, I should avoid using it altogether.
For that, I needed Kai’s help.
Just as when I had subjugated Gelu Drake, I needed to hunt the Beast Lord alongside Kai.
And once I hunted the Beast Lord and devoured the lord’s heart with Predator [S+], from that moment onward, I would transcend the strength of my past life.
Then I could kill Kai whenever I wished.
So it was better not to kill him right now.
A hunting hound for the Beast Lord hunt.
Just as I finished organizing my thoughts.
“What in the world are you doing…!”
Kai’s voice rumbled with fury.
His blue eyes fixed on me gleamed with barely contained rage.
* * *
He had tried to kill me.
Decisively.
Adrian had clearly attempted to kill me along with the monster horde.
A sense of inexplicable betrayal surged up from within Kai’s chest.
He raged at himself for having acknowledged Adrian, even for a moment.
It was just like… back then.
When Kai had been forced to turn his back on Adrian.
When the bond between two who were like brothers had inevitably fractured.
Kai felt that maddening sense of betrayal he had experienced toward Adrian back then—that abhorrent Adrian—wash over him once more.
“Say something in your defense…!”
Kai’s teeth ground together as he laid bare his fury.
Adrian met Kai’s gaze calmly, then slowly opened his mouth.
“I didn’t know it would be this powerful.”
“Are you calling that an excuse-!”
“I couldn’t let the fleeing monster horde escape. You understood that reason as well, didn’t you?”
At Adrian’s words, Kai’s mouth snapped shut.
Because he understood, just as Adrian said.
The number of monsters spared today would multiply in an instant, and another horde attack like today’s was inevitable.
“So I pursued them alone, didn’t I?”
That’s why I pursued them alone.
“But you alone couldn’t handle all the monsters.”
That too was the truth.
Kai alone could not eliminate all the monsters.
His limit was killing as many individuals as possible.
“That’s why I helped.”
Simply.
“The power it unleashed merely exceeded my expectations.”
Adrian’s face and expression as he spoke were not those of someone telling a lie. It truly seemed Adrian had not anticipated the power would be this tremendous.
In truth, that was… a force no human could possibly wield.
Without exaggeration, it was truly like that of a dragon.
In any case, had it not been for Adrian, it would have been impossible to annihilate every monster.
The fact that the Whitewolf Territory sustained no damage was because Adrian stepped forward alone.
Kai’s growling gaze faltered downward.
Over that faltering gaze, Adrian’s voice reached him once more.
“Take Seraphia and return to the Lord’s Residence. Tend to your own condition as well.”
“Now you show concern?”
“The battle is not yet finished.”
Though no further explanation was given, Kai understood what it meant.
The monster legion.
An unknown entity commanding the legion remained.
Until that entity was subjugated, the Whitewolf Territory would face the same threat again and again.
“I will now search for traces of the legion. I shall return the moment I find them, so recover as much as you can until then.”
Adrian departed with those words.
Kai quietly watched Adrian’s retreating figure.
‘What exactly…’
What was his true nature?
Adrian had certainly changed.
To a degree that could not be called human.
From the dragon-like power he displayed to the regeneration of his nearly obliterated arms, he could never be called human.
A power that transforms the impossible into the possible.
Until now, he had dressed it in such words.
But now Adrian was beyond even that explanation.
Kai could not grasp how to treat Adrian going forward.
He could not predict how their relationship would change.
Yet Kai ultimately cast aside all such thoughts.
Regardless, Kai’s conviction was singular.
Seraphia.
To protect only her.
Thus, the relationship between Kai and Adrian would depend on how Adrian treated Seraphia.
If Adrian proved beneficial to Seraphia, Kai would simply cooperate with him.
If Adrian became a threat to Seraphia, Kai would simply eliminate him.
In that sense, as Adrian said, the battle was not yet finished.
An unidentified entity commanding the legion remained.
Before the battles to come, I needed to restore my body to its peak condition.
As I lowered my gaze, Seraphia came into view, sleeping peacefully cradled in Kai’s arms.
Soft, gentle breathing filled the silence.
Holding her delicate breath—as tender as a fledgling bird—close to his chest, Kai made his way back to the Lord’s Residence.

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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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