The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 45

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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 45. Hunting Dogs (2)
The commander leading the monster legion.
Kai agreed with Adrian’s strategy that this commander had to be eliminated.
So Kai checked his equipment while waiting for Adrian.
Adrian said there was one more person to bring along for the subjugation.
How much time had passed while waiting like that?
In the distance, Adrian was walking toward me.
Behind Adrian, another figure appeared, waddling along like a duckling.
A tiny woman hurrying along behind Adrian, that mother duck, in quick little steps.
“Seraphia…?”
It was none other than Seraphia.
“Oh, Sir Kai is out here too.”
“Lady Seraphia, why…?”
“Well, you see.”
“Seraphia is coming along on this subjugation.”
“Pardon…?”
“That’s how it’s been decided.”
Seraphia smiled brightly, asking for his cooperation.
But Kai had no intention of accepting this.
Kai raised his eyes and questioned Adrian.
“What is your intention?”
“I told you. To eliminate the commander of the legion.”
“But why are you bringing Lady Seraphia along?”
“Because I need Seraphia’s help.”
“Isn’t it possible with just the two of us?”
“It’s not.”
Adrian’s answer was resolute, sharp as a blade.
“Then perhaps you should bring soldiers instead.”
“Bringing soldiers would be pointless. They wouldn’t even serve as meat shields.”
“Is the legion commander truly that strong?”
“Strong. Even if you and I go all out, I can’t guarantee victory.”
“I should mention, I am currently—”
“Even you, who has taken one step into the Master realm, are no exception.”
“You… knew?”
Kai was momentarily at a loss for words.
It was rare for someone to discern another’s realm at a glance.
There was only one circumstance where it was possible.
Only when a warrior several levels above could assess the realm of one below.
In other words, it meant Adrian was several levels stronger than Kai.
“That’s why Seraphia’s help is absolutely necessary to eliminate the legion commander.”
Adrian’s following words were sharp and resolute, cutting like a blade.
Seraphia clenched both fists tightly, declaring her readiness to give her all to any task.
Watching her determination, Kai swallowed once before speaking with measured composure.
“Who exactly is the commander of this legion?”
That was one thing, but this was another.
Kai had no intention of budging until Adrian provided a reasonable explanation.
Eventually, Adrian exhaled a small sigh of resignation and offered his answer.
“The Lycanthrope.”
* * *
Lycanthrope.
Lycos—meaning wolf.
Anthropos—meaning human.
These two words combined formed a term meaning “wolf-human.”
And regarding the origins of lycanthropes, countless theories abounded.
A human infected by a wolf’s bite.
No, it’s a hybrid of human and wolf.
Nonsense! An individual created by a sorcerer’s curse.
That’s absurd! A dark mage’s failed attempt at creating undead.
These unreconciled theories diverged across The Continent, spawning countless legends and folklore.
But later, a new biological classification emerged: the “Monster category.”
Ultimately, lycanthropes were concluded to be humans who had undergone “monsterification.”
Some starving human had consumed monster flesh, descended into madness, and transformed into a lycanthrope—a monster born of that derangement.
This was the accepted knowledge across The Continent.
And it was knowledge the Allied Forces naturally accepted as well.
Until The Grand Mage of the Allied Forces appeared.
The Grand Mage presented an opinion that diverged from conventional wisdom.
The Beast Legion Commander, the Lycanthrope.
He would have no connection to monsters whatsoever.
Monsters played no role in the Lycanthrope’s transformation.
-It was likely a mental illness.
The Grand Mage termed it “lycanthropy.”
Simply put, it was a delusion where one believed oneself to be a wolf rather than human.
But mere mental illness alone cannot transform a human into a wolf.
If such a thing were possible, it would be more accurate to call it a superpower than a mental disorder.
Therefore, no one in the Allied Forces believed The Grand Mage’s hypothesis.
Not until Ian’s words reached their ears.
-Kai wasn’t revived as a Death Knight.
Ian’s claim that Kai had become a Lich through his own will.
Kai had transformed himself into undead without any magical knowledge whatsoever.
Through sheer willpower alone, he transcended the world’s laws.
But what’s so significant about a mere change in genes that warrants declaring it impossible?
In reality, humanity’s intense conviction possesses the power to manifest what doesn’t exist into existence.
The placebo effect—when one believes a useless medicine is genuine, the condition improves.
Phantom pain—feeling agony in a limb that’s been severed and physically no longer exists.
Phantom pregnancy—the desperate longing for a child manifesting as false gestation.
Thus, humanity’s fervent and earnest belief transcends ontological argument.
It wasn’t easy, but it was never impossible.
Such transcendent convictions, once crystallized into reality, become what we call an Auror.
This is why an Auror can draw forth mere figments of individual imagination and force them into material reality.
It’s also why only humans can wield the power of an Auror.
Indeed, as The Grand Mage said, the Lycanthrope was no monster.
It was a human transformed through the ‘will’ of mental illness.
Yet ironically.
It was The Emperor who proved The Grand Mage’s hypothesis true.
The Emperor extracted the Lycanthrope’s transformation factor.
And injected it into other humans.
Beyond that, he even enslaved human women and forced them into pregnancy—atrocities beyond measure.
The Lycanthrope was, after all, merely a transformed human.
So The Emperor’s deranged notion was: wouldn’t reproduction with humans be possible?
The Allied Forces’ Grand Mage also concluded it was possible.
The Lycanthrope was truly a subspecies of the same race as humans—capable of interbreeding and reproducing with them.
But while the Allied Forces’ Grand Mage proved it in ‘theory’, The Empire’s Emperor proved it through ‘experimentation’.
And this, precisely this.
was the horrifying genesis of the Werebeasts—the tragic and dreadful Beast Legion.
Werewolves, direct descendants of the Lycanthrope.
Weretigers, bred with tigers.
Werebears, bred with bears.
Werefoxes, bred with foxes, and so forth.
These beasts possessed strength and speed far surpassing humanity.
With senses and regenerative abilities superior to humans, they trampled the Allied Forces and The Continent mercilessly.
The beasts of the Beast Legion possessed a resilience and ferocity incomparable to mere monsters.
And all these circumstances pointed to one conclusion.
‘The Emperor’s experiment is already finished.’
At this juncture, The Emperor’s experimentation is complete.
The Emperor is currently cultivating the Beast Legion in the Imperial Palace Underground Labyrinth using the extracted transformation factors.
After subjugating the Lycanthrope—whose usefulness had ended—to the Beast Lord, he unleashed it upon The Continent.
Otherwise, the Lycanthrope couldn’t possibly be here.
‘So he was preparing from that point onward….’
The Emperor was chillingly meticulous, yet wickedly cunning.
It seemed I too needed to sharpen my agility in action.
I need to find Ian faster, form the Allied Forces faster, and build up the strength and forces to oppose The Emperor and The Empire faster.
‘First, the Lycanthrope.’
It would have been ideal if The Emperor had captured the Lycanthrope before all this happened, but what’s done is done.
For now, subjugating the Lycanthrope is the best course of action.
And that alone would severely weaken the Beast Legion.
Even in my past life, the Allied Forces suffered tremendous casualties at the hands of the Lycanthrope.
But if I subjugate the Lycanthrope here and now?
‘I can prevent that damage.’
However, the Lycanthrope will not easily reveal himself.
‘He’ll be wary of me.’
Because he witnessed Dragon’s Wrath [E].
The power that incinerated half of the monster legion in one blow.
It’s a threatening skill potent enough to deal damage even to the Beast Lord.
The Lycanthrope, who observed everything through his legion, is currently most cautious of me.
If I’m present, the Lycanthrope won’t easily reveal himself.
“Seraphia.”
“…Yes, sir!”
“You’re the bait.”
So I need to use Seraphia as bait to lure out the Lycanthrope.
“Me…?”
“Yes.”
The Lycanthrope has a strong breeding urge.
More precisely, The Emperor made him that way.
And since he was a human transformed into a creature rather than a true monster, he directed his breeding urge toward humans instead.
‘That must be why he mobilized his legion to attack Whitewolf Territory this time.’
He was targeting the women living in Whitewolf Territory.
The same thing probably happened in my past life as well.
I don’t know how it turned out then, but this time, because of me, he achieved nothing.
Still, the Lycanthrope won’t give up so easily.
The harsh environment of the Northern Region where few people live.
Finding humans here who could satisfy his breeding urge wouldn’t be easy.
So if I use Seraphia as bait to lure out the Lycanthrope—
“Absolutely not!!”
…Well, I saw this coming.
When I turned my head, Kai was shouting at me with a demonic expression on his face.
Anyone could see that Kai was vehemently opposed to my plan of using Seraphia as bait.
A man who lives and dies for Seraphia—what else could be expected?
I’d been waiting to see when he’d finally snap.
“If we leave the Lycanthrope as he is, there’s no telling what will happen.”
“But still—!”
“Even now, he’s likely breeding more legions and preparing to assault Whitewolf Territory.”
When that happens, I won’t be able to stop it.
According to the sudden Quest penalty, the entire Whitewolf Territory will fall into ruin.
“I need to find and subjugate the Lycanthrope as soon as possible.”
“But no matter what, we can’t use Seraphia as bait! It’s far too dangerous! Above all, the possibility that the Lycanthrope might be female—!”
“He’s male.”
From my memories of my past life, the Lycanthrope is definitely male.
Kai ground his teeth at that.
But he offered no further objection.
It seemed he trusted my assertion that the creature was male.
Besides, Kai understood as well as I did that the Lycanthrope had to be subjugated without delay.
“The bait doesn’t necessarily have to be Seraphia, does it?”
That was true.
Any human woman would suffice.
“As you say, we could use one of the handmaidens or the wives of the territory’s people as bait instead.”
“Then why insist on using Seraphia—”
“Because Seraphia is the most beautiful woman in Whitewolf Territory.”
The Lycanthrope is a beast whose reason has vanished, leaving only instinct behind.
He had a strong tendency to become obsessed with a woman’s appearance, and the more beautiful she was, the easier it was to stimulate his excitement.
And objectively speaking, Seraphia’s beauty was exceptional.
It wasn’t without reason that Ian had said she was prettier than The Saint.
Though I didn’t see it that way myself.
“I’ll do it!”
Seraphia, who had been silent until then, cried out.
“Just as you said, brother, I’ll be the bait!”
“Seraphia!”
“No, Kai. This is something I must do.”
“It’s far too dangerous!”
“Danger doesn’t matter. I’ve done nothing all this time. When you were sacrificing yourself against the monster legions, when you were pursuing them alone—”
“That was my duty. As a knight, it was only right that I—!”
“This is my duty as well.”
Seraphia’s crimson eyes gleamed with resolve.
“I don’t want to simply wait for help from a safe place. I want to be of use too.”
“….”
“Just as both of you have risked danger for Whitewolf Territory, I can certainly bear the risk for its sake as well.”
Perhaps it was because of Seraphia’s unwavering determination.
After a long moment of deliberation, Kai bowed his head.
“I swear… I will protect you at my side, no matter what.”
“That won’t work.”
And I stopped Kai right there.
“He’s currently in an extremely heightened state of vigilance. And Kai, he saw you pursuing and slaughtering monsters as well—the Lycanthrope definitely caught sight of you.”
“….”
“If you’re beside Seraphia, the Lycanthrope won’t approach.”
Therefore, neither I nor Kai could afford to remain at Seraphia’s side.
“Seraphia must be alone. At least until we lure out the Lycanthrope.”
“But if Seraphia gets hurt in the process….”
“Then what.”
There’s no helping it.
At that, Kai’s gaze transformed into something murderous.
Those eyes and that expression—the way he growled at me—made it clear he would never accept this, not even in death.
I wanted nothing more than to abandon him and leave, but I couldn’t.
Seraphia was one thing, but without Kai’s assistance, subduing the Lycanthrope would be nearly impossible.
Yet Kai seemed absolutely unwilling to consent to this operation that exposed Seraphia to danger alone.
“If you’re going to be difficult about it, then cross-dress yourself.”
“…?”
Kai’s face, moments before twisted with rage, went blank in an instant.
Seraphia too let out a startled gasp.
I casually brushed aside both their reactions and spoke again.
“What matters is appearance. And Kai, with your looks….”
That lustrous, flowing golden hair.
Those refined, elegant features.
By any measure, a strikingly handsome face.
Even in my past life, Kai’s appearance had earned considerable reputation even within the Allied Forces.
And that was despite being an undead called a Lich.
“If you dress up, the Lycanthrope will likely become excited, so you’ll serve as bait alongside Seraphia in your feminine guise.”
At that, Kai stared at me as though he wanted to kill me.
An even greater fury than before.
Kai’s hand repeatedly gripped and released the hilt of his sword.
Beyond those deep blue eyes, a razor-sharp killing intent bubbled up like water in a kettle.
But what could I do about it.
If he wanted to protect Seraphia from my side, he’d have to do this.
“So, will you do it or not.”
Kai’s answer was, in essence, already decided.

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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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