The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 46

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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 46. Bait and Trap
A moonless night, darkness swallowing the sky.
The nights on Snowy Mountain, as the season of bitter frost approached, were mercilessly harsh to Seraphia.
“H-haaa…!!”
The biting cold pierced through her fur coat, and Seraphia’s body trembled involuntarily.
Her fingertips felt as though they had turned to ice itself.
Even when she exhaled warm breath, it froze white and offered no relief.
Her nose and ears burned red with frost, tingling painfully.
Her legs grew increasingly stiff, each step forward a grueling ordeal.
Yet she pressed onward with determination, following the path Adrian had carved through the mountain.
“C-come… with me…!”
How she wished he would.
Adrian, as if she didn’t exist, was already far ahead, gradually disappearing from her sight.
Keeping pace with him was absolutely killing her.
Under normal circumstances, she would have collapsed long ago.
‘I’m glad… I’ve been exercising….’
Her consistent training to grow closer to Adrian was paying off.
“Huff…! Huff…!”
Though her poor stamina remained exactly that—poor.
Gasping and straining, Seraphia finally reached the summit of Snowy Mountain.
Adrian, who had arrived first, was already preparing the campsite.
He was carving away the thick snow and ice beneath his feet with his bare hands, creating a solid, level platform.
The mountain’s brutal cold howled from all directions.
To shield against the wind that bit at exposed skin, Adrian had constructed a windbreak using surrounding stones and snow drifts.
His movements were more than skillful—they were those of an expert.
Even seasoned mercenaries who had fought across battlefields for decades couldn’t manage such efficiency.
‘That’s… amazing…!’
Seraphia couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
While she marveled, a small space for a fire had already been prepared in the center.
Adrian then produced wood from somewhere and carefully ignited it.
The flames teetered on the edge of extinction before suddenly blazing to life, burning bright and warm.
In an instant, the darkness fled.
Adrian noticed Seraphia.
“Come warm yourself by the fire.”
“Yes! Thank you so much!”
Seraphia rushed over and settled before the campfire.
The trembling that had wracked her body slowly subsided in the warmth of the flames.
As she held her palms gently toward the heat, the gentle warmth enveloped her entire being.
While Seraphia was warming herself,
Adrian returned with dried meat and finely ground grain flour.
He retrieved a water kettle from who-knows-where, added snow, and set it to boil.
Then, with practiced efficiency—clang, clang.
Within moments, an appetizing stew emerged, steam rising in delicate wisps.
“Eat.”
“Thank you for the meal!”
Seraphia eagerly accepted the plate of stew.
Without hesitation, she brought it to her lips.
“Mmm…!!”
Her eyes widened involuntarily at the taste.
“It’s really delicious!”
And it truly was.
Though the humble stew contained only dried meat and grain flour, its flavor was as smooth and savory as what one might find in a fine restaurant.
“If you want more, help yourself.”
“Yes!”
Her head bobbed enthusiastically of its own accord.
Adrian continued with the remaining campsite preparations.
The sensation of traveling alongside Adrian felt so natural, so right.
‘This is wonderful….’
It was far more than wonderful.
When would I ever have the chance to eat food prepared by Adrian’s own hands again?
When would I share another moment like this with him?
No matter how I thought about it, becoming bait had been the right decision.
‘I wish this could last forever….’
Seraphia found herself hoping that such moments would continue indefinitely.
* * *
Seraphia devoured the stew with abandon.
Though it was a humble stew with dried meat, her agility had climbed to an impressive 33.35.
Since Metabolic Acceleration [C+] had become a passive skill this time, she was constantly gaining a +15% effect, which made the food taste incomparably better.
With only slight exaggeration, his culinary skill could make even food scraps palatable.
“It’s really, really delicious, brother!!”
Elevating a simple stew to gourmet status was child’s play for him.
Watching Seraphia savor the stew with such genuine delight—
‘…Damn it.’
Irritation suddenly surged within me.
What was I doing? Regardless of whether it was for hunting the Lycanthrope.
Seraphia. The Frost Lord.
The Allied Forces’ greatest enemy.
The witch who claimed the left arm of the Hero Ian.
The screams of those who fell to Seraphia still echoed vividly in my ears.
Those touched by her frigid power did not simply become trapped in ice.
Blood and bodily fluids froze solid throughout my entire body.
It was as though razor-sharp ice blades were being generated across every inch of my form.
The frozen bodies became grotesque, as if ground through a shredder, and the agents died in unimaginable agony.
Since no organ in the body could function without blood, the corpses of the agents—their organs torn to shreds—remained vividly fresh in memory.
Their hearts, naturally destroyed. Their brains, torn to pieces as they died.
Their bodies had turned a sickly blue, as though covered by a thin layer of ice.
They had struggled desperately to flee, but their bodies, hardened rigid by ice, were completely immobilized and inescapable.
The subordinates of the Special Task Force, dying in such desperation.
What I could see was… a cold tomb where life had vanished in an instant.
All of it was Seraphia’s doing.
Seraphia, the absolute sovereign of frigid power, had unleashed a cold of an entirely different dimension—the Frost—and Ian’s left arm had been lost to it.
So terribly, so devastatingly, that even The Saint’s miracles could not restore it.
The Frost Lord, Seraphia.
Among the six Lords serving The Emperor, the Allied Forces had named her their [greatest enemy].
* * *
Seraphia’s movements froze as she ate her stew.
An intense gaze pierced through her entire body.
As she quietly set down her plate, Adrian was staring at her with murderous eyes.
Adrian’s gaze was fiercer than before.
A killing intent far greater than when Seraphia had strangled his throat was evident.
Seraphia glanced around cautiously, then quietly set down her plate.
She wanted another bowl…
But it seemed she shouldn’t.
Adrian continued to glare at Seraphia as though he would kill her.
Now that I looked closer, it wasn’t merely the appearance of murderous intent.
He was actively trying to kill Seraphia right now.
Yet something was restraining Adrian.
Still, if any opportunity presented itself, Adrian would surely kill Seraphia.
I had thought we had grown somewhat closer.
Being with Adrian alone was so joyful and blissful.
“Tch.”
…For some reason, I kept receiving his hatred.
Adrian suddenly threw everything down irritably and left with a whoosh.
I wanted to stop him, but I lacked the courage to do so.
Fortunately, Kai arrived at the Campsite just then and encountered Adrian on his way out.
Kai, who had departed late to prepare the camp.
He seemed to have just arrived.
“Where are you going, sir?”
“Did I not tell you? I cannot be near her.”
“You said it would take about three days to receive a response from the Lycanthrope, did you not?”
“That’s right.”
“Then couldn’t you stay with us for at least today?”
Adrian regarded Seraphia for a moment instead of answering.
Seraphia hastily averted her gaze downward, fearing their eyes might meet.
“Send a signal when the Lycanthrope arrives.”
Adrian left those words behind and departed the Campsite.
Kai tilted his head, watching Adrian go.
“Did something happen between you two?”
“What? Oh, no. Nothing happened at all.”
Seraphia waved her hands frantically in denial.
In truth, nothing had occurred whatsoever.
Kai, seemingly having no intention of pressing further, took a seat before her.
Crackle, crackle.
Only the sound of the campfire burning pierced the silence.
“It is not too late even now.”
Kai spoke suddenly, his tone measured.
“This operation is far too dangerous. Above all—”
“No. I must do this.”
Seraphia cut him off, her resolve evident.
Perhaps her unwavering determination had reached him.
Kai said nothing more.
“Then I ask one thing of you.”
When Seraphia looked at him, Kai spoke again.
“Promise me you will not use your ability, no matter what happens.”
“I understand.”
“Even if my life is in danger, you must never use your ability.”
“….”
“Promise me.”
“…I promise.”
Seraphia nodded softly.
Only then did Kai’s expression brighten, as though relieved.
Silence returned once more.
This time, it was Seraphia who broke it.
“But Kai—”
“Yes?”
“I apologize for bringing this up, but…”
Seraphia slowly studied his appearance.
His long golden hair, cascading to his waist, shimmered like sunlight as it caught the glow of the campfire.
The strands were soft and lustrous.
Each time the breeze stirred, glimpses of Kai’s face flickered between the flowing locks.
It was so delicate and beautiful that it was hard to believe this was a man.
The skin was pale and smooth, giving the impression of porcelain—pristine and flawless.
The lips, enhanced with cosmetics, glistened with a soft rosy hue.
Deep, crystalline blue eyes harmonized with delicate lashes, presenting an otherworldly beauty.
“You look absolutely stunning right now!”
I could immediately understand why the handmaidens had been so thrilled.
Now I finally grasped why every maidservant at the Lord’s Residence had rushed forward, boasting they would handle everything themselves.
“Once you put on the dress, you’ll look even more beautiful than this!”
It was no mere jest.
Kai in feminine attire was indistinguishable from the most beautiful woman on The Continent.
Yet Kai himself seemed embarrassed, his head bowed deeply.
Kai, who was always cold and emotionally restrained.
“….”
Now he could only lower his head, unable to utter a word.
For some reason, I imagined his face must be flushed crimson like a maiden’s.
Without thinking, mischief stirred within Seraphia, and I drew closer to Kai.
And in that very moment.
A tremendous gust of wind swept past before my eyes.
* * *
A fatal warning that stirred Kai’s instincts.
By the time I realized it, I was already one step too late.
“Huh…?”
With Seraphia’s dumbfounded sound, something crashed down upon Kai.
A movement devoid of any killing intent.
Even with Kai’s senses, there was no reaction.
Ultimately, Kai was seized by those massive, brutal hands.
Only then could Kai see the owner of those hands.
A being that seemed a fusion of beast and human.
Standing over six meters tall, its very presence exuded overwhelming pressure.
Sharp, bristling brown fur jutted outward.
The entire body was covered in muscles hard as steel.
Between the flowing fur, the movement of those muscles was vividly apparent.
With a face carved from a wolf and a broad forehead beneath, two eyes gleamed red like a wolf’s. Yet what dwelt within them was not madness.
Nor was it hunger born of starvation.
The pleasure of carnal desire.
That primal and sordid lust glimmered beneath those eyes.
Confronted with such desire, Kai instantly recognized who stood before him.
Lycanthrope.
The beast of lust had arrived.
Grrrrrrr….
The Lycanthrope seized Kai in one massive hand and drew his face close, eyes narrowing with predatory intent.
A grotesque smile twisted across his maw as he savored the pleasures soon to come.
I couldn’t fathom why he’d targeted Kai instead of Seraphia.
Yet perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
Had the Lycanthrope set his sights on Seraphia just now, I would have been forced to watch her perish before my eyes.
The Lycanthrope’s nostrils flared against Kai’s neck, inhaling deeply.
Then something gave him pause—his head tilted with confusion.
He continued sniffing, his breathing growing more agitated.
Croak?!
Had he realized Kai was male?
The Lycanthrope’s visage contorted into something grotesque and vile.
Crack!
The crushing force of his grip intensified exponentially.
“Gaaahhh!”
…The strength was immense.
Had I not shielded my body with aura, I would have been pulverized instantly.
Whoosh!
The Lycanthrope hurled Kai’s body to the ground with savage force, and excruciating pain flooded through every nerve.
My entire form felt as though it were crumbling to dust.
Yet I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright.
The power I’d gained upon reaching the Master realm made this possible.
As I rose to my feet.
Shriek!
Screech, screech!
I could now see the countless monsters encircling us.
In other words.
The Lycanthrope had not come alone.
‘He knew… all along?’
He had known.
That this was bait to lure me out.
Yet he revealed himself regardless.
Because he possessed absolute confidence.
The certainty that he could slaughter everyone here.
If I had cast out bait, he had laid a trap.
The Lycanthrope’s lips curled into a vile smirk.
With Kai isolated, he turned his gaze toward Seraphia, his depravity laid bare and unrestrained.
From direct experience, I understood.
This was a hunger Seraphia could never endure.
“Ah… ahhh….”
Seraphia trembled beneath the weight of his abominable desire.
Her body trembled like an aspen leaf as she imagined the atrocities about to befall her.
Perhaps it was Seraphia’s fear-stricken form that excited him all the more.
The Lycanthrope unleashed his desire with even greater fervor.
The Lycanthrope had to be stopped.
But the legion of monsters surrounding Kai.
Movement was impossible.
Adrian… was not here.
Adrian himself had said it would take three days for the Lycanthrope to respond to the bait.
Currently, Adrian was far away.
There was no time to send a signal, no strength left, and even if I sent one, it would be too late.
I had fallen perfectly into the trap.
“Run!!”
Kai shouted, but Seraphia did not hear him.
She was in no state to hear anything.
The Lycanthrope did not stop either.
The Lycanthrope did not even glance at Kai. He was advancing toward Seraphia.
And at that very moment.
From the Lycanthrope’s massive body, a crimson mist of blood erupted.
A single movement had descended upon the Lycanthrope.
A form like a black wolf.
It sank its fangs into the Lycanthrope’s flank.
…It was Adrian.
Adrian reached out again, seizing and tearing at the Lycanthrope’s shoulder. The Lycanthrope’s momentum bent downward—
Adrian gripped the Lycanthrope’s throat—
Crash!
As he slammed him to the ground, the Lycanthrope finally let out a cry of agony. He thrashed violently, desperate to escape the grip.
Yet the Lycanthrope could not move an inch.
Adrian pinned the Lycanthrope down with all his weight, his eyes blazing.
“It has been a long time, you wretched beast.”
Adrian’s eyes, fixed upon the Lycanthrope, burned a deep crimson.
Within them, tangled emotions surfaced.
Hatred, joy, fury, exhilaration.
And rapture.
Confronted with the fragments of emotion that swirled within Adrian—
Kai could understand.
“Then and now. That sordid desire remains unchanged!”
…Adrian had laid a trap of his own.

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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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