The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 64

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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 64. Barrier of Meaninglessness (1)
A pitch-black darkness that devoured the entire space.
An impenetrable gloom obscured my vision, so thick I couldn’t see even what lay directly before my eyes.
From all directions came bizarre, unidentifiable sounds.
The ground felt unnaturally soggy beneath my feet, triggering an instinctive revulsion.
Then, in that moment—
“Are you alright?”
Kai’s voice reached me from somewhere in the darkness.
Though I could discern the direction of his voice, I couldn’t see him at all.
“I’m fine. What about you?”
“I have no serious injuries, but….”
After Kai’s response, we fell silent for a moment.
We both understood that we needed time for our eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Gurgling sounds intensified from all around, and a grotesque heartbeat seemed to pulse up through the soles of my feet.
How long did we wait like that?
No matter how long I waited, my vision showed no signs of recovering.
Even when I held my palm directly in front of my face, I couldn’t see it.
I couldn’t even tell whether my eyes were open or closed.
Darkness of this magnitude could mean only one thing.
There was no light whatsoever in this space.
Fortunately, I had prepared luminescent stones beforehand, so I reached into my inventory to retrieve one.
◆Error: Inventory is not responding.
Yet for some reason, my inventory wouldn’t respond.
In that very instant—
A brilliant flash erupted!
Blue light burst forth from one direction, and my vision suddenly brightened.
A blue aura coalesced around Kai’s blade.
It spread outward in all directions, gradually pushing back the absolute darkness.
Only then could I properly perceive the nature of this space—
A floor, walls, and ceiling composed entirely of repugnant flesh.
Every surface was crammed with bloated muscle and layers of flabby tissue.
When Kai brought his blade closer, blood vessels moving sluggishly within the walls became visible.
Dark crimson blood flowed through grotesquely tangled veins.
Around them, viscous, slimy fluid oozed like damp skin.
“What in the world….”
Kai’s expression, illuminated by the blue aura, was painted with bewilderment.
It was immediately obvious that this was no ordinary space.
‘Surely not….’
I extended the Dragon’s Claw sharply and raked it across the wall—
A piercing shriek tore through the air!
A bone-chilling scream echoed from within the walls.
In the torn gap, severed limbs and a twisted face were tangled together, grotesquely reattached.
Then, something resembling a worm made of eyeballs writhed before—
Hehehehe.
A lipless mouth grinned silently, baring its teeth.
And then, with a soft sound, flesh knitted back together, sealing the gap in the wall.
“What was that just now?”
“…I have no idea.”
It was simply a sight I never wished to witness again.
True to form for a worshipper of a fallen spirit, their tastes were utterly depraved.
But through it, I could confirm that the Dragon’s Claw effect was definitely taking hold.
‘The predatory ability seems to be functioning properly.’
I pulled up my Player Information additionally.
==「Player Information」==
[Name] = Adrian Whitewolf
[Title] = Ruler of the Northern Region
[Level] = 53
[HP] = 2,550
[MP] = 0
[Stats] = Strength: 33 Agility: 60.95 (+7.95) Endurance: 24.15 (+3.15) Mana: 6
[Experience] = 55.8%
The information appeared before my eyes normally.
In other words, Ian’s ability, my Solo Level Up [EX] and Player’s Will [EX] were also functioning properly.
However, the effect of the title 【Ruler of the Northern Region】 was not being applied correctly.
As a result, the [All Stats +15%] effect had vanished.
I was only receiving the amplification effects on Agility and Endurance from Metabolic Acceleration [B+].
That meant this place was not the ‘Northern Region’.
But the place I had just been in was Beneron Barony.
Beneron Barony was a territory located in the Frozen Tundra Zone of the Northern Region.
It was a region where the title 【Ruler of the Northern Region】 should apply, yet for some reason, the effect was not taking hold.
◆Error: Inventory is not responding.
‘The inventory isn’t responding either.’
I checked again, but it was as I feared.
And based on the inventory’s description from last time—
[The Inventory is a space where items owned by the player are stored and is classified as a ‘subspace’.]
The inventory was classified as a ‘subspace’.
A subspace not responding meant this place existed in a separate dimension with different space-time from reality.
Which meant—
“It seems to be a barrier space of some kind.”
“You’re saying this is a barrier?”
Kai questioned me in disbelief, his tone unmistakable.
He clearly couldn’t fathom that this mass of flesh could be a barrier, though I shared his skepticism entirely.
‘A barrier? This?’
I had never encountered a barrier of this nature before.
A barrier, by definition, refers to a defined ‘domain’ that imposes restrictions on specific actions. This was not a separate ‘dimension’ that distorted spacetime in such a manner.
Above all, Avarus had never employed a barrier of this kind.
In my previous life, he wielded only the Silence of Infinity.
During my time with the Special Task Force, I conducted a thorough investigation into Avarus, and there was no intelligence suggesting he possessed the capability to use such a barrier.
Which meant…
‘Could this barrier have been created by that elixir?’
The mysterious elixir that Avarus detonated at the end.
That was the only variable, the only deviation from my previous life.
Regardless, this space was a barrier created by Avarus.
And to dismantle a barrier, I first needed to understand what type of barrier it was.
When I activated Predator’s Instinct [S], information about the current barrier surfaced in my mind.
◆Barrier of Meaninglessness
I cannot provide a translation for this text. The content consists almost entirely of placeholder symbols (⬚⬙⌺, ⨳⨊▧▩, etc.) rather than actual Korean characters, making it impossible to translate.
However, whether it was a barrier made of an unknown elixir or because of the predator’s instinct [S], no information was ascertained.
If you have a genuine Korean text you’d like translated, please provide it with actual Korean characters (Hangul).
But whether it was a barrier created by that mysterious elixir, Predator’s Instinct [S] revealed absolutely nothing.
It was even worse than the elixir itself.
The text of the information was completely corrupted, utterly illegible.
This was the moment my suspicion crystallized into certainty.
‘Is this an authority wielded by The Abyss Lord?’
An inexplicable dread, an unknowable terror—The Abyss Lord.
True to his nature, he was an incomprehensible horror that defied all explanation and countermeasure in this world.
Avarus was a fallen worshipper who revered such an entity as The Abyss Lord.
-I offer my soul to the Great One!!
The Great One whom Avarus had cried out to at the very end.
It seemed this barrier was indeed one of the authorities wielded by The Abyss Lord.
That would explain why Predator’s Instinct [S] could glean no information whatsoever.
An inexplicable dread, an unknowable terror—The Abyss Lord.
The Abyss Lord was not of this world.
Yet a barrier remained a barrier.
‘There is a way to break it.’
And I possessed far more than merely Predator’s Instinct [S]. I had the memories of my previous life, the knowledge imparted by The Grand Mage, hero of the Allied Forces.
-Barriers are classified according to their purpose.
Defensive barriers, sealing barriers, blocking barriers, containment barriers, control barriers.
Beyond these, there are curses, rituals, and spirit barriers, among others.
The Silence of Infinity, for instance, could be categorized as a ‘blocking barrier.’
Yet here, all abilities—including Predation [S+]—remained usable.
Kai’s aura was similarly unrestricted.
That means it’s not the barrier of blocking.
Beyond that.
‘The barrier activation didn’t inflict any significant damage.’
Until now, there had been no particular threats or attacks.
Especially considering that there was no sign of Avarus anywhere—.
‘It’s sealing and confinement.’
This barrier seemed designed to isolate or confine Kai and me.
In that sense, the barrier’s name, the Barrier of Meaninglessness.
Though the characters were broken, it felt as though whatever we did in this space would be rendered ‘meaningless’.
◆Using the derived skill, Find Weakness [U]!
Upon activating Find Weakness—.
Something glowing crimson red came into view from one corner.
Kai, having discovered it at the same moment, spoke to me.
“There’s something here.”
Kai pointed his aura-infused blade toward the ground.
What revealed itself was a pale tan, rectangular something.
That paper-like object appeared to be made of ‘leather’.
But judging by the faint traces of veins and pores on its surface—.
‘Human skin.’
It seemed to be leather parchment made from human skin that had been completely flayed and dried over a long period.
One of the Dark Merchant Company’s grotesque tastes.
As I picked it up—.
An indescribable, nauseating stench pierced my nostrils first.
The texture felt beneath my fingertips was smooth as silk.
Yet the minute wrinkles present made this equally unpleasant.
When Kai shone his blue aura across the parchment—.
The delicate veins woven into the leather parchment writhed like worms.
And then characters were inscribed upon the paper.
[Rules]
====
As I questioned, the leather parchment writhed once more, inscribing new text.
====
This [Rules] document is a guide to help you survive in this place. Should you fail to follow the rules, all hope will vanish.
====
====
Countless blood vessels intertwined and rose to the surface, and this time a considerably longer passage was inscribed.

1. Before exploring this place,
second

Secure
Do it.
it.

you must realize
somewhere

are trapped
You must realize this fact.
somewhere.

a sense of direction
This is pointless.
meaningless.
Leaving marks may serve as a method, but remember this:

This place erases or removes your traces,
You can do it.
====
====
“What is this?”
Kai muttered in bewilderment after examining the contents.
I too could not fathom what this was.
Even with Predator’s Instinct [S], the text of the information was corrupted and warped.
But seeing that the barrier’s weakness identified by Weak Point Detection [U] was this [Rule Book]—
“If we follow the rules in the Rule Book, it seems we can escape this barrier’s space.”
That appeared to be the meaning.
And then, right at that moment.
Grrrrrrrrgh—!
The fleshy masses of space suddenly began undulating violently.
As Kai hastily cast his blue aura, faces with eyes and mouths protruded from the walls, ceiling, and floor, staring down at us.
Soon after, grotesque limbs and tentacles stretched forth from the walls, gradually consuming the space.
====
====

This place
Once you start to change, never stop.
The structure

: Occasionally, walls and passages
They will try to trap you. If you stop at that moment, your time also stops and you can no longer move.
shift,

Whatever path you choose, move with speed.
The moment you try to stay, this place will swallow you up.
====
you attempt to remain stationary, this place will devour you.
====
Soon, the mass of flesh split open in all directions—up, down, left, right—revealing a new passage.
As if beckoning us forward.
“Let’s go then.”
“I’ll take the lead.”
Kai illuminated the path with his azure aura, stepping forward with measured strides.
I followed the path Kai had lit, moving in his wake.

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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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