The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 74

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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 74. Thread of Fate
Before heading to the Lawless City, Violess—
I made a stop at Frecce, the commercial city.
The reason was none other than Seraphia’s cure.
Currently, Seraphia remained unconscious.
Fortunately(?), Seraphia’s condition wasn’t deteriorating immediately.
The 241 days spent in the Infinite Labyrinth only applied within the Infinite Labyrinth itself.
Outside, merely two days had passed.
Still, I needed to verify whether the cure had been completed.
Frecce, the commercial city.
My first return in eight months, no less.
Yet nothing had changed.
After all, only 241 days had elapsed within the Infinite Labyrinth.
It would have been stranger if anything had changed.
As I strolled through Frecce’s streets—
“It has been quite some time since you visited Frecce.”
Suddenly, someone drew close beside me and spoke.
Kai, the golden-haired knight whose hair shimmered with each step.
“I told you to wait at the Whitewolf Territory. Why did you follow me?”
“I harbor no particular intentions.”
To anyone’s eyes, he clearly harbored some intention.
Only, I couldn’t discern what it was.
If I understood a madman’s thoughts, wouldn’t that make me mad as well?
“Shall we proceed?”
…In any case.
I shook my head once and moved forward.
Thus, I arrived before Adlern’s shop.
Opening the shop door.
Adlern, who had been sitting at the counter, reflexively sprang to his feet.
“Welcome—!”
Then, upon confirming my face, Adlern’s eyes widened.
His gaze grew round as saucers—
“You’ve arrived!! Master Adrian!!!”
The moment Adlern bent his waist at a ninety-degree angle—
Thud!
He drove his head forcefully against the counter.
It looked painful enough that his skull might have cracked.
“Ugh…”
Fortunately, his head remained intact. Adlern rubbed his head vigorously and looked up.
Then, noticing Kai beside me, he tilted his head in confusion.
“But who is the person next to you…?”
“A leech.”
“Huh? A leech…?”
“There’s no need to concern yourself. You can treat them as one.”
Kai looked at me with a rotting expression, but I brushed it off lightly.
“More importantly, what happened with what you mentioned last time?”
“If you’re referring to the cure for your Sister… Ahem!”
Adlern cleared his throat with a false cough.
From the look of him, it seemed he was about to launch into a lengthy explanation—
“Right after Adrian left that day, I immediately began thinking about the most efficient and expedient way to handle this matter—”
“Just the results, briefly.”
“…I have yet to find an alchemist willing to take on the commission.”
Adlern answered with a thoroughly dejected expression.
And there was Adlern, his face resembling a scolded ferret.
“Schön even distributed flyers through the Mage Association, but no one would accept the commission…”
Adlern bowed his head deeply, as if mortified.
“Was there a particular reason?”
“The consensus was that the commission’s difficulty was far too severe.”
The curse that had laid Seraphia low—the Frost Curse [P].
It was a symptom stemming from [supernatural thermal energy deficiency].
An affliction that was clearly no ordinary malady.
Crafting a cure capable of treating such a condition was beyond the reach of ordinary skill.
Moreover, the materials required were equally formidable.
A concentrated essence of condensed fire energy—Heart of Flame.
A rare plant that absorbs solar energy—Sun Grass.
An ore that condenses magma energy from the volcanic core—Magma Heat Tonic.
A concentrated essence collectible only during a limited window at specific locations when the sun rises—Flame of Dawn.
Each material alone cost a staggering 20,000 gold.
“They also said they couldn’t bear the compensation required if the materials were ruined.”
With potential compensation reaching 80,000 gold, no one dared even attempt it.
“I sincerely apologize…”
Adlern lowered his head even further, as if taking the blame upon himself.
But this was not Adlern’s fault to bear.
The Frost Curse [P].
The [P] grade, signifying Primal.
This was a special ability grade distinct from the biological evolution grades (F~S).
And according to current knowledge—
the hierarchy was arranged as Rare [R] < Unique [U] < Epic [E] < Legend [L] < Myth [M] < Primal [P].
Primal [P] was the highest tier.
Curing an affliction born of such authority was never a simple endeavor.
'If I'd known it would come to this, I should have asked Avarus to create a cure.'
Avarus, the mad alchemist.
But Avarus's skills were genuine.
It was fair to say there were scarcely any alchemists on the Continent superior to Avarus.
Homunculus synthesis was never an easy task.
Only a high-level mage who had mastered the field of alchemy could barely accomplish it.
In other words, now that Avarus had vanished, the Devotees of the Fallen Souls could no longer synthesize homunculi.
In that sense, Avarus possessed more than sufficient skill to create a cure for Seraphia.
In a manner of speaking, the Infinite Elixir was also Avarus's creation—a cure for Seraphia.
But thinking about it more carefully.
'It would have been pointless.'
Avarus would never have created a straightforward cure, and with his mind completely shattered, he was in no state to create anything at all, cure or otherwise.
"Did you inquire about the Magic Tower?"
"Of course. But they also seemed reluctant to…."
The Magic Tower had apparently expressed hesitation about this commission as well.
However, there was not just one Magic Tower distributed across the Continent.
"Did you inquire about Langrit Tower?"
Langrit Tower.
Thousands of years ago, in the distant past.
It was the Magic Tower founded by Arcanis Rilsein, the great sage who devised the method of converting Mana into Mana Force, the usable energy form of magic.
Arcanis was the first to recreate the phenomenon of magic using Mana Force.
He was known as the "First Mage" of today and the founder of the discipline of magical studies.
Arcanis transmitted magic to humanity, and through it, seeking to bring change to the world, he opened the opportunity for anyone with an interest in magic to learn it.
Langrit Tower was founded with precisely this purpose in mind.
Langrit Tower had carried on for thousands of years, producing countless sages and mages.
Today, it stood as the origin of all magical knowledge on the Continent and the cradle of mages—.
"Langrit Tower seldom accepts external commissions."
Adlern answered with evident reluctance.
That did not mean they refused entirely.
As Adlern said, they "seldom" accepted them.
"The power of our Merchant Guild simply cannot…."
However, the Merchant Guild's influence fell short.
Langrit Tower was a holy site for all mages on the Continent.
The countless kingdoms distributed across the Continent and the barrage of commissions from prestigious noble houses alone were staggering. Thus, Langrit Tower was a place where even the most impressive credentials could scarcely gain entry.
Even as the Merchant Guild, they wielded influence only within the Free City.
They lacked the power to place a commission with Langrit Tower.
Naturally, I was not ignorant of this fact either—.
I withdrew gold coins from my inventory and poured them onto the counter.
Clink, clink, clink—!
Countless gold coins cascading from my Infinite Inventory.
They piled high on the counter, forming a small mountain.
"One thousand platinum coins. That's one million gold."
Adlern's eyes widened in shock.
True to form for a merchant, his gaze was fixed not on the inventory but on the one million gold.
And there was an old saying about this.
If there's something money can't solve, perhaps you simply haven't offered enough.
"Put it all toward the commission fee."
"H-huh?!?!"
When I spoke as though posting a bounty, Adlern jumped to his feet with a start.
It was an absurd sum for merely commissioning a single cure.
Yet to treat Seraphia, there was no avoiding it, and considering it an opportunity to establish a connection with the Grand Mage of the Allied Forces, the expense was neither excessive nor wasteful.
In that regard, my infinite inventory still contained over twenty million gold.
"There should be a mage named Iliana at Langrit Tower. When you post this commission, make contact with Iliana—the mage, that is."
As a pretext for contact—
"Announce that the Predator Merchant Company is willing to provide sponsorship."
Gulp.
Adlern swallowed hard and nodded once.
"And one last thing."
I withdrew an additional one hundred thousand gold from my inventory and placed it on the counter.
"W-what is this for…?"
"Adlern, it's your compensation for your efforts."
"…"
Adlern's mind seemed to blank out entirely.
It was inevitable—the gold now sitting on the counter amounted to a staggering 1.1 million gold. This was equivalent to a merchant company's annual revenue.
Watching me casually withdraw such sums as though they were pocket change, Adlern's mind simply couldn't hold up.
Though compared to the wealth in my infinite inventory, it wasn't quite pocket change, but it was far from a significant amount.
"For any miscellaneous tasks that arise during the work, delegate them to the golden leech over there. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
I left the dazed Adlern behind and stepped out of the shop.
* * *
The moment I exited Adlern's shop—
"Where are you headed, sir?"
Kai, the golden leech, immediately followed me out and asked.
"Didn't I mention it? I'm going to the Lawless City."
"Allow me to accompany—"
"You stay here and assist Adlern. With such substantial funds involved, there will likely be considerable complications."
"…"
"Once the cure is complete, treat Seraphia immediately."
"…Understood."
Though Kai's expression showed some disappointment, he still nodded without protest.
Yet somehow, the way Kai regarded me had become distinctly different from before.
The way he clung to me like a leech, insisting on accompanying me to the Lawless City, was decidedly strange.
Still, whether it was because of the Seraphia treatment or not, Kai chose to remain in Frecce.
Despite the rather grueling orders, Kai showed not a single sign of strain.
Watching him like that—
"You're quite something."
"I beg your pardon, sir?"
"You haven't closed your eyes once since the Infinite Labyrinth."
I had no problem because I continuously recovered physical fatigue with Regeneration [B+].
I could endure mental damage thanks to Player's Will [EX].
But Kai was different.
He possessed Dependent Immortality [E], but he had to constantly expend his aura.
And aura was a force that couldn't be recovered all at once like calories.
On top of that, 241 days of mental fatigue must have been considerable, yet Kai had not closed his eyes or dozed off even once.
"Sleepless vigilance is a fundamental quality of a knight."
"What kind of knightly order teaches that as a fundamental quality?"
Of course, sleepless vigilance was indeed a knightly quality.
I myself had taught sleepless training as mandatory to the Special Task Force members.
During operations, there were often situations where one couldn't afford to sleep.
But not to that extent.
At most three to four days.
Even at the longest, it never exceeded a week.
What knightly order on the Continent would drive someone to 241 days of sleepless labor?
And what?
Vigilance…?
"Don't tell me you've been protecting me this whole time?"
"Only at first, sir."
"You were protecting me?"
"Yes. When you used the dragon's power in the Infinite Labyrinth, you were defenseless while regenerating, were you not?"
…That was true.
With both arms severed, I couldn't even use Dragon's Claws [A], making me most vulnerable.
Avarus seized those brief openings to launch tentacles at me, and each time, Kai protected me.
He even cut flesh and placed it in my mouth so I could consume calories.
Of course.
"Later, when I no longer needed to do that, I protected you instead."
Only until I began chewing the flesh from the ground myself.
…Come to think of it, Avarus didn't attack only me.
Most attacks were simply concentrated on me.
Kai wasn't idle either, merely watching.
Through that, Kai was able to train as well—
"I had to maintain light with my aura, did I not?"
Moreover, I could also train my Aura during this time.
The Infinite Labyrinth—a place where not a single ray of light penetrated.
Kai had to continuously adjust the luminescence of his Aura to maintain my vision.
"I had no choice but to focus on control to prevent my Aura from being depleted. In that sense…."
Shhwooosh—!
In an instant, a deep azure Aura radiance erupted from Kai's blade.
Yet its density was unmistakably different from ordinary Aura.
"An Aura Blade?"
"As expected, you recognize it at a glance."
Kai's eyes gleamed with amazement.
But that was my line, not his.
I should be the one astonished here.
Aura Blade.
This was a technique that went beyond merely coating the blade with Aura—it compressed it.
But what exactly was Aura?
It was an "absurd power" that dragged forth mere imaginings and manifested them into reality.
Depending on what imagination one channeled into it, an Aura Blade could cut through nearly anything.
In truth, there were a few exceptions.
The Runic Steel I had seen in Avarus's secret vault.
It was one of the rare metals capable of withstanding an Aura Blade.
Yet "withstanding" was the operative word.
It could not block it completely.
It merely required time.
In other words, given sufficient time, an Aura Blade could cut through Runic Steel.
In terms of sharpness alone, it rivaled a dragon's claw, and in some cases, surpassed it.
In essence, a power comparable to my Dragon's Claw [A].
Beyond mere cutting power, it inherently released explosive shockwaves of energy, and depending on how one wielded them, damage could be inflicted even where the blade's trajectory did not reach.
Needless to say, it was not a technique one could employ easily.
One's imagination.
In other words, it demanded unwavering faith in one's Aura coupled with extraordinarily precise Aura control, which is why it was called the "symbol of a Master."
In other words.
"I too have experienced an elevation in my realm."
It meant Kai had become a complete Master Knight.
Over those 241 days in the Infinite Trial Ground, I was not the only one who had grown.
Of course, 241 days was not a short span of time.
Maintaining tension and sustaining Aura throughout that extended period was no trivial feat.
"It is all thanks to you, Adrian."
…Still, he was undoubtedly quite mad.
But wait.
"Thanks to me?"
"Haven't you been helping me maintain my aura without strain, Adrian?"
…That much was true.
Just as Kai protected me when I was defenseless, I too had protected Kai.
In fact, I could say I had protected Kai far more often.
But that was only because without Kai's light, I myself would have been in danger. It was never for the purpose of aiding Kai's growth.
"Above all, I was able to survive in there thanks to you, Adrian."
As he spoke, Kai bowed his head to me once more.
Did he remember what I said back at Beneron Manor?
I hadn't said thank you.
In any case, because of me as a variable, Kai's growth was surpassing his previous life.
'At this rate, he really might surpass the Frost Legion Commander.'
Even now, the signs were ominous, but if he actually surpassed that commander, it would be problematic.
The Frost Legion Commander was already a nightmare, and to surpass that?
Of course, I too was surpassing my Predator days—
"Once again, I sincerely thank you for stepping forward for Seraphia and the Whitewolf Territory."
◆Your favorability with Kai has increased!
◆Kai's favorability toward you is now in the [Trust] state.
◆A person in the [Trust] state trusts and relies on you completely, following you in all things.
◆Kai would willingly bear any loss for your sake.
…I really shouldn't bring this one along with me anymore.
* * *
The Chapel was filled with a quiet, solemn atmosphere.
Soft candlelight placed along the walls illuminated the surroundings, and at the central altar stood a woman in pure white vestments, standing in serene stillness.
Her name, as she bowed her head quietly as if in prayer, was—
Isolde Cordelia.
Princess of the Holy Kingdom and the 213th Saint.
The Attending Priest walked forward with hushed footsteps toward the central altar.
"Your Highness, I have a report to deliver."
At the Attending Priest's call, Isolde gently lifted her head.
Her eyes, reminiscent of topaz.
They waited for the Attending Priest's next words.
"It is a report that has come up from the Eye of The Pilgrim, who have been monitoring the Lawless City."
Eye of The Pilgrim.
A secret order of knights of the Holy Kingdom tasked with surveillance and intelligence gathering on external heretical forces and anti-religious organizations.
Scattered across the Continent, they were charged with the mission of identifying and eliminating threats to the Holy Kingdom before they could materialize.
"The Guild Master of the Predator Merchant Company has made an appearance in the Lawless City."

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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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