The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 87

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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 87. The Sovereign of the Underworld (1)
In the wake of the Grand Dragon’s Wrath[L], devastation lay absolute.
It was no accident that it bore the [L] designation for Legendary—the evidence was written in scorched earth.
One tier above Dragon’s Wrath[E].
Yet one tier below Mythic[M].
Thus the hierarchy could be reorganized as: Rare[R] < Unique[U] < Epic[E] < Legendary[L] < Mythic[M] < Primordial[P].
Every trace of Crawlgar had been incinerated into oblivion.
Only ash and roaring flames remained in this place.
The one mercy: the radius held steady.
In other words, the damage radius matched that of Dragon's Wrath[E].
Thus, the surplus caloric expenditure of 31,450 Kcal produced a damage radius of roughly 310 meters. No one but Crawlgar suffered injury.
But the destructive force had amplified monstrously.
Base damage: 5-fold.
Epicenter explosion: 8-fold.
Consequently, the recoil was equally catastrophic—
"Cough…!"
My body was in ruins.
Blood gushed between my clenched teeth.
My right arm, which had channeled the Grand Dragon's Wrath[L], was gone up to the shoulder, and the unvented heat still roasted my body like a volcano.
I had no strength left whatsoever.
The recoil from the unleashed energy had shattered every muscle and tendon.
And the calories needed to recover were completely depleted—
"""We greet the Sovereign of Violess!!"""
Why were they doing this again—
Just as such tangled thoughts began to form.
◆Crawlgar has been defeated!!
◆You have gained 830,550 experience points!
◆Your level has increased!
The notification of Crawlgar's certain death materialized before my eyes.
Experience points: roughly 830,000.
More than from the Lycanthrope and Iratum combined.
Truly befitting a genuine Legion Commander of the Abyss, yet still my level rose by only +1.
Of course, as levels increased, the required experience grew exponentially—
'This is excessive.'
Even so, a mere +1 level gain felt unreasonable.
My current level is 76.
That includes the +1 level-up I just gained.
Yet the required experience remains this brutal…
'It seems I can only level up through Quests now.'
It was then I truly grasped how invaluable and precious a quest reward of 'massive experience points' truly was.
"Are you alright?"
A voice suddenly called out to me.
When I turned my head, Isolde was carefully approaching me.
She wore an ogre mask, so her face and expression were hidden.
But beyond the mask, her eyes gazed upon my battered form—
"If recovery is difficult, allow me to help."
Isolde strode toward me.
But Isolde, who had repeatedly transcended her vital force and overexerted herself protecting others.
Even as she approached, her body swayed several times.
It seemed she needed to recover herself before tending to me—
"I'm fine. Please attend to your own condition first, Isolde."
"I'm okay."
…She truly refuses to listen.
Isolde trudged forward to stand before me.
A golden aura of sanctity flowed from her hands, enveloping my body.
It was certainly a power that far surpassed my Regeneration [B+]—
"Holy power has little effect on me, which is why I mention it."
It didn't prove particularly effective for me.
As expected, while my wounds did show signs of healing, the progress was negligible. There was no indication of rapid regeneration.
Isolde's gaze remained as impassive as always.
But through Weakness Detection [U], her true emotion registered as 'bewilderment'.
"I possess a unique constitution."
Holy power is the ultimate aura.
In other words, it is still aura, fundamentally.
And aura is one of the usable energies derived from mana. But my body could not utilize mana at all.
It wasn't merely an inability to use it.
My body rejected mana entirely.
Even through Ian's ability, Solo Leveling [EX], raising my mana stat proved useless.
Only my maximum mana capacity increased.
My MP remained perpetually fixed at zero.
It wasn't like pouring water into a bottomless vessel.
Water never entered the vessel at all.
In that sense, it was more like a 'sealed jar'.
Therefore, even if holy power were the miraculous force born from collective faith, since it was aura rooted in mana, it held no effect on me.
I had known this truth since my previous life—
'Yet I still harbored a faint hope.'
But it was as I suspected.
Returning to the past hadn't changed my body.
Setting aside Isolde's bewilderment, I retrieved an oil canister from my inventory.
Just as I was about to ask Isolde to feed me oil instead of holy power—
'Hm?'
My left arm remained intact.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't entirely unscathed.
But it retained full functionality for grasping and movement.
Dragon's Wrath [E] had evolved into a new skill—Radiant Dragon's Fury [L].
Radiant Dragon's Fury [L] concentrated all energy into a single arm.
Consequently, the recoil damage was localized to that one arm.
This meant I could now recover independently through caloric consumption and Regeneration [B+], without relying on anyone else's aid.
Once again.
I had transcended my own limits.
Gulp. Gulp.
As I replenished calories through my remaining left arm, the wounds that had shown no response to holy power began regenerating [B+] almost immediately.
Isolde simply stared at me in silence—
"…."
Perhaps she was thinking that her holy power had become nothing more than discarded waste.
Isolde swiftly removed the ogre mask she'd been wearing—
"How is that even possible?"
She questioned me with a hint of accusation in her tone.
The Saint, who possessed the most formidable holy power throughout all of Continental history.
She seemed utterly unable to accept that her own holy power had become inferior to discarded waste.
Through Weak Point Detection [U], the emotion I discerned from her was… self-loathing?
'She wasn't incapable of feeling emotions—she simply chose not to express them.'
That appeared to be the case.
"When you use your holy power, I use calories to restore my body."
"You're saying such a thing is possible with mere calories?"
"Calories possess far greater energy than you might assume."
Most people mistakenly view calories as nothing more than a cause of weight gain, but calories are truly an immense source of energy.
Borrowing knowledge taught to me by the Allied Forces' Grand Mage—
—1 kilocalorie equals the thermal energy required to raise the temperature of 1 liter of water by 1 degree Celsius.
This thermal energy is equivalent to the explosive energy of 1 gram of TNT.
Therefore, 1,000 kilocalories possess energy equal to 1 kilogram of explosive force.
My current maximum caloric capacity is 100,000 kilocalories.
This equals the explosive force of 100 kilograms, capable of creating a massive crater 100 meters wide and 6 meters deep.
—The energy needed to maintain a body temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius, burning continuously for twenty-four hours, cannot possibly be insignificant.
Calories—the energy that sustains all life.
Truly, an immense power.
"…."
Isolde seemed unconvinced by my explanation.
The oil container lay empty before us.
My right arm had regenerated [B+] without issue.
But just as I was reaching into my inventory to pull out fresh oil due to the numerous injuries I'd sustained—
Boom—!
A tremendous sound reverberated through the air, something stirring violently.
Followed by a wave of intense heat and energy pulsing outward.
My eyes and Isolde's met, tension coiling taut between us.
Could it be that Crawlgar hadn't actually died…?
Boom—!
The roar echoed again.
Both Isolde and I turned our heads simultaneously, as if bound by the same impulse.
And there, amidst the landscape where Crawlgar's colossal remains had been reduced entirely to ash—
Boom—!
Something shaped like a heart pulsed visibly—
Boom—!
Each pulse generated vibrations so powerful that the surrounding air and earth trembled.
Its surface was hard as stone yet possessed the elasticity inherent to organic matter.
Inscribed upon it were bizarre symbols and patterns.
And its interior was filled with a crimson liquid that roiled like molten lava.
I activated Predation [S]—
◆Source of Wrath
: A wellspring condensing infinite rage and energy. Possesses the ability to convert an entity's primordial energy into power.
The information revealed itself clearly.
In other words, Crawlgar hadn't survived.
From the moment the translucent text appeared, Crawlgar was undoubtedly dead.
What remained was the Source of Wrath, roughly seventy centimeters in circumference.
'Was this what the Grand Mage was referring to?'
This was, in essence, the force and energy that had birthed Crawlgar.
Born from Crawlgar's ability, born from wrath [?].
That ability originated from this very thing.
For now, it was merely a lump of energy.
But if certain conditions were met, Crawlgar could be resurrected.
Normally, it would have to return to the Abyss and gestate Crawlgar anew over countless ages.
However, due to the Dragon's Wrath [L], Crawlgar's body had collapsed in an instant, leaving this Source of Wrath stranded in reality.
As I stared at this Source of Wrath—
'I could probably consume it without issue.'
It didn't seem like there would be any significant problem.
The information was clearly discernible, and Predation [S+] absorbs the very foundation of how a target acquired such power.
It wasn't limited to genetic information alone—
So what was there to hesitate about?
I could replenish my remaining calories in the process.
Without hesitation, I walked forward and took a bite—
Crunch!
Along with the sensation of grinding stone, I experienced a truly bizarre taste.
Setting aside the hard texture, the flavor itself was genuinely 'bizarre'.
How could I even describe this taste….
It was as if 'dust accumulated from ancient sediment layers mixed with mold was decaying on my tongue'.
In short, zero commercial value.
No, this thing had negative one commercial value.
…It was the kind of thing you'd have to pay someone to take off your hands.
"Bleeegh-!"
Once again, I was reminded that monsters from the Frozen Peak were truly supreme.
I forced the chunk down and took another bite.
Given its considerable size, it seemed like eating it would take quite a while—.
"…."
Fortunately(?), Isolde said nothing.
Her favorability didn't plummet like Kai's would have.
That made sense, because Isolde regarded all people on this Continent as beings she must embrace.
Therefore, the favorability Isolde held toward any person was always identical: [Indifference].
Which meant—.
"Blurgh-! Bleeegh-!"
No matter what absurdity I committed, she remained utterly unconcerned.
I forcibly crammed the source of my rage into my mouth, choking it down.
And after a long time passed, when I finally swallowed the last piece.
Saaaaaaaaah—!
Suddenly, a raging force flooded my mind in crimson.
My consciousness fractured intermittently, my breathing grew increasingly ragged, and my chest heaved violently.
My breathing became low and heavy while my fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
Just as my mind was about to be consumed by an unbearable fury, at that very moment.
◆The player's will [EX] resists the blazing madness of wrath!!
Simultaneously with the flashing text before my eyes—.
◆You have predated the entity, Source of Wrath!
◆You have acquired the transcendent skill, Berserk [?]!
I could see a message indicating I had acquired a rather ominous 'transcendent skill'.
* * *
Isolde had met many people across the Continent.
Not only the faithful of the Holy Kingdom, but countless believers from various kingdoms who sought her out.
Therefore, she could say with certainty.
Crunch!
This was the first time she had ever encountered such a person.
First of all, the very idea of eating something so bizarre was not the act of a sane mind.
Even if one were to entertain such a thought.
Fine, let's say curiosity could drive someone to that.
Crunch!
But actually putting it into practice…?
Then again, Adrian deals in monster meat and its distribution, so perhaps it wasn't entirely implausible.
Yet the question remained—how was such a thing even possible?
"Ugh—!"
What kind of person does such things?
"Blegh—!"
Did I really need to know?
Such tangled, conflicting thoughts clouded Isolde's mind.
In the end, Adrian managed to consume the entire grotesque stone mass, struggling through every bite.
"Hngh…!"
But then Adrian suddenly began tearing at his own head?
His breathing grew ragged, his skin flushed crimson, and his entire body convulsed violently.
Something was terribly wrong.
It had been foolish to think he could consume such a thing without consequence.
Isolde rushed toward Adrian in panic—but that was when it happened.
"Mmm…hm."
A peculiar sound echoed from somewhere—a sultry hum.
Turning toward the source, Isolde beheld a crimson-haired woman of bewitching beauty.
Her form was accentuated by scandalously revealing attire.
A whip hung from one of her hands.
Isolde recognized her instantly.
"I didn't expect this giant to emerge victorious."
The woman was Lyla, the matriarch of the Crimson Soiree in the Red Light District.
She had stepped back from the Vister uprising to observe the situation unfold.
"But when giants clash, it's always the dwarves who claim the spoils, isn't it?"
So that had been her intention all along.
Soon, Vister members belonging to the Crimson Soiree began encircling them.
They were completely surrounded.
To make matters worse, Adrian still hadn't regained consciousness.
Isolde would have to fight.
But her body still wouldn't obey her commands.
As she raised her gaze, Lyla's eyes locked onto her face.
"…What? You're absolutely stunning, aren't you?"
Lyla's eyes gleamed with avarice, as though she'd discovered a precious jewel.
Lyla's tongue flicked across her lips as she licked them slowly.
"You lot? Don't kill this one—bring her to me alive."
Then the Visters' base desires rose to the surface.
Their gazes fixed upon Isolde burned with vulgar, predatory hunger.
It was an unpleasant sensation, as though invisible insects crawled across her skin, clinging to her like a persistent film she couldn't shake.
"Ehehehe…! That pretty face of yours certainly looks like it's worth something."
"Have you even imagined what's going to happen to you now?"
"After today, the world you knew will cease to exist!"
Their crude words of desire pierced her eardrums like a foul stench, yet clung to her like viscous slime, refusing to be shaken off.
This was Violess, the Lawless City where even the bare minimum of law and order had crumbled.
And these were the Vister from the Red Pleasure House.
Those who sexually exploited women and wielded oppression and violence without hesitation.
If the Vister of Violess were evil, then the Vister of the Red Pleasure House were ugly.
Isolde bit her lower lip and clenched her fists.
There were hundreds of Vister.
This would be a difficult battle.
And then.
Adrian had Lyla by the scruff of her neck?
Boom!
And only then did the explosion erupt.
The spot where Adrian had been standing moments before was now cratered and sunken.
"…!!"
Isolde's eyes widened a beat too late—
"Kugh—!"
Lyla let out a gasp two beats too late—
"…What, what is this?"
"What just…?"
The Vister of the Crimson Soiree reacted three beats too late.
Everyone present had completely missed the movement.
Not a single person, not for a single moment, had perceived Adrian's motion.
Only then could Isolde understand what had transpired.
Adrian's movement had been faster than sensory perception itself.
Therefore, what had just occurred was certainly not a movement any human could display.
It wasn't merely movement that transcended human limits.
It was movement that had 'transcended' those limits entirely.
Much like Isolde's own 'transcendence of vital force.'
'How…?'
As if answering Isolde's unspoken question—
Kwaaaaaaaa—!!!
Adrian stood wreathed in a crimson aura that rippled and danced.
It was stripping away his human form entirely.

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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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