The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - Chapter 96

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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 96. Teachings
An endless cascade of questions.
Though my personality in this life differed completely from my past one, my intellectual curiosity remained utterly unchanged—
“When compressing or expanding space, what methods minimize temporal fluctuations?!!”
There would be no end to this.
My knowledge had already been fully exposed anyway.
I had no confidence in answering even a single one of those questions—
“Forgive me, but might I ask you a question as well?”
“Oh, ah…!”
Iliana startled violently, her entire body trembling.
“I, I asked far too many questions on my own….”
Her voice grew increasingly meek as she bowed her head deeply.
“I couldn’t contain my curiosity and got carried away….”
She looked like a puppy denied its walk due to rain—utterly dejected.
It appeared as though I had been pressuring her.
Considering she was my superior, the commander of the Mage Corps, I found myself flustered—
“P-please, go ahead! Though my knowledge is humble compared to yours, Adrian, I’ll do my utmost to share my thoughts!!”
Iliana suddenly cried out, clenching her small fists tightly.
Two tiny fists gathered at her chest.
Within them burned the resolve to give her absolute best.
“Then, might I hear your perspective on infinity?”
“Infinity…?”
“Indeed.”
At my response, Iliana tilted her head—
“Are you perhaps researching infinity?”
“I wouldn’t call it research exactly. Let’s say curiosity instead.”
Iliana’s expression suddenly grew serious.
I wondered why for only a moment.
“You said you’re neither a mage nor a scholar of magic.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
“Well… have you ever visited Langritd Magic Tower?”
“I have not.”
Even accounting for my past life’s experiences, I had never been there directly.
By that time, Langritd Magic Tower had already fallen to ruin after the war.
“At the main gate of Langritd Magic Tower, you can see an inscription carved there. The First Mage inscribed it—”
The First Mage, Arcanis Rilsein.
Arcanis was also the original founder of Langritd Magic Tower—
“It’s an absolute principle we must uphold at our Langritd Magic Tower.”
And Langritd Magic Tower is the cradle of all mages.
Therefore, this principle could be said to be the code of all mages across The Continent—
[Do not limit curiosity. However, infinity is an exception.]
“Does that mean research and inquiry into infinity are forbidden, Your Majesty?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“Well… for now, yes.”
Iliana paused to gather her thoughts before speaking.
“Infinity is itself a paradox. The moment you try to define infinity using finite language, you’ve already strayed from its true nature.”
“I see.”
“And truthfully, there have been attempts to explore infinity.”
After all, what kind of people were mages if they would abandon such pursuits?
One only had to look at Iliana herself to understand.
Those who loved to explain and analyze more than anyone else.
Of course, Iliana was particularly intense about it, but it was merely a matter of degree—all mages shared similar inclinations.
Above all, human nature craves what it is forbidden to do.
“There have been countless attempts to explain and study infinity through the framework of arcane magic. However….”
Iliana’s gaze drifted downward as she continued.
“Regardless of their success, they caused many problems.”
“What sort of problems do you mean?”
“Starting with cases where researchers lost their minds studying infinity, or died conducting experiments with it.”
Instances where uncontrollable dimensional rifts were opened.
Catastrophic events caused by rampant energy surges.
The outbreak of plagues that destroyed the natural order and balance.
The birth of entities whose nature remained unknown, and so forth.
“The ends of all mages and arcane scholars who pursued infinity were tragic. That’s why a saying emerged—”
—Infinity is a warning letter telling you that you’ve strayed onto the wrong path in your journey toward truth.
“But strictly speaking, it is actual infinity that is forbidden from research and inquiry. Potential infinity, however, is utilized as an essential element in spellcraft.”
…I understood none of it.
What was potential infinity, and what was actual infinity?
I wanted to cover my ears and refuse to listen.
But for the sake of understanding Infinity [M], I had to force myself to listen.
“Could you explain this in more detail?”
“Well… potential infinity is simply ‘the property that numbers possess.'”
“Do you mean numbers like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5?”
“Yes. Such natural numbers can be expanded endlessly, can’t they? No matter how large a number N you conceive, you can naturally imagine the concept of N+1.”
A state that expands endlessly in this manner.
“That is precisely potential infinity.”
…Hmm?
“Isn’t that just the concept of infinity?”
“Exactly. The concept of infinity that people commonly understand. That is what ‘potential infinity’ is.”
“Then what is actual infinity?”
“Practical infinity, hm….”
Iliana pondered for a considerable moment before cautiously opening her mouth.
“…I suppose you could say it’s infinity existing in a truly complete form.”
“….”
“Or perhaps, physical infinity…would be a better way to put it.”
“….”
“It doesn’t make much sense, does it…?”
“To be honest, that’s precisely the case.”
“That’s where most people encounter problems. Physical infinity is not only difficult to grasp intuitively, but it’s also a concept that the laws of this world refuse to acknowledge.”
And so Iliana’s explanation continued.
“Do you happen to know what ‘counting infinity’ means?”
Counting infinity.
It was the very vision I had witnessed when I devoured Avarus with Predation [S+].
That exact concept I had seen and heard there.
But I had only seen and heard it.
I had not truly understood it.
“If you don’t mind, could you explain it to me?”
“Of course. It’s a necessary concept if you’re to understand practical infinity anyway.”
Iliana nodded lightly once and continued.
“Countable infinity—that’s what we call it: Countable Infinite.”
I listened intently to every word of Iliana’s unfolding explanation.
* * *
In my previous life, I had learned countless subjects from Iliana, including evolutionary biology.
The reason I could now fully comprehend my biological evolution ability.
The foundation that allowed me to create combination skills and evolution skills.
And ultimately, the basis upon which I could construct the combat methodology of Predator that Ian had described.
All of it stemmed from Iliana’s teachings.
Needless to say, the process of learning from her was never easy.
I had overcome countless moments of near-surrender to reach my current level.
“For instance, let’s imagine a large group of customers arriving at this restaurant.”
Iliana glanced across the Predator Restaurant before continuing.
“In that case, how would you compare the number of tables to the size of the group?”
“Wouldn’t you simply calculate the number of tables and the number of customers respectively?”
“That works too, but you could compare them far more simply by having each customer sit down at the restaurant’s tables one by one.”
“I see.”
“If there are empty seats at the tables, then there are more tables. If there’s no place for the customers to sit, then there are more customers.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“In this way, you can compare the sizes of two sets through one-to-one correspondence. And countable infinity refers to infinity that can be ‘counted’—infinity where such ‘one-to-one correspondence’ is possible.”
In that moment, a bluish thread of light bloomed from Iliana’s fingertips.
Following the graceful trajectory of her moving hand, something began to materialize in the empty air above.
Odd numbers like [1, 3, 5, 7, 9…].
Even numbers like [2, 4, 6, 8, 10…].
Natural numbers like [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…].
“If odd numbers, even numbers, and natural numbers are all infinite, which set contains the most numbers?”
Natural numbers encompass both even and odd numbers.
The whole is always greater than its parts.
Naturally—
“Wouldn’t natural numbers be the most numerous?”
“No.”
Iliana shook her head once.
“They’re all equal.”
“All the same in quantity?”
“Yes. It can be proven through the one-to-one correspondence I mentioned earlier.”
As Iliana waved her hand again, the numbers of magical energy that had been glimmering like stars in the empty air began pairing with one another.
1 ↔ 1
2 ↔ 3
3 ↔ 5
4 ↔ 7
5 ↔ 9
6 ↔ 11
.
.
.
“Continuing this pattern, the odd number corresponding to the natural number 10,000 would be 19,999.”
“….”
“It’s the same for any natural number. Without exception, all of them can be placed in one-to-one correspondence with odd numbers ‘infinitely.'”
No matter how large natural numbers become, no matter how many of them exist, there will always be an equal quantity of odd numbers corresponding to them.
Because numbers are infinite.
Therefore, the quantity of natural numbers, odd numbers, and even numbers all becomes ‘infinite’—equal.
In the world of infinity, when ‘one-to-one correspondence is established’ like this—
“It means the cardinality between different sets is equal, and we call this countable infinity, or countably infinite.”
Only up to this point was—
“And there exists an infinity greater than countable infinity—an ‘uncountable infinity’ that cannot be placed in one-to-one correspondence with natural numbers. If I explain further….”
…that was the limit of what I could comprehend.
* * *
Iliana’s explanation continued for quite some time after that.
I could only say—
…this is on another level entirely.
Thus, the maxim left behind by Arcanis Rilsein, the first mage:
[Place no limits on curiosity. However, infinity is exempt.]
I could immediately understand why he had left such a message.
The more I accepted the concept of Infinity.
It felt as though something deep within my mind was bubbling and churning, creating an overwhelming pressure.
The more I tried to comprehend Infinite[M].
The more it felt like my entire head was swelling like a balloon on the verge of bursting.
◆The player’s will[EX] resists the mental anguish that tramples the spirit!!
…Fortunately, thanks to my will[EX], I managed to avoid my head actually exploding.
In that sense, it was remarkable.
How did Iliana manage to carry all this knowledge in her mind without losing herself?
Seeing that her head remained perfectly intact despite it all, she truly deserved the title of [Sage of Truth].
“…This is as far as my understanding of Infinity extends.”
Through considerable effort, I managed to absorb every concept of Infinity that Iliana possessed.
But to be honest, I didn’t fully comprehend what she was saying.
I merely heard it with my ears and memorized it mechanically.
Yet they say understanding begins with memorization, do they not?
And indeed, some of the content began to make vague sense.
◆The conceptual skill, Infinite[M]’s comprehension increases.
After all the twists and turns, I managed to raise my comprehension of Infinite[M].
My head throbbed painfully.
Pressing both temples firmly with one hand, I attempted to apply all the newly elevated comprehension of Infinite[M].
…Yet, there was no concept to merge it with.
It wouldn’t fuse with any concept—not strength, agility, vitality, mana, or anything else—
And then, at that very moment.
◆The conceptual skill, Infinite[M] and the player’s will[EX] fuse together.
Unexpectedly, Ian’s ability, the player’s will[EX], seemed to be the one merging with it—
◆You have acquired the fusion skill, ‘Successor’s Will[EX]’.
My throbbing mind suddenly blazed with clarity.
A fusion skill.
A skill formed when two or more different elements merge into one ‘without distinction’.
It was a fundamentally different concept from combination skills, where each element maintained its independence.
Unlike the inventory from last time, this was the first instance of Infinite[M] fusing with another skill.
Soon, a description of Successor’s Will[EX] appeared before my eyes—
◆Successor’s Will[EX]
: By infinitely expanding the player’s mental fortitude, you acquire complete mental autonomy against any form of mental interference (curses, illusions, brainwashing, hypnosis, suggestion, etc.).
【This skill is a fusion skill combining the player’s will[EX] and Infinite[M].】
The rank was [EX], meaning Extra—beyond standard classification.
It was the same grade.
It appeared that all ‘non-standard skills’ that couldn’t be judged by the existing ranking system were assigned the [EX] grade.
Yet the skill’s power had clearly been ‘enhanced’.
Specifically, the phrase ‘infinitely expands mental fortitude’—thereby acquiring complete mental autonomy.
‘Could this be…?’
I checked my Player Information, seized by a sudden suspicion.
==「Player Information」==
[Name] = Adrian Whitewolf
[Title] = Master of the Frozen Peak
[Level] = 76
[HP] = 9,185
[MP] = 0
[Sanity] = 4/ℵ0
[Stats] = Strength: 81(+5) Agility: 110.8(+18.8) Endurance: 90.85(+11.85) Mana: 11(+5)
[Experience] = 9.33%
【Additional Stat +1】
And I could confirm that the maximum value of [Sanity] had changed.
[Sanity] – 4/ℵ0
According to what I’d just learned from Iliana, ℵ0 was read as “aleph-null” and represented the symbol for countable infinity.
The infinity symbol we commonly know, ‘∞’, represents the concept of uncountable infinity.
In that sense, the infinity applied to my infinite inventory was ‘∞’.
Either way, infinity was infinity.
In other words, the maximum value of [Sanity] and my mental capacity had been converted to ‘infinity (ℵ0)’.
On the surface.
It seemed insignificant.
The Player’s Will [EX] was, strictly speaking, equivalent to infinite mental fortitude anyway.
But.
There existed an enormous difference between the two.
The Player’s Will [EX] operated by ‘resetting’ the Sanity value.
Therefore, it had a fatal limitation against continuously eroding mental attacks.
However, the Successor’s Will [EX] does not reset.
It achieves complete mental autonomy and accommodates surging madness infinitely.
This meant.
‘I could now face The Abyss Lord.’
I no longer had to succumb before the inexplicable terror of the unknown.
I could fight without being crushed by the endless tide of fear.
Moreover.
‘The limits of Berserk Rampage have vanished.’
I could accumulate Sanity infinitely.
With that, the power of Berserk Rampage [?] could also expand infinitely.
‘If this is the case….’
Even Consumption [S+] could now transcend its rank.
This meant.
My potential had expanded infinitely as well.
And that wasn’t even the end of it.
My comprehension of Infinity [M] didn’t stop at countable infinity.
What if I raised my comprehension of Infinity [M] even further?
I could obtain even more absurd skills—like Infinite Inventory and the Successor’s Will [EX].
“How… was I of help to you…?”
Soon after, Iliana asked carefully.
My expression, twisted somewhat by shock and pain.
Perhaps because of that, Iliana was watching my face intently.
I quickly composed myself and answered.
“You’ve been an enormous help, truly.”
Enormous didn’t even begin to cover it.
To exaggerate only slightly—it was salvation itself.
Indeed, Iliana.
It was no accident that my past life’s Iliana had said such things.
-If you ask me ‘why’ a phenomenon occurs, I cannot answer you.
However.
-I can explain everything about ‘how’ a phenomenon occurs under given conditions.
Insight [L]—the intuitive grasp of laws and phenomena.
Apex Intelligence [A+]—the ability to immediately comprehend accepted knowledge.
A talent so overwhelming that the word “genius” couldn’t contain it, transcending comparison with dragons and surpassing them entirely.
“Really?! I truly helped you?!!”
Iliana beamed with joy at my words.
“Hehe…!”
She smiled brightly at me, but then—
“Ah, um… that…”
Her face flushed with embarrassment as she hastily lowered her gaze.
‘I didn’t know she could make that expression.’
An expression I’d never seen once in my past life.
I gazed quietly at Iliana for a moment—
“Which is why, you see.”
I withdrew a heavy pouch from my inventory.
“Spatial magic!?”
Iliana’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t a mage?!”
“That’s correct.”
“Yet you can use spatial magic?!?!!”
Iliana looked as though she might faint from shock.
And for good reason—spatial magic was high-level magic—
“It’s impossible without implementing the concepts of hyperspace and quantum tunneling!!”
…Well, so she says.
But the inventory wasn’t a spatial magic spell.
It was merely classified as a subspace—magic it was not.
So explanation was impossible.
I had no confidence in explaining it either.
Rather than address Iliana’s confusion, I simply handed her the pouch I’d retrieved.
“What… is this?”
“Why don’t you take a look?”
Iliana tilted her head curiously and examined the contents of the pouch.
“These are platinum coins.”
“All one hundred of them.”
A single platinum coin held the equivalent value of one thousand gold.
“One hundred thousand gold?!”
Iliana cried out in utter astonishment.
One hundred thousand gold—enough for a single person to live comfortably for an entire lifetime without excessive indulgence.
I retrieved nine additional pouches identical to the first from my inventory and arranged them across the table.
“Each contains exactly one hundred platinum coins.”
“One million gold?!?!?!”
Iliana’s small mouth fell open in shock, though only for a moment.
“I wish to present all of it to you, Iliana.”
“W-what?!”
Iliana’s eyes widened so dramatically they seemed ready to split.
Her gaze trembled wildly, as if the ground itself had begun to quake—a silent question about why I was giving her one million gold.
“The Predator Merchant Company wishes to sponsor you, Iliana.”
Before I could finish speaking—
“Eeeeeeeeeeeek?!?!?!!”
Iliana sprang to her feet like a startled frog.

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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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