The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 1: The Hero Has Fallen (Part 2)

Honestly, I don’t know if I could’ve.
I probably would’ve died.

But at least Ian could’ve kept his arm.
Maybe the outcome of the final battle would’ve changed.

At the very least, we wouldn’t have lost this badly.

“Adrian. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. You were just too weak and got your ass handed to you by my sister.”

“I didn’t get crushed or anything. I may have lost an arm, but I still won.”

Ian and I looked at each other and let out faint chuckles.

“Adrian.”
“What is it?”
“I have one last request. Will you hear me out?”
“Drop the ‘last’ part, and maybe.”
“……”

Ian didn’t say whether he would or not.

“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you—if you promise to agree first.”
“Then don’t tell me.”
“……”
“…Fine. I promise. What is it?”
“Eat me.”

…What?

My mind went blank at Ian’s shocking words.

“Absorb me with your Predation ability.”

Predation.
My ability to absorb the powers of living beings by consuming their hearts.

Beasts, monsters, insects, vermin—even humans.

As long as it had a heart, the target didn’t matter.
An ability that grew limitlessly stronger over time—one that could easily be called overpowered.

And yet, I couldn’t surpass Ian.

Even with such a monstrous ability, I couldn’t reach the tips of Ian’s toes.

That was why I had to save him, no matter what.
Even if it meant trading my life for his.

“Adrian, the Emperor’s been desperately trying to kill me all this time. He’s sacrificed most of the Empire’s strength just to take me down. Do you know why?”
“Because you’re the only hero capable of standing against him.”
“No.”

Ian shook his head firmly and continued.

“Because I’m the only one who can stop him.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“It’s not.”

His gaze fixed on me.

“I’ve always had a question buried in my heart. And Adrian, after meeting you, that question became a doubt… and today, it became a certainty.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Please, Adrian. Eat my heart.”

Ian’s eyes were unhinged.
Perhaps even he had reached his limit after all the bloodshed.

Even a hero is still only human.
No one can be strong forever.

“I can’t.”

There was no way I could grant such a request.
It was absurd from the start.

The Allied Forces needed Ian.
Even I was alive only so that I could sacrifice myself if it ever came to that.

Between Ian and me, if only one of us could live—it had to be Ian.

Ian nodded, as if he had expected that answer.

“You just promised. You said you’d grant my last request.”

With his only remaining arm, Ian brought his hand to his chest.
I didn’t even have time to stop him.

Squelch!

Blood erupted, dyeing my vision red.

“!!!”

My eyes flew open wide.

Ian had driven his own hand into his chest, crushing it, forcing it open.

“You… what the hell are you—?!”

I couldn’t even speak properly from the shock.

Crack! Crunch!

Bones snapped. Muscles tore.

His hand, drenched in blood, emerged with something still pulsing in it.

Ian’s heart—still beating.

“…Please… Ad…rian…”

Ian held out his heart to me.

His life force drained rapidly with his heart now removed.

“The Emperor… the continent… and its people…”

His body lost all strength and collapsed forward.
I hurriedly caught him in my arms, and his lifeless face rested against my chest.

“If you… go back…”

A soft whisper came from the dying Ian.

“Don’t… hate your sister… too much…”

And with that, Ian spoke no more.

“Ian…?”

He didn’t answer.
All I could feel was the coldness of his body.

…My mind was blank.

The situation was so surreal, so far from reality… my thoughts couldn’t keep up.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, motionless.

—Over here!
—There are traces left behind!

Shouts from the Imperial Army in the distance snapped me out of it.

Had I delayed too long?
They had found our trail.

I had to run.

But I couldn’t move.

My eyes slowly lowered.

Ian, resting in my arms, didn’t move a muscle.
His warmth had completely faded.

Ian… was dead.

“We’ve found him! We’ve found the Hero!!”
“Don’t rush in! The Predator is with him!!”

The Imperial soldiers closed in from all directions.

I couldn’t even register what I was doing.

Before I knew it…
I was holding Ian’s heart in my hand.

His heart, too, was quickly losing its life force.

“The Predator is trying to devour the Hero’s heart!”
“Stop him! Do whatever it takes to stop him!!”

Panicked shouts rang out from all around.

Blades from every direction rained down.

Crunch.

My teeth sank into the heart’s tough flesh.

The bitter taste of blood filled my mouth—
And something appeared in my vision.

—

◆ New player detected.
◆ Error: Duplicate Unique Privilege detected.
◆ Unique Privilege will now transfer to the new player.
◆ Transferring Privilege…

—

Strange messages hovered before my eyes.

At that moment, a sword from the Imperial Army pierced through my chest.

—

I died.

How do I know?

It’s simple.

I was stabbed through the heart by the blades of the Imperial soldiers.

No one lives after losing their heart.
Not even Ian survived it.

So yes—I died.

“Ugh—!”

Then… what the hell is this?

Translatin_Otaku

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