The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 80: Disturbance (1) (Part 2)

They weren’t enemies, but victims.
She had to protect them.

Indeed, rampaging deep in enemy territory under these constraints was unwise.

Isolde bit down on her lower lip in frustration—

“They’re here!! The standby squad is here!”
“Quick, catch her!!”

And then, to make things worse, reinforcements arrived.

“…Wait, why is it just you guys?!”

But—
There weren’t very many of them?

When I yelled loudly, the Acata flinched and trembled.

“…Yes?”
“Does this really look like an actual raid on the black market to you?”
“Of course it—”
“You idiots!!!”

I let out the temper I had learned from Iratum.

The moment I did, they not only shook with fear but also instinctively took a step back.

A natural reaction, considering Avarus’s position.

In Baoless, only one person held a rank higher than Avarus.
That person was none other than Iratum—the Revelator, a title equivalent to a Cardinal.

In fact, even in the entire cult, those ranked above Avarus could be counted on one hand.

“Look over there.”

I raised my hand to point at the chaos unfolding in the black market.
I made sure to use the hand wearing the Pact of the Abyss—a subtle but deliberate detail.

As expected, the Acata’ eyes flicked toward the artifact—

Boom! Boom-boom!

Loud explosions erupted from the market, and their gazes snapped back.

Isolde was rampaging like an Ogre.

Of course, the distance made it hard to see her clearly.

But given how she was tearing through the entire black market single-handedly, she might as well have been one.

“Who in their right mind attacks a black market alone?”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“It’s a diversion.”

First Deception Strategy: Misinformation.

“Where is Lord Iratum currently?”
“Most likely in the Ruins District.”
“The Ruins District?”
“He went there to acquire homunculus materials, per your request, Executor.”
“Ah, right.”

The Ruins District was a slum at the very edge of Baoless.
In other words, it would take quite some time for this commotion to reach Iratum’s ears.

That’s exactly why I had asked for one hundred homunculi.

Originally, I had planned to stir up trouble alone.
If Iratum had remained in the market, it would’ve been quite troublesome.

So in short—this was an ideal setup.

“Then until Lord Iratum returns, I will take command of this site.”

Second Deception Strategy: Breakdown of Command Hierarchy.

“Y-Yes, understood.”
“But what do you mean by a deception strategy?”
“Take a look. Isn’t she just smashing things for no reason?”
“Well… I suppose so.”
“Doesn’t it feel like she’s trying to draw all of the cult’s attention to the black market?”
“…?”
“I mean, don’t you think?”

The Acata tilted their heads, clearly not following me.

“…Are you doubting what I say?”

My cold tone made them all flinch again.

And for good reason—so long as they firmly believed I was Avarus, my word was law.

In the cult that worships the Monarch of the Abyss, a corrupted order of soul-worshipers—

Avarus was the Divine Representative, a being entrusted with the “true name” by the Monarch himself.
To them, doubting me was like doubting the voice of God.

“N-no, of course not!”
“We would never question your authority, Executor!”
“Not in the slightest!”

Thus, the deception unfolded smoothly.

“That’s a feint operation.”

Spreading False Intel and Misinformation.

“The real objective lies elsewhere. It might even be an attempt to target our cult.”

Tactical Misdirection via False Orders.

“We must also consider the possibility that the Red Banquet and the Black Grasp are colluding.”

Fomenting Factional Division.

“Which is why I will deal with the market intruder. You are to return and prepare for any other emergencies.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Inform the standby squads too. Tell them to defend their designated sectors—not the black market.”

Withdrawal of Reinforcement Requests.

“There may even be a traitor within our cult, so minimize communication between units.”

Sowing Internal Discord.

“And in case of unforeseen circumstances, the market’s funds must be moved to a secure location.
You there, are you an Evangelista?”

“Y-yes, I am!”
“Then you’re coming with me.”

Seizing Supply Funds.

“Custos-class are to evacuate all market slaves to safety.”

Securing Civilians.

“Excuse me…? Why the slaves—?”
“You fool!!!”

Interrupting.

“Do you not realize how expensive those slaves are?!”

Assertive Gaslighting.

“If any of them are injured or killed, the financial loss would be enormous!!”

Acting Irrationally.

“Or should I grind you down and synthesize you into a homunculus?!”

Threatening.

“Eek!”
“W-we weren’t thinking clearly!”
“We’re terribly sorry!!”

The Acata bowed their heads in a panic, worried they’d become homunculi themselves.

From their reactions—

‘Looks like there’s precedent.’

It seemed Avarus had actually turned Acata he disliked into homunculi before.

He was the madman who homunculized the entire territory of Viscount Benneron.

Thanks to that, the deception strategy flowed even more smoothly.

“All remaining Acata—return to your posts and guard your zones.”

Spreading Out the Enemy to Weaken Combat Power.

“What are you waiting for?! Move it!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”

With loud responses, the Acata scattered and fled the scene.

Now, with all of them gone—

“Let’s move quickly too.”
“P-please, this way!”

Guided by the Evangelista, I headed toward the vault of the Dark Merchant Guild.

Reinforcements from the Dark Merchant Guild stormed into the black market.

But something was off—their numbers were suspiciously small.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

“Where are the rest of the reinforcements—huh?!”
“What the hell are you doing right now?!”
“This isn’t the time to be worrying about a few slaves!!”

Despite their small number, the reinforcements were busy evacuating slaves from the black market.

Just when she was wondering what the hell was going on—

“It’s the Executor’s orders!”

A shout rang out.

Isolde’s senses snapped back into focus.

“The Executor… gave those orders?”
“That’s right! He ordered us to minimize damage to the black market!”
“W-what do you mean…?”
“Shut up! Unless you want to become a homunculus too!”
“W-what…?”
“It’s just one guy anyway!
The Executor will be here soon, so follow orders and stick to the plan!”

Soon, the slaves were being led out of the market one by one, safe and sound.

And only then did Isolde finally grasp the whole situation.

It looked like—

She had misunderstood again.

The name known as the disgrace of the count’s family:
Adrian Whitewolf.

His actions—tricking the Dark Merchant Guild and sowing chaos—were exactly what you’d expect from a scoundrel.

But—

The feeling she got from him was that of a man with conviction.

Isolde’s lips, once clenched, now curved faintly.

There was nothing holding her back anymore.
And if nothing was holding her back—

Then there was no longer a reason to hesitate.

Isolde squeezed her divine power and focused it into every part of her body.

A skill she had meant to use at the end of her fight with Adrian—but never got the chance.

A skill that still wasn’t quite complete.

With intense concentration, Isolde pushed divine power into every single muscle fiber and nerve cell.

And the moment she released it—

KWAHHHHHH!!!

With a deafening burst of divine power, Isolde’s body went into overdrive.

Her strength, reflexes, stamina, speed—
All her physical abilities transcended human limits in an instant.

Divine Martial Fist, Isolde-Style.
Divine Ascension.

Bathed in shimmering golden aura—

She no longer resembled a mere human,
but something altogether transcendent.

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