The Lord Who Levels Up by Devouring - LLD Chapter 95: The Archmage of the Allied Forces (2) (Part 1)

Four heroes followed the warrior, Ian.

These four were the strongest forces of the Allied Army, and among them, Iliana was the one known as the “Archmage.”

In my previous life, I didn’t have particularly close relationships with the heroes of the Allied Forces.

They were simply too far above me in status to be easily approachable.
More than anything, we operated in different spheres.

The Special Task Force I belonged to was under the Allied Command, which meant…
We were Ian’s personal unit.

We acted only on Ian’s orders and moved exclusively at his command.
That meant we handled missions that were never to be made public—covert operations that left no records behind.

Because of that, the Special Task Force functioned more like a separate entity, even within the Allied Army.

Unless our missions overlapped, I rarely even had a chance to talk to the other heroes.

So, it was no surprise that I had no real relationship with Isolde—and to be honest, we didn’t exactly get along.

But with the Archmage, it was different.
We’d spoken quite a lot.

Or more accurately, I had asked her many questions.

Questions about my Predation [S+] ability.
Curiosities and theories surrounding my evolutionary powers.

In that sense, all the knowledge I currently have on evolutionary biology…
I owe it entirely to the Archmage, who taught and studied those things with me during our time in the Allied Army.

She never found my questions annoying.

She made time for me, taught me things, and even passed along the results of research I didn’t ask for.

She was the one hero I was closest to—
The one I received the most help from.

And now, that very Iliana was sitting quietly in one corner of the dining area.

She must have noticed my gaze.
Iliana slowly lifted her head.

Our eyes met.

“Ah…!”

She flinched, visibly startled, and quickly turned away.
Like someone sitting on a bed of thorns, she squirmed in her seat, unable to stay still even for a moment.

As expected.

She was nothing like the Iliana I knew from my previous life.

The Iliana from back then…
The one I remembered…

She always seemed like someone who carried a constant darkness within her.
Her expression rarely changed—it was always somewhere between neutral and completely blank.

But this Iliana…

Her fidgety posture, the blush creeping up her cheeks,
The way she lowered her head the moment our eyes met…

I had never seen her like this.
Sure, I’d gone back in time—but was her personality really this different?

‘Don’t tell me… I mistook her for someone else?’

I activated Predatory Instincts [S], and in an instant, all the relevant information popped up before my eyes.

====
Name: Iliana Segretus
Classification: Animalia, Mammalia, Homo sapiens
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Traits: Insight [L], Peak Human Intelligence [A+]

Fortunately, I hadn’t mistaken her for someone else.

The name, the age—everything matched the Iliana I remembered.

But what truly confirmed it were those two traits.

I activated Predatory Instincts [S] again, and the descriptions of her abilities appeared before me.

◆ Insight [L]
→ The user can instinctively comprehend all phenomena. This applies to all forms of data, knowledge, wisdom, and experience. The user intuitively understands the origins and energy-based flows of the world and grasps their mechanisms with perfect clarity.

A Legendary-grade [L] skill.
One tier below Isolde’s Omni Vessel [M].

But still, [L] wasn’t a low rank by any means.
It was on par with Wrath of the Frenzied Dragon [L].

And besides, Insight [L] wasn’t her only trait.

◆ Peak Human Intelligence [A+]
→ Upon acquiring this skill, the user’s brain neurons and synaptic networks increase explosively. This allows the user to reach the uppermost limit of biologically possible intelligence.
Reading comprehension, memory, and reasoning IQ are increased by [+5,850%].
Takes [+2,330%] additional damage from aging and brain trauma.
Chance of developing mental illness increases by [+18,325%].

Among the two great traits that define human excellence—intelligence and stamina—
Iliana was an extreme outlier who had evolved her intelligence to the highest level.

An A+ grade.
That was one level above Isolde’s Perfect Muscle Control [A].

In other words, Iliana’s intelligence was comparable to—if not greater than—that of a dragon’s innate genetic abilities.

Insight [L] and Peak Human Intelligence [A+].
These two abilities were creating a powerful synergy.

As a result, Iliana was closer than anyone else to grasping the metaphysical laws of the world—truths known only to the gods.

And she became the first person in the continent’s history to earn the title of Mage of Truth.

Once I finished confirming Iliana’s information, I turned to the grill and fired it up.

Chiik—!

The juicy sound of Prime-grade Rex meat sizzling on the hot plate.

A dazzling flare-up drew the eyes, and the rich, savory aroma filled the air.

“…Huh?”

Iliana, who had been sitting there nervously, suddenly changed her expression.
Like a puppy catching a scent, her nose twitched, and her trembling fingers gave her away.

Her blue eyes locked onto the grill.
They sparkled with a flicker of anticipation.

“Mmm…!”

She bit her lip as if hugging a flutter of excitement.

But her body couldn’t hide it—drool slowly dribbled down from the edge of her lips.

Yep.

Nothing breaks the ice quite like good food.

The Rex steak was grilled to perfection.

Iliana’s blue eyes momentarily lost focus, then regained it.

“…Is this… monster meat?”

“It is.”

She didn’t immediately reach for it.

Gulp.

But her loud swallow gave away her desire.

“You don’t have to worry. Just give it a try.”

Even so, she hesitated.

But perhaps even her scholarly curiosity couldn’t resist for long.

“Th-then…”

With hesitant fingers, Iliana picked up the fork and knife.

Her sparkling eyes briefly betrayed her excitement as she carefully sliced off a piece of steak.

Juices flowed out from the cut—
and soon after, saliva flowed from the corners of Iliana’s mouth as well.

She gently parted her lips, and the moment the steak entered her mouth—

Her eyes fluttered closed in bliss.

As if savoring the taste with every fiber of her being…
A soft moan escaped her slender throat.

“Mmmmh!!!”

Translatin_Otaku

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