Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 99

99. The Best Defense (3)

The elite monster collapsed, on the verge of death.

A mark indicating heresy was branded above its head, making it an excellent source of stats for Aile.

It increased madness and faith, while also boosting favor stats and contributions to the Order. Moreover, executing heretics with the Apostle-exclusive skill, Judgment Execution, granted about twice the bonus.

It was a crucial growth point for Aile, as important as levels and skills.

However, they were still in the midst of battling the Undead.

Even though he had defeated it single-handedly without anyone else’s help, he didn’t immediately finish it off to deal with the numerous other monsters. Instead, with many eyes watching, Aile conspicuously dragged the dying troll and set up a pyre in a place where everyone could see.

The size of the pyre was slightly different from those used for humans, befitting the monster’s massive size.

Kueeeek!

In the chaotic battlefield, a zombie lunged from the side, reaching out with its arm.

Aile quickly drew his longsword and beheaded the zombie in one swift motion.

A streak of dark blood smeared his cheek, but Aile paid it no mind as he continued to move.

Boosted by his stats, Aile effortlessly lifted the troll’s body. Bound by chains, the creature was helpless on the pyre.

Then, to avoid further interference from the surrounding monsters, he promptly carried out the execution.

Whirrrl!

Grwoooaaan!

White flames engulfed the pyre and the monster, and the armored troll writhed in agony as the intense pain coursed through its body.

Even if users didn’t feel any pain from injuries, monsters and NPCs were different.

Moreover, the sacred white flames used by the Inquisitor were deadly to Undead monsters, leaving even those with high pain tolerance gaping.

The armored troll remained firmly bound to the stake, enduring the searing pain until its entire body was consumed by flames, emitting a horrifying scream.

[You have executed a heretic!]

[You have successfully carried out the designated punishment according to ‘Judgment Declaration.’ The skill’s effect doubles the stat bonus.]

[Favor of the Goddess +0.34% (currently 62.84%)]

[Light Order Contribution +75]

[Faith stat +2]

[Madness stat +2]

[Execution by fire increases the Inquisitor’s attack power by 10% for 60 minutes.]

“Cr… Crazy……”

The users who witnessed the execution process firsthand were dumbfounded.

The fanaticism of the zealot was palpable, feeling entirely different from simply watching a video or hearing about it.

Furthermore, even the Undead monsters that had been rushing toward Aile hesitated and retreated, unable to approach.

It was due to the flames that engulfed the pyre and the armored troll, radiating heat in all directions.

‘Not bad so far.’

Aile thought, glancing around.

As soon as he arrived in the village, a defense battle broke out, and he heard that a difficult elite monster had appeared. The situation was unfolding exactly as he had envisioned.

The precarious war situation was reversed, the users regained their original pace, and the counterattack was proceeding smoothly.

And above all, he had succeeded in drawing the attention of the numerous users present to himself.

Of course, too much attention in-game could be burdensome for Aile, who was hiding his face and nickname. It might seem strange to say that he had succeeded in attracting attention.

However, Aile had changed his settings so that his helmet, which he usually kept hidden, was now visible, completely concealing his face.

While leather or cloth armor often didn’t cover the face even when the helmet was visible, many heavy and light armor sets had face-covering helmets.

Moreover, the armor Aile was currently wearing had a helmet with a design that allowed the face guard to be raised and lowered.

With his information window also set to private, there was no need to worry about his identity being exposed to the users.

Furthermore, Aile had a specific reason for seeking their attention.

The Warlord’s divinity fundamentally draws influence from terrestrial events and expends it through intervention.

Currently, Lugh had sent down a decree to mobilize the entire Order, effectively investing a large amount of influence in the annihilation of the Twilight Society. As a result, her influence was virtually depleted.

If the outcome of this operation against the Twilight Society was successful, she could gain even more influence, but if it went poorly, she would suffer a significant loss.

However, there was no need to simply wait for the outcome of the battle.

From minor actions of the believers, such as proselytizing and judging heretics, to the expansion of the Order’s power, her influence was generated through all sorts of activities as long as they were related to divinity.

Of course, the actions of individual believers would be insignificant from the divinity’s perspective.

However, Aile knew that the actions of an Apostle, who generated far more influence than ordinary believers, would provide a useful source of influence for the divinity.

‘Let’s see… After going this far, will there be any reaction?’

Aile glanced around.

People’s fear and reverence were very effective means for the Goddess of Light, and an elite monster rampaging uncontrollably on the battlefield was perfect for gathering reverence.

And his prediction was accurate.

[You feel your faith deepen.]

[Faith stat +0.1]

[Madness stat +0.1]

[‘Light’s Arbiter, Lugh’ sponsors you.]

[Light Order Contribution +150]

“It’s been a while, Goddess.”

Aile smiled.

* * *

The defense battle, which had faced a moment of crisis, was successfully concluded.

After completely burning the armored troll, Aile, who had fully joined the battle, achieved many feats against the Undead.

Thanks to this, he received a considerable amount of experience and money as a reward for the quest from the investigation team dispatched by the kingdom.

However, the investigation team consisted of only three or four people, and they were not helpful in combat. They were entirely reliant on hiring adventurers to hold off the monsters.

Even if they protected the village while enduring an endless war of attrition, there were no significant benefits to be gained. With other tasks piling up, the kingdom’s army could not be dispatched.

But no matter how many adventurers they hired, they would inevitably feel the burden if this situation continued.

‘That’s why I decided to solve it.’

[Single Quest, Investigate the Anomaly (In Progress)]

Aile decided to put an end to this phenomenon and directly accepted the quest from the investigation team members who were complaining.

From the investigation team’s perspective, it was an offer they couldn’t refuse, and they promised to provide a large reward if he succeeded.

At first, they seemed quite reluctant because Aile was an Inquisitor of the Light Order, but they were well aware that Inquisitors were experts in such matters, so they didn’t object.

Thud!

Aile opened the gate of the wooden fence and stepped outside, looking around.

The wide plain stretched out before him, but the thick fog obstructed his vision.

It was a foggy area to begin with, but it wasn’t usually this bad. They said it had gotten worse since the defense battle began.

“Hey! Are you really going out there?”

Suddenly, a man’s voice came from behind.

Aile naturally turned his gaze and saw a user looking down at him from atop the wooden fence.

“It’s going to be dangerous to go alone……”

“Thank you for your concern. But I’ll be fine.”

Aile chuckled and waved his hand as he walked away.

The people on the wooden fence stared blankly at Aile’s retreating figure.

“He doesn’t seem like a crazy bastard like in the videos?”

“Well, you never know what might happen if a mark appears above your head.”

“Ugh……”

Leaving the whispering users behind, Aile deactivated his helmet, which was obstructing his vision, as he moved away from the village.

It was already difficult to secure visibility due to the dense fog.

Moreover, he didn’t always want to keep his headgear activated because it felt a bit stuffy, though it varied from person to person.

Feeling much better, Aile took out the map he had obtained from Severa and checked his location as he moved forward.

“How’s it going on the Twilight Society side?”

Aile suddenly asked into the air.

There were no users or even monsters in front of him, yet he spoke as if expecting a response.

But as if waiting for it, a message flashed before his eyes.

[‘Light’s Arbiter, Lugh’ smiles with an arrogant look.]

[No one can stand in the way of the omnipotent Goddess’s will!]

A rather confident attitude.

The system messages that appeared below had always felt a bit cheeky, but it seemed that the all-out war with Benaron was progressing better than expected.

With the five Executioners of the Inquisition taking the front lines, the Twilight Society must be in chaos.

Those who had been hunting monsters and demons across the continent were now determined to eradicate them, and the Twilight Society’s power alone was not enough to handle it.

However, apart from the well-progressing process, there were still questionable aspects.

“Why did you issue such a decree? No matter how I look at it, there was no need to go that far.”

The amount of influence she had expended to issue the decree to the Executioners was enormous.

It was a major intervention that mobilized the entire Light Order, so that was to be expected.

Of course, if things went smoothly, she might be able to recover more influence than she had spent.

However, Benaron, one of the Seven Demons, was an immortal being that even a divinity could not destroy.

As long as he existed, the complete eradication of the Twilight Society was impossible, and no matter how successful it was, there was a limit to the maximum amount of influence that could be recovered.

If she had that much influence, it would have been better to use it in other ways rather than trying to uproot the Twilight Society.

‘It was a bit different from what she had shown so far.’

While watching Aile, Lugh had refrained from unnecessary intervention, even in frustrating situations, and in the opposite case, she had clearly provided rewards within a defined limit.

Even though she had the third epithet of Madness, she was certain in this regard.

Considering her previous actions, the intervention that had taken place this time was, in many ways, unlike her.

But she simply displayed a message in front of Aile’s eyes.

[‘Light’s Arbiter, Lugh’ turns her head and shrugs.]