Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 167

167. The Apostle of Salvation (3)

“What a magnificent statue.”

Executor Eileen said, looking up at the massive stone statue.

The statue of Ruu in front of her was grand enough to be overwhelming at a glance.

“It doesn’t look very skillful yet, though.”

Eile, standing beside her, responded to her words.

Crooked lines and flaws were visible here and there.

The craftsmanship of the Sidna region’s tribesmen, even viewed favorably, couldn’t be called excellent.

Since the entire tribe resembled fearsome barbarians, this kind of work was far from their usual activities.

Of course, their strength was so great that the scale was enormous.

“Skillful technique isn’t what’s important. It’s the process of creating the statue, the hearts of the new believers who thank God and hope their intentions reach Him, that matters most. Surely, the Goddess will be pleased with their sincerity.”

“…….”

Eile fell silent at her words.

Ruu herself had subtly complained that the statue didn’t capture her dazzling beauty.

However, Eile, the only one who knew the Goddess’s reaction, couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth to Eileen, who was filled with devout faith.

[‘Ruu, the Light Bringer,’ is exclaiming.]

However, there was something that even Ruu couldn’t help but admire.

The completion of the massive monument that had just been erected.

This grand monument, the tallest and largest structure in Sidna, was a monument to commemorate the historic moment of defeating Nepos’s army.

At the same time, the monument was filled with phrases praising the Goddess who made such a miracle possible.

The warriors, united with Eile, had completely defeated the undead legion, and this second underground world had become a perfect stronghold for believers.

‘There are still remnants left, so it’s not completely over, though…’

Eile, who had been looking up at the monument from the hill, turned his gaze.

A line of people could be seen below.

The Inquisitors and priests of the Order, who had entered the Sidna region, were pouring in through the Gate to the World.

They were personnel officially dispatched from the Order.

Eile, with the help of Eltris’s Laters [workers who build and maintain Gates to the World], had created a new entrance connecting the Sidna region and the surface.

It took quite a bit of time, even with the Laters’ help, but the result was successful.

Now, they could travel between the Sidna region and the surface without having to go through the terrifying Lake of Eternity.

And through that passage, the priests of the Order were dispatched.

[‘Ruu, the Light Bringer,’ is sponsoring you!]

[Light Order Contribution +1,000]

‘How many sponsorships is this since entering Sidna?’

A smile spread across Eile’s face.

Numerous residents followed the Light Order, and Sidna became virtually Ruu’s territory.

Thanks to that, it was only natural that Ruu gained immense influence.

The benefits from this were directly passed on to Eile as well.

[‘The Secret Seeker’ is impressed by your skills.]

[‘The Mother of Life’ is casting a jealous gaze upon you.]

It was only natural for other deities to feel envious.

Although they didn’t directly show it due to appearances, Freya, who had become completely hostile to him, was different.

Of course, no matter how fiercely Freya glared, there was nothing she could do in Sidna, which was already filled with ardent followers of the Light.

‘But the situation isn’t completely resolved. It still needs stabilization.’

Even though Nepos’s undead legion had been largely driven out, the swamp remained a harsh environment for survival.

That’s why Eile had requested a dispatch from the Order. The biggest enemy had disappeared, and with Eileen, the Executor of the Order, and the Inquisitors stepping in, the environment here would quickly improve.

“This land, which had been suffering from the dead, is now under the grace of the Goddess. Thanks to your efforts, brother, many people have been saved.”

“I’m sorry to leave you in charge here when you’re busy with other matters.”

“There’s no need to say such things. Especially from someone who has been entrusted with an even greater mission.”

Eileen said with a bright smile.

Then, Eile took out an item from his inventory.

A fragment of a relic obtained from the south.

It was the second piece he had recovered by searching the coordinates after eliminating Nepos and his legion.

“Even within the Order, no one imagined that you would obtain the second piece so quickly.”

“I was lucky.”

“No, it’s not luck. The fact that the Goddess broke with tradition and chose you as the sixth Executor was no coincidence or luck.”

Eileen said, sending him a look of deep trust.

The Light Order had already succeeded in obtaining two of the four core fragments.

And Eile had done it all alone, without the Order’s help.

Even those within the Order who had questioned the selection of the Executor had no choice but to acknowledge it after hearing this news.

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

“Yes, please do.”

They exchanged greetings.

Now, he had to recover the relic he had obtained and bring it back to the kingdom.

Eileen would remain here for the time being to stabilize the new land, and Eile would return to the Order with the relic fragment from the south.

“Ah, and brother. I don’t know if you’re aware, but the situation outside is not good. Please be careful.”

* * *

Eile emerged outside through the ‘Gate to the World’ that connected the surface and the underground.

Then, he began endlessly walking to escape the vast southern backcountry.

He was busy avoiding or dealing with the monsters swarming in the swamp, but other than that, he had plenty of time.

During that time, Eile’s actions were, of course, gathering information.

Searching information sites during travel time was now second nature to him.

However, as Eileen had told him before he left, the news coming through the information network was all unsettling.

First of all, the most noticeable news was the outbreak of an all-out war between Apollyon and Griffin.

No one had expected them to strike Griffin in the northeast, rather than Cerberus, which was adjacent to the western region and often caused friction.

Moreover, the two guilds were waging a total war as if they were about to destroy each other right away.

‘There’s also news that Apollyon suddenly sided with the prince… I don’t know what’s going on. It’s going to be difficult if events keep happening one after another to the point where it’s hard to keep up.’

According to the information passed on by the Iron Cross, the Apollyon Guild had changed its support for the royal family.

The reason was unknown.

The landscape of the world quest, which seemed to be ending smoothly with the full-scale intervention of the six major guilds, was once again undergoing changes.

‘Fortunately, I won’t be left behind thanks to having a great information network.’

Eile had made a deal with the Iron Cross this time, agreeing to share important information.

The fact that he had already recovered the southern relic was still only known to the high-ranking executives of the Iron Cross, and other users who had no way of knowing that fact were endlessly searching the empty swamp.

Eile had also gained a great channel by sharing information with one of the six major guilds, so there was no reason not to welcome it.

‘Wait a minute…….’

Sensing something, Eile stopped abruptly.

Among the dense trees of the swamp, Eile rolled his eyes and found a suspicious sign.

Kwaak!

A sharp bone spear flying from the left pierced the ground where he had been standing.

Eile, who lightly stepped back to avoid the attack, drew his longsword in an instant.

“You’re as perceptive as I’ve heard.”

A man appeared from behind a crooked tree.

A user wearing a red robe.

“You are…….”

Eile frowned as he faced the attacker.

Even though it was the first time he had encountered the user, he could immediately recognize the opponent’s identity.

Grom, the bounty hunter.

A former ranker from the second-generation virtual reality game and a named player who was active as a semi-ranker bounty hunter in Warlord.

“Oh, you recognize me right away? I’m honored.”

“You’ve been going around saying you’re aiming for the ranker position, so you came all the way to this remote area just to catch me?”

“I just wanted to fight you since there’s been so much talk about you lately.”

A confident smile hung on Grom’s lips.

“And it’s rare for me to see a bounty of 100,000 gold.”

“What, 100,000…?”

Eile doubted his ears for a moment.

The fact that his bounty, which had been 20,000 gold, had suddenly jumped fivefold.

He was so distracted by the war news that he hadn’t even checked.

The amount was no joke for a bounty on just one user’s life.

At this level, it could be enough to motivate not only bounty hunters but even some ranker-level users to move.

[‘The Mother of Life’ is looking forward to your miserable end!]

As expected, it was Freya’s doing.

‘Damn it, this has become troublesome…….’

Eile quickly assessed the unexpected situation.

Judging from the surrounding signs, it was clear that he had come alone without any companions.

However, the man standing in front of him now was on a different level from his previous opponents.

A semi-ranker user with a level of 250.

Of course, Eile, who had been holed up underground, was also able to raise his level by 10 thanks to clearing the large Sidna quest and taking over the entire region.

But even so, the gap between level 210 and level 250 was not something to be taken lightly.

Even among ordinary users, a level difference of 40 was very large.

However, there was no way there would be a sloppy player who couldn’t take advantage of this much spec difference in a fight between high-level users over 200.

‘Of course, I would have narrowed the stat difference enough thanks to the madness and favor buffs. There’s a difference in the number of skills and equipment level, but considering the compatibility between a necromancer and an Inquisitor, it’s not an impossible fight.’

Grom’s job was a necromancer.

Even if he was a skilled named player, Eile was ahead in the compatibility battle as much as he controlled the undead.

In other words, it wasn’t a fight that couldn’t be established.

Of course, this was the story when assuming a fight that was generally encountered.

‘But the problem is that he set up the board. He was reading my movements.’

A user who makes PVP [Player versus Player combat] his business, and someone like Grom, would not have been waiting here without any preparation.

Having secured a spot was no different from having finished the preparations in advance.

“Don’t even think about running away.”

Thud!

Grom slammed his staff on the ground.

Then, various monsters and user corpses that had been submerged in the swamp rose up.

Groooaaan!