Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 186

Rank In (5)

“Hey, did you hear the news?”

A female employee came in, making a fuss.

Then, the male employee, who was looking down at his phone screen and sipping coffee, nodded.

“I was just looking at it.”

Aile’s name appeared in the rankings.

A rookie who started a year late caught up with the top-ranked users in just a few months and made his name on the official Warlord rankings.

It was news that no one really expected, and the news even reached Warlord’s development company.

‘A ranker, it really happened just like that guy said…’

He recalled his colleague who had been so excited when he first discovered Woojin.

He was the colleague of the female employee who had personally visited Woojin’s house, where the first problem with connection occurred.

Even when he was chatting with her at the company after her return, he only thought it was unlikely, but he far exceeded everyone’s expectations and defeated the ranker.

“I heard from another department that the synchronization rate exceeded 100%. To forcibly lower it with restrictions and then raise it back to 111 percent. Seriously, he’s a monster.”

“Then, isn’t it dangerous? If the previous error case was caused by such a high synchronization rate…”

“No, it’s okay as long as it doesn’t exceed 200, so there won’t be any problems. During the last business trip, I installed an additional safety device on the access unit just in case. Besides, there’s also the safety device called Divinity this time, so it should be fine.”

“Well, he was a follower of Ru… Come to think of it, what will happen to the competition between the Divinities?”

“Well, not everyone is interested in the relics.”

According to the stories circulating among users, all the Divinities were actively searching for relics, leading to fierce competition.

But that wasn’t true.

“Altariel doesn’t even glance at the relics. Surprisingly, Razaghal is also showing a lukewarm reaction. Rather than trying to collect all the relic fragments, they seem more interested in the influence gained each time they obtain one.”

This Mythic quest regarding the relics wasn’t simply about seizing power or becoming the only god, so preferences varied greatly depending on each Divinity’s disposition.

It was natural since they were artificial intelligence entities with their own distinct personalities.

There was no restriction forcing the Divinities to collect the relics.

They simply moved according to their own will.

“On the other hand, Freya and Bahamut are trying to obtain all the relics by any means. Ru, in particular, is almost obsessed. Of course, this was somewhat expected from the initial programming, but I didn’t expect him to be so far ahead.”

Ru was the closest to acquiring the relics, even surpassing the Water and Earth Orders, which were ahead in scale.

Of course, the Earth Order was still the largest and most threatening, but if things continued as they were, it was impossible to know what would happen in the future.

It was thanks to Aile’s numerous achievements since becoming the first Apostle [a high-ranking follower].

‘Coincidence may have helped them, but that can’t be all there is to it.’

* * *

“Ugh, I’m hungry.”

Woojin clutched his empty stomach and quickened his pace.

In Warlord, there was plenty of food in his inventory to fill his stomach, but it couldn’t satisfy his real-world hunger.

Woojin hid in a safe place to escape the persistent pursuers, then logged out to have a meal and opened the refrigerator door.

But he was greeted only by a cold chill.

‘I’ve been playing so mindlessly lately that I forgot to buy rice.’

The empty refrigerator and rice cooker forced him to go out.

No matter how urgent the situation was, he had to eat to live, so he went out wearing a hat pulled down low.

“Hey, just now behind us…”

“What?”

Two students who had just passed him glanced over him.

He heard them whispering behind him, and Woojin accepted the scene as if he were used to it.

‘It’s still a bit awkward… but it’s not like it’s the first time.’

The two who just passed by were probably arguing about whether he was the ‘Aile’ of the Light Order.

Recently, those who recognized him weren’t just those two.

As the name Aile of Warlord became more and more known, people began to recognize Woojin in real life as well.

It went without saying that even the neighbor he ran into in the apartment elevator was so surprised when he saw him that his eyes widened.

Because of the concept he had taken on, some people looked at him with strange eyes, and he faced some troublesome situations a few times.

But in the end, these reactions were also a very good indicator.

From the beginning, he had strategically planned to use his fame, and as the situation fell into place, he was able to become one of the hottest named players recently.

As an individual user who didn’t belong to a guild, this fame was a very useful weapon.

Besides, most people didn’t recognize him when he pulled his hat down low like now, so there wasn’t really any major inconvenience in his daily life.

‘But why is it like this today…’

Woojin looked around with an uncomfortable expression.

He had been feeling people’s gazes since earlier.

If it were just two or three people, including the students who had just passed by, he wouldn’t have thought much of it.

But now there were at least dozens.

Everywhere he went, he felt gazes recognizing him and checking if he was Aile.

He could hear whispering behind him, and he couldn’t shake off the awkwardness.

‘What the heck is going on?’

It wasn’t a special day, and it was the first time so many people recognized him.

The gazes were pouring in as if he had become a ranker.

If it were the topic and popularity of a ranker, who was among the top thousand in the world, people would recognize him and flock to him even on the streets of Seoul, but he wasn’t there yet.

‘It’s definitely not just my imagination…’

Click!

“Ah.”

The sound of a camera rang out from behind him.

“Uwaaaagh!”

When Woojin turned around, the surprised man flinched and screamed before running away.

He must have forgotten to turn off the shutter sound and took a picture without permission.

His face was pale as he ran away, as if he had become the perpetrator, thinking of the image in the game.

“No, this isn’t the 2010s, you have to respect people’s rights.”

Woojin, who had his portrait rights mercilessly violated, grumbled and entered the convenience store.

He could afford to visit a fancy restaurant given his recent financial situation, but he was trying to make do for now because he had urgent business.

‘I should resist the beer…’

Woojin smacked his lips and gently put down the can of beer he had picked up.

He had unintentionally been abstaining from alcohol for a long time since he started the game, and it didn’t seem like that would change anytime soon.

He piled up meals such as lunch boxes and sandwiches and approached the counter.

At that moment, the part-time worker who was calculating the bill cautiously spoke to him.

“Are you, by any chance, Aile? I’ve been a fan since you uploaded your first video! Could I possibly take a picture with you?”

“Ah… yeah, sure…”

He had been feeling gazes from behind since earlier, and as expected, they had recognized him.

‘But a picture…’

It was quite embarrassing since he wasn’t a celebrity.

But he couldn’t refuse, so Woojin smiled awkwardly and took a picture with her.

He had never been conscious of it before, but it was difficult to even know where to put his hands in situations like this.

Unlike Woojin, the part-time worker continued to talk non-stop, striking various poses.

“I also joined the Light Order recently. Before Aile appeared, I honestly didn’t even know such an order existed, but every time I see the goddess statue, it’s so beautiful that I pledge my loyalty. I’ve already gone on two pilgrimages, and I think the Ingold Forest is the best classic. The atmosphere is so eerie… ! It’s no wonder Aile chose it as the execution site. Oh, right! Congratulations on becoming a ranker this time, I never thought you’d defeat a ranker. Wow… you’re really amazing!”

‘Huh…?’

There was something strange in the part-time worker’s endless chatter.

He had become a ranker, Woojin, who was momentarily bewildered, suddenly froze in place.

‘Wait, could it be.’

Woojin, his head feeling like he had been hit, quickly gathered his belongings and rushed out of the store.

Clang!

“Be careful going in! Yes, I have to brag that I saw Aile.”

The oblivious part-time worker didn’t notice anything strange about his appearance.

She was just beaming at the thought of posting the picture on social media.

Meanwhile, Woojin, who had hurriedly run into the alley, turned on his phone screen as soon as he confirmed that there were no people around.

He immediately accessed Warlord’s official website.

He clicked on the item in the very center of the main page, and inside was a splendid screen filled with a list of users.

The ranking of a thousand people unfolded before his eyes.

Woojin quickly scrolled down.

‘Crazy…’

Sure enough, Aile’s name was clearly engraved there.

Level, job, and affiliation were all accurate, and there was absolutely no mistake.

‘No, I didn’t have many records against top players, so I didn’t expect to be ranked already. I didn’t even expect it because my level is still low. My stats and skill settings are definitely not outstanding among the rankers… wait, and 934th place?’

Woojin, who had never expected this situation, couldn’t calm down his excitement at the sight of the numbers in front of him.

Unlike most games, Warlord rankings weren’t simply determined by level.

Equipment and skills, as well as the skills shown in the game, were all calculated.

Whether hunting monsters or competing in PVP [Player versus Player] with users.

It was a state-of-the-art ranking system that recorded even the smallest movements and ranked them.

It could vary depending on job or attribute compatibility, but Aile’s performance in the battle with Faye was generally better than the 935th-ranked player.

It was truly amazing that Aile, who was only level 221, had entered the rankings among the top users of at least level 260 or higher.

It was more than just amazing, it was unprecedented, except for the chaotic situation in the very early stages of Warlord, where the system wasn’t established.

As expected, there was already a huge ripple effect online.

Articles about him poured out, and among Korean users, there were even jokes about signing him up as a Do You Know member [a reference to a popular Korean meme/trend].

Woojin was even embarrassed by the reaction that was beyond his imagination.

‘Wait, come to think of it… isn’t it possible now?’

A thought flashed through Woojin’s mind.

He pondered for a moment, calculating the odds, and soon came to a conclusion.

“Yes, I have to use this situation.”

Woojin hurried out of the alley.

You have to row when the water comes in [seize the opportunity].

Now that people’s interest was maximized.

If he used this interest, he could take the next action he had always been thinking about.

It was time for not only Aile himself but also the entire order to come forward.

‘Holy War… it’s a Holy War!’