Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 116

116. Between Belief and Madness

After the purification of the Sanctuary, Aile received the locations of the previous three transport points from Lia, who had accompanied him on the quest.

Since the transport locations were highly likely to be either contaminating the Sanctuary or involved in some other scheme, uncovering this information was crucial.

Thus, he obtained information on three locations.

However, all three locations were in high-level hunting grounds that Aile would find difficult to enter.

While Lia’s former party, responsible for the transportation, could find safe routes, Aile would struggle to navigate the monsters to reach the destinations.

Even if he arrived, he would face monsters of a level he couldn’t handle in his current state.

Given the difficulty, it would be impossible for Aile to clear it alone, regardless of any tricks he used. Since it was a large-scale world quest involving many people, it was better to pass on this information without hesitation.

Aile immediately relayed the locations of the three suspected conspiracy sites to the princess’s side, also informing them of the attempt to contaminate the Sanctuary of the ancient spirits.

This was very important information.

He was the first to grasp the intentions of the veiled enemies and provided crucial clues by delivering the other locations as well.

Even though the information was passed on to other high-level players participating in the world quest, it was already a great contribution, earning him a substantial reward from the princess’s side.

Four black skill books were retrieved from the royal archives.

Moreover, they were top-tier skill books with the ‘Radiant’ modifier.

For Aile, who had two empty skill slots, there was no better reward than this, and he successfully obtained powerful skills by using all four skill books.

[Swordsmanship Mastery Ⅶ (Unique)]

Swordsmanship Mastery was a basic skill that provided bonuses to attack power and weapon proficiency when using swords and other bladed weapons.

It was an essential passive for sword-using classes, and most players acquired it without fail.

However, what Aile obtained this time was a bit different.

A Unique-grade skill.

Most basic mastery passives started from the lowest grade, Ⅰ, and were divided up to the Legendary grade, Ⅷ, depending on the skill grade.

Aile had Swordsmanship Mastery Ⅶ, the 7th stage.

The same Swordsmanship Mastery would increase stats by a much higher amount than lower-stage masteries.

That wasn’t all.

[Defense Mastery Ⅶ (Unique)]

A Defense Mastery passive that evenly provided bonuses to defense power, magic resistance, and even health, all related to durability.

He also succeeded in acquiring it as a Unique grade.

‘I used up four black skill books with the Radiant modifier, but it’s not a waste at all.’

It was the most basic skill, but that’s why it was the best skill.

Even though there would be differences in timing, everyone would eventually have to acquire it, which meant it was a passive with good efficiency.

Aile managed to acquire such a skill as a Unique grade.

This had more meaning than simply having two Unique-grade passives.

These were passives that he would have to secure someday, and if he had started with an intermediate Superior or Rare grade, there might have been an unfortunate situation where he would have to overwrite the skill later.

But Aile immediately acquired these two passives at the final grade, which was as good as Unique, and he didn’t have to worry about that at all.

‘My weapon has changed, and I want to test how the skills feel…’

Aile, standing on a hill, looked around and thought.

After obtaining the skills, he immediately visited a nearby hunting ground and climbed to a high point to plan his hunt in advance.

This was to first understand the terrain and check the placement of normal monsters, or whether field bosses or elite monsters appeared.

However, Aile’s gaze, which had begun to survey the surroundings, was directed not at the monsters but at the users.

“What are they suddenly doing over there…?”

Two groups of users were gathering from both sides.

It seemed that a conflict had arisen between the users.

It was not at all strange for disputes to occur between users in hunting grounds where many people gathered, and it was something that could be easily seen everywhere.

But what caught Aile’s attention even more was something else.

It was a large cross burning on one side.

‘That, no matter how I look at it…’

It was completely burned black, so it couldn’t be identified exactly, but the shape of a person’s corpse tied to the cross could be vaguely seen.

Without a doubt, it was a trace of burning at the stake.

Aile, of all people, couldn’t fail to recognize it.

Slightly disturbed, Aile quickly hid himself and approached them.

Six party members and three users were confronting each other on both sides.

“You bastards! What the hell did you do!”

A furious party member grabbed the man in front of him by the collar.

However, the man immediately brushed off his arm and continued speaking with a nonchalant expression.

“There was a heretic mixed in your party. He had a time of repentance in the flames of purification. He is now at the side of the Goddess, repenting for his sins.”

“W-What?”

“These crazy bastards…!”

The shocked party members couldn’t hide their anger.

They had suspected it, but the person tied to the cross and burned was indeed their companion.

While they were taking a break during party hunting and had been briefly separated, this tragedy had occurred, and their companion had been burned so black that his original form could not be recognized.

But the most dumbfounded person was Aile, who was watching the scene while hiding.

‘No, I’ve heard that more and more people are doing it these days, but what is this…’

As with all trends, once it starts, there are bound to be people who follow it here and there.

The insane cultists and the burning of sinners were stimulating material that would appeal to many who had become desensitized to the game, and it was an issue that had occurred in Warlord, which had swept away the world’s market share, so it was obvious how many people would follow suit.

Even on WarTube [in-game video platform] alone, videos of content following Aile had sprung up like mushrooms after the rain, and the number of Light Church entrants had also increased dramatically.

But he never thought he would encounter it directly like this.

“It is only right to behead those who have such sinners by their side, but the Goddess’s mercy has saved you. Live your lives in gratitude.”

“Wait, is there anyone among you interested in the Light Church?”

‘Oh my god…’

Aile squeezed his eyes shut and covered his forehead.

As expected, the cultists were spouting insane nonsense to the enraged party members.

“You XX! You crazy bastards, just kill them!”

“Don’t even think about dying peacefully!”

The party members, with anger boiling over, simultaneously drew their weapons.

Since a companion from the same party had been brutally murdered, they were naturally trying to take revenge.

But the cultists were even more enraged by their reaction.

“Are you trying to interfere with a righteous execution?”

“You are companions of heretics! I will send you all to the Goddess’s side!”

“Burning! Burning! It’s burning!”

A touch-and-go situation where both sides drew their weapons.

[‘Light Judge, Loo’ applauds their true courage.]

[Their noble intentions will be remembered for generations to come.]

“Ha, I’m going crazy…”

That wasn’t courage, it was madness.

The cultists were only three against six party members, and there was no significant difference in level or stats.

If they fought like this, they would obviously have no chance of winning.

But even so, the cultists rushed in even more aggressively, as if they were not afraid of death.

“Kill them all!”

“It’s time for judgment!”

Clang! Clang!

The users on both sides clashed.

Swords collided, sparks flew, and chaos broke out.

Despite the obviously unfavorable situation, the cultists rushed in as if they were not afraid of death, and the party members were momentarily taken aback by the mad battle and pushed back.

But that was only for a moment, and that alone could not overcome the difference in numbers, which was twice as large.

‘Ha, I can’t help it…’

As the cultists began to get hurt, Aile, who had been hiding, stood up.

They were fellow cultists, so he couldn’t just let them be wiped out.

More than anything, intervening here seemed like a good way to score points with the Goddess.

Whoosh!

“Ugh…!”

A party member who was aiming for a fallen cultist was knocked away at once.

It was Aile’s long sword that had suddenly rushed towards them.

“Y-You bastard!”

The party members’ gazes were all directed at the sudden appearance of an uninvited guest, and they rushed at Aile without looking back, as they were already enraged.

But since they had already been branded as heretics and designated, it was their fate to be struck by the sword.

Flash!

Aile, who had instantly turned around with the Reverse skill, pierced the man’s chest, and deflected the spear of another party member aiming for his back.

Aile, who grabbed the enemy’s spear, quickly closed the distance and struck him with a single flash.

Thwack!

Even the lancer class, who was wearing solid heavy armor, could not withstand the blow.

The knight lost his strength and tried to fall, and Aile grabbed him and used him to block an arrow fired from the side.

“Wa…”

Thwack!

Aile, who leaped at the archer, punched her in the face and immediately cut off her legs.

Four users who had fallen in an instant.

The two party members who had witnessed the unbelievable sight staggered back and tried to run away.

But Aile would not let them go.

Whoosh!

“Aaaaaagh!”

The area-of-effect skill, Baptism of Fire, swept over them, and the two users had to meet the floor, consumed by white flames.

Thud!

The six users collapsed, precisely in a near-death state.

Aile, satisfied with his newly acquired weapon and skills, sheathed his long sword, and the cultists, who had witnessed the scene right in front of them, gaped their mouths open.

“A-Aile-nim…?”

“No way!”

The cultists immediately recognized his face, which was only natural.

Aile was the talk of the town for defeating Rhoden, and he was also the direct reason why they had joined the Light Church.

But to see such Aile right in front of them, they couldn’t calm down their excitement.

“Uwaaaagh!”

“W-Wait, everyone calm down!”

Aile barely managed to push away the rushing cultists and calmed them down.

“S-Sorry… I was too excited.”

“Oh, Aile-nim has appeared and saved us from danger! This must also be the will of the Goddess!”

The cultists said with a fuss.

The Goddess’s message wouldn’t even reach them, but they were really faithfully continuing the concept.

Well, that’s probably why they joined the Light Church, which has so much to say, so it was only natural in a way.

“Aile-nim! What should we do with these guys here?”

One of the cultists pointed to the party members and asked.

Then, the party members, who were lying in a near-death state, flinched and raised their faces with fear.

“S-Save me… You guys were the ones who started it…!”

“Shut up, heretic!”

“Aile-nim will decide.”

“Shall we hang them all?”

The cultists sent him eyes of infinite trust, and Aile, feeling a bit embarrassed, fell into 고민 [Korean word for ‘worry’].

Due to the sudden commotion, even the gazes of the surrounding users hunting nearby were focused on the situation.

Most of them had sympathetic eyes, but as long as the terrifying Aile was there, they couldn’t even think about helping.

‘There’s no need to think too complicatedly.’

After 고민 [worry] for a while, Aile simply made a decision.

Rumble!

The pyres for burning sinners rose up.