Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 126

“Kuheok……”

Chloe, knocked back, vomited blood.

Another long wound appeared on her side.

In this unexpected close combat, her stamina had already dropped below 40 percent.

On the other hand, Aile’s stamina, slowly recovering with divine magic, was already over 25 percent.

Contrary to the situation a moment ago, the tables were turning.

‘No way……!’

Chloe’s expression was completely distorted.

She had unwavering confidence in her skills as a Warlord.

And that’s why she couldn’t believe the current situation more than anyone else. To be defeated by a strong opponent was one thing, but to be defeated by a user in the mere level 80s…

It was more than just a blow to her pride as a player; it threatened to shatter her entire mentality.

‘Did he… somehow seize the initiative?’

On the other hand, Aile, completely focused on the battle, felt a strange sense of clarity. From the moment he blocked the fatal attack that could have ended the fight, he felt lighter than before.

A subtle difference that he felt within himself.

It was related to Aile’s changing synchronization rate. When he first started the game, Aile’s synchronization rate was forcibly lowered to 99 percent. As it approached 100 percent, it began to subtly shift.

Of course, the change was so minor that neither the audience nor Aile himself could easily perceive it.

“Waaaaa!”

“That’s awesome!”

The audience, thrilled by the unexpected close combat, erupted in cheers.

Chloe, frowning at their noisy chatter, glared at the audience.

But then, she faintly heard Aile’s name in the crowd’s voices.

“Wait… are you Aile?”

Chloe paused and looked at Aile standing before her.

Aile didn’t respond, but after hearing the murmurs, she seemed to understand.

His identity was Aile, the infamous Inquisitor of Esmair.

His Inquisitor job, his unbelievable skill for his level, and the current situation suddenly made sense.

‘Right, he definitely said he defeated Rhoden…….’

She hadn’t watched the video herself, but she had heard about his victory over Rhoden.

“Good, that’s even better. If I beat you here, my reputation will soar.”

Paat!

She used a dash skill and rushed forward at blinding speed.

Aile, facing Chloe’s head-on charge, also ran towards her.

Even though he was wielding a longsword, Aile closed the distance. It was too late to swap weapons, and Chloe smirked at his apparent mistake.

But only for a moment.

Bbaak!

“Keok……!”

Chloe’s face contorted in pain as Aile slammed into her shoulder.

It wasn’t just a simple collision.

It was the skill he acquired eighth after reaching level 80.

[Extreme: Shoulder Charge (Heroic)]

Originally, the intermediate skill ‘Shoulder Charge’ was a simple technique that dealt damage and pushed the opponent away.

However, the Heroic-grade Shoulder Charge not only amplified its power but also stunned the opponent.

He had learned martial arts skills as a countermeasure in case the opponent closed the gap while he was wielding a longsword, just like now.

“No, it can’t be…….”

Chloe, clutching her head, staggered back.

She tried to regain her senses, but there was no way to overcome the system-enforced stun.

Meanwhile, the cooldown for Ilseom [a powerful sword skill] returned.

Aile raised the longsword in both hands high.

“This is absolutely……!”

Kwagwagwagwa!

The sword strike of Ilseom crashed down on her.

Chloe, whose stamina had bottomed out, was engulfed in white flames and thrown out of the arena, landing limply in a near-death state.

She had no strength to get up, nor even the strength to struggle or shout.

Aile stood in front of her and brought his sword down on her neck.

Kwak!

Streaks of blood splashed on her cheek and flowed down.

Chloe, defeated and humiliated, was soon teleported to her team’s position, and Aile turned his head towards them.

He stared at his opponents, whose faces had turned pale with terror.

“Next.”

* * *

[You have won the team battle!]

[‘Light’s Judge, Ru’ praises your wonderful performance!]

[Favor of the Goddess +1.00% (Currently 87.85%)]

[Light Order Contribution +1,500]

[Faith stat +5]

[Madness stat +5]

[Acquired the title ‘Reverse Sweeper’!]

[Acquired the title ‘Arena Master’!]

[Acquired the title ‘God of Consecutive Wins’!]

After the remaining three opponents were burned alive on the pyre, messages appeared in front of Aile, who had achieved a reverse sweep victory.

He smiled with satisfaction and checked his record.

[30 wins 0 losses (100% win rate), 1,714 points]

He had surpassed the coveted 1,700 points by achieving 30 consecutive wins.

Thanks to achieving a reverse sweep single-handedly after his teammates were eliminated, he received additional bonuses and more rewards than a normal victory.

Above all, he had collected all 50,000 points needed to purchase the ‘Seal of Destruction,’ which was the purpose of this arena.

‘Good, this brings me one step closer.’

Having obtained it through such a challenging process, the Seal of Destruction was a fairly rare item.

And the fact that the quest required such an item suggested that the reward would be significant.

Paat!

Aile quickly left the arena to avoid attracting attention.

He wanted to stop by the exclusive store and leave before the crowd gathered and things became complicated.

As soon as the match ended and he disappeared, his teammates, who were about to express their gratitude, stopped short, stunned.

The spectators also rushed out to find Aile, who had vanished once again.

“This… he actually won…….”

The Black Wolf guild member scratched his head.

Daryun, who was still sitting in his seat, slightly smiled.

“Interesting. The video of him defeating Rhoden… it wasn’t just a fluke.”

* * *

After a bloody storm in Media’s arena, Aile returned to the White Forest and delivered the Seal of Destruction to the High Elves.

Upon receiving the Seal of Destruction, they were able to break the powerful seal on the directive through a ritual.

Aile received purple skill books as a reward from the grateful High Elves, and he also collected a considerable amount of gold.

But the real reward was the information contained in the Dark Elf’s directive.

It contained far more information than Aile had expected.

The directive detailed the various destinations that the Dark Elf, who originally possessed it, was planning to visit next.

It included various location details, such as the sanctuary where the spirits slept. Alrund [leader of the High Elves] said he would use that information to track down the Dark Elves.

Since they had obtained solid evidence, they would issue a stern warning to the Dark Elves.

Of course, if the issue could be resolved with a warning, they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. This matter could potentially lead to war between the elves, and Alrund seemed prepared for an all-out conflict.

“Well, let’s leave that to the elves for now…….”

In a pitch-black space, Aile, holding a torch, carefully took a step while looking down.

‘The real jackpot among the things written there was separate.’

The true core of the directive’s content, written near the end, was information about a new area that had never been discovered before.

The Dark Elves had been causing severe pollution using the Spirit Stones, and in some places, this had caused large-scale land subsidence.

The problem was that they had discovered a new area beneath the subsided land.

‘It was a short paragraph written at the end of the directive, so not all the details were included. But the location was definitely written down.’

Taak!

Aile was heading below the collapsed ground through the entrance described in the directive.

As it was a passage created by erosion, the terrain was precarious, but it continued downwards without being blocked.

This confirmed that the information was accurate.

‘The arena video is being produced in the studio… If this information is correct, I won’t have to worry for a while…’

Aile, holding a torch, balanced himself as he descended through the rough terrain.

He had to be careful not to slip on the rocks that had become mushy due to pollution.

To be honest, he was concerned about the long climb back up, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

As he had seen in the Forbidden Temple, the first discovery of a new dungeon was bound to bring enormous rewards.

Furthermore, Aile was the only one who had obtained this information by deciphering the seal on the directive.

There were no other competitors.

Judging from the level of the related quest, it seemed to be around level 100, so the potential rewards would be even greater.

Taak!

“Have I arrived?”

The end of the tunnel, which had been completely dark, began to emit a faint light from all directions.

In Warlord, a faintly glowing floor and ceiling usually indicated an underground dungeon or new terrain.

Feeling a breeze, Aile realized he was standing on a high cliff.

“It’s a cliff? Where is this……?”

Aile looked down from the edge of the cliff, his face blank.

He had expected a new dungeon, but what he saw was something far grander.

A vast expanse of land stretched out below.

And several underground cities, scattered across the landscape, glowed with an eerie light.

The discovery of a new city… no, a new area beyond anything he had imagined.