Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 163

Leaving Eltries, Eile headed straight for the southern swamp.

Then, he tracked down the sacred objects one by one, following the waystones and the coordinates recorded within them.

It took a considerable amount of time, at least several days, and while scouring the swamp, Eile managed to reach level 200.

A level that seemed so distant when he first started the game.

Among users, surpassing 200 held great symbolic meaning, and it was a very emotional moment for Eile, who had started later than others.

However, he now faced a significant problem.

Unlike the relatively easier northern region, thanks to the Iron Cross’s presence, the other remote areas were a completely different story.

“I can’t find it at all!”

Eile shouted, raising his head.

Searching for waystones in this vast swamp beyond the border was already a tiring task.

Even if he managed to find a waystone, he couldn’t be sure if it had the correct coordinates until he went there himself.

‘More than anything, there are times when there’s really nothing at the coordinates.’

Originally, the coordinates of the waystones pointed to suspicious areas where sacred objects might be located.

Even if there were no sacred objects and the coordinates were wrong, there were usually other facilities at the very least.

However, since entering the swamp, there have been many times when he arrived at the coordinates to find nothing.

Just dense jungle or barren fields.

This didn’t happen in the north or west, but there were reports that it frequently occurred in the southern and eastern regions.

In fact, Eile had experienced it several times, so it wasn’t just someone else’s problem.

‘Instead of finding clues, I’m just wasting my time more often. And the hardest part is this terrible environment…….’

As the rumors had suggested, the southern swamp was a different kind of hell compared to the harsh north.

The stuffy and humid air, unsanitary conditions, annoying insects, and swarming monsters constantly tormented him.

If the north had powerful monsters lurking individually, here it was just an endless wave of trash mobs.

Of course, the field boss monsters that occasionally appeared were much stronger than those within the border, so he had to avoid them whenever possible.

And it wasn’t just the monsters he had to worry about.

Freya, who occasionally sent pursuers from the Earth Church, was also a problem.

She hadn’t sent any familiars since then, but she could mobilize her followers on the ground at any time.

Constantly having his life threatened while trudging through the harsh swamp was enough to give him a nervous breakdown.

Other users who came here with their parties couldn’t stand it and quickly left, so it was needless to say how he felt.

But fortunately, there was a way to relieve the mounting frustration.

“Is it here……?”

Eile, who had found the coordinates indicated by the waystone, stopped in his tracks.

This time, at least it wasn’t a complete waste with just a barren field.

The entrance to a large ruin was located in the dense swamp.

‘Someone’s there.’

Sensing a presence, Eile placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Encountering another user in a remote area with an extreme environment was not a common occurrence.

Even though the number of people searching had increased due to the appearance of the sacred objects, it was such a vast area and not an easy place to survive, so it was only natural.

However, a considerable number of people came to the coordinates of the waystones.

At least all the users aiming for the sacred objects would gather around the coordinates.

Right now, there were users here.

A party of five emerged from the ruins and faced Eile.

“There’s someone…….”

“Hmm? Did you come here alone? Or were your companions all defeated……?”

The man at the front approached with his arms open, as if to reassure him.

However, two or three of the party members behind him revealed shifty eyes.

It’s not as easy as you think to be aware of and manage your own expression.

Eile, seeing through their obvious intentions, asked them a question.

“What’s your affiliation?”

“There’s no need to be wary. We are followers of the Earth Church.”

“Ah…….”

Eile nodded slowly upon hearing the man’s words.

They were followers of the Earth Church, meaning Freya’s followers.

Of course, they were probably just searching for the sacred objects and not pursuers sent by Freya to target him.

However, having been constantly harassed by the Earth Church’s followers since entering the southern swamp, there was no reason to let them pass.

“Heretic.”

Swish!

Eile drew his sword without hesitation.

“H, Heretic……?”

“Are you picking a fight?”

[A Heretic has been designated!]

The mark of the heretic shone above their heads.

“They shall all be burned at the stake!”

Whoosh!

Holy Fire blazed on Eile’s longsword.

“You crazy bastard!”

“Are you underestimating us!”

The enraged party members drew their weapons all at once.

They happened to need supplies, and they never expected someone to attack five of them alone.

“W, Wait a minute, that person……!”

The woman, realizing Eile’s identity, tried to shout.

However, Eile quickly used Reverse Step to bypass the tank in front and instantly slashed her, who was in the rear.

Eliminating the healer first to avoid trouble.

“When did this bastard get here!”

“Kuaaak!”

Next was the archer holding a bow.

The longsword imbued with fire deeply pierced his side, and the archer couldn’t even react.

Anyone who roamed this swamp was definitely not an easy opponent.

However, Eile displayed tremendous movements that far surpassed them.

Thanks to Madness and Favor, his base stats were already superior, and with a speed-increasing passive and a skill that gave additional bonuses upon approach, even a high-level archer who invested in agility couldn’t keep up.

“D, Damn it! Why isn’t it going out!”

The archer, with flames engulfing his body, thrashed in terror.

He jumped into the nearby water, but the flames on his body didn’t extinguish even in the water.

The characteristic of Holy Fire, which doesn’t easily go out in water.

Moreover, it was thanks to the effect of the 20th skill Eile acquired upon reaching level 200 this time.

[Holy Fire Enhancement (Unique)]

An Inquisitor-exclusive skill and a unique-grade skill.

It literally had the effect of enhancing Holy Fire, giving it more damage and a longer duration.

That wasn’t all.

Fear and intimidation stacks began to accumulate little by little on the other party members who had not yet been attacked by Eile.

[Bloody Zealot (Heroic)]

A passive that inflicts intimidation and fear effects on all nearby enemies whenever an enemy is slashed or defeated.

Simply inflicting wounds had a relatively small effect, but causing significant bleeding or bringing them to the brink of death had a greater effect.

Of course, completely ending their lives was the best, but that was difficult since all of them were designated as heretics.

Thwack!

“Keuk…….”

The man, whose abdomen was pierced, slid to the ground.

Eile smoothly pulled out his longsword and turned his gaze in the opposite direction.

His cheeks stained with red blood and the longsword dripping with blood.

Eile’s shifty eyes turned towards the remaining man.

The fear and intimidation status ailments had accumulated as four party members fell.

But more than anything, he was overwhelmed by the terrifying skill Eile had shown.

“Ugh… Ughaaaaa!”

The terrified man turned and began to run away.

However, Eile didn’t try to chase him and simply lowered his sword.

Swish!

“Keuk……! W, What is this!”

Suddenly, eight chains sprang up from the ground and wrapped around the fleeing man.

Unable to react to the speed of activation, the restrained man fell helplessly to the ground.

[Chains of Divinity (Heroic)]

Eile’s 19th active skill.

A skill classified as divine magic and affected by the ‘Faith’ stat.

As it was affected by the highest stat, its strength and duration were excellent.

“Then…….”

Eile approached him and stabbed him with his sword before the restraint effect wore off.

With that, everyone was sprawled out in a near-death state.

Having finished preparing for execution with the Punishment skill, Eile dragged the followers away.

“W, Wait a minute!”

“Save me!”

After the battle was decided, some resigned themselves to their fate, while others cursed or begged.

But either way, Eile had no mercy.

Eile hung them all on the tree.

Then, he brought his Holy Fire-imbued longsword to the followers struggling with their necks constricted and set them on fire.

Whoosh!

“Hmm, the visuals are pretty good.”

Combining hanging and burning created a good picture.

Eile nodded in satisfaction and turned his gaze.

Now, only one person remained chained, and Eile approached him and placed a rope around his neck.

Then, after securing the rope to the tree, he placed him on a makeshift scaffold.

A structure that would immediately hang the man if the precarious bucket under his feet was kicked away.

It was time to make a deal.

“How many waystones have you found?”

“W… Why are you asking that?”

“Tell me honestly. I’ll let you go.”

The pure white flame that Eile held out flickered right in front of his nose.

The man’s sweat dripped down with the scorching heat.

Swallowing hard, the man had no choice but to open his mouth.

He confessed all the waystones he had discovered and the coordinates he had gone to in vain, handing over the information.

“Words alone aren’t enough. Don’t you have a map or a note with markings?”

“H, Here…….”

“Hmm, good.”

Eile was satisfied with the map that the man had struggled to drop.

Information like this from other users would greatly shorten the time it took to discover things.

“A… Are you letting me go now?”

“Yeah, I’ll send you off.”

Eile nodded and kicked the bucket with his foot.

Thud!

“Kuhahaha!”

The hanged man convulsed violently.

He looked at Eile with an incredulous expression.

“To the side of the Goddess, that is.”

Whoosh!

Eile fed him Holy Fire, and the man burned black without even screaming.

[A heretic has been executed!]

[A double bonus is awarded for a punishment-appropriate execution!]

“Hoo, refreshing.”

Every time he burned these encountered heretics, he felt the stress from the swamp disappear.

But soon, Eile came to his senses and shook his head.

‘Hmm… No, this is all to get footage.’

Eile’s concept still had great demand on WarTube [a fictional video-sharing platform in the game world].

Even if imitators who copied his actions appeared here and there, they couldn’t replace Eile, who was the original and had excellent skills.

Doing these things was all just a strategic choice.

But considering that, Eile had left traces all over the swamp, with corpses filling every place.

The completely burned corpse swayed back and forth, and Eile briefly put his hands together and offered a short prayer.

“I hope you convert to the Church of Light in heaven…….”

[‘Light’s Judge, Lou’ wipes his eyes with overwhelming emotion.]

[Church of Light Contribution +500]