Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 196

196. Turning Point (3)

The Labyrinth Forest.

It was a notoriously well-known area among the surrounding players.

With its incredibly vast and complex terrain, and being a habitat for high-level monsters exceeding level 200, carelessly stepping inside was a surefire way to lose your life.

Especially, the hunting grounds were full of monsters with bizarre attack patterns, and the rewards they offered were completely worthless, which was also a problem.

Unless there was other urgent business, almost no one tried to set foot there.

At least, it had to be said that no player visited this place for the purpose of regular field hunting.

Thud!

A giant lumbered from between the trees, passing by and leaving huge footprints.

‘Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to have noticed me.’

Eile, who quickly hid as soon as he saw it, watched the giant’s receding figure.

According to the information window, it was a level 240 elite monster.

Eile, who had already reached his 230s, could handle it, but he let it pass by quietly without confronting it.

Normally, elite monsters were important sources of stat boosts that could be obtained besides bosses or other players, but now was not the time to be greedy for such small gains.

‘I can’t afford to make a scene in this dangerous place…….’

Even while hiding, Eile shifted his gaze warily.

Considering the numerous high-ranking players who could be in this area, he couldn’t let his guard down for a moment.

Whether the information that the princess was in the Labyrinth Forest was accurate or not, Apollion was thoroughly searching only this vicinity.

Since the princess’s whereabouts were the only key that could turn the situation around, naturally, the top players of each guild had all gathered in the forest.

Of course, thanks to the size of the very large forest, even if her location was specified, it wouldn’t be easy to chase after her.

Rustle!

The moment Eile tried to get up, he sensed someone approaching.

A pair of men and women were coming through the bushes.

Eile lowered his posture again and held his breath.

“How about the western cave?”

“Still nothing.”

‘That face is……?’

Surprised, Eile tried to recall the faces of the two he had just seen.

Two high-ranking players from Apollion.

In particular, one of them was Silas, a high ranker and one of the top executives.

As a skilled individual ranked 8th overall, if he had been discovered even a little later, he would have already been dead.

Even the attendant next to him was a ranker in the 700s, so he couldn’t handle them alone.

‘As expected… even the top executives have come here themselves.’

Apollion’s top executives, who had taken the lead in seizing the capital.

They, who hadn’t shown themselves during the fierce war in the northeast, were here.

Capturing the escaped princess was taking longer than expected, and when it was realized that rankers from the other six major guilds had entered the forest, they had stepped in themselves.

Thud, thud.

Even with the footsteps getting closer, Eile didn’t dare to move his head to look.

They passed right in front of where Eile was hiding, but fortunately, they didn’t notice and passed by.

“To think it would take this long to catch one princess who escaped on her own. Now even gnats are swarming around, and unnecessary variables have arisen in a situation where we’re about to wrap things up.”

“I’m sorry. Her trail has completely disappeared since she entered this forest…….”

“I’m not blaming you. I’m just curious what tricks the princess, who escaped alone, is using. She wasn’t talented in combat, and she can’t handle monsters…….”

The voices gradually faded away.

Eile, who unintentionally overheard their conversation, nodded.

‘Certainly, it’s almost impossible for Seia to wander around this forest alone.’

The Labyrinth Forest was full of high-level monsters, enough to hold back even the rankers who had entered this place.

If the princess had been alone, instead of skillfully running away while hiding her tracks, she would have become a meal for the monsters long ago.

Unlike humans, monsters couldn’t recognize royalty.

But the princess hadn’t been killed yet.

As soon as Eile entered the Labyrinth Forest, he was given a quest from Ru, and the content of the quest was to secure the princess before Apollion.

If she had died, this kind of quest wouldn’t have occurred.

Swoosh.

As soon as Apollion’s rankers completely disappeared, Eile got up from his spot.

‘It seems like the number of rankers is definitely increasing as I go further inside. I have to be careful not to run into them.’

Reducing the number of Apollion’s rankers in the forest as much as possible would be advantageous in the competition, but that was the same for the other side.

It wasn’t like dealing with clueless users, so there was no need to take the risk of stepping forward first.

‘The top priority is to secure Princess Seia.’

The battles with the rankers could be left to the Iron Cross or the rankers of the other six major guilds.

‘Then the problem is where to start looking…….’

Eile, deep in thought, checked the map.

The Labyrinth Forest was a high-level area that was not easy to enter, and it was not worth the attention of high-level users, so there was very little information available.

That was why even the six major guilds with their vast information networks were having a hard time.

‘But…….’

Unlike others, Eile knew quite a lot of information about this place.

In his past exchanges with ‘Lotus,’ with whom he had formed a friendship by exchanging high-level information on the site, information about this place was also included.

Unlike the terrestrial hunting grounds, which were only difficult and had mediocre rewards, surprisingly, there were quite useful dungeons in the underground of the forest.

Of course, there were only a few such underground dungeons.

But if you were to consider a place suitable for hiding for a long time, there was only one suspicious area.

‘But that’s a place that really few people know about…….’

A dungeon known only to a small number of people, as few as could be counted on one hand, even among all the players in Warlord.

The secrecy was very well maintained among the few users who knew the information.

Even Eile had planned to go there later because of its excellent hunting efficiency.

If the princess was hiding inside, that would also be a question.

Whether it was simply a coincidence that she was able to take refuge there, or whether there was another reason.

‘Either way, I should check it out quickly.’

Eile immediately started running to the coordinates where the entrance to the underground dungeon was located.

* * *

Whoosh!

A long passage that continued endlessly.

Eile, who had slid down the slope, barely managed to balance himself and landed.

“Whew, found it.”

A dark underground dungeon greeted him.

It was the same as the picture that came with the information at the time, and it was the underground dungeon he was looking for.

Thump!

Then a heavy sound echoed from above.

‘This… it seems like they’ve really started fighting.’

The faint explosions and vibrations heard above were not easily stopped.

The location of the underground dungeon itself was near the center of the forest, and a fierce battle was taking place above it between the colliding rankers of the six major guilds.

‘I’m glad I didn’t get caught up in that.’

Eile shook his head and stepped inside.

The entrances to the underground dungeon were few compared to its large size, and they were all hidden places that were difficult to find unless you knew them in advance, so at least there was no need to worry about someone following from the outside.

‘I hope she’s in here if possible…….’

Whoosh!

He made the sacred fire blaze on his longsword.

Eile, who had passed through the entrance and entered inside, soon encountered the monsters of the dungeon.

Chimeras with corpses patched all over them were filling the passage.

Grotesque appearances, each with a different look.

That was because they were monsters created by gathering the corpses of monsters that lived on the ground of the Labyrinth Forest, and this underground dungeon was full of such creatures.

‘I don’t think Seia can break through these guys… but there are a few safe zones for sure. I should check those areas first.’

Unlike the ground, where monsters were scattered everywhere, the only areas that could be considered truly safe in the Labyrinth Forest were actually inside this underground dungeon.

Kieeeek!

The chimeras, who had spotted Eile, rushed at him.

The sight of grotesque monsters swarming out of the darkness, making chilling cries, was like a scene from a horror game.

But to Eile, this kind of sight was close to everyday life.

Rather, he could guarantee that the Order’s Inquisitorial Office would be several times more terrifying than this.

Clang!

Eile, who collided with them, dodged the chimeras rushing from all directions and sliced through the monsters, wielding his longsword.

The relatively narrow passage made it easier to deal with them.

Whirrr!

The skill, Baptism of Fire, was activated.

The fierce flames that stretched out from the swung sword filled the passage and swept away the chimeras.

Kieeeek!

The superior stats, along with the additional damage against the undead, incinerated them.

The chimeras were level 240 monsters, higher than Eile, but Eile’s stats were not inferior to that level at all.

Slice!

Eile, calmly reducing their numbers, cut off the head of one of them.

Before he knew it, he was almost familiar with the attack patterns shown by the chimeras.

But he noticed something strange among the chimeras gathered in front.

‘That is……?’

One of them had the stigma of heresy stamped on its head.

Considering that ordinary monsters cannot be branded, it meant that he was not just a large one.

When he quickly opened the monster’s status window, it turned out to be a level 250 elite monster.

Kaboom!

The guy, who had quickly closed the distance, stretched out his fist and smashed one wall.

He hurriedly dodged, but it was such a tremendous force that several of the same chimeras were trampled and disappeared at once.

‘It’s fast and… it’ll be over if I get hit even once.’

He stepped back and gripped his sword.

Tsutsutsut!

Eile’s synchronization rate was instantly raised.

His eyes, dyed gold, moved and headed towards the giant who had already charged close.

Thud!

Eile, who jumped high, came down, slashing the back of the giant chimera.

Dodging the guy’s fist being slammed down, he dug into the empty left side and stabbed his sword.

The fight was one-sided to the point where the elite monster’s fast speed and brute force were insignificant.

In an amazingly relaxed manner, he read all of the guy’s movements and showed overwhelming skill.

The damage gradually accumulated.

At the end of it, Eile chopped down the monster’s neck in one fell swoop.

Thud!

The giant chimera spewed black blood like a fountain and collapsed to the floor.

[You have executed a heretic!]

[Your level has increased!]

‘I feel lighter… wait, this is more than I expected?’

Eile’s eyes widened at the level he had already gained.

He had accumulated some experience, but he had gained much more experience than he had expected.

‘This could be…….’

Kuaaaa!

Then a loud roar was heard right next to him.

When Eile turned his head and looked, a bunch of elite monsters of similar size to the giant chimera he had just dealt with were approaching.

“Huh…….”

But a smile settled on Eile’s lips as he faced the monsters.

‘I came here intending to postpone leveling up because it’s an important matter. Well, guess I don’t have to?’