Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 68

68. Well Begun is Half Done

“Ugh…!”

With considerable effort, Aile climbed the tree, hooked himself onto a thick branch, and settled onto it.

His location offered a clear view of a large mountain stronghold nestled in the Plpitz Mountains.

From his high vantage point, he could easily observe the interior of the stronghold where the bandits were stationed.

‘It’s really as big as the rumors say.’

Although it appeared somewhat dilapidated, its sheer size made it difficult to consider it a mere mountain stronghold.

Plpitz Mountains.

This hunting ground was notorious as a haven for bandits and humanoid monsters around level 30, dotted with numerous strongholds and teeming with monsters.

This particular stronghold was just one of many within the mountain range, yet it was remarkably large.

Its incredibly high monster density and resulting difficulty made it infamous among players in the area.

Aile meticulously surveyed the scene below, carefully noting the placement of personnel and the overall structure of the facilities, ensuring he didn’t miss a single detail.

Before engaging in battle, it was crucial to thoroughly understand the hunting ground.

Of course, he had conducted prior research, but information gleaned from data was invariably different from firsthand observation.

‘More than anything, this feels different than usual. I need to pay extra attention.’

The reason Aile had come here was to film a video.

Some might wonder why he was suddenly creating a video, as if he were transforming into a broadcaster, but it was a necessary step to ascend to the ranker’s position.

In his current situation, overcoming all trials solely through his own strength was nearly impossible. If a conflict arose with a large guild boasting numerous members, he would need the support of an opposing guild to fend them off.

Due to the intense competition inherent in Warlord, guild relationships were intricately interwoven. With a keen sense and a detailed understanding of the situation, these relationships could be leveraged effectively.

However, this was only possible if Aile himself held a position of sufficient standing to negotiate with them.

‘I’m only level 29. I don’t possess the strength or exceptional production skills of those who started early. What I need in this situation is influence and impact.’

Flash!

As Aile manipulated the interface, a screen flashed in his peripheral vision.

The screen displayed chatter from various Warlord-related communities, specifically from the bulletin board.

The topics revolved around the unidentified Heretic Inquisitor who had appeared in Ingol Forest and Queens Blonde.

Of course, as time had passed, the primary focus had shifted to the top 6 guilds and several popular rankers, but interest in Aile’s actions hadn’t completely waned.

How could such traces be left on the corpses of monsters? Where would he strike next? What was his actual skill level?

Discussions and even arguments erupted among players. The bait he had cast was still attracting attention.

Since it was content enjoyed by people worldwide, the topic in Warlord was widely viewed, and once interest was piqued, it didn’t easily dissipate.

Aile intended to capitalize on the attention focused on his actions.

If he couldn’t achieve his goals alone, he would harness the power of public attention.

He didn’t particularly enjoy being in the public eye and would have preferred to avoid it, but circumstances dictated otherwise.

Catching up to the leaders who had already surged ahead wouldn’t be easy. Moreover, the competitors Aile was targeting were the top players in Warlord.

Although he had one of the seven deities backing him and possessed the Apostle System, a unique growth factor, he needed to exploit every advantage he could.

‘There’s no better hunting ground around right now.’

If his sole aim was leveling up, he could simply choose the most efficient hunting ground for experience acquisition. However, his current choice was driven by different considerations.

He needed to maximize attention through the video he would upload, and to meet Aile’s expectations, a simple concept wouldn’t suffice.

He had to showcase skills that would be recognized as those of a promising rookie, capable of attracting attention.

The strongholds of the Plpitz Mountains were well-known among players in the vicinity, and the hunting ground tended to be overrated compared to its actual difficulty.

Additionally, Aile, who was nearing level 30, needed to acquire a skill book. The named mobs [stronger, unique monsters] within the stronghold dropped usable-grade skill books, making it a suitable location for Aile in multiple ways.

‘The reconnaissance is roughly complete…’

Before commencing the full-scale hunt, Aile retrieved various potions from his inventory.

These were high-performance doping potions he had received from Alisa as a reward for procuring rare materials from the restricted area.

As Aile swallowed several potions in quick succession, his overall stats temporarily surged.

Aile slid down the tree and landed lightly, confidently striding towards the main gate guarded by the bandits.

From the entrance and inside the stronghold, to the interior of the buildings and the underground tunnels.

The time allocated for the strategy, including extracting useful scenes, was set to approximately 1 hour.

“Start filming.”

Aile drew his long sword.

* * *

– Is there anyone here who hasn’t seen the video yet?

– You mean the video of catching bandits in the Plpitz Mountains? I saw it.

– Huh, what happened?

– Go to WarTube quickly.

The world’s largest Warlord video platform, ‘WarTube’.

Due to a video released there without any prior notice, another wave of turmoil swept through various Warlord communities.

Crackle!

Kkyaaaa!

As the video played, the screams of the bandits and the sounds of a player subduing them filled the screen.

At first glance, it might have seemed like an ordinary hunting video, but the main character was the one who had recently been at the center of attention.

The infamous Heretic Inquisitor who had been witnessed brutally murdering players in Queens Blonde and Ingol Forest.

Whirr!

He beheaded and executed the fiercely attacking bandits, and the scene of dragging away and burning or hanging all the bandits who had fallen into a dying state was vividly captured in the video.

Some of the bandits who fell to the floor begged for mercy, but they couldn’t escape the Inquisitor’s resolute flames.

Even to players who knew it was just a game, the humanoid monsters, the bandits, looked pitiful.

In the continued battle—no, massacre—the entire stronghold was stained with blood. Beheaded heads rolled on the floor or were held in the hands of the Heretic Inquisitor, who recited prayers to the goddess as he hung them all over the stronghold.

The scattered corpses littered the floor, and the stronghold was utterly devastated.

In the Plpitz Mountains, known for being so difficult that they were called the graveyard of low-level players, the man in the video single-handedly subdued an entire stronghold that was recommended for party play.

In particular, the edited video concluded with a slow pan across the bandit stronghold lined with corpses, creating an almost apocalyptic scene.

More than anything, unlike the eyewitness accounts or videos uploaded by others, this was a video filmed and uploaded by the Heretic Inquisitor himself.

– Crazy, this time he filmed it himself.

– It’s a shame he covered his face.

– It’s creepy, but I feel like it relieves stress when I watch it.

– Brother, I respect you. Please tie me up once if we meet.

– When will the next video come out?

As expected, the comments section was buzzing.

Players eager to see the next act of the fanatical Inquisitor cheered at the bandits being cut down and the video’s overall madness. Even those encountering him for the first time couldn’t hide their surprise at his actions.

However, among them, those with even a modicum of discernment were paying attention to the player’s skill, not just the spectacle, and were discussing it.

– Wow, he’s soloing Plpitz with those specs?

– I just thought he was a crazy guy, but he’s a hardcore pro.

– Why is he still level 29 with that skill? Did he start late?

– Eye candy, properly.

– Isn’t this almost ranker level?

– He’s good, but don’t overdo it.

It wasn’t just a focus on unconventional performances to attract attention; his skill in killing monsters was genuinely impressive.

His movements were skillful, unlike those of a typical low-level player. He maintained his composure even when surrounded by bandits, displayed flexible coping abilities, and selected skills and items appropriately.

Even according to the specs he partially revealed, his level was low, and although his equipment was quite good, it wasn’t enough to single-handedly massacre the bandits of the Plpitz Mountains without a party.

Despite his relatively lacking specs, he overcame the difficult hunting ground through skill alone.

Even the online critics who pounce on the slightest mistake were silenced. He was a player with amazing skills.

– But was the Heretic Inquisitor originally that strong? The damage output is very high compared to the equipment and level.

– The Light Church is inherently strong because all combat stats increase if you manage the favorability stat well. The problem is the crazy goddess, since you can’t join a guild.

– I’ll have to try it once as a 부캐 [boo-keh, alternate character], thinking of throwing it away.

Along with this, a re-evaluation of the Heretic Inquisitor, the exclusive job of the Light Church, which was thoroughly unpopular, was underway.

As is well known, the perception of the Light Church among players was the worst. It was a job that was undervalued compared to its actual outstanding combat power because no famous ranker was attracting attention to it.

In fact, the reason for the undervaluation so far was largely due to the existence of significant disadvantages and penalties that completely overshadowed the advantages in combat.

Anyway, this video piqued the interest of quite a few people in the combat power of the Heretic Inquisitor and elicited a positive response.

[‘Light’s Judge, Ru’, smiles with satisfaction.]

Of course, no one knew that the ‘Madness Stat’, which ordinary believers didn’t possess, contributed to this much damage, apart from the favorability stat.