Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 78

78. Madness to Madness

[Armor Break (Unique)]

– Skill exclusive to Heretic Inquisitors

– Neither armor nor shield can stop the Inquisitor’s hammer aimed at the sinner!

– Increases armor penetration by 40%, and slightly increases durability damage to equipment.

“…….”

Eil stared blankly at the screen in front of him.

He had been staring at the skill description window for over 10 minutes, unable to move.

Unique rank.

The highest rank beyond Rare and Heroic, so rare that an ordinary user might never see it, even after years of playing.

Even top rankers and players aiming for the top used the number of Unique rank skills as a key indicator of their power. It went without saying how significant it was.

Even considering the entire Warlord class, the number of Legendary skill holders was extremely small. The Unique rank right below it was the main force among the rankers.

And such an incredible skill was sitting in Eil’s skill window.

‘Armor penetration of 40 percent… This alone is almost enough to grind down tanks.’

It wasn’t just the high rank.

The ‘armor penetration’ option indicated the degree to which the enemy’s defense was ignored.

For example, if an attacker had 20% armor penetration, an opponent with 100 defense would only have 80 defense applied, and damage would be calculated accordingly.

Naturally, users who relied on physical attack power wanted to secure it at all costs. It was an incredibly important factor, especially among top-tier players whose stats were rapidly increasing.

In addition to the armor penetration effect, there was also an increase in the amount of damage dealt to equipment durability, though minor in comparison.

For users, equipment durability wouldn’t normally run out unless it had been left unrepaired for a long time, making it insignificant in PVP [Player versus Player] situations.

However, the increase in durability damage shone when stripping armor from boss monsters.

Some bosses clad in sturdy heavy armor often required their armor to be broken before a full-scale attack, and durability damage helped speed up this process.

In other words, it made the ‘part destruction’ of boss monsters easier.

“Let’s get a grip.”

Eil took a breath and slapped himself on the cheek.

It wasn’t time to be so excited yet.

He was taken aback by the unexpected windfall, but his satisfaction shouldn’t be measured by ordinary standards.

To catch up with the rankers, he needed to secure as many Unique and Heroic rank skills as possible, like now.

‘…….’

However, Eil’s lips didn’t easily curve into a smile as he glanced at the status window.

Name: Eil

Title: Agent of the Goddess

Faction: Order of Light

Level: 35

Class: Heretic Inquisitor

Main Stats

Strength: 85(+50) Agility: 72(+31) Stamina: 73(+23) Magic Power: 20(+20) Faith: 74.0(+20) Madness: 68.6(+20)

Passives

[Fanatical Martyr (Basic)], [Blade of Hatred (Basic)], [Armor Break (Unique)]

Actives

[Consecration (Basic)], [Sentence of Punishment (Apostle)], [Heretic Designation (Apostle)], [Reversal (Rare)], [Flash (Heroic)]

‘Agent of the Goddess’ Title Effect – All stats +20, Damage against heretics +5%

Light Armor Set Effect – Agility +3%, Defense +10%

Faith: Goddess of Justice and Light, Madness

Position: Apostle of Ru

Goddess’ Favor: 61.25%

Contribution: 5,410 (Cumulative 8,060)

* * *

Clunk!

The carriage stopped as it reached its destination.

Eil hadn’t completely arrived, but the carriage couldn’t go any further.

But that wasn’t a problem.

The destination was within walking distance.

Eil got out of the carriage and started walking into the dense forest.

It was an area where the tricky elite monster, the Crimson Bear, appeared in the mid-40 level range, but he wasn’t worried.

He wasn’t here to hunt, and he didn’t think it would be dangerous even if he ran into one.

Caw-!

The sound of an animal came from somewhere in the forest.

It wasn’t the sound of a Crimson Bear.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come.”

A white crow flew and landed on Eil’s arm.

It proudly raised the letter tied to its leg, and Eil accepted it and unfolded it.

As expected, it was a message from Alrund of the White Forest.

After successfully clearing the ‘Village of Destruction’ dungeon, Eil sent a crow to the White Forest to tell them what had happened.

The letter was Alrund’s reply, containing a message of gratitude for conducting an external investigation.

In other words, the quest was complete.

[Quest completed!]

[Experience acquired!]

A pouch was hanging on the opposite leg, containing an appropriate amount of gold and silver coins.

There were no other items, but the gold alone was generous, as expected of the elves.

“Hmm…….”

Eil, satisfied with the reward, looked at the back of the letter to see if there was anything else.

There was nothing on the empty parchment related to the next request.

This meant there would be no immediate follow-up quest.

But Eil wasn’t disappointed.

‘I cleared the quest safely, but I couldn’t find a definite mastermind. It’s not a case that can be easily dismissed. Bloody Hands, White Forest, and Twilight Society. I won’t be short of quests for a while.’

* * *

“Kkyaaaak!”

A terrible scream echoed.

Eil, walking down the hallway, was being guided by a Heretic Inquisitor, and the surrounding scenery came into view.

On the right, iron bars contained prisoners, and on the left was an execution site.

This place, chilling to the bone, was the ‘Heretic Inquisition Office’.

It was the base of all Inquisitors active in the Esmeier region, and a powerful enforcement agency of the Order of Light.

It had a distinctly different atmosphere from the temples usually located in the city, and red decorative flags symbolizing the Inquisition Office fluttered.

‘I’ve already heard the story, but… I didn’t expect it to be this intense.’

Eil was sweating profusely at the high-intensity interrogations taking place everywhere.

Unlike Dubel’s temple, which was empty because all the captured prisoners were executed, this place was filling up a very large space.

At the same time, the screams of prisoners burning at the stake were constant.

It would be one thing if it was just one or two people, but this chaos everywhere was hard to adapt to, even for Eil, who knew it was a game.

“Are you okay? You look uncomfortable.”

The Inquisitor guiding him looked at Eil’s complexion and asked.

She was a gentle-looking woman with blonde hair, but the red bloodstains on her face and armor, in contrast to her neatly dressed armor, gave her a creepy feeling.

“Ah, no. I’m fine.”

Eil waved his hand.

But she smiled lightly, as if she knew why, and continued.

“I see. You haven’t been walking the path of a Heretic Inquisitor for long, brother. I had forgotten that you were the one who condemned Benaron’s henchmen. No wonder this sight is uncomfortable. Do you feel pity for that man crying in the fire?”

“It’s not pity. It’s just… I just need a little time to adapt.”

“It’s a relief that you have a firm heart. The man who just passed by is a murderer who slaughtered forty people in the back alleys of the city and supplied human flesh for the past month. He confessed all the traders with unique tastes and is stepping into the fire of repentance. Do you see that woman nailed to the stake over there? She preached false religions, deceived people, and sold them to demon worshipers who needed sacrifices for money. Fortunately, the children who were scheduled to be used in the next ritual were rescued, but their parents and siblings were all eaten by demons.”

Thud!

One of the prisoners kneeling at the execution site was beheaded, and his head flew off.

“The people I just mentioned are the least of them. Most prisoners who have violated the doctrine are executed on the spot or processed at the temple. But those dragged to the underground prison of this Heretic Inquisition Office have committed such terrible crimes that it’s hard to put into words. They are beyond pity.”

“…I see.”

“I understand you have never visited the Order since you started walking the path of faith. Following the will of the Goddess can be done outside the Order, but you would have had few opportunities to come into contact with the laws and doctrines of the Inquisitor.”

Clatter!

The sound of heavy iron chains moving was heard, and another door opened, revealing a deep staircase leading down.

After stopping for a moment, she turned her head and asked Eil a question.

“I heard you destroyed Benaron’s altar. What did you see there?”

“There were many victims. Most of them were probably innocent.”

“That’s probably true. The demons are more cruel to the weak.”

She started walking down the stairs.

Eil followed her silently.

“But you must know that what happened there is just the tip of the iceberg. Even now, those tainted with evil are rampaging through the world and causing many victims, so we must fulfill our mission as Inquisitors. Do you know our mission well?”

“Of course. It is to find and judge those who have violated the doctrine.”

“That’s right. The Inquisitor is the Goddess’s sword and flame. He judges the evil of the world on her behalf. Then do you know why we put them on the execution stand?”

“It’s too late to discuss repentance, and only death is a fair punishment for their sins.”

Eil answered as if it were obvious.

He had already investigated the basic common sense within the Order, so he could confidently answer this question.

“That’s right. Heretics atone for sins that cannot be washed away by death. But is it necessary to burn them at the stake in front of everyone, cut off their heads, and hang them? Doesn’t that provoke resistance? Even good people point fingers at us, calling us fanatics, so why do we have to be so harsh? Why do we volunteer for these things?”

“That’s…….”

Eil was momentarily speechless.

To ask why the Inquisitors always execute heretics as if showing off.

He just thought it was something crazy fanatics would do, but he had never thought about it that way.

Squeak!

Suddenly, a hideous cry echoed through the passage.

‘What……!’

Eil, startled by the creepy sound, reflexively reached for his sword.

But she, walking ahead, smiled and continued.

“It’s fear. Even the creatures of the abyss feel it. Even those who do not hear the Goddess’s benevolent words become obedient to the tip of the sword aimed at their chins. Fear is order, and it is the pillar that supports the world. Therefore, the Inquisitor must instill fear in everyone. Everyone in the world must know what the end of those who have stepped into sin is, and what is happening in the basement of the Inquisition Office.”

The end of the stairs was near, and her unchangingly kind smile was somehow eerie.

“Brother, straighten your shoulders and deliver righteous judgment. Burn the begging heretics and stab the sword until the shabby demon sheds tears. So that even the innocent and the followers of the light obey in fear and listen to the Goddess’s words. So that they do not fall for the temptation of sin.”

Whoosh!

A hot heat swirled in front of Eil as he followed her to the end of the stairs.

The corpses of prisoners piled up were sucked into the fire, and the red flames on both sides flickered as if dancing.

The screams of the prisoners were constant, and here and there on the floor were iron bars that allowed you to look down below.

Below was the deep, dark prison.

Kieeeek!

Kooong!

Terrible monsters with dozens of huge iron chains embedded in their bodies writhed and howled in pain.

The red-hot shackles burned their skin and bound their limbs, and red blood flowed from the eyes of the monsters with stakes stuck in them.

“This is the Heretic Inquisition Office. The fear of the abyss and the final destination of all sins.”