Level Up Inquisitor [EN]: Chapter 98

98. The Best Defense (2)

The defense of Tuli Village resumed, with a seemingly endless horde of undead monsters blackening the plains as they swarmed toward the barricades.

The number of monsters appeared to have increased significantly compared to the previous wave.

With the barricade still under repair from the previous battle and facing such overwhelming numbers, a chaotic, unorganized fight would only worsen their situation.

Therefore, the vanguard moved outside the barricade to establish a defensive line, while the ranged classes took positions on the barricade to provide supporting fire.

The defenders were experienced players who had long shed their “newbie” status in Warlord.

Thanks to this, as seasoned players began issuing commands, the initial disarray quickly subsided.

The mages, having secured their positions early, unleashed the spells they had been preparing.

콰과과광!

Multiple area-of-effect spells detonated simultaneously within the densely packed zombie horde.

The undead caught within the spells’ range were obliterated in spectacular fashion, leaving the ground shattered and scorched.

But even this devastating barrage was not enough to make a significant dent in their numbers.

The remaining undead, still a vast multitude, pressed forward, trampling over the fragments of their fallen comrades. Then, a hail of arrows fired by the archers rained down upon them.

The zombies struck by the arrows collapsed, riddled with holes, but the undead horde consisted of more than just zombies.

키에에엑!

Ghouls, interspersed among the zombies, used their arms and legs to propel themselves forward, breaking into a run.

They dashed through the arrow storm at high speed, colliding with the melee fighters at the front line and engaging them in close combat.

They were noticeably more agile and stronger than the other undead in the horde.

However, this wasn’t the first wave to include ghouls, and the defenders had made preparations to counter them.

Users with superior combat prowess, who had initially retreated slightly, quickly advanced to intercept the ghouls.

푸욱!

키이이익!

The first ghouls to charge were swiftly cut down by the users’ swords, while others were impaled by spears.

The ghouls’ hasty charge proved to be a fatal mistake.

The users fought effectively, dealing with the undead that belatedly joined the fray through a coordinated barrage of attacks.

Although three or four people perished in the process, if they maintained their focus, they could successfully defend against this wave as well.

But as if fate wouldn’t allow things to be so easy, a deafening roar echoed from within the approaching undead horde.

구워어어어!

A massive undead monster crashed into the front line, sending two tank characters sprawling.

It was an elite monster resembling a ferocious ape: an Armor Troll.

As its name suggested, the creature was covered in thick, hardened armor and charged indiscriminately at the users, its four red eyes gleaming with malevolent intent.

“This bastard…!”

A warrior, gritting his teeth, raised a one-handed axe and charged toward the Armor Troll.

To stabilize the collapsing formation, they needed to eliminate the threat as quickly as possible.

카앙!

But his attack was easily deflected.

Thanks to its thick armor, the Armor Troll possessed high base defense and significant resistance to physical attacks.

Not only did the warrior fail to inflict any significant damage, but he couldn’t even halt the monster’s advance.

콰직! 콰직!

The Armor Troll’s massive fists rained down upon him, and blood splattered everywhere.

He desperately raised his shield, but it was futile.

The users’ confusion and panic intensified as the warrior who had attempted to block the monster was swiftly defeated.

파바박!

The archers on the barricade unleashed a volley of arrows that struck the troll.

However, the arrows failed to penetrate deeply enough to cause significant damage, and the troll thrashed about even more violently, snapping the arrows embedded in its body.

While the combined barrage of arrows had inflicted some damage, the wounds regenerated rapidly, and the health it had painstakingly lost quickly recovered.

Even though it was undead, it retained the regenerative properties characteristic of trolls, making it incredibly resilient.

“끄아악!”

Another user attempting to hold the line was sent flying.

In truth, with their numbers, they should have been able to subdue the Armor Troll with relative ease, but unfortunately, they weren’t just facing the Armor Troll.

Even more monsters were swarming in, and the battle raged on, with the elite monster wreaking havoc in the midst of it all.

This chaotic situation led to increased casualties, placing them in a precarious position.

“Damn it, hey! Do something over there!”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds…!”

콰앙!

No sooner had he spoken than a stray magic spell struck the ground nearby.

They attempted to focus their magical attacks on the Armor Troll, but its movements were too erratic, and their spells repeatedly missed.

Moreover, its wild movements disrupted the users at the front, making it even harder to target.

In any case, magic spells typically had a delay compared to arrows, and accurately calculating the trajectory to hit a moving target was challenging.

Considering the speed and agility of the enemy, as well as the risk of friendly fire, it was a difficult calculation for users around level 40 to make.

“Someone stun it!”

“Damn it, how can we when it’s thrashing around like that…!”

At this rate, the front line was in danger of collapsing entirely.

Then, a new player arrived on the scene.

A man emerged from the entrance of the barricade and stepped onto the battlefield.

He wore light armor and wielded a long sword, his face completely concealed by his activated helmet.

However, it was unlikely that the addition of a single person would be enough to turn the tide of the battle, and no one paid him much attention amidst the chaos.

The throwing dagger he launched flew toward the Armor Troll.

파악!

[The special effect ‘Slow’ has been activated!]

The dagger struck a joint with pinpoint accuracy, immediately activating its special effect and inflicting the Slow status ailment on the Armor Troll.

Its speed, previously absurd for its size, was still present, but its movements were now much easier to anticipate.

And the moment the rampaging creature drew near.

파앗!

Aile, using the ground as a launchpad, leaped forward, closing the distance.

The Armor Troll’s gaze shifted to him, and Aile met its four red eyes.

Its thick armor provided exceptional defense, and its high health as an elite monster meant that ordinary attacks would barely scratch it.

But that was not a problem for Aile.

콰앙!

The greatsword, imbued with white flames, struck the troll head-on.

Thanks to the effect of the Voracious Greatsword, which inflicted 1.5 times the damage on the first strike, an even more powerful impact slammed into the monster.

The troll staggered backward as cracks appeared in its armor.

A considerable amount of health had been depleted by the previous strike.

Aile possessed the unique-grade skill, Armor Break, which constantly granted him 40% armor penetration.

Even if it wasn’t enough to completely ignore the high defense, the effect was significantly different compared to other users who lacked penetration.

Furthermore, Armor Break had the added effect of reducing the durability of the opponent’s equipment upon direct impact, explaining the cracks in the troll’s hardened armor.

휘릭!

Aile, having landed on the ground, seized the opportunity as the troll stumbled.

He swiftly swapped the greatsword, which had considerable momentum, for a spear, and the sharp spear pierced the troll’s leg.

[The special effect ‘Poison’ has been activated!]

Since the burn damage from the Sacred Fire and the poison damage from the spear were not calculated as physical damage, the Armor Troll’s physical resistance was ineffective.

The creature, already marked with the Heretic’s Mark [a debuff that increases damage taken], suffered even more damage from Aile’s relentless assault.

As a result, its health was rapidly dwindling, outpacing its natural regeneration.

‘That’s why they say it’s good for solo play.’

As a melee class, the Heretic Inquisitor also had some skill tree in Sacred Magic, including Sacred Fire, and was able to deal damage relatively unrestrictedly by resistance or immunity, whether physical or magical.

That was why there was no enemy that could not be conquered by solo play, and overall, they were excellent at dealing with situations.

“Wh… what is that?”

Even amidst the intense battle, many users couldn’t help but stare at Aile’s impressive display.

Especially the flickering white flames and the weapons that changed from moment to moment.

Some people began to suspect that Aile was the Heretic Inquisitor who had recently become a hot topic in the community.

But with his helmet completely concealing his face, Aile was able to focus on the battle without worrying about being recognized.

후웅!

The Armor Troll, letting out a pained roar, swung its massive arm.

Its leg was deeply impaled by the spear, making it difficult to evade the attack at such close range.

But Aile, using Reverse [a skill that allows the user to quickly dodge an attack], easily avoided the blow and raised the long sword he had drawn.

With his arm accelerating in a state where he had completely taken the rear.

The long sword was swung with all his might, and the activated Flash Cut skill engulfed the Armor Troll.

콰과과과과!

Additional damage to heretics due to titles and passives, the special effect ‘Full Moon’ of weapons targeting the Holy property skill and the undead.

Aile’s main skill, enhanced by various bonuses, washed over the monster.

쿠웅!

The Armor Troll, engulfed in flames, abruptly stopped in its tracks and collapsed forward, its strength completely spent.

The hard armor it wore was shattered by Aile’s sword strike.

“N, no way…….”

“He took down that monster alone?”

The users who were fighting whispered in disbelief.

A user they had never seen before had suddenly appeared and subdued the elite monster in an instant, drawing everyone’s attention.

Compared to them, his level didn’t seem significantly higher, yet he had single-handedly defeated the creature they had been struggling against, making it impossible to ignore him.

But Aile casually brushed off their gazes and continued with his plan.

터억!

Aile reached out and grabbed the leg of the fallen troll.

The Armor Troll’s health had reached its lowest point, and it lay motionless, but it hadn’t completely ceased to exist.

It was in a near-death state.

Aile had been carefully calculating the damage throughout the fight, deliberately avoiding a fatal blow.

“Wh… what is that guy doing?”

“Wait, could it be?”

The users watched Aile with growing curiosity as he grabbed the troll’s leg and began dragging it away.

But as they witnessed Aile’s next action, their faces gradually paled.