Chapter 7

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 7 (7/227)

Episode 7: Lu’s Believer (2)

[Your level has increased!]

As monster corpses scattered around, Ail had reached Level 4.

Whoosh! He spun his sword to shake off the blood and slung it over his shoulder.

“Isn’t this amazing?”

At the same time, surveying the scene of three Horned Rabbits he’d just defeated, Ail let out an exclamation.

His battle felt completely different from when he used a regular sword. Fighting monsters was easier, maintaining distance was simpler, and cutting down multiple enemies at once came naturally.

If only he could get more accustomed to handling this longsword type weapon, the synergy would be incredible.

“Hmm… They say that in Warode, every player eventually finds their signature weapon. Is this what they meant?”

In Warode, there were so many types of weapons available, even within specific classes. Finding the right one for yourself was crucial.

For Ail, this longsword was perfect – satisfying impact, great power, and it just felt right in his hands.

Warode guaranteed the best fun among VR games, and for Ail, who was thirsty for gaming, it was like a drug.

“If only I didn’t have to worry about making a living and could play day and night…”

Ail licked his lips wistfully.

With the market growing, many professional players managed to make a living. Joining a decent-sized guild often paid better than most corporate jobs.

Though not as stable as regular employment, even belonging to a large guild or being an upper-tier player wasn’t necessary to earn well, showing just how big Warode had become commercially.

But Ail couldn’t dream of such a life.

Starting a year late, and needing to work at convenience stores just to survive day-to-day, he was far from that reality.

“Still, I’ve made enough money for now, and I can finally enjoy gaming after thinking I never would. That’s happiness.”

“Kyaah!”

“Huh?”

Just as he was content with his situation, a woman’s scream echoed from the other side of the hunting ground.

He immediately ran toward the sound, not because he thought it was a chance for loot, but simply to check what was happening.

“Kyeeek!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please leave me alone!”

Approaching closer, he saw a woman being chased by two large Horned Rabbits. Judging by the bodies near the entrance, quite a few beginners were challenging this area despite its difficulty.

“Someone… please save me!”

Spotting Ail, the woman pleaded desperately. Her teary eyes showed even in a VR game, getting killed by monsters was still terrifying.

Without hesitation, Ail stepped forward and drew his sword.

Since she had directly asked for help, it was better to assist her this time.

Kraack!

Ail’s powerful swing shattered a Horned Rabbit’s head.

The stronger force behind his longsword sent the creature into a stunned state. Quickly shifting his gaze, Ail focused on the other rabbit rather than wasting time finishing off the incapacitated one.

Hooong!

The enraged rabbit’s horn swung at Ail but missed.

Maintaining distance, Ail retreated and seized the opening to stab deeply into the monster.

Puuk!

The wounded creatures visibly slowed down, allowing Ail to take full control of the fight. Soon, both notorious monsters collapsed as corpses.

[You have successfully saved someone in danger!]

[The Righteous Judge Lu smiles at your noble actions.]

[Goddess Favor +0.11% (Current 50.11%)]

[Light Church Contribution +25]

[Faith Stat +0.8]

“Of course…”

Ail nodded knowingly.

In Warode, if you followed a deity, you needed to adjust your playstyle accordingly.

Had he ignored the woman’s plea for help just to loot items, his Goddess Favor stat would have dropped several times more than it rose.

So Ail sacrificed potential loot and money to save her, earning greater rewards instead.

[Your Goddess Favor has exceeded 50%.]

[The Grace of the Benevolent Goddess blesses you.]

[Slight increase in combat-related abilities.]

A warm glow enveloped Ail briefly before disappearing.

“0.11%… Not bad.”

Goddess Favor.

This was the key reason why players adhered to their deities’ doctrines, why they took faith seriously, and also why some hesitated to do so.

When following a deity, this Favor stat could grant powerful blessings or curses depending on its value.

If it fell below 50%, severe debuffs would be inflicted by the angered deity. Above 50%, helpful buffs would be granted.

Each of the seven deities had different kinds of blessings and curses. In Lu’s case, both were notoriously strong.

When blessed, all combat-related stats would significantly increase, growing stronger as Favor rose.

However, maintaining Favor with Lu was notoriously difficult.

Her extreme principles demanded much, and breaking them caused massive Favor drops. Even witnessing evil acts or having karma could trigger warnings to kill others, making normal gameplay nearly impossible.

Though Ail knew all this and had planned his playstyle accordingly, something unusual caught his eye.

“Lu smiles… Wasn’t there such text before?”

Among the system messages, there was mention of Lu smiling – something Ail had never heard of for such a small Favor increase.

Perhaps it was related to the Goddess awakening recently. Meanwhile, the woman he had saved approached him after regaining her composure.

“Thank you so much for saving me. I owe my life to you.”

“No problem, it’s only natural.”

Despite having considered looting from her earlier, Ail smiled politely.

“Um… Would it be okay to add you as a friend?”

Blushing slightly, she asked.

Even between strangers, adding each other as friends allowed future contact.

“Friend request?”

“Yes, yes. Or at least your name…”

Embarrassedly fidgeting, she peeked at Ail’s info panel.

<User Info>

Name: Ail

Faction: Light Church (Lu)

Level: 4

Class: Heresy Judge

“Eh? Oh no…”

Realizing this man was a follower of Lu, her face paled instantly.

Even beginners knew of the infamous reputation Lu’s followers had. Friends had warned her never to associate with those crazy zealots.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Turning ghostly white, the woman fled without looking back.

Watching her disappear, Ail looked perplexed.

“Ah, I forgot to set my profile private.”

Chuckling awkwardly, Ail immediately set his user info to private.

Setting it to private prevented others from viewing basic information.

“Expected this, but… Parties might be tough later.”

Indeed, followers of Lu were avoided like plague carriers among players.

Though he had set his info private to avoid immediate recognition, joining parties required sharing information – a basic necessity in Warode where player vs player killing had no penalties.

As levels rose, players checked not just levels and factions, but equipment status and user reputations too, making deception difficult.

“Tch…”

Kneeling on one knee, Ail gathered items from the monsters he had killed and planned his next move.

“I was going to wait until Level 5 for the next hunting ground… No, actually, completing a quest now would be better.”

Realizing he had a completable quest, Ail carefully collected the last items before standing up.

Dodging random monsters, he headed back toward the city.

But just then, a man suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind.

“Hey! Wait a moment!”