Chapter 15

Level Up Heresy Inquisitor – Episode 15 (15/227)

Episode 15: Apostle (2)

[Punishment Sentence], [Heresy Designation].

These were the two new active skills Ail had gained this time.

Both were Apostle-exclusive skills, not direct attack types, but just by reading their skill window descriptions, it was clear they were way more useful than regular attack skills.

Though he wanted to investigate further right away, he could test them in real combat later. First, he needed to collect the spoils.

He’d already spent too long leaving the Tregawl corpse unattended.

– You have obtained an item!

[Mana-Infused Corpse Chunk (Advanced) x 14]

[Wailing Dagger (Rare)]

[Cross Pendant (Common)]

[Casano’s Sealed Letter (Quest)]

[Mysterious Red Skill Book]

[52 Shillings 98 Crons]

The list of items scrolled up.

Normally, team loot should be fairly distributed after discussion, but since Ail had soloed it, he got to keep everything himself.

“Isn’t this a little *too* good…?”

The rewards exceeded his expectations as Ail scratched his head.

Not only was the money substantial, but a Rare-grade weapon also dropped.

Unlike typical games where “Rare” gets thrown around like confetti, in Warode, Rare truly meant rare.

For casual players, even completing a full set of Advanced gear was challenging, let alone Rare.

And considering bosses didn’t always drop skill books, getting a Red Skill Book—two tiers above normal ones—was extraordinary.

One other standout item caught his eye.

“Quest item…?”

Casano’s Sealed Letter.

Quest items usually triggered conditional quests that weren’t easily obtainable, and while some led to powerful quests, others were useless junk taking up inventory space.

It was case-by-case, but given that Casano wasn’t a name Ail recognized, this definitely wasn’t some random common item.

Also, there’d been no prior info about Tregawls dropping quest items, so it likely wasn’t a generic repeatable quest.

“This is either gonna be a jackpot or total crap…”

Since there was no listed grade, he couldn’t confirm immediately. However, based on the description mentioning Quinnze Blonde, heading there seemed like the best bet for more info.

Quinnze Blonde wasn’t a huge place, but its strategic location and nearby hunting spots made it a popular midway point for users. Given Ail’s current level range, visiting wouldn’t hurt.

“First things first…”

[Wailing Dagger]

– Grade: Rare

– Type: Dagger

– Restrictions: Level 12+

– Physical Attack Power: 19

– Stats: Strength +2, Agility +4

– Special Effect ‘Curse’: Slows enemy movement upon hit and increases damage taken from wounded opponents by 5%.

Ail quietly marveled at the equipment stats.

This Rare-grade dagger boasted impressive specs worthy of its rank.

The base attack power was solid, plus it came with six additional stat boosts and a great special effect.

Of course, weapons like broadswords might technically deal better damage despite having similar attack numbers, but the overall specs here were ridiculous enough to make him feel guilty keeping it.

It wasn’t his ideal weapon due to its short reach, nor did he have any Thief-class advantages for daggers, but selling such a high-quality weapon would be wasteful.

“I’ll need to get a new longsword soon… This can serve as a decent secondary weapon.”

In Warode, only the main weapon you’re actively using affects your stats, so auxiliary weapons were rarely used. Typically, only archers carried daggers for close combat.

Still, there were advanced techniques involving dual weapons, though mastering them required effort. But Ail was confident.

After checking the gear and equipping the pendant around his neck, one highlight remained—the worn-out skill book.

Its appearance resembled the one he’d gotten from Latma, but the contents differed.

“Come on, just give me something good this once…”

Taking a deep breath, Ail placed his hand carefully on the book.

Expecting to start off strong with his first skill acquisition, he hoped for a big win.

Suddenly, the book emitted a red glow.

POOF!

[Riposte (Rare)]

– Class Restriction: Melee Classes

– Instantly moves behind the opponent.

– After repositioning, grants a temporary 15% speed boost.

“YES!”

Ail clenched his fists triumphantly.

Getting a Rare skill as his very first was beyond lucky—it was a jackpot.

He’d heard of Riposte before; while not teleportation-level, it allowed quick maneuvers behind enemies for counterattacks, useful in both PVP and general combat.

The brief speed boost also made follow-up attacks smoother.

With a satisfied grin, Ail squatted down and pulled out his dissection knife.

Time to extract extra income from the corpse.

Unlike regular monsters, boss monster corpses often yielded usable items when dissected, so even players who usually skipped dissection wouldn’t pass this up.

For someone like Ail, who meticulously dissected every monster, handling a boss corpse was a no-brainer.

But just as he raised his knife…

TWANG!

An arrow pierced his shoulder.

His health bar dropped sharply as he staggered under the impact.

“What the…?”

The playful glint vanished instantly from Ail’s eyes, replaced by sharp intensity.

The Forbidden Ruins were supposed to contain only zombies, no monsters capable of firing arrows.

Which left only one possibility:

Another player.

Judging by the trajectory, the arrow had come from the rooftop of a nearby abandoned building where players had been hiding. There was no need to turn around and confirm.

“Haha, these guys are insane.”

Grabbing his sword with a bemused chuckle, Ail prepared for battle.

* * *

WHOOSH!

The arrow shot out as the archer pulled back the bowstring.

It struck the man who’d defeated the boss.

“Huh…?”

“Hey! What are you doing?”

The other players on the rooftop looked startled and turned toward the archer.

But instead of apologizing, the archer casually raised a hand to calm them down.

“Everyone, just wait. We’ve all suffered because of this sudden boss spawn during our hunting session. This isn’t how we planned to spend our time.”

“So… what?”

“You don’t need to help. Just stay quiet, and I’ll share what that guy hogged. The boss monster’s body is still intact, so we can divide its loot after dissection. And there’ll surely be plenty of money and items too. Besides, PKing is common in Warode. It’s not like we’re randomly killing innocent passersby; this guy caused us trouble.”

The archer spoke as if PKing were perfectly justified.

Even while persuading, his eyes stayed fixed on Ail, and his hands busily loaded another arrow onto the bowstring.

The seven other players hesitated, tempted by his offer.

Who wouldn’t want a share of the boss monster’s loot?

WHOOSH!

As the second arrow flew—and the third—the undecided players finally made up their minds.

They’d remain silent.

By doing nothing, they’d still get their share.

“You guys made the right choice.”

Seeing no objections or protests, the archer smirked confidently.

Encouraged by the lack of interference, he fired another arrow.

“Hmph, not bad dodging. You’ve got skills, huh?”

When the arrow missed again, the archer clicked his tongue.

Yet there was no sign of frustration.

No matter how skilled Ail was, this situation wouldn’t last long.

Even with superior skills, the archer believed he had the upper hand with his safe distance and terrain advantage. Plus, Ail’s health must’ve dropped significantly from the boss fight, making capture inevitable.

Judging purely from the one-on-one battle scenario, it was a sound strategy.

Facing a melee class with low health, wide-open visibility, and ample distance for ranged attacks—it was practically effortless.

However, one variable slipped past his calculations.

WHACK!

A dull thud echoed, and the archer stumbled backward, turning to see who dared interrupt.

There stood a woman in a white robe, gripping her staff tightly with both hands.

“Gah… Why does this have to happen now?!”

“That’s not right, no matter how you look at it.”

Lisa scolded firmly.

Since Ail had already soloed the Tregawl perfectly, she felt it was unjustified to label him a nuisance and attempt unwarranted PKing.

To the archer, however, her reasoning fell on deaf ears as he drew his dagger with a menacing glare.

“How dare a healer meddle? I’ll kill you first!”