Chapter 68

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 68 (68/227)

Episode 68: Getting Halfway There

“Ugh…!”

With great effort, Ail climbed the tree and perched himself on a thick branch, getting a higher vantage point.

His position was in front of a massive mountain fortress at the Philfits Mountain Range.

From his height, he could clearly see inside the fortress where the bandit monsters were stationed.

“Damn, it really is as big as its reputation.”

Though it looked shabby overall, the sheer size made it hard to call it just a simple fortress.

Philfits Mountain Range.

A hunting ground filled with Level 30+ humanoid bandit monsters, known for its many fortresses and large monster population.

This was just one of the countless fortresses scattered across the range, yet it boasted an impressive scale.

With an overwhelming number of monsters and challenging difficulty, it had a bad reputation among nearby players.

Ail carefully memorized every detail he could see – the positions of patrolling enemies and the rough layout of facilities.

It was essential to scout before diving into actual combat.

Even though he’d done prior research, there’s always a difference between studying maps and seeing things firsthand.

“Hmm… Gotta be more careful than usual. This isn’t like my regular hunts.”

The reason Ail was here? To film a video.

Now, you might wonder why he’s suddenly making videos when he’s not trying to become a streamer. But this was actually crucial for advancing to Ranker status.

At Level 29, Ail lacked both overwhelming power and exceptional crafting skills compared to the early leaders. If he were to conflict with a major guild full of players, he’d need equivalent support from another powerful faction.

The intense competition in Warode created complex relationships between guilds that could potentially be manipulated by someone who understood the dynamics.

However, this only worked if Ail reached a position where he could negotiate as an equal.

“I’m still just starting out at Level 29. No strong forces or amazing production skills. Guess what I need now is influence and impact.”

POOF!

A screen appeared in Ail’s vision as he accessed the interface.

It showed discussions happening on various Warode community boards about the mysterious IlDanSimPanGwan seen in Ingol Forest and Queenze Blonde territory.

While most attention had shifted to the top rankers and major guilds, interest in Ail’s actions remained strong.

People debated how he left such marks on monster corpses, where he would appear next, and what his true strength was.

As a globally popular game, any Warode buzz reached massive audiences, and once interest formed, it didn’t fade easily.

And Ail planned to intentionally leverage this existing curiosity about his activities.

If he couldn’t rely solely on his own strength, using public attention would work just as well.

Though not someone who enjoyed being in the spotlight, especially not this kind of concept, circumstances left him no choice.

Catching up to the leading players wouldn’t be easy, especially since his competition included some of Warode’s top-tier players with divine ranks and Apostle systems.

He needed to use every advantage available.

“There aren’t any better hunting grounds around here.”

For pure leveling, he could’ve chosen a more efficient spot. But this time, his selection had different criteria.

He needed to create content that would capture even more attention through uploaded videos. Just having an interesting concept wouldn’t be enough.

He had to showcase rookie-level skills worthy of notice while drawing significant attention.

The Philfits Mountain Range fortresses were already well-known among local players and tended to be overrated in difficulty compared to reality.

Plus, nearing Level 30, Ail needed skill books, and these named mobs within the fortress occasionally dropped usable ones – making it the perfect location.

“Got the general layout… Now for preparations.”

Before beginning, Ail pulled various potions from his inventory – high-performance doping potions gifted by Lisa in exchange for rare materials.

After drinking several in succession, his stats temporarily skyrocketed.

He gracefully landed after sliding down the tree and confidently approached the guarded entrance.

From the entrance to the interior buildings and underground tunnels, he estimated about an hour to gather all the necessary footage.

“Recording start.”

Ail drew his longsword.

* * *

– Has anyone not seen this video yet?

– Is this the Philfits Bandits video? Yeah, I saw it.

– What happened?

– Check out Wartube right now.

On the world’s largest Warode video platform “Wartube,” another wave of excitement spread through communities due to an unexpected new upload.

CRUNCH!

AAARRGH!

The video showed continuous bandit screams as they were executed by a lone player.

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary monster hunting video, but this was the infamous mad IlDanSimPanGwan spotted brutally killing players in Queenze Blonde and Ingol Forest territories.

With blazing determination, he decapitated charging bandits and burned or hanged their bodies on display.

Despite pleading for mercy, none escaped the merciless judge’s flames.

Even knowing it was a game, users felt sympathy for the humanoid bandit monsters.

The entire fortress turned blood red from continued battles – heads hung everywhere as prayers were chanted, and bodies littered the floors.

In the notoriously difficult Philfits Mountain Range, called a graveyard for reckless mid-level players, this man solo wiped out an entire fortress designed for party play.

Especially striking was the final scene showing the aftermath of carnage – almost apocalyptic.

Most importantly, this was the first direct self-filmed video from the IlDanSimPanGwan himself rather than secondhand accounts.

– Wow, he filmed it himself this time.

– Too bad his face is hidden.

– Creepy, but strangely stress-relieving to watch.

– Sir, I respect you. Please bind me if we meet.

– When’s the next video coming out?

Comments exploded with enthusiasm.

Users eager to see more of the recent fanatic judge cheered the brutal executions, while newcomers were equally impressed by his performance.

But experienced observers noted not just the concept, but also the player’s remarkable skills.

– What? Soloing Philfits with those specs?

– Thought he was just crazy, but turns out he’s super skilled.

– Why’s he still Level 29 with that skill? Started late?

– Visually stunning.

– Isn’t that almost Ranker level?

– Let’s not overhype things.

Beyond just flashy performance, his monster-killing technique was impressive.

Mature movements unusual for a low-level player, calmness under siege, flexible response, and precise skill/item usage.

Even with decent equipment, his stats weren’t quite enough for soloing Philfits bandits.

Yet he overcame the challenge purely through skill despite relatively modest specs.

Even the harsh online critics were silenced by his incredible abilities.

– Wasn’t the IlDanSimPanGwan always this strong? His damage output seems way above his gear and level.

– Light Church characters get strong if you manage favor well, but joining guilds is tough because of the crazy goddess.

– Maybe I’ll try it as a throwaway character.

The unpopular Light Church class and its Inquisitor role received renewed appreciation.

Though generally disliked by players and overshadowed by famous rankers, it was actually quite capable but undervalued.

True, its severe penalties and disadvantages had masked its combat strengths until now.

Still, this video successfully sparked positive interest in the Inquisitor’s combat potential among many viewers.

[Judge of Light, Lu, smiles satisfactorily.]

Of course, nobody knew about the secret “Madness Stat” that helped achieve such impressive damage output, beyond just Favor management.