Chapter 78

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 78 (78/227)

Episode 78: Madness to the Mad

[Shatter Defense (Unique)]

– Exclusive Skill for IlDanSimPanGwan

– Not even armor or shield can stop the hammer of judgment aimed at sinners!

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

“…….”

Eil stared blankly at the screen in front of him.

Even after staring at the skill description window for over ten minutes, he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Unique Grade.

The highest grade above Rare and Hero, so rare that even regular players wouldn’t see it once in years of playing.

Even top-tier Rankers and those chasing their spots considered the number of Unique-grade skills as a significant indicator of power.

Legendary skill owners were extremely few across all of Warode, and practically speaking, Unique-grade skills were what carried the Rankers.

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

“Forty percent armor penetration… this thing alone could practically chew through Tankers.”

It wasn’t just about having a high grade.

The “Armor Penetration” stat attached to the skill indicated how much of the enemy’s defense would be ignored.

For example, if the attacker had 20% armor penetration, then against a target with 100 defense, only 80 defense would actually apply when calculating damage.

This was naturally something physical attackers wanted to secure any way they could, especially among top-tier players where specs were climbing rapidly.

Additionally, while minor compared to the armor penetration effect, there was also increased damage to equipment durability.

In player vs player situations, unless someone neglected to repair their gear for a long time, durability rarely became an issue, making this aspect mostly irrelevant.

However, the moment durability damage truly shone was when stripping armor off boss monsters.

Some bosses with heavy armor needed to have their armor broken first before serious attacks could begin, and durability damage helped speed up this process.

Essentially, it made destroying boss monster body parts smoother.

“Snap out of it.”

Eil exhaled and slapped his cheek.

Now wasn’t the time to be spacing out like this.

Though surprised by the unexpected big gain, he shouldn’t be comparing his satisfaction to normal standards.

To catch up to the leading Rankers, he needed to secure as many Unique and Hero grade skills as possible.

“……”

But even glancing sideways at his status window, Eil’s lips wouldn’t settle easily.

<User Info>

Name: Eil

Title: Goddess’ Proxy

Affiliation: Light Church

Level: 35

Class: IlDanSimPanGwan

Main Stats

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

Passive

[Crazed Martyr(Basic)], [Blade of Hatred(Basic)], [Shatter Defense(Unique)]

Active

[Sacred Flame(Basic)], [Judgment(Saint)], [Heresy Designation(Saint)], [Reversal(Rare)], [One Thousand Islands(Hero)]

“Goddess’ Proxy” Title Effect – All stats +20, +5% damage against heretics

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

Deity: The Goddess of Justice, Light, and Madness

Position: Apostle of Lu

Divine Favor: 61.25%

Contribution: 5,410 (Cumulative 8,060)

* * *

Clunk!

The carriage arrived at its destination.

Though Eil hadn’t yet reached his final destination, the road ahead was impassable for carriages, making further progress impossible.

But this wasn’t a problem.

The destination was close enough to reach on foot within a short walk.

Stepping lightly down from the carriage, Eil began walking through the dense forest.

This was the territory of elite Crimson Bears in the mid-40s level range, but Eil wasn’t concerned.

He hadn’t come here to hunt anyway, and even if he encountered one by bad luck, he didn’t feel it would be dangerous.

Caw-!

At that moment, an animal sound came from somewhere in the forest.

It wasn’t the sound of a Crimson Bear.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

A white crow flew in and perched on Eil’s arm.

Once again, the bird proudly held up the letter tied to its leg, which Eil took and unfolded in front of him.

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

After successfully clearing the “Village of Doom” dungeon, Eil had sent a separate crow to the White Forest to inform them of what had happened.

This letter was Alunde’s reply, expressing gratitude for Eil’s external investigation on their behalf.

In other words, the quest was completed.

[Quest Completed!]

[You’ve gained experience points!]

On the opposite leg from where the letter was tied, a pouch hung containing a mix of gold and silver coins.

Though there were no special items, the amount of gold provided by the elves was more than generous.

“Hmm…”

Eil, fully satisfied with the reward, checked the back page of the letter just in case for any other content.

The empty parchment contained no information about the next request.

Meaning there was no immediate follow-up quest.

But Eil wasn’t disappointed at all.

“I cleared the quest safely, but ultimately we failed to find the definite mastermind. This isn’t the kind of case that’ll fade away quietly. Bloody Hands, White Forest, Twilight Order… We won’t be lacking for quests anytime soon.”

* * *

“Kuaaaah!”

A terrible scream echoed.

Walking down the corridor, Eil was being guided inside by one of the IlDanSimPanGwans, taking in the vivid scenes around him.

To the right were iron bars lining up where prisoners were confined, and below to the left was the execution ground.

Just stepping inside made one’s gall chill – this was the Heretical Interrogation Office.

The base of operations for all judges active in the Esmaier region, and the powerful enforcement agency of the Light Church.

It had a completely different atmosphere from temples usually found within cities, with red-decorated flags flapping, symbolizing the interrogation office.

“So the stories I’ve heard weren’t exaggerated… I didn’t expect it to be this extreme.”

Everywhere, intense interrogations were taking place, causing Eil to break out in cold sweat.

Unlike the nearly empty temple in Duel that had executed all captured criminals, this space was almost entirely filled.

Simultaneously, the screams of prisoners burning on the stake kept coming endlessly.

With cries coming from all sides, even Eil, who knew this was a game, found it hard to adjust immediately.

“Are you alright? You seem uncomfortable.”

The judge guiding him inside checked Eil’s complexion and asked.

She was a gentle-looking woman with flowing golden hair, though the neat armor she wore contrasted sharply with the bloodstains on her face and armor, giving off a chilling impression.

“No, I’m fine.”

Responding to the judge’s question, Eil waved his hand.

But for some reason, she smiled lightly as if understanding something and continued.

“I see. Brother hasn’t walked the path of an IlDanSimPanGwan for very long, have you? I forgot for a moment since you’re the one who punished Benaron’s servant. It’s not surprising if these sights make you uneasy. Do you feel compassion for the man crying on the stake?”

“It’s not compassion. I just need a bit of adjustment, that’s all.”

“That’s fortunate to hear you possess firm resolve. The man we just passed has been slaughtering forty people in the city alleys over the last month, supplying human meat. He’s confessed everything about the peculiar traders and is now stepping into the fire of repentance. Do you see the woman nailed to the post over there? She lured people through false religion and sold them to demon worshippers who required sacrifices for money. Fortunately, we managed to rescue the children intended for the next ritual, but their parents and siblings all became food for demons.”

Thud!

Meanwhile, a prisoner kneeling at the execution site had his head chopped off.

“The ones mentioned so far are relatively mild cases. Most heretics violating church doctrine are either executed on the spot or dealt with within the temple. However, those dragged down to the basement prison of this interrogation office are holders of crimes too horrific to speak of. They’re far beyond deserving any compassion.”

“…I see.”

“They say Brother hasn’t visited the church since beginning your journey of faith. Of course, one can follow the Goddess’ will outside the church as well, but naturally, you’ve had fewer opportunities to encounter the laws and doctrines of judges.”

Clang!

The heavy sound of chains moving rang out, and another door opened revealing a deep staircase heading downward.

Pausing briefly and turning her head, she asked Eil.

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

“There were many victims. Most likely innocents.”

“That’s right. Demons’ followers are always harsher on the weak.”

She started descending the stairs.

Eil silently followed behind.

“But you must understand that what happened there was merely the tip of the iceberg. Even now, evil-doers roam the world creating countless victims, so we must fulfill our duties as judges. Brother, do you know well what our mission is?”

“Of course. To find and judge those who violate church doctrines.”

“That’s correct. Judges are the sword and flame of the Goddess, punishing the world’s evil in Her stead. Then do you know why we place them on the executioner’s block?”

“Repentance is too late for them, and death is the only fitting punishment for their sins.”

Eil answered matter-of-factly.

Since he’d already researched the basic common knowledge within the church, he could confidently answer questions like this.

“That’s right. Heresy is cleansed through death from sins that cannot be washed away. But do we really need to burn them publicly and display severed heads? Don’t people react negatively? Even good people call us fanatics and point fingers. Why must we be so cruel? Why do we willingly take on these tasks?”

“That’s…”

Her question left Eil momentarily speechless.

Asking why judges execute heretics so ostentatiously…

He’d simply thought it was something crazy fanatics would enjoy doing, never considering it from this perspective.

Squeak!

Suddenly, a grotesque wailing sound echoed through the passage.

“What the…!”

Startled by the chilling sound coming from the bottom of the stairs, Eil instinctively reached for his sword.

But the woman walking ahead of him merely smiled and continued.

“It’s fear. A feeling even creatures from the abyss experience. Even those untouched by the Goddess’ merciful words bow to the blade pointed at their throats. Fear is order, and the pillar supporting the world. Therefore, judges must properly instill fear in everyone. To show what happens to those who tread the path of sin, and what goes on in the basement of the interrogation office, making sure everyone in the world knows.”

There wasn’t much of the staircase left, and her ever-amiable smile somehow felt unsettling.

“Brother, stand tall and pass righteous judgment. Burn the pleading heretics, thrust your sword until foul demons cry tears. Make even the innocent and light-following believers submit to fear and listen to the Goddess’ words. So they don’t fall to the temptations of sin.”

Whoosh!

As Eil stepped to the end of the staircase following her, a scorching heat surged toward him.

Layer upon layer of corpses tumbled into the fiery pit, and the crimson flames danced wildly on both sides.

Unending screams from prisoners filled the air, and iron grates were placed here and there on the floor allowing glimpses below.

Down there, connected by deep dark dungeons…

Screech!

Boom!

Monstrous creatures writhed and screamed in agony, their bodies pierced by dozens of massive chains.

Their flesh burned from the red-hot shackles binding their limbs, and blood oozed from their eyes impaled by stakes.

“This is the Heretical Interrogation Office. The abyss’s terror and the final destination for all sins.”