Chapter 114

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Chapter 114 (114/227)

Chapter 114: The Art of Hunting (7)

Warode’s mages, responsible for delivering powerful firepower, were just as crucial to a large party as healers.

However, due to the inherent casting time limitations of their class, they lacked situational adaptability and were extremely vulnerable without protection from teammates.

In small parties where rear support was scarce, mage users were often excluded altogether.

Outside of a few special classes within the mage category, they were naturally at a disadvantage in one-on-one situations, which is why they made up a notably smaller percentage among rankers compared to other classes.

But because of this scarcity, the value of a skilled mage skyrocketed even further.

Despite having significant weaknesses, no other class could match the raw firepower that mages brought to mob hunting or boss battles.

The presence of a competent mage could heavily influence the success or failure of a raid.

Though characterized as backline damage dealers, mages were notoriously difficult to master due to their demanding control requirements and high skill ceiling – making properly skilled practitioners exceedingly rare relative to their importance.

Chiiiik!

The smell of charred corpses filled the air.

Though countless evil spirits had swarmed them, they all met glorious fiery deaths, contributing their loot and experience points to the party.

The reason they’d been able to dispatch such overwhelming numbers so quickly? The presence of a mage unleashing area-of-effect spells from the rear.

“We actually managed to hold them off…”

Ria looked dazed as she retracted her staff.

Not only had they survived the massive wave of monsters, but they’d even leveled up in the process. Their teamwork had truly been impressive.

And then Eil asked her an unexpected question:

“Have you ever thought about how fast your casting speed is?”

“My casting speed? You think I’m fast?”

“No, what I mean is, have you considered it yourself?”

“Hmm… now that you mention it, I guess I might be slightly faster than average. But I have so many deficiencies that I try my best not to be a burden. Honestly, I still find solo hunting quite difficult.”

“Haha…”

Eil chuckled at Ria’s response.

She clearly hadn’t fully realized her own talent yet.

“Now I understand why scammers kept trying to recruit her into their parties.”

While Ria seemed inexperienced overall…

…her casting ability was genuinely absurd.

She was casting high-cost AoE spells like they were magic missiles, demonstrating firepower on an entirely different level from ordinary mages.

Of course, Eil’s expert handling of the frontlines, ensuring no monsters slipped through, had helped create the perfect environment for Ria to unleash her full potential.

Even with two members, the fragile mage had been able to cast freely without worry thanks to Eil’s flawless defense.

Still, her monstrous talent was undeniably real. Trying to exploit someone with this level of ability was a foolish mistake.

“Let’s clean up here first.”

They began looting the numerous monster drops.

After swallowing up all the items, including the thorium ingots carried by party members, Eil approached the fallen scammers.

Even in near-death state, leaving them too long could allow recovery, so swift action was necessary.

Using his Punishment Execution skill, Eil sentenced them to execution by fire and summoned a large stake.

This time, instead of individual stakes, he bound all three together and burned them simultaneously.

“Kuaaaaak!”

“Hmm, the visuals aren’t quite right. Maybe next time I’ll try hanging them upside down…”

As Eil muttered to himself, examining the execution critically…

“…this will help improve my techniques for greater impact later.”

Though his companions watching nearby had no idea what he was thinking.

“M-m-scary…”

Ria broke out in cold sweat.

Even though they were scammers, seeing Eil calmly burn people alive was unsettling.

Of course, Eil paid her reaction no mind as he collected all the items dropped by the heretics and began discussing the quest.

“What do you plan to do now?”

“I’m still… unsure how to proceed in this situation.”

“In that case, let’s clear the emergency quest together first. With the risk of disruption if anyone leaves and the unusual nature of the quest, the rewards should be quite good.”

“B-but isn’t it dangerous?” Ria asked hesitantly.

As an important Warode quest, it likely came with appropriate risks.

“To be honest, it could be dangerous. But with the two of us, we should be able to clear it safely and efficiently,” Eil said confidently.

Ria hesitated.

Normally she would have run away from such a frightening quest regardless of rewards.

But after witnessing Eil’s capabilities firsthand…

Though unaware that he was the infamous Heresy Judge, she couldn’t help but feel this was what facing a true ranker might be like.

Plus, there was the issue of the boundary breaking if anyone left. Not wanting to cause trouble, Ria nodded.

“Then please take care of me.”

“And me too.”

With that, they shook hands lightly and headed deeper into the passage.

With a time limit on the quest, they couldn’t afford to take their time.

As they passed through the corpse-filled corridor, exchanging introductions, they soon reached the interior of the Saint’s Realm.

“This is…”

“Severe.”

Surveying the area, Eil frowned at the disturbing sight.

What had once been a beautiful cave was now completely blackened and polluted, emanating a foul stench.

‘This is the same pattern I saw in the Spirit Forest.’

Recognizing the familiar scene, Eil was certain this involved ancient elementals again.

Given the environmental contamination, the quest likely concerned preventing a catastrophic awakening that would devastate the surrounding area.

However, the corruption within the Saint’s Realm was far worse than what he’d faced in the Spirit Forest.

It made sense they’d received an emergency quest.

Unlike last time when they had help from purification-capable Rotum族, he’d need to figure out another way to cleanse the area.

‘Ah, is this it?’

His gaze fell on the purification rate displayed in the quest window.

Though initially at zero, it had already increased slightly after simply clearing out some monsters.

Apparently, eliminating the corrupted creatures within would purify the area.

Kiiiiik!

“They’re coming!”

“Right!”

A new wave of wailing evil spirits surged toward them.

From across the way, Ria unleashed her magic at the approaching enemies.

Kwaaajijik!

Powerful lightning bolts ricocheted through the crowd, dealing massive damage to multiple targets.

Chain Lightning – a spell with a usual four-second cast time – came out almost instantly from Ria.

While she prepared her next spell, Eil moved to intercept the enemies.

The entrance was wider this time, making it more challenging to contain the monsters alone.

But using his greatsword’s reach and Sacred Flame, Eil efficiently cut down every enemy that dared approach, preventing any from slipping past.

He wasn’t even struggling noticeably.

Maintaining stability to avoid unnerving the still developing Ria, he handled the situation with calm efficiency.

Meanwhile, Ria followed up with her second and third spells – Flare Lance, creating spectacular explosions that visibly thinned the enemy ranks.

Kwaaaaa!

Kiiiiik!

The remaining stragglers were finished off by Eil’s final Fire Baptism skill.

The corridor was now littered with charred remains, and the purification gauge had increased slightly.

Anyone observing would have to admit it was an exceptionally smooth mob-clearing operation.

What caught Eil’s particular attention, however, was the experience gain.

‘Damn, the efficiency here is insane.’

The amount of experience gained from defeating these enemies was remarkably high.

Though they didn’t drop much in terms of items or money, the experience per kill was extraordinary, far surpassing other hunting grounds.

Thanks to its connection to a world quest, this place proved to be another premium hunting spot worthy of high fees.

Additionally, there was no risk of unwanted intruders interrupting his hunt here.

The continuous waves of monsters appearing before him required no additional effort.

‘At this rate…’

With a mage capable of spamming AoE spells and his own AoE skills perfectly suited against evil spirits, their hunting speed was incredible.

Even considering they’d just started, their progress was remarkably fast.

Here, he could accelerate his already rapid growth even further.

“Ria-san, do you have any immediate schedule conflicts?”

“Eh? Ah, no… not really…” Ria replied uncertainly.

A faint smile crossed Eil’s lips, sending a sudden chill through Ria.

“Um… Eil-san? Your expression is kind of scary…”