Chapter 147

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 147 (147/227)

Episode 147: The Tyrant of the Floor (3)

“Targeting the diocesan bishop… Are you really planning to go inside?”

Roden exclaimed in surprise.

It was because of Ail’s statement just moments ago.

“We have no choice if we want to turn the situation around right now.”

Bahamut’s Diocesan Bishop.

An important position akin to an executive within the Water Church, which had a different structure from the Light Church.

Naturally, several of them were included in this expedition that mobilized NPCs as well, commanding believers and directing their movements.

However, they were almost impossible to find on the battlefield where fierce battles were raging.

‘They’re probably summoning high-level summons at the rear right now.’

Just like the Light Church has its Heresy Judges, the Water Church’s specialized positions, including the diocesan bishops, excel in summoning.

Of course, fitting for one of the seven churches’ specialized roles, they also possess formidable battle strength.

But since the bishops also serve as commanders, their role is to continuously summon creatures from the backlines and send them into the battlefield.

The high-level summons conjured by these bishop-rank individuals are a massive headache for those trying to counter them.

That’s why Ail planned to take them out.

Instead of jumping directly into the frontlines, he intended to infiltrate the rear where Bahamut’s forces were stationed, aiming to eliminate them.

Entering the heart of the enemy’s territory would obviously be dangerous.

But Roden wasn’t surprised about the danger.

“Seriously, did you intend to stop this event entirely? I naturally assumed you’d only cause some interference before backing off…”

Both parties had already agreed to face Bahamut together in this area.

But Roden hadn’t expected that Ail truly aimed to disrupt the world event itself.

He thought the goal was to weaken the Water Church’s power as much as possible and delay the fall of the stronghold.

After all, there were significant rewards to be gained from participating in such large-scale PVP events. Even stepping away after making some impact would still yield substantial benefits, so it wasn’t a losing deal.

“I admit, this decision caught me off guard too,” Lisa added from the side.

The current disparity in strength was clearly overwhelming and nearly impossible to reverse.

Not only was there a huge gap in power, but the surrounding circumstances didn’t favor the defensive guilds either.

If the Blood Alliance Guild nearby had intervened, things might’ve been different—but with them staying idle, it was unlikely they’d miss such a golden opportunity to crush competing guilds.

“Uh… weren’t you supposed to stop their attack?”

In the midst of this, Ria looked around the party members with a puzzled expression.

Still unfamiliar with the situation, she seemed to believe they could fully prevent the event.

“Well, given my position within the Church, I need to ensure Blackburn doesn’t collapse. Some risks must be taken.”

“But taking down the bishops alone won’t drastically change the situation,” Lisa pointed out.

Absolutely correct.

Though stopping the continuous summoning of high-level creatures was annoying, it wouldn’t magically flip the battle’s outcome.

It would certainly help, but considering the sheer scale of the fight, it wouldn’t be enough.

“That said… I do have another plan.”

Besides blocking the summons, Ail’s real reason for targeting the bishops was to extract information from them.

‘Something feels off.’

While not certain yet, there was something he wanted to confirm by capturing a bishop.

If successful, it could potentially turn the tide of the battle.

Curious, Roden let out a yelp.

“Hey, can you tell us too?”

“Stop pestering him. He must have his own thoughts,” Lisa replied with a smirk, calming Roden down.

Her lips curved into a sly smile, trusting Ail based on past experiences and expecting more from him soon.

“Haha… I’ll explain once I’m sure. For now, I’ll move ahead. Everyone else, please focus on defending the Castle of the Fallen.”

“Hmm? Aren’t we going with you?”

“No, having too many people would only hinder this infiltration mission,” Lisa explained to Ria.

Since they were heading deep into the enemy’s territory filled with Bahamut fanatics, keeping the group small was crucial.

Otherwise, they’d likely get discovered if they all went together.

“Alright… I’ll be quick then.”

* * *

A dense forest brimming with thick vegetation.

Emerging from the bushes, Ail swiftly stabbed a passing believer, who fell without making a sound.

Kwaak!

The believer collapsed face-first onto the ground.

There were no witnesses, and Ail quickly dragged the body into the underbrush.

‘It’s tempting to engage, but I can’t afford to draw attention.’

Without hesitation, Ail moved on.

During his stealthy journey through the enemy ranks, he encountered numerous followers of Bahamut.

As expected, even the rear was packed with a considerable number of them.

‘Even though holding the frontline is already a challenge, with this level of support from the rear… Blackburn Guild simply can’t hold out.’

His observations confirmed what he already suspected.

Blackburn Guild couldn’t possibly defend against such overwhelming numbers.

‘Unless things go according to plan… or unless the Light Church intervenes, there’s no way to stop this.’

However, he preferred avoiding Light Church involvement if possible.

Turning this into a conflict between churches would inevitably result in significant losses.

Especially as prolonged battles drained resources, giving other observing churches an advantage.

Of course, letting this slide and allowing Bahamut to surge ahead unopposed would complicate matters further.

To avoid unnecessary complications, he needed to resolve this himself.

‘I need to locate the bishop quickly.’

Picking up his pace, Ail circled through the forest near rivers and streams.

Likely spots conducive to their summoning rituals.

No need for overthinking—it was obvious they’d set up near water-rich areas.

And beneath a waterfall he stumbled upon…

There stood a bishop conducting a summoning ritual.

Surprisingly, there were no guards around, perhaps due to the bishop’s intense focus, and Ail immediately threw a dagger.

Kaang!

The bishop deflected it with his staff, sensing the incoming threat.

Although no damage was dealt, the summoning ritual was instantly canceled, rendering it useless.

“Almost done, and you think sending one person will defeat me?”

The bishop slammed his staff.

Whoosh!

The water from the waterfall surged upward, coalescing into a towering giant figure.

The summoned Water Elemental’s fist lunged toward Ail.

Kwaaang!

The ground shattered violently from the elemental’s punch, sending debris flying everywhere.

Dodging swiftly, Ail quickly assessed its stats.

A very powerful summon.

‘But it’s doable!’

This Water Elemental wasn’t summoned via an extended ritual but rather through a simple skill activation.

It wasn’t one of the boss-level summons previously deployed on the battlefield.

Fwoosh!

White light erupted from Ail’s sword—the Sacred Flame.

Upon seeing this, the bishop immediately recognized him.

“You’re Lu’s Heresy Judge! Why interfere with us?”

“The reason for a judge to act is always one.”

Ail raised his sword toward the bishop.

“Because you’re a heretic.”

[Designated as Heresy!]

Ping!

The mark of heresy appeared above both the bishop and the elemental.

Without hesitation, Ail closed the distance.

Despite not using a charge ability, thanks to the ‘Unyielding Tracker’ passive effect, he reached the bishop in an instant.

The Water Elemental tried to intercept him with its arm.

But Ail used a reversal technique to instantly move behind it.

Kwaaggg!

The downward slash pierced through the elemental.

The blade left a long gash on its back, enveloping it in flames.

However, checking its health, it wasn’t as effective as he’d hoped.

‘Guess it’s due to the attribute difference.’

The Sacred Flame surrounding the Water Elemental had significantly weakened.

It wasn’t dealing the original level of damage.

Kwaaaang!

Suddenly, a massive wave swept toward Ail from the side, knocking him back quite a distance.

During the delay, the bishop unleashed a powerful offensive spell.

The exclusive occupation of the Water Church—Wave Mage.

The Wave Mage’s wide range of water-based spells and summoning magic formed a unique combination within Warode.

Paaat!

The bishop began casting again.

To interrupt the spell, Ail swung his sword, releasing a Baptism of Fire, and a powerful Sacred Flame surged forward.

But the bishop didn’t flinch.

Chiiik!

The flame was effortlessly blocked by the Elemental’s arm.

Though the Sacred Flame carried Lu’s divine blessing and wouldn’t easily extinguish, the manipulated waves weren’t ordinary water either.

Kwaaaang!

With no interruptions, the bishop completed his spell, unleashing a torrent of water.

A colossal wave surged forward, nearly engulfing everything ahead, and Ail barely managed to dodge by rolling away.

“This is bad!”

“Give up! Fire cannot overcome the waves!”

The bishop declared triumphantly.

Under Bahamut’s protection, his waves wouldn’t lose to any ordinary fire.

But Ail wore a mocking grin.

“Sorry, but I follow the Light Church, not the Fire Church.”

Kwaak!

He slammed his reversed sword into the ground forcefully.

A dazzling light appeared in the sky.

The Unique-tier Divine Magic, ‘Punishment,’ activated.

Kwaaaang!

A massive sword of light descended.

Before the Elemental could react, it was pierced and instantly disintegrated.

An overwhelming amount of damage.

An attack skill fueled by Ail’s highest stat—Faith.

It was also his only Unique-tier offensive skill.

“How… How does a Heresy Judge wield Divine Magic of this caliber…?”

Stunned by the sight, the bishop took a few steps back.

He knew that Heresy Judges sometimes used Divine Magic as supplementary means.

But what happened here went beyond his understanding.

“That’s… because I kinda ended up as a secondary character…”