Chapter 112

Level Up Heretical Inquisitor – Episode 112 (112/227)

Episode 112: The Art of Hunting (5)

“Hmph, we’ve arrived.”

Ail muttered to himself as he stepped out onto the street and looked around.

He’d just left the Esmaier region where he’d been active, traveling by airship to Solstide, the southernmost area of Warode.

Though Solstide was a hotspot of tension between two rival Great Guilds dating back to the New World era, the city Ail was heading to was deep within Dawn Guild territory, so he didn’t have to worry about getting dragged into unnecessary fights.

Right now, what was on Ail’s mind were the results of the interrogation that had come in just hours ago.

‘The only thing we learned from the Heretical Interrogation Office was the location of their next operation… Though I guess we should be thankful for even that much.’

The determined fighter Daeche who’d been subdued by Ail was dragged off to the Heretical Interrogation Office and quickly spilled everything about the next location under questioning.

Before being taken away, he’d seemed full of confidence, but once the interrogation began, there was no stopping his confession.

However, contrary to Ail’s expectations, that was all they managed to get out of him.

When it came to more detailed information about the fanatics’ goals or backers, something powerful seemed to be preventing him from speaking. Even as he was dying under questioning, he couldn’t reveal anything.

From Daeche’s sincere plea to be killed and the circumstances, it seemed the fanatics didn’t rely solely on trust or willpower to keep secrets. It looked like they’d placed some kind of magical restriction on their members.

The Heretical Interrogation Office, aware of this situation, was currently working alongside the criminal’s interrogation to find a way to break the magic.

So for now, Ail had no choice but to head to the indicated area and begin his investigation.

[A new mail has arrived!]

“Huh? I wasn’t expecting any mail…”

Ail tilted his head in confusion as a message appeared.

Heading over to the nearby mailbox, Ail retrieved and opened the letter addressed to him.

“What is this…?”

A direct communication from one of the Six Major Guilds, Nightmare.

It had been over a week since their negotiations ended, so Ail cautiously opened the contents, wondering what it could be. If something had gone wrong, this was going to be more than just a minor inconvenience.

“Ah, equipment?”

Much to Ail’s surprise, the contents weren’t what he expected at all.

Attached were five pieces of armor – a complete set of defensive gear.

The note simply read “Additional allocation” – short and sweet.

“Guess things went well somehow… Though it’s weird they’re just handing this out without explanation.”

Apparently, the ancient dungeon “King’s Tomb” that Ail had provided information about yielded unexpected results.

Furthermore, the armor sent to Ail by Nightmare consisted entirely of Hero-grade obsidian gear, far surpassing ordinary quality.

Due to its rarity, black obsidian is primarily produced in the northeastern region of Esmaier and practically monopolized by the Nightmare Guild.

While difficult for non-guild users to obtain through normal channels, Nightmare frequently used obsidian to craft equipment for their members.

In Warode, where material quality significantly affects performance despite similar crafting skills and appearances, obsidian-based equipment demonstrates vastly superior capabilities.

Upon checking the details of the received equipment, sure enough, it featured impressive stat options along with a speed-boosting 5-piece set effect.

Tailored specifically for Ail’s level range, these 50-level items outperformed most mid-to-upper tier 70-80 level armors.

Without asking for anything in return, receiving such high-quality items for free was nothing but welcome.

Ail equipped the items from his inventory.

“Not bad at all?”

Satisfied, Ail examined his newly worn gear.

A sleek set of dark steel armor.

As expected from custom-made items crafted by the Six Major Guild’s master smiths, the design was quite refined.

Thanks to the set effect, he felt significantly lighter and experienced a tangible increase in combat power.

“Well then… let’s go.”

* * *

“Ugh, maybe I should’ve brought a winter cloak…”

Crouching by the fire, Ail sniffled to himself.

Having entered the mountain range for his quest, he was now facing harsh cold, with snow-covered peaks stretching endlessly in every direction.

Playing Warode meant managing not just hunger and thirst, but also body temperature in environments like this.

Fortunately, having numerous flame-related skills saved him from carrying the annoying “Frostbite” status while continuing combat.

“I thought it wasn’t supposed to be THIS cold. Could the temperature have dropped even further recently?”

The mountain range Ail had come to was a popular hunting ground for 50-level players, attracting many users.

Its expansive terrain reduced competition, and its geographical location and rewards made it quite appealing.

However, the region had recently experienced sudden climate abnormalities, transforming what was once a temperate mountain range into a snowy alpine area.

Perhaps this was related to the fanatics’ activities.

“The question is how to find those bastards.”

He hadn’t had any solid leads beforehand, so all he could do was search aimlessly.

Thus, Ail continued searching the mountains while hunting monsters and occasionally encountering heretics.

His level had risen enough that he was starting to see fewer heretic players in regular hunting grounds.

The large blazing cross currently warming Ail had moments ago incinerated another heretic user.

The unfortunate player was already dead and slumped over, but still served admirably as burning kindling.

Tuck!

Ail tossed another monster corpse into the crackling flames.

Then he stared blankly at the burning cross.

Not long ago, when Ail’s Madness stat surpassed 100, he discovered something new.

Specifically, his Apostle-exclusive skill “Execution” had leveled up.

Previously, while the various execution devices he summoned were convenient due to their lack of positional or consumable restrictions, their forms were rather limited.

However, things were different now.

He could now visualize an image in his mind to alter the appearance of the summoned execution device to some extent.

Though the skill’s fundamental performance hadn’t changed, he could now add a bit more flair to the presentation.

“There’s another one over there.”

Ail spotted a party moving in the distance.

Though visibility was hindered by the falling snow and considerable distance, he clearly saw the heretic marks above their heads.

No matter how competitive the game world became, there were always plenty of people deserving divine punishment from the goddess.

With his body temperature sufficiently restored from the hunt, Ail stood up and followed the party.

Whenever possible, it was important to stack stats to their maximum.

The four-member party climbing the snowy mountain appeared to be between levels 40-50 based on their equipment.

They hadn’t noticed Ail following them, likely due to both the stormy weather and his careful use of trees and rocks to approach stealthily.

However, as he closed the distance, Ail noticed something odd.

“Hold on, one of them doesn’t have a mark…”

Despite being in the same party, one member lacked the heretic mark.

Judging by her robe and staff, she appeared to be a female mage.

“So should I just take down the other three? Or can I kill them all without issue?”

Ail pondered before attacking.

Though he’d faced many heretics, this was a first.

In ambiguous situations, even those without marks could be designated as heretics and burned without issue. However, recklessly attacking completely innocent players could harm the goddess’s favor.

Even if Lu was overshadowed by her association with madness, she remained fundamentally a goddess of justice.

“I’m starting to wonder if all this suffering is worth it. With this much thorium ingot, wouldn’t it be better to just close my eyes and run away?”

“Forget your stupid talk. Do you know who gave us this quest… You’d be lucky to leave with bones intact.”

“To think we’d get such good rewards just for transporting some goods.”

“Thorium ingots…?”

Ail perked up at the party members’ conversation.

Thorium ingots were rare minerals he’d found in abundance in the treasure chests of the abandoned temple basement where he’d first encountered Mute.

Since this group also had a large quantity of thorium ingots for their transportation quest…

Naturally, it raised suspicions about connections to the fanatics.

While it could be a coincidence…

Given the current circumstances, it seemed less likely.

Smelling something fishy, Ail immediately changed plans.

Postponing the burning of heretics, he quietly and carefully followed them.

Avoiding monsters, the party reached a large rock and stopped.

“Is this the place?”

“Definitely.”

After looking around, they began digging through the snow at the base of the rock.

Soon, a cave entrance beneath the rock was revealed.

The four party members quickly entered, and Ail followed shortly after.

However, contrary to Ail’s expectation that they would venture deeper, the party members stopped near the cave entrance and began placing items on the ground.

“Just leaving them here should be fine, right?”

“Yeah, as long as we keep our mouths shut…”

GWAACK!

The man at the rear didn’t even finish his sentence before collapsing forward.

An unexpected ambush.

“Guh…!”

The broadsword that suddenly appeared slashed through the throat of the archer-wielding woman before she could make a sound, sending her crashing to the ground.

Meanwhile, the tank frantically raised his shield to defend against Ail’s attack.

But the result was the same.

KWAANG!

The instant One Slash skill activated, the shield was mercilessly crushed.

Engulfed in flames, the tank rolled on the ground and didn’t rise again.

Now only the unmarked woman remained.

“EEEK…”

“Let’s have a little chat.”