Chapter 117

Level Up Heresy Inquisitor – Episode 117 (117/227)

Episode 117: Between Conviction and Madness (2)

A video taken by believers of the Light Church went viral.

It showed heretics being captured in the middle of a crowded hunting ground filled with many users, tied to stakes, and burned alive.

This time, it even captured the appearance of the named player Ail himself, sparking discussions, and on community boards, a post from a user who was burned by them also appeared.

While some criticized the believers after hearing the circumstances, the reaction overall wasn’t too surprising.

It was because, from the perspective of users affiliated with the church, it was an unavoidable situation.

They couldn’t back down due to the penalty they’d receive from the Goddess, nor could they refrain from attacking heretics.

Moreover, the fact that the mark of heresy was stamped above their heads implied that they had committed wicked acts against someone, making them less likely to gain sympathy.

And strangely, these controversies kept the issue alive and well.

The Light Church, which had been largely ignored before, now became a topic of conversation among people, gaining significant exposure.

Many more people started seeking out the Light Church, and joining it became trendy.

Of course, starting a new character as a Heresy Inquisitor like Ail was quite daunting.

Mostly, it was new users who were interested and began as Heresy Inquisitors, while existing users rarely took on such adventures.

However, simply wanting to join the church was a completely different matter.

For those without a guild, it was easy enough to adopt faith. It quickly spread among users who wanted new experiences or genuinely became interested in the church.

And with so many users flocking to the church, it naturally increased the influence Lu could wield.

[You have received a quest from the Goddess of Light ‘Lu’!]

[Heresy Hunt – Grand Councilor Dellenrd (0/1)]

[The time for judgment approaches.]

[Time remaining ’26:29:58′]

[Reward upon success: ?]

‘What is this…?’

Ail hesitated at the sudden appearance of the quest.

Though it was a usual quest he always received from Lu, this one felt distinctly different from the typical spontaneous quests she handed out.

This time, he was assigned an official quest, specifically the task of “Heresy Hunt.”

Until now, it had all been about receiving situational impromptu quests, but it seemed that sufficient influence had been secured to allow normal activities.

Directly carrying out the will of divinity meant the rewards would be far beyond those of regular quests, and from Ail’s perspective, it was definitely good news.

‘But eliminate Dellenrd, huh?’

Ail furrowed his brow, knowing full well the identity of the target.

Dellenrd, targeted in this heresy hunt, was not only one of the royal nobles but also held the position of grand councilor, granting him the right to attend the grand council.

Furthermore, he was a staunch supporter of the prince in this succession issue.

‘Messing with a big shot like this without proper planning could lead to something serious…’

The goddess’s command to remove a member of the grand council.

Even a group of fanatical believers couldn’t openly defy the royal family ruling over the entirety of Warode.

Certainly, if the church knew that Lu’s will had been passed down, they wouldn’t hesitate to take any means necessary to eliminate Dellenrd without worrying about consequences.

But Ail, still retaining some sanity, thought differently.

Committing such an act without just cause could lead to major conflicts, inevitably weakening the church’s power.

Still, the fact that the heresy hunt quest was given suggested there might be a reason.

‘Guess I’ll need to gather some intel.’

* * *

“This is the place…”

Standing in front of the street, Ail muttered as he looked across.

In front of his gaze stood a majestic mansion behind tall walls.

Ail had gathered vast amounts of information while heading toward the capital and roughly understood what Dellenrd, the current target, had done.

Gathering info on influential nobility was tricky, but he learned that suspicious figures often sneaked into his mansion under cover of night, and occasionally invited guests entered but never came back out.

Despite its meticulous nature, it had avoided raising suspicion until now.

Among top-tier users specializing in information about the capital, rumors quietly circulated that human sacrifices were taking place inside Dellenrd’s mansion.

‘These kinds of stories usually point to demon worshippers… Bold move doing this right in the heart of the capital.’

Ail didn’t stop at merely suspecting Dellenrd of being a demon worshipper.

Why the goddess had issued an official quest at this particular moment.

If Dellenrd turned out to be a spy or collaborator of the Twilight Council, it would make sense.

While various small demon-worshipping groups existed in Warode, the Light Church was currently engaged in an all-out war with the Twilight Council.

If this quest was given to eliminate a Twilight Council operative hiding within the high ranks of the capital, it made perfect sense.

‘Shall we go then?’

After performing a final equipment check, Ail headed toward the mansion.

As it belonged to a high-ranking noble, elite-level NPC guards stood at the entrance.

Ordinary players would’ve been chased away harshly just for suspiciously approaching.

But Ail had a solid backup.

Clang!

The guards stepped aside, and the tightly closed iron gate swung open.

It wasn’t Ail personally arriving; rather, Princess Saeya’s cooperation allowed this meeting with Dellenrd.

She didn’t know the details, but thanks to past achievements, arranging this meeting was entirely possible.

Walking through the vast courtyard and garden, Ail knocked on the mansion door, where an elderly butler greeted him.

“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”

The pleasant-looking butler smiled warmly, welcoming him inside.

But as soon as he faced him, Ail sensed a strange smell of blood permeating the air.

It was subtle enough to be easily missed, but after playing Warode for so long, distinguishing it became second nature.

Not only that, but Ail could feel something twisted emanating from the elderly butler.

Due to his constant battles with undead and heretics, Ail was highly sensitive to such alien energies.

“What is the matter…?”

Swoosh!

The butler’s headless body collapsed onto the floor.

No questions asked.

No conversation needed.

As the butler hit the ground with a loud thud, hooded figures predictably swarmed out from all sides.

“Intruder!”

“Kill him!”

Twilight Council fanatics filled the mansion.

Despite its size, the number of them was astonishing.

But Ail, unperturbed, simply closed the slightly ajar mansion doors.

* * *

Crack!

A man’s neck snapped instantly, his body falling lifelessly to the floor.

Blood splattered everywhere, furniture shattered, and bodies of horribly killed victims lay abandoned throughout the mansion.

With the last one dispatched, the hidden Twilight Council fanatics were all wiped out, turning the once luxurious mansion into a scene akin to hell.

Standing amidst the devastation, Ail nonchalantly wiped the blood off his sword.

His face was covered in sticky blood, yet he no longer felt the slightest discomfort.

If anything, the faint scent of blood lingering in his nose almost felt reassuring…

‘That’s going too far though…’

At the sound of movement nearby, Ail turned his gaze.

There, atop the long staircase leading upstairs, stood Dellenrd.

Just as he’d heard, despite holding the prestigious title of grand councilor, he appeared surprisingly young.

“So, you’re the one who sought me out… Are you one of Lu’s fanatics?”

Dellenrd remained calm despite the chaos wreaked in his home.

Annoyance flickered across Ail’s face as he retorted.

“A fanatic following demons calling others fanatics? How rich.”

“That so? To me, your current state seems closer to madness than anyone else’s.”

Dellenrd smirked bitterly as he continued.

Ail glanced down at his blood-soaked self amidst the corpses and finally felt a twinge of unease.

“Surely you must’ve gone through great efforts… How did you find out about me? Did the Light Church sniff me out? Or was the princess backing you?”

“That’s none of your business.”

In an instant, Ail pushed off the ground, closing the distance between them.

Though Dellenrd held the position of grand councilor, he lacked combat abilities, making subduing him a simple task.

Moreover, since exposing his true identity would be troublesome, Dellenrd couldn’t call for help from outside the mansion.

But there was one fact Ail had overlooked.

Clang!

“What…?”

Raising his arm, Dellenrd effortlessly blocked Ail’s sword.

And the arm that blocked the attack suddenly swelled grotesquely, growing larger.

[Sinful entity detected! Blasphemer of the divine!]

Crack!

Dellenrd’s entire body transformed into a monstrous form, bearing the heretic’s mark above his head along with a message declaring him a blasphemer.

‘So this was it…’

Quickly stepping back, Ail assessed the situation.

He wasn’t merely an agent or spy for the bloody Twilight Council.

He was a fervent follower of Benaron, having conducted demonic rituals himself, gaining power in exchange for innocent souls.

Within the mansion, rituals of greed had been ongoing, sacrificing people to obtain youth and strength.

Roarrrr!

Dellenrd’s enormous mouth drooled as he completed his transformation.

Though the mansion somehow remained intact, his massive figure made the grand estate seem cramped.

Large-scale battles were rare in ordinary cities, let alone in the heart of the capital.

This unexpected turn of events caught Ail off guard.

BOOOOOM!

The monstrous creature swung its massive arm, shattering the mansion floor with a deafening roar.

“Tch, can you really afford to cause this much ruckus? If you’re exposed, you’ll be the one in trouble.”

“Do you think I wouldn’t have prepared for such a situation? This place is surrounded by a powerful barrier even royal mages can’t detect. Not only can you not escape, but no one can come to your aid either.”

Dellenrd continued in a raspy voice.

The existence of the powerful barrier meant that, no matter how intense the battle inside became, it wouldn’t be noticed outside the mansion.

But Ail found this revelation oddly comforting.

“Good, then.”

If no one outside could tell what happened inside, it was truly excellent news.