Chapter 127

Level Up Heretic Judge – Episode 127 (127/227)

Episode 127: The Underground World

“Something unbelievable just happened…”

Ail looked around with a dazed expression.

He had been walking towards the nearest underground city he saw from atop a towering cliff.

But he was still utterly shocked at having discovered this place.

He scoured info sites, wondering if he’d missed some clue all this time, but there was nothing.

This region had never been discovered by anyone until now.

Not even a small hint about its existence had surfaced among users.

“To think I’ve uncovered an entire area, not just a dungeon or village.”

Scattered across the landscape were several towns and villages.

Of course, compared to the fourteen massive regions on the surface like Esmaier, this place was much smaller.

But even so…

It was practically another world beneath the earth.

“So far, I’ve passed through around 80 to 120 hunting zones. Though I don’t know if all the distant ones are similar levels, this is already an incredible discovery.”

There were definitely monster hunting areas and likely hidden dungeons he hadn’t found yet. Perhaps even new demi-human races living here.

“Judging by how established this place is, they probably aren’t ordinary humans.”

In the underground world, without sunlight, it was more likely non-human races were the dominant inhabitants.

“Maybe it’s the Norns… No, could it be Dwarves?”

As Ail walked, he methodically made his deductions.

The cities’ scale ruled out monsters or low-intelligence creatures being able to build them.

The fortified walls surrounding the settlements were comparable to human castles above ground.

But as he got closer to the city, his musings were interrupted when he spotted figures moving in and out of the gates.

“Ah, they’re Norns…”

Norns were a rare dwarf-like race almost never seen on the surface.

Yet here, they’d gathered in large numbers to establish their own city.

“Who are you?!”

As Ail approached the gate, a guard Norn rushed over, raising his spear threateningly – though it barely reached Ail’s chin.

“What is this? I’ve never seen someone like you before. You don’t seem like a monster…”

“Human. Don’t you know what a human is?”

“Human? You’re claiming to be human? Impossible. How did a surface-dweller end up here?”

The little Norn continued to eye him suspiciously.

Apparently he’d heard of humans, but…

“I accidentally found a passage leading down here.”

“Expect me to believe that?”

“Hmm… fair point.”

Even to Ail, it sounded unconvincing.

But it was true – during a quest, he’d discovered the downward passage by chance.

“We’ve heard stories about humans. Masters of lies and deception.”

“That’s not entirely inaccurate…”

Ail scratched his head awkwardly.

While players didn’t need to be told, NPCs in Warode generally had a correct perception of humans – especially given their cunning nature.

Though to be fair, Norns tended to be somewhat naive despite their stubbornness.

They weren’t prone to deceit themselves and tended to trust others too easily.

Which unfortunately made them easy targets for human scams on the surface – though this particular Norn guard wouldn’t know that.

“So, what will it take for you to let me in?”

“Well, I’ll grant you’re human – we’ve never seen anyone with your features in Eltris.”

“Eltris? Is that the city’s name?”

“No, it’s the name of this whole world.”

The underground world known as Eltris – where Ail now stood.

“Got it… So can I go in then?”

“Hold it right there!”

The Norn planted his spear to block Ail’s path.

As Ail paused, looking down at the tiny guard, he asked:

“What now?”

“Being human has nothing to do with entry permissions. We have strict rules against letting suspicious characters in – especially lately.”

“Lately…?”

Ail picked up on something in the Norn’s words and pressed further.

“Is something happening around here?”

“It’s not just here. Chaos has erupted across all of Eltris.”

“Tell me more.”

“Alright, since you’re here now you should know. Not long ago, the lands of Eltris started becoming heavily polluted. It began in one spot but kept spreading. Now it’s getting out of control. The blackened earth reeks of decay, and corrupted monsters are starting to appear. We’ve investigated but can’t find any cause. We can’t even predict where it will strike next.”

“Pollution…?”

Ail’s eyes widened in surprise.

This sounded exactly like the land corruption being orchestrated by the Executioners through their command stone.

In fact, the very reason he’d found this passage was because the pollution had caused part of the surface to collapse.

Clearly, this phenomenon was affecting the entire underground world directly beneath the corrupted lands.

And the more the Norn spoke, the clearer it became how serious the situation was.

If things continued like this, survival itself would be at stake.

“If the polluted areas keep expanding at this rate, we’ll all die. We won’t last a few years. Once land is corrupted, it can’t be purified – it just keeps consuming the surrounding areas endlessly.”

“Wait, you mean the corrupted land can’t be purified?”

“Exactly! It’s impossible!”

The Norn threw up his hands in frustration.

Then continued in a deflated tone:

“Our shamans couldn’t do anything. Monsters keep spawning no matter how many we kill. We’ve prayed and offered sacrifices to our gods, but nothing works. The gods have abandoned us.”

A truly desperate situation.

But suddenly, Ail dropped to one knee to meet the Norn’s gaze and took his despondent hands in his own.

“I understand now why I’ve been brought to this land.”

“W-what are you doing?”

“I’ll resolve your troubles.”

Ail declared with shining eyes.

Claiming he would purify the corrupted lands.

Of course, the Norn’s reaction was understandably negative.

“You expect me to believe such nonsense? This is just a ploy to get into the city, right?”

“Not at all. I really can purify the corrupted lands.”

“Hah! So many warriors and shamans have tried and failed! What makes you think you can succeed alone?”

“Because I’m an apostle sent by the gods to save you.”

“Save us? Our gods?”

“No, your so-called gods are false idols who ignore their followers’ prayers. They don’t deserve to be called gods.”

“Then who are you talking about?”

“The Goddess of Light, Lu. Her mercy has reached this land.”

Standing tall, Ail offered a brief prayer.

To any observer, he appeared the epitome of devout faith and zealous belief.

“What…”

The Norn stepped back, clearly unnerved.

An unfamiliar race speaking of an unknown goddess…

Hardly convincing.

But Ail’s unwavering confidence began to chip away at the Norn’s skepticism.

When life-or-death problems arise, even proud Norns would cling to any hope.

And Ail seized that opening.

“I’ll restore the corrupted lands to their original state. In return, you must show proper devotion if I demonstrate divine miracles.”

“Y-yes, fine! If you can restore the land, I’ll follow whoever – god or human. But if you fail, I’ll personally throw you off the highest cliff!”

“Fair enough.”

* * *

In a space filled with darkness,

a brilliant light rested in the center.

“Hmm…”

The Goddess of Light, Lu, yawned lazily.

Her unkempt hair contrasted with her radiant appearance when manifesting in the real world, but she still shone beautifully as it spread across the floor.

She continued observing various parts of the Warode world.

Though unable to actively intervene yet, it felt like playing chess without being able to move the pieces herself.

Plus, her view from this realm was slightly blurred and imperfect.

One of the limitations placed on deities – unable to perceive everything happening in the world.

Unless, of course, directly connected through a contract with an apostle, allowing for clearer observation.

Part of why deities often found themselves watching their apostles closely.

At that moment, she briefly thought of Ail.

An outstanding player performing beyond expectations for a single individual. Still, he needed to grow further.

Currently, her main focus was on the full-scale war between the Light Church and the Twilight Council.

But then, messages suddenly began appearing in rapid succession.

[Obtained Influence!]

[Obtained Influence!]

[Obtained Influence!]

“Wha-?!”

Startled by the sudden surge in influence,

Lu jumped back in surprise.

An event generating this much influence should have been on her radar much earlier, yet she had no idea what it was.

Panicking momentarily, she instinctively shifted her gaze toward Ail’s location.