Chapter 63 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 63

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 63 (63/227)

Episode 63: Three Parts Luck, Seven Parts Skill (3)

The critical moment where the party could’ve been wiped out was resolved in an instant.

However, despite taking down the monster, an awkward silence hung briefly over the group.

Danram and Furyon had realized that Ail was a member of the Light Church, an IlDanSimPanGwan (heretic judge), from the skills and actions he’d just displayed.

He’d clearly joined as a swordsman but had lied to deceive them.

“……”

Tension gripped them as they cautiously glanced at Ail from the corner of their eyes.

Everyone knew players from the Light Church were notorious for pulling all kinds of crazy stunts.

But it was hard to be mad after what had just happened, considering they owed him their lives. Plus, they were utterly overwhelmed by the sight of his power.

‘Luckily, things are going as expected.’

Ail thought, reading the atmosphere between the two.

Without saying much, the mood had already shifted.

Leadership within the party had seamlessly transferred to Ail.

From the start, Ail had anticipated this and deliberately held back on showing any of the exclusive skills of a heretic judge until later, adding a touch of flair by decapitating monsters with ease.

“Lord Danram, there’s no need to protect me. If any monsters get to Lord Furyon, please take care of it immediately. While we should try not to let too many slip through, if four or five come rushing at once, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Understood. I should’ve anticipated this better… Forgive me.”

“It’s fine. No one died, so we’ve learned our lesson. Oh, and Lord Furyon, when combat starts, try to bind at least one monster with your binding magic beforehand. Cutting down the numbers will make it easier on the frontline.”

“I see…”

“Lord Ail, would you like the party leader role?”

Danram, who had been leading the party, offered the position without hesitation.

But Ail shook his head.

“No, that’s unnecessary. Still, follow my instructions depending on the situation. This isn’t an easy hunting ground.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.”

With renewed determination, the party members began following Ail as they walked forward.

They didn’t dare ask about his class, worried it might offend him.

They’d heard that Light Church users were systemically obligated to attack anyone deviating from the creed without mercy, so they were relieved they weren’t within range.

For the next encounter, five ghouls appeared—more than the dangerous group they faced earlier.

This time, Ail didn’t hide his abilities as a heretic judge. He gave clear orders tailored to the situation, leading the group step-by-step through the battle.

Surprisingly, even with more enemies, there were no risky moments, and everything went smoother than before.

“The last one is down!”

“Huh… way better than last time, right?”

‘As expected, they’re not bad after all.’

Though they were caught off guard due to unexpected circumstances earlier, their basic skills and instincts weren’t lacking.

Once they adapted to the patterns of the monsters, each person fulfilled their roles admirably.

Of course, being low-level users with little experience, they still showed signs of immaturity, but under Ail’s direct guidance, they weren’t hindering the hunt.

While it was slightly frustrating from Ail’s perspective, overall, they were doing their part according to his instructions.

But that was only Ail’s opinion.

Apparently, someone else didn’t see it that way.

[‘Light Judge Lu’ looks extremely frustrated, like someone eating a baked potato.]

[She wishes you’d get rid of these useless teammates sooner.]

Status windows popped up, urging Ail onward.

Still, compared to other users at the same level, they were quite competent. Maybe it was because Lu was divine-ranked, but her standards were high.

She probably thought they were just leeching off Ail for experience and rewards.

She likely wanted Ail to either find better teammates or solo the area entirely.

“Even so, calling them ‘useless’ might be a bit too harsh…”

“Huh? Sorry, did you say something?”

“Ah, never mind.”

Ail quickly brushed it off.

Though he tried to whisper quietly, it seemed he was merely muttering to himself.

It looked like he needed to avoid talking to ‘Lu’ when others were around.

‘Of course, if Alisa were handling the rear, things would’ve gone much faster.’

Thinking absentmindedly of Alisa, Ail mused.

By now, she’d surely used her violet skill book to learn new spells.

If the two of them had come here alone, they would’ve progressed faster than the current three-person party.

But Ail quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought.

They were putting in effort, so there was no need to compare unfairly.

Besides, hunting here alone would’ve been burdensome, risking death multiple times.

Finding better teammates nearby wasn’t realistic either.

Ail wasn’t careless enough to share free experience and rewards with others for no reason, and this was all part of a well-thought-out plan.

In Warode, stability was key—one death could be catastrophic.

Mistakes or arrogance couldn’t be tolerated in Ail’s current position.

“Four ghouls to our right have spotted us!”

“Let’s fight. Do the same as last time.”

Despite having just finished a battle, the party kept up their pace, continuing the hunt without losing rhythm.

Maintaining momentum was crucial.

As they advanced toward the center of the hunting grounds, engaging ghouls along the way, there was barely a pause except for potion usage and mana recovery.

Of course, fatigue started showing among the party members during this grueling expedition.

But seeing Ail’s focused expression and serious approach to hunting, no one dared suggest taking a break.

They clenched their teeth, fearing Ail’s sword might turn on them at any moment.

After some time…

The party retreated to one of the few safe zones in the hunting area to replenish their hunger.

Since it was a monster-free spot, they could rest without worry.

‘The seals aren’t dropping yet.’

Chewing on bread, Ail lost himself in thought.

So far, not a single “Severed Royal Seal” item had dropped, leaving nothing to distribute among the party.

This wasn’t entirely unexpected.

He’d already been warned that the drop rate was low.

A week had passed since this method became known, yet very few had managed to complete the seal and confront the royal family.

Still, Ail needed a bit of luck to move forward.

‘Guess we’ll need to pick up the pace.’

Once the meal was mostly finished, Ail stood up without delay.

“Now that we’ve eaten, everyone get ready.”

“Huh? Are you joking?”

“We’ve been working really hard! Can we rest just a little?”

Furyon pleaded with wide eyes, and Danram nodded in agreement.

Hunting for nearly three hours straight and then pushing further wasn’t human.

But Ail responded firmly this time.

“That won’t work.”

“But, then when do we rest…”

“When do we rest?! We’ve barely started!”

“Wha…?”

Upon hearing Ail’s words, Furyon and Danram’s faces turned pale.

A hellish march awaited them.

* * *

“This isn’t something to take lightly, that’s for sure.”

Walking through the half-ruined fortress, the red-haired man slowly spoke.

The sky had darkened with the sunset, but flickering flames illuminated his crimson hair and striking face.

He handed the report he’d reviewed back to the blonde woman beside him.

“Most of the top twelve guilds have already taken action. Especially Red Moon, which failed a raid recently, seems to be throwing everything into this. It’s certain that the turning point involving the royal family is deeply entangled, and the three major forces—Bloody Hands, Black Brotherhood, and Morak Dun—are moving in unison. Which means…”

“Yeah, NPCs may smell trouble coming a mile away.”

A massive thread shaking the world of Warode—a World Quest.

While World Quests periodically emerged, this one carried ominous signs.

At its center stood the royal family, the three dominant forces controlling Warode’s underworld, and even non-human factions were getting involved, with numerous named NPCs tied up in the events.

Unusual movements were spreading across the kingdom.

“Given that some Oracles are starting to get involved, this is unprecedented among the World Quests we’ve seen so far. What should we do, Guild Leader? Normally, we wouldn’t need to meddle in such messy affairs…”

“For now, we wait. Send updates daily.”

“Understood. I’ll pass that along.”

It wasn’t clear yet if their guild had enough reason to get involved.

But given the number of forces tangled up, it was worth keeping a close eye on.

The two passed through the battered secondary gate and entered the central guild hall of the fortress.

Inside the partially destroyed building, the banner of Bellerona Guild lay torn on the floor.

Bellerona, a large guild with over 1,900 members, had claimed this valuable fortress territory through their own strength and wielded significant influence.

That was until the declaration of war thirteen hours ago.

Their prized stronghold was now overrun with dead bodies of Bellerona guild members.

“Were there any casualties on our side?”

“Excluding the guild NPC troops, there were zero deaths among the guild members mobilized in this battle.”

“Just checking… yeah, figured as much.”

Creak!

They entered the office located in the center of the guild hall.

Six users inside the moderately sized room stepped aside respectfully as the two entered, bowing slightly.

These were Rankers.

Warode’s official top 1,000 ranked players, each surpassing level 200, representing the upper echelon of gaming elites.

Each one a powerhouse even large guilds couldn’t easily handle.

Yet the man simply waved casually, and the rankers nodded before exiting the room.

“Please… at least spare the territory…”

Unlike the piles of corpses elsewhere in the office, one man still clung to life, his voice trembling as he begged.

This was the guild he’d poured everything into, mortgaging his future for the sake of its growth, the culmination of all his efforts.

But indulging in complacency led to a single mistake that changed everything overnight.

He’d unknowingly kicked the tail of a dragon best left undisturbed.

“I didn’t know it was yours… It was a mistake! Please!”

Desperately pleading, the man looked up.

Dawn Solos.

One of the leaders of the six great guilds and the third-ranked fighter in the entire game—a true powerhouse of Warode.

Yet Solos’ cold gaze remained unshaken.

Kwaaack!

With a splatter of thick blood, the man’s life ended.

Standing beside Solos, the blonde woman smirked.

“Did he really not know?”

“If he didn’t, he deserved it even more.”

He replied matter-of-factly.

Being a guild leader wasn’t just about being strong.

Having broad connections, ample funds, or a high level wasn’t enough.

If the decision-maker lacked the ability to read the board, the guild couldn’t grow beyond a certain point.

Especially in Warode, where fierce competition could dismantle a guild at any moment due to poor decisions, it was unlikely someone so incompetent would rise to such a position.

Clearly, the offer to smuggle the item must’ve been tempting enough to risk exposure to the six great guilds.

Although the item was successfully recovered without issue, it ultimately sealed their fate.

“Nightmare’s antics are annoying enough, but the incidents keep piling up. How much time till the next raid?”

“Two hours remain. Shall we go now?”

“Yes, let’s.”

There was a nearby raid scheduled anyway, and dealing with this mid-sized guild wasn’t worth their personal attention.

Thus, Solos left first, while the blonde woman stayed behind to wrap things up at the fortress.

She still had plenty of time to arrive at the next destination.

Just as she exited the building, waiting guild members approached her.

“Lady Ari, preparations are complete.”

“Good job, everyone.”

She smiled lightly as she spoke, and the guild members awaited her next command.

The border fortress in the frontier region.

Though considered sizable for a medium-scale base, its geographical location was inconvenient, distant from Dawn’s main territories.

To regular guilds, owning even a single territory was a big deal.

But for the six great guilds, especially Dawn, which controlled all the prime locations, managing this area wasn’t cost-effective.

Worse, in case of a full-scale war with Nightmare, it would only complicate defense strategies.

So the solution was simple.

“Alright, let’s erase this place from the map cleanly.”


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Level up Inquisitor

Level up Inquisitor

Score 6.8
Status: Completed Type: Released: 2019 Native Language: Korean
I am the sword and flame of the goddess of justice and light, ‘Ru’. I am the one who carries out her will, the heretic inquisitor. I have good buffs, and strong combat power. This is a sweet job, except for the fact that the goddess is crazy… “That kid is a heretic judge of ‘Ru’!” “What? You mean that insane fanatic?” “I sentence you all to ‘burning at the stake’.” [The light’s judge, Ru, expresses satisfaction with your execution.]

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