Chapter 75

Level Up IlDanSimPanGwan – Episode 75 (75/227)

Episode 75: Light and Shadow (6)

Ku-gu-gu-gung!

Malargos, having shattered one of the walls, charged straight at Ail.

Nesha had left to find an exit, leaving only him behind.

The brute swung his enormous club, fitting for his massive frame, smashing it loudly against the ground.

But there was no sign of Ail.

In an instant, using the Reverse Play skill, Ail moved behind the beast and plunged his longsword into its unprotected back.

Kwa-ak!

Ail twisted the blade forcefully, and a spreading white flame seared Malargos’s skin.

“Broil… aaahhh!”

Malargos began thrashing wildly, stumbling backward.

Ail quickly leaped off the creature’s back, rolling away just as Malargos collided with another wall, collapsing under a pile of debris.

Kuuuung!

[Remaining HP – 99.7%]

“Haa…”

After confirming Malargos’s remaining health, Ail let out a hollow laugh.

Even with buffs like Divine Favor and Madness stat adjustments, Ail dealt negligible damage despite being among the highest attackers in his level bracket.

It was only thanks to various heresy-targeting bonuses and additional damage from opposing attributes that even this much damage was inflicted.

If he simply repeated the same attack hundreds of times, it might seem doable—but Warode isn’t about mashing buttons on a monitor. This is virtual reality where actual movement matters.

There was also no guarantee the boss wouldn’t defend or counterattack, nor any clear pattern yet established.

And to top it all off, they were racing against a timer.

[Apostle Exclusive Feature: Contribution Point Shop opens!]

[Apostle Status grants exemption from regional restrictions!]

[Search Function activated!]

[Available Contribution Points: 2,360]

His accumulated contribution points had surpassed 2,000—a hefty sum allowing ample room for decisive actions in most situations.

But Malargos wasn’t some low-level foe who could be taken down with just a single scroll like last time.

‘This calls for investment.’

[Purchase Successful!]

[Advanced Banishment Scroll – Level 31]

[Consumed Contribution Points: 600]

Pwaat!

In the blink of an eye, Ail summoned a white scroll into his hand after swiftly operating the interface.

Unrolling the scroll onto the floor, Ail placed his hand atop it.

The banishment magic activated, unleashing a brilliant light that engulfed Malargos emerging from the wreckage.

“Graaahhhh!”

Malargos, his skin melting away, staggered under unexpected continuous damage while trying to swing his club.

But there was no time to waste gawking.

Though potent, the duration of the banishment spell wasn’t particularly long.

Ail acted without hesitation.

[Purchase Successful!]

[Ignis Summon Scroll – Level 31]

[Consumed Contribution Points: 900]

Whoosh!

As Ail infused mana into the unrolled summoning scroll, it burst into flames and vanished without a trace.

In its place appeared a glowing red magic circle on the ground.

From the center rose a fiery figure, revealing the summoned entity—an elegant woman cloaked in flames.

[Summoned Entity ‘Ignis’ successfully contracted!]

Ignis, the fire elemental.

Against such a formidable opponent with a strict time limit, what Ail needed most was a powerful ranged damage dealer—and Ignis fit the bill perfectly.

Kwaang!

A massive fireball launched by Ignis struck Malargos directly in the face.

Thrown off balance by the impact, Malargos found himself targeted by Ail, who switched weapons mid-motion, plunging the Poison Fang Spear into the beast’s leg.

[Special Effect ‘Poison’ Activated!]

At the same time, Ail doused the monster with holy water.

The sacred flame lingering on the spearhead merged with the holy water, erupting into a colossal blaze.

Kwaaaah!

White flames surged around Malargos, swallowing him whole.

Combined with Ignis’s relentless barrage of fireballs, Malargos’s health visibly dropped.

With her specialized high-damage output, even a special boss like Malargos couldn’t ignore the mounting threat.

Of course, dealing heavy damage typically draws aggro.

As the battle progressed, Malargos naturally redirected his focus toward whoever dealt the most damage.

Kwaang!

Furious, Malargos smashed his club violently, reducing another wall to rubble.

Noticing Malargos shifting his gaze, Ail deduced the beast would soon charge at Ignis instead of pursuing him further.

Before Malargos could act, Ail moved first.

[Purchase Successful!]

[Low-grade Taunt Scroll – Level 31]

[Consumed Contribution Points: 150]

[Boss Monster ‘Malargos’ now affected by Taunt!]

[All attacks generate increased threat value!]

“Graaaaaaah!”

Upon activation, Malargos’s attention snapped back to Ail, swinging his massive club directly at him.

A sweeping wide-area attack nearly demolished half the floor, but Ail rolled nimbly out of harm’s way before charging right back into combat.

Taunt Scroll.

This scroll contained a spell designed to amplify the “threat” felt by monsters when attacked by users, helping protect more vulnerable backline damage dealers like Ignis.

In boss battles, tanks or frontline warriors often take on the role of drawing aggro so squishier teammates can stay safe.

With Ignis positioned in the rear, Ail took up the mantle, using the taunt scroll to ensure Malargos remained focused on him.

However, the taunt scroll merely raised the priority of drawing aggro—it didn’t force the monster to exclusively attack the user.

Thus, Ail still needed to keep chipping away with sufficient damage to maintain Malargos’s attention.

Clirrrk!

Dodging Malargos’s punch, Ail swapped out his longsword for a greatsword, retrieved instantly from inventory.

Blazing white flames erupted from the raised greatsword as Ail poured all remaining mana into a powerful slash.

Kwa-gua-gua-gua!

Heroic Skill: Single Slash.

Combined with the rare-tier weapon ‘Greatsword of Greed,’ its special effect unleashed torrents of sacred flame alongside the sword strike.

Already devastating, this attack benefited from both the weapon’s power and a 1.5x multiplier boost, making it an absolutely ferocious blow.

“Kruhhrhrhr…”

Even Malargos couldn’t withstand the overwhelming force, forced to step back.

Taking advantage of the opening, Ail retreated briefly to chug a mana potion.

Malargos’s health bar had noticeably decreased, proving the concentrated assault effective.

Despite this progress, Ail’s expression remained grim.

‘Too slow.’

While desperately whittling down Malargos’s health, the allotted time continued ticking away rapidly.

The once-sturdy floor and ceiling crumbled faster with each passing moment.

At this rate, there was no guarantee an escape route would remain intact within the remaining 18 minutes.

Switching back to his longsword, Ail wasted no time closing in again, weaving between incoming fireballs and Malargos’s club while calculating potential strategies on the fly.

Unfortunately, solutions weren’t presenting themselves easily.

Still, retreat wasn’t an option; the die had been cast.

Even if he failed to finish off Malargos, penalties or reduced favor stats wouldn’t apply since he’d already committed fully to the fight.

That said, having invested so many contribution points, success was imperative.

Kwaak!

Ducking through collapsing chunks of ceiling, avoiding the giant’s swinging arm, and thrusting his blade deep—time pressed relentlessly onward as adrenaline surged through every nerve.

For the second time since starting the game, Ail experienced the electrifying sensation of his previously capped 99% synchronization ratio rising to 99.15%.

* * *

“Gruwwweeeerrr!”

Roaring savagely, Malargos spewed green flames from his mouth.

This new phase began after significant health loss, but Ail remained unfazed.

Instead, he carefully maneuvered to avoid exposing Ignis stationed behind him, subtly guiding Malargos’s movements.

Just as the inferno threatened to spread everywhere, Ail timed his Reverse Play skill perfectly, appearing instantly behind the beast.

“Enough… DIE!”

Creeeak!

Aim true, the greatsword slashed cleanly through Malargos’s skull, splitting it apart.

With a thunderous crash, the giant collapsed to his knees before hitting the ground, triggering a cascade of messages flooding the screen.

[Defeated Enemy of the Church, Profane Blasphemer!]

[Divine Favor +0.94% (Current 59.75%)]

[Light Church Contribution Points +400]

[Faith Stat +10]

[Madness Stat +10]

[Final Scenario Completed!]

[Succeeded via Alternate Route Dungeon Clear!]

[Additional Rewards Granted for Eliminating Scenario Boss Monster!]

[Final Experience Gained!]

[Annihilated All Demon Followers in ‘Village of Doom’!]

[News of Your Heroics Spreads Across Temples. Tales of the Heresy Judge Who Punished Demon Servants Spread Far and Wide!]

[Light Church Contribution Points +1,200]

[Title ‘Rewriter of Endings’ Acquired!]

[Title ‘Demon Hunter’ Acquired!]

[Title ‘Benaron’s Nemesis’ Acquired!]

[Title ‘Agent of the Goddess’ Acquired!]

[Side Quest Cleared!]

[Find and Eliminate the Profane Blasphemer Within the Dungeon (1/1)]

[Divine Favor +1.50% (Current 61.25%)]

[Light Church Contribution Points +3,000]

[Faith Stat +12]

[Madness Stat +12]

[‘Moonlit Sister Nuir Longsword’ Acquired!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]