A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 158

[Rene]

[The Time of Final Judgment is Here]

[New Dimension | 9,123 Viewers | 00:35:14]

As my vision brightened again, I saw six NPCs standing before me.

[Leader of the Elun Cult: Hailon]

[Inquisition Officer of the Elun Cult: Brant]

[Archbishop of the Elun Cult: Garon]

[Leader of the Scadi Cult: Rucal]

[Inquisition Officer of the Scadi Cult: Shuk]

[Archbishop of the Scadi Cult: Theodore]

And next to their names was a star symbol.

In other words, they were important NPCs of the heretics.

“What’s… going on here…?”

I couldn’t fathom this situation.

Just a moment ago, I was in the central plains, and now I was moved to a place resembling an arena.

I had no idea why these heretics were standing before me.

One of them even had a familiar name.

─Looks like a hidden event popped up, what the hell;

─I heard there are separate hidden events in the Crusade; this must be it.

─What’s going on? I want to join too, damn it.

─I heard it gets released as a separate challenge after the Crusade.

“Ah-ha….”

A hidden event, huh.

I saw something like that in the New Dimension Gallery, but never expected to be involved.

“The heretics shall be judged here.”

So, I gather we’re supposed to fight these six heretics right here?

“This author is strong. I hope everyone remains vigilant.”

“Hailon, it’s only natural that you would say that if you can defeat me.”

“Even so, we cannot back down. Our destiny is to vanquish the heretics.”

…Seriously.

“Did you all hear that? The heretics are calling me a heretic…?”

─The Inquisition Officer who interrogates heretics is a heretic interrogating heretics, what in the world;

─What does this even mean, dammit, haha!

─If Inquisition Officers fight each other, who wins?

─Inquisition Officer wins, yeah.

“They’re all arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong… yet when it really matters, they team up. That’s just heretics for you… They probably lack faith in their own beliefs… Aren’t they ashamed…?”

─For real, cowardly bunch, haha!

─They probably called their friends for help, huh.

─So how does one participate in this hidden event? I want to join too.

─I heard it gets released later as a challenge, damn it.

─Go search on the homepage, you bastards.

“Then… I’ll take my leave first.”

“I’ll follow you, Sir Hailon!”

As I mocked the opposing heretics in this ridiculous situation, they said that and began to move.

“Hmmm….”

Six on the opposing side.

Alone on mine.

Can I really win?

Such worries were never going to cross my mind.

I had no intention of losing to these heretics, nor should I.

“Fuh…”

I closed my eyes.

Calming my breath, I focused my mind.

Though I couldn’t move like I did in the other world now.

It doesn’t mean that everything I learned and experienced crossing countless lines is pointless.

“Haah…”

I slowly opened my eyes and accelerated my thoughts beyond that fleeting moment.

“In the name of the Elun God…!”

The first one to charge was a familiar, massive shield.

Heavy, but not slow.

Its purpose was to limit my range of actions.

That was clearly the movement of someone who knew how to utilize the advantage of numbers.

Then all I had to do was turn that strategy against them.

Kuwong!

I drove my great sword into the ground, stopping the approaching tidal shield.

The clash of strength against strength.

Neither yielding nor pushing back… it was a perfect stalemate.

“Sir Hailon!”

In that situation, an Inquisition Officer wielding dual swords intervened.

He took position from the side, and a blue energy began to gather around his blade, a fierce aura that could almost be felt vibrating the air.

That attack would be dangerous if it hit.

Of course, I had no intention of letting it connect.

“What?!”

I immediately stowed away my great sword in my inventory and fell back.

With one side’s strength suddenly disappearing from a perfectly stalemated situation, it was only natural for the opponent’s balance to collapse.

Thud!

With a resounding boom, the massive shield toppled forward.

Thanks to that, both the Inquisition Officer positioned to the left and the one wielding the massive shield were left wide open, but my target wasn’t either of them.

“…Here it comes!”

My goal was the two self-proclaimed archbishops in the enemy’s backline.

With my body lightened, I leaped forward with full force and rapidly closed the distance.

When I got close enough, I equipped my warhammer.

“How dare you!”

Just then, one self-proclaimed Inquisition Officer blocked my path with a dagger, so I brought my warhammer crashing down with all my might.

Kwahng!

“Gah?!”

The self-proclaimed Inquisition Officer slammed into the ground, spitting blood.

If he wanted to intervene, he should have moved a little faster.

That made one down. Five heretics left.

Of course, there wasn’t a moment to pause.

“How arrogant!!!”

The Inquisition Officer charging from the back wielded dual swords, still brimming with blue energy.

The onslaught of strikes began, overwhelming and fierce.

Quick and without an opening.

Each blow was a deadly strike.

…But that ferocity meant other heretics could not interfere directly in this space.

At most, the backup from the rear line might be possible.

If that was the case, it worked in my favor.

It was much better for me to concentrate on just the heretic in front of me than to spread my focus around the whole fight.

“Hmm…”

I dodged, dodged, and dodged the heretic’s strikes.

Of course, due to wielding the warhammer, my movements were slowed, making it impossible to dodge perfectly. But I could minimize the damage, and right now, that was sufficient.

After all, this barrage of attacks wouldn’t last forever.

“Gyaaaaa!!!”

Was he frustrated by the current situation?

Eventually, the heretic screamed like a banshee and extended his sword back.

With his shoulder raised far back, the attack’s power would be unparalleled, but it was also an exceedingly predictable strike.

“…Now.”

Kiiing!

In other words, it was an attack so easy to parry.

The unpleasant sound of metal clashing pierced my ears.

And that confirmed the accuracy of my parry.

“What?!”

He must not have anticipated his sword would rebound; the heretic stumbled back in surprise.

Nope.

To be precise, he was pushed back.

Not that it mattered to me.

Kwahng!

With a jolt that tingled my fingertips, the heretic was sent flying and crashed against the wall.

Four heretics remaining.

Those heretics had assembled and formed a line.

…They’ve given up on entering first, have they?

If that’s the case, that would be a bit bothersome.

“…Standing like this makes me feel like I’ve become a raid boss…”

─According to those bastards, that would be true, right?;

─Wait, what was that last parry about???

─Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene! Rene!

─This is why you get suspected of hacks, haha!

─To be honest, I would’ve suspected hacks too;

─Saint Leader…

─Is this a reevaluation; haha!

─Just an honest reaction from someone who couldn’t see their opponent as just a beast… but still came and donated 200,000 won to apologize…

─Just an aficionado of player authors.

─So you dropped 200,000 won to do that? Haha.

─Yup.

─Info: Afterward, Saint Leader deleted the Priest and switched to Assassin.

─For real, had a change of heart, huh;

─Can’t help it if you don’t want to die at the hands of a beast.

★

“Cough! How could this happen….”

To think that the last one I would defeat would be this heretic.

It felt quite surreal.

“Haah, haah, haah… why do you walk such an impure path with that much strength? Don’t you realize how weak a human is without the blessing of the Gods…?!”

“What foolish talk. Is that how heretics think…?”

When he spoke like that, it sounded like he viewed the gods as mere tools, didn’t it?

…Oh. Wait, did he mean it that way?

Well, I guess being a heretic could allow for that kind of thought.

“To survive in this world, humans must have the gods…!”

“Repent….”

Kaaang!

Not wanting to hear any more nonsense, I swiftly brought my weapon down on the heretic’s head.

─To think the leaders of the Inquisition, Archbishop, and Knights can’t even defeat one, haha.

─Because it’s the ‘real Inquisition Officer’!

─Kya, haha!

“If they truly had faith in themselves, they wouldn’t be ganging up on a single opponent like this… Well, I guess that’s why they’re heretics…”

Treating the gods as tools, lacking confidence in their own beliefs… how can that not be labeled heresy?

Why did no one suspect anything besides me?

“I suppose it’s because I’m too intelligent for my own good…”

─Is this woman crazy, haha!

─How on earth did you reach that conclusion, damn it?

─Do you not feel a sense of self-loathing every time you say that, ma’am…?

─This girl is just a total nutjob, haha!

Even after proving this, there’s so much defamation to deal with.

I guess this is the burden of someone ahead of their time.

★

[The Final Crusade has Ended.]

[Survivors of the Elun Cult: 4,311]

[Survivors of the Scadi Cult: 3,192]

[Survivors of 3 Forces – Iya Cult: 3,144]

[The most severely impacted faction: Elun Cult]

[The least impacted faction: 3 Forces – Iya Cult]

[The faction that dealt the most damage to opponents: 3 Forces – Iya Cult]

[The faction that dealt the least damage to opponents: Scadi Cult]

[Defeated important NPCs: Hailon of the Elun Cult, Brant of the Elun Cult, Garon of the Elun Cult, Rucal of the Scadi Cult, Shuk of the Scadi Cult, Theodore of the Scadi Cult]

…

[Player Who Defeated the Most Enemies in the Crusade: Trynda]

[Player Who Excelled the Most in the Crusade: Inquisition Officer]

[Final Victory: 3 Forces – Iya Cult]

[‘3 Forces – Iya Cult’ has emerged victorious in the Crusade!]

[Their achievements will forever be celebrated as the new legends of the continent!]

[System: The faith of the continent’s residents, excluding cult factions, has greatly diminished.]

[System: The Great Demon Tagirion goes berserk.]

[System: World Quest – Hunt of Tagirion Begins.]