A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 5

New Dimension (뉴디) has the advantage of overwhelming freedom, but it’s not a game solely built on that liberty.

Since it’s touted as an RPG genre, there are status screens, inventories, quests, and raid content as the endgame.

And currently, the endgame in New Dimension is the demon, Tagirion, who comes from the Castle of Clipport.

Today is the day when the entry limit for Tagirion resets.

So, I began recruiting party members as usual in front of Clipport Castle for the raid.

[Recruiting for Tagirion Raid. Heretics strictly prohibited | Inquisition Officer | Traveler]

….

…Huh? What’s this? It’s weird? Why is no one applying?

New Dimension’s popularity among gamers is absolute.

So typically, the announcement for the endgame Tagirion raid would flood with applications the moment it’s posted.

Of course, my party doesn’t accept heretics, so we’re bound to be less popular than others…

But still, there’s no way it would be this empty!

“What’s going on….”

It’s not like there aren’t many people around.

While it’s not as packed as a major city, there were enough players that shouldn’t keep the raid from happening.

Could it be that there’s a bug in the recruitment announcement?

Thinking so, I checked announcements from other parties, and I found the newly created raid applications were filled in an instant.

“What the heck, seriously.”

[Seah has applied to join the party. | Spear Master]

Just as I was frowning at this incomprehensible situation, the first application finally came in.

It was a familiar nickname I’d seen many times during Tagirion raids.

Upon accepting the application, a system message saying ‘Party’ appeared above a girl’s head in the distance.

She seemed to notice me too, and as she approached, she bowed her head slightly and greeted me.

“Hello!”

[Inquisition Officer: Hello]

As I replied casually in party chat, she smiled awkwardly and opened her mouth to speak.

“Um… I didn’t come today to participate in the raid. I have something to tell you….”

Tell me something?

What could it be?

…Oh, wait a moment. Could it be?

The unusually low number of party members. And the sentence ‘heretics strictly prohibited’ attached to my recruitment announcement.

In other words, has every user in New Dimension become a heretic…?

This can’t be.

If that’s true, then this isn’t the time for me to be running a raid.

I would definitely have more on my plate than when I was working hard in that other world.

“Um… Inquisition Officer?”

[Inquisition Officer: Yes]

“There are posts in the New Dimension community and the official homepage’s free board… saying that you are a hack user…”

[Inquisition Officer: Huh?]

…Huh?

What the heck does that mean?

A hack user? Me? Why? Why would I be using hacks?

I frowned at the ridiculousness of it all.

[Inquisition Officer: So, does that mean no one is coming to my raid announcement because I’m rumored to be a hack user?]

“Yes… That’s probably the case.”

…Really, I don’t even know how to react to this.

To think that there are forces out there trying to defame me, the most innocent user of all.

Of course, I didn’t need to guess who that was.

They would definitely be the heretics.

[Inquisition Officer: Could I get those community and free board links?]

“Oh, sure. Just a moment. I’ll send them right away.”

After saying this, Seah sent me over ten links in the party message chat.

The first was a link to an article targeting me on the official website.

The rest seemed to be the community’s reactions to it.

─────────────────

【New Dimension Gallery】

【Title: Inquisition Officer <<< This guy is hacking when I saw the video he posted.】



【Author: ㅇㅇ】



(1vs3 battle scene.mp4)



Can’t believe it lol



【Likes: 531 / Dislikes: 490】



ㅇㅇ: lol I knew it would be like this



└ㅇㅇ: I’ve consistently seen some baffling moments every time I meet him in AOS mode.



└Head-Broken Priest: I don’t think it’s hacks though.



└Head-Broken Priest: They might just be really bad at the game.



└Head-Broken Priest: If you’re screaming while you attack and can’t dodge, aren’t you the dumb one?



└New Dimension Gallery User 1: The way this guy defends him makes it sound convincing lol.



└ㅇㅇ: Didn’t this guy have a grudge against you?



└Head-Broken Priest: Bad is bad, but fact is fact.



ㅇㅇ: Hackers couldn’t even be made in China, how can he be a hacker?



└ㅇㅇ: Seriously, make some sense lol.



Agar Fighter: Seeing how he moves, it’s definitely a hack.



└Agar Fighter: No matter how much system correction there is, can one move like that?



└New Dimension Gallery User 2: Thinking others can’t do it just because you can’t is pretty pathetic lol.



└Agar Fighter: Is that you? Why are you sticking your nose in? lol



【Title: It’s obvious he’s a hack user; what’s with those defending him?】



【Author: ㅇㅇ】



(1vs3 battle scene.mp4)



Do you really think that kind of reaction speed is possible for a human?



If you really believe that, hurry up and go to the mental hospital.



【Likes: 351 / Dislikes: 132】



ㅇㅇ: For real, I’m 100% sure I’d fail if I tried that a hundred times lol.



New Dimension Gallery User 1: I don’t think it’s hacks.



Head-Broken Priest: Just admit you want to burn him because you have nothing else to do, idiot.



└New Dimension Gallery User 2: For real, it’s obvious you just want to burn him because you’re jealous.



ㅇㅇ: Seriously, opinions differ more than I expected.



【Title: Seriously, why is that seen as real hacking?】



【Author: Head-Broken Priest】



(1vs3 battle scene.mp4)



Sneaking up from behind and shouting = they’re the idiots.



Bowing the head in between = predictable range.



Parrying with Warhammer = difficult but not impossible.



I really don’t know what makes them think this is hacking.



Think about your skill before you talk.



【Likes: 269 / Dislikes: 331】



ㅇㅇ: I asked my acquaintances, and they said it’s 100% hacking lol.



└Head-Broken Priest: I asked mine, and they say it’s not 100% hacking.



New Dimension Gallery User 1: If Inquisition Officer gets captured, isn’t that good for priest users?



└Head-Broken Priest: Even if my head breaks, I’ll break it myself.



└New Dimension Gallery User 1: Oh…



─────────────────



Well, no need to look any further.



I was curious about who reported me as a hacker, and it turns out it was those guys who suddenly jumped me last time.



Not looking for the problem within their own weakness and inadequacies, but instead shifting the blame onto others.



Trapped atop the summit of ignorance, those heretics.



Is this what they call the Dunning-Kruger effect?



Or maybe not.



In any case, it’s content I don’t need to delve into.



And saying otherwise, it’s not a matter to clarify.



Claiming that something clearly not hacks is hacking is ridiculous.



Moreover, there isn’t a whole lot of reaction saying it looks like hacking.



It’s a problem that really doesn’t require any attention.



I was actually more interested in that ‘Head-Broken Priest’ guy, who made such absurd and unfounded attacks, instead.



I remember him because he broke so many of my heads; he was quite a strong one among heretics.



Is that why?



He had the ability to view situations objectively.



…That person is so intelligent yet a heretic.



It truly is a shame.



But with that level of intelligence, I’m sure he’ll repent someday.



Until then, I’ll work hard to help him.



“Hey… Are you okay?”



Since I was silent for a while, Seah quietly spoke up, probably worried about me.



[Inquisition Officer: I’m fine. Thank you for letting me know.]



“Oh, okay. So what are you planning to do from here on out?”



[Inquisition Officer: I think the controversy will naturally die down in a few days, so I’ll just wait it out.]



“Oh… Hang in there. I have to go now since I have a raid appointment with my friends.”



[Inquisition Officer: Yes. Thank you.]



[Seah has left the party.]

With Seah leaving the party and nothing left to do, I immediately departed from Clipport Castle.

Even if it is a controversy that would maybe soon die down, going for a raid right now seems difficult.

Of course, I do have quite a few friendly opinions, but for now, being targeted…

It would feel awkward to raid with someone who has been targeted for being a hacker.

Well, it’s a bit disappointing, but I don’t feel particularly regretful.

After all, my reason for participating in the raid was just as part of the content; I wasn’t aiming for any items from it anyway.

There’s plenty of enjoyable content in New Dimension even without raids.

[Head-Broken Priest]

I mean, it’s my main job after all.

Wow! A heretic!

“…Ah, damn.”

Kkang!