Chapter 19
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Warlock (5)
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- Lightning Arrow has been used.
Along with the message announcing the skill's use, the characters within its range were stunned.
A skill that dealt a whopping 30 damage and even had a stun effect.
If Lightning required three hits to take down a character, Lightning Arrow only needed two.
Moreover, Lightning Arrow was a skill that inflicted damage over a wide area.
It could clear out characters much faster than the Lightning skill.
Realizing the power of the spellbook I received from Yutenia, I couldn't help but be amazed.
"Why is this AoE so strong?"
Its damage and range were a complete upgrade over Lightning.
Of course, its mana consumption was higher than the skill I had been using, but even considering that, its performance was absurd.
It was a skill that wouldn't have been out of place from a 10-pull gacha.
To think she brought me such an incredible skill for free.
It was a moment that made me feel touched by Yutenia, who had brought me such an unexpected boon.
"Ah, so this is the joy of raising a character."
Baguettes. Sponge cakes. Hard rye bread.
It felt like just yesterday that I was raising Yutenia by feeding her all sorts of bread from the shop.
And now, that same Yutenia had remembered my kindness and brought me a spellbook.
What was that saying? A kindness carved into the bone.
Even a Yutenia who demanded things as if I owed her a seven-thousand-won loaf of bread didn't forget the grace she received from her master.
Seeing her commendable act made me want to give her a gift.
"First, I should deal with these guys and then think about it."
Of course, I had to finish off the remaining characters in the village before that.
I repeatedly tapped Lightning Arrow, casting the skill over and over.
Boom! KABOOM! KRA-KA-THOOM!
The successive vibrations from my smartphone conveyed the atmosphere of the intensified battlefield.
Each time I hurled a spear of lightning, the characters piled up in the village collapsed.
It was the perfect skill for hunting clustered characters.
- Lightning Arrow has been used.
- Lightning Arrow has been used.
- Karma has increased by 7.
.
.
.
- Lightning Arrow has been used.
- Karma has increased by 5.
As the messages popped up one after another, numerous characters were converted into Karma.
Crackle. Sizzle.
The residual electricity on the ground dealt continuous damage to nearby characters.
It wasn't enough damage to finish them off completely, but the ability to inflict DoT was still a plus.
How many more times did I hurl Lightning Arrow?
When I realized there were hardly any characters left in the village, I finally lifted my finger from the skill button.
"Phew... That was satisfyingly explosive."
It was incomparably more efficient than when I was zapping them one by one with Lightning.
The mana cost was several times higher, so I couldn't use it indefinitely, but it was more than enough to clear a village.
I had a feeling I'd be able to enjoy the game with some satisfyingly flashy gameplay for a while.
Having finished the satisfying hunt, I swiped the screen to look for Yutenia.
I wanted to give her something in return for the spellbook.
"Since I received a gift... it would be good to give something back, right?"
I had received an unexpected gift from Yutenia.
It was a pleasant gift, enough to blow away all of last night's fatigue.
It was an item that would be worth a good amount in real money, too.
It's best to treat a character you're fond of accordingly.
I moved the screen and found Yutenia, who was holed up somewhere in the mountains.
Yutenia was in a tent, sitting on a chair and reading a book.
- "This magic is... fascinating."
The ash-haired character was leisurely turning the pages one by one.
Seeing the peculiar tools around her, it seemed she was studying magic.
For the hard-studying Yutenia, I opened my inventory to check my items.
I was looking for a suitable gift for her.
"There's nothing suitable in my inventory... I guess I'll have to do a gacha pull for the first time in a while."
The only items currently in my inventory were a few iron swords.
I couldn't just give an iron sword to Yutenia, who was learning magic.
The only option left was the gacha.
Coincidentally, my salary had just been deposited into my bank account.
Thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to do a pull after so long, I tapped the shop button in the upper right corner.
- The Premium Currency Shop is currently under maintenance.
"She's probably used to being petted by now."
Then, I immediately U-turned my finger and tapped Yutenia's head.
If I couldn't use the gacha, the only thing I could give her was a pat on the head.
Swipe.
A quick tap brushed past Yutenia's head.
In response, Yutenia, who had been reading, looked up at the sky.
- "Huh...?"
Thud.
After being petted, Yutenia collapsed to the ground.
Unfortunately, it seemed she still hadn't gotten used to being petted.
I stared at the fallen Yutenia for a moment before turning off the screen and tossing my smartphone onto the bed.
It was morning, and my mind wasn't clear.
It seemed like a good idea to go to the bathroom and take a shower.
"Indeed... there are many suspicious points."
Evan Alemier.
The Inquisitor from the holy land, Crossbridge, spoke as he surveyed the deserted village.
The village that met Evan's eyes was eerily quiet.
Traces of human life, like used dishes and laundry, remained, but there wasn't a single person to be seen anywhere in the village.
If it had been an attack, there should have been bloodstains, yet all Evan could see were footprints and a bizarre drawing.
A bizarre drawing.
The partially erased drawing was the only clue that caught Evan's attention.
Hurs, who was examining the pattern on the ground beside Evan, looked at his brother and asked.
"Brother, do you know what this drawing is?"
"It's a recently drawn symbol. There's likely only one possibility."
"...."
"I see a symbol that appears to depict an altar, surrounded by ancient letters. This drawing is most likely..."
An altar for performing a ritual.
Even though Evan trailed off at the end, Hurs had no trouble understanding his meaning.
Nowadays, there weren't many who used ancient letters.
They were letters used only by places like the six temples of Crossbridge or by mages who studied ancient ruins.
An altar configured in a geometric pattern, mixed with such ancient letters.
Since it wasn't a style used in the temples of the holy land, there was only one conclusion Evan could draw.
"...An altar."
"An altar prepared for an evil god, at that."
Heretics. Worshipers of evil gods who reject the laws of the six temples.
It was an altar they had created to make a pact with an evil god.
There was a clear difference between it and the style of altars used for rituals in the holy land.
Others might have found it difficult to distinguish, but to the eyes of Evan, an Inquisitor of the holy land, it was perfectly clear.
A low groan escaped Evan's lips as he crouched down to examine the symbol on the ground.
This was an altar where a ritual had already been completed.
It meant that a group of heretics who served an evil god had succeeded in perfectly restoring the altar.
'The records of the evil god's altar should have been completely destroyed in the last war.'
The history of that fierce war flashed through Evan's mind.
In the past, the holy land had suffered immense losses to subjugate the cult of the evil god.
It was only possible thanks to the sacrifices of Heroes and the prowess of the Holy Knights.
The appearance of an evil god who throws the world into chaos is always followed by the emergence of a chosen Hero.
Since the next Hero had not yet appeared, the common consensus in the holy land was that there was still time before the evil god's forces would make their move.
But what now lay before Evan's eyes was, without a doubt, the altar of an evil god.
An evil god was already secretly exerting its influence on this world.
What this meant was simple.
Soon, a chosen Hero would appear in the six temples, along with a divine oracle.
"Did you say an evil god?"
"Yes. I'm certain."
"So all our suspicions were true."
"You could say that. We've found signs of the evil god sooner than I expected."
Hearing Evan's words, Hurs's expression darkened.
Vaguely guessing at the situation and accepting it as fact were two entirely different things.
The emergence of an evil god that would threaten the continent.
For Hurs, who had sacrificed a subordinate to gather that evidence, it was a heavy burden to bear.
"The story that an evil god has appeared on the continent..."
"A Hero will appear soon. The holy land will be busy for a while."
When the shadow of a wicked god falls upon this world, a Hero inevitably appears.
This was an immutable law that never changed.
The gods of the six temples do not stand idly by while their order is destroyed.
Even if the sequence of events was slightly altered, what was meant to happen would inevitably happen.
This was especially true when the opponent was an evil god eyeing this world.
Having found evidence of the evil god, it was now Evan's turn to report back to the holy land.
Clink.
Evan adjusted the sword at his hip and grabbed the reins of his horse, which was tied up nearby.
"Will you return to headquarters with me? After I report to the branch chief, I plan to bring back my subordinates for the subjugation."
"No. Let's hold off for now."
"Pardon...?"
"If we provoke them unnecessarily, they might hide somewhere we can't find them."
"Surely you don't distrust the strength of Cloud, brother?"
Cloud was the executive agency responsible for the empire's security.
Hearing an opinion that questioned Cloud within the empire's territory, Hurs shot Evan a look full of dissatisfaction.
But Evan shook his head, disagreeing with Hurs.
"That's not it. I'm saying this situation could be an opportunity."
"An opportunity? What do you mean?"
"The enemy hasn't fully grown yet. With thorough preparation, we might be able to subjugate them without suffering major losses."
We succeeded in finding traces of the cult before any oracle was even delivered.
In a way, this also meant that the enemy's forces had not yet properly taken root.
The cult of an evil god that has not yet fully matured.
If we were lucky, we might be able to nip it in the bud all at once.
Perhaps we could succeed in subjugating the cult as soon as the Hero appears.
And for that, thorough preparation was necessary.
A preparation so thorough that it didn't even consider the possibility of a second chance.
"The empire's forces will move together for the subjugation. When the time comes, you'll be participating in the battle as well."
"In that case... I will follow your advice, brother."
"Good. For now, focus solely on observing the enemy's movements. This is a request I can only make of you, my brother."
"If that is your will, brother."
Having finished their conversation, Evan mounted his horse and took the reins.
Neeeeigh!
Evan's horse, acknowledging its master, let out a powerful snort.
Now that he had discovered traces of the evil god, Evan had much to do in the holy land.
With the thought that it would be difficult to take a vacation for some time, Evan signaled his horse to move.