Episode 164. The Four Shrines (1)
[Erosion rate reduction: -100%]
[+10000 Credits]
[Experience points have exceeded a certain amount! 1 stat point has been acquired.]
It seems that they have already noticed the change in erosion rate.
But you figured it out so quickly? That was really amazing.
First of all, I never specifically asked the knights to join in on the act. It is highly likely that Travel, who knew nothing about it, tried to flatter the knights and was crushed.
So, from that point on, you might feel ominous and be able to recognize it quickly.
‘Thank you for giving me the form.’
All I got for working so hard and squeezing out a fake script was 1 stat point. Even though I was used to seeing it all the time, it was still salty.
Leveling up has become difficult since becoming an outlaw. However, in this world, levels are not expressed in numbers.
You can’t distinguish strength by level. The only things you can do are the main stats and the character’s level.
Now that I think about it, I think it was a pretty smart system. I’ve been a ‘scammer’ so far, exceeding my experience points several times and gaining stat points.
I guess that number is over 120 times. That means my level is around 120.
It’s a high enough number to make you gasp in admiration, but as I said before, such a system has its flaws.
You will understand this not only for me personally, but also if you substitute it for other characters.
Playable characters like Jenny and Ruska gain experience through hard training.
The basic level increases by 1 each time you exceed your experience points, just like me. Of course, there are many cases where you can increase through enlightenment during the training process… but can you really increase as quickly as me?
Just think about how much experience I get from spreading a single fake news story. And I also get experience just from fishing.
There are very few people who gain experience as quickly as I do.
But think about it. Are those two weaker than me?
‘… .’
Is Mary, who always does weird things, weaker than me?
‘… .’
There are many strong people in this world who should be at a higher level than me.
Then their level will jump by 120, then 200, then 300… They will literally go up to the mountains and even into space.
It was a stroke of genius not to include levels in the game system. If there was anything that had to be included, it would be skill levels.
That is why, when it comes to job changes, various other conditions are given priority over things like level.
————=
[Clear Conditions]
-Achieve 80 or more power gauge (achieved!)
– Make a contract with two or more Lords (Achievement!)
-What must be accomplished at the boundary between life and death when changing jobs
-You must never lose your mind
————=
The difficulty of the clear conditions was higher than that of ‘Outlaw’. In particular, the fact that it was a life-or-death boundary and that you had to not lose your senses was a bit annoying.
I wondered if the opposite concept, spirit masters, also went through such extremely harsh conditions.
Because overall, they are the same, except for the difference between yin and yang.
“It’s creepy. It’s like I’m in a cemetery.”
“I thought it was a somewhat mysterious place because it was the spirit king’s territory.”
Mary and Trisha shared their thoughts on their surroundings.
There was fog between the trees standing in a jumble. My cheek, brushed by an unidentifiable gas that I couldn’t catch at all, felt as cold as if it had been rained on.
It was a forest path that looked like something out of an Asian horror movie.
“Is this really the realm of the spirits?”
“That’s right.”
Muto appeared and spoke. He seemed to be a man of considerable knowledge, having lived for a long time.
『Even though it is heterogeneous, the spirit world is certain.』
“Isn’t the spirit world and the main spirit world reversed?”
『It’s not that bad, but it’s true that it’s dangerous for a spirit world. I wonder if those prisoners who escaped to a place like this are still alive.』
There doesn’t seem to be any major risk factor yet, but if Muto says so, it seems like it’s true.
Before I knew it, there was a member of the mercenary corps, a spirit mage, standing in each of the four directions: east, west, south, and north.
They were walking with their individual sensitivity explosively drawn out. It was as if they had formed a wall.
“I don’t know why those prisoners ran away to a place like this.”
“Surely this isn’t a suicide attempt?”
“That can’t be right. Otherwise, why would they overturn the train?”
Refrain was also full of strange thoughts, just like me. Even the engineers and the driver on the train disappeared at the same time.
It seems they were dragged away, not killed, as their bodies were never found. I have no idea what their purpose is.
Is there any way to survive here?
“Hey buddy. Over there!”
At that moment, Mary was startled and waved her hand in the air.
There was nothing in the direction of the finger she was pointing. The moment I was about to ask what it was… something appeared out of the fog.
At first, a red light like a traffic light blinked. The light gradually got closer and the shape of a giant lizard appeared behind it.
The body was green, and we could quickly tell that the lizard that passed by us as if it didn’t see us was a spirit.
It wasn’t just the lizards around.
As we moved forward, we began to see more and more large animals of similar colors, and the feeling of being in the realm of the spirits finally began to come alive.
But strangely enough, the fog remained the same. No matter how much the spirit moved around, it was always the same.
“Hmm… It’s a total maze. It seems like it’ll be hard to find because the human and spirit magic is all mixed up together.”
Even Mary, who boasted the greatest magical sensitivity, was unable to detect people here.
This can be seen as proof that this is the spirit world, not the human world. As a result, it can be seen as a place where common sense does not apply.
“If you look at it like that, it feels more like a spirit than a genie.”
“Absolutely not! A kind spirit. Maybe!”
“Leave out that last sentence, Mary. Putting that aside, I just have a strange feeling. In the Introduction to Spiritual Studies class, I heard that the Spirit World is a peaceful place like heaven.”
As Trisha said, I also listened to the lectures occasionally, so I was familiar with them. Even though it was a difference in the gap between what I heard and what I actually saw, it just felt unnatural.
“There’s no use discussing that.”
At that moment, Tariel, who was standing in the front, interrupted their conversation. Then, he gestured to the air as if trying to grab the fog and said,
“Whether they are spirits or shamans, they are only a sheet of paper apart. If they have the same roots, what difference can there be?”
“Were you a shaman, too?”
“That’s not it. I just observed the previous saint using it.”
“You are not an ordinary priest, sir.”
“That’s not exactly wrong. At the time, there were four priests who protected the leaders of the religious order. Although they no longer exist, I was one of them.”
Refrain and Trisha were silently amazed. They were the ones who were mentioned in detail during lectures related to the church. If they weren’t on a mission, they would have shouted loudly.
“The other three, including me, were in charge of the saintess’s teachings. Since she was a saint beloved by the Spirit King, we had to help her develop her talents. However…”
Tragedy struck in an instant.
Three of the four priests who fought to protect Seonghwangdo were killed by the Demon King.
Although Tariel alone was lucky to survive, the deaths of the other three angered the saintess.
With that desire for revenge, he participated in the battle to subdue the Demon King and succeeded in beheading him, but in return, the saint was left with a lot of wounds.
“After that day, the saint lost her senses. She could no longer fight, but the war continued, so she had to go out to comfort them with only her remaining divine power.”
With the Demon King gone, things seemed to be somewhat stable. However, the chaos remained because there were still other enemies.
Those who were confused became mad, and some even abandoned their children and came to the place of consolation in the hope of seeing the saint.
“That crazy sight is still nauseating to think about, but the saintess’s reaction at the time was beyond words. Still, she welcomed them with transcendent patience….”
As time passed, the saint’s heart grew more and more worn out, and she finally chose to run away. And as she ran away, a ‘black energy’ was felt from the saint.
An earthquake could not help but occur in Tariel’s eyes when he realized that it was the main force.
Because in an instant, that amazing white sensitivity changed to black.
“At that time, my physical condition was still not normal. I wanted to run quickly, but I could not prevent the saint’s death.”
When I arrived belatedly leading the Knights, it was already too late. I was heartbroken by the death of someone I loved, but… there was someone else who was even worse.
Shaikhar’s grief over the death of the daughter he had raised with love was immense.
“Shaikhar’s wrath caused earthquakes and tsunamis to occur simultaneously in various regions. It was the moment when the Spirit King who governed life changed into the Spirit King of Death.”
“Then even now, still….”
“Yes, it’s like we’ve entered the underworld now.”
It was only natural that this place would become a danger zone because the anger toward humans had not subsided. Humans pay for the sins they commit. That was what Tariel repeated to himself.
“Huh? There’s someone over there!”
Trisha screamed at the shadow of a person emerging from the fog.
The group was on guard against the shadow that was leisurely walking among the spirits.
It’s possible that he might be the prisoner they’ve been looking for.
Even though their magic detection is useless, no one else has entered this place except them.
First of all, since they are escapees, they may struggle to avoid being caught. I approached them cautiously so as not to be caught in their struggle.
“Coming this way…!”
He started walking towards us without any need to approach us. He seemed to have noticed our presence.
Silence falls as the bodies stand still in groups.
There were three people approaching. I held my breath because I didn’t know who they were.
Soon, the guys’ appearances began to gradually come into view.
“Who are you!”
At the same time, the sound of a river flowing could be heard from somewhere. The place was eerie, but the sound was quiet, as if recalling memories.
The three walked along with the flow. Strangely, there were no prisoner numbers on their clothes.
Could it be that they are the ones who have been given the same mission?
But I never heard of any other parties.
As I was wondering who it was… Tariel shivered.
“You… you…”
“Do you know who it is?”
His reaction seemed unusual, so I asked him directly.
Two men and one woman. They were all wearing elaborate religious attire, but I couldn’t tell.
He couldn’t possibly be a priest on a mission, and judging by the way Tariel is trembling, it means he’s someone he knows…
“Kale… Accra… Lima…”
Tariel, speaking with a trembling voice that seemed to be their name.
“Kale, Accra, Lima…?”
I tried to recall the names on my own, but nothing came to mind.
But maybe this was just a minor setting that I overlooked. Why did my mind feel like it was spinning so fast?
Meanwhile, the atmosphere became noisy because of the name.
“what!”
“Those… those three?”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“If you look closely… it looks similar to the picture!”
The Saint Arrow mercenaries, who made up 90% of the party, collectively screamed.
And just like Tariel, they too began to tremble.
It was the same with the refrain standing next to me.
“That’s ridiculous… Why are those three…”
“Do you know who it is?”
“Ah… Radon, you are an outsider to the clergy lineage, so you don’t know much.”
Upon hearing this, it seems that most of the mercenary force is closer to the clergy lineage. Considering that the force is led by Tariel, it is quite possible.
But only the clergy are surprised by this. I felt goosebumps intuitively at this sight.
It hit the mark.
“Those people… are the four believers who were killed by the Demon King during the Demon War!”
A one-of-a-kind companion of Tariel in the past, and a person who no longer exists in this world.
This eerie space they appeared in. Cold fog.
I knew right away what these symbolized.
“Kale… Accra… Lima…!!”
And I was able to quickly recall settings I had forgotten.
“Hey, you piece of shit… This doesn’t really feel like this world.”
The words were so frightening that the life force was transmitted from the three dead men.
Before they knew it, they had swords, staffs, and bows in their hands.
A chilling light flashed from each of their weapons.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
