Chapter 143

The game difficulty
has gone crazy

That evening of the same day.

After finishing the shocking introduction ceremony, Glen returned to his private room and received the rewards for this event.

《Reward Adjustment》

《1 Pt》 : Stat EXP increase (B)

《3 Pt》 : Ring of Saint Ridenhall

《6 Pt》 : Scripture of Saint Ridenhall

《S Pt》 : Saint Ridenhall

: You can use points to obtain additional rewards. If you had obtained the maximum quest points, you could have received an additional S Point.

‘This is decent enough.’

《Using 6 Pt to obtain the adjustment reward 『Scripture of Saint Ridenhall』.》

《Using 3 Pt to obtain the adjustment reward 『Ring of Saint Ridenhall』.》

The total reward adjustment points Glen obtained from clearing this quest were 9 Pt.

Since he didn’t clear it with a perfect score, he couldn’t get the S Point or the 1-point reward, but that was fine.

Practically speaking, he had taken everything worth taking from this reward adjustment.

‘The reward you get with the S Point, Saint Ridenhall, is more like gaining a companion anyway, but I already got him through a loophole, so whatever.’

Of course, it was a bit disappointing not to receive the bonus experience, but there was nothing to be done.

Even though the situation unfolded in ways he hadn’t expected, the fact that he still gained this much without a perfect score was more than satisfying.

‘I may be experienced, but it’s not like I can get a perfect score in everything.’

Shaking off those small regrets, Glen decided to focus on the rewards that had just appeared before his eyes.

A tattered scripture and a ring that had lost its shine.

For rewards said to be at the level of seven stars, their appearance looked rather shabby, but at the crossroads of choice, Glen had taken on the risk of stepping into the unknown because of these rewards.

And the return for taking that risk was, just as Glen remembered, extremely useful.

《Scripture of Saint Ridenhall》

《Grade》 : Epic

《Type》 : Book

《Options》

: 『Golden Halo』 – Explodes released holy power to emit an intense light. Temporarily blocks the vision of nearby enemies and greatly reduces their accuracy. Deals additional damage to undead-type monsters. – Cooldown: 5 minutes

: 『Footsteps of the Saint』 – While carrying this item, the EXP gain of the Holy Power stat increases by 20%. Does not stack with other EXP-boosting items.

《Story》

: The scripture of Saint Ridenhall, who left a lasting mark on the long history of the Papal State. Ridenhall often wrote many annotations in his scripture. Many scholars claimed those annotations would have a tremendous influence on modern theology, but the scripture disappeared somewhere along with Ridenhall’s sudden disappearance.

A saint’s halo that blocks enemy vision and deals damage to undead monsters.

And the saint’s footsteps, which drastically increase Holy Power stat experience.

The Scripture of Saint Ridenhall was exactly the generous artifact Glen remembered.

In truth, Golden Halo was a priest skill, so its effectiveness wouldn’t be outstanding when used by a knight like Glen.

However, the fact that simply carrying it allowed his Holy Power stat to grow rapidly made any further explanation unnecessary.

Especially for Glen, who had just gained the conditions to link his eighth ring through this quest, it was extremely useful.

‘If I’d gotten this from the start, I would’ve reached 8-star long ago… but still, getting it now is better than never.’

《Ring of Saint Ridenhall》

《Grade》 : Epic

《Type》 : Ring

《Options》

: 『Sacred Mind』 – While carrying this item, gain 30% resistance to all mental interference-type magic.

《Story》

: A ring worn by Saint Ridenhall on the ring finger of his left hand. He never spoke about the story behind this ring, and only countless speculations from priests of the era were passed around.

The Ring of Saint Ridenhall was also obtained for 3 Pt, but as an artifact acquired through reward adjustment, its performance was excellent.

Of course, Glen already possessed the legendary-grade artifact Ring of Sea Curse, which granted immunity to designated status effects.

‘Still, resistance-type items are better the more you have.’

Just thinking about the fight with the mental mage Beveluga made that clear.

The Ring of Sea Curse had blocked the most dangerous mental interference magic—brainwashing—but he had still suffered greatly from other spells like dizziness and confusion.

If he had possessed the Ring of Saint Ridenhall back then, Glen could have defeated Beveluga without Romina’s help.

And when Glen wasn’t using it, he could flexibly lend it to party members who needed it depending on the situation.

‘Now that I think about it, if I gather a few more resistance items, aiming for that hidden piece over there might be pretty worthwhile.’

A smile spread across Glen’s lips.

Thinking about how to use the artifacts he had obtained naturally lifted his mood.

‘It’s not even a Lunatic Trial, yet I ended up scooping up winter-level rewards from an unexpected ordeal. Makes sense I’d feel good.’

However, the greatest gain from clearing this dungeon was the basic dungeon-clear reward: a Grade 4 Experience Stone.

A Grade 4 Experience Stone.

Not for physical stats, but for the user’s fundamental power—in Glen’s case, it increased his Holy Power stat.

In most quests, it was just an ordinary reward, but for Glen, who stood right before the eighth realm, it was completely different.

‘Thanks to this, I pushed through.’

Glen’s current Holy Power stat was 65.

He had comfortably surpassed 60, the requirement to link the fifth holy ring.

‘It took quite a while.’

Objectively, the time it took wasn’t long, but so many incidents had happened along the way that it felt that way.

Once he linked the fifth holy ring, Glen would add three demonic rings to it, allowing him to operate a total of eight rings.

“Eight-star, huh….”

A sweet taste lingered in his mouth.

Eight-star meant he had passed more than half of the path toward final growth.

That was why the number of people who reached that realm dropped sharply.

By the midpoint of the original scenario, the ones at the eight-star realm were the Demon King Army’s legion commanders and the highest-ranking priests of the Papal State.

In other words, Glen would now become a powerhouse capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with them.

As a close example, one could say he had reached a level comparable to Penelope Ogma, the commander of the Demon King Army’s 8th Legion and the head of the Witch Council, who had once thrown Avenue Fortress into terror.

‘The woman who could easily handle four or five seven-star knights at once… I’m close to her level now.’

Of course, the more rings one had, the more important growth outside of the rings themselves became.

‘Even within the same realm, combat power can differ enormously depending on factors beyond the rings.’

However, Glen had long been investing not only in ring growth but also in various physical stats and skills, so that wouldn’t be a problem.

Even if there were shortcomings, he could make up for them in this vast land of events and hidden pieces called Estirenne.

After all, he still had more than a month of grace period left.

“All right. That’s enough of that.”

Clapping his hands to refresh his mind, Glen sat in the center of the private room, closed his eyes, and slowly focused his mind.

Wooooong—

The holy power that had been still began to resonate.

Once a saint.

But now revived as bare bones, Ridenhall sat in the reception room of the mansion where Glen was staying, lost in thought.

He had roughly been shown to a room by the red-haired maid, but he hadn’t even had time to gather his thoughts after that.

“……”

His death and resurrection.

And Glen Wordsworth.

As he was dragged along by one strange incident after another, the thinking that had been frozen slowly regained its calm.

First, Ridenhall decided to carefully retrace his last memories.

‘I clearly lay in the stone coffin I made myself and met my end.’

The cause was the sudden manifestation of spiritual power.

Along with it, the voice of God he used to hear disappeared.

Though he didn’t know the exact reason, it must have been that God had grown angry and delivered divine punishment because he possessed power that was not granted by God.

Seeing the manifestation of spiritual power as a sign of corruption, Ridenhall wept, left the Papal State, and went into hiding.

After that, he made his own grave in a place no one knew and died there.

And when he opened his eyes again—

The body of a man who had been thirty years old was now nothing but white bones.

‘Brother Glen said this was a chance for atonement granted by God.’

It was a plausible explanation.

If he had been revived through some other method like dark magic, there shouldn’t have been any holy power left in his body.

‘But does that mean I can trust him?’

Saint Ridenhall was kind, but he was not foolish.

From poor farmers in small villages to the highest-ranking priests of Estirenne Cathedral—

Even in the days when he received the attention and love of the entire world as a saint, there had been people who tried to use him.

‘Could he be the same?’

Even if his resurrection was God’s will, was it also divine providence that Glen Wordsworth happened to be there?

Rather, could it be that someone trying to rob his grave had hastily fabricated an excuse?

Glen’s gentle and soft smile certainly had an unsettling side to it.

Moreover, the red-haired maid who stayed with him was clearly a demon, an existence of heresy.

“……”

Ridenhall shook his head.

Glen was definitely a suspicious person.

He spoke of how the current Papal State was corrupt and collapsing, and suggested restoring the faith together.

And on top of that, he hid away in such a secret mansion and even kept a demon as his subordinate.

However, setting everything else aside, he was the one who had taken in Ridenhall, whose cursed appearance was no different from that of a monster.

No matter how suspicious his intentions were, Ridenhall was not such a foolish and shameless man as to forget the kindness shown to him.

‘Thinking alone will only breed pointless misunderstandings.’

Ridenhall stood up from the sofa.

What mattered was conversation.

To calm the unease and guilt blooming in his heart, he had no choice but to talk.

Fortunately, Ridenhall had a means to pierce and perceive the other party’s soul through spiritual power.

‘I don’t want to call it heretical power, but…’

That was how much Ridenhall wanted to clearly understand his situation.

So he slowly moved his steps toward Glen Wordsworth’s private room.

Clack, clack—

In the silent mansion with no servants passing by, bones moved beneath the faded priest robe, making faint sounds.

Even as he walked toward the room, countless thoughts crossed Ridenhall’s mind.

‘What if everything is a lie, and he’s harboring foolish ambitions?’

‘And what if he’s trying to use my power for that…?’

‘……I should hope that’s not the case.’

‘If it is, then what should I do?’

The more he thought, the more negative thoughts piled up.

At last, Ridenhall stopped in front of Glen Wordsworth’s private room.

And then he froze.

“This is……”

Transparent, pure holy power leaking faintly through the crack in the door.

The moment he saw it, the chaotic thoughts filling Ridenhall’s mind vanished completely.

His bony hand gently opened the door, and Glen was inside.

“……”

Wooooooong—

Sitting on the floor of the private room with his eyes closed.

He was gathering his holy power.

A faint golden glow.

Clear and dense holy power filled the room, and Ridenhall, watching from the doorway, was left speechless.

“Ha……”

All he could do was stare in awe.

Not even twenty years old.

Yet the boy was handling radiant holy power that defied common sense.

As far as Ridenhall knew, there was only one situation in which such a phenomenon could occur.

‘A saint…’

Though not reaching nine rings, the phenomenon surrounding Glen Wordsworth could never exist unless he was someone favored by God.

“……”

The bony hand holding the doorknob fell limply.

Though he never wished for it, he himself had gained heretical power, angered God, and lost the ability to hear His voice.

Someone like him, no different from a sinner—

The fact that he had doubted a boy radiating such warm light was shameful enough to make him want to die again.

Clack—

In front of the narrow crack of light spilling from the door, Ridenhall sank to the floor and quietly watched the boy for several hours.

As he did, he repeated the same words over and over in his mind.

“May I cleanse my sin of distrusting you
by staying by your side.”

And the next morning.

When Glen appeared at breakfast with the group, Hawkney and Tasha gaped in shock at the thick holy power radiating from him.

Seeing their reactions, Glen sat down with a mischievous smile and picked up his utensils.

“Eat up.
We’ve got a lot to do today.”

TO BE CONTINUED....