The Game Difficulty
Is Crazy
The skull of the Spirit Guide flew into the air.
Then, the fierce demonic energy and spiritual power that had filled the space lost their strength and began to scatter.
“Gueoouu….”
“Kirr….”
With their power source gone, the undead and the mutants slowly crumbled, turning into dust that piled up on the floor.
“…We did it.”
Watching the scene, Glen let out a long sigh of relief.
Only then did the tension leave his body, and all his strength drained away at once.
Thud—
Glen dropped to his knees on the spot.
But his eyes were filled with trembling excitement and joy.
‘This is crazy, seriously crazy!’
The corners of his mouth twitched on their own.
‘I really just tore apart a 5-star monster as a 2-star, didn’t I?’
No veteran in Grey Eden had ever overcome a power gap of three whole stages.
Even Seong Yohwan, the greatest veteran of them all, had never done such a thing.
If the battle just now had been recorded and uploaded to the community, it would have caused an uproar.
Tactics to overcome an overwhelming difference in power. And the proper choice of items to make it possible.
‘And victory. This is exactly it!’
Glen nodded repeatedly.
Of course, this too was luck.
If Tris had not helped at the very end, Glen’s attack would have been blocked by the barrier the Spirit Guide deployed.
And after failing that attack, Glen would have been devoured by the undead.
‘They say luck is also a kind of skill.’
No matter how it happened, the fact remained that he had defeated the Spirit Guide.
That tremendous sense of achievement made the back of his head tingle for no reason.
‘As expected of Tyrant King’s Wrath. Who would believe this is a skill with only proficiency level 1?’
A legendary-grade skill that had brought down a 5-star monster, the Spirit Guide, in a single strike.
Feeling its power firsthand, Glen understood that the description—killing ten knights with one slash—was not an exaggeration at all.
If he had not had this skill, even with Tris’s help, victory could not have been guaranteed.
‘Of course, at my current level, I can only use it once.’
That was fine. He could increase that little by little.
Thinking that, Glen slowly tried to stand up.
Or rather, he tried to.
“…Huh?”
But his body would not listen to him.
It was not just fatigue from tension. It felt as if every single muscle in his body had vanished.
His upper body slowly tilted forward.
He wanted to brace himself with his waist, but no strength came out.
This must have been the price of using the skill.
‘No way… just from using it once?’
Just as he was about to plant his face against the cold stone floor—
A pure white hand supported his forehead.
“Are you okay, Glen?!”
A familiar, warm voice.
“Tris… noona……”
“Thank goodness. I thought you were going to die right there.”
“…Thank you for everything, noona.”
Tris flinched in surprise.
“G-Glen?! What do you mean by that…?”
“I’m joking.”
“This kid, seriously.”
Tris lightly smacked Glen on the shoulder.
Glen laughed mischievously.
“But really, if it weren’t for you, I might have actually died. Thank you so much. You saved me.”
As said before, this victory against the Spirit Guide was made possible by Tris.
If Tris had not appeared, Glen would not even have gotten a chance to stab the Spirit Guide, blocked by the undead and mutants.
“There’s no need to thank me… I’m actually sorry.”
While searching the underground of the abandoned village for Glen, Tris’s heart had not been at ease for a single moment.
“If I hadn’t insisted on doing the purification, you wouldn’t have been hurt like this. I’m sorry, Glen.”
Seeing Tris with a face about to cry, Glen chuckled softly.
“There’s a saying in the holy scriptures. Have you ever heard it, noona?”
Tris tilted her head.
“God always gives trials, and to those who overcome them, He grants even greater blessings.”
“Why bring that up all of a sudden…?”
“I think I opened my eyes to a new realm in this fight. Thanks to you, noona.”
Glen smiled with his eyes.
Tris gave a bitter smile.
“You really are something…”
A brief silence settled into the warm atmosphere.
“Let’s go back now. Can you stand? Or do I need to support you?”
“Hmm… I think that’ll be difficult. I may have… pushed myself too much…”
“Glen?”
Tris’s eyes widened.
Fatigue flooded his body, and his eyelids grew heavy.
“I’ll rest a bit……”
Just as he was about to close his eyes—
《You have overcome a Lunatic element.》
《Special reward will be granted.》
A clear system message appeared in his fading vision.
Seeing it, Glen lost consciousness with a satisfied expression.
‘Yeah. This is how it should be.’
“Glen!”
With anxious eyes, Tris shook Glen. There was no response, but soon he began breathing steadily.
‘He just lost consciousness.’
Tris let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness.”
As her emotions calmed, Tris carefully recalled what had just happened.
Soon, a question arose.
‘But still… what exactly was that power Glen used?’
The fiery spike that destroyed the mutant blocking her path.
And the unfamiliar sword technique that cut down the Spirit Guide.
‘Did the Hand of God have abilities like that?’
Tris tilted her head.
The Hand of God was a mysterious ability that allowed one to hear divine revelations, with God’s blessing woven into every action.
It was clearly different from what Glen had done in the fight.
Moreover, she had never even heard rumors of the Pope or the Saintess creating spikes of fire or wielding such unique sword techniques.
The swordsmanship could be explained as a self-created style rather than a family technique.
But fire magic was the power of spirits.
And the power of spirits was heretical power, opposing the Minis Church.
Tris looked down at Glen, unconscious in her arms.
“Glen… just who are you really…?”
“Miss!”
At that moment, Gregory appeared from behind with the instructors.
“Sir Gregory?”
“W-wait, isn’t that… the second young master?!”
Gregory rushed over in shock.
“He only lost consciousness.”
“Ha… so he’s safe. But this presence… is that demonic energy?”
Gregory looked around the area.
He frowned and covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.
“Just as unpleasant as ever.”
“There was something here that summoned undead and mutants. Thankfully, Glen and I took care of it.”
“A being that summons undead?”
“Yes. A powerful undead monster. About 5-star level.”
“W-what? 5-star?”
Gregory’s eyes went wide.
“You’re saying you and the second young master defeated such a high-rank monster?”
“I joined partway through.”
Tris looked at Glen.
“The one actually fighting it was Glen.”
“Hah….”
Gregory rubbed his forehead.
He looked like he did not know whether to believe it or not.
But Tris was not someone who would lie about this.
“A 2-star holy knight defeating a 5-star monster… that sounds like something straight out of scripture or a novel.”
“Right? It sounds like a made-up hero story. But sir, did you know?”
Tris continued with a faint smile.
“This is only the beginning.”
—It feels like I’ve opened my eyes to a new realm in this fight.
Those were Glen’s words before he collapsed.
If that was true, Glen would soon show growth and feats that surpassed everyone’s expectations.
‘The third holy ring? Or a new realm of swordsmanship?’
Tris’s eyes shone clearly, as if she were anticipating her younger brother’s new achievements.
Of course, new doubts about Glen had also arisen.
But Tris decided to remain silent about his strange power for now.
There was no need to stir trouble in a family with an inflexible father and an older brother watching for chances to suppress his sibling.
“By the way, Sir Gregory. What about the trainee knights? You brought everyone here?”
Judging by the number of knights present, it seemed he had brought even the instructors meant to guard the trainees.
Tris narrowed her eyes.
“You didn’t leave the children behind just because of me, did you?”
“No need to worry, miss. All the undead in this area have been eliminated.”
With the Spirit Guide gone, it seemed all undead around the abandoned village had disappeared.
“Ah… so you moved to find us after that?”
“Yes. Of course, if the wait had gotten any longer, we would have searched for you and the young master even if it meant abandoning the trainees.”
“Thank you for saying that. Shall we return then? Even if he looks like he’s sleeping peacefully, Glen is clearly injured.”
Gregory shrugged and bowed to Tris.
“Yes, understood. And once again, I’m truly glad both of you are safe.”
Gregory then turned and ordered the instructors to prepare for return.
Thus ended the two-day purification operation without incident.
The trainee knights left the abandoned village of Sildur and returned to the Warsworth territory at dawn the next day.
After the exhausting journey, the trainees immediately rested.
A monastery priest was assigned to Glen, who had not opened his eyes throughout the return.
Tris stayed by his side, unable to relax.
The report on the purification was delivered by the instructor, Gregory Porter.
“…Good work, Sir Gregory. You may leave and rest now.”
“Yes. I will take my leave.”
Gregory bowed and exited the lord’s office.
Left alone, Edgar—
“You damn bastard!”
Bang—!
He slammed the desk.
Blood burst from his clenched lips.
Nothing had gone according to plan.
‘At first, I only meant to give that good-for-nothing a warning!’
Sending them to the abandoned village was merely a way to show his authority.
He never truly intended to send the trainee knights into such danger.
He planned to reverse the decision if Tris protested strongly enough.
But reality unfolded in the exact opposite way.
—Sounds like a good idea, brother. I’ll go. To the abandoned village.
With that fake smile of his, the brother had insisted on going.
That much was still tolerable.
‘If he wanted to walk into danger on his own, there was no reason to stop him.’
So Glen left for the abandoned village.
And Edgar lived comfortably in the mansion, hoping that cursed place would swallow the good-for-nothing whole.
And now, two days later—
Crack—!
‘That worthless bastard…!’
Not only did he return alive from a place where five out of ten usually died, but he came back having completed an unsanctioned purification operation.
Purification was undeniably the duty of nobles.
Nobles regularly organized expeditions to eliminate monsters around their territory and, in doing so, gained the respect and reverence of the people.
For nobles, expeditions and purification meant honor and public support.
In other words, through this purification, Glen had effectively gained the hearts of the people around the Sildur abandoned village.
‘Soon, representatives of the nearby villages will come to the mansion. Not to thank me, but that worthless bastard!’
Of course, Edgar could argue that purification was the lord’s duty and that Glen acted without permission.
But the one who sent them to the abandoned village in the first place was none other than Edgar himself, acting as the lord’s proxy.
Pushing that point would gain him nothing.
“Grrr…!”
How could a brother by blood be so detestable?
‘Should I even hire an assassin and kill that bastard?’
Edgar shook his head.
Hiring a professional assassin would be too expensive right now.
He had already spent a significant amount of his own money just to declare Robert missing.
‘Should I open Father’s vault?’
As long as the butler Fred was watching closely, taking money from the vault was not easy.
Edgar groaned.
‘Do I really have to watch that bastard run wild like this?!’
Then, someone knocked on the door.
Edgar lifted his head irritably.
“Who is it…?”
“It’s Rodriguez, young master.”
Rodriguez Folco, a 3-star holy knight.
He was the errand runner Edgar had planted among the four instructors sent to the abandoned village.
“…Come in.”
“Yes.”
Rodriguez entered and gave a light bow.
“I have just returned.”
“I know. Sir Gregory was here before you.”
“My apologies.”
Rodriguez lowered his head.
Edgar waved his hand dismissively.
“So, anything unusual?”
There was no need to ask.
There would be nothing special, as always.
Thinking that, Edgar reached for the whiskey bottle with cold eyes.
“We found traces of magic at the place where the second young master fought.”
“Of course… wait, what did you say?”
Rodriguez took out a fingernail-sized scrap of paper from his pocket.
“It took a while to find.”
“Did you say traces of magic? Then could that be a piece of parchment?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
Rodriguez nodded.
In the Papal States, where holy power was truth itself, magic that used mana was heretical sorcery.
“But with just a scrap of parchment, how can you prove my brother used heretical magic?”
“Well…”
Rodriguez fell silent.
“You idiot. Do you think if you shove that scrap at him, he’ll confess and say, ‘Ah! That’s mine!’?”
Edgar sneered at Rodriguez.
At that moment, a cunning idea flashed through his mind.
“No, no. Why do we even need proof to make that bastard a heretic?”
A sharp glint appeared in Edgar’s once-cold eyes.
He looked at Rodriguez.
“Proof can simply be made. Don’t you think so, Sir Rodriguez?”
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand what you mean…”
Edgar slowly walked toward Rodriguez.
“You don’t need to think. Just be my loyal chess piece and move as I tell you.”
“Just give the order.”
“It’s simple.”
Step, step—
Edgar placed a hand on Rodriguez’s shoulder.
“Just send one crow to the capital.”
“What should I write in the letter?”
Rodriguez asked.
Edgar replied,
“Ask them to send a Heresy Inquisitor.”
The corners of Edgar’s mouth curled upward slyly.
