NOVEL WEB Ch. 7
Chapter 7. Inspection (1)
Correction.
No luxurious room in the lord’s castle for the fortress-saving hero, no beautiful maid changing wet cloths hourly.
This was a village a bit away from the fortress.
Burken Village, tied to Burken Fortress as one manor.
I was in an inn room there.
The auntie who called me a corpse was the innkeeper.
“Did I know? You hadn’t opened your eyes for three days. Thought you were a breathing corpse.”
“…….”
“Boiling hot one moment, ice cold the next. Like patients who last a day or two at most.”
Still, treating a living person like a corpse was too much.
Five minutes ago, the innkeeper, thinking an undead appeared, came up with a hatchet, only to trip on the stairs and roll down, dropping the hatchet.
It arced right over my bed.
If it flew 5 cm lower, my thigh would’ve been sashimi.
Fuck. Still creepy thinking about it.
“Ugh, when will he quit waving that axe around! Tsk tsk.”
Anyway, why was I here? A handsome, tall knight left me, she said.
White hair, bloodied armor, Burken baron’s insignia, etc.
The features she listed with dreamy eyes all pointed to one person.
Burken Fortress’s chief of staff and high-tier knight.
The honest white-haired mentor, Olif.
‘Three days ago, so right after the battle.’
Impressive.
I had thought there was a chance I’d wake in a dungeon.
When he found me collapsed, I must have been sprawled among broken potion bottles.
On a tower overlooking the gate.
Even a fool could tell I cast [Infernal Meteor].
‘Felt it when he agreed to the absurd plan… but this means I’ve fully gained his trust.’
For that picky emperor loyalist to rise in favor was certain.
He wasn’t the type to report me without a sharp rise in trust.
Vampire school magic alone meant at least forced labor in the empire, serving the light god Luark.
The reason? I didn’t know.
Anyway, he’d stay silent.
“Those bats. Good they were beaten back.”
Perhaps thinking I was curious, the inn auntie swept the floor and spilled the battle’s aftermath unasked.
I sipped water from the table and listened quietly.
Excluding tangents, the summary was:
The Burken Fortress siege ended three days ago.
The defenders held with unbroken morale despite the broken gate.
Finally, Archduke Gabir’s reinforcements arrived, driving back the Vampire Archduchy’s main force.
What caught my attention was the last part.
“The number? Nearly ten thousand, they say.”
‘Damn.’
The four thousand undead were just the vanguard.
The following main force numbered ten thousand heads alone.
Absurd enough to click my tongue.
From the signs, the vampire archduke hadn’t awakened yet, yet his vassals threw a ten-thousand-strong army.
Even for Inferno difficulty, did it make sense?
How far did this luck-screwed trash game’s malice go?
“Rumors are flying too. The fortress was nearly fallen to the vanguard? But at the critical moment, the vampires dropped a fireball on their own heads… Oh dear. Why spit water, young man?”
“Cough! Cough! No, it’s nothing.”
“Ugh—my freshly washed blanket. Really.”
Anyway, I needed to be more careful.
This was unavoidable, but…
Such excuses wouldn’t work before an inquisitor.
Better not use the newly learned mid-level spell [Spirit Shield] either.
“The handsome knight will come soon. He visits daily, but not yet today. Tell me if you need anything.”
The auntie finished cleaning and left.
Details could wait for Olif.
I turned to the notifications still covering my vision.
[Siege Defense Victory Achievement!]
[Extremely Difficult Battle Victory Achievement!]
[Single-Handed Ten Enemy Defeat Achievement!]
[Single-Handed Hundred Enemy Defeat Achievement!]
[Single-Handed Thousand…!]
Hard-won victory deserved rewards.
Time to settle.
***
‘Warlord Conquest’s hero growth system divided broadly into two.
First, active-feeling ‘skills.’
Second, relatively passive ‘traits.’
Of course, some skills weren’t always active.
Likewise, some traits could be used like active skills.
To explain the difference more concretely:
‘Skills are techniques. Traits are stats.’
Techniques could be acquired through learning and training.
But stats weren’t gained by effort alone.
Even simple strength, endurance, mana capacity—effort mattered, but without talent, limits were clear.
‘Traits like [Lord’s Unyielding Mind] were beyond effort.’
In that sense, the achievement system was one of the most important parts of hero nurturing.
It was a key source of traits.
[Single-Handed Ten Enemy Defeat Achievement!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Spirit of One Against Ten]
[Single-Handed Hundred Enemy Defeat Achievement!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Lower trait [Spirit of One Against Ten] upgraded.]
[Spirit of One Against Hundred]
[Single-Handed Thousand Enemy Defeat Achievement!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Lower trait [Spirit of One Against Hundred] upgraded.]
[Spirit of One Against Thousand]
[Maintains morale even before four-digit enemies.]
The spirit series first.
Traits that overcame morale penalties from enemy numbers.
One of the few traits fixedly gained from achievements.
In ‘Warlord Conquest,’ with its large-scale wars, it was almost essential.
‘For mage heroes, a top-priority trait.’
Desk-bound spellcasters usually had cookie-crumb mentalities.
Many mages capable of battalion-sweeping spells cowered before dozens of spearmen.
Losing because the firepower mage panicked… indescribable feeling.
Like shoveling snow in midwinter army service, only for it to snow again?
Of course, for me now, it was redundant.
After all…
[Lord’s Unyielding Mind]
[Absolute immunity to mental contamination or brainwashing.]
[Unaffected by morale drops.]
[Immune to mental status like fear or confusion in any situation.]
[As unit commander, probabilistically removes allies’ status ailments.]
I already had a balance-breaking overpowered trait.
Still, one more couldn’t hurt.
Later, curses randomly sealing traits appeared.
Those damn cult bastards.
Next.
[Siege Defense Victory Achievement!]
[Random trait acquired.]
[Ironclad Defense]
[Increases chance of blocking projectiles with shields.]
Random trait.
Luck-screwed trash game, most achievement rewards were luck-based.
Not bad though.
Stray bullets or arrows killing in battle were common.
[Extremely Difficult Battle Victory Achievement!]
[Random trait acquired.]
[The Important Thing Is… Unbreakable Will]
[Reduces weapon breakage chance in battle.]
A bit ambiguous…
This one was a dud.
[High-Level Magic Max Power Cast Achievement!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Sage’s Veil]
[Can deceive spell level to mages below your level.]
Most useful trait now.
Sage’s Veil hid spell ranks.
Essential for me, with high-level spells all vampire school.
And last…
[Critical Injury Recovery Achievement!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Bullet Time]
[Slows time perception when receiving fatal attacks.]
“I almost died.”
Looking at the last trait [Bullet Time], I stroked my chest.
Gaining it meant my HP hit 1%.
In short, one spell nearly killed me.
‘…Need at least [Robust Mana].’
If I didn’t want to risk life every high-level cast.
Another reason to seal [Infernal Meteor].
Dismissing notifications, I rose from bed.
Whooo…
Wind whispered through the window.
Leaning elbows on the garden-view window.
Feeling the breeze on my face, I sorted the past days’ events.
Post-battle feedback was crucial.
Objectively, as an 8-year veteran, summarizing the tutorial…
‘…Honestly, beyond expectations.’
Over ten skills and traits combined.
From death row to mercenary mage status upgrade.
Gained trust from three imperial units and named hero Olif.
Acquired armor, sword, and the mage’s money.
Hard to recall a more successful tutorial case.
Perhaps isekai buffs existed.
Things seemed going well…
Splash!
Water splashed on my face.
Splash!
Another cup, splashed again.
Slapped my cheek.
Slap!
Once more.
Slaap!
Yelled for good measure.
Phew. Felt clearer now.
Anyone seeing would think madness.
But there was a saying.
To deal with madmen, become mad.
The devs were madmen.
Obsessed with making the game hard.
‘Regardless of user ratings plummeting or refund floods, they never budged.’
Well, that made the game famous.
Anyway, ‘Warlord Conquest’ was so hard even normal difficulty had few clears.
Problem? I chose Inferno difficulty.
With ‘extremely challenging hero’ warning-popping ‘Nameless Ash.’
“…Damn.”
Things going well?
Meant a pitfall awaited to drop me to hell.
Crisis overcome well?
Meant a fatal slip-up loomed soon.
Fold isekai buff thoughts neatly away.
Never let guard down.
In this luck-screwed trash game, one mistake led straight to defeat and annihilation.
“…Phew.”
Mind set, time to plan strategy.
Ten total.
Two elements to focus on this run.
First, copy skills with [Warrior’s Insight].
Second, supplement lacking traits via training and ‘achievement farming.’
Skill acquisition details not fully researched…
At least battlefield-witnessed skills seemed all acquirable.
Achievements, a third battlefield-required.
Meaning I’d keep seeking warzones.
‘…Can’t do it alone.’
Need to build my force for acceleration.
Had to anyway.
‘Warlord Conquest’ wasn’t clearable with one hero.
Thump thump thump!
Someone knocked on the door.
Before answering, it burst open.
What? Because I yelled earlier?
Medieval times, sensitive about noise…
“Who is he?”
A tall man entered.
Step.
Brown beard. Blue eyes.
Over 180 cm height. Wrinkles bordering old age.
Step.
Cowhide cuirass covered with large patterned cloth.
Trimmed greaves, boots, belt, scabbard—all extraordinary.
Clink. Clink.
The man entered first, followed by knights filling the room.
All exceptional aura.
Senior knights every one.
Once all entered, the man spoke.
“Rude on first meeting.”
You might be first, but not me.
“Pleased.”
And I wasn’t pleased.
“I’m Count Gabir Maraz.”
Knew the name, of course.
The issue was why this guy was here, now.
Lie detector nickname.
Hardcore emperor loyalist like Olif.
Famous for executing traitors, a high noble sat before me.
Note, traitors included heretics.
Vampire school mages were prime heretics.
Fuck.