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 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 mont, 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, ca 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 handso, tall knight left , 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 ntor, 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 collapsed, I must have been sprawled among broken potion bottles.
On a tower overlooking the gate.
Even a fool could tell I cast [Infernal teor].
‘Felt it when he agreed to the absurd plan… but this ans I’ve fully gained his trust.’
For that picky emperor loyalist to rise in favor was certain.
He wasn’t the type to report without a sharp rise in trust.
Vampire school magic alone ant 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 reinforcents 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 ga’s malice go?
“Rumors are flying too. The fortress was nearly fallen to the vanguard? But at the critical mont, 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 handso knight will co soon. He visits daily, but not yet today. Tell 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 Achievent!]
[Extrely Difficult Battle Victory Achievent!]
[Single-Handed Ten Enemy Defeat Achievent!]
[Single-Handed Hundred Enemy Defeat Achievent!]
[Single-Handed Thousand…!]
Hard-won victory deserved rewards.
Ti to settle.
***
‘Warlord Conquest’s hero growth system divided broadly into two.
First, active-feeling ‘skills.’
Second, relatively passive ‘traits.’
Of course, so skills weren’t always active.
Likewise, so 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 achievent system was one of the most important parts of hero nurturing.
It was a key source of traits.
[Single-Handed Ten Enemy Defeat Achievent!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Spirit of One Against Ten]
[Single-Handed Hundred Enemy Defeat Achievent!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Lower trait [Spirit of One Against Ten] upgraded.]
[Spirit of One Against Hundred]
[Single-Handed Thousand Enemy Defeat Achievent!]
[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 overca morale penalties from enemy numbers.
One of the few traits fixedly gained from achievents.
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 ntalities.
Many mages capable of battalion-sweeping spells cowered before dozens of spearn.
Losing because the firepower mage panicked… indescribable feeling.
Like shoveling snow in midwinter army service, only for it to snow again?
Of course, for now, it was redundant.
After all…
[Lord’s Unyielding Mind]
[Absolute immunity to ntal contamination or brainwashing.]
[Unaffected by morale drops.]
[Immune to ntal status like fear or confusion in any situation.]
[As unit commander, probabilistically removes allies’ status ailnts.]
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 Achievent!]
[Random trait acquired.]
[Ironclad Defense]
[Increases chance of blocking projectiles with shields.]
Random trait.
Luck-screwed trash ga, most achievent rewards were luck-based.
Not bad though.
Stray bullets or arrows killing in battle were common.
[Extrely Difficult Battle Victory Achievent!]
[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 Achievent!]
[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 , with high-level spells all vampire school.
And last…
[Critical Injury Recovery Achievent!]
[Fixed trait acquired.]
[Bullet Ti]
[Slows ti perception when receiving fatal attacks.]
“I almost died.”
Looking at the last trait [Bullet Ti], I stroked my chest.
Gaining it ant my HP hit 1%.
In short, one spell nearly killed .
‘…Need at least [Robust Mana].’
If I didn’t want to risk life every high-level cast.
Another reason to seal [Infernal teor].
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 rcenary mage status upgrade.
Gained trust from three imperial units and nad hero Olif.
Acquired armor, sword, and the mage’s money.
Hard to recall a more successful tutorial case.
Perhaps isekai buffs existed.
Things seed going well…
Splash!
Water splashed on my face.
Splash!
Another cup, splashed again.
Slapped my cheek.
Slap!
Once more.
Slaap!
Yelled for good asure.
Phew. Felt clearer now.
Anyone seeing would think madness.
But there was a saying.
To deal with madn, beco mad.
The devs were madn.
Obsessed with making the ga hard.
‘Regardless of user ratings plumting or refund floods, they never budged.’
Well, that made the ga famous.
Anyway, ‘Warlord Conquest’ was so hard even normal difficulty had few clears.
Problem? I chose Inferno difficulty.
With ‘extrely challenging hero’ warning-popping ‘Naless Ash.’
“…Damn.”
Things going well?
ant a pitfall awaited to drop to hell.
Crisis overco well?
ant a fatal slip-up lood soon.
Fold isekai buff thoughts neatly away.
Never let guard down.
In this luck-screwed trash ga, one mistake led straight to defeat and annihilation.
“…Phew.”
Mind set, ti to plan strategy.
Ten total.
Two elents to focus on this run.
First, copy skills with [Warrior’s Insight].
Second, supplent lacking traits via training and ‘achievent farming.’
Skill acquisition details not fully researched…
At least battlefield-witnessed skills seed all acquirable.
Achievents, a third battlefield-required.
aning 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!
Soone knocked on the door.
Before answering, it burst open.
What? Because I yelled earlier?
dieval tis, 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.
Trimd 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 eting.”
You might be first, but not .
“Pleased.”
And I wasn’t pleased.
“I’m Count Gabir Maraz.”
Knew the na, of course.
The issue was why this guy was here, now.
Lie detector nickna.
Hardcore emperor loyalist like Olif.
Famous for executing traitors, a high noble sat before .
Note, traitors included heretics.
Vampire school mages were pri heretics.
Fuck.
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