The Healing Solaris Cleric

Chapter 228: The One Who Takes Everything for Himself (3)

All the viewers watching the video lost their breath. It was as if they were paralyzed in their sleep, unable to move. The crushing weight of an invisible stone pressed down on their chests, leaving them overwhelmed.

If Kai had been just moderately impressive, and if the viewers had been only moderately surprised, the chat would have exploded with reactions.

However, what he showcased in his entrance was far beyond anything moderate. Perhaps because of that, the chat remained silent. It was as if typing even a single word would be a crime.

-Um... is the chat lagging right now?

Someone, unable to suppress their curiosity, cautiously asked. Then, the chat suddenly flooded with messages, just like a dam bursting under pressure.

-Ugh!

-There’s always that one person who can’t read the room.

-Can’t you see everyone was silently paying their respects to Unknown out of awe?

-Phew. Still, thanks. I feel less suffocated now.

-Forget that. Is he even human? Quadruple-casting?! Is this some supercomputer pretending to be a player?

-I can’t believe someone other than Chris could pull that off.

└ And he’s not even a Wizard. That guy’s a Paladin LOL

-Wizards must be losing their minds right now LMAO A Paladin outclassing their computational skills bahahaha

└ I just hit level 230 as a Wizard... Honestly thinking about deleting my character.

-I’m just glad I’m a Warrior. Warriors for life!

-Sigh... This really is a damn talent-based game. Some people can barely manage double-casting past level 180...

Countless messages began to fill the chat. What was interesting was how the emotional states of the writers were clearly visible. They were filled with excitement and thrill. These two emotions were so intense that they could even be felt through the screen.

Chris was the top-ranked Wizard in the game, and he was called a genius sent by the heavens. He was the only one to ever demonstrate quadruple-casting. Who could have expected, or even imagined that...

"... Unknown was a quadruple-casting player."

Next to Seol Eun-Yeong, who muttered something under her breath with clenched lips, Boyd was clutching the back of his neck, frothing at the mouth.

"Q-qua-quad... Quad... Kugh!"

Thud!

Boyd collapsed backward, but instead of helping him, Seol Eun-Yeong subtly stepped aside to avoid any contact with him.

The Warriors’ hidden card was Kai?

Betrayal wrapped around her for a moment, but she quickly shook her head.

No, don’t let personal feelings get in the way, Seol Eun-Yeong.

She had told him herself from the beginning. The management contract was merely an act of goodwill from Cheonhwa, and it wasn’t something that required any sense of responsibility.

He must have been wary of solidifying his image.

If she had been in Han Jung-Woo’s position, she would have made the same choice. After all, she had been born in a jungle where even siblings tied by blood could not be trusted. She had grown up in that brutal jungle and had experienced defeat once.

And that’s why...

She had poured everything on MID Online, something her brothers and sisters didn’t care about. And the result was a success. The MID Online craze swept across the world, and she became the owner of one of the top ten factions.

But this isn’t enough.

Her older brothers had constantly eyed opportunities to use her as a pawn in a marriage of convenience. To prevent such a situation, she had no choice but to consistently achieve outstanding results to gain her grandfather's favor.

"... aid now?"

Tap tap.

Someone lightly shook Seol Eun-Yeong’s left arm as she was lost in thought.

"Who cares. And who dares to touch—huh?"

Seol Eun-Yeong’s furrowed brow relaxed as her eyes widened. She had been certain that Boyd was on her right and Yoo Ha-Rin on her left.

But my left arm?

She quickly turned her head.

"Oh..."

And then she saw them—Yoo Ha-Rin's clear eyes revealed beneath her raised helmet visor.

As Seol Eun-Yeong stared, mesmerized by her shining jewel-like eyes, Yoo Ha-Rin said, "... What happens to the raid now?"

Her voice, as clear as rolling jade marbles, carried a pure tone similar to freshly fallen snow on a winter’s day.

Momentarily moved by the purity of her voice, Seol Eun-Yeong snapped back to her senses. "Oh, don’t worry..."

That was a phrase Seol Eun-Yeong often said out of habit. And every time, she had proven those words true. She was a woman capable of drawing the results she wanted, no matter the crisis. But this time...

Actually, I don’t know...

The bowstring had already been drawn, and the arrow had left her hand. At this point, there was nothing she could do, no more than anyone else. All she could do was pray.

"I’m not sure.”

Seol Eun-Yeong felt her mind becoming complicated.

A hope for Unknown to fail for Cheonhwa's success, and a desire for his career to soar as the representative of the management company contracted with him. These contradictory thoughts, impossible to achieve simultaneously, left her mind in chaos.

Of course, he should fall, and my guild should succeed in the raid, but...

She wondered why she was contemplating something so obvious.

She felt a headache forming. She looked up at the sky and above her, four beams of light were fired toward the ground.

***

The significance of four castings was simple. It meant being capable of dealing four times the damage others could in the same amount of time. That was why wizards capable of double or, even more so, triple-casting were treated as nobility.

The target is...

Kai’s gaze, as he rapidly plummeted through the air, fixed on a single place. It was Duras, clad in blue armor!

He’s immune to physical attacks.

In other words, he was vulnerable to all forms of non-physical attacks.

Kai aimed all four artillery at him.

"Bang."

At the same time, beams of light burst from the four artillery, relentlessly pounding Duras’s body.

Booooom!

Holy spells cast by Priests were typically regarded as inferior to the four elemental spells cast by Wizards.

First, the holy attribute was a single type, offering little merit unless fighting dark-attribute monsters. Moreover, while wizards optimized all their gear for maximum damage, most priests prioritized equipment that enhanced ally support and personal survival.

And the most critical factor was the coefficient—the inherent damage multiplier of a skill. Wizard spells overwhelmingly outclassed the holy spells of priests. That was the common understanding.

Of course, that common knowledge only applies to regular classes.

The first offensive skill learned by a Solaris Cleric, Holy Explosion, seemed similar at first glance to the Ray of Light spell learned by other Priests. Similar, but only on the surface.

Not everything that seems similar is the same. It’s like asking if tigers and cats are identical just because they’re in the same family.

Above all, Kai understood this skill better than anyone. The destructive power of Holy Explosion was something only those who had used it or been hit by it could truly comprehend.

“Kuuaagh!”

Duras’s HP dropped by 7% in an instant.

“Th-the damage is impossible!”

“This doesn’t make sense! Duras and Radus aren’t even dark-attributed monsters!”

Players observing the battle screamed in disbelief, denying what they were seeing. Of course, their screams never reached Kai.

“Whew...” Kai, landing safely on the ground, let out a relieved sigh.

Good thing I avoided dying from the fall.

Just before hitting the ground, Kai had used the Confusion skill that came with Clown’s Shoes. The skill allowed him to ignore all physical energy and teleport to a chosen coordinate. Thanks to this, he landed smoothly without any impact and closed his eyes for a moment.

So this is the pressure of the gravity field.

It was indeed an indescribable discomfort that could be felt in every aspect. Not only was moving the body frustrating, but even the simple act of breathing felt constricting.

But... it’s more manageable than I thought.

Kai had once fought underwater when saving the kingdom of the merfolk. Although the feeling wasn’t identical to the current gravity field, it felt somewhat similar.

So moving my body feels something like this, huh?

As Kai loosened up with a light exercise routine to adjust to the gravity field, Radus let out a furious roar.

“How dare a mere human defy the holy will of Muldine! Bow down and worship him at once!”

“Nope, not happening. Helik would scold me.”

With a brief retort rejecting the offer of religious conversion, Kai took short steps. He swiftly passed by Duras, who was staggering and disoriented. After passing him, Kai charged straight at Radus.

“Heuph...!”

Radus was unfortunately struggling to pull out the sword lodged in the back of his neck. The fact that he could still speak clearly in such a state was impressive—he had no need for public speaking lessons.

“Whoa there, just keep it in there. No need to struggle so hard to return it back to me so soon.”

“You...!”

Kai winked at Radus, who was glaring at him, then reached his hand out toward the air. @@novelbin@@

“Summon Holy Sword, Prius.”

Normally, using Holy Explosion and summoning the Holy Sword simultaneously would result in an unsustainable drain on Holy Power. Therefore, Kai knew that while wielding the Holy Sword, he had to be the most industrious person in the world.

“Heup!”

The moment the radiant sword of light landed in his grasp, his arm sliced through the oppressive gravity, surging forward.

Slash, slash, slash!

Kai’s body began to dance. His legs rhythmically stomped on the barren sand, pressing it down with lively steps. His upper body twisted energetically from side to side to maintain balance, and the power generated from his lower body surged through his arms, swinging them with force.

Craacck!

“Gahhh!”

Fortune favored the bold.

Notification windows continuously appeared before Kai.

Ding!

[Due to the effect of Swordsmanship of the Dawn, Holy Power has recovered by 4,490.]

[Due to the effect of Swordsmanship of the Dawn, Holy Power has recovered by 4,260.]

[Critical Hit! Due to the effect of Swordsmanship of the Dawn, Holy Power has recovered by 8,570.]

Kai’s arms swung twice per second, sometimes even three times. Assuming every strike continued as a clean hit without interruption...

Woooooom!

Kai’s Holy Power would never run dry.

“Argh, how dare you rampage as you please...”

Finally regaining his composure, Duras grabbed his sword to rescue his comrade. Frost began to creep down the blue blade he held. For reference, hellfire’s blaze radiated from Radus’s sword.

Whichever one hits, it’ll be a critical strike.

Without the silence effect, the Silent Longsword of Frost Kai wielded would be nearly identical to theirs. Simply put, getting hit was something to avoid at all costs. And Kai had a way to ensure Duras couldn’t get close.

“Holy Explosion.”

“Argh, you’re attacking from afar like a coward!”

“Then come closer.”

The four holy magic circles spun around Kai, all aimed directly at Duras.

And now...

Snap!

Kai’s thumb and middle finger snapped together with a satisfying click. At the same time, another Cleric appeared behind him—the Solarian Doppelganger.

“Blast him away.”

The Solarian Doppelganger, silently observing Kai’s quadruple-casting, began to generate magic circles around itself. One, two, three, four... Combined with Kai’s, there were now eight holy magic circles.

Duras, staring at the four additional magic circles targeting him, muttered in a dazed voice, “Human, this isn’t fair!”

“It is.”

Boooom!

Eight Holy Explosions tore through the field.