Chapter 177: Two Gates (4)

One of the players muttered, "We're doomed."

It wasn’t simply because there were too many monsters.

[Night has fallen. All monsters' abilities increase by 30%, and XP gain increases by 20%.]

It was because of the message that appeared in front of the players defending Castle Baden. The short sentence was enough to make the players lose their tempers.

"Damn, who cares about XP in a situation like this!"

"Just nail the coffin shut already, for good!"

It was a message of despair that appeared in an already overwhelmingly unfavorable situation, and as irritating as receiving a critical hit when one barely had any HP left!

Minerva and the members of the Black Dragon guild checked the time, their faces troubled.

The promised thirty minutes have passed... Why isn't he here yet?

The promised fifteen minutes are up... Where is he?

Though the time Kai had promised had passed, there was no sign of him from any direction—north, south, east, or west.

He hasn't come through the eastern gate yet, so either he hasn't arrived, or...

Is he aiming for Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao?

They were like people dying of thirst, unable to drink from the pure spring, Kai.

"Retreat, retreat!"

"Dang it, the western side of the city has completely collapsed! Run!"

The players and knights who had been holding the western front admitted defeat and pulled the defensive line back toward the central area.

Monsters surged in like water bursting from a barely plugged faucet!

"

Ugh

..."

As Minerva grabbed her forehead and staggered, her vision spinning, Razley supported her trembling body, gritting his teeth.

"That Kai bastard... He really left us to—

huh?

"

Just as Razley was about to curse Kai, some guild members ran up, panting. "

Huff, huff!

Minerva, Razley!"

"What's the matter? Catch your breath before you speak."

"

Huff, huff...

Thank you..."

After taking a deep breath, one of the guild members slowly pulled out a letter and handed it to Razley.

"This is...?"

"A skeleton lurking near the eastern gate was holding this letter. As you'll see... it's from Kai!"

"Why didn't you mention something this important sooner!" Razley yelled, quickly tearing open the letter to read its contents.

West, deployment. Standby request.

"West... the west!"

Hearing Razley's voice, Minerva immediately spread out the map of Castle Baden. "The west... that’s where..."

The Troll Hero and the monsters following it were pouring through.

He plans to clear the western side first.

Then, he would likely regroup and block the Triple-Headed Ogre advancing from the north.

"But what does

standby request

mean...?"

Could it be that he was saying they don't need to assist him?

No matter how strong Kai's combat abilities are, there’s no way he brought elves or merfolk with him here.

That meant he planned to handle it alone.

Minerva slowly lifted her head and looked toward the west. "...Is he really going to get through all of that by himself?"

When something seemed utterly unbelievable, a person couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Minerva, feeling a strange mix of emotions, could only chuckle softly.

***

The skeleton knights that Kai had summoned were level 298. When they used the Knighted skill to be promoted to dullahans, their stats increased significantly, but that wasn’t all. In that state, they received buffs from Kai, and now, with nightfall, their stats had risen by 30%.

That means...

Although temporarily, the strength of Kai’s undead army was now far superior to the monster army before them! Of course, the blessings of Kai, a Solaris Cleric, didn’t end there!

"Skill activation, Hymn of Angels!"

The skill inherited from the holy relic left by Shimizu of Guardianship enveloped the undead army.

[The Solarian God Helik has blessed you with the gracious light of the sun.]

[You have heard the hymn sung by the angels.]

[Physical damage received is reduced by 30%.]

[Magical damage received is reduced by 30%.]

[All status effect resistance is increased by 40%.]

"They're a monster army with an average level of 250. Sweep them away!"

At Kai’s command, the undead charged forward with ruthless blades, shrouded in darkness.

The limbs of trolls that were known for regenerating most wounds quickly were severed in single strikes and sent flying through the air while ogres boasting immense strength were sent tumbling backward from a single kick from a dullahan.

Moreover, whenever a monster was killed by a dullahan’s sword, a skeleton emerged from the spot where the body fell. It was literally an undead army that multiplied endlessly!

And all the achievements from the monsters they defeated flowed directly to Kai.

[Your dullahan has hunted a hard troll, earning you 7 merit points.]

[Your skeleton has hunted a grey orc, earning you 5 merit points.]

[Your dullahan has hunted a sharp mantis, earning you 12 merit points.]

.

.

.

Merit points accumulated rapidly, growing by the second!

If I wipe out all the monsters here and destroy the two Hard Gates myself...

Achieving the top spot in the merit rankings could be impossible, but he could at least secure a place in the top ranks.

Realizing this, Kai began to move alongside his doppelganger.

I can leave all the trash mobs to the undead.

His job was to target the named and boss monsters roaming the battlefield!

I need to take down the ones they can’t handle on their own.

Drawing his sword, Kai stepped on the heads of orcs, trolls, and mantises, going deeper into the heart of the battlefield.

"

Raaaargh!

"

"

Graaaah!

"

The monsters were desperate to kill Kai, who had fearlessly entered their domain, but every time they tried, Kai simply flicked his fingers.

"Wrath of the Sun."

Crackle... Boom!

Each time, sunlight that had no business being present at night pierced through the darkness, raining down upon the battlefield and leaving it in ruins. After this scene played out a few times, the monsters would flee at the mere sight of Kai approaching, without even looking back.

Works for me.

Leaving the terrified monsters behind, Kai made his way into the inner part of the collapsed western fortress. As he crossed the fortress, a massive monster came into view.

There it is. The Troll Hero.

The Troll Hero was one of the boss monsters that had emerged from the Hard Gate! It even bore the title of Commander, and its very presence greatly strengthened the monsters around it.

"I'll start with you."

The difference between someone who had done it once and someone who had never done it was irreparable.

Having gained experience in urban warfare during the battle against Aosa in Whitehall, Kai skillfully climbed onto the rooftops of the burning city. He moved from roof to roof, and when paths were blocked, he used his Solarian Chains to create new routes.

"Bind it," he commanded as he got near the Troll Hero, and his doppelganger shot two Holy Chains from its arms.

Shh-clink!

"

Graagh?!

"

Feeling the unpleasant chains wrapping around its neck, the Troll Hero immediately grabbed them and pulled.

With just one motion, Kai’s doppelganger was dragged helplessly toward the Troll Hero.

"Its HP is almost done anyway."

While other summons could be healed with recovery skills, the doppelganger could not.

It’s probably a balance thing.

After all, if Solarian Self could be continuously healed with a healing skill, it would be possible to create an endless army of powerful soldiers.

"Let's start with a big hit."

Kai’s doppelganger had already been beaten to a pulp by Goliath. Now, as the enraged Troll Hero plunged its sharp claws deep into the doppelganger’s abdomen, the doppelganger began to glow brightly.

The doppelganger and the dullahans are opposite entities, but they share one key trait.

They both explode when they die.

"

Gragh...?!

"

Sensing something ominous, the Troll Hero tried to throw the doppelganger away, but the Holy Chains binding the doppelganger kept it firmly attached to the Troll Hero’s body.

"And then... Boom."

Boom!

An enormous explosion erupted in the streets of Castle Baden. It was unlike anything that had ever happened before. Even Kai, who knew the doppelganger would explode, was startled by the sheer magnitude of it.

"That damage is brutal."

The Troll Hero, at level 278, had its massive HP reduced by a staggering 30% in one go. It was no surprise that the other regular monsters nearby were left barely alive after the blast.

The moment Kai checked their health, he didn’t hesitate and leaped down from the rooftop.

Is this what they call a walk in the park?

Boom!

Wrath of the Sun crashed down into the streets, instantly striking down the weakened monsters with a single blow.

The Troll Hero was no exception.

"

Graaaaargh!

"

The Troll Hero let out a scream and glared at Kai with murderous intent as it was exposed to a level of pain it had never imagined or experienced before.

Meeting the bloodshot eyes of the Troll Hero, Kai slowly drew his sword. "What are you looking at?"

The strength of trolls lies in their rapid health regeneration.

However, its weakness was just as clear.

"Holy power."

Despite not being an undead or a demon, the troll was one of the few monsters highly sensitive to holy power.

According to the monster encyclopedia, trolls were descendants of priests who once served a certain god. They had been granted strong, healthy bodies that never suffered illness, but in their arrogance, they began to mock the god they once worshiped.

As a result, they were struck by the god’s wrath, bam!

Now, the trolls were vulnerable to holy power and had become monsters with significantly diminished intelligence.

Who knew all that studying would come in handy like this!

Rankers always prepared meticulously before hunting. They studied a monster’s weaknesses, its patterns, and the best equipment to use. Anyone who could ignore all that preparation and still excel would have to be a true genius.

Unfortunately, I’m no genius.

That was why Kai worked harder than anyone else. He thoroughly analyzed the skills of the Solaris Cleric class, compensated for its weaknesses by building his stats carefully, and increased his Strength. Learning tricks like double-casting was just a bonus!

The result of all this effort was simple.

"Supernova."

Fwoosh!

The hot energy radiating from his entire body mixed with the cold night air and dissipated into the air.

I’ll do it by myself.

As a result of his hard work, Kai became one of the few who could hunt, go to war, and even raid all alone.

"

Kiieeeek!

"

The Troll Hero's gaze trembled violently as it faced the holy power radiating from Kai's body.

However, it was the leader of its group, a boss monster. The fear it felt quickly turned into rage. With a sharp cry, the Troll Hero’s sharp claws tore through the night air as it charged forward! Once pierced by those claws, the only way to escape would be to sever them—an attack that was nearly impossible to evade.

"Upgrade."

[Upgrade skill has been used.]

[The next three skills used will have their effects greatly enhanced.]

"Holy Chains."

Kai suddenly felt his left arm grow heavy. The Holy Chains were much thicker and heavier than what he usually summoned.

[The skill has been enhanced by the Upgrade skill.]

[The binding power, size, and weight of the chains have tripled.]

"

Heup...!

"

Kai slowly spun his body to generate centrifugal force, then launched the chains forward.

Until now, Holy Chains had only been able to bind the enemy's joints, but with the Upgrade skill's enhancement, things were different.

"

Graaaah!

"

The massive Troll Hero was struck in the chest by the thick chain, and the force sent it crashing into several buildings, toppling them as it fell backward.

"Holy Chains."

Kai felt the heavy sensation in his left arm once again. He sent the chains out, binding both of the Troll Hero's arms.

"

Grrrr?!

"

Thud, thud!

The Troll Hero slammed its bound arms against the ground, but despite the loud noise, the Holy Chains did not break easily.

Kai watched the creature, unable to rise under the weight of the two chains, and slowly raised his left hand.

When his arm was finally aligned at a perfect ninety-degree angle with his chest, he lightly snapped his fingers and muttered, "Holy Explosion."

A brilliant beam of light, intense enough to swallow the darkness, illuminated the city streets.