Chapter 229: The One Who Takes Everything for Himself (4)

Eight beams of light streaked across the plains, striking Duras’s body one after another.

Boom!

“

Argh

...” Duras groaned.

The first strike had hit his left shoulder, causing him to stagger back one step. Before he could regain his composure, the second beam of light slammed into his chest.

“

Kugh

...

!

”

This time, he stumbled two steps back. Gritting his lower lip, Duras planted his legs firmly into the ground.

Crack!

The hard earth split like pudding, absorbing Duras’s legs. It was a declaration of his unwavering determination not to retreat any further.

However, Kai’s attacks were far too powerful to endure with mere willpower.

Boom, boom, boom!

Each time the beams struck, Duras’s body staggered like a kite with its string cut. From some point on, blood mixed with saliva dripped from his lips, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“You’re holding up better than I expected,” Kai remarked briefly as he observed Duras’s desperate efforts.

In fact, Duras was holding out much better than Kai had anticipated.

Four Holy Explosions only dealt 7% damage.

On top of that, the doppelganger, which inherited 70% of Kai’s abilities, added another four Holy Explosions. This meant that with every combo of beams, Duras lost approximately 12% of his total HP.

And Holy Explosion is difficult to dodge.

A named monster like Duras could easily deflect most projectile attacks, which was why Kai avoided using Chasing Light Arrow.

Holy arrows would just bounce off anyway.

However, Holy Explosion was a beam of light. Deflecting light would require speed equal to that of the beam itself.

Well, a monster that can deflect light might appear someday, but...

Kai’s eyes shined.

“That monster isn’t you.”

The relentless assault continued.

“How dare you!”

Unable to stand by while his comrade was in danger, Radus, who was positioned further back, raised his sword that exuded the hellfire’s blaze and charged at Kai.

Dealing with both of them at once would be annoying.

A look of frustration appeared on Kai’s face. He had the means and methods to deal damage to the two minions before him, but if they attacked him simultaneously, things would become troublesome.

First, I’ll push Radus back.

Snap!

With a snap of his fingers, the eight holy magic circles began to rotate once more, preparing to unleash another round of Holy Explosion. Holy Explosion essentially had no cooldown, and was the ultimate attack as long as Kai’s Holy Power was sufficient enough.

“

Krrrrk

...”

Duras glared at Kai with his bloodshot eyes. Of course, glaring alone wouldn’t change anything.

Boom!

The beam struck again, leaving Duras’s blue armor dented in several places.

“Keep him occupied and make sure he can’t reach me.”

Having received its master’s command, the Solarian Doppelganger nodded confidently. Though it required sacrificing five Benevolence stats upon summoning, it was never a waste.

The difference it makes is significant.

Even just blocking rear enemies made battles far easier to manage just like now.

“Now then, Red, let’s play.”

"Foolish human."

Radus’s current health was at 76%. Meanwhile, Duras’s health had dropped to 68%.

Since they need to be killed simultaneously, I’ll have to balance the damage rate.

The two minions would infinitely resurrect unless defeated at the same time. Keeping this in mind, Kai continued the fight.

Fwoosh!

The sword wielded by Radus grazed Kai’s earlobe.

[You have been exposed to the heat of the Inferno Sword, hellfire’s blaze.]

[Fire attribute resistance has been significantly reduced for 10 minutes.]

"Yeah right, Sunlight’s Warmth."

The moment the debuff was applied, a holy magic circle spun and dispelled it.

For Radus, it was a situation that could only cause him to curse.

"How can such an annoying human exist!"

Despite his frustration-filled roar, Radus continued to swing his sword.

He’s fast. He’s definitely not an opponent to underestimate.

Kai deflected Radus’s attacks while glancing toward the back. Even as a Solarian Doppelganger, it could only utilize 70% of Kai’s abilities. That meant it wasn’t strong enough to handle Duras, one of Zatan’s two minions. In fact, the doppelganger was constantly retreating, maintaining a defensive stance.

I need to deal with these minions quickly while keeping Zatan’s raid in mind.

The minions were troublesome but not unbeatable. The real problem was Zatan, lurking behind them.

Kai didn’t lose sight of his true target.

"So let’s keep it quick."

"Insolent human!"

Radus’s words were harsh, but his swordplay was desperate. After all, Kai outdid him in stats, swordsmanship, and even combat experience.

It’s only polite for supporting characters to exit the stage quickly.

Even while fighting Radus, Kai managed to occasionally fire Holy Explosions at Duras.

After twenty minutes of relentless battle, Radus’s health dropped to 43%, and Duras’s to 48%. Their defeat was finally within reach.

"

Huh?

"

Just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, Kai suddenly felt the air around him heat up.

What’s up with the temperature all of a sudden? Did Radus get stronger?

Using Holy Explosion naturally caused heat to radiate from the body. That alone was hot enough, but to make matters worse, Radus was a knight-type monster that wielded hellfire’s blaze.

Fighting fire with fire, my butt.

The combination of something hot with something scorching created an indescribable torment. While Kai wasn’t physically exhausted, his entire body was drenched in sweat.

Why did the temperature suddenly increase?

As Kai tilted his head, unable to find a reason, Radus slowly raised his sword. Watching the movement from start to finish, Kai felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.

Something about him has changed...

The moment Kai thought Radus’s movements were different from before, the sword of hellfire’s blaze deeply slashed across his cheek. The burning sensation on his face jolted Kai back to full alertness.

What was that speed?!

Something was off. Moments ago, Radus had been an easy opponent for Kai to dominate.

There’s no way the monster leveled up in such a short time, nor could its skill proficiency have increased.

In that case, the only remaining possibility was clear.

Do the minions also have a Phase 2?

It was a situation that left no room for other conclusions.

Kai glared at Radus, keeping vigilant, but Radus simply let his sword down and stared blankly at him.

Boom!

“Dang it...!”

It was said that misfortune came all at once. Just as Radus appeared oddly calm in front of him, an explosion came from behind. And in this battlefield, there was only one possible explanation for the sound of an explosion.

That’s the sound of the Solarian Doppelganger exploding as it dies.

But now wasn’t the time to mourn the loss of the Solarian Doppelganger.

He’s coming.

Sure enough, something rapidly sliced through the air and approached him from behind.

Acting on instinct, Kai barely managed to block Duras’s attack. It was a moment that made his heart sink.

Duras’s attack speed has increased too!

But that wasn’t all.

“Indeed, your senses are decent. If I had swung my sword like before, you would have blocked it easily.”

Duras's low voice was filled with the anger of his past humiliation. That fury naturally flowed into the sword he held.

“

Argh

...

!

”

Frost began to settle on the blade of the Holy Sword as it clashed against Duras’s sword. At the same time, Kai felt a chill so intense that his entire body trembled.

Damn it, has his strength increased too? I didn’t notice the cold earlier because of Radus’s heat!

Kai’s right arm, gripping the sword, shook as if an earthquake had struck.

What’s this guy’s Strength stat even at right now?

Slash!

Eventually, Kai lost the power struggle and allowed Duras’s sword to slice across his neck. Kai blocked the fountain of blood spurting from his neck, and created distance between himself and his opponents.

Ding!

[You have been exposed to the cold of the Glacial Sword, hell’s frost.]

[Ice attribute resistance has been significantly reduced for 10 minutes.]

Hastily using a healing skill to treat his wound and dispel the debuff, Kai looked to his enemies again.

I thought the Solarian Doppelganger would hold out for at least fifteen minutes.

But it barely lasted three minutes. This was far beyond his expectations.

And the minions suddenly got stronger for some reason.

Kai’s mind began racing.

In MID Online, there’s no reward without cost. That’s for certain.

The same would apply to them. For such a dramatic increase in attack power and speed, they would have had to sacrifice something.

What is it? What did they give up?

No matter how closely he examined them, he couldn’t find any noticeable changes in them.

Let’s face them head-on for now.

If it was something that could be figured out through observation, he would. But if it wasn’t, he would have to learn by confronting them directly.

“Solar Field.”

The emblem of the Solarian Church was etched onto the ground, and a specific area began to shine brightly. Within that space, all of Kai’s stats were evenly enhanced.

This should help close the gap somewhat.

Kai raised his sword, keeping an eye on the two.

I’ll wait for them to come to me.

If he moved carelessly, he would only end up surrounded.

“Aren’t you coming? Then I’ll go to you,” Duras taunted.

“You guys were supposed to come? Can’t you see I’m waiting?”

When Kai responded curtly, Duras and Radus exchanged slightly bewildered looks.

Hm?

Kai once again felt a sense of déjà vu from their behaviour.

If those two attacked me simultaneously, I wouldn’t stand a chance and would have to retreat.

They weren’t stupid, so they know that too. Thus, Kai wondered why they weren't charging at him.

“Very well, then. We’ll come to you.”

Hellfire’s blaze surged again on Radus’s sword.

Kai, who had been shivering from Duras’s frost, now felt his body heat up again.

“Why are you two so extreme? Is there no in between?”

Looking again, Radus’s sword was very fast.

Clang!

Kai barely managed to block the sword after focusing all his attention on the tip of his blade.

Does this guy not get affected by the gravity field in Phase 2?

Kai was still struggling with the oppressiveness of the gravity field, but Radus seemed free from such restrictions, even incorporating jumps into his attacks.

But I can’t just focus on him alone!

Kai hurriedly parried Radus’s sword and quickly glanced behind him.

Duras should be attacking me too by now... Huh?

Kai’s eyes widened.

Contrary to his expectations, Duras remained still, waiting calmly in place.

What the...?

As his thoughts started to spiral, Radus’s foot directly struck Kai’s ribs.

“

Kugh!”

Kai rolled across the ground, sent far into the distance. Even at that moment, he felt his hair stand on end.

It’s cold... So cold!

Duras’s hell frost was taking effect again.

Kai sprang back to his feet like a spring and swung his sword without even looking at his opponent.

Clang! Crack!

Once again, the Holy Sword began to freeze.

Argh, I’m caught!

If Radus’s sword came at him from behind now, it would leave a devastating wound. Realizing this, Kai quickly turned his head.

“

Huh...?

”

To his surprise, Radus, like Duras earlier, was standing motionless in place. The moment he saw that, the fog clouding Kai’s mind suddenly lifted.

These guys are...?

Kai's eyes sparkled like grains of sand glimmering on a beach.