Chapter 351: The Invincible One (2)

A total of twenty-one figures appeared around the Challenger’s Staircase. They seemed to be casually standing on trees, statues, or the Dueling Arena’s ramparts, but their formation resembled a tightly-woven net.

“Did he get taken care of?”

“There’s no way the number one in the rankings would die in one shot, and I’m sure I told you not to say that.”

They exchanged conversation in relaxed voices, and all of them were dressed in red robes. Each had distinct features from height to weapons, but the crimson blood droplet emblem on the left chest and back of their robes was identical.

As the dense dust stirred up by the fireball settled, Kai appeared without a single scratch. He had instantly sliced the fireball in half with his sword and now observed those surrounding him with a cold gaze.

Twenty-one in total.

Not a single one revealed their face.

Are these the ones Minerva mentioned, the ones looking into me?

If so, there was only one suspect.

“Are you affiliated with the Revenge guild?”

“Apologies. According to our bylaws, members are forbidden from disclosing client information.”

Kai immediately reacted to the voice of a woman. “Member?”

In MID Online, there’s only one group I know of that refers to their people as members.

Kai’s eyes narrowed as he quickly deduced their identity. “Crimson Dawn. One of the world’s top eight guilds.”

“Bingo! Now you’re starting to understand your situation, are you?”

“Not really.”

“

Oh?

That’s a shame. But it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.”

With that, all the members drew their weapons.

“Your death was already decided.”

The members instantly sprang from their positions and launched sequential attacks at Kai.

So, the best mercenary guild thinks talk is meaningless, huh?

At this point, calling them mercenaries was generous as they were more like a group of assassins. There were countless players who had hired the Crimson Dawn guild to take out other players.

The clients must be Goliath and Sting.

No one else could afford to mobilize the entire Crimson Dawn.

Kai looked up at the massive greatsword coming down at him and drew his own sword.

“This is perfect.”

He had been itching to test it out anyway.

Advanced level 9 swordsmanship. It definitely feels different.

Just by gripping the hilt lightly, confidence and strength surged through his entire body. It felt like throwing off the weight of sandbags he had been wearing.

“Stay vigilant!”

“We already know that much!”

Three arrows were fired toward Kai’s crown, neck, and heart. They were thin and light arrows, but the force behind them rivaled that of a siege ballista.

The deflection I learned in the Duel Arena... Honestly, I wasn’t good enough to deflect attacks of that level before...

But now, with swordsmanship at Advanced level 9, a source of confidence began to surge within him.

Feels like I can do anything.

To be more arrogant, it felt like there was nothing his sword couldn’t cut.

Kai tested that confidence by swinging his sword at the incoming arrows.

At the same moment, the archer who had fired them screamed, “What?!”

Kai swung his sword upward once, and deflected all three arrows. However, this level of technique was something he had already shown in his fight against Breakwater Drok.

And now I’m a step, no, two steps beyond that.

Naturally, his skill with deflection had also improved. He had reached the point where he didn’t just parry attacks, but sent them back.

“

Argh!

”

The three arrows pierced the arm of the greatsword-wielding warrior who was positioned behind Kai. The arrows had flown toward his heart, but the warrior managed to react in time to block with his arm.

“Not bad.”

Kai gave a brief assessment and charged straight at the warrior who had been taken aback by the surprise attack. In the process, he ignored all the arrows, spells, and weapons flying toward him.

They won’t reach me anyway.

Because the moment he stepped out of the Duel Arena’s gates, Kai’s stats had returned to their original state.

The blind attacks only struck the empty spaces he had passed through.

“Damn it!”

Realizing that Kai was targeting him, the greatsword warrior raised his sword vertically to guard.

My weapon is a Unique-grade shield Zweihänder.

Depending on how it was used, it could be a powerful killing weapon or an impenetrable shield. Yet, Kai charged toward that solid shield without the slightest hesitation. Taking a short breath, he leapt into the air and pulled his arm far back. His arm was so flexible it seemed to stretch like high-quality rubber.

“

Upgrade

.”

Ding!

[Upgrade skill has been used.]

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

“Flood of Blades.”

[Flood of Blades has been activated.]

[Flood of Blades has been enhanced by the Upgrade skill.]

[Rotation speed, attack power, and defense penetration effects have increased by 100%.]

Letting out a terrifying sound, Kai’s sword came crashing down toward the warrior's greatsword.

“

Argh

...

!

”

The warrior’s feet, which had been firmly planted into the ground, slid backward.

B-but I can endure this much...

That delusion only lasted a moment. Clenching his teeth, the warrior’s arms began to tremble uncontrollably.

“

Huh? Huh?

”

The tremble was a movement completely beyond the warrior’s control. His arms couldn’t withstand the rotation force of Flood of Blades. Eventually, the warrior’s grip holding the sword tore open.

“

Aaaagh!

”

Thud!

At the same time, the greatsword, having lost anything to support it, collapsed onto the ground.

Seeing this, the fellow guild members shouted.

“You idiot! Get your guard up!”

“Damn it, Ice Coffin!”

“Breakthrough!”

His allies rushed in to cover him, but Kai’s sword struck the warrior’s heart before they could get to him.

“

Aaaah!

”

“Hang in there! It's just one attack!”

“This is better! While you hold him off, we’ll get him from behind—”

“Hang in there...?” As Kai listened to the words of the Crimson Dawn members, he unconsciously scoffed and firmly said, “No, he won’t be able to.”

That statement proved true.

Kai pulled his sword diagonally downward from the heart he had pierced.

“

Grgh... kugh!

”

The warrior’s rib cage was completely shattered, and he staggered back, staring at dozens of warning windows before his eyes.

M-monster...

Finishing off retreating enemies who had lost their will to fight was Kai’s specialty. With a quick horizontal slash, Kai’s sword severed the warrior’s neck. That was the end of it.

Now twenty remain.

His eyes gleaming like a beast, Kai turned around. Dozens of incoming skills filled his field of vision.

“Supernova, Gravity Field.”

Ding!

[Skills have been enhanced due to the Upgrade skill.]

Kai’s stats instantly surged, and he dashed forward like the wind. At the same time, with a light sweep of his hand, the attacks aimed at him scattered in all directions.

“W-what?”

“Ranged dealers! Aim properly!”

“How is it even possible that not a single one of you hit him?”

“Shut up! It’s not my aim!”

Amidst the discord Kai had sown among the bewildered ranged dealers and the close-combat dealers scolding them, he steadily carried out what he needed to do. His body tilted backward as if he were about to fall. The next moment, he flung his waist forward and hurled his sword while bending forward. The target was the Cleric standing atop the fortress wall at the very back of the formation, healing members.

“N-no! Felix!”

“Don’t worry! I’ll block it!”

The slender Rogue named Felix stepped on a statue, a tree, and then the fortress wall like a cat, positioning himself in front of the healer.

Watching this, Kai smirked. “No you won’t.”

Kai extended his index and middle fingers and, as if swiping to unlock a screen, swept Felix’s figure aside. It was the power of the Gravity Field skill, honed to its absolute limit.

“W-what just happened...”

As an unprecedented force powerfully pushed him mid-air, Felix was greatly taken aback. However, the one who panicked the most was the Cleric behind him.

“S-Sacred Barrier!”

The Cleric hastily finished his casting and summoned a barrier, but Kai’s sword shattered the thin barrier and struck the him in the heart.

“

Kugh

...”

As he tried to hastily cast a heal skill, Kai aimed a ring at him.

“Pressurized Water Cannon.”

From the ring glowing blue, compressed water burst out.

“Shit...” The Cleric, blankly staring at the approaching water cannon, muttered a curse and was logged out.

“Nineteen.”

Kai walked calmly as he walked deeper into the encirclement. Ironically, at that moment, no one dared attack him.

They’re nervous. I can see their shoulders stiffening.

Looking around at the members, Kai said, “I still don’t understand my situation. Anyone care to explain?”

“How dare you speak such arrogance—”

“Don’t get agitated. He’s trying to rattle us. Re-form the formation and wear him down slowly.”

At the vice-captain’s command, the members shut their mouths and glared at Kai with burning eyes.

Not bad. Is that guy the leader... Ghost?

Intrigued, Kai looked to the vice-captain who had swiftly reorganized the group.

Meanwhile, the members changed their formation and surrounded Kai again. The second round was initiated not by anyone else, but by a Wizard.

“

Hm?

”

And not just any ordinary Wizard. Around him, four magic circles formed.

“

Oh,

quadruple-casting,

huh...

”

As far as Kai knew, there was only one Wizard in

MID Online

who could pull off such a monstrous feat.

“This is surprising. I didn’t think Thunder God was part of Crimson Dawn.”

Thunder God Chris. He was ranked number one among Wizards and the first in

MID Online

to achieve the feat of quadruple-casting. And unlike Kai, he did it not with help from the system, but solely through his own computational ability—a monster among monsters.

As his nickname suggests...

His specialty was lightning-based magic.

In the meantime, Chris finished casting, pulled down his hood, and said, “I’ve always wanted to meet you.”

“Why?”

“Because you were the first person to leave footprints in my snow field.”

In other words, he wanted to see Kai because he could use quadruple-casting.

“I always wanted to go up against you. A match between a quadruple caster and a Paladin, I was always curious who would win.”

I’m not a Paladin, but okay.

In response to his provocation, Kai also began preparing his own spell. Four magic circles spun instantly, emitting a roar like that of a powerful engine.

“It’s a bit unfortunate that this isn’t a one-on-one duel, but I can’t go against the rules.”

Chris looked at Kai with an arrogant gaze, then snapped his fingers. Chain Lightning. It was a powerful electric-type spell that only Wizards above level 200 could learn. However, the sound it normally made was quiet, comparable to the chirping of a cricket. It never sounded like the screeching of cicadas in the peak of summer, nor did it bloom into a field of lightning that could fill one's entire vision.

So this is the power of four-stacked Chain Lightning.

This was exactly why Wizard players staked everything on multi-casting. Even if it was the same spell, casting two in succession and casting them simultaneously, in terms of both destructive power and scale, the latter had an overwhelming advantage.

Lightning is definitely fast.

If this were reality, no human would ever be able to react.

The only downside is that this is still a game.

Kai glanced down at the lightning that reached right in front of his nose, then swung his sword to cut it.

At the same time, he spoke to unleash the spell he had prepared, “Absolute Zero.”

In that moment, the world froze.