The Healing Solaris Cleric

Chapter 195: Snowy Mountains (5)

As chunks of the ceiling shattered and fell through the air, Kai quickly scanned the notification window.

Ding!

[You have encountered Sineras, the Ruler of the Snowy Mountains.]

[You have been struck by Dragon's Fear. However, your Mythic class status grants resistance.]

[The mark of Sineras has been engraved on you. You cannot log out until death or victory over your opponent.]

What? I can’t log out until one of us is dead? No, that’s not what’s important right now.

Kai read the brief information displayed above his enemy’s head.

[Death Dragon Sineras, LV.550]

[A hatchling not yet a thousand years old, known as the Death Dragon due to his cruel nature—he despises all living creatures except himself and kills any he sees on sight. Since his defeat by Patrick, he harbors a deep hatred for the holy power of the Solarian Church.]

Level 550...!

This was by far the most powerful monster Kai had faced since starting the game.

Despite his attempts to stay calm, the dragon’s immense body, stretching close to thirty meters, prevented him from doing so.

Sineras had pristine white scales that looked like pure snow painted on, and with each flap of his massive wings, he created fierce winds. The creature’s appearance was as beautiful as a master-crafted sculpture, but his enormous eyes held a murderous intent that sent chills down Kai’s spine.

It might actually be better for me that he came out of his nest.

Being able to skip past the minion monsters and head straight into the boss fight wasn’t exactly a bad thing. Of course, there was some frustration at not having had time to mentally prepare.

—I never thought I’d smell that sickening stench within my own domain... Even tearing you to shreds wouldn’t be enough. Pay with your life!

Thud!

Sineras landed heavily in his wrecked nest, and let out a roar.

Well, well, even a monster has a language patch installed?

Kai wore a surprised expression as he was pushed back by the fierce wind. But only for a moment, as the creature’s large eyes met Kai’s gaze. In that instant, dozens of magic circles appeared around the creature, popping into existence like bubbles bursting in reverse. There were thirty of them!

"There's no way all of those are..."

It was an unbelievable level of multicasting!

Kai lost his fighting spirit in an instant, and his face twisted in shock as he hurriedly stepped backward.

Not just one or two, but thirty at once?

In MID Online, even successfully double-casting would earn someone a reputation for talent. And if one were a triple caster, able to process three spells simultaneously, they’d naturally become a top-ranking player, with world-class guilds scrambling to recruit them with enticing offers.

...Thirty.

If it had been a single type of spell, he could have understood, as he could even create a barrage of Chasing Light Arrows. However, the magic circles surrounding Sineras each unleashed spells of different elements and forms.

Boom! Crackle!

The deadly spells repeatedly melted, froze, and scorched the snow on the mountain!

With these spells aimed at him, Kai’s best option was to keep running and avoid them.

Huff... huff... I can't even get close!

Kai wanted nothing more than to bury his blade in the dragon's face, but the pouring spells, reminding him of a Gatling gun, left him no time to even breathe.

"Argh...!"

As Kai was frantically running, he collided with a wall that suddenly rose from the ground and was sent flying backward. At the same time, walls of ice sprang up on either side and behind him!

Damn it, I let my guard down because he's a hatchling... Who knew the dragon would be this strong!

It made him wonder what unbelievable power an adult dragon or an ancient dragon would possess!

Breaking into a cold sweat, Kai managed to slip out, sliding across the ground just before the icy prison closed in around him.

—That won’t work!

Thud!

When Sineras slammed his massive front foot onto the ground, the earth shook, and the previously silent mountain seemed to scream.

"Ugh..."

Kai wore a grimace as he looked up at the top of Snowy Mountains.

Rumble!

The ground beneath his feet began to shake. It was clear what that meant.

An earthquake of this scale on a mountain covered with snow?

That indicated an avalanche. And as if to confirm his assumptions, the snow, which had built up and solidified over countless years, began to break apart and scatter falling down.

"No, no way! This kind of attack is basically cheating!"

It was a battle at a level he had never experienced before. He hadn’t even managed to have a proper fight with Sineras. It was already hard enough to dodge the barrage of magical skills, and now he had to deal with a natural disaster too!

"Damn it, Holy Chains!"

In an instant, Kai summoned the Holy Chains and threw them, wrapping them around Sineras’ ankle.

If I get caught in that, it’s over!

Facing the oncoming white wall, crashing down like a furious wave, Kai used every defensive skill he could.

—Hmph. Pathetic.

However, dragons thought on an entirely different level compared to ordinary monsters. Understanding Kai’s intent in an instant, Sineras cast Wind Cutter and severed the Holy Chains.

"Darn!"

A wave of snow rushed down. No matter how powerful a human was, resisting nature’s force was impossible. Kai’s body was buried and swept backward in the avalanche.

Watching him with still furious eyes, Sineras let out a thunderous roar.

—Be buried in an icy prison and suffer a painful death. Ice Field!

Crack!

The snow engulfing Kai instantly solidified into ice, and transformed into shackles that locked him in place.

“Kugh...!”

The ice that had hardened around his chest showed no sign of breaking, no matter how much he pounded on it with his fists. His arms barely had any strength, as everything below his chest was completely frozen.

This is bad.

Notification messages kept popping up in front of Kai’s eyes, who put on a long face.

[You have been afflicted by the Frozen status effect.]

[You have been afflicted by the Frostbite status effect.]

[You have been afflicted by the Hypothermia status effect.]

[You’ve received 1,305 damage from Frostbite.]

[You’ve received 1,281 damage from Frostbite.]

.

.

.

Endless messages flooded in!

Kai’s eyes darted rapidly, dismissing them as he muttered, “I can’t die like this. Solarian Self.”

[You have used the Solarian Self skill.]

[5 Benevolence stats have been permanently consumed.]

[The Solarian Doppelganger’s level and stats are set at 70% of the caster's.]

[Level 216, Kai (Doppelganger) has been summoned.]

A figure made of light appeared instantly before his eyes just like last time.

Of course, the doppelganger wasn’t affected by the Ice Field’s restraints! Although Kai hadn’t given it any specific command, it quickly assessed the situation and helped him out.

“Phew, almost froze to death. Thanks.”

Brushing off the ice crystals clinging to his body, Kai gave the doppelganger a nod and looked up. Having been swept up in the avalanche even just for a moment, he now saw Sineras’ nest at a considerable distance away.

I couldn’t even get close.

The thirty spells continued to rain down. In reality, the damage from the magic itself wasn’t all that much.

My magic resistance is pretty high. Honestly, it is annoying, but I can endure the damage while healing myself.

However, the real problem was that the tempo of the attacks was so fast that he had no opportunity to get close.

As expected, a dragon would be at least a raid level monster. In that case...

He would need to approach this battle just like a raid.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kai began saying commands.

“Knight of Nightmare, use Knighthood skill.”

“Activate Descent skill, Apostle Cerantia’s soul.”

“Activate Army of Light!”

He had used up a whopping 25 Benevolence stats in this battle alone. On any other occasion, he would have felt a pang of regret at that number, but not this time.

Now we’re talking.

Fifty dullahans and as many as thirty warriors of light! They didn’t quite add up to a hundred, but Kai felt more supported than ever.

“With these guys, it’s possible.”

According to the description, Sineras had a deep hatred for the holy power of the Solarian Church.

Maybe the reason he's out here rather than staying in his dungeon is...

Because Kai wielded the same aura as Patrick, the apostle of the Solarian Church who once defeated it.

“What a sensitive creature. A dragon with the ability to sense holy power, huh?”

Kai couldn’t help but smile. If that were true, it was actually to his advantage.

***

—Hm?

As Sineras was resting inside his nest after completing his satisfying revenge, his massive eyelids lifted. Then, his eyes blazed with fury, and he exuded a rage so intense it seemed to shake the air around him.

—Did he escape from the ice prison? He still hasn’t learned his lesson...

Snorting, he spread his wings again and prepared to fight.

—I’ll tear apart those clerics of the Solarian Church! I’ll make sure that anyone who dares to wield that disgusting aura will never approach my domain again.

Boom!

Just as Sineras took off from his nest, he was struck by an unexpected ambush.

—Argh, who was that?!

The skies over the Snowy Mountains were his domain to control! Yet, there were those flying through his realm, waiting for him.

—This disgusting smell is...

Sniffing, Sineras wrinkled his nose as he sensed dozens of holy powers emanating from the sky and shouted,

—You, too, are connected to the Solarian Church!

With a surge of rage, magic circles once again filled the space around it. As if a god delivered divine judgment, all sorts of spells burst out from the magic circles!

However, the warriors of light were experienced. Having spent long years alongside Cherantia, the battle-hardened angels all deflected or dodged each incoming spell, and continuously harassed Sineras. Unlike Kai, who had to face all thirty spells on his own, each angel only needed to deal with a single spell, allowing them to move rather freely.

—Graaaah! You little pests...!

The dragon’s skin was tough. The scales covering his entire body were so resilient that sword strikes barely left a scratch! Although the accumulating scratches weren’t particularly painful, they still fiercely grated Sineras’s pride.

—The dragon race, rulers of all creation... how dare you make me come deal with something like you!

In the next moment, Sineras ignored the warriors of light soaring in the sky and descended directly to the snowy ground.

Thud!

Several dullahans that were waiting for its descent were crushed beneath his massive body and feet, dying instantly.

—Hmm?

Bang! Boom!

—Graaah!

Dullahans exploded upon death!

Sineras cried out in pain as a large wound opened on his unscaled foot.

—You dare make me feel such pain...

His bright yellow eyes scanned his surroundings and then snapped to one direction.

—There you are!

The place emanated an overwhelming stench! It was unmistakably the arrogant adventurer cleric it had been searching for.

—That’s certainly the gear he wore.

The moment Sineras reached this conclusion, his chest swelled greatly. At the same time, his previously white throat began to flush red.

—Krrrr...

If anyone who studied dragons in the continent’s libraries witnessed this sight, they would have been horrified. Sineras’s current actions were the preparatory steps for a dragon’s ultimate weapon, one they possessed from birth. He was preparing to unleash Breath.

—Kuooo!

His chest fully expanded, ready to release Breath. Sineras unleashed it toward the adventurer cleric without a second thought.

Fwoooosh!

The intense flames of Breath obliterated the cold mountain air!

Struck directly by the blast, the dullahan group and the adventurer cleric’s figure vanished without a trace. Likewise, a few peaks, once fitting for the name Snowy Mountains, had their snow completely melted and vaporized from the intense rise in temperature.

—Hah, how ridiculous...

Sineras licked his lips and let out a sound of satisfaction, almost like someone who had just burped. However, that satisfaction didn’t last long as his sharp senses quickly detected something speeding toward him from above.

—Hmm?

The moment he lifted its head, Kai’s sword drove straight into his left eye.

—Graaahhhhh!

“Wow. I thought you were a White Dragon, but it turns out you’re a Red Dragon?”

In MID Online, the Breath skill dragons used was strictly influenced by elemental attributes, making it impossible to alter at will.

In other words, this guy is definitely a Red Dragon. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Who would have guessed that Sineras, the Death Dragon ruling over the Snowy Mountains, was actually an albino Red Dragon!

Kai looked at Sineras’ other eye, which was glaring in disbelief, and smirked.

“Oh, you’re still not getting it, huh? The one who melted from your breath earlier was my doppelganger. The matching outfit probably threw you off a bit, didn’t it?”

Sora would have already reached the village by this time, so Kai had unsummoned and resummoned Mimic, hiding himself high up in the sky.

It’s a good thing the warriors of light carry holy power. When hiding a tree, you should hide it in a forest.

Thus, Kai had intentionally placed the warriors of light in the sky and his doppelganger among the undead. From Sineras’ perspective, it would have been easier to identify the shining holy power of the doppelganger among the undead than to locate Kai himself among the numerous divine presences in the sky.

“How unfortunate for you. But remember this. The moment you seize an easy and convenient choice right in front of you...”

It could lead to an irreversible, fatal mistake.

“Flood of Blades.”

Whirr!

The longsword lodged in Sineras’ eye began to spin violently.

Even the immense mentality Sineras had built up over hundreds of years as a dragon couldn’t withstand this new and excruciating pain.

—Krrr... Krrrrrrk!

Sineras’ entire body convulsed and trembled!

It was said that fortune favored the fortunate, no matter the situation.

[Sineras has been inflicted with Silence for 5 minutes due to the effect of the longsword.]

Finally!

Kai clenched his fist in triumph as he read the notification that popped up before him.

When inflicted with the status effect Silence, one couldn’t use any skills. It was truly a nightmare status effect for a dragon capable of wielding all kinds of magic!

“Which means...”

Kai would have the chance to thoroughly pummel this little lizard beneath him for the next five minutes.