The Healing Solaris Cleric-Chapter 363: Knight of Ruin (2)

Vulcan quickly began to assess the situation.

The Revenge guild.

They were a group that had operated quietly beneath the surface until Kai brought them into the open. Its members were entirely composed of remnants from Black Bee and Titan.

So why is someone like him here in the Dark Zone...

Two questions filled Vulcan’s mind. First, why was Goliath here? And second, why did Goliath attack them? However, those questions vanished as quickly as they had come.

Whatever the reason...

They had been struck first, and some of his guild members had already been forced to log out at Goliath’s hands.

Vulcan was the kind of man who responded with his heart and not his head in situations like this.

Whoooom!

A faint blue aura began to surge and ripple from Vulcan’s body. It was Battle Force, a skill learnable only by warriors who had completed their third job class advancement. Its effects greatly boosted Strength, Stamina and Agility stats, while also increasing resistance to status effects and magic.

“Pfft, Battle Force, huh? Sure... I’ve always wanted to fight you.” Goliath said in a serious tone.

At that, Vulcan smirked without even knowing it. “Really? I figured you were afraid since you avoided me every time we crossed paths.”

“Bullshit. You sure like your drama.” Annoyed, Goliath scowled and smacked his fist into his palm, getting himself ready for battle. “Well, I don’t care what you thought about me. What matters is what happens now.”

In response, Vulcan raised his greatsword with one hand and aimed its edge at Goliath. “Agreed. So come at me with everything you’ve got.”

“Everything? Pfft... bahaha!” Goliath burst out laughing and nodded. “Well, since you asked so nicely, I’ll grant your wish for old time’s sake.”

At the same time, Goliath scraped his left hand diagonally upward. The corrupted soil on the ground of the Dark Zone scattered into the air and flew toward Vulcan. At the same time, Goliath’s massive frame sprang forward like a projectile.

As the dirt cloud obscured his vision, Vulcan stared into it and thought, That dirt is just a distraction.

If he swung his greatsword to clear it, he would have no way to defend against Goliath’s follow-up.

Most would have backed off or dodged to the side, but Vulcan didn’t do so.

You’re in for trouble if you give a martial artist control over distance and tempo.

Giving that authority to someone as relentless as Goliath would especially make things worse. Thus, Vulcan instead kicked off the ground and lunged forward. He used Dash, a Warrior-exclusive skill.

Shield your eyes when moving through dirt.

Raising his left arm to protect his face, Vulcan came out of the flying dirt.

“Wow. You figured out the counter in that short time? Not bad.”

As expected, Goliath was waiting just behind the dirt cloud. The sharp spikes embedded in his massive gauntlet shined.

“But you made the wrong choice.” Goliath’s lips curled upward. “You should’ve run.”

At that moment, his right fist shot out like a cannonball. Vulcan brought down his greatsword to brace for the incoming impact, and the gauntlet’s spikes slammed into the blade’s surface.

“Urgh?!”

Vulcan had read Goliath’s pattern, but there was one thing he hadn’t accounted for. The sheer power behind that strike.

How strong is he...?

Even Vulcan, whose physique was also second to none, was lifted straight off the ground while still in a defensive stance. Taken aback by this, Vulcan tried to swing his sword to keep Goliath from approaching. However...

“Oh no, my attack’s not even over yet, and you’re lowering your sword already?”

Grinning with his teeth bared, Goliath launched his left hand.

“Kugh!”

The gauntlet slammed into Vulcan’s side. He was sent flying ten meters and crashed into a massive tree before collapsing to the ground.

Goliath clenched and unclenched his fist as he said, “Hmm. I guess having lots of sponsors means you’re geared up pretty well. Feels nice on the fists.”

The satisfying recoil thrilled him for the first time in a long while. “Yeah, this is how a fight should be. The struggle, the squirming—that’s what makes crushing them worth it.”

Propping himself up with his greatsword, Vulcan scowled, “You still... haven’t lost that thug attitude, I see.”

“Thug? That’s funny. What, are you trying to preach about fair play in a game now?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Save that righteousness for yourself. Acting all noble and generous, raking in all that love from the players...” Goliath once again slammed his palm with a fist and charged. “Come on. Let me beat some sense into you.”

Vulcan’s gaze turned cold and calm as he watched Goliath charge at him.

This isn’t someone I can beat just by buying time.

He had realized that in just one exchange of blows. For some reason, Goliath had obtained a power that was on a completely different level from before. It was one of the absurdities of the game. Gear, level, skills, class. Vulcan didn’t know what exactly Goliath had obtained, but that single factor created this overwhelming gap.

I’ll put everything into my next strike.

Now wasn’t the time to hold back skills out of fear of revealing his full power. If he fell here, the guild members behind him would surely be slaughtered.

Therefore, the master of the Warriors guild unleashed all his strength for the sake of his subordinates. “Shout of Bravery, Chivalry, Storm Blade, Destructive Instinct!”

High-level buffs and Unique skills usable by the highest-ranking warriors swirled around him one after another.

The duration is short, but with this, my next attack will be...

Vulcan solidified his resolve and gripped his sword tightly.

“Natural Grip.”

The sword fit perfectly in his hand, as if it were part of his body. At the same time, his attack power rose once more. With that, preparations were complete.

This is my full power.

The fastest speed and greatest destructive force he could muster. Having achieved both, Vulcan let out a shallow breath and lightly kicked off the ground with both feet.

Boom!

The ground erupted with a thunderous roar as if explosives had gone off.

The moment Goliath instinctively looked up at the cloud of dirt scattering into the air—

“Decapitation!”

Vulcan’s greatsword had already torn through the air and reached the top of Goliath’s head.

Goliath just stared at the greatsword that had reached the tip of his head.

Did this guy overcome his own weaknesses during the time I was away?

The only flaw in a greatsword warrior with overwhelming power was none other than speed. No matter how powerful an attack, it meant nothing if it couldn’t land on the target.

Impressive.

Of course, there was a high chance this attack that overcame his weakness was a one-time effort. Even so, Goliath sincerely admired Vulcan’s dedication. He was a man so boring, rigid, and competent that Goliath had once felt inferior to him. Though he deeply resisted acknowledging him, this level of effort was something that truly deserved respect.

Truly impressive.

Thus, Goliath felt a deep sorrow mixed with frustration.

If I had more time... I could’ve surpassed him with my own strength.

Defeat a rival this easily, and with overwhelming strength, was a reality he couldn’t accept. But reality was cruel.

Claaang!

He had changed his job class to a Mythic-tier that inherited Muldine’s power—Knight of Ruin.

“What a shame.”

Goliath stood in a relaxed posture and looked at Vulcan beyond the thin barrier around his body. The reactive skill Dark Barrier had triggered as its master was in danger. It completely blocked Vulcan’s all-out attack and protected its master.

Goliath slowly raised a finger and lightly tapped the surface of Vulcan’s blade.

“Argh!”

From that simple motion alone, the immense force behind it caused Vulcan to lose his grip on his sword. He looked down at his broken wrist and saw it dangling.

“That final strike was truly unexpected. It might have worked if it weren’t for this class...”

Showing a bitter smile, Goliath slowly reached out his hand. A gauntlet as large as his torso loomed over Vulcan.

“I would’ve liked to enjoy this fight a bit more... What a shame.”

Goliath grabbed Vulcan’s body. Trapped in the massive gauntlet, Vulcan’s entire body screamed in agony.

“Gah... kugh...!”

Vulcan clenched his jaw hard, but a scream still escaped.

“Master!”

“Vulcan! You bastard...!”

The Warriors guild members who had been risking their lives to hold off the Dark Knights heard their master’s scream and lost their minds. They turned their backs to the knights they were fighting and rushed toward their master. Naturally, they took the incoming attacks to their backs head-on, but they didn’t care.

“Goliath, you rat!”

“How dare you lay a hand on him!”

“I’ll kill you!”

To those driven mad by rage, the screen turning red and their health plummeting were just minor details.

Don’t come... you fools...

Caught in Goliath’s grasp, Vulcan looked at his guild members with fading vision. He would be logged out any moment now judging by his condition.

"Being respected like that—I'm honestly a little envious," Goliath murmured, recalling the guild members who had abandoned him and fled when Titan collapsed.

But he shook off the thought. “Well, I gained overwhelming power thanks to that.”

He extended his left hand toward the approaching Warriors guild members.

“Graaaargh!”

“W-what is this...?!”

A wide wave of dark divine energy spread out and pushed back the approaching enemies.

“Hold on!”

“Th-this is nothing...!”

The Warriors guild members clenched their teeth and held their ground, but their HP and gear durability dropped rapidly.

Fools.

Seeing his subordinates charge in like moths to a flame trying to rescue him, Vulcan couldn’t help but smile.

Once I get logged out... I should call those idiots and have a drink with them.

Just as he braced himself for the impending logout and closed his eyes, a strange noise was heard and the crushing force holding his body suddenly disappeared.

“Ugh...”

Vulcan naturally dropped to the ground and quickly looked ahead. His blurred vision gradually sharpened with each passing second.

Goliath’s gone?

Goliath’s form was nowhere to be seen. Not only that, but mysterious walls had appeared across the once-dark Dark Zone.

“What are these walls...?”

As Vulcan muttered, his guild members rushed over to support him.

“Are you alright?”

“Jeez, who told you to be so foolish and fight him alone?”

“You used to brag about beating Goliath, and now look at you.”

“... Shut up.” The thought of buying drinks completely vanished, and Vulcan asked in his usual blunt voice, “What the hell just happened?”

At that question, the guild members exchanged glances. They all wore the same confused expressions.

“We’re not really sure either... The walls just suddenly rose from the ground.”

“The last thing I saw was a white chain flying in and Goliath getting yanked away.”

“These walls suddenly popped up?”

Vulcan tilted his head, unable to wrap his mind around what was going on.

Then, one guild member suddenly shuddered. He gave an awkward smile as he noticed everyone looking at him.

“Ah, sorry. I set the regional chat to vibrate...”

“Right. Check that chat. Why are the ones who said they’d help taking so long?”

“A bunch said they were coming, but it’s been way too quiet.”

“Hold on.”

As the guild member quickly worked his interface and checked the chat, his face stiffened.

Noticing the change, Vulcan asked uneasily, “What is it? Don’t tell me they changed their minds...”

“N-no. It’s not that, but...”

The guild member was pale as if he had seen a ghost. When he silently showed the chat window, all eyes locked onto two messages that had appeared five minutes ago.

[Our party is on the way.]

[We’re almost there. Oh, and no need for extra backup.]

The senders were none other than Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin.

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