Chapter 254: Master of Swordsmanship (2)
Ding!
[The Poetic Justice effect has been activated.]
[You have stripped a corrupt lord of his title.]
[The title you stripped is Baron.]
[+25 Benevolence stats.]
[Due to the effect of Witness of the Sun, your Benevolence stat has additionally increased by 13.]
“Ahhh! This is a scam! It’s a scam!” Baron Basker, or rather, the former Baron Basker, shouted as he was dragged away in handcuffs by the Royal Knights.
Kai briefly glanced at him, and casually waved, giving him a final farewell. “Goodbye.”
Basker would likely be imprisoned in the royal palace’s underground dungeon, never to see the light of day again.
Serves him right for teaming up with guys like the Church of Muldine.
Kai shrugged and focused on the reward screen in front of him.
It’s been a while since I’ve received a Poetic Justice reward.
Even for Kai, this was only the third time he had received such a reward.
Once for a baron, once for a viscount.
Basker, who he had just dealt with, had also been a baron.
Humming a tune, Kai strolled down the halls of the Rashion royal palace and checked his stats window.
[Kai]
Class: Solaric Cleric
Level: 416
Title: Envoy of God
HP: 140,900
Holy Power: 315,200
Stats
Strength: 2,296 Stamina: 1,461
Intelligence: 853 Agility: 826
Holiness: 3,204 Dignity: 773
Benevolence: 499
Poison Resistance +30
Magic Resistance +40%
Nature Affinity +200
Effectiveness of skills that consume Holy Power +55%
Damage dealt to demons/undead increased by +50%
“Wow.”
An exclamation escaped him before he realized it. It wasn’t just because of how high his stats were. Kai’s mind raced quickly.
The Poetic Justice effect raised my Benevolence stat by 38 points this time.
Normally, that would mean an increase of 38 points in all stats, but this time was different.
Wow, so the Witness titles apply in this way too?
The variables were the Witness titles. Currently, Kai’s various Witness titles granted a 300% increase to every stat gain. This absurd effect applied to the Benevolence stat as well.
So, instead of all stats increasing by 38 points, they went up by 152 points each.
It was a moment where the synergy between the Witness titles and the Benevolence stat from the Solaris Cleric class, something even the developers hadn’t anticipated, exploded into action.
But one question lingered in Kai’s mind.
What if I consume Benevolence points and the stats decrease?
Naturally, he grew curious about how many points would be lost.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Kai muttered, “Sun Clone.”
[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 291, Kai (Doppelganger) has been summoned.]
Kai's doppelganger, equipped with the exact same gear as him, appeared before him. Even with only 70% of his stats, it was more than enough to overpower most rankers.
But that's not what's important right now.
Kai quickly checked his stats window. The moment he checked the numbers, he couldn’t help but clench his fists.
All my stats decreased by 5...!
Realizing this, Kai felt both relief and exhilaration. It meant he no longer needed to hesitate when using skills that consumed Benevolence stats.
There was only reason I held back from using the Descent skill.
It was because activating the skill required spending Benevolence stats. Consuming Benevolence naturally lowered all stats, leading to a drop in his overall specs. However, the Witness titles changed everything.
Currently, each point in Benevolence increases my stats by four times the normal amount.
In other words, even if he used the Descent skill and consumed Benevolence, the resulting calculations would ultimately leave him in the positive. The developers at Pegasus must have intended to limit excessive Benevolence accumulation.
That’s probably why they created skills like Descent or Solarian Self.
They were skills that forced players to spend Benevolence every time they were used. However, Kai had eliminated the Solaris Cleric's only drawback through the loophole provided by the Witness titles.
“Ah, I feel so much lighter now.”
With his only concern gone, Kai walked down the hallway with a refreshed mind.
Since I’m already here in the royal palace, I might as well meet him.
His footsteps led him to none other than the training grounds of the Ironblood Knights. Naturally, as an outsider, he was stopped at the entrance. However, Kai was no longer the same as before.
“Identity confirmed.”
“You may proceed.”
Presenting the insignia of the Solarian Church High Priest, crafted by High Priest Albert himself, instantly turned even the royal palace’s training grounds into Kai’s playground.
There he is.
Scanning the area, Kai spotted a handsome, black-haired man sitting on a bench and reading a book.
Bach Den Black.
As far as Kai knew, Bach was the most skilled swordsman in MID Online and the commander of Kingdom of Rashion’s Ironblood Knights.
As Kai approached, Bach seemed to sense his presence, closed his book, and turned his head. “It’s been a while.”
“Have you been well and healthy?”
"A superhuman body trained to its peak does not succumb to minor illnesses."
“I envy that.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, a glimmer of interest appeared in Bach’s eyes. “...You’ve grown a lot.”
“It’s been a long time, after all.”
“Even with ten times the time, some people fail to improve.”
Bach rose from his seat and gave orders to his subordinates in the training grounds. “Everyone, leave.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Ironblood Knights obeyed without a shred of doubt or hesitation. It was a demonstration of how absolute Bach’s authority was with the knights.
His gaze is intense.
Bach, who always maintained a stern expression and an empty gaze, was different today. His eyes gleamed with the ferocity of a predator eyeing intriguing prey.
Kai swallowed nervously and said, “Do you remember the promise you made me before?”
“Of course. I’ve been anticipating this day for some time... though I didn’t expect it to be today.”
Muttering the last part softly, Bach turned his body and took ten steps forward. When he turned back, an aura so powerful it could be called a killing intent radiated from him.
“I’ll give you a choice,” Bach said. “One, I’ll hold back and spar with you. Even that alone will teach you plenty.”
“What’s the other?” Kai, uninterested in the first option, asked about the second.
Bach responded with a wide grin, revealing his white teeth. "You're asking something obvious."
"Then I'll go with the second option."
"You will die."
"That's fine."
It wasn’t arrogance or baseless confidence. It was a bold choice made possible by a Unique-grade skill, Undying Will, that allowed him to revive once after receiving fatal damage.
"Then, good luck."
As Bach finished speaking, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. That simple action changed the entire atmosphere of the training grounds.
Heup...!
It felt as though the air around him was pressing down on his shoulders and the top of his head. Kai looked up, wondering if something was physically above him.
This is the oppressive presence of the kingdom’s Royal Knight, the Ironblood Knight Commander.
Magic circles began to form around Kai, enhancing his body.
I’ll go all out from the start.
Holding back against an opponent like Bach would be arrogance. Even if Kai gave his all, it would never be excessive—it might not even be enough.
"Here I go."
Kai’s body, fully buffed, exuded an aura as fierce as Bach’s. The training ground was already designated as a Solar Field.
Kai was in his best condition possible.
"Come at me."
As soon as Bach’s words ended, Kai’s figure blurred like a mirage. Kai, springing forward with a spine as flexible as a bow, broke the sound barrier and positioned himself behind Bach.
Faster, faster...!
A white sword was already in Kai’s hand. The holy sword moved faster than ever, silently slicing through the air as it aimed for Bach's neck.
"Decent movement," Bach said.
Shing.
The longsword Bach drew from its scabbard effortlessly deflected Kai’s holy sword. It looked as natural as an apple falling to the ground due to gravity.
"Speed alone won’t win you a fight."
Even during a duel, Bach continued his lessons.
When Kai’s first attack failed, he quickly abandoned it and sought another approach.
If speed doesn’t work...
Next was strength.
Kai adjusted his grip on the sword. Until just moments ago, he had held the sword loosely for maximum speed in his swings. Now, he gripped the handle tightly and firmly, allowing him to channel all his arm strength into the blade. The effect of this subtle change was immediate. Kai's holy sword, carrying the weight of a mountain, descended toward Bach's head.
Clang!
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For the first time since the duel began, the sound of metal clashing filled the air.
Kai’s Strength stat, boosted by various buffs, special titles, and set effects, was nearly 3,000. Even Bach couldn’t completely ignore it.
"Your strength isn’t bad."
"It's still too early to be surprised."
Kai took it one step further.
"Gravity Field."
Whoom.
Kai manipulated the gravity acting on his longsword. He increased the gravity by a factor of three. Activating the skill drained a staggering 6,000 mana in an instant.
"Hmm." The result was extraordinary, enough to elicit a faint groan of surprise from Bach. "An impressive technique, but..."
Bach slowly raised his sword. Kai’s sword, trembling under immense resistance, was gradually pushed back.
I-I’m losing in strength? Even with gravity tripled?
Kai had seen it several times before—Bach preferred a smart and stylish swordplay that targeted vital points. He had never seen Bach overpower an opponent with brute strength, so he naturally assumed he had the upper hand in power.
What kind of crazy character is this?!
Even Kai, who resorted to the trick of using Gravity Field to gain the upper hand in strength, was defeated. His biceps bulged as if they might burst, and his arm trembled as he exerted every ounce of his strength, but whenever Bach pushed back, Kai’s sword was helplessly forced aside.
"Those who rely solely on strength become powerless when faced with even greater strength."
As he finished speaking, Bach twisted his wrist in the blink of an eye.