The Healing Solaris Cleric-Chapter 263: Sanctuary of Corruption (2)

To a player, a dungeon's existence was like a rose with sharp thorns. If they succeeded in conquering it, they could seize sweet rewards, but a mistake and a thorn's prick wouldn’t end with just a little bloodshed.

In that sense, the Sanctuary of Corruption was a flower with countless thorns.

“This doesn’t seem like a dungeon you can clear in a day or two...”

All they could see were stems densely packed with thorns. They couldn’t even tell what color the petals above might be.

“No point in overthinking it. Let’s go,” Kai said.

“But can I really tank? We don’t even know the levels of the monsters here,” Balter replied.

“It’s fine. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll buff you.”

“A buff from a Paladin won’t really... ah.” Balter stopped mid-sentence. He remembered the wide area buff Kai had cast for his allies on the Bir Plains. “That wide area buff you used on the Bir Plains—can’t you use that now?”

“That’s expensive. I’ll save it for when we really need it.” Kai brushed off Balter’s request and assigned their positions. “Balter will take the lead as the tank. Yoo Ha-Rin, you’ll be the left winger. Seol Eun-Yeong, the right winger. Michael, stand next to me.”

A winger. It was a position taken directly from soccer. Wingers, slightly behind the tank, could join the attack at any time and take the position of the tank if the tank was in danger. Of course, it wasn’t a position just anyone could handle. In fact, many guilds were known to invest millions to train even one capable winger.

But this party has them.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Not just one but two top-tier close range DPS’ capable of handling such a challenging position were present.

“If anyone has an issue with their position, speak up now.”

Of course, no one voiced any complaints. Instead, they naturally moved to their designated spots.

“Then, let’s get going.”

Balter drew his shield from his back and attached it to his left arm, raising it to guard the front. Though lean, Balter’s tall frame was almost completely covered by the massive rectangular shield. As he stepped forward, one step at a time, his expression was nothing short of serious.

However, less than a minute later, Kai called him to a stop. “Balter, hold up for a second.”

“Huh? What’s up?” Balter responded, still watching the front cautiously.

Kai lightly sighed and pointed at Seol Eun-Yeong, who was watching the process with a strange expression.

She asked, “Do you always clear dungeons like this?”

“Yeah, of course. It’s a dungeon, after all.” Balter turned his head and nodded as if it were obvious.

Surely, as he said, dungeons were filled with countless dangers, so being careful wasn’t a bad thing.

But not with this party.

Unfortunately, Kai’s friend seemed unaware of the kind of party he was currently a part of.

“It’s fine. Just push forward quickly. At that speed, we won’t clear this even in a month.”

“Are you sure about this? I don’t mind speeding up, but if I do, coverage will drop. What if a monster suddenly pops out from the side...”

"What, are you worried the dealers might die?"

"Well... oh." Balter turned his head to look at Yoo Ha-Rin and Seol Eun-Yeong, letting out a short gasp.

When he usually cleared dungeons, it was, of course, with the members of the Rush guild.

Sorry Balter, but the Rush guild barely qualifies as a B-tier guild by global standards, even if they do alright domestically.

Since he had to protect his guild members while progressing through dungeons, such habits had naturally become ingrained in him.

"May I provide some advice?" Seol Eun-Yeong, who was never shy about speaking her mind, said.

Balter hastily nodded in response. "I’d greatly appreciate it if you would..."

"First, your shoulders—relax them. That stance might help if a monster charges you head-on, but it makes it hard to react to ambushes from the side or sudden traps."

"Oh!" Balter let out a brief exclamation.

It was something he constantly experienced while clearing dungeons.

Was it because I was putting too much tension in my shoulders?

In the Rush guild, there was no one who could clearly advise him on what he needed to improve. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to help; they simply lacked the skill to do so.

"Thank you. I’ll try to move a bit faster now."

Balter’s steps noticeably quickened as he advanced. Of course, he didn’t let his guard down. Realizing the immense opportunity he had gained, he heightened his focus. He felt more concentrated than before, as if the dimly lit dungeon paths were now vividly clear in every corner.

No traps on the ground. The walls and the ceiling are also clear.

In just five minutes of entering the dungeon, Balter had learned things he hadn’t been able to while clearing dungeons with his guild members. Determined to absorb every lesson this opportunity could offer, he pressed forward. But before long, he came to a stop.

"Monster sighted."

“What are those guys doing?" Kai squinted as he observed ahead.

Three humanoid monsters had their backs turned to them.

Munch, munch, munch.

Sitting in place, the monsters were repeatedly bringing something to their mouths.

Swamp frogs.

Since swamp frogs treated monsters with an average level of 280 as food, the level of the monsters eating them would undoubtedly be higher.

Kai’s assumptions were spot on.

"Sniff, sniff. This smell..."

"Humans...! It’s the scent of humans!”

The creatures whipped their heads around, their eyes bloodshot. They abandoned the frogs they had been eating and charged forward on all fours at high speed.

Balter shouted, "Damn it, ghouls that can talk? Their level is 310!"

"Gaaak!"

The three mutated ghouls rushed toward Balter, Yoo Ha-Rin, and Seol Eun-Yeong.

"Not so fast...!"

Feeling his presence had been disregarded, Balter’s eyes turned fierce. At the same time, he raised his heavy shield and slammed it into the ground with all his might.

Boom!

A bluish mana wall unfolded in front of him.

"Mana Barrier!"

The charging ghouls crashed headfirst into the barrier.

"Argh...!"

Balter’s body slid back about four centimeters as his feet pressed hard into the ground. Still, he had successfully blocked the ghouls' ambush.

"Wingers!" Kai, observing the situation from the rear, shouted.

In response, the two wingers simultaneously sprang into action.

Yoo Ha-Rin’s sword moved like a flash of lightning, slicing through the neck of one of the mutated ghouls.

“Kirrk! Wh-what...?” The mutated ghoul staggered backward, frantically trying to pull the sword from its neck.

But Yoo Ha-Rin’s reaction speed was far better. She followed the ghoul’s retreat step-for-step with perfect precision and pushed her sword downward. The mutated ghoul was eventually split in half and died.

As expected of Yoo Ha-Rin. Her attack power is outstanding.

While her high level played a significant role, it was still a beautifully executed combo.

Kai’s gaze then shifted to the right. “Sharpness.”

The elegant white rapier in Seol Eun-Yeong’s hand briefly shined.

Sharpness was a buff that increased both defense penetration and attack power.

Not wanting to be outdone by Yoo Ha-Rin, Seol Eun-Yeong stepped forward with her left leg.

In terms of speed alone, Seol Eun-Yeong might be better.

Unlike ordinary swords, rapiers were designed more for thrusting than slashing. As with spears, the hallmark of thrusting weapons, maintaining the correct distance was crucial when wielding a rapier.

Seol Eun-Yeong extended her leg forward and leaned her upper body in, closing the distance between herself and the ghoul in the blink of an eye.

“S-so fas— Kiieeek!”

Her rapier left afterimages as it began piercing the mutated ghoul’s entire body. Like a needle puncturing a bottle filled with water, thin streams of blood began splurting out from the ghoul’s body. With every movement of her rapier, the number of blood streaks shooting through the air increased.

“K-krrrk...?”

The ghoul’s body, full of holes like a block of cheese, continued to spurt streams of blood—over eighteen in total. Without even realizing the state it was in, it collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Nice! One left!” Balter shouted with excitement.

It was exhilarating to clear a dungeon with DPS’ of such high caliber.

“H-how could mere humans... Krrrk!”

Seeing its companions fall in an instant, the last remaining ghoul turned around and fled without a second thought.

“Dang it.”

As Seol Eun-Yeong noticed earlier during their charge, the mutated ghouls were far faster than expected. Of course, if she chased them at full speed, they weren't entirely out of reach.

But this one has to be let go.

Seol Eun-Yeong quickly gave up. Monsters were clever, but monsters inside dungeons were far more intelligent. If one blindly chased after a fleeing monster like that, it would almost always lead them straight into a trap.

The moment she frowned, thinking she had let one escape...

Whoosh!

A sudden breeze brushed past her face in the dungeon, where there should have been no wind at all. At the same time, her face froze instantly. She knew well that there was no reason for wind to blow inside a dungeon without cause. In other words, this breeze wasn’t natural—it was man-made.

As she quickly turned her head, her eyes caught sight of a familiar back.

“K-kirrk?!” The mutated ghoul, which had been fleeing on all fours at extreme speed, let out a scream.

It was because its two legs suddenly lost all strength. And that wasn’t the end of it.

“Krkk? M-my arms too...!”

Its arms and legs—the very parts that allowed it to run—were completely powerless.

Kai had rushed forward in an instant and precisely severed the tendons in its limbs.

Thud!

The mutated ghoul that had been moving at full speed slammed head first into the ground. Its momentum was so great that it slid nearly ten meters forward even after crashing.

“Kieeeeek! It hurts! It hurts!”

The ghoul shrieked in pain. But soon, its cries came to a stop. After all, the dead had no voice.

Even though the first battle in the dungeon had ended successfully, the party members could only gulp nervously, their shaken gazes fixed on Kai. Among them, Yoo Ha-Rin and Seol Eun-Yeong’s gazes weren’t just trembling, but also showed a mix of complex emotions.

Courage, speed, and precision. That was an unbelievably perfect balanced combination technique of all three.

I can also catch up to a fleeing mutated ghoul, but precisely severing the tendons in its arms and legs while it’s running is impossible. And he did it with just four swings of his sword...

Even though they had witnessed it with their own eyes, it was hard to believe.

While the two women and Balter trembled with awe, Michael was the only one who let out a joyful laugh.

“Oh, bro! I love it here.”

Then, three bursts of light radiated from his body. Even after just their first battle, he had leveled up three times.