The Healing Solaris Cleric-Chapter 283: Memory Dive (4)

As Kai scanned the village’s lakeside, he opened the stats window.

[Roen]

Class: None

Level: 238

Title: Experiencing Adolescence

HP: 65,100

Mana: 81,200

Strength: 502 Stamina: 651

Intelligence: 812 Agility: 308

Holiness: 13 Inquiry: 52

As expected. I can’t use my own stats.

He had already anticipated this, so he wasn’t too disappointed and carefully analyzed Roen’s stats.

His overall balance is pretty well-structured. Probably because he learned a lot from his hunter father and lived in the mountains.

What stood out the most were his high intelligence and the unique stat called Inquiry.

“Check Inquiry stat.”

[Inquiry]

Enhances the ability to perceive the essence of a subject.

“Hm.”

Perceiving the essence of a subject—despite its grand description, it seemed like a rather vague ability.

What about his available skills?

Sitting by the lake, Kai examined Roen’s abilities.

[Skill List]

[Intermediate Trap Setting LV.2]

[Intermediate Archery LV.3]

[Intermediate Butchery LV.7]

[Advanced Mathematics LV.1]

[Advanced History LV.2]

[Learning. Passive]

[Analysis. Passive]

[Brilliant Mind. Passive]

“Hm...”

Among Roen’s skills, the ones that could be immediately useful to Kai were Trap Setting, Archery, and Butchery.

By the way, he even has separate skills for Math and History...

He recalled the look in Roen’s eyes when he spoke of his desire to study in the city.

His stats are solid. He’s a well-balanced intelligence-based character.

Rising to his feet, Kai headed back to Flam Village. It remained the same quiet mountain village, unchanged from both three months ago and the present.

The bearded man who had spoken to him earlier was still chopping firewood.

That must be Roen’s father.

A middle-aged man casually coming and going from Roen’s house—it was almost certain.

As Kai came to this realization, the look in his eyes slightly changed. Everything he said and did here would become part of Roen’s memory. If that was the case, he needed to create as many positive memories as possible.

“When are you heading out to hunt today?”

As Kai approached with a bright smile, Roen’s father, Hugh, looked momentarily surprised. His adolescent son normally grumbled or complained whenever they spoke.

“Mrs. Ellen next door said she needs firewood, so I’ll head out after I deliver some.”

“Can I come with you?”

“... Are you serious?” For a moment, joy flickered across Hugh’s face.

His son, who always troubled him by insisting on going to the city to study, was now the one asking to go hunting!

“I’m serious. Is that not okay?”

“Not okay? Of course, it’s okay! Wait inside and get ready. I’ll be done here soon.”

Hugh’s arms tensed with excitement, and he began chopping wood even faster. It had been a long time since he had looked forward to hunting with his son.

After gathering his hunting equipment inside the house, Kai stepped outside to find Hugh knocking on the neighbor’s door, carrying an armful of firewood.

“Here’s the firewood you requested.”

“Thank you as always. Here, these are some tomatoes from my backyard—”

As Kai watched Hugh chat with the elderly woman next door, his expression darkened.

I planned to create good memories, but... in the end, Hugh has to die.

The problem was how. If he didn’t attempt to run away at dawn tomorrow, Hugh wouldn’t die.

If only Hugh had some incurable disease, this would be so much simpler.

Just as Kai let out a deep sigh, Hugh’s shoulders suddenly shook as he coughed violently.

“Your coughing is getting worse by the day. You should really tell Roen about your illness—”

“Shh.”

As Ellen spoke with a worried expression, Hugh hastily silenced her, glancing at Kai for his reaction.

Kai pretended not to hear, busying himself with checking his equipment, but despite his composed exterior, his mind was racing.

What? An illness?

Roen had never mentioned anything like that. That meant even Roen didn’t know about it, or perhaps...

Is it because I wanted this to happen?

Kai’s expression hardened. It might have been a coincidence, but the timing was suspiciously convenient.

As Hugh approached, Kai asked, “You don’t look well. Are you feeling sick?”

“...I didn’t sleep well last night. Don’t worry about it,” Hugh cut him off with a firm tone, almost cold, before quickly finishing his preparations. “Let’s get going now.”

“What are we hunting today?”

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

“Traces of razor wolves’ droppings were found not far from the village. Wolves move in packs. Judging by the amount, it’s not a small group. If left alone, they could become a danger to the villagers. We need to take them out first.”

“So, a wolf hunt.”

“It’s going to be a tough march. Can you keep up?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Kai hid his bitter feelings behind a bright smile, and in response, Hugh’s lips curled up slightly as well.

***

Just as Hugh had said, the march was grueling.

“Huff... huff...”

Especially for Kai, who was currently bound by Roen’s lacking stats, keeping up was pure agony.

It’s times like this that really remind me how important stats are.

Noticing Kai’s exhausted expression, Hugh said, “We’re here. I found the droppings around this area, so stay alert.”

Pointing to a marked tree he had previously identified, Hugh’s steps became cautious.

Kai caught his breath and took a sip of water before asking, “Huff... How many... do you think there are?”

“Judging by the droppings and footprints... at least thirty. We must avoid a direct confrontation.”

“Thirty wolves...”

Even among regular players, few could handle that many monsters of the same level. And Hugh wasn’t even a knight—just a hunter.

“We’ll need to set traps.”

“Do you remember what I taught you before?” Hugh asked.

“Uh... I think so?”

For some reason, Kai felt like he could do it.

“Then go ahead and try. The best locations would be... here, there, and over there.”

Kai opened his bag and began setting traps in the spots Hugh had pointed out.

Weird. I never actually learned trap-setting.

Despite that, he was able to set the traps easily. It felt like placing his fingers on piano keys after a long time, only for them to move instinctively.

“... You didn’t forget what I taught you.”

As Hugh spoke in a touched voice, Kai responded with an awkward expression, “Y-yeah, I guess.”

“Let’s head further in. We need to finish before nightfall, so we must hurry.”

The two of them ventured deeper into the forest.

***

The sun hung over the mountain ridge, and the peaks were covered in the hues of dusk.

“Phew. Just a little more, and we’re done,” Kai said.

“You’re getting better at this.”

Hugh stroked Kai’s hair with his large hand. An expression of pride surfaced on his face.

“You’ve really grown up. If you became a hunter, I’m sure you’d do w—cough cough.”

Hugh’s coughing had worsened over time. At this point, it was bad enough to make anyone who heard it feel worried.

“Are you okay?”

Kai quickly handed him a water bottle, but Hugh frowned as he looked down at his palm.

“Th-that’s blood!” Seeing the red stain on Hugh’s hand, Kai let out a short cry, “Are you okay? You’re coughing up blood. This is definitely not—”

“Roen. Get ready. We’re heading back down immediately.”

“Huh? But we haven’t finished setting all the traps—”

Awooooooooooo!

Suddenly, from not too far away, the howling of wolves echoed through the forest. It wasn’t just one or two. There were dozens, all howling at the same time.

“Damn it...” Hugh’s expression twisted. “The sense of smell of a razor wolf is superior to that of any other creature. And when it comes to the scent of blood... they can pick it up from three kilometers away.”

Clenching his blood-stained fist, Hugh hurriedly gathered his gear. “We’re heading down now!”

The peaceful atmosphere flipped in an instant.

“Dang it, they’re catching up!” Kai shouted, glancing behind him mid-run.

How many are there?

He could see at least twenty-five with his own eyes. Moreover, wolves were pack hunters, specializing in coordinated pursuit tactics.

If I factor in the ones on the side...

It would be a massive pack of at least forty razor wolves!

Kai’s expression hardened.

Wait, what happens if I die here?

Would that mean the death of his character, or...

It might lead to Roen’s death.

As his thoughts reached that point, Kai’s gaze sharpened.

I can’t let that happen.

It was the first time his loving pet, Blizzard, had ever asked him to help someone. That meant Blizzard had shared a part of his heart with Roen. If Roen died, Blizzard would be deeply saddened.

“Damn it!”

As Hugh sprinted forward, he roughly yanked the hand axe from his belt and hurled it to the left. The axe struck a razor wolf in the skull, sending it collapsing in a spray of blood. That allowed Hugh to evade immediate danger, but the situation only worsened.

“Awooo! Awooooooo!”

“Grrr! Woof woof! Woof woof!”

The razor wolves, overwhelmed by the scent of blood, became uncontrollable.

“We can’t lead them to the village like this!”

Hugh suddenly changed direction, as if the wolves followed them all the way down, it would mean a massacre.

Click! Click!

The one fortunate part was that the dozens of pre-set traps were working properly.

“This way!”

“Huff, huff!”

Hugh, leading the way, occasionally used his bow to keep the razor wolves at bay to help Kai.

“Grrrr...”

“Awooooo!”

Many razor wolves were caught in the traps or struck down by arrows. By then, only ten remained, keeping their distance while cautiously trailing them. The reason for their actions was simple.

“Huff, huff...”

After constant running and fighting, even Hugh, an experienced hunter, was struggling to control his breathing. The razor wolves already considered them caught prey and were slowly pressuring them. To make matters worse, Hugh’s relentless illness only worsened his suffering.

“Huff... cough, cough! Kugh!”

Perhaps because of that, Hugh, who had been running steadily, suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed.

“No!”

Kai was worried, but in this situation, there was only one thing he could do. He grabbed Hugh’s fallen bow and quiver, drew the bowstring, and kept the wolves away.

“Grrrr...”

“Woof woof!”

The razor wolves sneered at his efforts, and slowly circled them, closing in.

The alpha. I need to find the alpha.

Kai’s gaze grew cold and steady. With stats too low to fight, an injured ally, and an overwhelming number of enemies, there was only one choice he could make in this situation.

Take out the alpha.

Again, wolves were pack creatures. Their sense of unity and cohesion was exceptionally strong. Thus, if the alpha suffered a serious injury, the pack would retreat—at least for now. Of course, that was precisely why the alpha rarely revealed itself so easily.

Who is it? That one? Or maybe that one?

As Kai aimed the bow here and there, keeping the razor wolves in check, his eyes darted rapidly. After a brief moment, he began to notice subtle differences among the wolves.

Ding!

[Passive Skill, Analysis, has activated.]

[Due to the influence of the Inquiry stat, the effect of Analysis has been enhanced.]

The razor wolves' stats appeared before him, neatly arranged like a chart.

So this is Roen’s ability...

Though briefly surprised, Kai soon confirmed his suspicion.

It’s that one.

A razor wolf that roamed the perimeter just like the others. However, it had the most muscle mass, and its eyes were filled with confidence.

Intermediate Archery, right?

Kai pulled back the bowstring so hard that his arms and the bow itself trembled. The moment the razor wolves hesitated and backed away cautiously, he slightly twisted his body and released the arrow.

The arrow struck the left eye of the presumed alpha with pinpoint accuracy. Writhing in pain, the wolf rolled on the ground, shaking its head violently before throwing it back and howled.

“Awooooooo!”

At the sound, the other wolves immediately howled in unison.

“Awoooooo!”

“Awoooooo!”

Kai watched, cold sweat trickling down his back.

The wolf glared at him with one eye for a moment, then glanced at the quiver full of arrows and turned and fled. The rest of the Razor Wolves followed suit, retreating with their leader.

“I-it worked.”

After an intense, thrilling battle, Kai rushed over to check on Hugh. His condition was dire.

“Cough, cough!”

He repeatedly coughed up blood, and his complexion turned as pale as that of a sick person.

Kai bit his lower lip and shouted, “What’s happening? You... you never said you had an illness like this!”

Watching him, Hugh reached out with his large hand and gripped Kai’s tightly. “Do not... panic. A hunter’s son... must stay... composed.”

He tightly shut his eyes as if trying to endure the pain and continued speaking, “I did not send you to the city... out of selfishness... I knew I was dying, so I just wanted... to see you a little longer...”

“Why didn’t you tell me? If I had known—”

Kai suddenly gasped. It felt as if an unseen hand had reached into his chest and clenched his heart tightly.

What is this...

Truthfully, Hugh’s death was unfortunate, but it hadn’t felt devastating to him. However, the emotions he felt now were different. A wave of grief, anger, and a desperate plea to the Solarian God crashed over him, shaking him to his core.

This really makes me feel like I am his son.

Tears streamed down his face, defying his own will. Just before Kai was completely swept away by the surge of emotions, a notification rang.

Ding!

[The effect of the special title Dreamer has activated.]

[Empathy has been significantly reduced.]

It was as if a cooling balm had been applied to a bruised wound, his chest suddenly felt lighter. Yet, even with the numbing effect, Kai still felt the lingering emotions and clenched a handful of dirt.

If only I could use healing...

No. Even if he could, he shouldn’t heal Hugh. If Hugh survived, everything he had done inside Roen’s memory would become meaningless.

“Promise me... just one thing...” Hugh’s grip on Kai’s hand tightened.

It was as if he was squeezing out the last remnants of his strength, like a candle flickering just before it went out.

Slowly, Hugh opened his eyes. His eyes, clear and steady, gazed up at Kai—or rather, at his son, Roen—as if he had never been sick at all.

“I’m sorry... for being such a foolish father. I never told you because I was afraid that after losing your mother so early, if you lost your father too, you might make the wrong choice. However... after today, I know for certain.”

Hugh forced a smile, despite the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“You truly are my son. The strongest and bravest in the world.”

Whether it was the intensity of the moment or Roen’s emotions reaching him, Kai unconsciously gripped his hand tightly and said aloud, “... Father.”

At that, Hugh smiled more brightly than ever, overjoyed.

“Father, huh... It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that. Thank you for saying it. And... I’m truly sorry for hiding my illness.”

“Please don’t say that. I...”

“Roen, go to the city. Become a scholar... that earns the respect of all... an exceptional one... I love you...”

Hugh remained a father until the very end, but the strength in his grip gradually faded. Kai watched him silently and wept without a sound.

Ding!

[Roen’s memory of Father’s Death has been altered.]

[You have added the detail of Hugh’s incurable illness to the event of his death.]

[Memory Dive proficiency has increased.]

[Roen will no longer blame himself for his father’s death.]

[Roen will now dedicate himself to his studies, following his father’s final wish.]

A day that felt both short and long had finally come to an end.