Chapter 169
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Rome, Giant Slayer - 1
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In the late afternoon, as the sky began to bleed into orange, Park Jun-mo glanced out the window and clicked his tongue.
"Hah... Those things are smashing our plane to bits, grinning like they're playing with a toy."
They were in a large garage attached to one side of the airport runway, a place where all sorts of airport vehicles were stored.
Inside, a group of people was huddled together.
They were the passengers from Lee Hyun-wook's flight. About ten minutes ago, the passenger jet had made an emergency landing on a runway not yet occupied by the Titans, and they had quickly disembarked to take refuge here.
"Hah... Communications are still down."
"We'll have to wait until they move on, won't we?"
"But what if they find us before that?"
"Damn it, we should have just gone to another airport."
"...They said we couldn't because of an issue with the aircraft."
Anxious voices drifted from all around.
It was understandable, as just beyond the thin metal wall, Titans were stomping across the runway, their steps echoing with a thunderous *thud, thud*.
With each footfall, their hearts were forced into a frantic rhythm, pounding in their chests.
And...
Craaack!
The creatures had planted their twenty-meter-long spears into the runway and were sitting on the ground, dismantling the passenger jet as if it were a Lego toy.
The sight of them pulling out the corpses of the guards and Red Players and chewing on them... was utterly horrifying.
"Shit, giants in Greek attire on our Roman soil, the very land that destroyed Greece..."
"Wasn't it Alexander the Great who destroyed Greece?"
"He was from one of the ancient Greek kingdoms. No, that's not the point... What do we do now? I heard each of those things is in the triple digits, level-wise."
As was already publicly known, a single Titan Hoplite was a staggering level 110.
Despite being a common monster, a simple calculation made it stronger than the local boss monster, the second prince of the dark elves, Clypeus Griseo.
And there were three of them nearby right now.
Furthermore, when they had looked down from the sky before landing, they had seen a dozen more wandering within a few kilometers.
'And there's bound to be an elite monster, some kind of vanguard...'
That one would be level 125 or higher, on par with the Flame Giant, Phaethon, and a tricky opponent that could use various magic spells.
What's more, if the situation turned against it, it could summon all the Titan Hoplites in the area to form a 'phalanx' formation.
But Lee Hyun-wook saw this moment as an opportunity.
'This might be a chance to gain a significant power boost, faster than I thought.'
Hunting several Titans, each one practically a boss monster, would allow him to achieve a rather excellent 'achievement.'
'...The so-called <Giant Slayer>.'
Hunting a total of ten Titans would grant an achievement that boosted all stats by 20%, total mana by 20%, and stun immunity by 30%.
'And the stats increase slightly for every ten more.'
As always, immense rewards were hidden within such unbelievable crises.
Of course, one had to wonder if anyone would have the luxury to collect such benefits during a world-ending disaster... but for the current Lee Hyun-wook, it was more than possible.
And one of Lee Hyun-wook's Moglei swords now had the 'Barrier Breaker' effect, perfect for dealing with colossal monsters.
'Indeed, crisis is opportunity.'
Lee Hyun-wook decided on his next course of action and turned to address the group.
"...Everyone, I have a plan."
At his words, all eyes flew to him.
Having already saved them once, they must have felt a glimmer of hope in his voice.
However, after hearing Lee Hyun-wook's plan, not a single person reacted positively.
"Is... is that even... a sane idea?"
Some even voiced their opposition.
"Uh... honestly, that just sounds reckless. No matter how strong you are... that method is..."
"I'm not doing it. I don't think something so reckless is the best option."
Their skepticism was understandable. As Players, they all knew that it took at least three to four raid teams to take down a single Titan Hoplite.
With three of them gathered together, it would take at least twenty raid teams to be safe... but Hyun-wook wasn't talking about 'escaping' them; he was talking about 'raiding' them—hunting them down.
Hyun-wook simply nodded at their reactions.
"If you really don't like my plan, you can stay here. I don't need all of you for this to work."
"......."
"Now then, I'll be accepting volunteers."
"Ahem......."
With Lee Hyun-wook as their only hope, they couldn't hide their anxiety, but one by one, they eventually agreed to follow his plan.
"From now on, just trust me and... give it your all."
As he spoke, Lee Hyun-wook extended his left hand.
Grrrrrr—
At that moment, the garage shutter rolled up on its own, revealing the vast runway.
"...Was that an automatic door?"
***
"Hey—you—fat—pigs—!"
The one shouting at the top of her lungs was Kim Se-hee.
She soared into the sky on a gust of wind and yelled again at the three Titan Hoplites tearing apart the passenger jet.
"Hey—hey—over here—!"
The creatures, who had been leisurely chewing on someone's corpse, scowled and turned their heads.
"Hah, if they just reach out, they could close twenty meters in an instant..."
Honestly, it would be a lie to say she wasn't scared.
She took a ragged breath and prepared to flee.
「...What's that?」
The creatures lumbered to their feet, picking up the shields they had leaned against the plane and pulling out the twenty-meter spears they had planted beside them.
「Look at that human over there, yelling to be eaten.」
「How are we supposed to share one little thing?」
「Still, live ones taste better, don't they?」
「Yeah, I like how they squirm in your mouth.」
The three of them chuckled and nodded at the comment.
「How about this, then? Whoever catches it first gets to eat it.」
The words had barely left its mouth when the three of them shot forward as if in a race.
Thud—thud—thud—thud—
With each heavy step, cracks spiderwebbed across the thick runway asphalt.
But just then—
"You tall morons, over here too!"
A shout came from another direction, from the right.
This time, it was Park Jun-mo's voice. A truck suddenly appeared from that area and started blaring its horn.
Honk—!
"There are five of us in here!"
And then from the left, another truck appeared, and the Players inside shouted randomly, agitating the creatures.
「Oh—perfect, one for each of us.」
「I'll take the one on the right!」
The three of them split up, each running in a different direction.
'Good, it worked.'
Lee Hyun-wook watched the scene from high above, invisible.
'Three of those giants together would be a real headache, but if they get careless and split up like this, I can pick them off one by one.'
In other words, the fight just got much easier.
He decided to target the Titan Hoplite chasing Park Jun-mo's truck first.
Meanwhile, the two trucks driving in opposite directions were deliberately packed with people. If they had tried to lure them with too few, the creatures might not have taken the bait.
'The greater the greed, the less aware one becomes of their surroundings. That foolish psychology applies to Titans as well.'
Whoooosh—!
「...Huh?」
The creature noticed the roar from the sky and turned its head, but its reaction was slow, as if it hadn't anticipated any threat.
Thwack—!
「Graaaaargh—!」
With a monstrous cry, the creature staggered back, a dagger now embedded in the nape of its neck.
No, it was... the greatsword Moglei, but stuck in the giant's neck, it looked relatively small.
But even a short dagger, if placed precisely, should have been a fatal blow...
'As expected, even a clean strike like this doesn't kill it.'
Level 110, a colossal warrior-type monster at that. It seemed it wouldn't die instantly, no matter how fatal the blow.
But Moglei's true power was just beginning.
「Hmph, a little thing like this...」
Just as the creature reached to pull out Moglei—
'Shockwave—'
Booooom—
A tremendous pressure wave erupted from inside the creature's neck, causing it to drop its spear and shield.
Thanks to its considerable defense, its head didn't explode cleanly, but its eyeballs popped out, its tongue shot from its mouth, and a torrent of red fluid gushed from the hole like a waterfall.
It was probably brain matter.
Thud—
The creature's body pitched forward.
'Alright, one down easily.'
「...Huh?」
The other two Titan Hoplites, who had been running in different directions, stopped and turned to look at Lee Hyun-wook.
Their eyes fell on their fallen comrade's body on the ground, then slowly lifted to meet Lee Hyun-wook's gaze.
They growled like beasts, raised their spears and shields, and started charging toward him.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
A roar that could hardly be called footsteps... the ground shook as the two giants began to rush forward with overwhelming speed.
Lee Hyun-wook flew toward the closer of the two.
"Park Jun-mo, give that one a taste of something shocking!"
In that instant, the world darkened as if a curtain had been drawn, layer by layer. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky.
Ruuuumble—
Dozens of lightning bolts rained down from the clouds, hammering the Titan Hoplite Lee Hyun-wook had targeted.
Cra-cra-cra-cra-crack—!
「Kuaaaargh—」
The impact forced the creature to its knees, and it tried to hold its ground by pushing against the pavement with its spear and shield.
'Good, an opening.'
Lee Hyun-wook fired Moglei's 'Space Cutter' at the creature.
A blade of mana that sliced through space in an instant, it slashed across the creature's upper body.
Shhhlick—!
「Kraaaah—」
First, the fingers on its right hand were severed, causing it to drop its spear.
Then, its iron shield, the size of a small building, was split in half, and a long gash opened from its left shoulder to its right flank, blood bursting forth.
「Grrrgh...」
But as expected, that single blow wasn't enough to take it out.
Thud—thud—thud—thud—
「Wait—I'm coming!」
Even then, the other one was still charging at full speed to save its comrade.
'If that one joins the fight, it'll be twice as hard.'
But Lee Hyun-wook wasn't about to stand by and watch.
「Alright, looks like it's my turn, right?」
This voice was Maru's.
「I was already in a foul mood from being cooped up, so I need to take it out on that bastard!」
Maru was furious about being stuck in the sub-space in item form for the flight.
It seemed he had trauma from being trapped in the spirit prison for so long. If taking his anger out on someone would help, then so be it...
Ruuuumble—
The ground, the runway's asphalt, rippled like a wave, throwing the creature off balance.
「Grrrrr—」
As if standing on a moving walkway going in the wrong direction, its steps slowed considerably. Then, Kim Se-hee and Hani stepped in.
Whoooosh—
Using the low pressure generated by the dark clouds, she created a massive whirlwind and slammed it into the creature's back.
Boom! Boom!
Flames erupted from both of the creature's knees, the work of the second prince's arrows.
'Good, they're holding the other one back well.'
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook flew around the other creature, striking the gaps in its heavy armor—the back of its knees, the nape of its neck—with Moglei.
Thwack—!
「Hmph—to think I'd be bested by dwarves...」
As the runway became stained with crimson, the creature, unable to endure any longer, straightened its hunched body and swung its half-shattered shield.
'Good, another opening!'
In that instant—the two Failnaughts that had been circling nearby embedded themselves in the creature's eyes.
Thwip—thwip—
Of course, hitting such small eye sockets wasn't easy. His relentless harassment had created a clear opening, and Lee Hyun-wook had been waiting for this very moment.
「Guaaaah...」
And the eyes, even for a Titan, were its most vulnerable part.
As if in more pain than from any other wound, it thrashed its head and let out a monstrous scream.
That was an even bigger opening.
Swish—
In that moment, Lee Hyun-wook maneuvered 'Sudarshana' and shot it straight into the creature's mouth, a perfect hole-in-one.
Grind-grind-grind-grind—!
「Urgh-urgh-urgh—」
A red trajectory, like a spinning saw blade, filled the creature's mouth and overflowed, until with a crack, its entire lower jaw was severed, and its massive body toppled backward.
「N-no...」
With two of them defeated individually, only one remained.
And naturally, the fight was far easier than it had been against the first two.
Thud—
A moment later, the last one collapsed onto the runway.
Lee Hyun-wook stood tall atop its forehead, having driven all four Moglei blades into its skull.
And every passenger had witnessed the scene.
"Uh... you... those weapons..."
There was only one person in the world who used four massive swords like that, so suspicion was inevitable.
"Could it be, Steel Rain..."
Just like in the slums of Yggdrasil... he had tried to hide his identity and move covertly, but when things escalated like this, revealing himself was unavoidable.
"What? Is that true? His face is completely different... wasn't that man Asian?"
"...Ah, now that you mention it, I think I saw him manipulating metal a few times. He must be in disguise... but how?"
Only then did the passengers realize that amidst a string of misfortunes, they had been blessed with incredible luck.
And a rumor began to spread, one that no one could control.
Steel Rain had come to save Europe.
***
After evacuating the passengers to a safe shelter, Lee Hyun-wook's party entered the city of Rome.
Night had fallen, and they decided to spend it in a hotel in the city center.
"...There's no one here."
"In this situation, of course there wouldn't be. Everyone must have fled to the shelters."
"Well, I doubt we'll get sued for borrowing a few beds for a night, given the circumstances."
Meanwhile, with the emergency frequencies of mana communication restored, Lee Hyun-wook's party was able to get news from the outside.
- ...This is an emergency evacuation broadcast from the EU Player Association. A large-scale monster attack is currently underway across Europe...
The broadcast stated that similar events were occurring simultaneously in a total of twenty-one regions across Europe.
And the radius of the attacks was gradually expanding, with the level of the appearing Titans also increasing.
'This changes our plan.'
The original plan was to seize the dark elves' 'Terminal,' hidden somewhere in Rome, use it to infiltrate the Dark Elf Kingdom, contact the 'insider' hidden by the second prince, and rescue the 'Dark Elf King.'
If the operation succeeded, they could shake the now-hostile Dark Elf Kingdom and sow discord within its ranks.
'But with the <Titanomachy> starting this early, it means the dark elf legions, allied with the Titans, will also advance sooner than expected.'
In other words, a time when the Dark Elf Kingdom's defenses would be significantly weakened would come soon.
'It's better to wait until then.'
When Lee Hyun-wook explained his reasoning, the second prince agreed.
"Hmm... what you say certainly has merit. If that happens, the Grand General and his commanders will leave the palace... making it much easier to retrieve my father."
And so, the plan to infiltrate the Dark Elf Kingdom was postponed.
"Um, so what do we do until then?"
At Kim Se-hee's question, Lee Hyun-wook looked out the window.
Thud—thud—
Giants were rampaging through the historic city.
In the darkness, black silhouettes rose above the buildings, wandering about. Every so often, a desperate scream would erupt from their grasp.
And the scream would die... near their mouths.
Watching the grotesque scene, Lee Hyun-wook answered curtly.
"Hmm... we hunt."
Yes, achieve the <Giant Slayer> title as quickly as possible. That was Lee Hyun-wook's plan.
However, the party's expressions stiffened.
"H-hunt?"
Although they had just taken down three, the risk of continuously clashing with such overwhelmingly colossal monsters was too great.
"Um... we fought well just now, but there have to be more than three Titans around here, right?"
Lee Hyun-wook nodded at Kim Se-hee's words.
He had to admit it. The previous battle had succeeded because of a good strategy, and the chances of that same strategy working again were very low.
"But what if we had an even bigger giant on our side?"
"...Excuse me?"
Lee Hyun-wook took something out from his pocket.
It was a golden leaf.
[Item Information]
- Name: World Bridge (Special)
- Effect: Infusing it with mana opens a wide-area teleport gate to a 'registered location'.
This was an item provided by Donald Harris, a very rare object that Yggdrasil produced only one of per month.
And as the item description indicated, it was a consumable item that could open a wide-area portal, a 'White Hole.'
'It doesn't matter if I open a White Hole in the skies of Rome now.'
The plan to operate covertly was effectively over, and with the situation changing so rapidly, there was no need for it anymore.
'I'll use this to open a White Hole connected to Seoul and bring Talos's main body from Laputa.'
Level 170, the 26.5-meter Orichalcum giant, Talos...
Before him, even most Titans were mere dwarves.
And when he contacted Yeo Sang-min, whom he had sent back to Laputa, he received another piece of good news.
- ...Um, the research director said the Dragon Gear set is complete. Should I, uh, prepare that and send it over too?
The Dragon Gear set, completed just before a major war... it was truly a timely supply drop.
'This means... come dawn, I'll have to teach the giants of Rome their place in the pecking order.'