Chapter 172
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: The Great Muster, The Great Battle - 1
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The eyes of the world were on Europe, fixed on the <Titanomachy> that had broken out there.
So far, however, only despairing news had been reported.
Although reinforcements were said to be preparing from all over the world, it would still take several days for them to arrive in Europe and be deployed to the front lines…
Thus, the safety of the civilians trapped in shelters within the giant-occupied cities seemed as precarious as a candle in the wind.
But then…
- [BREAKING] Steelain Appears in Rome... An Unannounced Entry into the Titanomachy? “No One Knew.”
The first real victory report arrived: Steelain had appeared in Rome, was hunting Titan Hoplites, and was rescuing isolated civilians.
- He's Here Again? World's Attention Focused on Veracity of Steelain's Activities in Rome
Hadn't the world already been in an uproar over his sudden appearance in Yggdrasil City to take down another Black Dragon?
The <Titanomachy> had broken out right after, and the voices of global citizens hoping for his intervention had been growing louder. Now, as if in response to those voices, he had truly taken action.
At first, however, it was dismissed as a rumor.
“Hey, hey—does it make any sense for even Steelain to jump in so suddenly? That's just a rumor, don't pay it any mind.”
Timothy Jackson, the editor-in-chief of a U.S. media company, also scoffed when he heard the report.
Honestly, no matter how phantom-like Steelain's movements were, the scenario of him personally diving into such a perilous place to rescue civilians was… hard to believe, wasn't it?
And above all, they had received so many fake tips about Steelain appearing here or doing that, so they had to be skeptical.
But it was a different story if there was solid proof.
“Uh… Tim, you need to see this.”
His subordinate brought a video, and the moment he played it, his eyes widened.
“Huh? It’s… it’s real! Wait, why is that guy suddenly in Rome beating up giants?”
He was astounded by the charge of the metal giant unfolding on the screen.
“Ha—but still, can he really take down a level 110 colossal monster like that? Ah! This is no time to be standing around, get this on the portal’s main page, now!”
- [BREAKING] Steelain's Rome Appearance Confirmed as Fact with Video Evidence of His Exploits
- With the world's citizens cheering him on, Steelain single-handedly undertakes the rescue mission that even the EPA's major guilds were shying away from.
“What in the world is he….”
Once again, the entire world began to praise Steelain.
Without any corruption or demands, he was silently saving the world, perfectly fitting the image of the ‘hero’ the world desired.
However, a few hours after his deeds were reported, several guilds belonging to the EPU began sending press releases to media outlets.
The content claimed that they, too, were hunting Titan Hoplites and were, in fact, accomplishing far more than Steelain.
“...Huh? Why does it look like they’re suddenly rushing to do something?”
Timothy Jackson, a veteran in the industry, saw through their intentions and scoffed.
His subordinates nodded in agreement.
“That's what I was thinking. Their intentions are pretty obvious. Those guys have seemed overtly jealous ever since the rivalry between DS and Steelain started heating up…”
“Tsk, tsk—calling themselves heroes who carry the weight of the world, yet they’re acting all restless like teenage stars obsessed with their social media likes…”
But the moment they checked the attached gameplay video, Timothy Jackson, who had just taken a bite of a donut, let his jaw drop, and the donut fell onto his desk.
“Whoa… what? Is this for real?”
“If this is real, isn't this absolutely huge?”
“It’s… it’s not doctored, is it? Of course not, right?”
The video showed five players hunting four Titan Hoplites, and their hunting speed was truly astonishing.
“It looks like a perfect task force assembled specifically to hunt Titans! Wow… where have they been hiding this kind of firepower?”
First, something brown flowed like a river across the road, then coiled around the legs of the four Titan Hoplites like anacondas.
*Rumble—!*
「Ugh—What is this!」
「It feels like being stuck in a bog!」
They panicked and began to struggle, but the more they did, the thicker the brown restraints became.
Eventually, their legs were completely bound, immobilizing them.
“What is that? Why can’t they break free?”
“Um… it doesn’t look like a solid?”
Only after a closer look did they realize it was ‘sand,’ and that the sand was pouring out of a red jar strapped to a man’s back.
“Wow, can that much sand really come out of such a small jar?”
“...Even at a glance, it’s no ordinary item. Could it be Legendary grade?”
Immediately after, streaks of black light shot up from somewhere. They curved as if drawn by a magnet and struck all eight eyes of the four Titan Hoplites with perfect accuracy.
「Graaaah—」
In other words, after sealing their feet, their vision was also taken away.
“Uh, were those… bullets just now?”
“They don’t seem like ordinary bullets.”
“Right, they’re magic bullets, but how are they so accurate?”
“...Is that an item too?”
Finally, a burly figure wearing a lion’s skin kicked off the ground and soared into the air.
“...Is that… Hercules, or what?”
The figure was indeed dressed as ‘Hercules.’
All sorts of buff skills flew and applied to his body; they were the skills of the famous S-rank Buffer, Nisha Kaif.
The ‘Omega Team’ had hired her as well to maximize the potential of its members.
*Crrrack— Crrrack—*
A dark aura began to emanate from his body as his muscles swelled. He kicked off the ground, leaped—and swung a black wooden club in a massive arc.
And then…
*CR—ACK—!*
The force was so powerful that it shattered the Titan Hoplite’s head, helmet and all, in a single blow.
*CR—ACK—!*
*CR—ACK—!*
One by one, in single strikes…
The video concluded with the ‘Hercules’ figure leisurely stretching.
“...What, what just happened?”
The process was so fast that they had to replay it several times to understand exactly what had occurred.
What mattered was that it had taken a mere 39 seconds to finish off all four of them.
After watching the video for about the fourth time, Tim Jackson smiled and took a bite of his donut.
“Ha… this is going to make for a great story.”
“Huh? What kind of story do you mean?”
“Don’t you see it when you look at it, kid?”
“Uh... well...”
“Two lights to save us from this catastrophe, a two-horse race, and so on. Think how tense and excited people will get if we frame it as a competition?”
War, disaster, crime—no matter how brutal the event, it was a delicacy a media company couldn't afford to miss.
And if you added a friendly rivalry between two groups of heroes… it was the perfect situation for raking in views.
“And didn't the EPU guys send us this press release hoping we’d spin the story that way?”
“...Ah, is that what it is?”
“Hey, look at this. If not, they wouldn’t have bolded the part that explicitly compares Steelain's clear time with their own.”
“Oh, now that you mention it…”
He chuckled, put down his donut, and nodded.
“Let’s see how this plays out. For them to raise the stakes like this, they must be confident they can do overwhelmingly better than Steelain… but hey, didn't Edward Woods try that before and get his ass handed to him?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“They seem to have come prepared for a real fight this time, so it’s going to be even more interesting. It’s ironic, isn't it? That a catastrophe like this is more entertaining than any show…”
And so, media outlets across the globe began to report on the exploits of ‘Steelain’ and the ‘Omega Team’ in a race against each other.
After the Omega Team’s hunting video was released, public opinion shifted dramatically.
- Was Steelain’s Feat Just a Preview? The Real Heroes Have Begun the Giant Hunt! A Spark of Hope for the World as the ‘Omega Team’s’ Prowess is Revealed…
- [BREAKING] Omega Team Begins Reclamation of Europe, Starting with Vienna, Austria.
- EPU Chairman: “We will mobilize all available resources to support the Omega Team. They are the hope not just for Europe, but for all humanity.”
- Omega Team, Demonstrating Prowess Surpassing Steelain, Takes the Vanguard in the Titanomachy!
Thus, the ‘Omega Team’ began to emerge as the hope and solution to the current crisis.
Lee Hyun-wook, too, heard the news in Rome.
He repeatedly watched the short 39-second video of the Omega Team on his smartphone, analyzing their weapons.
“Wow… honestly, that’s an incredible level, isn’t it?”
“I know. They're way faster than us, aren't they?”
Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee, standing on either side of Lee Hyun-wook, voiced their admiration.
“Well, to be fair, there are five of them, so it’s not that you’re slower, Boss. It’s because we’re lacking…”
Having hunted 19 Titan Hoplites themselves, they knew better than anyone just how amazing it was to take down four in 39 seconds.
‘…Yeah, it’s an unbelievable level.’
Even Lee Hyun-wook couldn’t help but be surprised.
All sorts of Legendary-grade items that weren't supposed to appear at this time were being openly used in the video.
‘Just from this video, I can see the Hercules Armament Set, Sikyang, Ak-Kelte…’
In his memory, those items weren't scheduled to appear for at least another two or three years.
‘Which means the major guilds have been hiding these items for quite a while.’
In any case, the players armed with such legendary weapons were the strongest players from Europe's major guilds.
‘Although the guilds they belong to are part of the extremist group <Future>, that doesn't matter. Whatever their motives, they are an important weapon against the disaster threatening the world, that’s a fact…’
But there was just one problem.
‘The problem is… one of the members of that Omega Team is a Villain.’
His name was Conor O’Neill, an S-rank player from Ireland, also known as the ‘Ruler of the Sand Castle.’ As his moniker suggested, he was a man with the ability to control sand.
‘And he’s already obtained the Legendary-grade item, Sikyang… that’s going to make him extremely difficult to deal with.’
Sikyang was a living, magical sand from Chinese mythology that grew endlessly.
Carrying the jar that contained it on his back, Conor O’Neill had boasted enough firepower to be called the ‘God of the Desert.’
If he decided to unleash the sand, he could submerge an entire city in a sandstorm.
‘As expected… the Villains are planning to make full use of this opportunity. Most likely, at a critical moment in the war, he and the other Villains will betray the allied forces and strike them from behind…’
In other words, to exploit the two major events—the Titanomachy and the Dark Elf army—the Villains seemed to be squeezing out their last dregs of strength.
‘If that’s the case, once this is properly resolved, their arsenal will have to be running on empty.’
Given the considerable number of Villains Lee Hyun-wook had already defeated, their forces must have been significantly diminished.
Of course, with their ultimate weapon, the Necromancer, still remaining, he could never let his guard down.
‘He will definitely appear in this war, and based on our last fight, he’ll have prepared a way to neutralize the Saintess… it’s not going to be an easy fight.’
Lee Hyun-wook swallowed an Adamant, took a deep breath, and rose from his seat.
He extended his left hand toward the greatsword floating in the air about two meters away.
*Whoom—*
It slowly approached him.
Now, this Moglay weighed a staggering 50 tons.
One wrong move that gave it momentum could topple several buildings like dominoes, requiring profound caution.
But who would believe that even this was only half of its potential power?
- (!) The power of ‘Moglay (Legendary)’ is partially restricted as certain conditions have not been met!
‘Ha, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt like my Metal Control is lacking…’
Yesterday, Moglay had reached Mass Release (Stage 4), gaining a weight of 50 tons.
But before that, this one Moglay had achieved ‘Dragon Slayer (Stage 3)’ and was upgraded to Legendary grade, and its Mass Release had also been ‘Enhanced.’
‘As a result, it became about twice as effective as it was at Hero grade.’
Therefore, Mass Release-Enhanced (Stage 4) was…
‘…supposed to be a whopping 100 tons.’
But because he lacked the Metal Control for that level, the 2x enhancement hadn’t been applied, leaving it at 50 tons.
‘And that’s not the only problem.’
1. Moglay (Legendary) from the previous life: 100 tons
2. The original Moglay (Hero) from this life: 50 tons
3. & 4. The replica Moglays: two swords at 25 tons
The total was 200 tons, but…
- Current Controllable Metal Weight: 58,051t
‘…I still don’t have enough Metal Control to wield all four swords at their maximum weight.’
Thus, he had no choice but to keep the three other swords, excluding the ‘Moglay (Legendary),’ at ‘Mass Release’ Stage 3.
Of course, as soon as his Metal Control increased, he could raise their stages at any time.
‘Looks like I’ll have to focus on raising my Metal Control for a while…’
But as it happened, there was a way to rapidly increase his Metal Control.
It was to raise the stage of the ‘Giant Slayer’ achievement.
[Achievement List]
8) Giant Slayer (Stage 1)
- Condition: Hunt 10 or more Titans.
- Effect: All Stats (+20%), Total Mana (+20%), Stun Immunity (+30%)
‘This achievement’s stage increases for every 10 more Titans I kill, and the effect gets an additional 2% boost each time.’
This was one of the best rewards available during this event.
Of course, there were virtually no players who could kill that many Titans, but…
‘I can.’
Lee Hyun-wook was currently sitting on a sofa in an empty hotel. He lifted a coffee cup, took a sip, and closed his eyes.
His vision shifted to the skies of Rome. It was, as always, from Huginn’s perspective.
*Whoooosh—*
Soon, he spotted a group of Titan Hoplites in the city center about two kilometers away.
They were tearing down a building, likely because there were survivors inside.
“...Alright, I found another group.”
At his words, Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo stood up.
“No, wait this time.”
“Sir?”
“I’ll just handle this one myself.”
“Uh… without going outside, just like this?”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded with his eyes still closed, then extended his left hand.
*CRASH—!*
Moglay shattered the window and flew outside.
“Seriously, did you have to break the window…”
It ascended vertically into the sky.
*Whoooosh—*
Higher than the clouds, higher even than Huginn’s altitude, the greatsword reached its apex and slowly came to a halt…
*Whirrrr—*
It tilted, its tip pointing toward the ground.
And then, it fell with gravity.
*WHOOOOOSH—!*
Like a ballistic missile, it shot fiercely toward its target, closing the distance in an instant.
The four Titan Hoplites tearing down the building had no time to react.
*CR—ACK—!*
The upper body of one of them was completely blown away.
「Huh?」
「Wha-what was that!」
The remaining three raised their shields in confusion. But they couldn’t detect the presence that had attacked them anywhere.
All they saw was a massive greatsword circling a bell tower and flying toward them again… The moment they spotted it, they felt the fear of death.
「Gasp! We-we can’t get hit by that thing!」
「Ra-raise your shields and block!」
‘Something like that can never block it.’
*CLANG—!*
A direct hit—it pierced through the shield and the giant’s body, then embedded itself in the neck of the one standing behind it.
「Guhhhh…」
Lee Hyun-wook casually flicked his left hand. Moglay swung in a wide vertical arc, decapitating the last giant standing next to them in a single strike.
*SQUELCH—!*
“...It’s over.”
Lee Hyun-wook said, slowly opening his eyes.
“What? R-really?”
From two kilometers away, sitting on a hotel sofa, he had dispatched four Titan Hoplites just by moving his left hand slightly.
However, Lee Hyun-wook refrained from carelessly using Moglay’s skills like ‘Shockwave’ or ‘Mana Blast Sword.’
Those skills had also been ‘Enhanced’ in proportion to Mass Release. A misstep could do more than leave giant craters all over Rome; it could even collapse nearby shelters.
‘39 seconds…’
That was how long it took the Omega Team to deal with a squad of Titan Hoplites.
Honestly, if Lee Hyun-wook went all out, he was confident he could easily beat that time.
But he was powerful enough as it was; there was no need to reveal all his strength to the world just yet.
If they had revealed their hidden trump card… Lee Hyun-wook planned to hide his until the right moment.
***
Two more days passed.
[Achievement List]
8) Giant Slayer (Stage 3)
- Condition: Hunt 30 or more Titans.
- Effect: All Stats (+24%), Total Mana (+24%), Stun Immunity (+34%)
‘I’ve killed 34 so far…’
He had also helped Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo achieve Giant Slayer Stage 1, bringing the total to 54, and in doing so, they had successfully cleared out all the Titan Hoplites throughout Rome.
“...Th-thank you so much!”
The middle-aged man saying this was a high-ranking official of Rome, the director of the Shelter Safety Management Bureau.
“On behalf of the city of Rome, I express my gratitude. We will never forget this kindness!”
He was on the verge of tears as he repeatedly expressed his thanks.
Behind him, numerous fully armed players had gathered; they were all players who had been isolated in Rome.
Of course, no matter how many of them gathered, they didn’t have the capacity to face level 110 colossal monsters.
But since Lee Hyun-wook had cleared the area, they had regained their confidence and come out to establish a defensive line in case of unforeseen circumstances.
“Yes, I wish you luck.”
With those words, Lee Hyun-wook levitated into the air.
Prydwen was waiting there, with Talos standing tall behind it.
Someone captured the scene, posted it online, and numerous articles were spawned from that photo.
- Steelain Retakes Rome in Just Three Days!
However, that news was soon buried by a bigger issue.
- Omega Team Retakes Vienna, the Capital of Austria, and Moves West. “Next Target is a German City.” Advancing Like a Tank!
- Omega Team Enters Munich… Cheers from Munich Citizens Erupt at the Arrival of True Heroes.
- Omega Team Shows Its Mettle in Munich, Simultaneously Engaging Three Squads of 15 Titan Hoplites!
They were definitely faster than Lee Hyun-wook.
That was because, while the Omega Team’s own firepower was immense, they were also receiving full support from multiple major guilds.
- The Overwhelming Firepower of the 5 Members of the Omega Team, Estimated to Have Defeated a Total of 91 Giants So Far…
It looked as if only the five members of the Omega Team were active, but behind them, hundreds of players were likely providing operational support.
Not that there was anything wrong with that. It was natural to do everything possible to stop this disaster.
However…
“Boss, take a look at this for a second.”
While they were heading north on Prydwen, Kim Se-hee suddenly held out her smartphone.
It was a live news broadcast, and at a glance, it seemed to be the scene of the Omega Team's activities.
But at the top, the caption [Omega Team Mentions Steelain] caught his eye.
A large man was holding a microphone, with the corpse of a Titan Hoplite in the background.
- …Ahem, uh, may I use this broadcast to say a word to that friend, Steelain?
- Yes, you may.
- Steelain, my name is Alexander Chekhov. Well, you probably know that, right?
He was a level 91 Berserker player, famous for being the next-best bruiser after Han Tae-san.
But now, equipped with the <Hercules’s Armament Set>, the best tanking item set that drastically increased Strength and Stamina, and constantly under Nisha Kaif’s buffs, he was likely the world’s top bruiser.
He was representing the Omega Team, mentioning Lee Hyun-wook during a live broadcast.
- …I wanted to contact you personally, but I didn’t have a good way to do so. Anyway, I saw you retake Rome. You certainly live up to your name, huh?
He scratched his cheek with a thick finger and spoke again.
- But I have to say, I don’t think there’s any reason to move around like a lone wolf. It might look cool, but… heheh—you know that’s not what’s important, don’t you?
“...”
At that, Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee, who were watching beside him, glanced at Lee Hyun-wook.
- If you’re not trying to look cool for the little girls sitting in front of the TV, like some gay K-pop star, but truly want to save this land…
He put on a rather solemn expression and uttered his final words.
- I want to tell you to please come under our command and fight with us. Because that is what is truly for the good of this world.
“—Hah, does he really have to say it in such an obnoxious way?”
Kim Se-hee grumbled, and Hani, perched on her shoulder, raised a middle finger at the smartphone screen.
‘Well… his intentions are plain to see.’
They were now, under careful calculation, provoking Lee Hyun-wook and telling him to join their ranks.
Of course, they didn't really want him to join; they were trying to use the reputation he had built as a stepping stone to climb even higher.
And in just a few days, the world had already come to perceive the Omega Team as stronger than Steelain.
Just then—
*Gwo-o-o-o-o—*
On the screen, behind Alexander Chekhov, a red light was seen soaring up from quite a distance.
Lee Hyun-wook instinctively looked up and out of Prydwen’s window, and saw the exact same pillar of red light shooting up from the northern sky.
- Huh? What’s that now?
While everyone, both on-screen and off, stared at the scene with looks of incomprehension, only Lee Hyun-wook understood the phenomenon’s meaning.
‘…The second act of the Titanomachy has begun.’
Because a considerable number of Titan Hoplites had been defeated, it could be said that the second phase of this event had started.
‘The <Great Battle> will soon begin.’
Until now, they had been fighting small-scale local battles against Titan Hoplites that appeared all over Europe. Now, they would gather in one place to form a true army.
‘…Once hundreds of those giants gather in one place and advance in a formation called the <Deus Phalanx>, it will be impossible to fight them with the methods used so far.’
In other words, the ‘war’ against the Titans, the <Titanomachy>, could be said to have truly begun just now.
Just then, a system message appeared before his eyes.
- (!) You have automatically joined the war event ‘Titanomachy: The Great Battle.’
“Uh, are you seeing this right now?”
And…
- The ‘War Hero’ achievement effect is activated.
“Ah, right, there was this…”
[Achievement List]
6) War Hero
- Condition: Achieve the greatest merit in a war event.
- Effect: All stats increase (+50%) when participating in a war event.
‘If this goes well… I might be able to hit 100 tons.’
At that, Lee Hyun-wook imagined it.
The phalanx formation created by hundreds of Titans… their mountain-like, solid advance…
‘…No one can break through it.’
But if he were to drop a 100-ton divine staff on top of it, and then unleash a shockwave proportional to its weight… would the phalanx be able to hold?