Chapter 173
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: Grand Assembly, Great Battle - 2
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Dresden, Germany. The elegant city center, with its Baroque architecture, was now completely empty.
It had been chosen as the stage for the second act of the Titanomachia: the “Great Battle.”
The silence of the city was broken only by a tremor that rippled from the distant plains.
*Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—*
Amidst the heavy vibrations, a man stood on the rooftop of a building, raising his voice in front of a camera.
“Yes! I’m here in Dresden, Germany, the site of the second act of the Titanomachia!”
He turned his head and pointed somewhere.
From this rooftop, one could see beyond Dresden’s city center to the vast green grasslands in the distance.
“Dozens of Titans have gathered on the plains about four kilometers from here, and more are still arriving! The EPU has stated that the number has reached a maximum of 155!”
He shook his head, looking horrified.
“U-Until now… the Titans, who moved in groups of three or four, are now gathering in one place to form a true army. Raid experts say…”
Just then—
“—Huh!”
The cameraman suddenly screamed, instinctively tilting the camera up. The reason—
*Whoosh—*
Something was flying through the sky.
“Wh-What is that!”
The reporter reflexively turned his head.
After seeing it, he muttered under his breath.
“Uh— I-It’s a missile?”
A huge, rod-shaped object fell from the sky… and slammed into the building next to them.
*Cra—ash—!*
“—Cough! Something suddenly flew in!”
Covering his mouth and nose with his jacket, he peered through the billowing white dust at the adjacent building and saw a massive iron pillar embedded in its center.
It wasn’t a pillar… it was a spear.
One nearly twenty meters long.
The moment they confirmed it, the reporter and cameraman completely forgot about their live news broadcast.
“Cr-Crazy! I-It’s a Titan’s spear! How did they know we were here and attack—!”
Then, more of those giant spears rained down like a storm, beginning to demolish all the buildings in the area.
*Boom—! Boom—! Crash—!*
A single strike was enough to bring down an entire building.
Without any explosion, it dismantled the concrete structures as if they were sandcastles, using only mass and acceleration.
It wasn’t javelin throwing; it was a bombardment.
They didn't know why this was suddenly happening, but something seemed to have provoked the Titan army.
“Damn it, Bill— this way!”
Fortunately, the reporter was a mage Player. He immediately threw down his microphone and pulled out a wand. The spell he cast was a short-range teleportation magic.
*Woong—*
Their bodies instantly warped about a hundred meters away, and the broadcast connection was momentarily lost.
“—Bill, there, over there! Get the camera on that!”
“Hang on, the connection… Okay, got it!”
“Viewers, we are safe! And look over there!”
At his gesture, the camera moved erratically before focusing on a four-lane road to the north.
The road cut across a wide plain, and at the edge of that plain was a hill…
*Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—*
From there, giant, helmeted heads began to rise one by one, soon multiplying into dozens.
*Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—*
They were all Titan Hoplites, armed with spears, shields, and armor, advancing shoulder to shoulder in a shield wall formation.
As the setting sun cast long shadows behind them, it created the illusion of a medieval castle moving in its entirety.
“...D-Do you see that? Th-Those are all Titan Hoplites, and for some reason, they are now advancing on Dresden!”
Soon, it became clear what they had been throwing their spears at.
*Thwump—thwump—thwump—thwump—*
From the southern sky, a line of large transport helicopters, NH90s, appeared.
*Whoosh— Whoosh—*
Twenty-meter spears flew toward them, and the two leading helicopters couldn't evade in time.
*Thunk—!*
The massive spear impaled a large transport helicopter like a skewer, sending it flying far into the southern part of Dresden before it crashed to the ground.
Just then—
*Fwaaaaaaah—!!*
This time, numerous teleports appeared in the sky, and from within them, countless Players poured out.
There was no need to wonder who they were. They were the most famous group of Players today.
“Hah! That person is…”
At their lead, a giant man wearing a lion’s skin slung a black club over his shoulder and sauntered forward.
Watching the scene, the reporter shouted.
“...Everyone, it’s the Omega Team! They have arrived here in Dresden! This means the largest forces of both the Titans and humanity have gathered in one place!”
He turned to face the camera directly and added one more thing.
“It looks like the great battle is about to begin!”
***
However, the battle did not take place.
Until now, the Omega Team had always launched bold preemptive strikes the moment they spotted a group of Titans, but this time, they had no choice but to maintain a standoff from a distance.
There was a good reason for it. A staggering eighty-eight Titan Hoplites were packed shoulder to shoulder, forming a shield wall as formidable as a fortress.
It was called the ‘Deus Phalanx,’ which could be interpreted as the divine shield formation.
Even now, portals would occasionally open, and three or four more would join them, their numbers steadily growing.
At that moment, in the Omega Team's command tent…
“...Charging into that would be barbaric.”
The one who said this was a man from the UK named Brian Till, the nominal leader of the Omega Team.
As an ‘Analyst’ class Player, he didn't participate in combat directly, but he was the one who had devised all their strategies and tactics so far.
“Hmm… breaking a ‘Phalanx’ requires a rather sophisticated strategy to begin with. If we look at the success of the Roman ‘Legions’ that broke it… we could neutralize their shields, aim for their flanks, or, the easiest method, lure them into uneven terrain.”
Despite his explanation, the four core members of the Omega Team looked unimpressed.
Each of them had been called the strongest Player in their respective countries, so they all possessed thick egos and hadn't quite meshed with one another.
Still, like true veterans, it was fortunate that they could work together seamlessly without any communication.
“Hey, stop muttering things you’d find on Wikipedia and just come up with a plan already, will you—”
The one picking a fight was the man lying on a cot, draped in a lion’s skin—Alexander Chekhov.
*Crunch—*
He shoved a whole chocolate bar into his mouth and chewed.
As a giant of 213 centimeters, he consumed an enormous amount of calories before and after battles, so he was constantly eating something even during strategy meetings.
“Well, we need to be a little more cautious this time. It’s a war event, after all.”
“I don’t know. If we spend too long thinking about how to eat it, that bastard Steel Rain might just fly in and snatch it away. He’s a specialist at that. Who was it, DS? He lost the Black Dragon because he wasn't paying attention, right?”
Thus, their goal was not only to conquer the Titanomachia but also to keep Steel Rain in check.
“Haha— even if that man comes, there won’t be anything he can do. That ‘Deus Phalanx’ has its own incredibly thick defensive barrier, so no matter what he throws at it, it won’t be pierced. That’s why attacking the flanks is also practically impossible… Ah, but that’s something only an Analyst class Player like me can see.”
“...Wait, doesn’t that mean there’s nothing we can do either?”
This time, a young white man known as the Master of Sandcastles, Connor O’Neil, interjected.
He was creating and destroying a sand structure above his hand, looking equally bored.
“Hah— It’s been a bit boring since yesterday, really…”
Though he had just turned twenty, he had become one of the world's best. To this spirited and rebellious young man, such strategy meetings were nothing but tedious.
Watching their lax attitudes, Brian Till suppressed a sigh that was threatening to escape.
“So, what I’m trying to say is… we need to be careful. A big event of this scale, a war event no less, isn't going to be conquered just by charging in, right? You all know that better than anyone, don't you?”
“Uh— wait a minute. Then we don't have to fight them on the plain where they've set up their formation. Can't we just lure them into a city like this?”
This time, a black woman with a baseball cap pulled low—Nia Wilson—asked.
She was twirling a pistol in her hand.
“I mean, even if they’re giants, they won’t be able to form a formation like that inside a city with so many obstacles. And for me, there are plenty of places to climb or take cover, making it easier to shoot.”
Sitting next to her, India’s S-rank buffer, Nisha Kaif, nodded in agreement.
But Brian Till shook his head.
“Didn’t we all see the war quest, the system message, before coming here?”
[War Quest]
- Titanomachia Act 2 ‘Great Battle’
At this very moment, the Titans have begun to gather in one location.
If their shields are amassed in one place, an unstoppable advance will begin.
You must completely break their morale before they are fully assembled!
1) Secure the ‘Victory Flag’ for at least 1 hour within 72 hours (In Progress)
2) Defeat the boss monster ‘Krios’ (In Progress)
* Reward: Distributed according to ‘Merit’ in the war.
- Warning! Failure of objective ‘1’ will cause the ‘Titans’’ morale to soar, significantly increasing their combat power.
“Based on that, if we look at the current situation…”
He slightly lifted the flap of the command tent.
In the distance, beyond the horizon, a pillar of red light could be seen shooting up into the sky.
It was an unidentified phenomenon that had started yesterday when ‘Titanomachia: Great Battle’ began.
“That light shows the location of the Victory Flag, objective number one.”
Indeed, aerial surveillance had confirmed that a flag was planted on the runway of ‘Dresden Airport,’ about seven kilometers from here.
“If we secure it for over an hour within seventy-two hours, we’ll receive a massive buff exclusive to this event. Ah, we have sixty-four hours left now.”
“And if we don’t… they get the buff?”
“Yes, that's right. We have to prevent that at all costs. The design of this event seems to be based on that principle.”
Hearing this, Alexander Chekhov shot up from his cot.
“Hah— damn, this situation is so complicated… So what? What are you trying to say, huh? Just make it simple—”
It was then.
*Broooooo—!*
The blare of a horn echoed loudly.
But it was no ordinary horn; its sound was louder than any speaker at a concert, shaking the entire city of Dresden.
“Ah, you scared me!”
“What’s that sound now?”
“...This feels ominous. Let’s go outside.”
As they exited the command tent, an EPU official ran up and handed them a tablet PC.
“—Omega Team, please check this!”
The tablet PC, linked to a magic drone, was displaying a feed observing the Titan army several kilometers away.
But from that group, two Titans had broken away and were walking in their direction.
One of them was dressed quite differently from the others, with a particularly large and ornate red plume on its Corinthian helmet.
In other words…
“That one is likely the boss monster, Krios… It seems he wants to meet commander to commander, as befits a pitched battle.”
A pitched battle was an old-fashioned form of combat where two armies clashed with their full force in a single area.
And before such battles, it was common for the commanders of both sides to hold a parley.
“...Why would he want to meet?”
“It’s probably not for a pleasant chat.”
***
A short while later, on the northern plains of Dresden, the commanders of both sides faced each other.
The sight of the 1.8-meter-tall representative of humanity standing opposite the roughly 19-meter-tall representative of the Titans was unsettling; it seemed as if the Titan would charge and crush him if the conversation went sour.
And right now, the eyes of the entire world were fixed on this scene.
There were dozens of magic drones hovering in the sky on humanity's side, half of which belonged to various broadcast media.
Under the gaze of the entire world, humanity’s representative, Brian Till, walked forward.
As he was not a combat-class Player, his legs trembled with instinctive fear as he looked up at the Titan ten times his size, but he took a deep breath and offered a polite greeting.
“...Greetings. I am Brian Till, here as the representative of humanity.”
However, the golden-bearded Titan—Krios—was seething, looking as if he would charge and crush him at any moment.
「...Insects had names?」
As expected, he had anticipated that a normal conversation would be impossible.
“...If you’re going to be like that, it seems your friends have been bitten by us insects quite a bit.”
「How dare you vermin insult the Titan race? I want to stomp you to death this instant…」
Krios bared his teeth with a growl, and Brian Till instinctively took a step back, but he had no intention of retreating.
Because, quite literally, the entire human race was watching this scene.
“Well, you’re the ones who invaded, aren't you? ...Hah, I’m getting tired of having these conversations with monsters who don't even know who they are…”
He muttered the last part quietly, shaking his head.
「A pathetic race like yours is not permitted to have territory. This land will now be ours, and you will be reduced to our food.」
“Yeah, yeah. So what’s the reason you wanted to meet separately?”
「You vermin have dared to call it ‘hunting’ our Titans… I intend to show you just how absurd that is, to show you the gap between us.」
“Hmm, that is…”
「Before our two forces clash, each side will put forth a champion for a one-on-one duel.」
At that moment, a system message appeared before Brian Till’s eyes.
- The Titan race ‘Krios’s Legion’ has proposed a 1-on-1 duel. (Y/N)
* Warning! Refusal will increase the morale of the Titan army.
‘Ah… a sub-event?’
He thought for a moment.
No matter how he looked at it, a one-on-one duel with a Titan was insane.
Only someone on the level of the Omega Team could pull it off… but the other side wouldn't send a regular Titan either; they would send a much stronger champion, so the risk was too high.
‘Of course, I can refuse.’
Since it was a sub-quest, he could just ignore it.
‘But it will affect the course of the war…’
He couldn’t just stand by and watch the already difficult-to-handle ‘Deus Phalanx’ get even stronger.
That would be a critical strategic failure…
‘Still, someone like Alexander Chekhov… as long as the boss monster Krios doesn't come out himself, he should be able to handle a one-on-one.’
Wasn’t he the man who wore the <Heracles’s Armament Set>?
In a one-on-one fight, he was arguably the best.
‘I guess I’ll have to trust that foul-tempered warrior…’
***
“—Well, this should be fun.”
As expected, Alexander Chekhov readily agreed and swallowed another chocolate bar.
“Then… the duel will begin in about eighteen minutes.”
“Huh? What, you already accepted the duel without even asking for my opinion?”
“I knew you would accept immediately. And I also believe in your victory.”
“Don’t give me that shit. Did you think I’d be moved by that?”
But the twitching of his mustache revealed a very triumphant expression.
Hearing the news of a ‘duel’ event, reporters flocked to ask questions, and despite Brian Till’s attempts to stop him, Alexander Chekhov stood before them himself.
And once again…
“...Hey, Steel Rain—!”
He mentioned his name, escalating the rivalry between the Omega Team and Steel Rain.
“I made a request yesterday, but as expected… you didn’t give me any answer?”
He chuckled and shook his head.
“...Tsk, tsk— I knew you were just some guy trying to get popular! I declare, you are not a true man!”
He then pounded his chest.
“I am now going to represent humanity in a one-on-one duel with the Titan champion!”
Cheers erupted from all around. His popularity had been skyrocketing lately.
In the midst of such a disaster, the public naturally craved a vanguard with powerful charisma.
“But where are you and what are you doing now? To not even show up at such an important moment… it’s so disappointing. I hope you continue to play the fake hero!”
With those words, he slung his weapon, ‘Heracles’s Olive Wood Club,’ over his shoulder and walked toward the dueling grounds.
***
A short while later… with the eyes of the world upon them, two beings faced each other on the northern plains of Dresden.
On humanity's side stood the 213-centimeter giant, Alexander Chekhov.
But no matter how big he was, he was an infinitely small being in front of a Titan.
*Thud— Thud—*
Just then, a single Titan broke away from the group and approached.
Its overwhelming frame stood at 16.9 meters… and unlike the other Titan Hoplites, it wore black hard leather armor, which appeared to be made from the hide of a black drake, judging by the scales.
It held a single mace, which was only about five meters long.
“Oh… you look a bit different from the ones I’ve fought so far, huh? Still, one good smack on that thick skull of yours and you’ll be lying on the ground all the same.”
Alexander Chekhov was incredibly arrogant.
And for good reason. No Titan had ever withstood a swing from his club.
“Hey! Did you know there’s a real thrill in cracking open watermelons like you?”
He even went so far as to provoke the Titan champion.
「.......」
“Oh… the silent type, are you? Then you won’t even get to leave any last words.”
After saying that, he took a deep breath.
*Fwooooosh—*
An immense amount of energy flowed from his entire body, concentrating in his feet.
*Cra—ack—!*
Then, as if exploding, he shot off from the ground.
But—
*Cla—ang—!*
“Kuh!”
His body, which had been shooting forward like a bullet, was abruptly stopped by something in mid-air. He tilted his head in confusion and looked down at his feet.
He then realized that a purple chain was shackled to his ankle.
- Warning! You have been afflicted by ‘Tartaros Prisoner’s Resentment’!
* Your range of movement will be restricted for a certain period (5 minutes).
“Uh— what… you use magic?”
This was a completely unexpected situation.
He pushed off the ground with all his might, but he was still bound by the chain and couldn't move beyond a certain radius.
And the Titan stood just outside that radius, a slight smirk on its lips.
“Damn it— I can’t hit you like this!”
While he struggled, the Titan raised its right hand toward the sky, and a chilling blue light began to emanate from its palm.
It was an ominous energy at first glance…
- Warning! ‘Gaia’s Foot’ will manifest in this area!
Along with that system message, something began to appear in the sky above him.
“You’re crazy…”
It was… a giant foot, hundreds of meters in size.
In an instant, the area was plunged into shadow, a sign of its destructive range.
*Fwooooosh—*
Looking up at the absurd sight, Alexander Chekhov instinctively turned his head to look at Brian Till, who was standing far behind him.
He had found the man’s constant droning about strategies annoying until now, but in a moment like this, he found himself seeking his wisdom.
However… he realized that Brian’s expression was also contorted in bewilderment.
“Ah…”
Perhaps it all stemmed from a very minor misconception.
That all Titans were of the ‘warrior’ class…
Because every Titan they had seen so far had been.
The moment he turned his head back to the front—
The giant foot slammed down, crushing him.
*Cra—aaaaaash—!*
“......”
*Whooooosh…*
“......”
In the aftermath, a horrifying silence descended upon the scene. None of the Players gathered there could speak; only groans could be heard here and there.
And… the people of the world watching the broadcast must have been struck by an indescribable shock, plunging once again into deep despair.
It was the moment humanity's hope was trampled.
But just then, someone turned their head and said.
“Uh— Steel Rain—!”
The moment that name was heard, everyone turned their heads. And every camera turned with them.
“—What?”
Only then did they realize that a white airship was approaching above their heads.
“D-Damn it— why are you crawling out now!”
At that moment, a Player belonging to the Omega Team shouted.
“What were you doing all this time, showing up now! Did you just want to watch us get beaten!”
He was probably feeling resentful about Alexander Chekhov's defeat and trying to shift the blame.
Shouts of condemnation erupted from all over.
A public opinion had formed that while the Omega Team fought the Titans head-on, Steel Rain had been subtly avoiding them.
“Why are you always so selfish—!”
Just then, from behind the person who had shouted, a voice was heard.
“...Sorry I’m late.”
“Huh?”
There, stood Steel Rain.
“I was busy… stacking something up.”
With those words, he began to walk forward.
At his movement, everyone parted to the sides.
And the world once again began to stir with a strange excitement.
Steel Rain. If it was him… perhaps…
He stopped in front of Brian Till.
“Brian Till, I heard you’re the one in charge here.”
“...Yes, that’s right.”
“Then I have one request.”
“Yes?”
“Prepare all forces to advance immediately, and wait for my command.”
The completely out-of-the-blue statement left Brian Till with a look of incomprehension.
And the Omega Team members standing around him scowled.
After all, Steel Rain’s remark was, in essence, an order directed at them.
“What… are you talking about right now?”
“I’m explaining a strategy that can win this war.”
“...Are you planning to take Alexander Chekhov's place and duel that Titan?”
But Steel Rain shook his head and took another step forward.
“Why would I do that?”
“Pardon?”
“You didn’t choose that because you admire the honorable combat of a one-on-one duel, did you? Especially not against those man-eating monsters.”
“N-No— of course not. It’s because if I don’t accept that sub-quest, the entire Titan army gets stronger.”
At those words, Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
“I’ll shake up that Titan army and weaken them properly, so prepare for battle as I said.”
“No, what does that…”
Then he stepped forward again and slowly raised his left hand.
At that famous gesture, everyone held their breath.
“...I will not march out wearing the badge of humanity's representative to negotiate and set rules with those things. I will not engage in such a farce.”
“N-No, that’s…”
“Instead, though it may be more violent… I choose to break the rules and exterminate them.”
In that moment, Brian Till saw it.
Where Lee Hyun-wook’s left hand was pointing, high in the sky, at a single point of light floating at a low altitude…
And from there, a single straight line was drawn vertically, and the moment that line touched the ground—
*Woong—*
—the plain where the Titans stood was wiped from the map.