Why? Is It Beyond My Level?

"!" Tae-hyun was surprised. Carbanog knew his stats and skills inside out. For Carbanog to actively hold him back like this was unprecedented.

In Pan-On, the ancient era was a time when all kinds of monsters ran rampant. Gods still resided on the continent, demons visited far more frequently whenever they were bored, mages who would easily be level 1000 by today's standards roamed the empires, and lunatics like Nevuchadnezzar went around shouting, "I will become a god!" as if they had lost their minds... Therefore, if a class or monster had "Ancient" in its name, it was practically guaranteed to be absurdly powerful.

To fight the gods directly. That's impressive. Tae-hyun was genuinely astonished. Because he possessed the Authority of Archisus, he knew firsthand just how terrifyingly powerful a god's authority could be. Even in its incomplete state, it was this formidable! Yet, they had clashed head-on with the gods...

The price of defying the gods was heavy. The ancient giants had lost their handsome appearances, brilliant intellects, and various powerful abilities, degenerating into their current state. And even after such a massive downfall, they were still this strong! Terrifying. Among the races, giants didn't have a specific god they worshipped. It was often mentioned in the lore that the giants' god had lost their name. Thanks to that, it would be easy to convert them to the Archisus Cult, but... So that's the history behind it?

What? Really? You fought against the ancient giants?

Right... of course. By any chance, was Akisus there too?

"..." In any case, Tae-hyun made a swift decision. I should definitely not mess with those crazy ancient giants. Hearing Carbanog's explanation, it seemed ancient giants were not yet at a level that players could handle. There was absolutely nothing to gain from picking a fight with such a monster.

Besides, the goal of my quest is the Authority of Archisus. As long as I stay on good terms with the Dwarves, there's no need to go outside. Other players would wander around the surface of these mountains and inevitably run into a giant or two, but not Tae-hyun. He would simply make friends with the Dwarves and travel through the underground tunnels of the mountain range!

"Are there more tunnels like this?"

"Yes. They are the pride of our race, crafted by the ancestors of our ancestors."

"Hmph. What's so great about that..." "Have you guys ever made a Demon Castle fly?! Have you ever made an Emperor's Castle fly?!" The goblins grumbled from behind, but the Dwarves completely ignored them.

"I'd like to use these tunnels to visit the other Dwarf clans in the mountain range. Is that possible?"

"Well, that's a bit..."

"Why is that?"

"Many sections of the tunnels collapsed long ago. Even when we visit other Dwarf kingdoms, we have to go outside."

"Mmm." Tae-hyun smacked his lips. Do I really have to go outside?

Let's visit the Dwarves first. Don't worry. I'll do my best to avoid fighting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as much as possible.

Rankers. Out of the countless ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Pan-On players worldwide, they were the ones who stood at the absolute pinnacle in terms of level.

There were countless stories like these about rankers. On the community boards, players with too much time on their hands would constantly bicker over useless topics like "Who is stronger?" or "Honestly, isn't level 220 enough to be considered a ranker?"

In Lee Se-yeon's opinion, a ranker wasn't just a high-level player, but a player with an overwhelming presence. A player who could shift the entire atmosphere of a room just by standing there! And she believed Kim Tae-hyun was the perfect embodiment of that definition.

"Giant spotted!"

"Halt! Wait until we surround it."

However, Lee Se-yeon was overlooking one crucial detail: she herself was also that kind of player! Just as Tae-hyun's companions never felt fear in the face of powerful foes because they trusted him, Se-yeon's party felt the exact same way. Thanks to Se-yeon, her party members remained completely unfazed despite being in the dangerous Zaion Mountains. And that confidence brought about a different problem.

"Should we head down first?" The reserve players of the New York Lions exchanged glances and whispered to one another.

"She told us to wait until we surround it. What if we act on our own and can't handle the consequences?" Se-yeon possessed immense charisma. Although the reserve players of the New York Lions were technically at the very edge of being rankers themselves, their standing was worlds apart from Se-yeon's! Disobeying her orders was a terrifying prospect.

"That's why I'm saying we head down the exact moment we surround it. Technically, we wouldn't be disobeying then."

"Oh... should we?" But the players were greedy. Smith, the captain of the New York Lions, and Lee Se-yeon, the captain of Yuseong Gaming. They wanted to show off their skills in front of these two! Furthermore, there was a high probability that this quest would be uploaded as an official video later. The New York Lions had such a solid starting roster that it was incredibly difficult for reserve players to secure a spot on the main team.

To climb the ranks, we have to show that level of skill!

If my active contributions are captured when the video is released, my popularity will skyrocket. Skill wasn't the only factor; popularity was also a crucial element. If countless fans clamored for a specific player, the team management couldn't help but be influenced.

"Now!"

"Go!"

"!" Se-yeon was startled. She had spotted a giant dozing off on the mountain slope, but she hadn't rushed. Giants were formidable monsters, and unlike Kim Tae-hyun, ordinary players would suffer from all kinds of shock-related status ailments if they took even a single hit from a giant. This was due to their colossal Strength stat! Moreover, since there were so many other monsters in the area, she had planned to completely surround this single target and finish it off swiftly... but the Lions' players had suddenly charged.

What on earth are they... now is not the time for this. "All units, attack! Smith, get in there!"

"Understood!" Realizing that Se-yeon's plan had gone awry, Smith immediately spurred his Pegasus forward, charging at high speed.

Whoosh! The Knight class was one whose power multiplied several times over when mounted. Riding his Pegasus, Smith soared forward like a shot arrow.

"Smith is flying in!" "Attack, quickly!" Seeing this, the players rushed even more. If they delayed, Smith would take all the kills!

"Joachim Swordsmanship! Bull's Cleave!" "Blazing Mace!" Clang! Clang!

"Ugh, ugh!" Startled by the sudden ambush, the giant swung its massive club in a panic. Whoosh! The sound of the wind splitting was deafening, but the players easily evaded. They wouldn't be rankers if they got hit by something like that. The mounts the players rode were fast and possessed high HP, making them favorites among high-level players. They swiftly soared upward to dodge the attack.

"It hurts! It hurts!" The giant began hurling massive boulders. While it wasted time doing so, Se-yeon commanded her undead army to charge. An elite undead legion swept in, surrounding the giant from above, below, and the sides! Elite Death Knights, riding skeletal steeds and wielding magic swords burning with blue flames, lunged from all directions.

Thud-thud-thud-thud! Like ants biting a human, the Death Knights skillfully thrust their spears and slashed their swords from all sides. Crash! Crash! The giant roared, slamming its club down. Unlike the players, the Death Knights were smashed to pieces one or two at a time, but an undead army could never be defeated by picking off individual soldiers. As long as the Necromancer lived, they would continuously resurrect and multiply!

"Sis, should I go down too?"

"No. Stay by my side and protect me."

Although Kim Hyeon-ah was a formidable damage dealer, Se-yeon kept her back. Se-yeon had brought several guild members along for this quest. It wasn't because they lacked firepower, but strictly for her protection! As an active participant in the league, Se-yeon was the core asset of her team. She could not afford to die ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠under any circumstances. With the tight tournament schedule, a single death could easily lead to one or even two losses. And when considering the death penalties on top of that...

"Yes! I'll protect you no matter what. Azar, Gefail! You have your skills ready, right?"

"Of course."

"Leave it to us!" The rookie guild members were overflowing with enthusiasm. The reason Se-yeon had selected these two was precisely because of their skills. They possessed abilities highly suited for protection!

We've almost got it... but how should I summon it... Just as Se-yeon was contemplating what kind of undead she should raise the giant as once it died, an anomaly occurred.

"?" The players present initially wondered, Did the mountain peak just get taller? But that wasn't it. What had appeared was a monster. An ancient giant!

"Reform the formation!" Se-yeon reacted instantly, without a second of hesitation. The Death Knights quickly took to the air, attempting to re-establish the perimeter. However, the Fallen Ancient Giant defied all expectations. It actually cast magic.

"Summon Rock Storm!" Boulders rained down from the sky in a frantic deluge, making it impossible to maintain any formation. Players and Death Knights alike hastily raised defensive barriers and backed away. In the meantime, the Fallen Ancient Giant fully revealed its massive form.

It's massive! An ordinary giant was already more than twice the size of a normal human, but this creature possessed a size that completely dwarfed them. The players unconsciously swallowed hard at its sheer scale. Even though they had hunted countless giant monsters before, this opponent exuded an inexplicable aura of Intimidate.

"Initiating attack!"

"Wait! Stop!" Despite Smith's warning, the players attempted to strike first. At that exact moment, the Fallen Ancient Giant's body vanished. Leaping off the mountain slope, it soared through the air and grabbed two airborne players with its bare hands. Its speed far exceeded anything they had anticipated!

"..."

"..."

Normally, when captured by a giant monster, a player would take continuous damage until they managed to break free. The mechanic was designed to give them a window of time to escape... but the Fallen Ancient Giant had forced them to log out in a mere second after grabbing them. At that moment, the exact same thought flashed through the minds of every player present: We're screwed!! The chilling realization that they had completely misjudged their enemy! The sensation of ice running down their spines temporarily froze everyone in their tracks.

"Sis...!"

"Everyone, fall back!"

A rapid succession of advanced curses flew out without giving the target a single moment to breathe. Her intention was to bind the Fallen Ancient Giant.

"..." Se-yeon was appalled. She had faced many giant-type monsters and prepared accordingly, but this was completely outside her calculations. And it wasn't just the curses.

Most of their offensive skills were completely blocked. An overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over them, as if they were trying to break through an insurmountable wall!