Titan Duel Spectacle
Arriving backstage at the Colosseum arena, the microphones from various broadcasting stations were already buzzing with noise. From what I'd seen on the way in, the stands were nearly packed—close to 30,000 spectators had gathered even before the event kicked off. Hell, if I were just an average player, I wouldn't have missed this chance to see a titan with my own eyes either.
From monitoring recent community sites, public opinion was definitely leaning positive toward our bold move. It seemed like these small opportunities to plant a good image were starting to pay off bit by bit. The masses didn't really know what Taesung was like. Their infamy among top-tier players was just a faint echo—most people were favorable toward Taesung, the number one guild and star players in Tayen. Broadcasting channels chasing scoops and hot news had no choice but to cater a bit to the frontrunners like Taesung. And offline, the Taesung Group's vast influence kept their in-game misdeeds and poor manners from spreading widely to the public. That was one big reason.
But I was planning to wage all-out field wars against Taesung single-handedly. When that time came, forums might get flooded with curses from players I'd killed. My ID would stay perpetually red-tagged as a murderer, no doubt. So to prepare, I had to keep building Sandro's positive image, even if just a little at a time.
"You beat us here."
"It's been a few days, Hellfire. Thanks for all the prep work."
"What'd I even do? These two handled almost everything. Good job, you guys."
"No biggie, bro."
"It's our job, Guild Master."
Trailing behind Hellfire into the waiting room were Vice Guild Master Hidden Card and Treasurer Schweitzer. Phoenix had grown into a mega-guild with 600,000 members before we knew it. No wonder they had so many talented folks to support the guild master—prepping this event in such a short time was no sweat for them. Renting the Colosseum, promoting to the public, contacting broadcasters—it sounded simple but involved a ton of work and time. But as expected from one of the only two king players, I didn't need to lift a finger.
"You wanted gold over Byte Coins, right, Sandro? Here's a million gold. Converted the broadcaster payout."
Hellfire popped open the trade window the second we met, handing over the gold.
Did celebrities feel like this after blowing up overnight? Gold was rolling in daily now, and the units were on a whole other level—it felt way too easy.
"Thanks for the hassle. I'm not spending cash much yet, worried about tails. Even held off on using the last batch I cashed out."
"Oh, really? But you're so famous now, Sandro—no need to worry about that."
"For now, yeah. But thinking about what I'm gonna do to Taesung... gotta stay cautious."
"Just how much chaos are you planning to unleash on them...?"
"Guild Master! Time to start. The players have waited long enough."
Hidden Card rushed us despite barely any chit-chat. Anyway, today's goal wasn't talk—we synced up briefly and headed to the arena.
Thank you for waiting! Here come the owners of the two divine swords, Sandro and Hellfire. Give them a huge round of applause!
Waaaaah!
The 30,000 spectators packing the stands around the arena unleashed a massive roar toward us. Even in a VR game, getting this much attention from so many people was a first. My heart pounded ten times harder than during the pre-siege declaration at my first castle war. But surprisingly stage-ready—I sounded calm despite the nerves.
"Thanks for the warm welcome. This is the king of Reverse, Hellfire."
"Hey everyone, Sandro here."
Simple greetings kicked off the full interview. I'd recommended Taitonic TV's Kim Seok Yong as the host, so he took the lead solo, with camera crews from five stations filming us. Figured explaining the basics first would make the fight easier to follow, so interview before duel.
"So titans are divided into three grades?"
"Yes. Hard-earned info, but Reverse will share it all to answer players' questions. Once you found a nation, you can produce Soldier-grade titans. We're researching now—Taesung, who founded first, might already be in production."
"Whoa! So multiple titans could appear soon?"
"Not just multiple. Within a year, hundreds could roam the fields. The game's called Titan Chronicles, right? We're hoping this news motivates others to push that day closer!"
Waaaaah!
"Ri! Ver! Se!"
"Phe! Nix!"
Hellfire's bombshell wrapped up, and the hyped crowd started chanting Phoenix in unison. He waited for the cheers to die down, then continued smoothly.
"From what we've learned, Soldier-grade have one exclusive skill, Knight-grade have two. Finally, our Lord-grade titans from the 7 Divine Weapons have three—the highest tier."
"So Sandro's amazing titan feats were possible because it was top-grade?"
"Yes. I know there's been talk of balance breaks and game-ruining. But riding the second Lord-grade myself, I don't see it. Sandro's skill is elite, and the first titan being the best one was the issue."
"Still, titans have caused so much relative deprivation. Don't you think they widen the player gap too much?"
"Titans are strong, sure. But the penalties are huge too. They don't level up, so their specs stay fixed. As players level, the gap shrinks steadily. Plus, if a titan rider dies, ownership transfers—like dropping an item!"
"Whaaat!?"
Kim Seok Yong blurted in shock. The crowd buzzed in surprise.
"In other words, more titans mean more chances for players to ride them. Not just envy—anyone can become a rider. That's why we're doing this event."
"Incredible info! If true, tons of players will chase titan rider status starting today!"
"Exactly. Sandro and I are just a step ahead. No need to rush—everyone will enjoy Tayen more through titans eventually!"
Waaaaah!
The crowd roared again, hooked on Hellfire's passionate delivery.
Guy who hates the spotlight sure nails this. Makes sense—decades as a pro gamer aren't for nothing.
Smart call letting Hellfire handle the interview. Watching him, I picked up plenty of tips.
"Now that titan questions are cleared up, time for the one-on-one battle you've been waiting for."
"Finally! We'll see the new titan in action!"
"Yes."
"Ready, Sandro?"
"Yep. Summon first, and I'll follow right up."
Kim Seok Yong and the camera crews backed off. Hellfire challenged me to a duel.
'Hellfire' has challenged you to a duel. Accept?
Duel with 'Hellfire' has begun.
Boosted by a week's EXP buff, I'd hit level 325—a insane leap, now just 40 levels above low rankers. So summon durations for Hellfire's titan and mine wouldn't differ much.
"Dainess, summon!"
Ziiing!
A magic circle etched into the ground around Hellfire. Light poured out, summoning a 6-meter pitch-black colossus.
Its exoskeleton gleamed with black metallic sheen. The long black greatsword in its hand was slimmer but longer than Luitus's. Not flashy, but imposing—like a dark demon king descending.
"Luitus, summon!"
The light of annihilation, Luitus, rose to meet it. Mounting up felt weird—first time eye-level with another titan rider.
"Here I come, Hellfire!"
"Bring it!"
The words barely left his mouth before I charged Dainess, swinging my sword.
Clang!
Shockingly, Dainess parried. Not a weapon guard skill or proc—this defied Tayen common sense that you couldn't block enemy attacks. But titan vs. titan? Different rules.
Parry system? Titans treat weapons as objects?
New info even I didn't know. Tayen still hid endless secrets—you had to experience them firsthand.
The black-and-white titans faced off briefly before I attacked again. Dainess guarded my flurry perfectly, then advanced, unleashing a skill.
Sword of Repose!
Dainess thrust its sword three times in a flash. Sword of Repose seemed like a single-target triple strike.
8,552 physical damage from Dainess.
9,108 physical damage from Dainess.
8,887 physical damage from Dainess.
Couldn't block—skills ignored defenses unlike basics. I countered with Glory Sword, but it got shut down.
Shield of Silence!
Dainess's left arm surged with black aura like smoke, forming a shield that ate my skill. Unlike my magic-only Radiant Shield, this blocked physical too. Similar yet distinct from Luitus's kit.
No point attacking—it absorbed everything. I backed off for cooldowns. Dainess pursued with its final skill.
Echo of Despair!
Expected a dash—wrong, a leap attack like warrior leap skills! Dainess soared several times its height, crashing down. Luitus got knocked back with a shockwave.
"Whoa! A titan knocking down another titan! Up close, this battle is massive!"
Dainess closed in for the follow-up. Knockback ended; I parried its sword and countered. Basic attacks plus Judgment Advance.
Bam!
Short-range dash caught it off-guard—Dainess's shield was down, so it flew back too. I landed solid combos on the fallen foe but it rose quick, guarding up. Tough to land clean hits again.
This was basically a new combat system. No more stick-and-poke duels—titans changed PvP entirely.