Deal with the Operator (4)
In a combat system where you could actually see attacks coming and block them, people with superior battle sense and reflexes would inevitably have the edge. Hellfire, the pro gamer, went without saying—but I was right on his level.
Clang, clang, claaang!
In an instant, we exchanged dozens of blows, but all that rang out was the deafening clash of metal. Neither of us landed a single solid hit.
Hmph! Back when I was obsessed with King Kong Fighters, I climbed into the integrated rankings top 30. This is nothing!
I'd tried every game out there, and I'd conquered a few fighting games back in the day. Sure, applying that experience directly to full-body virtual reality combat had its limits. But I was plenty familiar with reflexes for counters, timing reads, mind games, and binary choices.
This system actually suited me perfectly—it felt comfortable, almost tailor-made. Ever since switching to the TX-PRO capsule, my control had sharpened up nicely.
But my opponent was no pushover. He was the guy hailed as a legend among all those pros.
We clashed for a full two minutes, but it devolved into a stalemate—no decisive blows, just probing skills, cooldowns, and patterns until we had each other figured out.
Finally, Hellfire pulled back, halting the fight, and shouted to the crowd.
The duel was meant to last three minutes, but two was enough for both of us to realize one-on-one was pointless.
Soldier or Knight grade, maybe—but Lords? No way you'd take one down before the summon timer runs out. Titans were clearly designed for large-scale battles from the ground up.
This matchup had yielded some unexpected intel.
As we stopped, the operator slinked in between us.
With her call, a field boss materialized in the center of the vast arena: a hulking brute five meters tall with two savage heads, wielding a battle axe in one hand and a steel club in the other. Twin Head Ogre.
These days, with player levels rising, raiding it was easier—but not long ago, even twenty players often wiped. Still, against our two Titans, it was just an appetizer.
The second it appeared, we both charged without a word, blades plunging in competitively.
Facing Hellfire, who guarded every strike, made this dumb mob feel like a joke!
This Lord-grade Titan had soloed an Orc Lord. No way a mere field boss could withstand two of them pouring it on.
Twenty seconds. Before the clock hit that, the boss that took dozens of players fell to just two.
The announcer was losing it. Theosis, seeing the ogre vanish, summoned the next one right away.
Kraaaaaah!
A piercing roar cut through the cheers of thirty thousand spectators. What emerged was the master of Benton Forest: the Hydra.
Legendary
Tayen's first colossal monster appearance. Over a year ago, Taesung Guild mobilized over 100 raiders for the first kill—an iconic overwhelming boss.
Its deadliest tricks were petrification beams from its eyes and mouths, plus poison mist DoT. Perfect for shredding low-HP melee DPS, and those nine heads demanded perfect focus from every raider—pure nightmare fuel.
But Titans were its perfect counter.
Physical debuffs from same-size mobs could stick, sure. But sleep, fear, confusion, petrification? All player-targeted magic debuffs—they didn't faze us. And with sky-high HP, DoT was meaningless.
"Hellfire! Wanna bet on who chops more heads?"
"You're on! Here goes—Sword of Repose!"
The moment the Hydra spawned, Hellfire lunged, unleashing a triple strike on a nearby head. I flanked to Dainess's opposite side, firing Glory Sword at the squirming necks, then Judgment Advance.
BOOM!
Incredibly, the colossal beast staggered back—something no player could've dreamed of.
We hacked wildly at the dazed Hydra. As it rose, Dainess hit it with Leap Attack: Echo of Despair. Double knockdown, granting us free damage for ages.
Kyaaak!
One of Dainess's heads flew off.
Kyaaaak!
Mine exploded next.
Even during the Orc Lord raid, we'd used Titans—but only a hundred players tops, and just glimpses at the end.
Showing Titan boss raids to this massive live crowd and broadcast audience? It could be a game-changer, unprecedented shock value.
Countless players had died grinding strategies for these field bosses. But with Titans here, all that history and tactics? Obsolete.
Especially since more would keep appearing.
BOOM.
The massive Hydra finally toppled. Thanks to AoE skills, I'd claimed five heads to Hellfire's four.
My first Hydra raid—I hadn't expected a clear in time. Level gap plus two Lord Titans' burst synergy did the trick. Chopping heads before regen neutered its insane HP recovery.
Hellfire looked stunned too, but soon proud—he raised Dainess's blade toward me.
Clang!
I met it with Luitus's, returning the salute.
The black-and-white giants stood blade-to-blade, then unsummoned one by one.
Hellfire rematerialized on the ground, strolling toward the cameras before speaking.
"The chance to become a Titan rider like the ones you just saw is open to all of you. So challenge yourself, over and over. Share the thrill we're feeling now, in the ongoing saga of Titan Chronicle!"
The broadcast's aftermath was colossal—not just for live viewers, every community was flooded with talk of our Titans.
Weekend meant no immediate market check, but come Monday, Illusion stock would rebound for sure. Maybe even hit new highs on the hype.
This gig gave me solid intel too. Might help more than the cash or image boost.
First time sparring another Titan. It proved Titan combat wasn't just hit/defense math like regular fights—it was real, blockable, parryable action.
People hadn't grasped the implications of this unique system yet. But I'd already foreseen some ripples.
Blocks with weapons? Means if even one Titan shows in a siege, no more mindless DPS spam—they can shield players or obelisks now.
Until now, summons usually ended on timer, not HP. So players squeezed every last tick of damage.
But a Titan blocking attacks meant protecting allies too. A skilled rider on a Soldier-grade could stall big-time if they tried.
And Darius... already a pain to kill, now even worse.
I roamed fields solo thanks to Ma Shell and Ferari, but in a pinch, Titan summon ended threats.
Now everyone could do that. Integrated rank 1, perfect gear, absurd achievements... Darius getting a Titan and Titan escorts? Even if I outgrew him 1v1, killing him might be impossible.
Got to wipe Darius and Taesung before they snag Titans.
No time for casual net-surfing. I geared up to log back in for leveling—then my phone rang. Hyunjung.
"Yo, it's me. Calling 'cause you saw the stream, hyungnim? Quick draw!"
"...Nah, Jihwan. I... I got no clue what to do now. That's why I'm calling... What should I do?"
Lighthearted pickup, but his voice was off—heavy, down. Shocked by his gloom, I pressed.
"What's with you? Not like you. Joking and you're dead."
"Just got a whisper from Darius mid-game... Outta nowhere, demanded everything I know about you... Don't freak. That bastard... already knows I'm your friend."