Divine Shield (4)
“BlessedFace, calm down and show us the specs already!”
“Yeah, let's take a look! How good is it?”
Under everyone's urging, Hyunjung quickly linked the titan's info in the guild chat.
Knight Grade, Warrior Type
HP: 520,000 / 520,000
MP: 135,000 / 135,000
Attack Power: 3,570
Physical Defense: 4,510
Magic Defense: 2,760
A close-combat warrior-type titan crafted by humanity in the mage era to combat the demon king's invasion. One of the national treasures of the ancient mage kingdom of Peraruth.
The summon is released when the summon time expires or HP is fully depleted. (Summon time: Level × 1 second)
Resummon cooldown varies based on remaining HP at release. (1% HP consumed = 1 hour cooldown, minimum 24 hours)
Summons restricted in narrow terrain or instanced dungeons.
Summon Materials: 2 Shining Mana Stones
Titan Exclusive Skills: 'Shield Strike(!)', 'Focused Defense(!)'
— Shield Attack (Unique Skill): Consumes 5,000 MP to deal 150% of attack power as AoE damage and stun to targets ahead. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
— Focused Defense (Unique Skill): Consumes 3,000 MP to boost physical and magic defense by 200% for 10 seconds. Cannot attack during use. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
He'd snuck a peek earlier, but even looking again, Knight grade was clearly inferior to Lord grade in many ways. Stats like HP, attack, and defense were only about half, and while the exclusive skills didn't seem that impressive, there were just two of them anyway.
But a titan was still a titan. With top-tier user-level attack and defense stats, plus ten times the HP of a ranker tanker, it was like carrying three or four extra lives. In Tayen, where top players already rarely died, this would make PKing even harder as time went on.
Any ranker would do anything to get even a Soldier-grade titan.
Meanwhile, a line of description he'd skimmed past earlier caught his eye.
“Bingo.”
Shining Mana Stone. It was a solid bet with good odds, but as expected, the titan's sole summon material. Luitus needed four, Levendas only two—so Soldier grade probably took one. That meant demand for Shining Mana Stones would explode over time, confirming his hoarding had been a perfect success.
It's been three months already? Worth every penny scraped together from the start!
Lately, the money he was raking in shocked even him sometimes. He could've cashed out anytime, but he'd held back, dreaming bigger. His inventory gold was overflowing.
He'd spent it on Legendary gear upgrades and, with Pink Rabbit's help, expanded his hoarding targets beyond the usual. The main item? Still the Shining Mana Stone he'd started with.
Money's this easy when you've got capital and info locked down...
Nearly every Shining Mana Stone listed on Tayen's exchange for three months? He'd swept them up. What started as securing materials for himself could now yield profits rivaling a few Legendaries—especially since he could keep hoarding for a while longer.
As he savored his private celebration, a whisper came from Hyunjung beside him.
BlessedFace: Jihwan, you sure this is okay? We got it, but it's Divine gear—kinda scary. Was this the right call...?
Me: Wasn't this the dungeon we cleared with five people? We did it together—why's everyone looking at me like that? You're making me feel burdened.
BlessedFace: Sure, but we only found it thanks to your info. No you, no first clear. You even cleaned up those Taeseong guys at the entrance solo.
Me: Hey! You gonna make me repeat myself? Even if I found it and we couldn't without me, I couldn't have cleared it without guildmates. No Chuk Bing hyung's heals, we'd wipe at half HP. No you, Chuk Bol noona, or Ra Chan for DPS—one missing, and we never catch Mashil before it wipes us. Anything wrong with that?
BlessedFace: ......
Me: You know Darius has a titan now, right? One Luitus ain't enough anymore. Someone had to get one—and it's a relief it's you. At least you'll never betray us.
BlessedFace: Punk, eavesdropping? You think after 10 years with our Saint bros I'd suspect? We even got a spy in there for a decade!
Me: Nah, just Merlin and Hidden Card got me thinking. Money changes everything lately... Anyway, my bad. Wanna prove eating it was right? How about test-driving it now?
BlessedFace: Huh? Test what? Me?
Me: No, your Levendas.
He'd done the same once. Summoned Luitus and jumped straight into a siege to test it. Hyunjung, with his shiny new ride, deserved a full-throttle spin too.
“You guys really okay? Even thinking about it, just two of you heading out seems risky.”
Instead of Return Scrolls from the temple, they'd backtracked through the city to the blue portal—their starting point.
Instance exposed now—they're probably swarming. Time passed since we entered, so Il Do Yang Dan's crew might've re-entered. Still, plenty of our prey left outside to guard it.
His disruption of their quiet clear had the Taeseong execs panicking. No way they'd imagine the whole Burning Star guild inside, snagging first-clear reward Levendas.
Yeon Woo confirmed they'd urgently rallied members to block others.
“We wouldn't if it was too risky. But where are we? Portal entrance. Worst case, duck in—done. Safest PK spot ever!”
One party per instance. Flee to portal after field brawl? No chase from other parties. Like PKing Taeseong right at safe-zone village entrance.
“Got it. We'll wait at the entrance just in case. Need help, say the word—we'll rush out!”
“Thanks, Chuk Bing hyung. Alright, BlessedFace. I'll head out first—signal and you burst out?”
“Roger! Let's go!”
With Tayen's ultimate cheese—8-star Stealth—he slipped through the portal outside.
As expected, portal and ruins crawled with Taeseong users.
“What's the big deal with this instance?”
“Dunno. Just told to gather. Sandro showed here earlier, probably that.”
“Even for execs, too much? Sandro bounces fields nonstop... Think he'll pop back? Man, clueless.”
“Hey! Watch it! Lord came himself—saw him enter? Full squad after ages—something big.”
Easily over 200. Impressive rally in short time from a remote spot—even for enemies.
Taeseong's united, alright. Darius already inside? Whoa!
Eavesdropping, he dodged as a mage cast Ice Fog randomly on bare ground.
Damn, they've drilled anti-me tactics!
He'd have detected by now normally. 5-star Detection couldn't spot his Stealth—so random AoE spells and skills on ground. Even swordsmen wildly swinging at air.
And through them... a familiar ID cluster. Half-ruined building shadow. Stealth-clumped assassins—Hong Gil Dong's squad.
Perfect timing to break that habit! No thief spot in 6-man first try, huh? Even rankers hate thieves there, kek!
Thieves topped DPS in familiar raids/dungeons. But risky first tries? Rare. Low HP/defense drew aggro, wiping groups often.
Hong Gil Dong lurked for backstab chance. But Sandro had Priest Headpiece. They were the ones vulnerable to his backstab—fatal oversight.
Sandro: Taking out Hong Gil Dong and ~10 thieves eyeing portal first. I'll draw eyes—you summon titan on exit. Then follow plan. Ready?
BlessedFace: Vroom vroom!
Me: OK, striking now! Count three and come!
Couldn't summon titan inside, so outside—but instant stun from waiting knights. He needed to draw aggro first. Right in front of Hong Gil Dong!
“Luitus, summon!”
Luitus descends upon the ruins!
Vision rising, merging with titan—he flat-canned Hong Gil Dong at his feet without pause.
Glory Sword
Hong Gil Dong and ten thieves, caught off-guard, ate the sudden titan hit full-on.
“Shadow Step!”
Still, top ranker thieves—they targeted distant guildmates, scattering via Shadow Step.
Predicted. As a thief main, he spun, tracking Hong Gil Dong. Sudden ambush? He'd Shadow Step to farthest frontal ally—titan's blind rear spot.
Swoosh! Ignoring side/rear scatters, he turned—yep, Hong Gil Dong by a guildmate, exactly 180 behind.
He unleashed the held-back Judgment Advance.
Boom-rumble-crash!
Eating incoming spells and ranged fire, he blitzed to Hong Gil Dong's front, slamming in.
“What?! Why me?! Argh!”
Crash! Hong Gil Dong flew back, knocked flying with death-cry.
Follow-up flats—then familiar voice nearby.
“Levendas, summon!”
Levendas manifests on our side!
Hyunjung, out from portal with gifted Shining Mana Stone, merged and charged Sandro.
“That's the one!”
“Gotcha!”
Shield Attack
A gate-sized shield smashed down on Hong Gil Dong's head, just recovering from knockback.