The Pride of the Death's Hand
The sound of a gulp echoed.
Enrique swallowed hard, a strange gleam of longing flickering in his eyes.
“What? You want that thing?”
“No way! I’m not a kid, and I don’t even like robots!”
“Really? I thought giant robots were every man’s dream.”
Ideally, they should be able to combine, but that would be asking too much from a Titan. Expecting that level of romance from one would just be greedy.
“Master, allow this disciple to show you how much stronger I have become.”
“Against a Titan? That’ll be tough.”
“Leave that scrap-metal robot to me!”
Ping Lei stepped forward with unshakable confidence. As expected, that arrogant little bastard from the Death’s Hand was still the same.
He lightly tapped the staff in his hand against the ground.
A fierce wind surged as his form multiplied. It was his unique ability—Clone Technique. Infused with wind release, more than thirty versions of Ping Lei appeared atop the fortress wall.
“Here I come!”
The clones of Ping Lei kicked off the wall and leaped downward.
Wind Release — Great Northern Whirlwind
Celestial Flower Staff Technique — Great Quaking Staff
The internal energy wrapped around the staff fused with the violent wind and amplified explosively. The moment the thirty-plus Ping Leis thrust their staffs forward, countless tornadoes erupted, warping the very atmosphere.
-Hmm. Combining martial arts with Seon magic? Not bad at all.
“Sun Wukong taught me some pretty fun tricks.”
Just as Jiyoung had drawn upon her Constellation’s protection and the concept of ‘shielding’ to awaken a power she never knew in her previous life, Ping Lei was now displaying a completely different combat style from his pre-regression days.
Back when he was known as Death’s Hand, he had relied purely on martial arts. Seeing how much stronger he had grown made me genuinely curious.
The Thousand-Mile Eye contract was annoying, but it had been worth the hassle of arranging it.
「You dare challenge me without fear? And with such a small frame!」
“Coming from a dwarf, that doesn’t carry much weight!”
The Titan pointed the tip of its blade toward the ground. The massive sword plunged into the earth. The Aura Blade that had been coiled around the sword expanded into a shield-like barrier that enveloped the Titan’s entire body.
The raging tornadoes instantly calmed into gentle breezes before the Aura Blade.
“That’s impossible!”
Ping Lei cried out in shock. It seemed he had poured everything into that attack, only for it to fail completely.
Of course it did. A Titan wasn’t any ordinary weapon.
「You are dangerous. I will eliminate you first.」
The steel giant kicked off the ground and leaped upward. Though the fortress wall stood fifty meters tall, the thirty-meter Titan could easily overlook the entire stronghold with a single bound.
“Need a hand?”
“I can handle this myself.”
Ping Lei grit his teeth. All of his clones simultaneously raised their staffs toward the sky.
Lightning Release — Ten Thousand Thunders
Celestial Flower Staff Technique — Gentle River Staff
The tips of the staffs split apart with afterimages. Lightning fractured and branched in perfect sync with the flowing staff movements. The technique guided ten thousand unpredictable bolts of lightning while perfectly controlling their power so none leaked in the wrong direction—all aimed directly at the Titan’s body.
Wow. That monkey really taught him some insane stuff.
At the same level, there probably wasn’t a single player who could defeat Ping Lei right now. If only his opponent wasn’t a Titan.
The Aura Blade wrapped around the Titan’s sword surged with even greater intensity. A storm of aura that even twisted the surrounding air. The lightning that had been closing in from every direction was completely erased by the blue current.
An overwhelming difference in raw power that crushed both the precision of the technique and the wielder’s enlightenment.
A shadow fell over Ping Lei’s eyes.
“Get a grip, you idiot!”
Vibration Barrier x 20
Aegis Shield
Clang!
The Titan was pushed back, unable to withstand the powerful repulsive force. Although the Aura Blade wrapped around its greatsword had absorbed most of the impact, it still couldn’t completely negate the barrier’s rebound.
“Jiyoung…”
“We’re a team. Why are you trying to do everything alone?”
“That scrap heap looks pretty strong.”
Carla muttered a single line before moving above the Titan, which was flailing in the air after being knocked off balance.
「A Titan is not so weak that it would fall to mere human weapons!」
“We’ll see if you can actually cut it.”
The scenery distorted around her scythe.
Shrrrrip!
The Titan’s armor—made from extremely refined Elementium and reinforced with countless magic circles—was torn apart like paper. Carla’s space interference ability nullified all defensive magic. Even the Titan’s dozens of layered outer plates couldn’t withstand her scythe.
The area she had sliced was only a tiny portion.
But.
“I’m used to fighting big opponents.”
With a heavy thud, the Titan’s right arm crashed to the ground.
“You figured it out fast.”
-What in the world just happened?
“She cut the joint with that scythe.”
In human terms, it was like striking a vital point or a blood vessel. To analyze the Titan’s structure in such a short moment… Carla’s ability was truly powerful.
Space interference. A devastating attack that ignored even an opponent’s defenses. However, it had clear limits. The range she could cut was restricted to the blade at the end of her staff.
The fact that she had precisely severed the Titan’s joint meant she had grown quite accustomed to fighting larger enemies.
Countless mana circuits spread across the severed forearm lying on the ground. In an instant, Enrique had claimed the Titan’s right arm as his own. He used his ability to pull the controlled limb into his subspace and then resummoned it.
The right arm floated in the air. The Aura Blade embedded in the sword ruthlessly pierced into the Titan’s torso.
“Take this!”
It was a power that normally couldn’t be used because the mana core—the source of the Aura Blade—was missing. However, because the Titan had drawn maximum output to block Ping Lei’s attack, there was leftover mana to make it possible.
The Titan collapsed to the ground, its outer plating completely shredded.
These guys got insanely strong while I wasn’t looking.
“Vice Guild Master, even though it’s an enemy we’ve never seen before, your orders are coming out perfectly.”
“It’s all thanks to training.”
A sense of pride could be heard in Kim Youngsoo’s voice.
Aside from Ping Lei’s attack, every movement had followed Youngsoo’s precise commands. The timing had been exquisite. If the flow of their assault had been disrupted even for a second, they wouldn’t have been able to inflict such heavy damage on a Titan with overwhelmingly superior specs.
「A Titan was defeated by mere humans?!」
「It’s because Kaltum’s skill was lacking.」
「Do not let your guard down. This happened because we underestimated the human race.」
The remaining Titans assumed combat stances.
Heh heh heh.
See? This is what happens when I pour my blood, sweat, and tears into gathering these people!
My mouth itched with the urge to brag to someone.
Enrique clicked his tongue.
“What a waste. It would’ve been great if we could take ownership of that Titan.”
“Hurry up and claim it before the dwarves recover it.”
“That’s a dwarf-owned unit. I can’t seize control of equipment registered to an enemy.”
Enrique shook his head.
A [Mechanic] user draws out the latent potential of weapons. Back when this kid lived in Argentina, he mainly used firearms. Now he fought by manifesting the structure of his dedicated weapon and the [War Golem] he had analyzed using mana.
“Outside the Tower, maybe. But not here.”
“Don’t worry. The Titan is still here even though its user is dead.”
“Huh? Now that you mention it…”
Using a Titan was a double-edged sword for the dwarves. Due to its nature, a Titan wasn’t treated as simple ‘equipment.’ It could be destroyed or stolen.
Enrique seized control of the half-destroyed Titan and sent it into his subspace.
「W-what is that human doing?!」
「If we lose the Titans, even completing the mission will result in massive losses.」
「We must retrieve the Titans immediately!」
The dwarf players, who had been relaxed until now, finally revealed their killing intent.
“Vice Guild Master, can I leave the fortress defense to you?”
“Leave it to me.”
Reliable as always.
I gave a light nod and kicked off the fortress wall.
Nine Titans.
One hundred and seventy dwarf players.
And an army of elf NPCs.
If that force reached the walls, defending the fortress would become nearly impossible.
-Do you really need to go alone when your comrades are here?
“I’m jumping in because I trust them.”
The belief that I could rampage without having to watch my back. I stepped on wind paths and dashed toward the cluster of Titans.
* * *
The Fernaji Fortress had considerable durability. Normally, attackers would climb the walls or target the gates rather than try to destroy the walls outright.
If the opponent hadn’t been Titans, a frontal assault might have worked.
The powerful output from a Titan’s mana core was strong enough to slice through fortress walls. A thirty-meter model was only third-grade—the lowest rank among Titans—but it was still no opponent for Platinum-rank players.
Therefore…
“I’ll just have to draw their attention.”
As I closed the distance using wind paths, the greatsword mounted on the Titan’s back thrust forward.
「You have no fear. A weak human who can do nothing without his comrades!」
Shwaaaaak!
The Aura Blade wrapped around the greatsword ruthlessly cleaved through the air. The sheer force distorted the surrounding scenery—an overwhelming output.
I activated the Dragon King’s Fist while releasing Explosive Demon Energy from my left hand. A sinister light erupted at the point of collision. The repulsive force, amplified by Eclipse, pushed the Titan’s Aura Blade back.
「W-what?!」
The powerful repulsion created by the mixture of internal energy and explosive demon energy. The thirty-meter giant couldn’t fully dissipate the shock and staggered.
I had pushed a Titan back in a direct contest of strength.
My right arm was shredded as the price, but the performance was undeniable.
Ultra Regeneration activated.
Dark Dominion activated.
Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword activated.
I materialized several dark blades, layering sword energy and binding them with the property of Polar Night. Sword strikes created through irregular movements.
The Titan, pushed back by the repulsion between my internal energy and explosive demon energy, had its chest completely exposed. Thick, powerful sword energy shot forward, aiming straight for the Titan’s heart—its mana core.
「Do you take us for fools, human?」
The intervention of its fellow Titans deflected the Dark Shadow Soul-Chasing Sword. I didn’t resist the force radiating from the Aura Blade. Instead, I deployed wind paths and retreated several steps.
“This won’t be easy.”
I had thought I could destroy one or two more while the Titan pilots were off guard. It seemed the coordinated attack from my team members had shaken them quite badly.
-Do you not need the power of the Ruyi Jingu Bang?
“No. This is perfect.”
Nine Titans. If I could just keep them occupied, victory was guaranteed.
“Let’s see who gets tired first.”
Crack. Pop. I rolled my neck from side to side, loosening my body.
