Chapter 275
Chapter 275
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 275
>Chapter Title: Grip Your Shield Tight
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>Demian was confident.
>“If you don’t want to die, grip your shield tight? Daring to say that to me?”
>Who was he?
>He was the leader of Aegis Guild, the greatest tank guild in God of Gods.
>Among them, he boasted unrivaled fame as the true strongest tank in all of God of Gods.
>That was Demian Alexander himself.
>For such a man like him to be so insolently told to grip his shield tight?
>“He’s gotten swept up in the momentum and lost sight of his place.”
>No one could be this arrogant.
>Turning a one-sided slaughter into an even fight? Barely clinging to life without dying to force a one-on-one matchup?
>He’d acknowledge up to that point. But this crossed the line.
>“A guy who hasn’t even hit max level, acting all high and mighty...”
>When people named the strongest PvP class, assassins topped the list most often, but that was only for ambushes in one-on-one fights.
>Tanks were always among the absolute top ranks.
>A tank charging forward wrapped in overwhelming defense and immunities was no different from a tank.
>They truly shone in massive battles like sieges, but they showed outstanding performance in PvP as well.
>“When there’s a level gap like this, no class is harder to beat than a tank.”
>For that wide-gap weakling, piercing his defenses to land a fatal blow would be harder than plucking stars from the sky.
>Especially in a state where his health was already whittled down to nothing.
>And that wasn’t all.
>Arthur and Leon could easily overwhelm the zealot.
>The empress was a slight concern, but she was in poor shape too, so they could win.
>“I’ll show him exactly what a tank at its peak really is.”
>There had been some unexpected resistance, but the goddess of victory would smile upon him.
>With that thought, Demian clashed against Do-hyun with a relaxed mind.
>And it took less than a few minutes for that confidence to shatter.
>Boom! Kwang! Boom!
>“Grip your shield tight, I said?”
>Contrary to his bold claims, just five minutes into the fight, Demian was clutching his shield desperately while getting lectured.
>“What kind of nonsense is this...”
>Was this really the attack power of someone in the 80s level range?
>The shock rippling from the shield through his entire body was anything but 80s level.
>At minimum max level. No, it felt like someone who’d undergone transcendence twice.
>“Just what makes something like this possible?”
>It was utterly incomprehensible.
>Why did everything connected to that guy defy all common sense?
>No, defying common sense was one thing, but this was beyond unreasonable.
>“No... I can somehow accept the damage. It’s not enough to pierce my defenses.”
>If anything, it was around Leon’s level?
>Occasionally it matched in power, but on average, the attack strength was clearly below Leon’s.
>It was just stronger than expected and hard to grasp, but at this level, it couldn’t break through his guard.
>The real problem lay elsewhere.
>Whoosh—
>“You gonna let that one hit? Grip your shield already.”
>Boom! Kwang!
>His attacks simply wouldn’t land.
>Whether he swung his shield, shoved forward, or charged, the opponent dodged effortlessly, as if he could see the future.
>“Why won’t they land?!”
>Demian’s shield wasn’t some ordinary shield.
>It was a massive masterpiece crafted exclusively for him by a master artisan, so large it required both hands to wield.
>Abnormal sizing, like a two-handed sword.
>Its surface was honed sharp as a blade, so even a wild swing should’ve connected...
>Swish, boom!
>Yet the guy slipped away like a damn eel.
>Chasing those elusive movements was tough enough, but with the blizzard raging on top, it was hard to even keep his eyes open.
>Grrr—!
>And whenever that happened, the white lion pounced without fail.
>After rolling once, distance would open up again, and the Celestial Blade transformed into a spear would come flying.
>Clang!
>He’d parry it away, only for the opponent to extend a hand and summon it back before swinging his sword once more.
>The moment the gap closed, he’d ram forward, but the guy would ghost into a side step and jab away with daggers.
>“Damn it!”
>Finally losing patience, Demian slammed the ground hard.
>[Legendary skill ‘Earthquake Wave’ has been activated.]
>[Losing balance and falling will inflict the abnormal status ‘Groggy.’]
>[Warning! The terrain may become deformed.]
>No matter who it was, if the entire ground shook, they’d have no counter.
>“I didn’t want to go this far...”
>He’d been holding back because it felt like he was losing in pure skill, but he couldn’t anymore.
>You couldn’t preserve face without securing victory.
>[Legendary skill ‘Radiant Resolve’ has been activated.]
>[Legendary skill ‘Guardian God’s Blessing’ has been activated.]
>....
>[Heroic skill ‘Trained Physique’ has been activated.]
>Intending to crush him with sheer specs, Demian layered every buff he had and lowered his stance.
>He aimed to charge in the moment the opponent’s balance crumbled from the Earthquake Wave.
>But at that instant.
>[The shockwave of ‘Earthquake Wave’ has had its coordinates altered by ‘Verjina’s Magic Gauntlets.’]
>“...What?”
>Something impossible happened.
>The opponent casually waved his gauntlet-covered hand as if annoyed, and the wave-like shockwave surging forward shot straight up into the sky.
>Kwaaaa—
>Demian was left dazed by the sight of the Earthquake Wave soaring like a dragon ascending to the heavens.
>“Bouncing a legendary skill? An item like that exists?”
>He’d acquired countless items climbing to the position of a Top 10 Guild leader, but he’d never heard of anything like that.
>A charge wouldn’t angle right, forcing it would lead to a counter, and shield swings were dodged with ease.
>There was no answer.
>Demian’s mind raced.
>“Stay calm. He’s exhausted. Time is on my side.”
>Health was secondary—for a player, stamina and mana were unavoidable limits.
>They had to be running on fumes by now.
>He wouldn’t land a fatal blow anyway, so if he just dragged it out without mistakes, victory was assured.
>“That’s right.”
>It was a rational call, befitting the man called the Iron Blood Tank for his cool-headed judgments.
>But even for him, not every decision panned out perfectly.
>Sometimes they missed the mark, and unfortunately, this was one of those times.
>Boom! Kwang!
>“Yeah, keep thrashing around. Time’s on my side.”
>Boom! Kwaang!
>“Heh... Rampaging without a thought for the aftermath. Wasting stamina like that won’t end well for you.”
>Boom! Boom! Kwaboom!
>“I can see him tiring out... Hm?”
>Demian’s smirking face, laced with smugness, gradually stiffened.
>Something was off.
>“Why won’t he stop?”
>The sword hammering his shield showed no signs of slowing.
>The Kaiser, who should’ve collapsed from exhaustion long ago, was swinging his Celestial Blade with frightening vitality.
>Meanwhile, all Demian could do was hunker down like a turtle, clutching his shield.
>Somehow, he’d ended up following the Kaiser’s words to the letter: grip the shield tight if he didn’t want to die.
>“...How long do I have to endure this? Is my stamina... even dropping?”
>He was starting to doubt whether time really was on his side.
>And that doubt was spot on.
>[Your health is critically low.]
>[The effect of Black Mask is amplified.]
>[Health regeneration greatly increases.]
>[Remaining health is 20% or lower.]
>“The Black Mask effect is pretty nice.”
>Do-hyun had been seeing the ‘20% or lower’ message nonstop, but his health had never dipped beneath it.
>It was thanks to the mask’s effect, which amplified the lower his health got.
>His armor’s heaven-defying effect boosting his health pool explosively probably helped too.
>‘Even if my stamina hits zero, I can keep fighting for a while, so holding out until I take him down should be fine.’
>Did Demian sense it on instinct?
>His poker face and cold demeanor began to tint with anxiety.
>Thud.
>A cold sensation touched his back.
>“The wall?”
>He’d been backed all the way to the wall.
>Pressed against it, his dodge space shrank even further, and Do-hyun’s barrage gained momentum.
>In this situation, all Demian could do was grip his shield and turtle up.
>“This... isn’t it just like being hunted?”
>Slowly but surely, like an experienced hunter cornering prey.
>Demian was the one being hunted.
>The realization made the entire situation snap into focus.
>“Kuuk... Back off, you bastard!”
>“The one falling will be your head. Dare to blaspheme a god—you’ll pay with your life!”
>“Ao, this crazy bitch for real!”
>Contrary to his expectations that he could overwhelm the zealot, it was Leon who was struggling.
>Whoosh— Hung!
>Each swing of the massive greatsword unleashed shockwaves that swept the surroundings, constantly forcing Leon back.
>Leon swung while retreating, only for the zealot to bat his sword aside in one stroke and pursue relentlessly.
>There was no sign of dominance anywhere in that scene.
>“...The zealot was this strong?”
>He’d heard the rumors about her but dismissed her as just an impressive dark horse.
>She’d started God of Gods less than a year ago, after all.
>No way she could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
>But laid bare like this, no threat was greater.
>“Leading a force that rivals the Top 10 Guilds, matching Leon blow for blow... She’s basically a Top 10 Guild in her own right.”
>And that wasn’t all.
>“Arthur, you doing this right? Struggling that much against some injured scrub?”
>“? You picking a fight? Hey, I’ll kill you first. Get over here.”
>“Ah, my god, please wait just a moment. I shall bring you the head of this vile heretic!”
>“Ao, it’s nothing but crazy bitches around here. Why the hell is Demian struggling against a half-dead Kaiser like that?”
>Arthur’s situation didn’t look great either.
>To make matters worse, the standoff between the Kaiser Faith and the guild members was starting to tilt slightly.
>-Kill them all!
>-Lizariza!
>-Yes! To dare insult our lord—death is the only fitting punishment!
>Thanks to the time bought, the guardians had recovered somewhat and barged in.
>Groooar— Groooar!
>Crack— Crack—
>The undead legion led by Pain, plus Charlie.
>And with Eliza’s spiderweb support proving brutally effective in the chaotic melee, the tide of battle had shifted dramatically.
>“What kind of nonsense is this...”
>Losing?
>The Top 10 Guild alliance, to those guys?
>“I told you.”
>As Demian rejected reality, Do-hyun cut in.
>With a chilling smile.
>“No matter what it takes, you have to succeed. Fail, and the one dying is you.”
>“...”
>“I warned you clearly, but you failed?”
>Do-hyun lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk.
>“Then die.”
>At the same time, the tears pooling beneath his eyes turned pitch black,
>[Using the second ability of God’s Tear.]
>[Mana consumption temporarily disabled. (Cooldown: 70 minutes)]
>[Using the Mark of the Holy King.]
>[Thunder Dragon Descent can now be used.]
>....
>[Applying Darkness Cloak to Thunder Dragon Descent.]
>With the flood of messages ending, black sparks crackled in the sky, summoning dark clouds.
>Soon, the heavens flashed, and a black bolt of lightning in the shape of a dragon came crashing down.
>[Applying Darkness Cloak to Thunder Dragon Descent.]
>[The Thunder Dragon is affected by Darkness Cloak and gains darkness properties.]
>[Accessing Black Dragon power through an irregular route.]
>[Darkness property effects are additionally applied, granting the auras of both Thunder Dragon and Black Dragon simultaneously.]
>It was Do-hyun’s ultimate form: Black Thunder Dragon mode.
>Using it meant only one thing.
>“Now, let’s wrap this up.”
>“...Insolent fool.”
>It was time to end it.
>Demian wasn’t the type to miss that meaning.
>He still had more than half his health left, yet this guy talked of finishing it—that was as good as being thoroughly underestimated.
>Demian’s expression twisted viciously.
>“Arrogance like yours is unmatched. You think you’re the only one with something held back?”
>“What more can you even do?”
>“You didn’t forget that the Ten Star Knight Order and the holy knights of More King’s Citadel sided with Xiao, right? Babylon’s probably wrapped up by now. Once they join us...”
>“Oh, that?”
>Do-hyun shrugged, silencing Demian.
>The casual reaction sparked an ominous premonition.
>And ominous premonitions were never wrong.
>Do-hyun glanced at the empty air, muttering something before chuckling softly.
>“Doubt that’ll happen.”
>“...What?”
>“Might even be dangerous for you guys... I didn’t expect this one to help out either.”
>“Explain so I can understand—”
>Demian’s words couldn’t continue.
>Ding—
>[Xiao: Hey!!! You didn’t get this bitch’s permission!? Why the hell is she butting in!?]
>[Xiao: Hurry up and finish there, come here—shit’s hitting the fan.]
>[Xiao: I warned you to come quick. If not, alliance or whatever, I’m flipping everything—handle it yourself!]
>‘...What the hell?’
>Furious whispers kept pouring in.
>Demian could only be baffled.
>The empress had arrived, and the Kaiser Faith had already crashed the party. Who else could possibly interfere now?
>But the moment the next whisper arrived, Demian’s eyes went wide.
>[Xiao: Why the hell is the Heavenly Demon bitch attacking me!?]
>‘...?’
>The leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Heavenly Demon herself.
>She had turned against them.