A chilling sound shook the sea. It was like the screams of marine creatures, yet also like cheers. Amidst the indistinguishable noises of either welcoming a tyrant or a benevolent king, something black surged upwards.
It was colossal.
Literally, monstrously huge.
It stood so tall that it could look down upon the platform where Kang Sihyun was at a considerable height.
All those standing on the protective platform fell silent for a moment upon seeing the being that had risen from the deep sea floor, its heavy body lifting through the water. Its overwhelming stature pressed down on the party, dwarfing any Irregulars they had seen before. Considering half of its body was submerged, the giant-shaped Irregulars they had encountered so far seemed almost cute in comparison.
Opening its eyes, the Titan noticed Kang Sihyun and his party, and opened its mouth. A strange, unintelligible sound emanated from it.
It was the language of the Irregulars.
As the Titan spoke, the bizarre sounds from the sea grew louder. Various marine creatures and Irregulars wailed. Flocks of seagulls, chirping as they flew, crashed into the sea, becoming prey to the creatures below. Kang Sihyun covered his ears against the sharp pain.
With each unintelligible word, a creepy pain as if something was drilling into his ears followed.
“Jinhyuk, apply the support buff!”
In the midst of chaos, Hahyuk kept his calm and instructed Jinhyuk, who was in shock. Then, the rest, excluding Taeju, realized the seriousness of their situation. It wasn't the time to be overwhelmed or admire the situation.
A luminous aura climbed the bodies of the party. Jinhyuk, pouring out about 30% of his mana, cast a buff that endowed their bodies with a mysterious strength, and Taeju, taking the lead with this momentum, flew towards the Titan.
Sharp shadows sliced through the air. The pointed entities moved at Taeju's will, aiming to pierce through the black skin, but the sound that followed was unexpected.
Clang!
It was as if metal had clashed against metal. The sound of the attack being thwarted was also proof of the Titan's skin's incredible hardness.
The shadow that was shot bounced back. Taeju, having his initial attack blocked so easily, combined several strands of shadow to create two spears and drew his sword.
Clang! Clang!
The two shadow spears attacked the Titan, and while it was distracted by the shadows, Taeju found an opening. The blade he had sharpened for today aimed for the Titan's neck. However, the Titan, noticing a beat too late, swung its hand, and Taeju, making full use of the flight buff as if it were his own, dodged and swung his sword.
Clang!
Despite it being a critical attack, it, like the shadow, did not achieve any significant outcome. The Titan, without doing anything, blocked the attack and counterattacked. Taeju quickly retreated to the protective platform to catch his breath.
“As expected, if it's not a spirit sword, all attacks won’t work. We’ll have to fight as if squeezing out mana. But we were prepared for this, weren't we?”
Let’s fight with the mindset of grinding down our lifelines.
Taeju, who first flew out to gauge the level of the Titan, concluded. Kang Sihyun and the rest of the party nodded in agreement.
The platform they were standing on wouldn’t last long. Kang Sihyun infused mana into his staff, creating protective platforms in the air where they could rest or calm down during the fight. Simultaneously, the Titan moved.
After finishing its warm-up by smashing a boat and facing Taeju, it moved quickly. The notion that its movements would be sluggish due to its size was a misconception, as Kang Sihyun painfully realized during their last encounter with a Titan. With the same speed as before, its giant hand descended towards the protective platform. Kang Sihyun and his party scattered into the air, kicking off the ground just before the Titan's hand could strike the platform.
“Just as we discussed in the meeting!”
Taeju's voice signaled the start of the full-scale battle.
He, along with Hahyuk, flew towards the Titan. Swords glowed with spirit energy. Hahyuk moved more agilely and swiftly than he had shown during the Karis battle.
While he diverted the Titan's attention with his sword, Taeju aimed for the Titan's neck. Haru continuously used his skill to discern weaknesses, while Hamin stayed by Kang Sihyun's side, sending out spirit sword attacks and occasionally rolling to taunt. The situation for those protecting Jinhyuk, like Bandal, was no different.
Hahyuk aimed for the arm, Taeju for the head, Seowoo and Yeonju targeted the torso, while Haru and Inhyuk struck from behind. Attacks and skills flew from all directions, prompting the Titan to raise its hands.
A thunderous roar followed!
Despite the successful hit, the Titan seemed unaffected, causing Kang Sihyun to bite his lip tightly.
Though they had anticipated its resilience from its size, the reality of the Titan's stamina and toughness was now clear. Attacks that would have been fatal to smaller Irregulars barely made any change even after hitting the Titan multiple times.
Reflecting on this, Kang Sihyun realized anew how well-suited Russ was for combating the Titan.
A sharp whistling cut through the air as the Titan's hand sliced through it. Though everyone used the flight buff to escape from the vicinity, the sweep of the palm, as large as a ship, was threatening enough with just a mere swing.
The Titan ceaselessly swung its hands, preventing anyone from getting close. Inhyuk and Haru, who had maneuvered to its back, attempted to make a move but to no avail. The creature, with arms long enough to reach behind its head, effortlessly knocked away Haru and Inhyuk as they approached.
With a mere brush, the two were sent flying for what seemed like a kilometer. They managed to resist being pushed further, coughing up a bit of blood from the light touch that resulted in serious injuries.
Like swatting flies, the Titan dispatched the two and then targeted Hahyuk, who had suddenly come within close range. The creature swiftly swirled through the air, attempting to grasp him. Hahyuk, in a desperate bid to escape, faced the incoming palm head-on.
That crazy guy!
Kang Sihyun clenched his fist without realizing.
It was reckless.
Against any other Irregular, maybe, but taking on the Titan head-on was not just stubbornness but folly. A single finger of the Titan was larger than Hahyuk, not to mention its nails. How could he possibly block it?
Expecting a tragedy, Kang Sihyun called out to Taeju. Without saying, he knew, and once again swung his sword towards the Titan's eye, but as the creature closed its eyes, Taeju's blade only left a light scratch on its eyelid.
The shadow hastily followed the hand, but it was too late. As the fast-approaching palm neared, Hahyuk grasped his sword. Finally, the Titan's hand reached him, and
Clang!
Hahyuk held his sword with both hands, slicing through the Titan's hand and soared upwards.
Rotating his body, he descended. Hahyuk, regretfully missing the grip, found himself on the Titan's black nailed hand.
Aiming at the nails tougher than its skin, he used his skill, but to no avail, instead using the rebound to quickly put distance between him and the Titan. What was once within reach with a mere extension of the Titan's hand, was now a safe distance away, unachievable without daring, courage, and skill.
A single mistake could mean death. If Hahyuk had faltered even slightly, Kang Sihyun wouldn't be able to see him now.
A misstep would have led to being crushed by the Titan's hand and thrown into the sea, irrecoverable, and Redem would have tragically lost its guild leader.
Despite the dizzying stakes, watching Hahyuk seamlessly link attack and evasion, escaping from peril, Kang Sihyun couldn't hide his amazement.
Clearly, he was exceptionally skilled.
Distanced from the Titan, Hahyuk, not pausing for a breath, launched another attack. Following the tip of Hahyuk's sword as if it were the conductor's baton, the rest of the party gathered. Seizing the brief opportunity the Titan presented, they pounced like a pack of starved wolves.
Their survival depended on it.
Soon, Haru and Inhyuk rejoined the fray. Jinhyuk timed his debuffs on the Titan while Hamin and Bandal realized it was the moment for an all-out assault and sprang into action.
Kang Sihyun stood by Jinhyuk, supporting each other, casting heals and shields precisely where needed. The Titan, slowed down, finally allowed a barrage of attacks to hit.
A mixture of explosions, impacts, and strikes created a massive boom. This time, blue blood flowed from the Titan, indicating they had landed effective hits. However, gaining an edge meant exposing vulnerabilities.
"Cough!"
Taeju was the first to be struck by the Titan's hand. He plummeted towards the sea but managed to fly up just before hitting the water. A splash! An Irregular from the depths barely missed biting into Taeju's flesh before disappearing back into the depths. Taeju, with blood streaming down his head from a severe hit, righted himself. Beside him, Hamin and Yeonju crashed down. Kang Sihyun, noticing their expressions, quickly created a platform above the water. It seemed unlikely they could pull off a mid-air recovery like Taeju.
Sure enough, they plummeted onto the protective shield, while the Irregulars that leaped up from below only tasted the barrier before hiding away again. With a sigh of relief, Kang Sihyun used a healing skill on the three and then turned his gaze back to the Titan. Hahyuk, Seowoo, Haru, Inhyuk, and Bandal were still confronting it.
They moved swiftly, but the Titan was faster, attempting to snatch each one. Its long nails menacingly swiped at the party, and blood dripped into the sea.
The collisions intensified: a cacophony of thunderous sounds as blows were exchanged. It was hard to follow the rapid movements with the eye, but Kang Sihyun took in the sight of Hahyuk and Taeju managing the fight more smoothly than anticipated.
Even if it wasn't stable, having two S-Class members made the battle more effective than during their school trip.
The possibility of emerging victorious with fewer casualties than expected crossed his mind at that moment.
Suddenly, a strange noise came from below.
It was the sound of something heavy cutting through the water, growing faster, closer, and louder.
A chill ran down Kang Sihyun's spine. Sensing something was off, he instinctively moved Jinhyuk out of the way at that moment,
A massive object burst from the sea, shooting skyward with the force to pierce the heavens.
Dark chains.
Emerging suddenly from the sea, they aimed straight for the Titan's grasp.
With a clank, the Titan caught the soaring chains in its hand. Each hand now wielded a massive, weighty black chain, fitting perfectly as if made specifically for the Titan. The expressions on Kang Sihyun and his party hardened.
No one spoke, but it was understood.
The truly threatening battle, as Taeju had warned that would require risking their lives, was only beginning now.
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