<Chapter 32. Titan's Pride - 4>

[Revive...]

[The Titan...?]

"Yeah."

Lee Shin Woo said nonchalantly, but the Giants froze. They focused their attention on the now exposed core; seeing cold air stick to the top of the core and form ice, even at this very moment, was memorable.

[As expected, it takes a human to say something so impious with such ease.]

[The Titan passed away. If a human could've revived it, then it would've risen long ago.]

"Mm, you still don't get it, even when you're looking right at it."

Lee Shin Woo watched the Titan's Heart... the Titan Golem Core as it continuously drew in heat from its dented side and smiled bitterly.

He realized just how much time had passed when he thought about how the story of a giant golem had transformed into the legend of the Titan. He was sure that it hadn't occurred within just one hundred or two hundred years. Moreover, there were no traces on the core of it being made by Steelworker! That meant that it wasn't made by the Empire.

"Do you still think the Titan is a god?"

[We won't tolerate any more disrespect. I acknowledge that you're strong for a human, but the price of looking down upon the Titan's Pride is death.]

"Is that so?"

Lee Shin Woo replied apathetically. They hadn't figured it out, even though it was clearly not a living being's heart. Therefore, he would have to prove it to them in a different way.

"Then, just watch."

[You dare!]

Lee Shin Woo extended his hand. While the Giants were overwhelmingly stronger than Lee Shin Woo, they were also extremely slow in exchange. Therefore, when they attempted to stop him, Lee Shin Woo had already reached the core.

[How dare you!]

"Ha."

Lee Shin Woo evaded the Giants' attacks and grabbed the core on the ground. As expected, the moment he held the core, he felt the core attempt to steal all the heat from his body, but fortunately, he could use level 8 Intermediate Fire. So long as he used that, he wouldn't have to worry about freezing.

[T-The heart.]

[That fool... In the end, that human took the Titan's Heart!]

[The Titan's Pride will kill you without fail. When it does, we'll take back the Titan's Heart! That's not just the proof of our ancestors, but the very soul of the Giant Tribe!]

Lee Shin Woo had already blocked out the Giants. All of his attention lay on the Titan Golem Core in his hands. The moment Lee Shin Woo used his power, the core, which had until now been absorbing all heat...

[Through Bone Reinforcement, the Lv8 Damaged Titan Golem Core is transforming.]

He thought it might not transform like the Huginn's Eye. Fortunately, it did. Perhaps his affinity was high since he'd manufactured golems before and he possessed the Puppet Master title.

[T-The Titan's Heart is...!?]

[Kill himmmmmmmm!]

The enraged Giants ran over to Lee Shin Woo, but they couldn't get too close. While their frames were large, the Titan's Heart was comparatively small. Therefore, if they tried killing Lee Shin Woo, then there was a chance that they would damage the Titan's Heart as well, which would be an unforgivable sin.

"As I thought, you guys really are undead. Or were you like that when you were alive? You guys are always in a hurry."

[You have acquired the Lv8 Damaged Titan Golem Bone Core.]

Then, the transformation was complete. Half of the once crimson metal core now looked like a crushed red circular bone.

Of course, its energy hadn't reduced in the least from the transformation. Its composition and form had just become easier for Lee Shin Woo to understand. ...And there was one more thing.

"I'd thought as much, but it's still damaged even after the transformation. I don't think I'll be able to analyze a thing when it's in this state. In order to restore it, I'll have to use Bone Reinforcement... Oh, that's right."

He remembered that he could use Bone Reinforcement on the core itself!

Lee Shin Woo mulled over what the suitable materials would be to reinforce it with and soon opened his inventory, pulling out a non-bone item from it. It was none other than the fossil that permanently radiated heat... the Solar Fossil.

[Consuming the Solar Fossil to reinforce the Damaged Titan Golem Bone Core. The compatibility between the two items is incredibly high! 2% of the Bone Core's information has been restored!]

"Nice!"

[...Huh!?]

[This human.]

[The Titan's Heart is...?]

Lee Shin Woo was the only one who could see the messages, yet all the Giants there responded. Why you ask? It's because the slight authority that was bestowed upon them by the Titan's Heart (they called it a blessing) had become stronger.

[What is he doing...?]

"I already told you. I'm reviving the Titan."

Lee Shin Woo said and reinforced the Bone Core with the second Solar Fossil. The core accepted the Solar Fossil without hesitation, as though it was a chick that was being fed by its mother.

[A resounding success! 3% of the Bone Core's information has been restored!]

[I-It's gotten stronger again!]

[Is he truly...? Is a human truly reviving the Titan...?]

The Giants were confused. Contrary to their original assumptions, Lee Shin Woo wasn't stealing the Titan's Heart but restoring its energy. Because they were sure of this, their hostility towards him waned. As expected of the undead, they were quick to anger but also quick to calm down.

[Success! 2% of the Bone Core's information has been restored.]

[A resounding success! 3% of the Bone Core's information has been restored.]

[Success! ...]

The compatibility between the Solar Fossil and the Bone Core was unmatched. When reinforcing a core with a similar core, there would be times when the reinforcement failed, but the Solar Fossils never failed to reinforce the Bone Core.

Perhaps the Solar Fossil was used in the construction of the Titan Golem Core in the past... In other words, perhaps the sunlight stone was used in its creation. It might not have been part of its core, but rather, part of its body instead.

[It's gradually...]

[The energy in my body is increasing more and more. It might even be similar to the blessing that the Titan bestowed upon all Giants when it was alive...!]

Why was their energy increasing as the Bone Core was restored more and more? What exactly was the connection between this core and the Giants? Lee Shin Woo continued to reinforce the Bone Core diligently, if for no other reason than to find out that link.

[A resounding success! 3% of the Bone Core's information has been restored.]

[Success! 2% of the Bone Core's information has been restored.]

The restoration rate of the core had already reached 50%. At this point, the restoration speed slowed down a bit, but the Solar Fossils would always restore it by at least 1%. The Giants were no longer just shocked; they now looked in awe.

[T-The Titan is...]

[The human... No, Paul Zero was right. The Titan is... coming back to life...!]

[Ooh, Ooooh...!]

The Giants, who'd stood awkwardly, soon began to bow their heads towards Lee Shin Woo. He thought he'd clear up the 'misunderstanding', but he hadn't expected this, so Lee Shin Woo just ended up smiling.

[A resounding success! The Bone Core's information has been completely restored.]

When he finally completely restored the Bone Core, the Bone Core stopped drawing in all of the surrounding heat. The once prevalent cold air was instantaneously cleared, and the Giants looked as though they were going to cry.

[The curse has finally been lifted...!]

[How preposterous. To think it was a human that did it!]

[I'm angry. I may be angry, but I guess I have to acknowledge him!]

[You... You're our savior. Fennos sent us a savior!]

Lee Shin Woo glanced at the Giants and turned his attention back to the Bone Core. A hero's eyes could see all, and he mercilessly read the completed Bone Core's information.

[Lv8 Titan Golem Bone Core]

[A golem created by a human who wanted to reach godhood. A Titan's core. In the past, when the Titan was destroyed, the core's charge function was damaged and it continuously drew in heat, becoming a defective product. However, it is now at 100% functionality.]

[The heat is charged at 100%, but because there is only the core left, there is nowhere to release the heat. You must learn the techniques to recreate the golem and procure the necessary materials to make it as well.]

"...Ha."

Lee Shin Woo read the information and couldn't help but laugh. He didn't think that this core, which froze this entire mountain range and even twisted around and hid the space, would cause all of this just because its 'heat charging' function had been damaged!

'So the original golem sucked in heat from its surrounding and stored it in the core. Its strength lay in releasing all of that heat.'

Once it has reached full capacity, it must stop charging, but because the core's charge function had been damaged, it couldn't reach that, and as a result, created this ridiculously icy zone. What a joke!

"Kratia would be disappointed if she found out."

Kratia thought that the Titan's Heart was an item that continuously discharged cold air. However, that cold air was just a byproduct of the Titan's Heart sucking in all the heat in its surroundings, so it would be quite unsatisfying for her.

'Wait a sec. Now that I think about it, that might not be the case.'

Kratia might actually get excited if she knew that they could make a new type of golem with this. When he considered the fact that they'd be using a level 8 core, they might even be able to create a level 8 golem if all goes well!

[Who is Kratia...?]

"She's someone who'll be really helpful in reviving the Titan."

[Oh, Oooh!]

At some point, the Giants had begun addressing Lee Shin Woo with honorifics, and Lee Shin Woo accepted it quite naturally. He'd been in so many scenarios where an individual would change their attitude once the situation changed.

[Can you really... revive the Titan?]

[If that's the case, then we'll be able to regain our original power!]

[A true Titan's Pride. With pride that none can challenge!]

Lee Shin Woo grabbed onto the Titan's Heart, and now that it was fully restored, he realized. The 'Titan's Pride' that the Giants spoke of wasn't simply a belief.

They were actually strengthened by the Titan's Heart, so if he actually restored the golem, then they should undergo an even greater transformation. Now that Lee Shin Woo had had the time to analyze the core, albeit briefly, he roughly understood the reason behind it.

"Humans who wanted to become Gods... You're that group of humans."

[We are Titans... the Titan Tribe.]

"Yeah, right. Titans."

In the past, when Lee Shin Woo had seen the mana that flowed within their bodies, he had concluded that the reason that they had such strength and sturdy constitutions was because of their mana pattern.

Through a special way of circulating mana, they would develop their bones, muscles, skin, and blood. Because of that, they didn't have any magical abilities, but in exchange, they could use mana to reinforce their bodies to such an extent that would allow them to overcome magic.

However, when he thought about it carefully, wasn't that kind of strange? There was no reason to further enlarge their bodies with mana if they were originally Giants. Rather, it was only natural that they'd create a technique that would harmonize their powerful physical bodies and mana together to exert incredible destructive force.

'In other words, Titans didn't start as Titans.'

If he assumed that they weren't Giants from the very beginning, then everything made sense.

To reach godhood, they studied mana and applied that research onto humans, as they continuously focused on improving their bodies again and again... The 'Mana Breathing' ability would spread amongst humans and if it were passed down generation after generation, then... if that's how their descendants steadily increased in size, then...

'And what if this Titan Golem is the basis for this Mana Breathing ability?'

The Mana Breathing ability was originally created to catch up to the Titan Golem, so the fact that the magic that comes out of the core affects and strengthens the Giants' own mana shouldn't be surprising...

"Hoo."

Lee Shin Woo, who'd thought this far, shook his head. In the end, it was nothing more than a hypothesis. Perhaps these Titans, who were born with Mana Breathing, were based on the Titan Golem, as it was the ideal shape. And then, God would probably give them her blessing as well.

"Since all that matters is the result."

[Sir... Paul Zero?]

"Listen."

Lee Shin Woo curtly ordered the Giants, who'd even added 'sir' to his name.

"We're going to revive the Titan. Now help us kill Metafel. You can, can't you?"

[Of course we can!]

The Giant who'd led him here, as well as his senior heroes, responded energetically.

Aside from these golems, no one had any idea that a single skeleton was attempting to revive a Titan, which had been lost in the annals of history.