"My name is Paul Zero. I hold the Titan's Pride."

This was the important part. As the Giants came towards him in all directions, Lee Shin-Woo replied in an unwavering voice. Still, he was feeling a bit uneasy.

There were level 5 and 6 giants, and even a couple level 7s among them. All were similarly named 'Sealed Titan Zombie. While none of them were elites, they were beings of overwhelming mana and endurance.

If they become hostile, will I be able to subdue them without killing them?

Lee Shin-Woo could now make a rough assessment of his own ability, so he knew that they wouldn't be able to kill him. However, it would be difficult for him to hold back, and there were indeed some powerful Giants amongst them. He didn't want to kill the Giants. Not yet, at least.

[I don't feel...any traces of a Giant...within that body.]

[Is a human...mocking us...?]

The Giants that had retained their intellect stepped forward and growled. Though their flesh had rotted away, their pride was still intact. They weren't planning on forgiving someone for carelessly using the word 'Titan'. Despite their strength, though, Lee Shin-Woo stood his ground.

"Does it really matter if I'm a Giant or not? What is important is that I have the Titan's Pride."

[The possessors of the Titan's Pride...are all Giants!]

[But you...are no Giant.]

Despite his knowledge of Titans and Giants, he was no Giant. This was the fear Jin had voiced before. What the hell is this guy thinking? Jin couldn’t help but think to himself.

However, Lee Shin-Woo stayed firm. He knew how to get out of this situation; it involved him, the wrongdoer, blaming others for his own wrongdoing.

"Haha, what a sad state you're in. You've lost all of your power. Can you really call yourselves Giants looking like that?"

[Keuk!?]

[This guy!]

Lee Shin-Woo was the type to talk more when he needed to 'fight fire with fire' than when the mood was peaceful and relaxed!

Lee Shin-Woo frantically sifted through Fennos' memories, picking out words he could say that would hurt the Giants mentally—they had lost both their strength and their very lives after all.

As loudly as he could, he yelled, "I'm saying that I'm much better than you, as I have not forsaken the Titan's Pride; I have continued to pursue that dream, while you have forgotten that very pride and have degenerated into such lifeless beings! Indeed, I have inherited Fennos' will!"

[Fennos... Fennos!?]

[How can that be...?]

Yep. Lee Shin-Woo had activated Acting and Instigate simultaneously and succeeded in swaying them!

To be honest, he'd run out of things to say regarding the Giants. At the end of the day, his well of knowledge had been pretty shallow to begin with. If he asked them about the fundamental issue at play, they would say something along the lines of, 'We'll let you off the hook for now, since we have to think about your question.’ That wouldn’t do. His plan had to work. He didn’t want to resort to other methods of persuasion.

[Fennos' will? How?]

But fortunately for Lee Shin-Woo, the Giants were listening. As he thought, Fennos was indeed the Giant who was closest to becoming a Titan.

"Hoo."

Although Lee Shin-Woo had merely absorbed one of Fennos' bones without ever conversing with the Giant before death, he remained extremely calm. Since he'd gotten this far, he was pretty much already at the finish line.

There was no need for him to drag the Giants onto his stage. Getting them to sit in the audience was enough. They would witness his act as the main character of his own monodrama!

"I first met him..."

Lee Shin-Woo made something out of Fennos' memories from his time as a lone, independent agent after departing from the Giants, as well as the fragmented memories after his death.

Lee Shin-Woo began to tell the magnificent story of a Giant who was searching for his pride and a wandering human who had lost his purpose in life. He talked about how the two of them met.

"And that's how he left me with the Titan's Pride and went into his eternal sleep..."

[Kuheuk...!]

[Fennos...!]

It took Lee Shin-Woo 45 minutes to tell the story, and when he was done, most of the level 5 Giants treated him like he was their brother.

They couldn’t cry with their zombified body, but it didn’t stop them from shaking to display their grief. They didn’t look like heartless undead at this moment. Jin looked on, and as always, was beyond shocked.

[You're...our friend!]

[You...helped me before! We're...comrades!]

[Comrade! Your heart is that of a Giant!]

The level 5 Giants couldn't really speak properly, and their thoughts were fragmented, but because Lee Shin-Woo had spoken highly of Fennos, they considered him a close friend. Meanwhile, the level 6 Giants, who were capable of rational thought...

[I thought Fennos would never recognize a human, but...after hearing your story...I understand.]

[I see. You've come to give us back our pride...which we've lost...!]

[It's irrefutable... We're pitiful. Perhaps we'd even...forgotten the word...Giant.]

…They thought of him as a trustworthy human. Perhaps they had noticed that something was wrong with their exhausted bodies following their deterioration. While they seemed haggard as they looked at Lee Shin-Woo, they nonetheless regarded him in a positive light, which likely stemmed from him awakening them.

However, things were different with the three level 7 Sealed Titan Zombies.

[There's no way Fennos would acknowledge a human.]

[It's a lie. I don’t believe that Fennos would entrust you with his will.]

[It's a lie one way or another. It's definitely a lie.]

Those three retained their intellect and their pride as 'Giants'. As the leaders of their tribe, they refused to accept him, which weakened the other Giants’ goodwill towards him.

[I will not allow you to enter.]

[However...]

[He's our...friend!]

[Even so, he cannot enter.]

Lee Shin-Woo smiled wryly and didn't attempt to convince them any further. If the extensive use of Instigate wasn’t enough to convince them, pushing it further might end up triggering a civil war, which wasn't what Lee Shin-Woo wanted.

"What exactly is the misunderstanding here? Giants, I am not trying to enter Perlin Elta. I've just come to give back what you have lost!"

[Keum...!]

It was a lie. Lee Shin-Woo was sure that the Titan's Heart lay within the deepest part of Perlin Elta, and he wanted to get his hands on it no matter what. He could even more or less guess where it was.

He'd figured it out only after entering the Giants' domain; the two undead heroes, who were Giants themselves, appeared to be at the same place on the minimap, almost overlapping. They must be protecting the Titan's Heart.

If things go awry and I have to kill all of the Giants, I have to at least steal the Titan's Heart before one of the twelve generals can get to it. However...

That was too painful a scenario to imagine. He'd finally met a tribe that possessed a completely different power, yet they would only become a single meal for him if he were to implement this plan. It wasn't what he was looking for.

Fortunately, he had a way to resolve this stalemate. He'd already laid the bait. Now they just needed to take it.

"There's something I have to tell you. You are in danger... There's a chance that you won't be able to regain the Titan's pride, and the entire tribe may be annihilated!"

[What...did you say...!?]

Lee Shin-Woo inwardly smiled. That was right. Ironically, the Imperial Army which had discomforted him was helping him achieve his goal.

"The Imperial Army has entered the mountain range. Feotane Von Seldin has broken through the blessing of mana that protects us. The Emperor of the Heita Empire is aiming for the Titan's Heart!"

[What...!]

[How did they learn of the Titan's Heart!?]

The moment the words 'Titan's Heart' were uttered, almost all of the Giants reacted. One of the Giants widened its rotten eyes in shock, while another tightened its fist; one Giant even attacked Lee Shin-Woo!

[Aren't you part of the Imperial Army!?]

"Hah."

One of the level 7 Giants attempted to punch Lee Shin-Woo, but Lee Shin-Woo reached out and blocked it with ease.

So long as he had Rule of Bone, his strength and endurance could be reinforced exponentially, and with overwhelming mana focused on one point...

[Ku...ot...!?]

Lee Shin-Woo could grab a 10-meter tall level 7 Giant’s arm and lift it, albeit briefly! It was mere performance that had no actual use on the battlefield, as the mana consumption was too high to justify the use, but the performance was paramount right now.

"Has your mind rotted away along with your pride?"

[Kuhahk!?]

Lee Shin-Woo said coldly and flung the Giant away. Not only had it lost in a bout of strength against a human, but said human had also hurled it away like a ragdoll with only one arm; it was quite humiliating for the Giant.

It was so astounding that the other Giants were overwhelmed as well, as they watched everything play out vacantly.

"If you were to just listen to the Giant I rescued, you would've known. And if you can't trust what I told him, you may go out there and see for yourselves! Moreover, if I were part of the Imperial Army, do you really think I would come to discuss the Titan's Heart with you!?"

[Kuaah...]

Humiliation and frustration forced the Giant to listen. Then the Giant who had led Lee Shin-Woo to the village spoke up.

[I was attacked...by the Imperial Army. They...were surprised when Paul Zero came to my aid! They're enemies!]

[Is that...true?]

[Are you not...lying...and using us?]

[He killed the Empire's troops! He left none...alive!]

Lee Shin-Woo deliberately didn't pitch in. He believed interfering with their discussion wouldn't be a good idea. As he thought, they listened more intently to one of their comrades, and suddenly, another level 7 Giants spoke up.

[I'll need to check.]

[I'm still not sure about him.]

[We cannot let him enter.]

[If he really came here to help us, then...]

[We should be able to verify the news.]

With that, the Giants finally came to an agreement. The two level 7 Giants helped the other level 7 Giant up, whose head was buried in the ground. The two then convinced their fellow level 7. Even though it looked enraged, it soon nodded and spoke.

[We cannot let the Imperial Army take the Titan's Heart.]

[We, the Giants, are the ones who succeed the Titan's Pride. Though our bodies have rotten, the Titan's blood still flows through our veins.]

[If that's the case...we cannot afford to waste time like this.]

The three gazed at Lee Shin-Woo. The other level 5 and level 6 Giants did the same.

[Paul Zero, you'll have to prove your own 'Titan's Pride'.]

[We'll observe and make a decision afterwards.]

Lee Shin-Woo's jawbone clattered as he smiled. Since he really had no reason to hide his feelings from them.

"Alright. I'll show you my pride. No, that shouldn't be all."

Knowing that the Giants had stepped onto his stage, he smiled and made his declaration.

"We'll all prove our pride on the battlefield facing the Imperial Army."