“Thanks for coming all the way here. It's your first time in America, right?”

Jenny welcomed Sungshik with a bright smile.

“Yeah. It's my first time on American soil. So this is what the air here feels like.”

As he stepped out of the arrival terminal, Sungshik stretched his arms wide while looking up at the deep blue American sky. He had stepped onto American soil before his regression, but back then, it was a desolate land. A vibrant sky and land like this was a first.

“Pfft, you sound totally like an old man.”

Jenny burst out laughing at Sungshik, who was giving off major middle-aged vibes.

“What? Do I really seem like an old man doing this?”

He raised his chin and jutted out his jaw. Using his left thumb and index finger to form a scissor shape, he propped his chin up with that hand. He fully showed off his looks, which had become even more dazzling after his transformation.

The two hadn’t been close for long. When Jenny contacted him recently to invite him to America, they had agreed to keep things casual between them. Since they seemed to be around the same age on the surface, they quickly grew close.

“Just wait a bit, one more friend will be coming.”

“Who?”

“A diehard fan who really wants to meet you.”

“Ohho, a diehard fan? Who could that be?”

He already had a guess. But he played along with Jenny’s words.

‘Probably Fletcher.’

―Who is Fletcher? Was he one of the 11 Thrones as well?

‘Yeah. Right. He was the one who handled Thunder like no other.’

Fletcher Edwin, the Lord of Thunder of the 11 Thrones. The sight of him cloaked in thunder and lightning as he rampaged through the battlefield remained vivid in Sungshik's memory.

Seeing that, he had even thought, “If I could choose just one attribute among many, I’d pick lightning.”

Fletcher’s spirit king of Thunder, Lioner, was of a transcendent grade. Thanks to that, he could command multiple Thunder spirits.

He sometimes charged into the heart of battle with thunder enveloping his entire body, but it was just as striking when he summoned a host of Thunder spirits. He was practically half a Spirit Master.

‘But when he charged into battle cloaked in lightning, that’s when he was truly….’

He was recalling Fletcher, drawing stream after stream of Thunder as he stood in the center of the battlefield wrapped in lightning, when—

“Jenny! You’re late, you little brat!”

“Hehe, sorry, sorry.”

The boy looked like he was barely middle school age. Anyone could tell he was a total kid, yet the energy radiating from him was significant. After greeting Jenny, he looked up at Sungshik with sparkling eyes.

‘No way….’

“Hello, Mr. Sungshik. I’m Fletcher Edwin.”

Before the regression, Fletcher used to follow Jenny around constantly. Jenny treated him with ease as well. They had known each other for a long time, to the point where one might even believe they were siblings.

That’s why Sungshik had figured Fletcher would take an interest in his use of Thunder power. The Fletcher he had known was extremely into the lightning attribute. Of all the people around Jenny, Fletcher seemed the most likely to be interested in him.

‘But… he was this much of a kid back then?’

He hadn't considered Fletcher’s age at all. He had only vaguely remembered Fletcher being younger than himself. Only now, seeing the middle schooler-like appearance, did he recall that during the Nights of Trial, Fletcher had just come of age.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Heo Sungshik.”

“Can I call you hyung? Please treat me comfortably.”

Fletcher said out of nowhere. His sparkling eyes gazing up were almost overwhelming.

“Uh, sure.”

“Wow! Hyung, when I saw you fight, I was totally blown away! You're absolutely awesome!”

Fletcher’s energy was off the charts. He didn’t match the image of Fletcher that Sungshik had seen before the regression at all.

‘Could it be someone else?’

He wondered if the Fletcher he had known was actually someone different. Maybe this was just how Fletcher had always been. Sungshik had only ever seen him going wild on the battlefield. They’d never had a personal conversation—it wouldn’t be wrong to say that.

With that thought, the dissonance he felt upon first meeting Fletcher quickly faded.

“He’s kind of cheeky, right? He’s always had a bit of a bold streak, so I hope you understand.”

“Nah. He’s lively, it’s nice to see. Kids should be like this.”

“As expected of my hyung!”

Before he knew it, the title had been upgraded to “my hyung.”

“But Sungshik, don’t be too shocked when you hear this. Actually, Fletcher is…”

Jenny paused for a moment.

“The Lord of Thunder, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Fletcher is the Lord of Thunder—huh? How did you know?”

Jenny’s eyes widened in surprise.

Fletcher, the Lord of Thunder. He was a Superhuman affiliated with the United Kingdom. An idol among British Superhumans and the strongest one in the country. That was Fletcher.

However, information about Fletcher was kept secret. Any exposure to the outside world was minimized. The main reason was his young age. He operated only within the UK, and when external activities were unavoidable, he wore a mask to hide his face.

"Does the Lord of Thunder even really exist?"

"Isn’t he just a fabrication made by the British Superhumans?"

Because of this, Fletcher's existence was always shrouded in doubt. Even Jenny hadn’t been sure he existed until she met him and built a personal relationship. Jenny herself also wielded the power of ‘multiple elemental attributes,’ so it was thanks to Fletcher showing interest in her that they became acquainted.

‘So that’s how it was.’

Sungshik understood the situation immediately.

Why hadn’t he known that Fletcher had been so young at this time? It was because when Fletcher made his official appearance a few years later, he had already reached adulthood, and that was how Sungshik remembered him.

However, there was one thing he couldn’t understand. Why did they go to such lengths to conceal Fletcher? He could understand if it was to protect him due to the mental immaturity that comes with youth.

Famous Superhumans didn’t just have fans; they had antis too. And with many countries actively working behind the scenes to poach strong Superhumans, perhaps they feared he might be swayed easily due to his age.

But those who had reached 7-star knew. They knew what it meant to attain that level. Anyone who had reached 7-star would have already undergone a transformation.

Even if he had a young body, that body had already transcended humanity to some extent. Along with it, the 'spirit' that represents the mind would also be solidified to match the physical body. After all, without the harmony of essence, energy, and spirit, one could not reach the 7-star level.

"Wow! As expected!! There’s something electric that connects guys who control thunder~!"

Fletcher held out his fist to Sungshik, who chuckled and bumped it lightly with his own.

"Wait… seriously? You figured it out from just that?"

Only Jenny stood there looking dumbfounded at the two of them bonding.

"People who handle the thunder attribute have this electric kind of connection, you know, noona."

"Exactly. Thunder attributes are like N and S poles—there’s an electric attraction between them."

Fletcher giggled gleefully as Sungshik smoothly played along with his words.

"Uh, well, yeah… I guess."

Jenny, who had planned to surprise Sungshik by introducing Fletcher, could only look on in dismay as the two hit it off immediately.

"But why are you hiding your identity when you operate?"

Sungshik asked directly. He couldn’t see any need for Fletcher to keep his identity secret, so he was curious about the reason.

"Hyung, the thing is……."

Fletcher straightened his back, crossed his arms, and struck a pose.

"An ultra-top-tier mysterious Superhuman whose identity is unknown. That’s super cool, isn’t it?"

Yes. Fletcher was in the terminal stages of a classic case of eighth-grader syndrome. That was why he operated while hiding his identity.

New York. One of America’s great cities. If one had to name the most prosperous place in the U.S., many would name New York without hesitation.

Though it had long lost its status as the capital of the U.S., it had maintained its role as a hub of commerce, finance, trade, and culture. And in the era of great upheaval, it had also emerged as the center of Superhuman-related industries.

"Wow."

Seeing New York in its full glory for the first time, Sungshik couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

There was nothing the streets lacked. Countless shops, buildings, and skyscrapers lined the roads.

And the variety of street performances. Some involved Superhumans performing feats of strength, while others used their abilities to perform stunts that would put any circus to shame. Things he had only heard about until now were playing out everywhere on the streets.

‘This really is worthy of being called the center of the world.’

Sungshik looked around curiously. Jenny, watching him, let out a small chuckle. The charismatic presence he had exuded on the battlefield was still vivid in her mind, so seeing him act like a wide-eyed country bumpkin made him seem incredibly endearing.

The three of them strolled leisurely through the streets. The original plan had been to head quickly to the home of the Martial Emperor.

Martial Emperor Severant. This invitation had been organized by Jenny and the Martial Emperor, who was America’s representative Superhuman. That was why they had picked up Sungshik from the airport and were supposed to head quickly to the Martial Emperor’s grand mansion located in a part of New York.

However, since it was Sungshik's first time stepping foot on American soil, they were taking a moment to show him around the streets of New York.

“Wow, Jenny! I'm a fan! Can we take a picture?”

“Oh, you're Jenny?”

She was wearing sunglasses and had a hat pulled down low, yet they still managed to recognize her. Given America's culture of revering Superhumans, Jenny enjoyed popularity that exceeded even that of top-tier celebrities.

Her appearance was so stunning that most actors wouldn't dare compare themselves to her. Her popularity was explosive. It had even reached a point where she might be more popular than Martial Emperor Sevrant, who was often referred to as the greatest Superhuman in the world.

A crowd swarmed in. The crowd encircled Jenny and Sungshik. Perhaps used to this sort of thing, Fletcher had already moved far away. It was unclear when he had slipped away on his own.

“Jenny, who's the guy next to you? Is he your boyfriend?”

“Jenny's boyfriend? You two look good together! But his face looks familiar…”

“Huh? Isn't that… the Heavenly Sovereign, Heo Sungshik?”

“Oh, it is! It’s the Heavenly Sovereign! Wow!”

“Whaaa, are you two dating?”

Once they realized who Sungshik was, the attention quickly shifted to him. After the Great Upheaval, Americans revered Superhumans with great fervor. Especially powerful Superhumans—no matter who they were—were admired and respected. Sungshik was no exception.

“This guy next to me is indeed Heo Sungshik! But we’re not dating! Sorry, no pictures! We’re in a bit of a hurry right now!”

“Aww, that’s a shame. Next time, please take one with us!”

Jenny quickly handled the situation and made her way through the crowd. Before they knew it, Fletcher had come back to her side. Jenny, clearly used to this, skillfully handled the people around her.

The crowd respectfully made way for them. Americans had manners. They didn’t stop Jenny after she said she was in a hurry.

“Does this happen a lot? You’re really smooth with it.”

“Of course. It’s part of daily life now.”

“Oh ho, but how did they recognize you? Hmm, I guess they could.”

He glanced back at Jenny again, and indeed, her aura wasn’t something that could be hidden by just sunglasses and a hat. No matter how plain her outfit might be, her presence would still shine through.

‘She really is beautiful.’

—Among the beauties I’ve seen, she’d be in the top five.

Heaven-Splitter sent a thought, as if agreeing with Sungshik’s impression.

‘...Even swords have a beauty standard like ours?’

—Though I am a sword spirit, I was born of human hands and have built up my soul through long communion with my human wielders. I am no mere object. My sensibilities are very much like those of humans.

‘Oh… I see. Sorry if that was offensive.’

—I’m not particularly offended, but it's something you should keep in mind.

Sungshik grinned at Heaven-Splitter’s cool response.

‘But still, top five? That much?’

—Indeed. And it doesn’t even seem like her beauty has fully blossomed yet. Once it does, it may very well be worthy of being called the most beautiful in the world during this era.

‘Oh ho, that level, huh?’

Come to think of it, even in the despair of the Nights of Trial, Jenny’s beauty had shone brightly. He hadn’t seen her up close many times, but people often talked more about her beauty than her power.

If this were a normal era, as Heaven-Splitter said, she might truly be considered the most beautiful in the world.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

As he stared at her in silence, Jenny smiled brightly and asked.

After touring the streets of New York, they headed to Martial Emperor Sevrant’s mansion. His mansion was located on the outskirts of the city.

They drove for quite a while in Jenny’s car until they reached a small hill, and atop it stood a picturesque mansion. Martial Emperor Sevrant’s mansion, which seemed modeled after a medieval fortress, was massive in scale.

‘I can feel it.’

As they neared the mansion, he could feel Martial Emperor Sevrant’s aura. He made no attempt to conceal it. If the Sword Emperor’s aura was like a calm and quiet sea, Martial Emperor Sevrant’s aura was like an erupting volcano, explosively bursting forth.

Unlike in the past, Sungshik, who had now reached 7-star rank, could sense Sevrant’s aura even more vividly.

‘It’s been a while, Uncle Martial Emperor.’

This would be their first meeting in this life. He was looking forward to it.