At first, France and the United States bickered over the order of turns. If things had gone according to France’s initial proposal, there would have been two main teams, with the Korean team acting as a sub-team.

However, the Korean Association’s proposal was accepted, and they decided to divide into four teams for defense.

Team 1, Team 2, Team 3, Team 4. They agreed to rotate daily, with each team taking turns defending.

Team 1: Gerald, Jenny… and a total of eight members.

Team 2: Louis, Frederick… and a total of eight members.

Team 3: Loachel, Kang Hanil… and a total of eight members.

Team 4: Heo Sungshik, Seo Haneul… and a total of eight members.

Each team was formed with eight members while considering the average combat power of the individuals.

The leader of the final team, Team 4, was Heo Sungshik. Appointing Sungshik as the leader was an implicit acknowledgment of his strength.

After all, Sungshik had already applied to the official institution, confirming his attainment of 7-star rank. If the French Association were to dispute this, it could later become an international issue.

‘A strategic obstruction, huh.’

The French team might have deliberately tried to block the team composition in order to gain a comparative advantage when Korea attempted to insert a 7-star superhuman, Sungshik, into the equation. Sungshik, who had been ignorant of such political maneuvering, only realized the reason behind the French resistance after listening to Man-shik’s explanation.

He didn’t care much. He had seen plenty of people like them even during the Nights of Trial.

Even when humanity was on the brink of extinction, there were those who only cared about their own interests. They never came to their senses, even as the world collapsed around them. In the end, such people inevitably self-destructed.

‘And France has always been known for its strong individualism.’

Due to their cultural traits, they were deeply individualistic. In this situation, that tendency seemed to have morphed into selfishness.

Regardless, with the teams assembled, the defensive front was established to prevent the Gate Outbreak.

“Hey, John. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the whole world, you better try harder. Heh.”

“Hah! Coming from the weakest link, that’s rich.”

The large-scale Gate defense battle was being recorded through an archival magic orb. Once the battle ended, the footage would be edited and broadcast on the World Alliance Channel.

That meant anyone could watch the battle footage without restriction. Because of that, everyone remained on edge, wary of making mistakes.

Even so, they still had enough composure to joke around. That was because most of the monsters were only at the 5-star+ level.

“Phew, this isn’t too difficult.”

“Isn’t it all thanks to her?”

Eric nodded in a particular direction while responding to John. Following Eric’s gesture, John turned his gaze.

“Damn… You’re right.”

There stood a beautiful blonde woman, exuding an overwhelming magical aura. Yes, she was none other than the Elemental Master, Jenny Lou Miléa.

Rumble.

At the wave of her hand, the ground flipped.

Whoosh.

Flames erupted from the earth.

Swoosh.

A violent gust tore through the monsters’ flesh.

In their designated sector, several Gates had entered an Outbreak state, spewing over a thousand monsters. But with a single motion, Jenny cut down dozens at once.

This wasn’t a battle—it was a one-sided massacre. The other superhumans standing on the front lines with Jenny were merely cleaning up the few monsters that somehow managed to survive her bombardment (though they were already in tatters).

Watching her, Sungshik was reminded of the past.

‘She was always exceptional when dealing with large numbers of enemies.’

Indeed, she had a remarkable ability to handle vast hordes. There had been times when she held back an entire army by herself—she could rightfully be called a one-person legion.

Aside from the Sword Emperor, the Martial Emperor, and the Witch of Hallasan, even among the 11 Thrones, few could stand against Jenny.

―The strength of those who follow the path of magic lies in their ability to overwhelm weaker, numerous foes. But she’s truly impressive. Her mastery of mana is extraordinary. Something like this would be impossible without an innate affinity for mana…

Even Heaven-Splitter acknowledged her ability to control multiple elements simultaneously.

‘The position of the 11 Thrones is not something that can be reached without immense talent.’

Only those with top-tier characteristics and the talent to wield them could ascend to the 11 Thrones.

With Jenny leading the charge, Team 1 successfully cleared their area. Since only a few Gates in the Paesang Grasslands had entered Outbreak mode, they were able to handle them relay-style without much difficulty.

The same was true for Team 2. Frederick, the leader of Team 2, wasn’t just a 7-star in name—he demonstrated formidable prowess.

“Hah!”

At his command, countless thorny vines sprouted from the earth, ensnaring the monsters. With their limbs restrained, finishing them off was effortless.

Though he had a foul mouth, his skills were undeniably top-tier.

The problem began when it was Team 3’s turn.

Team 3 was a mixed team comprising members from the United States, France, and Korea. Their leader, Loachel, was a 6-star+ superhuman from France. With Kang Hanil and a 6-star+ superhuman from the U.S., the team had no 7-star members, but their strength was more than sufficient to handle 5-star+ monsters.

“Damn it, why are so many pouring out all of a sudden?”

The issue was that the number of Gates entering an Outbreak state had abruptly increased. While Team 1 and Team 2 only had to deal with six or seven Outbreaks each, Team 3 suddenly had to face eleven.

The number of monsters pouring out was twice that of what the previous teams had faced. Amid this flood of creatures, Team 3 struggled to hold the line.

It wasn’t a desperate crisis, nor was it insurmountable. However, compared to how effortlessly Teams 1 and 2 had handled their battles, Team 3 was clearly lagging behind.

And that was just the beginning of disaster.

The Gates had been showing unstable signs since the morning, with an unusually high number of Outbreaks. By evening, dozens of Gates erupted into simultaneous Outbreaks.

“Emergency!”

“The Gates are in full Outbreak mode!”

“All four teams, prepare for immediate deployment to the front lines!”

The battlefield turned chaotic. Not just in the areas assigned to Korea, the U.S., and France, but across all sectors, emergency alarms blared.

‘It’s begun.’

Even in the face of this sudden emergency, Sungshik remained unfazed. He had predicted this would happen today or tomorrow.

Even before his regression, the large-scale Gate Outbreak in the Manchurian region hadn’t happened all at once. Initially, a few Gates had gone berserk, and then, after a few days, the rest had followed in a massive chain reaction.

―Even the flow of mana from the gates was unusual. Those sensitive to mana might have predicted that such an event would occur soon.

Heaven-Splitter was right. The 11 Thrones and some of the Hyper-Sense individuals had already sensed an abnormality from the gates today and remained vigilant.

“As I mentioned earlier, please establish the frontline. When the signal is given, unleash your firepower all at once.”

From the start, they had considered such a situation when dividing into four teams. They had also discussed how to form the frontline in case this happened. Accordingly, the superhumans from Korea, the United States, and France swiftly took their positions.

Gugugugu—

The rumbling sound of countless monsters charging from the front shook the ground.

“This is brutal. How many are there?”

“We took down a thousand the other day… This looks like several times more.”

“If they keep pouring out, it might not just be a few times more, but far beyond that……”

Indeed, there were nearly 800 gates remaining. Now that they had all gone berserk simultaneously, an endless stream of monsters was pouring out. It was a scene that made even the superhumans on the frontline, prepared for battle, feel overwhelmed.

“I see quite a number of six-star beasts… Wasn’t it not just A-rank gates but several A+ rank gates as well?”

Unlike before, when only five-star+ grade beasts had appeared, now there were many six-star grade beasts. This was beyond their expected scenario.

“Everyone, stay focused. Just follow the plan. It’s only the numbers that have increased. Do not panic!”

“I’ll give the signal. Those who can attack from a distance, strike all at once when I do.”

As fear and uncertainty began spreading among the superhumans, Jenny’s calm voice resonated in their ears. Instantly, the tense atmosphere settled.

‘As expected of a battlefield commander.’

Though she was called a one-person army, she was also highly skilled in mercenary tactics. Whenever she entered battle, her voice alone carried an undeniable force of reassurance.

―That all stems from her power.

Heaven-Splitter spoke firmly. In the end, such trust came from her sheer strength.

It was true.

Goooo—

Just witnessing the intense energy surging from her was enough to make the surrounding superhumans feel emboldened.

“As Jenny said, if we stay calm, we’ll be fine.”

“Phew, you’re right. With Jenny here, I guess I was worrying too much.”

Jenny prepared to unleash her power.

“I’ll attack first. Follow up immediately!”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Roger!”

Not only the Americans and Koreans but also the French superhumans followed her orders precisely. No one was foolish enough to question her lead, especially under such circumstances.

Guoooo.

The immense mana surrounding Jenny began to surge violently under her control.

“Flame Dragon.”

With her quiet words, the mana around her blazed into flames. The fiery energy quickly gathered into a single form.

Fwooooosh—

It took the shape of a massive dragon. As if she had summoned a dragon composed entirely of fire, the blazing entity surged forward, charging toward the thousands of monsters ahead.

“Whoa.”

It was a scene straight out of mythology. A fire-made dragon single-handedly diving into a horde of thousands.

Hwaruruk.

The Flame Dragon left a long trail of fire in its wake, burning through all monsters in its path as it soared. Then, it reached the center of the monster horde.

Kwooooosh!

The Flame Dragon exploded with a deafening roar. The shockwave alone vaporized over a thousand monsters. It was a truly overwhelming display of power.

“Don’t just stand there—attack!”

Snapped out of their daze by Gerald’s shout, the superhumans quickly regained their focus and began their assault. This battle would be made public—there was no room for them to be caught gawking. They unleashed their attacks in full force.

“Fire Rain!”

“Shining Star—”

“Wind Tornado.”

Attacks of various attributes rained down upon the monster horde.

Kwakakakak!

With the combined attacks of over twenty superhumans, hundreds more monsters were wiped out.

“(Heaven-Splitting) Wind Scar.”

Shwaaaaaak!

From the tip of Heo Sungshik’s Heaven-Splitting Divine Sword, blades of wind erupted, slicing through the battlefield.

Swish—slash.

The result was astonishing. Hundreds of monsters were cut down in a single strike. It swept away every remaining monster in the wake of the previous attacks.

“Oh?”

“Huh?”

Everyone looked at Heo Sungshik in awe.

“He’s really a seven-star superhuman.”

“I think he’s stronger than Frederick.”

Frederick’s expression twisted, but he had no rebuttal. It wasn’t an incorrect statement.

“Hahaha, this guy is something else!”

“I won’t be outdone. Time for another shot!”

“Even if you attack ten times, it won’t match half of that……”

It seemed that Jenny and Heo Sungshik’s performance had fired them up. Thousands of monsters still advanced, but morale had skyrocketed.

Heo Sungshik grinned at them and said,

“I’ve still got one more shot left.”

With those words, he sheathed Heaven-Splitter back into its scabbard. Sparks crackled from his outstretched hands.

Zap, zzzzt—

Lightning visibly surged from his raised palms.

“Wait, he has multiple attributes?”

“Wind and lightning……?”

Shocked murmurs spread. But their real astonishment was yet to come.

Heo Sungshik raised his lightning-imbued hands toward the sky.

Kurururung—

Thunder roared, as if responding to him.

Flash.

A bolt of lightning struck his hands.

Kwarrung.

More bolts followed, drawn into his grasp.

Zzzzt—

Then, with a deafening crackle, an immense surge of electricity erupted from his hands, shooting skyward. The brilliant blue lightning began to take shape.

A colossal hammer, nearly 300 meters in size, formed from pure lightning. It resembled Mjölnir, the hammer of the highest Norse god, Thor.

“Here we go.”

Under the stunned gazes of all, Heo Sungshik brought the massive lightning hammer crashing down upon the thousands of monsters below.