“Oh ho, you think he has potential?”

“Yes. If the Martial Emperor sees him, he might find him worth nurturing.”

Before leaving, Sungshik thought to entrust Choi Moonguk to the Martial Emperor.

“Really? If you're guaranteeing it, Sungshik, I’d like to at least take a look.”

“Then I’ll introduce him to you sometime soon.”

“Okay. But that doesn’t mean I’m taking him in for sure. I’ll decide after seeing whether he really has potential.”

“Of course, that’s only natural.”

The Martial Emperor liked talented people. He knew better than anyone how crucial talent was in martial arts.

That was why, had Choi Moonguk not shown potential in martial arts or lacked the latent trait '[SSS Rank] Indestructible Vajra Body', Sungshik wouldn’t even have thought of introducing him to the Martial Emperor.

“Alright, I get it. Anyway, have a safe trip to Alaska. Suffer a little in my place.”

“Haha, I wouldn’t call it suffering. It’s all helpful to me too.”

“True~ We’re going together anyway. Just think of it as a group trip to Alaska.”

Jenny, standing beside Sungshik, chimed in with sparkling eyes.

“Yes! I love traveling! Kingdom of Winter! Let’s head to Alaska!”

“Tsk, Fletcher, if you get too excited like that, you’ll mess up. Let’s not forget we’re going to clear a Gate, after all.”

“Aw, come on, sis. What do you take me for, a kid?”

Hearing Fletcher’s words, a smile spread across Sungshik’s lips. To anyone, Fletcher looked like a child, and that childish pretense of being an adult was rather endearing.

'The Lord of Thunder at this time was quite cute. He had the charm of a kid his age.'

Watching Fletcher, Sungshik thought that maybe this is how it would feel if he had a younger sibling.

Truly, to anyone looking, Fletcher was just a mischievous boy his age. The idea that such a boy would one day sweep across the battlefield and be called the Grim Reaper of War felt odd and surreal.

“Then we’ll be off now, Martial Emperor. It was really nice meeting you. I’ll stay in touch.”

“No, thank you for accepting my invitation. I have a good feeling we’ll get along well going forward. See you soon after you return. Jenny, take care. And Fletcher… don’t cause trouble, got it?”

“Jeez, you talk like I’m always getting into trouble. You think I can’t tell the difference? Sevrant always sees me as some immature brat.”

Hearing Fletcher, the Martial Emperor recalled the numerous incidents Fletcher had caused so far. He held his head and shook it, then looked at Jenny, his gaze conveying a message.

'Jenny, I’m counting on you.'

'Don’t worry.'

Jenny replied to the unspoken message with a gentle smile. That smile was so lovely that the Martial Emperor’s lips curled up instinctively. It was the warm smile of an uncle looking fondly at his niece.

“Ah, what’s up with you two again. Having another 'silent conversation’ with your eyes. Just speak with words, will you?”

Seeing them, Fletcher let out a not-so-jealous jealousy.

'Those three really have a deep bond.'

Watching them gave even him a warm feeling inside.

The signs of the Gate Break were appearing clearly earlier than in his past life. Ever since S30 managed to stop the Gate rampage in China, reports had continued to surface about the increasing frequency of Gate eruptions worldwide.

'It’s definitely happening faster than before.'

He didn’t know the reason. It could’ve been a butterfly effect caused by his regression, or the work of Xiaoguang—now returned to dust—might have triggered a chain reaction. Especially since Xiaoguang had connections to the Revolutionary Knights.

—It’s always those shady organizations that end up sparking major incidents.

So said Heaven-Splitter, drawing from his long-lived experience, giving Sungshik a sense of foreboding grounded in intuition.

—The impact of your regression on this world is minimal. You only focused on your own strength. That level of causality wouldn’t ripple across the globe.

'Then… this really might be related to the Revolutionary Knights?'

—I can’t say for sure. But it’s certainly a strong possibility.

'Hmm, but by now they should just be hollow shells, right? I figure their leader is either Li Xiaoguang or… that guy who came before with the wind attribute.'

Sungshik had guessed wrong. But he had his reasons. In the past, the Revolutionary Knights were truly just a guerrilla group. An anti-human organization of little consequence that couldn’t pose any serious threat to humanity.

So Sungshik didn’t know.

—Hmm. Those two felt insufficient to be considered true leaders of that group. I don’t mean in terms of strength. True leaders emit a certain… presence, charisma, pressure—something indescribable. Most of the time, they have that kind of aura. But those two didn’t. You should consider the possibility that the real leader is someone else.

Heaven-Splitter’s intuition was remarkable. From a scant amount of information, he nearly arrived at the truth. It was proof of the experience and instinct honed over countless years.

'Right. I need to keep that possibility in mind.'

They say even when crossing a stone bridge, test it first. Since his regression, the Revolutionary Knights were no longer the same group he once knew. If the chance arose, he thought he should find their base and wipe them out.

'Better to clean out the cockroaches before the Nights of Trial come.'

That way, the foundation to face the Lords of the Night without interference could be laid. And before that, humanity’s overall combat strength needed to be stronger than in the past.

Before leaving for Alaska, Sungshik once more used the community to warn about the danger of a Gate Break.

Leaving the Martial Emperor’s estate, Sungshik’s group passed through Canada and headed straight to Alaska. It was less cold than expected.

“It’s not as cold as I thought it’d be.”

Stepping off the train and onto the soil of Anchorage, Sungshik felt the weather was milder than expected.

“Right? I heard that in the past, a reindeer’s feet froze while walking in Alaska and it died on the spot, unable to move.”

Although Jenny lived in the U.S., this was her first time stepping on Alaskan soil. She found it puzzling that the weather wasn’t as freezing as she imagined.

“Hey, do you know why that is?”

Sungshik and Jenny both turned to Fletcher.

“Why?”

Jenny asked with a curious look. Sungshik didn’t speak, but his expression showed he was wondering the same thing. Fletcher looked at them both and grinned as he replied.

“That’s because of global warming.”

At Fletcher’s words, Jenny showed a dumbfounded expression, and Sungshik also chuckled as if it was ridiculous.

“This punk.”

Jenny clenched her fist and pretended to flick Fletcher on the head.

“Ah, what! I’m telling the truth.”

Actually, it was true. Due to global warming, the average temperature in Alaska had indeed risen.

And as they had originally known, Alaska wasn’t always perpetually cold. Even in the past, there were periods when the temperature rose above freezing depending on the season. That was how a civilized city like Anchorage, where people gathered to live, had come into existence.

―Still, isn’t the cold meaningless to you?

‘That’s true.’

In fact, all of them—Sungshik, Jenny, and Fletcher—were Superhumans who had reached 7 Stars. Upon reaching 7 Stars, they had each undergone a rebirth. While they weren’t entirely immune to cold, their bodies had exceptional temperature regulation abilities that allowed them to endure a certain degree of cold.

Moreover, in Sungshik’s case, thanks to the “Crystal of Cold” trait, he had developed ice resistance, allowing him to not feel much cold even if he were dropped in the Arctic.

‘Still, I was expecting a city worthy of being called a kingdom of winter…’

Sungshik murmured inwardly, recalling the classic masterpiece Frozen he had watched recently. Seeing his expression, Heaven-Splitter muttered.

―Hanging around that kid Fletcher, it’s like your childishness is rubbing off.

Upon arriving in Anchorage, the group was immediately guided to the city center by an escort who had come to welcome them. Anchorage was quite a lively city. As they rode the limousine magic car brought by the escort and admired the cityscape, they soon arrived at the city hall located in the center.

At the entrance of city hall, the governor of Alaska was waiting to greet them.

“Welcome, heroes, to Anchorage.”

“It’s a pleasure to be here.”

“To come all this way… I’m truly grateful that you accepted our request without hesitation.”

The governor repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Sungshik and the group. Judging by his rather gaunt face, he seemed to have been under considerable stress lately, perhaps due to the Gate issue.

Following the governor’s lead, they entered the VIP room inside city hall.

“I’ve heard much about the fame of the Heavenly Sovereign lately. I also heard rumors that you gained the upper hand in a recent sparring match with the Martial Emperor. I heard you’ve only recently Awakened—truly remarkable.”

“Ah, yes. Well… thank you.”

Sungshik replied with a dry smile as the governor polished his reputation. He felt uncomfortable, as it seemed like the rumor about him besting the Martial Emperor had become an unintended exaggeration.

‘I don’t like being misunderstood like this. I need to get stronger quickly.’

―Remember that if you get consumed by impatience, the only path ahead is ruin.

‘I know that.’

He knew better than anyone that being trapped by impatience could ruin even the possible. It was just that being misunderstood to be more capable than he actually was irked him, so he resolved to push himself harder.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time as well, Miss Jenny, the Elemental Master. I’d heard that your beauty rivals your power, and I must say, you are dazzling.”

“You’re too kind. But thank you for seeing me in a good light.”

Jenny spoke with a gentle smile, and the governor’s compliment wasn’t an exaggeration. Jenny had grown even more beautiful lately.

As the governor continued to compliment Jenny, Fletcher wore a rather smug expression. It was as if he was saying, ‘Alright, I’m ready for compliments now.’

“Is the young gentleman next to you also a Superhuman? I heard three Superhumans would be coming. If you are one, that’s impressive.”

“Ahem, I…”

Fletcher, about to show off, frowned at the governor’s next words.

“It’s rare for an elementary schooler to Awaken. You might become a great Superhuman in the future. Hoho.”

Fletcher’s face turned red when the governor mistook him for an elementary school student. His short height and small build for his age were a sore spot for him.

“Kekeke.”

Sungshik and Jenny held back laughter at the sight, while Fletcher pouted.

“Excuse me, I’m in ninth grade. Is your eyesight bad? Should I buy you glasses?”

Unable to get angry at the elderly-looking governor, Fletcher grumbled quietly. In the U.S., ninth grade is equivalent to the third year of Korean middle school.

“Oh dear, I’ve been rude to our little hero. My sincere apologies.”

As the governor offered a heartfelt apology, Fletcher seemed to let go of his resentment.

Though a minor misunderstanding(?) had occurred, the group entered Anchorage with a warm welcome from the governor. Details about the Gate subjugation request were to be explained after the welcome party.

After moving to the best hotel in Anchorage and unpacking, Sungshik and the others were invited to the welcome party hosted by the governor that evening.

The party was quite large, on a massive scale. That was because over three hundred Superhumans residing in Anchorage or dispatched from across the U.S. were present. Not everyone attended, but a significant number had.

“Let me introduce the three new arrivals. Two of them are already famous. Here we have: the Heavenly Sovereign Heo Sungshik, Elemental Master Jenny, and the future little hero, Fletcher! Please give them a round of applause!”

The party began by announcing the presence of the three. Though the party wasn’t specifically in their honor, Sungshik and Jenny soon became the center of attention. Many Superhumans approached to strike up conversations.

Though the three initially stuck together, they soon split into separate groups. Fletcher, however, ended up alone with nowhere to go. A few female Superhumans who saw him approached and spoke to him.

“Hey there, little guy. Fletcher, right? You’re so smart and handsome~”

“Hahaha. Nice to meet you, ladies. You have excellent taste.”

Flattered by the compliments from the female Superhumans, Fletcher grinned and began chatting happily.

While the three were swept up in the party’s atmosphere, a few Superhumans had their eyes on Jenny.

“She’s really as pretty as they say.”

“Told you. I said she’s the top of the top among women I’ve seen.”

“Ugh, why didn’t I trust Kelson’s taste before? I acknowledge it now.”

“Hehe, now we just have to figure out how to get her.”

“What’s there to think about? Let’s do what we always do. Other than her rank, she’s not any different.”

“Okay. We’ll leave it to you, Oscar.”

They stared at Jenny with lecherous eyes.