"My information gathering team has discovered a monster with an S-tier talent being born deep within the forest. Many monsters are willingly giving themselves as offerings to that creature to help it grow stronger at an accelerated rate." The world powers were convening once more in an emergency session; this time, the person who had called for this urgent meeting was one of the five SSS-tier awakeners from Asia.
"Every day that passes, the monsters are getting progressively stronger and more organized. I have personally observed many tier nine monsters roaming the landscape, and although their talent rankings tend to be relatively low, I have noticed that many of the monsters with higher talent rankings are tiering up at an alarmingly high rate." The Asian man delivered this disturbing information calmly, his voice betraying no emotion despite the severity of the situation.
"South America is facing something similar to what you describe. I was forced to have all the survivors evacuate and move to North America for their safety. The city we established there, which still remains under my domain and control, serves as a critical stronghold that allows us to gradually reclaim South American territory bit by bit. The same desperate situation applies to Australia—we were fighting what felt like a losing battle on multiple fronts." Golden Lion spoke calmly, though the weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
"Africa is experiencing similar overwhelming pressure from monster forces; the continent has given birth to something we have designated as beast men. These are humanoid animals that possess the same level of intelligence as humans, if not smarter in many cases. From air-based creatures, sea-dwelling species, to land animals, they are all gathering together and forming unified coalitions to conquer Africa entirely for themselves." An African man explained softly, throwing a brief but meaningful look toward Zero, his expression carrying genuine gratitude since Zero had provided them with crucial assistance and support.
"We should be uniting our forces to face this existential threat together; at the rate things are currently progressing and deteriorating, we would inevitably lose everything." Golden Lion said softly but firmly, his suggestion causing the Russian man to burst into loud, mocking laughter. Golden Lion simply ignored the disrespectful outburst completely.
"Don't forget about the ocean and what lurks beneath the waves. As things stand right now, we are all still alive primarily thanks to the fact that these monsters are not launching a coordinated full-scale attack against humanity." Golden Lion added, emphasizing the precariousness of their situation.
"You're weak, that's the simple truth of the matter. Don't waste my time by bothering me with your pointless calls and meetings." The Russian man said arrogantly, his tone dripping with disdain. The sight of such baseless arrogance left Golden Lion genuinely confused about where exactly the man derived so much confidence and superiority from. After witnessing Thor's incredible power and his legendary weapon firsthand, Golden Lion had come to understand that some SSS-tier talents might possess hidden trump cards that justified their confidence.
"What happened to Thor and Morningstar? Did they join your empire willingly?" Before the Russian man could disconnect and leave the meeting entirely, he was forced to stop and pay attention when questioned by the man who bore a striking resemblance to Seth.
"Yes, we have successfully recruited two new SSS-tier talents to our cause." Golden Lion confirmed softly, his words making the Seth look-alike narrow his eyes suspiciously. The Russian man also paused in his departure, realizing he had to take this significant development seriously despite his previous dismissiveness.
"Golden Lion, out of everyone gathered here so far, you are the only one I have observed who demonstrates genuine strategic thinking and intelligence. Golden Lion, I wish to discuss in much more detail the possibility of working together with you and your empire." A red-haired Indian man said with a faint, diplomatic smile. His words hung in the air with clear implication.
"I feel the same way about potential cooperation," one of the two African SSS-tier awakeners spoke up in agreement. This development left the man who looked remarkably similar to Seth frowning deeply as the troubling realization dawned on him: he couldn't allow America to continue accumulating and gathering SSS-tier talents under one banner, or else the balance of global power would shift irreversibly.
His gaze drifted toward the screen display, which showed the Russian representative, the North Korean representative, and the other SSS-tier awakeners who also clearly felt growing unease with Golden Lion's rapidly expanding power and influence. Golden Lion noticed all of this political maneuvering and underlying tension, but he ignored it for the time being. Instead, he turned his full attention to the more immediate priority of increasing their empire's influence and territorial control.
So, a few days passed without major incident.
"...What is this supposed to mean?" Chu Yin asked sharply while looking down at the substantial stack of papers that had been brought before her desk by Shadow who had materialized silently.
"We have received urgent news that the monster populations in both the south and the north have suddenly gone berserk without warning; we're being attacked simultaneously on both sides of our territory," Shadow reported calmly, his voice steady despite the dire nature of the information. The northern border led directly to the North Pole region, while the south opened to South America—both locations being among the places with the smallest remaining human populations and the weakest defensive infrastructure.
"How many monsters are we facing, and what is their level of power?" Chu Yin asked with a tight frown creasing her features, recognizing immediately that this was an extremely serious development. Monsters didn't just suddenly go berserk without some underlying reason or catalyst.
"Over five billion monsters attacking on both sides, bringing the total to at least ten billion hostile forces. The weakest amongst them are the tier-zero monsters, which are essentially just spawn creatures with minimal individual power. They make up the vast majority of the attacking numbers and are the ones taking the lead in the assault, attempting to overwhelm our army through sheer volume." Shadow reported, his words painting a grim picture of the situation.
Chu Yin responded by waving her hand smoothly through the air, forming two crystalline ice mirrors that materialized before her. These ice constructs allowed her to see both battlefronts simultaneously and observe the unfolding chaos. The north and the south were both under heavy assault.
Zero had positioned himself in the north because of his Canadian heritage and background; he had been personally overlooking and defending the Canadian territories with careful attention. The One-Eyed Witch had teleported herself to the southern front and was currently bathing enthusiastically in the blood of countless monsters, slaughtering them with wild abandon and not caring for anything else beyond the violence and carnage.
After all, she knew how she would die, so she could be careless all she wanted, and fight without a care in the world.
"One Eye, Zero, be extremely careful out there. Avoid revealing or showing that you're SSS-tier talents at all costs, and keep your true capabilities hidden from observation. I have a very strong feeling this coordinated attack has something to do with interference from other humans rather than being a natural monster behavior." Golden Lion spoke clearly and firmly, commanding the very air itself to carry his words across the vast distances to reach the two warriors on the frontlines.
"Don't tell me what to do," One Eye responded sharply, casually crushing a massive monster in one hand like it was made of paper. She turned her head to look directly toward Golden Lion's location, which was countless miles away from her current position. Despite the enormous distance separating them, she was somehow able to pinpoint and look right at his exact location with her single eye, staring at him across the impossible distance.
"Listen to him," Chu Yin said softly but with unmistakable authority in her tone. Her gentle command caused One Eye to pause for a brief second, reconsidering her defiance, before she finally nodded in reluctant acceptance. By utilizing her authority as the Overlord of her territory, Chu Yin possessed the ability to have her voice reach anyone or everyone within the boundaries of her domain, regardless of distance or obstacles.
Chu Yin and One Eye had fought against each other in the past, and that brutal confrontation had made one thing abundantly clear to both of them: One Eye might be mentally unstable in certain ways, but she had been completely subdued and dominated by Chu Yin after the Overlord had crushed One Eye's spirit.
The defeat had forced the witch to understand and accept that all of her formidable abilities amounted to nothing when confronted by Chu Yin's ice, which could apparently accomplish anything she desired or imagined.But Chu Yin had a feeling that One Eye was holding back and lost willing.
"What are you going to be doing while we handle the frontlines?" Golden Lion, who remained far away from the immediate combat, asked calmly. He wasn't particularly bothered by One Eye's initial resistance to his guidance. In a direct fight between the two of them, One Eye would likely prove to be the stronger combatant…
"I'm going to pay a personal visit to Russia," Chu Yin announced with a bloodthirsty grin spreading across her face. There was something uniquely fun and exhilarating about killing an SSS-tier talent that couldn't be found in simply slaughtering monsters endlessly. Unlike killing monsters, which had become almost routine, fighting another SSS-tier presented a genuine challenge that excited her. It forced her to be genuinely creative and innovative with her ice abilities in ways that normal combat didn't require.
For example, she could freely utilize Omni Ice, creating ice that fundamentally didn't exist according to normal physics and reality, which meant Golden Lion's talent would be completely useless against it. Hell, she could even create ice that operated as a logical paradox, making it immune to One Eye's eyes.
[Name: Andrei Ivankov
Race: The All-Destroying Bloodline
Talent: Complete Destruction (SSS Rank)
Title: [Blessed By The Nothingness], [One out of the 18 people with an SSS rank Talent], [Born Destroyer]
Tier: 1 Tier (1/1,000,000,000 XP)
Combat Power: 8 million (+50% with Gear/x3 in Territory./??? With The Power Of Destruction)
"You're stronger than I expected you to be," a female voice observed from within a luxurious bedroom. A man could be seen reclining in an enormous bed surrounded by countless females in various states of undress. It was a disgusting sight when one noticed the ages of some of those present on this bed, but the main focus quickly shifted to the Russian man himself. He quickly stood up from his compromising position, his entire demeanor changing instantly when he spotted Chu Yin stepping calmly into his private room through an Ice Mirror that had materialized without warning.