New York, London, Shanghai, Paris.
Besides these cities, others around the world were all experiencing the phenomenon of their streets being draped in eerie silence right now. People had stopped walking and found themselves unable to tear their eyes away from the many electronic screens installed here and there.
Those large screens were continuously showing the breaking news regarding the horrifying tragedy unfolding in the capital city of South Korea, Seoul.
Because of the super-massive Gate's presence, the world's attention had been focused there already, so it was only normal that the news spread around like a wildfire.
TV stations in many countries interrupted their regular programming to broadcast live the current situation unfolding in Seoul.
Once the sight of a cityscape dripping with blood as filmed by the camera lens from the sky, the viewers around the world recoiled in sheer horror.
Seoul was one of the biggest metropolises in the entire world. But with such a city lying in ruins like that, it implied that their safety couldn't be guaranteed even within their own cities.
The tragedy of Seoul didn't feel like an incident happening in some distant country, but something that was happening to them personally.
Was that the reason why they felt relieved when Thomas Andre stepped up to put an end to the monster's rampage? The obviously-excited foreign correspondents, after their cameras caught the sight of America's best Hunter, began crying out his name repeatedly as if they wanted to damage their own vocal cords.
The viewers gathered their hands in prayer and with one heart, cheered Goliath on. And that was why the streets were filled with elated cries every time Goliath roughed up that beast-like monster.
"Yes! More! More!!"
"Destroy that thing! Goliath, kill that thing dead!!"
"Send it to hell!!"
Unfortunately....
The cheering and elated cries filling up the streets soon morphed into shocked silence as Goliath's fists were shattered, his arms were broken, and his blood and flesh were spilt onto the ground.
The viewers' arms raised up high in the air slowly lowered back to their sides. Some even began wordlessly shedding tears as they watched humanity's best warrior being horribly destroyed like that.
It was as if the time itself had frozen.
People rendered utterly speechless by the overwhelming shock couldn't even hear their own breathing. If this was a dream, then they wanted to wake up right about now.
Too bad, though, that the screen kept transmitting the images of Goliath and his pained screaming over and over again. The expression on the viewers' faces changed to that of even greater despair.
It was then.
A lone Hunter jumped out from somewhere and blew away the beast.
No, there were two of them. A black-haired man appeared without warning right next to the Caucasian Hunter.
Not just the viewers, but even the news anchors couldn't figure out what was going on and failed to hide their confusion.
Just what had happened?
Who were those two people?
It happened far too quickly, and also, the camera was filming from too far and couldn't capture their faces properly.
However....
The anchors saw the black soldiers filling up the streets in the blink of an eye and cried out until their voices turned hoarse.
[It's Hunter Seong Jin-Woo! Hunter Seong Jin-Woo has finally made his entrance!]
[We don't have to see his face! You can block out his name! Even then, we know who it is! Those black soldiers, that's 100% Hunter Seong Jin-Woo!!]
[The Goliath might have fallen, but the baton has been handed over to Hunter Seong Jin-Woo! His summoned creatures have surrounded the monsters!]
Waaaaah-!!
The viewers all around the world punched the air and cried out in elation once more as they watched the black soldiers completely cover up the streets of Seoul.
Especially the Americans, their unified roars were so loud that their cities seemed to rock from the noise itself. It was understandable, since they had lost one of their Special Authority-rank Hunters through tragic circumstances recently, and when even Thomas Andre found himself in danger, they had all fallen into a deep pit of mental shock.
Besides, the total number of views online for the Jeju Island raid featuring Jin-Woo had already surpassed 2 billion. Meaning, pretty much everyone knew his name by now.
And so, the whole world had begun chanting his name.
"Hey, hang on a minute! I know who that other Hunter is! Yeah, I know that guy! He's Germany's Lennart Niermann!"
This guy, who wished to boast about his discerning eyes, couldn't help but get swept away by the atmosphere and started chanting 'Seong Jin-Woo', his hands raised up high in the air.
The focus of the whole world was now on Jin-Woo's back.
***
The Shadow Army surrounded the three Sovereigns in a circle.
On top of the streets now darkened by the shadow with the help of the skill, 'Sovereign's Territory', the army's morale had hit its highest peak.
'So, how about it now?'
Jin-Woo scanned the faces of the three Sovereigns. They carried rather amused expressions.
The female giant, created out of insects, took a sweeping look at the streets filled with Shadow Soldiers and chuckled derisively.
[So, this is the new Shadow Army, is it?]
[The overall number isn't bad, but even then, they are nothing but a bunch of riffraff.]
Looking unconcerned in the slightest, the Sovereign of Frost took a step forward.
Fuu-whoop...
It sucked its breath in lightly before spitting out horrifyingly cold air that spread out everywhere in an instant.
Kwajeeck!
And in just one moment, everything standing on the ground became frozen ice sculptures. Even the Shadow Army was no exception.
'How can this be?!'
Jin-Woo confirmed that his soldiers had all frozen up and his expression hardened gradually.
The power of the Sovereigns that rendered the soldiers useless in one stroke – he had experienced something like this before, when he was facing off against the Sovereign of White Flames, Baran, back in the Demon's Castle instant dungeon.
If there was one glaring difference between then and now, that would be him having to face three enemies instead of one.
The soldiers trapped within the ice couldn't be freed even with his ability to store them back in his shadow.
[Your pitiful soldiers won't be able to take a single step outside the prison I have manifested.]
The Sovereign of Frost sounded confident of its victory after imprisoning the Shadow Army.