Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sky split open with dazzling bursts of multicolored light as countless skills detonated against the barrier wall. Explosions rippled through the heavens, shaking the ground with deafening roars. Damage numbers flashed wildly in the air, rising in frantic succession.
On a rocky highland not far away, Lin Nan of the Demon-Hunting Institute stood with his chest puffed out, pride gleaming in his eyes.
He was no ordinary team leader. This time, he had been sent directly by the Imperial Capital branch, commanded to gather every top expert above Battle General rank that the institute could mobilize.
And their goal was singular—absolute.
To shatter the barrier wall of the Forest Kingdom map.
If they succeeded, it would mark the second time humanity had broken through the system's restrictions—after Demon-Slayer himself had cracked the beginner's map wall. By opening this new frontier, humanity's collective level cap would leap past 200, strengthening the race as a whole.
Lin Nan's handsome face glowed with excitement as he watched the battle unfold. "Yes… at this pace, we'll complete the mission perfectly."
Turning to his right, he looked at the man beside him—broad-shouldered, with a blade scar running between his brows. His voice softened with deep respect.
"Senior… what do you think?"
The middle-aged man did not respond. His hands remained clasped behind his back, his aura perfectly restrained, expression unreadable. He stood as if the battle before them had nothing to do with him at all.
Lin Nan could only sigh inwardly. Outwardly, he dared not show even the slightest trace of disrespect. This man was not just anyone.
His presence was absolute.
Level: 2150.
Rank: Battle God, Tier 3.
Position on the Human Power Rankings: #33.
Title bestowed by the Demon-Hunting Institute: The Northern War God.
Every Battle God bore a title. It was not just recognition of strength, but of their status. To reach that peak meant being one of the most terrifying weapons humanity possessed—an individual capable of erasing an entire demon legion single-handedly.
That was why Lin Nan's confidence burned so brightly. With the Northern War God here, nothing could go wrong.
Or so he thought.
"Wait—what the hell is going on?!" someone shouted from the frontlines.
Lin Nan's head snapped up. His expression froze.
Across the radiant surface of the barrier wall, a cascade of green numbers had begun to appear.
+99,999,999!
+99,999,999!
+99,999,999!
"What… what is this?!" Lin Nan's voice cracked. His stomach turned cold.
The barrier wall was healing itself.
"That's impossible! Why would the wall regenerate?!"
The panic hit him like ice water. The research provided by Imperial Capital University had said nothing about this.
Then, a horrifying realization struck.
"Wait… the last time Demon-Slayer cracked the starter map wall, the system ran maintenance afterward… Could it be…?"
His face paled. "Damn it! The system patched in self-repair for the walls!"
Lin Nan's teeth ground together, his jaw tight with fury. "That damned system! Shameless!"
But there was no time to waste. He spun toward the man beside him. "Senior! The wall is regenerating. What should we do now?"
At last, the Northern War God stirred. His voice was calm, distant, yet filled with unshakable certainty.
"No need to panic. I will handle it."
Lin Nan's heart leapt with relief. His trembling eased. With the War God stepping in, there was nothing left to fear.
Out in front, the hundreds of experts had grown restless and furious. They had unleashed everything, hammering the wall with endless bombardments, only for it to fully heal in seconds.
"Are you kidding me?!" someone cursed. "We hit it for ten minutes, and it's back at full health in three seconds!"
Another slammed his fist into the ground. "This is bullshit!"
"Look!" someone shouted suddenly. "The Northern War God is moving!"
The air shifted violently. A suffocating pressure rolled across the battlefield, forcing the gathered players to suck in sharp breaths.
Above them, the War God's form blurred, then shot into the sky like a missile.
BOOM!
The heavens detonated.
His body dissolved into stormwinds, expanding outward until the gale spanned tens of thousands of meters, binding sky and earth into a single raging maelstrom.
The world broke apart. The earth cracked, the void split open, forests in the distance were ripped from their roots and shredded into dust. The battlefield became a vision of apocalypse.
"So this… this is the power of an SS-ranked talent…"
The crowd cowered in terror, their voices trembling as the Northern War God unleashed his storm upon the wall.
BOOM!
The gale struck the radiant surface, slamming into it with earth-shaking force.
For a moment, it worked—the barrier's health plummeted by billions.
But then, almost mockingly, the green numbers appeared again.
+99,999,999!
+99,999,999!
And just like that, it was back to full health.
"This… this can't be real…"
Even the gathered elites fell silent. If the War God couldn't break it, then what hope was there?
But the storm above did not weaken. On the contrary, it grew fiercer.
From within the gale, a cold voice echoed: "Interesting. I'll take this seriously."
Thunder exploded across the heavens. Lightning snaked downward, twining itself around the raging winds. The elements resonated. Wind and thunder merged into a world-shattering catastrophe, roaring as if gods themselves were descending.
The War God struck again.
CRACK!
Fine lines appeared across the radiant barrier.
The crowd erupted. "He did it! It's cracking!"
But before the cheers could even rise—
SHHHH!
The green numbers returned, and the cracks sealed instantly.
The wall gleamed in perfect condition once more.
"…You've got to be kidding me," someone muttered weakly.
Even the Northern War God's face darkened.
At that exact moment—
Far at the edge of the forest, another figure arrived.
Noah.
Wrapped in the faint golden glow of the Goddess of Dawn's divine protection, he gazed at the scene with wide eyes.
"Holy hell… is someone transcending tribulation out here?" he blurted, stunned. But then his eyes narrowed as realization hit.
No. Not a tribulation. Someone was trying to break through the wall.
He couldn't help but scoff. Seriously? Since when did even barrier-breaking have this much competition?
As the storm and thunder gradually faded, the barrier wall stood beneath the silver moon—completely intact, shining as if nothing had touched it.
Noah let out a low chuckle. "Heh. What a joke. All that showboating… and not even a scratch left behind. Do they really think breaking a wall is child's play?"
He shook his head, then strode forward calmly, pulling up his Eyes of the Doomed to scan the crowd ahead.
The feedback was instant.
[205 players: Battle General, Level 700–800]
[112 players: Battle General, Level 800–999]
[15 players: Battle King, Level 1000–1100]
[4 players: Battle King, Level 1200]
[1 player: Battle God, Level 2150]
Noah's eyes widened slightly. "That's… one hell of a lineup."
Even so, the chatter rising from the group made it clear how useless all their efforts had been.
"Damn it! We've thrown everything at it, and the damn wall heals like it's alive!"
"Even with the Northern War God, it's impossible! How did Demon-Slayer do it back then?!"
"I'll tell you how—because the system patched the wall after his stunt. If it weren't for this regeneration, we would've broken through hours ago!"
"Yeah, what's the point anymore? Even if the Human Emperor himself showed up, he wouldn't crack this thing now!"
"Forget it, I'm logging off. My wife's waiting for dinner."
The complaints piled up, bitter and hopeless.
High above, the War God's expression was stormy, his aura seething.
Noah exhaled slowly. His lips curved. "Alright then… I guess it's my turn."