Within Guanshi, the common townsfolk only knew one thing:
The demonic beasts were gone, and joyous cheers erupted like a wave.
But those who had been rushing toward the city entrance knew what had truly happened.
From high in the sky, a lone figure had unleashed scorching crimson beams from his body,
and in the next instant, the entire demonic horde was obliterated.
The young sniper Kobe Michi looked up at the figure suspended in the air, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Is that... a human? That strong?"
The purple-haired youth with the curved blade gasped in awe.
"Holy crap! That was insanely cool!"
Of all those present, no one was more shocked than Su Lie.
Just moments earlier, he had barely finished calling out for Carl's help,
and in a blink, Carl had already wiped out the entire force.
As Su Lie stared at the now-empty entrance to Guanshi,
a strange doubt crept into his mind.
Had those monsters really existed?
Or had he imagined them?
And then,
a beam of red light shot toward him.
Startled, Su Lie instinctively tried to dodge.
But before he could react,
he realized,
The three elite demonic beasts in front of him had already vanished, completely vaporized by that crimson ray.
He stood frozen.
Those three had been abnormally powerful.
Even with over a decade of brutal experience as a commander on the Great Wall,
he'd barely been able to keep them at bay using his Armament Haki.
Without it, he wouldn't have lasted at all.
And now?
Gone.
Reduced to nothing in an instant.
So this was the man who could manipulate time…
who could resurrect the dead...
It all made sense now.
No wonder the chat group called him:
『GodAmongMen』.
This level of power,
was divine.
By now, some of the townspeople had also noticed the black silhouette hovering in the sky.
"Old Zhang, do you see that? Is that... someone up there?"
"See what? Don't start talking nonsense!"
"No, really, look! A shadow in the sky!"
"There is something up there…"
"It must be another monster! What kind of human can fly?!"
"That's impossible!"
"I saw him shoot red beams from his body and incinerate those beasts!"
"If he's one of them, why would he destroy his own kind? He has to be human!"
"Or… maybe a god? I mean, who else has that kind of power?"
"…Actually, that would explain a lot…"
Some had caught glimpses earlier, but in the chaos of the battle,
the blinding light and monsters had consumed their attention.
Now that the threat was gone, and the crimson glow had faded,
their eyes finally turned upward, to Carl.
But Carl had already landed,
beside Su Lie.
The moment he saw him approach,
Su Lie bowed deeply, voice full of gratitude.
"Carl-sama, we owe you everything."
"If you hadn't arrived in time, Guanshi, and everyone in it, would've fallen."
No one knew that better than Su Lie.
He'd struggled just to contain the three leaders of the horde.
Hundreds more had flooded the city.
If not for Carl…
the consequences would have been unthinkable.
In that moment, Su Lie felt grateful beyond words,
both for joining the chat group…
and for meeting Carl.
Carl gave a relaxed smile.
"No need to thank me."
If he had the chance to help someone, he didn't mind doing it.
After all, he was well-educated.
Twice over, actually.
And besides,
he'd just received a reward from the chat group the moment the monsters were destroyed.
[Mission Complete. Reward: 500 Group Points.]
Doing good while earning points?
Sounded like a win-win to him.
Carl didn't rush to leave.
Su Lie gave an apologetic nod.
"Carl-sama, I'll go calm the citizens first. Let's talk afterward."
Carl nodded.
"Go ahead."
Su Lie immediately strode into Guanshi.
He knew many of the people had witnessed the attack with their own eyes.
Their trust in the city's safety may already be shaken.
After all,
Guanshi's reopening had relied on a delicate trust between the Wall Guard and the Lord of Jade City.
Both sides had agreed, no soldiers in the market district,
so trade could proceed in peace.
It was meant to revitalize the border economy.
But now, on the very first day…
monsters had swarmed the gates.
Whether citizens came from the Wall or Jade City,
anxiety was inevitable.
Su Lie himself felt bitterness rise in his chest.
An image flashed in his mind,
the purple-haired youth with the blade.
Was this your plan all along...?
Su Lie clenched his fists silently.
With nothing better to do,
Carl followed Su Lie into the city.
He had to admit,
Su Lie really was a competent commander.
The people had been panicked and scattered.
But with just a few words, Su Lie brought order.
The tension melted from their faces.
Their breathing slowed.
They began to relax.
Then, one of the nearby citizens noticed Carl standing beside him.
"General Su Lie…" the man asked cautiously,
"That person beside you… is he the one who defeated the monsters?"
The people nearby turned to look.
Many had seen the figure in the sky earlier,
but now waited for confirmation.
Su Lie didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned to Carl, silently asking for permission.
Carl smiled gently and gave a small nod.
Su Lie's eyes lit up.
Raising his voice for all to hear, he declared:
"That's right."
"Some of you saw what happened.
The monsters invaded Guanshi only moments ago."
"This man beside me is the one who destroyed them all,
and saved our city."
"His name is Carl.
You may also know him as… 『GodAmongMen』."
The crowd fell utterly silent.
All eyes turned to Carl.
Those who had seen the battle…
those who hadn't…
all of them now looked at him with wide, awestruck eyes.
And then,
cheers erupted like thunder.
"Incredible! Thank you so much!"
"『GodAmongMen』? That name sounds amazing!"
"If it weren't for you, I'd be dead right now!"
"These are some snacks I made, please take them!"
"These vegetables are from my garden! They're delicious!"
A wave of citizens surged forward,
eager to show their gratitude to Carl in any way they could.
Seeing this, Carl simply rose into the air,
floating above the crowd.
He looked down at the gathering with a faint smile,
and spoke clearly:
"Everyone, there's no need to thank me."
"This victory belongs to General Su Lie."
"He stood his ground alone,
fighting against three monsters head-on."
"I'm just a friend of General Su Lie."
"If you want to thank someone, thank him.
As for me, I'll just take a few snacks. That's enough."
With that,
he descended beside the girl selling treats and picked up a few with a casual smile.
The crowd, deeply moved by his humility,
immediately turned to Su Lie instead,
cheering, clapping, calling his name.
Su Lie smiled softly and bowed in return,
thanking each and every person with warm sincerity.
At that moment,
Carl's gaze shifted.
From the edge of the city,
a group of soldiers was rapidly approaching.