System's POV

Rank 3 Monsters were existences that no ordinary Rookies dared to fight.

Facing such a monster was akin to suicide.

Only Wanderers who were Apostles and above that rank had a high chance of subjugating them without suffering any serious injuries.

However, they were not about to face a one-on-one battle with these monsters.

They would be facing hundreds of them.

A Monster Outbreak of Rank 3 Monsters could still be fought by ordinary citizens using firearms and modern weaponry.

However, they need to surround the gate, and the moment a single monster appears, all of them must start their bombardment, not giving them a chance to advance unhindered.

When the Dimensional Gates first appeared in the world of Pangea, this was how the military dealt with them.

However, as more powerful monsters arrived, they realized that their firepower was not enough to contain them.

While using firearms was still the norm when handling a High-Tiered Gate, the most effective method was to send Grandmasters and Champions to deal with such threats.

A few days had passed since the gates appeared, and an evacuation order had already been imposed in the city.

Since these gates appeared on their home turf, the Ashford Clan didn't want any damage to property, so they sent their elite units to handle the situation.

However, three Tier-3 Gates still needed a lot of manpower to handle.

Because of this, they could only ask the Hero Party and the other Wanderers if they were willing to lend a hand.

Naturally, many agreed to the request of the Ashford Clan, and they were now gathered before one of the Gates.

The members of the Hero Party stood dozens of meters away from the Dimensional Gate, while the other Wanderers encircled it.

They needed to make sure that none of the monsters would be able to escape their killing zone.

While some of the Wanderers who volunteered had experience in facing off a monster outbreak from a Dimensional Gate, the majority of those who gathered in the venue were first-timers.

They had fought Jinns in Solterra, but not to the extent where hundreds of them would come charging out of the Dimensional Gate, ready to kill anyone and anything in front of them.

The sun was just about to set, and yet the streets were very bright because spotlights were aimed at the area of the Dimensional Gate, making people see the monsters that would soon come out of it.

Zion stood a few meters away from the members of the Hero Party.

If possible, he didn't want to participate in this battle. However, accidents might happen, so he still came, but only as a backup.

Although he couldn't summon his Monster Army, he still had ways how to deal with the threat in front of him.

Also, if things really got out of hand, his Hundreds of Demons, who were lurking under the ground, could grab the monsters by their ankles, holding them in place to allow the Wanderers to hack them to death.

"Five minutes left," Roland said. "Everyone, get ready!"

Shana and Diana summoned their banners and planted them on the ground, giving all the Wanderers in the area a buff that made their minds clearer and their bodies stronger.

"As expected of the Hero Party!" one of the Wanderers cried out in shock. "Just fighting with them makes me feel stronger!"

"I thought I was just imagining things, but it seems that you also felt the same way I did," another Wanderer commented.

Soon, everyone's morale rose up because this was something that they could brag to their family and friends.

'I fought alongside the Hero Party and stopped a Monster Outbreak!'

That kind of news was something that would truly make them stand out from the rest, making the people who knew them look at them in a different light.

When the last minute of the countdown started, everyone braced themselves for the upcoming battle.

Sherry, who had decided to fight alongside Zion, had already summoned her Armored Blade Panther.

While she still wasn't that proficient in close combat, she had been taught by Zion how to use the skills she learned in the lands of Absolute Heaven, which were Silk Threads, Camouflage, and Wall Crawling.

The Silk Threads could help bind her enemies.

While she couldn't use camouflage because she was protecting Zion, her Wall Crawling abilities would definitely come in handy.

She wouldn't hesitate to wrap Thirteen in silk threads and then drag him to climb over the building that was right beside them.

Thirteen chose this place just for Sherry, allowing her a path of escape if it was truly needed.

Unless the Jinns that would come out of the gate had wings and could fly, Sherry would have no problems surviving this battle.

Suddenly the gate grew bigger, which was an indication that the gate was about to open.

"Brace!" Roland ordered.

The Wanderers gripped the handle of their weapons firmly, preparing for a great battle.

Suddenly, loud roars reverberated in the surroundings, as the Gate finally opened.

Several Red-Horned Minotaurs, who were Rank 3 Monsters, ran out of the Gate, holding their War Axes.

These nearly three-meter-tall monsters were known for their savagery, making the Wanderers grit their teeth as they prepared to clash with the enemies.

Roland and Derek didn't rush forward. If they did, the other Wanderers would follow them and break their formation.

When it came to large-scale battles, charging alone with a group of people was not advisable. They needed to use tactics to whittle down their enemies from a safe distance.

"Open Fire!" Roland ordered.

Immediately, arrows and spells rained down on the Minotaurs.

Those who were using military weaponry, stationed on top of the buildings, unleashed a barrage of bullets at the wave of monsters that was pouring out of the Dimensional Gate, providing cover for the Wanderers who would engage them in close combat.

A minute later, the sound of war cries, shouts, and curses broke out as the battle was fought in close quarters.

Thirteen was paying close attention to this battle because he wanted to know how a rag-tag group of Wanderers could work together for the first time.

'Maybe this is a ploy of the Ashford Clan to whittle down the number of candidates for the competition,' Thirteen mused.

He was partly correct in his assumption because Claude had indeed thought of this idea.

Unfortunately, he made a miscalculation by inviting the Hero Party because Thirteen would follow them and make sure that none of them got hurt.

Just as he expected, chaos ensued as the battle became a free-for-all.

Knowing that casualties might start to pile up if he didn't do anything, Thirteen ordered the hidden Demons to make their move.

'Fortunately, it's already dark, and the camera recording this battle has already been dealt with,' Thirteen mused as the hidden helpers of the Wanderers started to join the battle.

They targeted the Minotaur's feet, making them fall over, slowing down their advance.

Tiona, who had also gotten Thirteen's permission, slithered toward the battle and transformed into a Chakram. She started to spin around, hacking the legs of the Minotaurs that she passed through.

This sudden turn of events gave the Wanderers some breathing time to deal with the monsters in front of them.

Although those with keen eyesight, especially those on the rooftop, noticed some dark beings jumping out of the street and attacking the Minotaurs, they decided to put this matter at the back of their mind for the time being.

Their priority was to deal with the threat in front of them, so they focused their attention on the invading monsters and blasted them with the firearms in their possession.