Wolf King's Valley.
The narrow gorge stretched endlessly ahead, shrouded in mist, the air heavy with an ominous chill. The mournful howl of wolves echoed from every direction, carried on a biting wind that whispered like a warning.
With a flash of white light, a lone figure materialized at the dungeon entrance. A flamboyantly dressed warrior—Noah, known in-game as Demon-Slayer—stood still for a moment, eyes adjusting to the dim valley light. Then, without hesitation, he reached behind his back and drew the Asura Blade. Its black edge hummed softly, thirsting for blood.
He didn't waste a second. This dungeon's strategy had long been picked apart on the forums, analyzed, and optimized to death. Noah knew every step of it, every spawn point, every trick. But guides only went so far. At the end of the day, it all came down to raw skill and execution.
The ground beneath his boots was damp, tinged with the stench of old blood. Somewhere in the fog, hulking silver shadows paced, claws scraping against rock. Noah narrowed his eyes, focused, and began his advance.
System Scan – [All-Seeing Eye]
[Silver Wolf]
Level: 50
HP: 5,200
Attack: 503
Defense: 463
Magic Defense: 582
Speed: 92
Skills: Claw Rend, Bloodthirst (Passive)
Tip: Use speed advantage to overwhelm them.
[Silver Wolf Elite]
Level: 51
HP: 5,700
Attack: 551
Defense: 477
Magic Defense: 602
Speed: 105
Skills: Charge, Claw Rend, Bloodthirst (Passive)
Tip: Watch for its charge attack. That's it. Seriously.
Noah grinned faintly. "Piece of cake."
He broke into a sprint, boots pounding against wet earth. The first elite wolf, nearly two meters tall, snarled and lunged at him with terrifying speed, fangs bared. Noah sidestepped with practiced ease, letting the beast's charge pass harmlessly by. As it skidded past, he slapped it with a basic mage attack, stealing its aggro before darting forward again.
Step, dodge, pull. Step, dodge, pull. His movements blurred into instinctive precision.
Minutes passed in a calculated dance of aggression and retreat, drawing every single wolf and elite in the valley. The pack thundered after him, a tide of snapping jaws and flashing claws. Yet Noah never faltered, never took a hit, maneuvering them expertly toward a narrow choke point beneath a jagged boulder.
And then… he was standing atop the rock, calm as ever, staring down at dozens of snarling wolves below, helplessly throwing themselves against the stone wall, unable to climb up to him.
To veteran players, pulling mobs was an art. Pulling every mob in the dungeon without dying? That was legendary. And Noah had just delivered a flawless masterclass performance.
"Pfft." He smirked to himself. "What, you think I wasn't a pro gamer in my last life?"
Heart steady, fingers twitching in anticipation, he raised the Asura Blade high. Its edge flared crimson as he unleashed its ultimate skill.
[Asura Slash – SSS Exclusive]
The world erupted in light. A black silhouette, blade stretching fifty meters long, dove into the writhing pack like a reaper's scythe.
Critical! – 49,556!
Critical! – 48,969!
Critical! – 49,668!
Numbers exploded across his vision like a slot machine hitting jackpot after jackpot. Blood sprayed in arcs, the air thick with iron scent. For ten long seconds, the valley became a slaughterhouse painted red.
When the glow faded, not a single wolf remained standing. Dozens of corpses lay crumpled in silence, their bodies already fading into white motes of light.
Noah landed lightly on the grass, untouched, not even a speck of blood staining his clothes. He clapped his hands together and said, almost lazily, "Huh. That was easier than I expected."
[EXP +1100!]
[EXP +1200!]
[Loot Acquired: Fresh Silver Wolf Meat ×24]
His experience bar jumped, though the climb to godhood still felt a long, long way off. No matter. There was one last target left.
The boss.
At the valley's deepest point, sunlight pierced the mist, illuminating a monstrous figure that made Noah pause mid-step.
The Silver Wolf King.
It towered over him like a living mountain, muscles rippling beneath its silver-gray fur. Noah tilted his head back just to meet its gaze—and realized, with a faint scowl, that even standing straight, he barely reached its knee.
"Great. I'm going to have to jump to hit its kneecap," he muttered.
[Silver Wolf King]
Level: 55
HP: 59,500
Attack: 1,460
Defense: 1,155
Magic Defense: 1,268
Speed: 120
Skills: Savage Pounce, Cruel Bite, Ferocious Howl
Noah whistled low. "Yeah… that's one hell of a stat block." Against normal players, this thing was a walking massacre. It had rightfully earned its reputation as the newbie reaper, boasting billions of confirmed kills.
"ROOOAR!"
The Wolf King threw its massive head back and howled. Rocks trembled loose from the gorge walls as its killing intent crashed over him like a tidal wave. Any other player would've panicked, maybe even logged out in fear. Noah just yawned, tapping his ear.
"Nice speech," he muttered. "You done yet?"
The beast's glowing eyes narrowed. "Pathetic human… how dare you trespass into my valley? I will tear you apart!" Its voice was deep and rasping, like bones grinding together.
Noah stood there, unimpressed. Forced boss dialogue. Great. A skippable cutscene would've been nice.
"You insects think yourselves strong… you're filth, vermin, every last human deserves to die!" the Wolf King roared again.
Noah rubbed his temple. "Buddy, can we skip to the part where you fight? I'm on a schedule."
The boss blinked, taken aback by his audacity. Its tone dripped with disbelief. "Human… why are you only level one?"
"Wow," Noah deadpanned, "didn't know monsters were into level-shaming now."
"HAHAHA! A level one dares to enter my domain? Then you truly seek death!"
Finally, the blood-red health bar appeared over its head. For most players, this was where the nightmare began—the infamous boss fight that crushed even elite parties. But Demon-Slayer was not like other players.
"Your turn," Noah whispered.
He snapped his fingers and cast Judgment.
A golden pillar of divine light as wide as the Wolf King's waist crashed down from the heavens, slamming into its massive frame.
[Judgment Activated – Checking Conditions…]
[Success! Target inflicted with "Weakened" status for 5 seconds.]
"Wha—what have you done to me?!" the boss stammered, its colossal frame trembling, sickly green energy coiling around it. "I… I feel so weak!"
Noah's grin was razor-sharp. "Guess I lied about just being a warrior."
Before the beast could react, a twenty-meter-wide blade of light ripped open the sky and came crashing down upon its skull.
Critical! – 96,285!
The earth itself shuddered under the force. When the light faded, the Wolf King was gone, reduced to nothing but ash and motes of white energy drifting away on the wind.
A deafening silence hung over the valley.
Then, the system's ethereal voice thundered across the entire Land of Divine Punishment.
[Global Announcement]: Player "Demon-Slayer" has single-handedly cleared Wolf King's Valley! Time: 5 minutes 52 seconds! Evaluation: SSS Rank!]
Every human player on every map froze mid-action. Faces turned skyward in disbelief, confusion, and awe. Then came the roar of excitement spreading through chat channels and forums alike.
Someone—some absolute madman—had just solo cleared the toughest beginner dungeon in the entire realm. And he'd done it in under six minutes.
There could only be one explanation: this "Demon-Slayer" had awakened an SSS-tier talent.
A new legend had just been born. A new Human Emperor had emerged from the shadows of history.