That day, the name Demon-Slayer exploded like a thunderclap across the Land of Divine Punishment, sending shockwaves not only through the game world but across the entire Blue Star network.
A solo clear.
A completion time of 5 minutes and 52 seconds.
An SSS-ranked evaluation.
Each of these achievements alone would have been enough to cause a global uproar among humanity's player base. But for one person to accomplish all three, and in such a brutal dungeon, shattered every preconceived notion of what was possible.
Who was Demon-Slayer?
What kind of unfathomable SSS-tier talent could grant someone the ability to surpass even the legendary Human Emperor, Du Gu, and Li Yueqing's elite party's clear times?
With a single dungeon run, he had carved his name into history, claiming third place on the all-time leaderboard, only below the mythical Mo Wen and Ye Zhibai.
The World Channel in the Land of Divine Punishment descended into pure chaos.
For thirty straight minutes, it was nothing but a scrolling wall of two words, repeated over and over again: "Holy sht! Holy sht! Holy sh*t!"
It wasn't that the player base lacked vocabulary; those two words were simply the most honest, visceral expression of their collective shock.
Finally, someone managed to type a full sentence. A level 50 knight, his hands visibly trembling as he posted:
"Guys… we have a problem. Two hours ago, Demon-Slayer asked me for directions. He was only level ONE, and I may have… said some things I shouldn't have. Does anyone know what happens when you piss off an SSS-tier monster like that? Should I… go into hiding? Asking for a friend. Urgently."
The world chat exploded again, messages firing faster than anyone could read.
"WAIT, WHAT? HE'S LEVEL ONE?!"
"Holy sht holy sht holy sh*t!!"
"No way, this has to be fake!"
"You're kidding, right? A level 1 clearing of Wolf King's Valley solo and placing third on the global record board? Get outta here!"
"What's so impossible about it? That's the power of an SSS-tier talent, you clueless E and F-tier scrubs!"
"Insane… I thought Mo Wen's record was untouchable, but this Demon-Slayer guy just made a five-man team run look like child's play!"
"Be real, this might be humanity's current limit."
And then, in the middle of the frenzy:
Looking for a girlfriend. DM me." – Gu Hangxia.
Nobody even paused to laugh. The chat had never been this lively in history.
But while the Land of Divine Punishment was in chaos, the star of the show—Noah—had long since logged out. The real world called; school was over for the day, and he had a tram to catch. The legendary moment on the global stage? He completely missed it.
Elsewhere, the news of an SSS-tier awakening set off alarm bells at the highest levels of human authority.
In Huaguo's Imperial Capital, within the headquarters of the Demon-Slaying Institute, a young man with sharp, refined features stood before a massive electronic display. His eyes flickered between the data points on-screen, disbelief etched across his face.
Level 1.
Solo clear.
5 minutes, 52 seconds.
SSS evaluation.
The numbers didn't make sense. According to the classified stories he'd heard, even his master—Ye Zhibai, the first Human Emperor and the founder of the Demon-Slaying Institute—had attempted a solo run during his novice days. With max gear, max buffs, and a level 50 build, Ye Zhibai's best time had been 45 minutes, not even good enough for the record board.
Yet someone had just shattered that standard by almost a factor of ten.
Was the Land of Divine Punishment bugged?
The young man's thoughts were interrupted as the display flickered. A middle-aged man's calm, ancient-looking face appeared on the screen.
Immediately, the skies above the Institute darkened. Thick, roiling black clouds boiled across the heavens, and an oppressive, divine pressure crushed down on the capital city. The young man struggled to breathe, sweat beading on his forehead as he straightened his posture and asked cautiously:
"Uncle Mo… is it true? Did Demon-Slayer solo clear the newbie dungeon?"
The man on-screen closed his eyes for a long, tense moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and even.
"Don't ask."
The young man's heart skipped a beat. He wisely shut his mouth.
Moments later, the figure opened his eyes again, a glint of something unfathomable in them. "I can't see through this Demon-Slayer's identity."
The young man inhaled sharply, his blood running cold. Even he couldn't read him? Then who in the world was this player?
"One hundred years," the man continued. "We have waited a century for another SSS-tier talent to appear. Listen carefully, Xiu'er. The Demon-Slaying Institute is not to make any rash moves. We observe only. The Land of Divine Punishment is under my watch—nothing will spiral out of control."
"Yes, sir!"
As the transmission ended, the oppressive divine presence dispersed like mist in the wind. The skies above the capital cleared once more, and a blood-red streak of light painted the horizon, pointing toward the Land of Divine Punishment.
Xiu'er exhaled shakily, muscles relaxing as he gazed upward at the blazing emperor's sigil in the sky, awe and longing in his eyes.
"Uncle Mo… he's grown even stronger."
Then another thought crept into his mind, unsettling and irresistible.
If Demon-Slayer grows to his full potential… would even Uncle Mo be able to stand against him? After all, even Uncle Mo never soloed his way onto the leaderboard…
Back in the real world, Noah stepped off the tram and trudged toward his uncle's apartment. Since his parents vanished ten years ago, this place had been his only home.
Half an hour later, he pushed open the front door, stifling a yawn.
"I'm back!" he called toward the living room.
A teasing voice chimed in from his right. "You look like you could drop dead from exhaustion."
Noah froze, heart skipping. That voice… it was familiar. He turned sharply.
A stunning young woman leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
She couldn't have been more than nineteen, with long, flowing hair, flawless porcelain skin, and a crisp white blouse that hugged her curves just enough to tease the imagination. The neckline parted slightly, revealing a glimpse of delicate collarbone, while her denim shorts showed off long legs wrapped in sheer white stockings that nearly gleamed under the light.
Noah swallowed hard. "Snow… Sis Snow? You're back?"
"School's out for summer break," she said with a sultry grin, the beauty mark under her left eye only adding to her allure. "Where else would I go?"
Right. Today was the start of vacation for students at Imperial Capital University.
This was Snow, his cousin by law, and the golden child of the family. She had awakened an S-tier combat talent last year, rocking their entire city, then aced the national entrance exams and entered the most prestigious academy in the country.
Before Noah could say another word, a sweet, intoxicating scent enveloped him as Snow grabbed his hand.
"Come with me."
"H-Hey, wait—"
The next thing he knew, he was being pulled into her room. The door slammed shut behind them with a loud bang.
"Snow Sis, what the hell are you doing?" Noah stammered, voice cracking. He didn't recall this scene ever happening. Sure, they called each other siblings, but there wasn't even a hint of blood relation between them, and being alone together like this, especially with her dressed like… that… felt very wrong.
Snow faced him directly, eyes sharp.
"Noah, today's Awakening Day. What talent did you awaken?"
"Oh, that's it?" He slumped, disappointed. For a second there, he thought—never mind.
But there was no way he'd reveal the truth. The fact that he had awakened nine SSS-tier talents was a secret he intended to take to his grave.
Because in the Land of Divine Punishment, he could afford to be bold. But in the real world? One mistake, one exposed card, and his life would never be safe again.
He had an ace up his sleeve for exactly this reason—another of his god-tier talents:
[Supreme Authority (SSS-Tier): Holds the highest clearance below the Creator God. Can encrypt any information at will.]
In other words, GM privileges.
Before ever entering the Land of Divine Punishment, Noah had already locked his real-world identity behind impenetrable encryption.
No matter who tried to trace him, no matter what power they wielded—unless he allowed it, no one would ever know that Demon-Slayer and Noah were the same person.