The next morning, Noah reached school earlier than usual, convinced he was ahead of everyone this time. But as soon as he stepped into the classroom, his smugness vanished—the place was already buzzing like a beehive. Apparently, surviving their first day in the Land of Divine Punishment had everyone wired with excitement.
Students chattered non-stop, voices overlapping as they compared levels, bragged about their new skills, or speculated about the mysterious Demon-Slayer who had stolen the spotlight overnight.
On his way to class, Noah had scrolled through his phone and finally understood the hype. Every headline, every trending post, every forum was plastered with the same name. Demon-Slayer had gone viral across the net, dominating top searches and group chats alike.
"Yo, Noah," a lazy voice called as he reached his usual seat in the back row. "What class did you pick? How high did you level up yesterday?"
Tang Xia was barely awake, slouched over her desk. Her messy ponytail draped over her shoulder, and when she stretched, a small strip of pale skin peeked out from beneath her shirt, making Noah glance away quickly before tossing his backpack onto his desk.
"Ladies first," he muttered, pretending not to notice.
Tang Xia groaned. "I went, Archer, of course. B-rank Fire affinity, but I only made it to level five. Total scam."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Five levels in just a couple of hours and you're still whining?"
She crossed her arms in mock pride. "Tch, if I had a proper team, I could've hit seven. Easy."
"Yeah, yeah. Sure thing," Noah said, clearly humoring her as he pulled a book out of his bag.
"And you?" she asked, shooting him a look.
Noah yawned. "Warrior. Still level one."
"Pfft!" Tang Xia nearly fell onto the desk, laughing uncontrollably as she slapped a hand over her mouth. "Hah! Noah, the mighty Noah, stuck at level one? Oh, this is gold!"
He rolled his eyes. "What's so funny? I could still stomp you without breaking a sweat."
They traded a few more jabs before Noah turned his focus to skimming through notes on the game's auction house system. That's when a sudden commotion broke out near the classroom entrance.
A boy strutted in, chin high, basking in the crowd's attention. He wasn't tall—maybe five-five on a good day—and his looks were painfully average. But the smug grin plastered across his face screamed untouchable confidence.
"Holy crap, is that Jacob from Class Five? What's he doing here?" one student whispered.
"I heard he awakened an A-rank Fire talent," another replied. "They even had him on the local news last night!"
"Yeah, right after Demon-Slayer's segment! Dude's already a big shot."
"Word is, our school's highest awakening this year was only A-rank Earth affinity. Looks like Jacob's the frontrunner for top scorer in the whole city."
Every pair of eyes in the room followed Jacob's every step, half admiration, half envy. He soaked it up, lips curling into a smug smile as he strolled straight to the back row, hands shoved deep in his pockets like he owned the place.
"Hey, mind moving?" he said, stopping at Noah's desk, his tone dripping with arrogance.
Noah didn't even glance up, still scribbling notes. "Can't. Busy. If you've got something to say, spit it out."
"You…" Jacob's brow twitched, but he took a deep breath, clearly deciding not to waste his time on "trash." Instead, he turned to Tang Xia, his expression softening into a rehearsed, charming smile.
"Tang Xia," he said smoothly, "got a minute to talk?"
She was still half-asleep, her ponytail sprawled over Noah's arm like a lazy cat. Lifting her head just enough to meet Jacob's gaze, she said flatly, "Nope."
Jacob froze. "…"
Seriously? First, the guy wouldn't budge, now she didn't even have time for him?
But he wasn't giving up that easily. His eyes flicked over her figure, unwilling to swallow his pride. Taking a breath, he tried again, this time laying it out straight.
"I'll be direct. I'm forming an all-fire powerhouse team. I want you as my vice-captain." He hesitated for a second, then pushed harder. "If you agree… I'll give you a Link Crystal."
The class erupted.
"Wait, did I just hear that right? A free Link Crystal?!"
"Holy hell, that's a billion-dollar item right there! Who just hands that out?!"
"Bro, do you even know who Jacob's dad is? The richest man in Jiangnan. Money's nothing to him."
"Okay, I'm officially jealous."
Even Noah's eyebrows shot up. A Link Crystal wasn't just expensive—it was nearly impossible to buy at any price. They were the only devices that allowed players to enter the Land of Divine Punishment outside school hours. Owning one meant you could grind endlessly while everyone else was stuck waiting for the next school session. It was the ultimate way to outpace your competition.
Jacob smirked, convinced he had her hooked. "Think about it, Tang Xia. You've got talent, but without extra time in-game, you'll never reach your full potential. With this crystal, you could easily aim for one of the top universities. It's your future on the line."
For a second, everyone thought she'd jump at the offer. But Tang Xia just groaned, burying her face back into her arms. "I said no. What part of that don't you understand?"
Jacob's confident smile cracked. His face darkened, disbelief and anger creeping in. "Do you have any idea what you're turning down?" he demanded. "We're both Fire affinity! Together, we'd dominate. I'm offering you a real shot at greatness!"
He forced a strained grin. "Think it over. If you change your mind, come find me."
With one last glare at Noah, he stormed off, leaving the class buzzing in shock.
When the room finally settled, Tang Xia yawned and went right back to her nap, utterly unfazed. Her chest pressed against the desk, nearly spilling out of her uniform, making Noah glance away awkwardly.
"Didn't expect that from you, Xia," he said with a low whistle. "You complain about not having a good team, then turn down the golden ticket? Respect."
Without lifting her head, she mumbled, "Tch. Who needs his stupid crystal? I'll make it to the top on my own."
Noah chuckled, though deep down he knew how hard that was. In this world, the college entrance exams weren't just about academics—they were about power. To even get into a standard university, you needed to reach level forty and pass the basic trial in the Land of Divine Punishment. C-rank awakenings almost never made it.
But for a top-tier university? Level fifty minimum, plus clearing the hard trial—something only a handful of B-rank players had ever managed, and they were all children of the elite.
Noah knew Tang Xia's family situation wasn't great. If they wanted to escape their fate, both of them had only one path: awakening strong, leveling fast, and dominating those exams.
He glanced at her, sleeping peacefully despite everything. Stray strands of hair clung to her cheek, softening her otherwise fiery demeanor. She wasn't the most stunning girl he knew—not when Snow's movie-star looks set the bar sky-high—but Tang Xia had her own kind of charm.
Like now, dozing without a care in the world, completely unbothered about modesty, oblivious to the fact that from his angle… yeah, there were perks to this seating arrangement.
Noah sighed internally. "Guess I'll grab her a bottle of milk after school. Kid's gonna need it."
The bell rang a few minutes later, dragging everyone back to reality. A faint glow flickered from the Link Crystals embedded in their desks, signaling that the next session of the Land of Divine Punishment was about to begin. Noah reached out, eager to log back in, but the door swung open.
Their homeroom teacher strode in, clapping his hands sharply. "Hold it, everyone. Before you dive in, there's an announcement I need to make."