From the moment the Land of Divine Punishment launched, the login interface had one particular "feature" that made every male player lose their focus: the Goddess of Dawn herself. She floated there in divine brilliance, a celestial beauty with a face carved by perfection, a body that defied the very concept of mortal limits, and a gown so sheer that most players wondered if it was even there at all.
For many men, she wasn't just an NPC; she was a dream. For Noah, however, she was a distraction.
"Seriously," he muttered, his lips curling in mock disdain. "Throwing this at us the second we log in? How's a man supposed to focus on grinding levels? No wonder humanity keeps falling behind."
But despite the sarcasm, a wild idea had taken root in his mind. An idea so audacious it made his blood race. He wasn't just here to play; he had an SSS-ranked talent that no one else possessed. [Divine Shackles].
If his theory was correct…
Noah tilted his head back and called out loudly, "Hey, Goddess of Dawn! I've got a question!"
The radiant figure turned her serene, otherworldly gaze toward him, her voice smooth as velvet. "Traveler, what troubles you?"
"First things first," he said, pretending to be casual. "Are you… Actually, a god?"
Her lips curved into a soft smile. "Indeed. I am a being of the divine, possessing a twelfth-grade godhead, ruling over the domains of dawn and hope."
"Wow. Impressive." Noah nodded, feigning awe before throwing out his next bait. "So… got any friends or family up there? Other gods you're close with?"
The Goddess blinked, unbothered by the odd question. "Gods are sovereign entities. We govern our own realms independently. The notion of kinship does not apply to us."
Noah exhaled quietly, a hint of mischief glinting in his eyes. Perfect. No one to come for revenge if this goes south.
"One last hypothetical," he said, voice dropping as though he were just curious. "Let's say, just for argument's sake… something bad happened to you. Would anyone come after the culprit?"
The Goddess tilted her head ever so slightly, a flicker of confusion in her gaze. "Traveler, your questions are most peculiar. But rest assured—nothing can befall a god. We are eternal."
"Got it," Noah said, his tone light, but deep inside, his pulse was hammering. Time to test this thing for real.
With a grin that was half insanity, half pure confidence, he raised his hand. A blood-red light burst to life in his palm, forming the spectral shape of interlocking chains, glowing ominously in the air.
"Let's see if this works…" His lips curled into a feral smile as he roared: "Divine Shackles!"
The world trembled.
Two scarlet chains exploded from his palm like twin serpents, slicing through the void toward the Goddess of Dawn.
Her serene mask shattered for the first time, shock flashing across her divine features. "Traveler—what are you doing?!"
But before she could react, the rules of creation itself descended, suppressing her power. Behind her, an enormous celestial phantom manifested—a towering, radiant figure that emanated overwhelming sanctity. Light poured from it like a waterfall, divine energy surging to crush Noah where he stood.
Yet the rules of the Land of Divine Punishment slammed down harder, locking everything in place. The phantom froze mid-motion as the red chains coiled around its wrists, dragging the goddess' essence upward, binding her completely.
She struggled for a heartbeat, her light flaring desperately against the bloody runes carved into the shackles… and then, silence.
A crisp notification echoed in Noah's mind.
[System Prompt: Divine Shackles successfully established.]
The phantom dissolved like mist, leaving only the Goddess of Dawn hovering in the air. She descended gracefully, her holy aura dimmed but still radiant as ever, and landed before him. Bowing slightly, hands crossed over her chest, she spoke in a voice that was no longer sovereign but submissive.
"Please command me, my master."
Noah's jaw went slack for a moment, disbelief and giddy triumph warring inside him. Holy hell… it actually worked. I… I just enslaved a goddess.
An uncontrollable laugh bubbled up in his chest. Divine Shackles… you absolute monster of a skill!
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, imagining the possibilities. With this, humanity's young men would never again waste precious time drooling over the goddess at login. He'd bear that heavy burden alone. Truly, he was a hero.
"I'm such a selfless guy," he muttered dramatically, almost moved by his own sacrifice.
Just as he was about to test a few commands, a mechanical, genderless voice boomed from the heavens:
"Attention Travelers: Anomalies detected in the login interface. Please log out immediately. Emergency maintenance will begin in 5 seconds."
Noah's grin vanished. "Oh, come on…"
5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
The world blinked to black, yanking him out of the divine chamber.
When Noah's vision cleared, he was standing in Asura City, the bustling hub right outside the Land of Divine Punishment's gateway. A place meant for travelers to stock up before venturing back into danger.
Only now it was overflowing with people. The sudden forced logout had thrown every single player into the city center, and chaos reigned.
"Damn it, what's going on? The Land's never had maintenance before!"
"Last time they patched it was over a century ago! Why now?"
"I was this close to finishing off that twin-headed serpent boss! They'd better compensate me for this!"
"Three hundred gold and we'll let it slide… five hundred and we'll sing your praises… a thousand and I'll swear this never happened!"
The uproar was deafening, like a morning subway packed with furious commuters. Noah slipped through the crowd, doing his best to look like just another annoyed player while his heart raced.
Could they have found out? Did someone notice what I did?
He glanced down at his palm, where a faint white sigil now glowed—the mark of his contract with the goddess. It pulsed softly, a promise that she was bound to his will, forever within reach.
Noah's lips curled into a wolfish grin despite the risk. Whatever happened next, this was worth it. He'd shackled a goddess.
Before he could bask in his victory any longer, a cry tore through the city square:
"Holy crap—it's Demon-Slayer! He's here in Asura City!"
The words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
"No way, the legendary SSS-tier?!"
"Look over there, by the plaza fountain—it's really him!"
"Wait, why's he still level one? Didn't he solo-clear a level fifty dungeon yesterday?"
"Newbie. Hidden-class players have insane EXP requirements, of course, he's low level."
"I'm not crying, you're crying… This is history, boys. I'm breathing the same air as Demon-Slayer!"
The crowd surged like a tidal wave, bodies pressing together in their desperate attempt to glimpse the myth in the flesh.
And there, in the very eye of the storm, Noah stood, holding his blood-red staff, Blood Dawn, his tall figure framed by the chaos around him. The city roared like a coliseum, and for a moment, it felt less like a login hub and more like the stage of a world-shaking concert.
He couldn't help but smirk. If only they knew what he had just pulled off before the server went down…