Noah stepped back into the dungeon, his eyes sharp, every movement purposeful. This time, there was no hesitation, no wasted effort. The goal was crystal clear: shatter the current record, claim first place, and secure that top reward.
"Let's do this," he muttered under his breath, gripping his staff tightly.
With a flash of light, his figure blurred. Shwoosh! In the narrow, dimly lit canyon, Demon-Slayer vanished from his starting point and reappeared thirty meters ahead in an instant. This wasn't just raw speed—it was his newly purchased skill from the auction house, Radiant Blink. A universal mobility skill favored by almost every class, and well worth the 2000 gold he had spent.
Boots pounded the rocky ground as Noah surged forward, staff blazing in his hands. The silver-furred wolves ahead snarled, sensing danger, but they didn't even have a chance to lunge before Noah struck first.
A blazing fireball arced across the fifteen-meter gap, slamming into the leading wolf with explosive force. BOOM! The blast consumed its body in roaring flames.
-22,821!
The bright crimson damage number floated in the air for a brief instant before vanishing. The wolf, with barely 5000 HP, was obliterated before it could even whimper. With his gear finally equipped, Noah's base damage had reached terrifying levels. Every spell he cast now carried the weight of destruction.
Of course, his true secret wasn't just the equipment—it was his SSS talent, Elemental Conversion. Every skill he bought, every scrap of magic he learned, passed through his unique filter, amplifying its lethality beyond recognition.
"Faster. I need to be even faster," he murmured, his focus razor-sharp.
The instant the silver wolf fell, the five-piece bonus from his Winds of Velocity set triggered. Movement Speed +200% for 10 seconds.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The world blurred around him as he bolted forward, leaving streaks of afterimages in his wake—almost as if his body was running ahead while his soul struggled to catch up. Fireball entered cooldown, but it didn't matter. He had Frost Arrow, Thunderbolt, Rock Burst, Tempest Slash—basic elemental spells anyone could learn at level one, but in Noah's hands, every single one was a guaranteed one-shot.
In a fluid, deadly rhythm, he cycled through spells, darting in and out of combat. Fight, disengage, trigger speed boost, dash, fight again. It was like watching a storm ripping through the valley, wolves dying in his wake faster than they could even howl.
Every cooldown lined up perfectly. Radiant Blink recharged just as his last spell left his fingertips, flinging him ahead to start the cycle anew. It wasn't just efficient—it was surgical, precise, a one-man army replicating the pulling speed of a five-player elite squad.
Minutes blurred by in a trail of light and scorched earth. When Noah finally reached the massive clearing where the Wolf King awaited, his internal clock screamed victory.
"Three minutes in," he breathed, eyes glinting with excitement. "This is it."
The towering silver-furred boss raised its head majestically, about to unleash its standard opening roar. Noah didn't give it a chance.
His staff swung up. Judgment! Condemnation! Two golden spells streaked through the air like divine spears.
BOOM! The explosion of Condemnation alone carved through the beast's massive frame. Blood-red numbers flooded the screen before Judgment even resolved.
"Human insect… impossible!!" the Wolf King roared, its cry shaking the earth like a collapsing mountain.
But the next heartbeat, it collapsed, lifeless, the echo of its defiance swallowed by silence.
[World Announcement]: Congratulations to player [Demon-Slayer] for clearing Wolf King Valley (Solo) in 3 minutes 59 seconds! Achievement: SSS Rank!
For a moment, the entire Land of Divine Punishment went dead silent. Then, like a dam bursting, world chat exploded into madness.
"No way—he did it AGAIN!"
"Demon-Slayer just solo-cleared the dungeon in under four minutes?!"
"This guy isn't human. He's a monster! A legend!"
Jubilant shouts spread across human territories like wildfire. Every player, from the newest recruit to the veterans on the frontlines, was talking about the same thing. Demon-Slayer had shattered expectations, once again rewriting history before their eyes.
The feat wasn't just a new record. It dethroned Mo Wen, the long-standing emperor of Wolf King Valley clears, who had held the number one spot for one hundred and ninety-eight years with his elite party. Demon-Slayer had not only surpassed a legendary squad—he had done it alone. And he dragged the record straight into the three-minute era, something previously thought impossible.
News rippled outward, reaching the halls of the Demon-Slayer Institute, the command center of the Asura City frontline forces, and even the highest councils of other nations. Top-ranked experts and guild leaders turned their eyes toward the dungeon entrance, trying to catch a glimpse of this mysterious level-one powerhouse. But no vision spell, no spying technique worked.
Demon-Slayer was a ghost. Untraceable. Untouchable.
Inside the dungeon, Noah ignored the chaos outside. Rankings were just numbers. The real treasure was the reward. He skimmed through the standard loot quickly—experience points, a pile of wolf meat, two pieces of level 50 A-grade equipment. Nothing remarkable.
But then his gaze hit the first-place rewards.
[Reward Claimed: 300,000 Gold, +200 All Attributes, Skill Scroll – Flame Cataclysm . Lv 1]
Noah's eyes widened for a split second. A forbidden spell? That was unexpected. These were exclusive to the hidden subclass Forbidden Curse Mage, and their destructive potential rivaled SSS skills.
[Flame Cataclysm Lv 1]: Engulfs all enemies within a 100-meter radius in an explosive inferno, dealing 200 (+270% Magic Power) damage. Non-fire elemental enemies are inflicted with "Heartfire Burn," increasing all fire damage taken by 50% for 2 hours. Cooldown: 100s. Mana Cost: 1000.]
Noah nearly choked. Two hours of debuff?! Even if something survived the blast, it would be marked as a walking torch for the next two hours. Now that's broken.
"I love it," he said aloud, grinning ear to ear, instantly learning the skill. The name matched his own. It felt destined—a personal signature nuke waiting to be unleashed. With this, his arsenal gained yet another trump card.
"Guess it's no wonder the ancient emperors rose to power so fast," he muttered, smirking as he left the dungeon. "If every run gave them loot like this, even I could become a legend overnight."
Outside, the entrance to Wolf King Valley was mobbed. A sea of players surrounded the portal, cheering and shouting as Noah appeared.
"There he is! Demon-Slayer!"
"Big bro, I'm your number one fan! Can I add you as a friend?"
"Please take me as your disciple—I'll even fetch your tea if I have to!"
Even high-level players, some well over level 1000, had rushed here from distant maps, forming a crowd that rivaled a rock concert. And all of them stared in awe at a level-one player who had just shaken the entire human race's leaderboards.
Caught in the chaos, Noah rubbed the back of his neck, amused. He'd expected annoyance, but the unfiltered excitement in their faces was oddly heartwarming.
"Sorry, guys," he said with an easy smile. "I've still got more runs to do. Let me through."
The crowd erupted again—not from disappointment, but from sheer ecstasy. A human emperor-level figure speaking to them, acknowledging them? For most, this moment alone was worth the pilgrimage.
"Demon-Slayer, are you saying you're going for another record?!"
"Does that mean this wasn't even your best run?!"
"When are you going to hit level two already?!"
Questions flew like arrows, but Noah simply shook his head helplessly, turned to the dungeon NPC, and vanished in a flash of white light once more.
Behind him, the gathered players refused to disperse. They waited, breathless, united by one thought:
They were about to witness yet another legend being born.