The world chat froze for a full three seconds after Demon-Slayer's sudden message. Every player who saw it blinked, wondering if they'd just hallucinated. Then, as realization sank in, the channel exploded in a flood of chaos.
"Wait, what the hell did I just read?!"
"Someone check my ears—did he really just say that?"
"Demon God: 'You're a level one human, and you dare talk to me like that?'
Demon-Slayer: 'Yeah, it's me.' Demon God: '…Okay, carry on."
"Bro's insane. Absolute madman. Level one and already challenging gods."
"Demon-Slayer lives up to the name! Straight to the point—skip the nonsense and bring out the Demon God!"
"Who cares if he's level one? That man can slice gods in half if he feels like it!"
Among the flood of messages, a random player chimed in with:
"Looking for a girlfriend. Must be female. DM me."
The entire world chat was on fire, older, reclusive veterans who hadn't spoken in decades crawling out of the woodwork just to hype Demon-Slayer. Today, everyone was a fanboy. No one dared slander him. Who else could openly call out a Demon God and get away with it?
Far away, in the high skies above Asura City, two figures stood on the edge of a storm-torn rooftop. One, clad in spotless white robes, his aura calm yet mighty. The other, shrouded in thunderous arcs of lightning, his form hidden within the void. Their gazes locked as they discussed the name everyone was now chanting.
"I still can't believe it," the man in white murmured, lips pressing together in awe. "Demon-Slayer shattered the Wolf King Valley record again… four seconds. Is that even possible? Does a talent like this truly exist in our world?"
The lightning-shrouded presence gave a low, amused hum. "You already know the answer. Why bother asking?"
The white-robed man hesitated, then said, "But… why is he still level one? Even the worst dungeon would've boosted him past that by now."
"Because Demon-Slayer isn't like us," the void-born voice replied, quiet yet laced with weight. "If my guess is right, he awakened not one… but two SSS-grade talents."
The white-robed man drew in a sharp breath, his composure cracking. "Two…? Is that even possible for a single person?"
"This world is far more mysterious than we can comprehend. Mark my words, his future achievements will eclipse all others. He will become the strongest human in history."
"The strongest…" The man whispered the words, awe and unease mingling in his eyes. After a moment, he asked, "A genius like that… shouldn't the Demon-Slayer Institute launch Operation Dawn? Round-the-clock protection, ensure his safety until he fully matures?"
"Not necessary."
The curt answer stunned him. "Why? A talent like that deserves—"
"Because even I can't uncover his real-world identity," the thunder-wrapped entity interrupted. "That means his connection to the Land of Divine Punishment is shielded by the very laws of creation."
He paused, his tone turning final. "This is the will of the gods… and his will. The road to true strength is lonely. We can only wait. The future of humanity… rests in his hands."
The white-robed man fell silent, heart trembling at the words. After a long pause, he raised his head, voice urgent. "I have one more question—"
The wind howled, lightning thinning, the other presence dissipating into nothingness. Only a whisper lingered on the breeze.
"Ask again, and you die."
The man stiffened, blood running cold. Even as a peak War God, an S-class talent, head of the Demon-Slayer Institute itself… just asking about Demon-Slayer beyond this point meant death? What kind of existence was he dealing with?
Meanwhile, deep within Wolf King Valley's blood-soaked canyons, Noah closed the world chat after dropping his bombshell. To some, it was just him showing off. But in truth, it was a calculated move—an arrogant challenge meant to bait a god out of hiding.
After all, the Demon Gods were the root of all humanity's suffering. According to every textbook, they had descended from the Land of Divine Punishment two hundred years ago, leading endless hordes of demons that ravaged the human realm like locusts, swallowing entire nations. Most of the world had been reduced to wastelands because of them.
Only after countless bloody battles, human nations uniting under a single alliance, and the Four Human Emperors rising to lead the charge… had humanity barely managed to halt their extinction.
So Noah figured, why not end it at the source? If the Demon God was also technically a god, couldn't he just bind it using his Divine Shackles? Problem solved, humanity saved.
But there was one problem—the Demon God had never once shown its face. Even during the fiercest wars, it never appeared. It was more legend than reality.
Noah tilted his head back, eyes glinting with provocation. "Demon God, let's see if you dare to show up," he muttered. Then, grinning, he extended his middle finger toward the endless blue sky.
Silence. The heavens above remained clear and unbothered, no cosmic fury descending.
"Fine," he said with a snort. "Guess I'll just greet you every day till you can't take it anymore."
A flash of light caught his attention as the Goddess of Dawn dissolved into radiant motes beside him, retreating back into the seal on his palm. He checked the time. "So, five minutes is the limit for Summon Deity Lv. 1, huh?"
A quick glance at the skill upgrade cost made him wince.
[Upgrade Cost: 19,999,999 EXP, 10x Bloodsilver Blossoms, Demon Core Heart.]
For a level one newbie? That was pure fantasy. "Yeah, let's just focus on mastering the starter maps first," he muttered, stretching before diving back into the grind. His own power mattered most. Divine tools were great, but he couldn't rely on them forever.
Then, a system notification popped up, making his eyes light up instantly.
[Hidden Dungeon Ranking Reward Delivered! Please Check Your Inventory!]
"Wait, there's a reward for breaking the record, too?" he said, grinning. "Let's see it!"
Opening his inventory, he found:
[500,000 Gold Coins], [All Attributes +200], [Divine Domain Lv.1], [Eternal Dungeon Insignia].
Four items. More than he expected.
He exhaled, grinning like a maniac. Another half a million gold? Combined with the 378,000 already in his bank, his assets were closing in on a billion. Not bad for someone who'd been broke two days ago.
Temptation burned hot in his chest. The urge to splurge was overwhelming. But he shook his head fiercely. "No. Unless I really need to, every coin goes to strengthening myself. Power first. Always power."
He focused on the stat boost first. His five primary attributes jumped to:
Constitution: 842
Spirit: 510
Strength: 510
Intelligence: 510
Agility: 577
"Strong enough to crush most level 100s… but still not enough," he murmured, determination hardening in his gaze.
Next, he examined Divine Domain Lv.1:
Creates a divine field with a radius of 100(level²) meters. Within this field, all your stats increase by 1,000, critical chance +100%, enemies' stats reduced by 50%. Duration: 20 seconds. Cooldown: 2 hours. Mana Cost: 1,000.*
Noah let out a low whistle. "Overpowered doesn't even begin to cover this." This morning he'd gotten a forbidden spell. This afternoon, a god-tier domain skill. The rewards today were unreal.
Finally, he checked the Eternal Dungeon Insignia:
Your overwhelming feat allows you to leave a permanent mark in this dungeon. Future players may view and pay respects to it.
He frowned. "So basically a divine version of 'I was here'?" Still, the feedback seemed positive, unlike normal graffiti.
After a brief thought, Noah drew his Asura Sword and carved glowing words into the stone wall behind the Wolf King's corpse:
"Looking for the Demon God's address. Urgent."
The glowing message shimmered, embedding itself into the dungeon forever.
[Sword Insignia created. Each player may pay respects once for 1 EXP reward.]
Noah's lips twitched. "One point? What is this, charity for beggars?"
Before he could complain further, a new world announcement thundered above every player's head:
[Player Demon-Slayer has left a Permanent Sword Insignia in Wolf King Valley! Players may enter the dungeon to view it for unexpected rewards!]
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novelmeister, Deaths_Sythe, Thanks for power stone given!!!