The shattered world barrier still crackled faintly, but the divine light that had pierced it was gone. The last trace of the Goddess of Dawn's power had faded back into the sealed shackles within Noah's palm.
Noah descended slowly from the air, his brows furrowing in surprise.
That system-wide announcement just now… it had caught him completely off guard.
"Damage is… permanent? The world barrier is gone?!"
To be honest, before making his move, Noah's only goal had been to make his own journey to the Forest Kingdom more convenient. He thought the barrier—once forcefully broken—would repair itself within moments.
Never did he expect this outcome.
A small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips, light dancing in his eyes.
This meant the passage from the beginner's map to the Forest Kingdom was now completely open. No more bottleneck at level 50. No more players trapped for years.
"Thank you, Demon-Slayer!"
"Demon-Slayer, you're my savior! Please, let me kneel!"
"I never dared to dream… that one day I could actually break past level 50 and see the Forest Kingdom with my own eyes!"
The voices came from behind—raw, choked with emotion.
Noah turned and saw a group of veteran players, their faces streaked with tears, bowing deeply toward him. One man even dropped to his knees, arms raised to the sky as if releasing years of pent-up frustration from being trapped at the level cap.
Noah pressed his lips together, then offered them a gentle smile.
"You don't need to thank me. I only did what needed to be done. The good thing is—it's not too late for you. Keep pushing forward."
With that, he stepped into the breach without looking back.
He knew very well why they were so moved. It wasn't just the removal of the level restriction. The more important reason… was life itself.
In this world, leveling up wasn't just about power—it extended lifespan. For these older players, the ability to keep leveling meant more years to live.
For example—
If they could push to level 100, their lifespan would reach at least ninety years, even without considering physical strength or vitality.
It was simple math: the stronger you became, the longer you lived.
A chuckle escaped his lips. "Looks like it's going to be a sleepless night for some old warhorses." He could already picture a group of gray-haired veterans grinding monsters until dawn.
[System Notice] Welcome, Traveler, to the Forest Kingdom!
Green. Endless, vibrant green exploded before his eyes, accompanied by a colossal gate entwined with ancient vines. Two elven sentries stood guard, their spears crossed in salute.
Even though Noah hadn't done the official breakthrough quest, hearing those words sent a wave of pride and accomplishment through him. He even nodded politely to the sentries before striding through the gate.
The Forest Kingdom—the proud domain of the Elves, sworn allies of humankind.
The map's level cap? Two hundred. The exit condition? Hit that cap, then clear the breakthrough trial.
The moment his boots touched the lush grass beyond the gates, Noah's mind wandered. Back in school, there had been a special fast-track admissions program for elite students. If you had completed the level-50 breakthrough and reached the Forest Kingdom, you could skip the entrance exams entirely. Top universities like Imperial Capital University would fight to recruit you.
But of course, that standard was brutal. All of the Chinese Nation would see maybe one or two people achieve it each year—absolute prodigies.
Noah smirked to himself. "Hard? …Not really."
He checked the time—still early. Without wasting a moment, he began moving deeper into the kingdom.
After entering a higher-level map, the first order of business was always class advancement. Without advancing, you couldn't level up further. Advancement also brought a full stat boost, skill upgrades, and access to entirely new abilities. It was the reason why post-advancement players utterly crushed those of the same level who hadn't advanced.
Noah's path was no exception. As a Divine Fury Mage, his advancement options were clear.
He planned to complete the process tonight, so that tomorrow—when he returned to school—he could head straight into a level-200 dungeon run.
The road to the capital city of the Forest Kingdom—the Forest Metropolis—wasn't exactly peaceful. High-level monsters prowled in every direction. For most players entering this map for the first time, these encounters were deadly. Teams or even full raiding parties were required to make slow progress toward the city.
Noah, however, was not "most players."
To him, they were nothing more than walking experience points. Creatures that had spent years bullying newcomers now shrank back like whipped dogs when they sensed his presence. The Demon-Slayer's aura alone was enough to make them scatter.
They became nothing but speed bumps—or, more accurately, speed boosters.
"Still too slow," Noah muttered. "Once I'm done with the advancement, I'm buying at least two more movement skills."
Annoyed, he casually raised a hand toward a pack of monsters minding their own business.
Flame Cataclysm.
BOOM!
The jungle exploded in a pillar of fire, the blast so intense it formed a mushroom cloud. The entire grove was reduced to charred ash in an instant.
Half an hour later, Noah finally stepped into the Forest Metropolis.
The city was a masterpiece—built atop colossal millennium-old trees, a seamless fusion of elven architecture and the natural world. This was the heart of the Elven homeland.
Human players were everywhere. Anyone who could reach this place in the real world was already considered a top-tier player.
So it was no surprise that the moment Noah appeared, the place erupted.
"Haha! Thirty years in the beginner's zone, thirty years in the Forest Kingdom! Finally, we get to see the legendary Demon-Slayer in person!"
"Move! I'm first in line to shake his hand!"
"Holy crap… he's really level 1?! The first player in history to enter the Forest Kingdom at level 1!"
"Didn't he just break the world barrier a little while ago? How the hell is he already here?!"
Noah just smiled faintly. He was used to this by now. Fame had its price.
"Well, hello everyone. I'm the Demon-Slayer," he said with a playful grin.
After a couple of minutes of polite interaction, he slipped away toward the advancement NPC.
Compared to breakthrough quests, advancement quests were much easier—mainly because breakthroughs had to be done solo, while advancement could be tackled with a party.
Ten minutes later, Noah accepted the Divine Fury Mage advancement quest.
It was… excessive. He needed five SSS-grade materials and the head of a level-99 world boss—the Nine-Headed Serpent lurking in the depths of the Dark Forest.
The materials were easy enough—expensive, yes, but nothing money couldn't solve. Each cost about 100,000 gold, but Noah wasn't exactly short on cash.
As for the Nine-Headed Serpent… the name was intimidating, but the moment he saw its level, Noah's lips curled into a smirk.
Level 99?
He could handle that.