The sheer cliffside of the Snake King Pool loomed over the pitch-black waters below.
Per the guild leader's orders, none of the players dared to step forward to help.
They stood motionless, like idle statues in a virtual world, simply waiting for the show to unfold.
Noah, however, seemed oblivious to their watchful eyes—or perhaps he simply didn't care. He walked right to the very edge of the cliff, gazing down into the inky depths of the pool.
"D-Demon-Slayer… how should I… uh… handle my damage output later?"
The female summoner's voice trembled with both excitement and nerves.
At a time like this, the logical part of her brain had already checked out. Whether Demon-Slayer could actually defeat the Nine-Headed Serpent no longer mattered to her.
Just being in the same party as him meant she had already won—at least in her mind.
Sure, ten million gold was a steep price—two whole months of her allowance—but this was Demon-Slayer! To her, it was worth every coin.
Noah had no idea what she was thinking, nor did he care to. After confirming that the ten million gold had indeed hit his account, he spoke flatly:
"Where's your summon? Call it out."
"O-Okay!"
In real life, she might be a pampered young lady used to giving orders, but right now she was just a nervous little player, her voice almost meek.
With a flick of her wand, a flash of light burst forth—
Bang!
A cloud of pale smoke erupted, and a small winged creature appeared out of thin air.
"Pika-pika!"
It was snow-white, shaped like a kitten with feathery wings, unbearably cute. The moment it materialized, it tilted its head and let out an adorable chirp.
Noah didn't even pause. He grabbed the little creature by the scruff and tossed it straight into the dark waters.
Splash!
Her eyes went wide. "W-Wait—"
From the depths came a low, guttural roar—the Nine-Headed Serpent's angered bellow.
The summoned beast flapped its tiny wings desperately, breaking the surface. But even as it escaped the water, nine colossal heads surged upward through the black currents, their monstrous shapes flashing in and out of sight.
Noah's eyes locked onto the serpent. Without so much as a flicker of emotion, he raised his staff and unleashed his spell.
Sanction.
BOOM!
-653,582!
The red damage number floated over the dark surface.
And then—
Nine earsplitting shrieks erupted in unison, the sound so sharp it felt like the night air itself was being torn apart.
The sheer force of the skill churned the waters violently, sending waves ten meters high crashing against the cliffside. The turbulence was so intense it made the earlier rampages of the serpent look like ripples in a pond.
The cliff trembled beneath their feet. White spray exploded upward, drowning the ledge in a salty mist.
The female summoner froze, her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming—not because she was scared, but because she was this close to squealing like a fangirl at a concert.
A chime sounded. A few drops of loot zipped straight into Noah's inventory.
He smiled faintly, dismissed the party, and began walking away.
Behind him, the other players—still drenched from the waves—were left blinking in disbelief. Some were coughing, some fumbling for healing potions.
"What just happened? The Nine-Headed Serpent… did it go berserk before surfacing?"
"Guess Demon-Slayer's luck is worse than ours!"
"What now? Should we leave before we all die here?"
The guild leader steadied himself and barked, "Hold on. Don't panic. Let's see what's going on first."
Just then, Noah strolled back into view.
The guild leader smirked.
"See? I told you it couldn't be done. He and that little rich girl must have come crawling back for our help."
He lifted his chin arrogantly as Noah approached, jealousy flickering in his eyes.
"I'm telling you, Demon-Slayer—"
Noah didn't even slow down. He brushed past the man without a glance, heading straight for the exit.
The whole group stared blankly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The guild leader frowned, brain struggling to process the scene. He turned and shouted after him:
"You're not going to fight it?"
Noah waved lazily over his shoulder. "Already did."
"…Already did?"
The man's voice cracked in disbelief. His eyes went wide. Already? That was impossible.
He turned toward the female summoner—and froze.
She was shaking, her lips moving in barely audible whispers.
"Demon-Slayer… my idol… you're just… too strong…"
"What the hell…" The guild leader's voice trailed off.
The players crept toward the cliff edge, craning their necks for a look.
The water had just begun to settle—
WHOOSH!
A fresh surge of waves roared upward.
"Back! Scatter!" someone shouted.
Heartbeats thundered in their ears. This had to be it—the serpent was coming again.
It was.
Only… it wasn't alive.
The Nine-Headed Serpent's massive corpse floated limply to the surface, nine necks hanging slack, eyes glazed over.
"Holy…"
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath filled the air.
The guild leader's knees buckled and he dropped to the ground, pale-faced.
"Demon-Slayer… terrifying beyond reason…"
"But… he's level one. And he just one-shot a level ninety-nine world boss?"
That night, no one on the cliff slept.
The serpent dead and his wallet ten million gold heavier, Noah was in a spectacular mood. Idol image? He had none. If someone wanted to pay him to do what he was going to do anyway, he'd take it without hesitation.
His balance now stood at over twelve million gold.
To celebrate, he splurged on a Forest Capital teleport scroll from the auction house—price: 1,000 gold. Crushing it in his palm, he was engulfed in light and instantly appeared in the heart of the city.
From there, he went straight to the class advancement NPC. On the way, he bought all five SSS-rank materials required for his promotion—another fifty-five thousand gold gone in seconds.
Ouch. Even with his new fortune, that one stung.
System Prompt: Congratulations! You have successfully advanced your class!
His heart skipped a beat as he opened his status window.
[ID]: Demon-Slayer
[Level]: 1
[Class]: First-Tier Divine Fury Mage (Sub-Class: Warrior)
[Talents]: Tenfold Absorption (S-Rank), Otherworldly Hero (SSS-Rank), Chosen One (SSS-Rank)… Void Rift (SSS-Rank)
[HP]: 100,500 / 100,500
[MP]: 5,200 / 6,100
[Attack]: 952
[Magic Power]: 1,490
[Defense]: 476
[Magic Defense]: 615
[Speed]: 637
[Luck]: MAX
[Charm]: MAX
[Equipment]: Asura Sword, Blood Dawn, Gale Strider Set
[Skills]: Judgment Lv1 (Upgradeable), Sanction Lv1 (Upgradeable), Purify Lv1 (Unlockable), Asura Slash Lv1, Radiant Flash Lv1, Fireball Lv1… Flame Cataclysm Lv1, Divine Domain Lv1, Summon Deity Lv1
The words "First-Tier Divine Fury Mage" glimmered in the class section. His advancement meant both of the class's exclusive skills were now upgradable.
But what really got his blood pumping was the fact that Purify—a skill he hadn't been able to use before—was finally unlocked.