The system's voice echoed across the skies.
[World Announcement]: Demon-Slayer has once again broken the record for clearing the Level 200 Dungeon!
The entire Land of Divine Punishment erupted. Human players went wild. But unlike the first few times when his feats left them dumbfounded, most were no longer surprised. They had gotten used to it—used to the fact that Demon-Slayer was no longer bound by common sense.
Even so, the world channel instantly burst into chaos, messages flooding in like a tidal wave.
"Holy crap, finally! Ever since Demon-Slayer blasted through the newbie village barrier, I knew this day would come. But damn, I didn't expect it so soon!"
"Another four-second clear?! Hahaha! That mysterious '???' rating from the system is hilarious every single time!"
"Demon-Slayer is insane! The Elven Graveyard is supposed to be one of the hardest dungeons, and he soloed it in four seconds. What are Ye Zhibai and Mo Wen's so-called 'Super Emperor Team' supposed to do now?"
"Stop comparing! Careful, the Demon-Hunting Institute might pay you a visit if you keep it up."
"Forget the records, didn't anyone notice Demon-Slayer's last line? That was badass! The Demon God must be trembling right now!"
Meanwhile, a random player named Gu Hangxia posted:
"Looking for a girlfriend online. Somebody please help me stop being single."
The channel continued to buzz with laughter and mockery.
Compared to the Land of Divine Punishment, reality was even more heated.
The dismissal bell rang across Jiangnan High School No. 2, and the campus exploded into chatter. One name echoed from every corner—Demon-Slayer, Demon-Slayer, Demon-Slayer!
Logging out of the Land of Divine Punishment, Noah headed to the cafeteria with Tang Xia. Naturally, their conversation drifted to the same topic—Demon-Slayer.
On the way, Tang Xia's beautiful face was filled with unhidden admiration. After all, they were all students of the same year, yet Demon-Slayer had just solo-cleared a Level 200 dungeon in four seconds, while they were still struggling in the beginner village.
By the window in the cafeteria, Tang Xia sat across from Noah with her tray. Her ponytail swayed gently, her school uniform skirt brushing against the chair as she dropped down. Yet her mood seemed low, her plate filled only with vegetables.
She sighed. "Noah, how can there be such a huge gap between people?"
Noah was busy shoveling food into his mouth. He smirked lightly at her words. "Even among the Emperor-ranked players, there are differences. What do you expect for us normal folk?"
Tang Xia rolled her eyes. "Are you insane? Did you just call Demon-Slayer a normal folk?"
"Of course. What else would he be?"
"In my eyes, Demon-Slayer is a total freak. A monster!"
Noah twitched at the corner of his lips. "Careful with that. If Demon-Slayer heard you say that, he'd chop you down on the spot."
Tang Xia pouted. "Hmph! He's not even from the same world as us. No way he'd ever hear it."
For once, they weren't bickering. Noah continued eating in silence, though his gaze drifted to her tray. His brows furrowed.
"Xia, is that seriously all you're eating?"
She answered casually, "Yeah. My dad's into healthy diets, so I'm just following along."
"Healthy? More like suicidal. No wonder you're not developing at all. Eating grass every day won't give you any nutrition."
Her cheeks flushed crimson. "Go to hell, Noah!"
Noah ignored her embarrassment and placed a piece of chicken from his tray onto hers. "Here, eat some real food."
Tang Xia snapped instinctively, "No way, I'm not eating your chicken!"
The cafeteria froze. The way those words came out… it was way dirtier than intended. Heads turned, students stared, and whispers started spreading like wildfire.
Across the room, Jacob nearly choked on his food. He slammed his chopsticks on the table, glaring at the two.
Unbelievable. In public? Right in front of me?
Jacob had been pursuing Tang Xia for months. She hadn't accepted him yet, but still, how could she sit there with Noah, saying things that sounded so indecent?
His knuckles whitened, eyes filled with rage. So what am I supposed to be now? A clown?
Snap! His chopsticks broke in his hands. His teeth ground together as he muttered:
"Noah, right? If you dare steal my woman, I'll make you regret it."
At that moment, Noah sneezed suddenly. He frowned. "Weird. Why have I been sneezing so often these days? Is my sinus acting up again?"
Tang Xia, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole. Her classmates' burning stares were unbearable. She kicked Noah under the table in frustration.
Later, Noah offered to treat her to a big meal, but Tang Xia refused outright. Noah only sighed. For all her liveliness and tsundere charm, she was stubborn to the bone. Even gifts from someone close to her were always rejected.
Noah glanced at the few pieces of S-rank gear he still had from Level 50. He couldn't give them away so easily, not even to her.
Afternoon classes resumed.
Homeroom teacher Mr. Wang entered with a large cardboard box in his arms. "The special masks from the Demon-Hunting Institute have arrived. Class president, hand them out quickly. Don't delay everyone's leveling time this evening."
Within minutes, the masks were distributed.
Noah held his in hand. The smooth surface glowed faintly, cool to the touch. Following the teacher's instructions, he placed it over his face.
A refreshing sensation rushed through his forehead, spreading across his cheeks as though his face were veiled in silk. In the next moment, the mask dissolved into countless strands of light, merging into his skin.
He glanced at his reflection in the classroom window. His appearance had been completely hidden.
"Not bad," Noah murmured, then logged back into the Land of Divine Punishment.
Whoosh!
The Elven Graveyard dungeon loaded around him, dark and eerie. Noah's name and face were hidden, just as promised.
He opened his Void Rift Pack, scanning through the rewards for breaking the record. Because the reward tiers stacked, reaching the highest rank meant receiving everything below it as well.
[1,500,000 Gold]
[All Attributes +500]
[Twin Shadows Lv.1]
[Hidden Zone Unlock Ticket]
Noah's eyes gleamed. Four rewards in total. This had to be a hidden bonus for breaking the record so decisively.
He dismissed the gold with a wave of his hand. Money meant nothing now; even 1.5 billion in Chinese currency wasn't as valuable as a permanent boost of +500 to all stats. That was priceless.
Stats were what he lacked most. His health and damage output were monstrous, but his other attributes lagged behind. To achieve his goal of becoming a **perfect all-rounder—a true hexagon warrior—**he needed balance.
He clenched his fists. "At this rate, it won't be long."
Next, his attention shifted to the skill reward.
[Twin Shadows Lv.1 (SSS-tier)]
Creates a controllable clone with 100% of the caster's stats.
Within 100 meters, the clone can absorb one lethal strike in place of the caster.
Duration: 4 hours
Cooldown: 6 hours
Mana Cost: 4000
Noah's heart skipped a beat. "A clone… no, it's more than that."
It wasn't just a duplicate. It was a life-saving talisman. As long as the clone was nearby, he could cheat death once without consequence. Who needed resurrection gear now?
The dark dungeon echoed with his steady breathing. He quickly turned to the final prize.
[Hidden Zone Unlock Ticket]: Can be used to open a secret area within the Forest Kingdom, containing treasures and stat-boosting elixirs.