Noah had just claimed the dungeon ranking rewards.
With his sky-breaking ten-million damage output, there was no reason for him to keep farming the Elf Graveyard.
"Mm, time to switch maps again," he muttered. His progression was like a hurricane—swift, unstoppable, leaving nothing behind.
But before leaving, Noah opened his inventory and pulled out a glowing parchment—[Hidden Area Access Ticket].
Without hesitation, he used it.
[Hidden Area Access Ticket] successfully activated! Hidden Map: Elf Ancient Battlefield unlocked!
Generating Map…
Generating Boss… error detected… regenerating…
Generating Rewards… complete!
A thunderous world announcement boomed across the skies:
Player [Demon-Slayer] has unlocked the hidden map: Elf Ancient Battlefield in the Forest Kingdom!
Players may now join the battlefield to assist the Elf race in repelling demonic beasts and earn massive EXP rewards!
The announcement instantly set the entire player base ablaze.
By now, humanity's players had developed a kind of muscle memory. Whenever something stirred in the skies above, they instinctively raised their hands and shouted:
"Demon-Slayer is awesome!"
"Demon-Slayer is a legend!"
Some marveled aloud:
"How many secrets does the Land of Divine Punishment still hold? This Elf Ancient Battlefield… it feels like we've been blind to a whole new world!"
"Finally! I thought I wouldn't reach Level 200 before I died. With this battlefield, maybe I'll live a few more years!"
"Old man, you sure you'll make it that long? My dad runs a funeral business—want me to give you his number?"
"Shut up! Demon-Slayer is so cool! I love him!"
The world chat had long since become Demon-Slayer's personal fan club.
Noah, however, remained calm. He had already expected this outcome.
Just like the Permanent Sword Insignia before, the [Hidden Area Access Ticket] was something all players could benefit from. But the announcement had revealed a detail—ordinary players would only receive EXP rewards.
For him, it was different. He would gain rare items and attribute-enhancing pills on top of that.
"That's more like it," Noah smirked. "As the one who unlocked the map, my rewards should naturally surpass everyone else's."
Satisfied with his understanding, Noah wasted no more time. He would finish the Elf Ancient Battlefield, claim everything, and then break through the realm barrier again—heading straight to the next Level 500 map.
A flash of white light swept over the dungeon exit. Noah stepped out of the Elf Graveyard—and immediately, the crowd waiting outside surged forward.
"It's Demon-Slayer!"
Though his mask concealed his face and ID, the blazing Level 1 marker above his head gave him away instantly.
The players of Forest Kingdom were no less enthusiastic than those of the starter zones. Noah didn't mind their cheers. With a casual wave, he used a teleportation scroll and vanished, returning to the capital city of the Forest Kingdom.
The map pointed him southwest—the Elf Ancient Battlefield lay at the very edge of the Dark Forest. From the capital, it would be the fastest route.
Noah's vision flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in the Forest Capital.
The sky was no longer blue—it shimmered in a surreal emerald hue. Towering buildings intertwined seamlessly with colossal ancient trees, forming a breathtaking city of nature and stone.
But Noah had no time to admire the scenery. He set off immediately, for teleportation magic had its limits. In the Land of Divine Punishment, a destination had to be visited once before it could be teleported to again.
Which meant—for now—he had to go on foot.
The journey took him the rest of the afternoon. After crossing the depths of the Dark Forest, he finally arrived at the border, where reality itself seemed to blur.
Before him lay a fog-shrouded region that hadn't existed before.
The mist radiated mystery. It was cold, suffocating, and dangerous.
And already, thousands upon thousands of players had gathered outside the fog, none daring to cross the 200-meter line.
The lowest among them was Level 100. Many were far above Level 200, drawn here from distant maps.
But strangely, not one had ventured inside.
"Whoosh!"
The mist suddenly rippled. Two figures shot out like cannonballs, crashing onto the ground before the crowd.
Both coughed violently, their armor corroded, their expressions grim.
"Damn it… it's impossible! The fog's too thick—I couldn't see a damn thing in there!"
"And it's not just the fog. I crashed into multiple pockets of toxic energy—I almost died in there!"
Gasps rippled through the players. These two weren't nobodies. They were Battle Kings—warriors above Level 1000, men whose footsteps could shake entire regions.
If even they were beaten back like dogs, what chance did anyone else have?
Despair quickly spread.
"It's over. If Battle Kings can't explore it, won't we just be walking to our deaths?"
"But that can't be right! Demon-Slayer unlocked this for us. Why would it be impossible to enter?"
"Who knows? We've been researching it all afternoon and still no answers."
"Wait… where is Demon-Slayer? Did he already go in?"
The chatter swelled, anxious and uncertain.
And yet—no one left.
They all knew. The last time Demon-Slayer revealed a hidden reward, the entire server benefited. Even if it took days, they would wait. Maybe this battlefield would be the chance for them to level up several times at once.
By the time Noah finally arrived, the sheer sea of people stunned even him. Millions—no, tens of millions—crowded before the fog like a tide of flesh and steel.
For the first time, Noah felt the true weight of the phrase "a mountain of people, a sea of men."
"Strange," he muttered, frowning. "Why are so many people stuck here? Don't tell me you actually need to queue up just to enter?"
From the crowd's conversations, the truth became clear: no one had made it past the mist. The map remained untouched.
Noah's eyes lit up.
"The fog… so that's the key."
He stepped forward, voice booming across the crowd:
"Step aside—let me handle this!"
The words cut through the air like a blade, carrying a force that made every ear ring.
At once, millions of heads turned.
At first, many wanted to sneer. Handle this? Even Battle Kings couldn't manage. Who do you think you are?
But then they saw him.
The mask. The aura. The glowing Level 1 hovering above his head.
Every sneer froze.
Every breath halted.
And in that instant, a single thought blazed through the minds of millions of players:
Holy shit… it's Demon-Slayer!