Before the gates of the Elf Ancient Battlefield, the scene was one that would forever be etched into the memories of countless players.
Tens of millions of players instinctively moved aside, clearing a path for a single man. Their gazes locked onto him with reverence and awe, as though the world itself had ceased to exist, and only he remained.
That man was none other than Demon-Slayer, Noah.
This was not merely the attention of a crowd. It was the collective gaze of millions, focused on a lone figure who walked forward with steady, unhurried steps. His smile was calm, his demeanor unshaken, but the sheer weight of that many eyes would have crushed anyone else. Had Noah lacked his overwhelming strength and unshakable aura, his legs might have buckled beneath the pressure long ago.
But not Noah.
He walked with composure, a faint smile resting on his lips, until he reached the very front of the crowd.
"You're finally here, Demon-Slayer!"
Two Battle Kings stepped forward immediately, their eyes filled with relief and genuine joy. Their voices trembled with excitement—perhaps even more than the night of their first wedding. Despite both of them being well over level 1000, before Noah, they looked more like clumsy novices than seasoned warriors.
Noah offered them nothing more than a simple nod of acknowledgment. His eyes turned toward the dense, oppressive fog that rolled across the battlefield ahead like a living wall.
[Such a petty fog… Purify can dispel it easily!]
The divine system voice of his talent, Eye of the Gods, whispered into his mind.
Noah's lips curled. His heart steadied. The time had come to unleash the Purify skill.
"Demon-Slayer," one of the Battle Kings ventured nervously, "are you saying… you can actually disperse this fog?"
Noah looked at him and replied with a casual smile.
"Yeah."
The Battle King froze, his eyes widening in disbelief before respect swiftly replaced it. The other Battle King's reaction mirrored his own. That single word—calm, dismissive, almost effortless—struck the surrounding players like a thunderclap.
The crowd erupted.
"He can do it! The hidden map can finally be explored!"
Cheers burst forth from the countless players. No one doubted his words. Not one. Suspicion never even crossed their minds. For them, if Noah said it could be done, then it would be done.
The two Battle Kings, however, noticed Noah stepping directly into the mist, his staff in hand. Their faces paled as they hurried after him.
"Demon-Slayer, wait! Are you really just going in like that?!" one of them called out, worry in his voice. "There's no visibility inside. The fog carries poison strong enough to kill us in minutes. Shouldn't we come with you?"
The meaning behind their words was clear. They themselves could not endure this fog, even with their thousand-plus levels. Could Noah, merely level one, survive it?
But Noah did not stop. His pace remained steady. Without even looking back, he waved them off.
"This fog isn't nearly enough to hurt me."
The two Battle Kings stopped in their tracks, stunned into silence. Then, slowly, admiration filled their eyes.
"This is the future Human Emperor… such unshakable confidence!"
Both warriors had been struggling against this fog for half a day, achieving nothing but frustration. Yet Noah treated it as if it were less than an afterthought.
The entire sea of players—millions strong—fell into silence. Every single one of them stood waiting, watching, desperate to witness with their own eyes how the legendary Demon-Slayer would break this impossible fog.
For days, they had only heard of his might from the World Announcements, tales of his SSS-tier awakening that spread like wildfire. But now, they had the chance to witness it firsthand. For many, this might be the only chance in their lifetime to see such a miracle.
Noah, however, paid their anticipation no mind.
He stepped forward, crossing into the fog.
In an instant, it was as though he had walked through a wall of clouds. A suffocating shroud wrapped around him, blinding his vision.
-1000 HP!
-1000 HP!
-1000 HP!
The damage ticked down every second, draining his life at a terrifying pace.
"So that's why even Battle Kings couldn't endure this place…" Noah muttered under his breath. The truth was clear. At this rate of decay, even if a Battle God himself came, he would collapse in minutes.
"No time to waste. Purify—now!"
As his health bar plummeted, Noah raised the Scarlet Dawn Staff, the crimson crystal at its head pulsing with power. He activated the exclusive skill of the Divine Fury Mage—
Purify!
BOOM!
The staff erupted with a wave of holy brilliance. Divine energy surged outward in a tidal wave, pure and unstoppable, pushing against the poisonous mist. Rings of dazzling light rippled from Noah's body, sweeping through the battlefield with a force that could only be described as divine.
A voice echoed from the skies above, solemn and resounding:
"Purify——"
Every player on-site heard it. Even those who had just teleported into the nearby Black Forest heard the divine proclamation.
"What… what is that voice?"
"It's like… like the gods themselves are speaking!"
Gasps filled the air as the fog that had smothered the battlefield for centuries began to dissolve before their very eyes.
Within mere seconds, the suffocating haze was torn apart, revealing the land it had concealed for so long.
The Elf Ancient Battlefield.
A barren wasteland stretched endlessly before them. The cracked earth was littered with the corpses of ancient warriors—elves frozen mid-draw of their bows, dark elves with weapons still raised, beasts whose colossal bones glowed faintly with corrupted energy. Thousands, no, tens of thousands of the fallen still lay there, silent witnesses to a war long past.
The players trembled at the sight, their eyes burning as they turned to Noah.
"He really did it…"
"Demon-Slayer broke the fog! How is that even possible?!"
Their questions hung in the air, but no one had answers.
Meanwhile, Noah himself was pale. His health had dropped dangerously low, less than 10% remaining.
"That was close… one second longer and I'd have died."
Thankfully, he had farmed the Scarlet Dawn Dungeon for an entire day before leaving the newbie map, pushing his HP to over 100,000. Without that, he would have perished here.
The fog's poison left lingering wounds. Noah reached into his inventory and pulled out a vial of Dragon-Phoenix Blood. Without hesitation, he drank.
+5000 HP!
+2000 HP healed from wounds!
A rush of vitality surged through him, his injuries easing. It wasn't enough to fully restore him, but it bought him time.
"Just a few hundred thousand gold coins… not a big deal," he muttered. With another fifteen seconds, he could drink another vial. If necessary, he'd use an entire stack.
When he turned back, he found every single player behind him—millions of them—staring at him with unrestrained reverence.
"Thank you, Demon-Slayer!"
"Thank you, Demon-Slayer!!"
Their voices rose together, first scattered, then in unison, a tidal wave of gratitude echoing across the battlefield. The cheers thundered through the Black Forest, shaking the heavens themselves.
For the first time, Noah found himself facing the gratitude of millions. His body trembled faintly, a swell of pride rising in his chest. If there was ever a moment to embrace his role, this was it.
He raised his staff high, his voice firm and resolute:
"There's no need to thank me! To restore the glory of humanity—that is our duty!"
The players roared in response, their blood boiling, their eyes brimming with tears. At that moment, Noah was no longer just a player. He was the hope of humanity.