The castle hall had gone eerily silent after the crash of Noah's flames had annihilated the Black Wolf Boss. But before the students could even process what had happened, the silence broke with Ethan Jiang's cold, mocking laughter.
His voice echoed across the vast stone chamber like the hiss of a snake.
"Noah… do you really think this is over?"
The students froze, stunned at the venom dripping from his tone. One of the braver ones shouted, his voice cracking, "Senior Ethan, w-what are you doing?!"
"What am I doing?" Ethan tilted his head back, lips curling into a grotesque grin. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he raised his greatsword and pointed it at the gathered students. "Didn't I already say it clearly? I'm going to cripple your talents. Every last one of you."
The words landed like thunder. Panic erupted instantly, voices colliding in waves of disbelief.
"You… you must be joking, right?" one student stammered. "This is the Land of Divine Punishment! Even if we die, we just resurrect. What does that have to do with losing our talents?"
Confusion and fear battled on their pale faces. None of them understood what Ethan meant.
Ethan, however, basked in their fear. He let it wash over him like a drug, savoring every second. His laughter was manic, unrestrained.
"Hahaha! You pathetic worms. Fine, I'll tell you. What does it matter? You'll soon forget everything anyway, once your memories are erased. You'll wake up hollow, nothing but shells… crippled wastes with no future."
His expression twisted as he roared, "Tell me, have you ever heard of the skill… Doom of Talent?"
The name alone was enough to freeze the blood in their veins.
Tang Xia's face drained of all color. She took a sharp step back, her voice trembling. "Doom of Talent… That's a forbidden technique. A taboo of the Demon-Hunting Institute!"
Another student, one of the bookish types, gasped as the truth clicked. His lips trembled violently as he recalled what he had once read in ancient records.
"One hundred years ago, the Demon Race launched the Talent War against humanity. They used Doom of Talent to cripple countless human prodigies, even stripping away the abilities of A-rank and S-rank fighters. It created a chasm in our strength. We only won that war at the cost of generations… Afterward, Doom of Talent was sealed away, forbidden forever!"
Yet here Ethan Jiang was, casually speaking of it as though he owned it.
"That's right." His grin widened. "The forbidden skill Doom of Talent… belongs to me now. And soon, so will your futures."
Gasps tore through the group, and Tang Xia nearly stumbled in horror.
But amidst the chaos, Noah remained utterly calm.
He stood quietly, his hands at his side, eyes unreadable. He had already exposed what he needed to—the S-rank talent Ice Fury, the Tempest greatsword, and even one of his so-called "trump cards," the SSS-tier skill Northern Starfire. That was all the world needed to see.
Anything more would be too much.
And so, he waited. His lips curled slightly as his gaze drifted toward the great iron doors of the castle. There was no panic in his eyes. Only calculation.
Because even now, his true body—the Demon-Slayer—was already on its way. The Twin Shadows skill had pulled his main body from the Elf Ancient Battlefield to Riftwind City's teleportation gate. In less than twenty seconds, Demon-Slayer would arrive.
Ethan Jiang had no idea he was already out of time.
With a cruel smirk, Ethan crushed a scroll in his hand. Light burst outward, and the ground shook violently as the chains in the hall snapped.
A chilling wolf-howl ripped through the air.
The Black Wolf Boss reappeared in the chamber, reborn.
"It's the Boss Resurrection Scroll!" someone cried.
Instantly, the atmosphere collapsed into despair. The gates slammed shut once more, sealing them in. Terror clawed at their throats. They were trapped with a monster and a traitor.
Ethan's boots slammed against the stone floor as he strode forward, dragging his sword behind him. Sparks hissed from the blade as his killing intent surged. His eyes locked on Noah.
"Your talent, Noah… it ends today."
Tang Xia's pupils shrank to pinpricks. Her breath hitched, and without thinking, she raised her bow.
Her hands shook, but her aim was true.
"Flame Arrow!"
The fiery bolt streaked through the air and struck Ethan's armor, exploding into embers. It didn't even scratch him, but it stopped him for a heartbeat.
"Ethan!" Tang Xia screamed, her voice breaking. "If you want to cripple someone, cripple me instead!"
She bolted toward Noah with everything she had, tears burning her eyes. Noah had just awakened his S-rank talent; he couldn't lose it. Not here. Not like this.
The arrow hadn't harmed Ethan, but it had caught his attention. His twisted face darkened with rage. For an instant, he wanted to cut her down first, to make Noah watch as her gifts were stolen away before she died.
But Ethan forced himself back. He didn't have time. His priority was Noah.
"Erase their memories!" he barked.
The air in front of him shimmered, ripples spreading like a disturbed pond.
"Protect Noah!" a class monitor roared, teeth clenched. "All men, with me! If you're a man, follow me!"
Shouts rang out, filling the chamber.
"Ethan, you traitor! Leave Noah alone—come at us instead!"
Fueled by blood and rage, the boys surged forward. Their talents were weak, their futures uncertain, but their resolve burned hotter than steel. If they could shield Noah, even for a second, it was worth it.
The sight left Ethan frowning, but Noah's lips twitched upward in shock and something else—something like reluctant admiration.
Still, he couldn't let them be slaughtered for his sake.
His aura flared outward like an explosion.
"STOP!"
The sheer force in his voice froze the students mid-step.
Noah's eyes swept across Tang Xia, then to the monitor and the others. He smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
And then, turning to Ethan, his expression hardened into stone. His gaze was cold, his voice sharper than a blade.
"Ethan Jiang… you think you can cripple my talent? You?"
Ethan faltered, confused by his composure. But then he barked a laugh, venom dripping from every word.
"Don't forget, Noah—you're level twenty-eight. I'm one hundred and sixty! Crushing you would be easier than squashing an ant. Do you think your arrogance will save you?"
Noah only tilted his head, sneering. "Arrogance? No. Just reality. You… are already out of time."
Ethan blinked, frowning. "What?"
BOOM!
The castle gates exploded into shrapnel.
A thunderous crash shook the entire hall, dust and debris clouding the air.
A lone figure stepped through the smoke.
The students gasped, then screamed with joy.
"Demon-Slayer! It's Demon-Slayer!"
He strode forward, staff in hand, divine light blazing. His face was hidden behind a mask, his ID obscured, but his aura was unmistakable. The living legend had entered the battlefield.
For the first time, true fear flickered across Ethan's face. His confidence wavered, replaced with dread.
But greed soon twisted his features again.
"So what if it's Demon-Slayer?" he muttered. "If I cripple even him, I'll soar beyond everything!"
His whisper carried, and Noah heard it. His brow arched, a cruel smirk spreading across his lips.
"Fly? No, Ethan. You won't fly. You'll burn."
He raised his staff, and divine radiance erupted.
Judgment!
A beam of holy power engulfed Ethan.
He screamed as his body convulsed, dropping to his knees. His skin turned a sickly green, a massive "WEAKENED" marker glowing above his head. His strength drained away like water from a broken dam.
His voice broke into stammering terror. "W-what… what's happening to me? My body… it's so weak! I can't move!"
Noah's eyes narrowed as he whispered, his voice as cold as death itself.
"You like crippling talents, don't you, Ethan?" His tone was a blade of ice. "Then today, let's see how you enjoy becoming a cripple yourself."