Ch 321: Return to the surface.

Noah had expected Tao Tie to return him to the Wolf's Cliff, but he instead appeared south of the village, in a deserted area. he checked the hour. He only had a few hours before he would need to be in Beijing, due to the time difference.

First thing first, he needed to procure a mask.

"Qi Yue, are you there?" asked Noah out loud, and she appeared by his side, displaying a sweet smile.

"Young master, I didn’t know you missed me so much. We just got out, and you already immediately called for me. You’re going to make my heart throb.”

She leaped into his arms, displaying all her bewitching allure, and Noah's brain crashed for an instant.

"Be careful with your teasing, Qi Yue." sighed Noah. "There will come a time when my self-control will slip, and when that happens, it will be too late for you to say no."

"Hehe. This big sister is happy that little master finds her to his taste." chuckled Qi Yue.

"Who wouldn't be swayed by a seductress like you... Anyway, I have a mission for you. I want you to walk ten meters behind me while we go to the village." said Noah as he opened his status and equipped his old pieces of equipment.

"Why? Oh, you intend to use me as a decoy!" deduced Qi Yue. She gestured toward the Lunar Scourge, and its shape changed, becoming that of a black-colored standard moon god bracelet, with only 3 visible slots.

"This kind of method of concealment isn’t perfect. If little master uses the power of Lunar Scourge its original form will appear, and if it receives an overly powerful attack the illusion will also disappear. But it should fool anyone but the three Moon Goddesses, and they will not go into the Forgotten Continent."

"Thanks, that will be useful." nodded Noah. "Anyway, I am asking this of you because my face is already too recognizable, and everyone and their dogs will covet my fairy-grade spear. With you around, they won't pay enough attention to me to recognize me."

"This big sister doesn't know if she should feel praised or insulted that the little master called her only to use her in such a way." pouted Qi Yue.

Noah sighed in exasperation as he started walking toward the village, and Qi Yue laughed cutely as she followed a dozen steps behind. This woman wasn't good for him. She riled him up far too easily, and she knew it.

At the very least, his plan worked perfectly. All the players, men and women alike, were too busy gawking at Qi Yue and, in many men's cases, pitching tents, to spare him more than a quick glance.

Noah entered Wang Ji's shop, and after a short chat, bought five hundred orange HP potions, as well as three different masks. A standard, featureless white mask that stopped just past the player's nose and wouldn't stop them from drinking potions.

A black and red mask, with a kitsune pattern. And finally, a black one whose design reminded him of the mask worn by the Gladiator movie's protagonist.

Noah put on the white mask before leaving the shop and saw a crowd of players already assembling. Qi Yue was already gathering a fan club. She saw Noah discreetly gesturing her as he left, and she disappeared.

"She just disconnected. Just who is this beauty?" asked a player, disappointed.

"Fuck leveling, I'll camp there until she returns!" declared another, and many declared their intent to follow his example.

Noah shook his head as he left for the village's center. Those players were going to wait a while.

Noah walked to the village Chief.

"Hi again, Chief!" smiled Noah.

"Oh, it's…" started the Chief, before his eyes widened in stupor. "Level 10 already? This is astonishing. According to my calculations, you should have needed at least two or three days! You may be the first in the whole world to leave the tutorial islands."

"I got lucky." shrugged Noah.

"Lucky, you say? Well, those aren't my affairs. Are you ready to leave for the Forgotten Continent?"

"I…" started Noah, before a scream interrupted him. The old man in the straw house was sprinting toward them, his eyes wide."

"You! what are you doing!" shouted the Village Chief, putting himself between the crazy man and Noah.

"Out of the way!" shouted the Lunatic as he pushed the Village Chief aside, not causing him and damage, and grabbed Noah's left shoulder with an iron grip.

"You! You come with me!"

Before Noah could react, he was dragged away.

As he was dragged toward the straw home under the shocked eyes of the nearby players, Noah decided trying to resist would be counter-productive.

Whoever the old man was, the only thing that made Noah different form the other players was the Lunar Scourge, and if the lunatic wanted to drag him into a private place rather than expose him in public, he likely wasn't on the side of the Moon God Clan.

The inside of the straw house was just as miserable as its exterior suggested, and barely qualified as a livable space in his book, but amenities weren't high on Noah's current list of priorities.

The man closed the door and blocked it with his body, as if afraid that Noah would bolt. As expected, he gaze was fixed on the Lunar Scourge.

"You… at least, the Lunar Scourge Reappeared! Yue… my daughter…" muttered the old man, literally crying in relief.

"I won't bother denying that this is the Lunar Scourge." sighed Noah. He had managed a whole 10 minutes before being found out. "How did you recognize it? I am going to be in trouble if anyone can tell at a glance."

"Because of this!" said the man, taking from a pocket a golden Orb. It was bigger than the Gemini Orb, and Noah's heart skipped a beat as he didn't dare hope it could be one of the three Saint Destroyer-grade orbs.

"The Star God Orb sensed the presence of the Lunar Scourge nearby. At last, I can meet my daughter again."

"Ahem. My name is Noah. Can you tell me your name?"

The old man blinked and laughed to himself in self-derision. "You must have heard rumors about me and consider me a lunatic, right?"

Noah decided to play it safe and didn't answer.

The old man used his hands to brush his disheveled hair back and straightened his posture. Suddenly, his atmosphere changed to one of… dignity?

"My name is Ye Wuya. I am the Night Emperor. Pleased to meet you, young man who carries the Lunar Scourge."

"Night Emperor? I am sorry, but I am not familiar with this world's history." frowned Noah.

"That is understandable." nodded Ye Wuya. "I will explain everything. But before that, can I see my daughter Yue'er? I searched for her for thousands of years!"

"Is your daughter's name Qi Yue?"

"Qi Yue?" repeated Ye Wuya, confused for an instant, before he displayed a pained expression. "I understand. For my daughter to have decided to change her surname because she suffered so much, this is my failure as a father. I…"

Qi Yue suddenly appeared beside Noah, a frustrated expression on her face.

"This wasn't supposed to happen." sighed Qi Yue.

"You? Who are you? You are not my daughter." frowned Ye Wuya.

"I am not." nodded Qi Yue, with a glance at Noah. "This isn't something I wanted to reveal at this point, but… I am not the only person sealed inside the Lunar Scourge. Night Emperor, your daughter Ye Yue is fine. She cannot come out until all the orbs have been found and the Lunar Scourge is whole again, but she and I have formed a pact. She can see through my eyes, and can hear through my ears. Yue'er can see you right now, and she asked me to deliver a message."

"A message? Oh, Yue'er! Your father is sorry to be so incompetent!" cried Ye Wuya, falling to his knees.

"The message is the following: Father, please do not despair. I am so happy that we could meet again. Hopefully, one day, I will be free from the Lunar Scourge and be able to hug you, and be spoiled by you again. Until then, please be patient, father, and trust in my friend Qi Yue. I love you very much, and never lost hope to be reunited with you again one day… This is the end of her message."

"Yue'er… Yue'er:" cried Ye Wuya for a few minutes, staring at Qi Yue.

Noah would have offered him tissues, but he didn't have any. All he could do was sit, looking awkward. Finally, Ye Wuya calmed down.

"Can any of you tell me how Ye Yue'er found herself sealed inside the Lunar Scourge?" asked Noah.

Qi Yue didn't seem to want to, glancing at Ye Wuya as if asking him to do it, and the Night Emperor took a deep breath.

"I was born as a member of the Moon God Clan. When I was younger, I resented the strict hierarchy imposed by the Clan to everyone, from the three Moon Goddesses to the lowly mortals. I believed that all living creatures should be more equal. Because my ideology differed too much from the clan's, I left it, and founded the Xiao Yao sect. We lived quietly for a while, until ten thousand years ago, the Shura attacked the region. He didn't specifically target the Xiao Yao clan, simply because we weren't in his way. The Shura destroyed and slaughtered everything in his path, like a force of nature, and the clan got lucky.

"But my daughter, Ye Yue, was unlucky. She was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and the Lunar Scourge needed a soul to serve as its item spirit. That is how my daughter was sealed inside."

"I fond out later about her fate, but by then, the Moon God Clan had already killed the Shura and fragmented the Lunar scourge, sealing its main body in a far away, secret location. Despite many requests, they always refused to reveal the Lunar Scourge's hiding place, so I declared war on them. I wanted to force them to reveal that location to me. In my opposition to them, I renamed the Xiao Yao sect into the Night Demon Clan and named myself the Night Emperor."

"And you were defeated." sighed Qi Yue, her words neither sympathetic nor merciless.

"We were." sighed Ye Wuya. "Only fragments of the clan still remain, hiding. But even if I was just by myself, even if I had to search under every rock of the Forgotten Continent, I kept searching for my daughter. For thousands of years, I kept searching. Until I fell into despair, and I remained in this village, wallowing in regrets. Who would have thought? That my daughter was actually so close?"

"And yet, Yue'er is still out of reach." sighed Ye Wuya, and Noah could hear a world of pain in that sigh.

"Give me a few years, at most." declared Noah. "I will find every Orb of the Lunar Scourge and free your daughter."

"I would like to believe in you, but I have searched the Forgotten Continent for thousands of years. And yet, this Star God orb is the only piece of the Lunar Scourge I could find." lamented Ye Wuya.

"…I am only telling you this so that you won't feel despair again… I serve someone who is above the Moon God Clan. It was no coincidence that I was sent to this village when I entered this world. No coincidence that it was in this village that you stopped, Night Emperor. Just like it was no coincidence that I found my way to the Lunar Scourge. I am confident that my Goddess will twist the arms of fate as much as she needs to make me stumble upon the missing Orbs. Hell, she might just pick up the Orbs from wherever they are and drop them on my path."

"Someone above the Moon God Clan?" frowned Qi Yue.

"Her name is Lilith." smiled Noah. "A goddess from my own world, but whose reach extends to this one. She doesn't act directly unless she has no choice. Instead, she sends her agents to do her bidding, like me. Because she finds watching me flail around more interesting, and I still somehow produce the desired results."

"Her bidding? What are her intentions?" asked Qi Yue with an intensity that made Noah uneasy.

"I think I will stay quiet about it. You haven't earned my trust yet, Qi Yue. Less than an hour happened since you tried to make me a sacrifice to the Lunar Scourge. But if you truly are a good person, if you truly are worthy of Ye Yue's trust, then you should not see my goddess as a threat, but rather as a guarantee that you will find happiness as long as you work hard for it."

Qi Yue's expression became a mask that Noah couldn't interpret, and he stood to his feet.

"I should go soon, before the Village Chief starts thinking you are cooking me for your next meal."

Ye Wuya snorted and stood as well. "Take the Star God Orb. I would follow you, but my presence would attract too much attention toward you."

"I understand. But if I may make a suggestion, how about you leave this island in a month or so to return to the Forgotten Continent? My name is likely going to circulate far and wide, and when the time come for me to openly oppose the Moon God Clan, you shouldn't have a hard time finding me."

"That is a good idea." nodded the Night Emperor he turned to Qi Yue with a complex expression.

"Miss Qi Yue, please continue being a good friend to my daughter, and keep her company. Yue'er… Your father loves you very much, and I will do anything I can to get you out of here."

Qi Yue disappeared, and reappeared a few seconds later.

"She asked me to tell you that she will wait patiently, and please do not take risks."

Noah slotted the Star God Orb into the Lunar Scourge.

[Star God Orb] Type: Orb, Grade: Saint Destroyer, Attributes: None: Can only be socketed on Lunar Scourge.

Effect: +50 000 000 MP. Can summon and put away the Lunar Scourge Divine Armor at will.

"What the frack is that, Qi Yue?" exclaimed Noah, his eyes wide. "Fifty Million MP?"

"Is little master surprised?' snorted Qi Yue. "This is one of the Saint Orbs. It is incomparable to even the Mysterious God Orbs. Once the Lunar Scourge is complete, you will have special attacks able to extinguish all life within kilometers! Vast armies of mortals will be but dust in your path! This is the kind of power that will be needed, if you want to defeat the Moon God Clan."

"Holy sweet batman..." muttered Noah. "…And what is this Lunar Scourge Divine Armor? I'm not going to be stupid enough to try to use it where someone might recognize it, but how powerful is it?"

"Powerful enough that the little master's body would instantly explode if he tried to don it before level 80." smiled Qi Yue.

"I see." nodded Noah.

Qi Yue disappeared, returning to the Lunar Scourge. Ye Wuya waited for a little while, hoping that Qi Yue would return with another word from her daughter, but that wasn't the case, and with a sigh, he opened the door of his straw house.

"I will leave this village in a few weeks. Farewell, Noah, and good luck. Make sure they never find out."

"Farewell." nodded Noah. "I'll be careful."

Many people watched curiously as he left the house, and they started cornering him.

"Hey, you!" asked a particularly rude one. "Did you find a quest related to that crazy man? Spill the beans, I'm willing to give you 5 silvers for the information."

"How generous of you." snorted Noah, ignoring him.

The Village Chief looked relieved as Noah returned unharmed.

"You are safe and sound. What did this lunatic want?"

"He was lonely and wanted someone to talk to. He's been a little forceful in inviting me, but I'm fine." shrugged Noah.

"Someone to talk to?" asked the Chief in disbelief before shaking his head. "Fine, I do not need to know. Do you wish to go to the Forgotten Continent?"

"Yes, please." nodded Noah.

"I will. But before that, there are a few more things that I must tell you. Some of the dangers I must mention."

"I am listening." nodded Noah.

"Good. The place where you will be transferred to will be one of the main five cities of the Forgotten Continent, the Dragon City. When you get there, you should go meet the city chief and when he sees your badge he might be willing to give you some special tasks."

Noah Nodded, and the Chief continued.

"The Dragon City is to the East of the Forgotten Continent, it is one of the five main cities of the Forgotten Continent. The five main cities are the Azure Dragon city of the east, the White Tiger city of west, the Vermilion Bird city of the south, the Black Tortoise city of the north, and the Forgotten city at the center."

"The land of the Forgotten Continent is extremely vast, and along with the five main cities, there are countless other cities, towns, and villages scatters across the land like stars in the night sky. And of course all of this is human territory. The power of humans is not very substantial, their strength is nowhere near that of the Beast clan, and it cannot even be compared to the Ocean clan. But humans are able to obtain a land that is as vast as the Forgotten Continent in the world of Mythic Moon is because of two reasons: one, the human intelligence, and two, the protection of the Moon God Clan."

"The Beast and Ocean Clans? I think I'd like to go visit at some point. Do they have a good relationship with humans?" asked Noah.

"The relationship isn't great, but they might tolerate you if you do not cause trouble." shrugged the Chief before continuing.

"Because of the Moon God Clan's protection, humans have developed an eternally unwavering faith in the Moon God Clan. After all, it is only due to the existence of the Moon God Clan which can oppress the ancient demons. Young one, you who come from another world may not be able to understand our faith in the Moon God Clan, but when you get to the Forgotten Continent, or anywhere outside, do not say anything that would disrespect the Moon God Clan. And don’t do anything that would offend the Moon God Clan. Or else you will be disliked, and you may be ostracized."

Noah nodded again.

The chief continued his speech with an unchanging face: “The Dragon city that you will be sent to is the most comfortable city of the Forgotten Continent, the people there are very passionate and friendly. The monsters in that area are also very weak, I believe you will definitely like it there. The Dragon city is rumored to be protected by the mysterious god Azure Dragon, which is part of the legendary mysterious god beast, so there are few things in this world that can threaten the peace of the Dragon city. And the other four cities also have the protection of their legendary guardians that they are named after. The Tiger city has the mysterious god White Tiger, the Bird city has the mysterious god Vermilion Bird, the Tortoise city has the mysterious god Black Tortoise, the central Forgotten city is protected by the strongest of the five Saint Destroyers of the Forgotten Continent: the Kirin!”

“There are five Saint Destroyers on the Forgotten Continent?”

“Yes,” the chief responded while nodding his head: “Saint Destroyers are not only the strongest on the Forgotten Continent, but they are also at the top ranks of this world as well. The power held by these five Saint Destroyers cannot be rivaled by any.”

“Who are the five?”

“The first is the Kirin. It is one of the first creatures said to be born in Mythic Moon. It symbolizes prosperity and protection, and it holds the strongest holy powers in this world. The other guardians of the four cities, the Azure Dragon, the Vermillion Bird, the White Tiger and the Black Tortoise all have to obey its orders. It is also the most peaceful of the five saint destroyers. Rumor states that it is somewhere within the Forgotten City, but no one has seen it yet."

"The second is the Golden Crow, which is also called the Sun Crow. Legend states that it is a divine creature birthed by the sun high in the heavens. It can control solar flames that are strong enough to incinerate all in this world. It holds the most calamitous abilities of the five Saint Beasts, but it also has a very fragile lifeforce. At the same time, it is the most feared nemesis of the monsters left by the ancient demon gods. The ten mysterious god beasts will all tremble before it. However, there are precarious legends that state that the Golden Crow’s root fire has been extinguished many moons ago, and thus has disappeared in this world."

"The third one is the Void Dragon God, and is part of the strongest species of beast on the Forgotten continent… It is at the top of the dragon clan. Not only does it bear the might that can destroy this land, but it also holds the power of calling upon the whole dragon clan. Even the Moon God Clan does not dare to disrespect it."

"Fourth is the divine guardian of the Moon God Clan—the Eight-winged Heaven Tiger. In the past it was the mount of the fierce Moon God, even though it is a beast, it has the same status as the three goddesses of the Moon God Clan, Order, Destiny, and Freedom. Rumor has it that with just one roar, it can cause the skies to collapse and the land to split."

"The fifth Saint-Destroyer beast is the king of the Ocean Clan, the Oceanic Rage Shark. It holds a colossal-sized body and strength that cannot be rivaled. Everything that is in or above the sea is under its control. There is no creature that can cause any threat to its might of the sea. If it is angered, then the whole ocean will turn.”

"I hope I will be able to see one of those five majestic beings with my own eyes, one day." smiled Noah.

"You could consider yourself blessed if you did. But there are more things you need to know before you go." nodded the Chief.

"Are the Five Saint Destroyer Beasts stronger than the Moon Goddesses?"

"No. The Order goddess, the Freedom goddess, and the Destiny goddess hold the top tiers of Saint Destroyer. Although they hold the same appearance as humans, they have already far surpassed human levels. After all the human’s pinnacle stops at Mysterious God, and no matter how hard a human works they will never even touch a Saint Destroyer. Even to get to the level of Mysterious God is already an almost impossible task for humans to complete. Since hundreds of thousands of years have passed, there has only been two or three that have reached the Mysterious God tier in human history. The goddesses bear a bloodline and strength that differs from the human. But it is not only just them, their Moon God Envoys also hold powers of the Mysterious God—no, they surpass the Mysterious God level, and can be placed between Mysterious God and Saint Destroyer."

"The Moon God Envoys… are they different from the Moon God Representatives that rule over different human territories, or that they the same?" asked Noah.

"They are different. The Moon God Representatives are all at the Mysterious God level. The Moon God Envoys do not rule over a territory. They are sent to transmit messages from the Moon Goddesses, or in some extremely rare cases, to deal with problem the Moon God Representatives cannot solve by themselves."

"I see. They are the enforcers of the Moon Goddesses' Will." nodded Noah. "With so many Mysterious God and Saint Destroyer beings, the Moon God Clan seems like nothing could ever threaten it."

"Yes, that is a good way to describe them. From within the ‘humans’, only the Night Demon Clan can oppose them. But the Night Demon Clan never involve themselves in any human activities, their only enemy is the Moon God Clan. It’s almost as if they hold a great vengeance that can never be alleviated towards the Moon God Clan."

"The Night Demon Clan?" asked Noah, savoring the irony of the Night Emperor living right under the Chief's nose.

"The Night Demon Clan are very enigmatic." nodded the Chief, oblivious. "No one knows where they are and why they hate the Moon God Clan. Although we have never seen proof of their existence, we know that they have regularly attacked the Moon God Clan. Thus, all humans on the Forgotten Continent and the whole of the Moon God Clan view them as their nemesis. The humans of the Night Demon Clan are also very strong, and every time they attack, they bring great trouble to the Moon God Clan. But still they have never really caused any substantial threat to the Moon God Clan. And there exist no one else in this world that can cause any threat to the Moon God Clan, because that is an inconceivable thing to do….”

Noah nodded.

Suddenly the chief’s voice slowed, as if he had just remembered something he really would have preferred to forget. He took a long breath as his voice began to deepen: “If I had to say that there was ever a human that could threaten the Moon God Clan, then there can only be… the Shura!”

"Who is the Shura?"

"Shura, is a devotion towards the ultimate strength that makes one give up all of their spirit, faith, and emotion in order to enter the way of ‘killing’. Once a human becomes a Shura, they will obtain a terrifying strength that makes them merciless and violent, caring only about bloodshed. Many moons ago, humans knew little about the Shura, so any legends back then concerning the Shura were treated as mere fantasy. Until ten thousand years ago when the first real Shura appeared."

"Legend has it that he borrowed the strength of an ancient item to enter the path of the Shura. However, no one knows why exactly he was willing to give up everything in order to become a Shura. Some say that it was due to hate, and others say that he simply wanted to become stronger… but whatever the reason, a true Shura appeared. His appearance in Forgotten Continent was only for a brief time… but he killed one tenth of all the living beings on the Forgotten Continent."

"One tenth?" asked Noah, shocked. "Isn't the Forgotten Continent enormous? How could a single being kill so many?"

“You didn’t mishear me, it was indeed one tenth." nodded the Chief with a grave expression. "This terrifying number is almost unbelievable, such a number would send chills down anyone’s spine. One could not possibly imagine how horrifying the situation at that time could possibly have been without experiencing it themselves…. according to the legends, wherever the Shura passed became a living hell. Because of his emergence, the Forgotten Continent became a sea of corpses and all living being lived their lives terrified of him. And out of all those he killed, there also included thirty Moon God Envoys!”

“But in end, his strength and his violent ways lead to divine punishment. Numerous lightnings struck down from the heavens in hopes of destroying his body. At the same time, the three goddesses of the Moon God Clan united with the Void Dragon God to stop him… It is said that the battle lasted for three days and three nights. And at the sacrifice of one tenth of the land of the Forgotten Continent, they finally managed to destroy the ancient item that helped him to enter Shura’s path. However, even though they managed to become the victors, the three goddesses were gravely injured, and the Void Dragon God had to rest for a thousand years before healing… If they did not have Heaven’s lightnings aiding them, even if they had united, they would not have won and would not have destroyed the Shura."

After saying this, the Chief’s face was veiled in anguish as he stared at Noah with a blank look in his eyes. But then he smiled and shook his head as he started again.

"Ah, I really am getting older, now I can’t even keep my mouth under control. I am not supposed to tell you this. The Forgotten Continent has always been trying to hide this history and let the people forget the calamity of the Shura that happened ten thousand years ago. And now, there are few that know of this, even the Moon God Clan has declared that the Shura will never appear on the Forgotten Continent again. You don’t have to take in all that I just said."

"No, this is interesting. Even if the Shura never appears again, I wish to learn everything I can about this world, and how things came to be as they are." smiled Noah.

"That is a good mindset for a true hero to have." nodded the Chief.

"How many Moon God Envoys are there?"

"Around two hundred. There is one Envoy in the Forgotten Continent that we have named the Forgotten Goddess. Hehe, she may even be in the sky above us and looking at us right now."

Noah nodded, lost in thoughts as he was thinking about Qi Yue, wondering if she was that Forgotten Goddess. He didn't really buy her story about being bound to the Lunar Scourge. For someone who supposedly had been sleeping inside the Lunar Scourge until Noah touched it, she seemed to know too much about the arrival of billions of humans from another world. The fearless way she had talked to Tao Tie was also a clue. For that matter, he didn't have any proof Ye Yue'er even existed within the Lunar Scourge.

Qi Yue was definitely fishy, and he suspected her to be much stronger than she let on. But until she proved to be malevolent, he wanted to keep his suspicions to himself and play along. The stronger he became before the possible confrontation, the better, and she would let more clues slip about her intentions if she lowered her guard.

"Young Hero? Do you have more questions before you go?" asked The Village Chief.

"Yes. How many Mysterious God-grade beasts are there on the Forgotten continent?"

The Chief thought for a while before answering. "The land of Forgotten Continent is extremely vast, so no one can be certain of how many Mysterious God level beast there are. After all, it is very rare for a Mysterious God level beast to appear, so even without counting the ten ancient demons beasts, the Forgotten Continent should only have a number that is somewhere in the tens, including the guardian beasts that everyone knows of such as the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tiger along with the ten ancient demon beasts then there should be over twenty."

"The Ten Ancient Demon Beasts?"

"The ten beasts appeared in ancient times where the leader of the ancient Devil Clan raised ten of the greatest demons, to wage war against the Moon God Clan. That was before the Night Demon Clan appeared. After the Devil Clan was defeated, the ten ancient demon beasts concealed themselves into unknown parts of the Forgotten Continent and never appeared again. They each are of the Mysterious God level, and the lands they have occupied are forbidden lands that no human dares to step in."

"The first is the Sky Demon Beast, it is the strongest one out of the ten and it holds a massive body with eight pairs of black feathered wings. It is rumored that its strength has surpassed Mysterious God level and near the Saint Destroyer level."

"The second is the Earth Demon Beast, legend states it hides under the highest mountain of the Forgotten Continent. It holds the power of the earth and its ability to use the earth to conceal itself can be rivaled by none."

"Third is the Tyrant Demon Beast who possesses the shape of a wolf. It holds a very violent behavior and likes to stay in dark environments because it is strongest under darkness."

"Fourth, the Shadow Demon Beast who bears the strongest dark powers and has always existed in the shadows."

"Fifth, the Flame Demon Beast who has the powerful ability to control devastating fires and lives a sea of flames. Although its fire ability is less than that of the Golden Crow, it is the one of the ten ancient demon beasts that is least afraid of the Golden Crow."

"The sixth Demon Beast is the Rage Demon Beast, who is rumored to gather hatred from the souls of the dead. It is not afraid of light or dark powers, but its strength is unstable and varies from weak to strong. Sometimes it’s stronger than the Sky Demon Beast, and other times it will drop to the Celestial level."

"Seventh is Wind Demon Beast, who was born from hurricane winds, and hold extremely strong wind type abilities, enabling it to freely travel across the skies and the lands."

"Eighth is the Ice Demon Beast who develop from the freezing polar ice. With just the wave of one hand, it can freeze everything within sight. It should be somewhere in the glaciers of the far north."

"Ninth is the War Demon Beast, it is the one that loves to battle the most out of the ten. Its personality is also the most frenzied of the ten, because the only thing it desires is more strength."

"Finally, tenth is the Light Demon Beast who is the most placid of the Demon Beast. It is the weakest in terms of attacks, but it is also the one with the strongest defense, life, and recovery ability out of the ten. It likes to live under in the deep seas, and should be somewhere on the ocean’s floor."

"These ten ancient demon beasts do not fear the Moon God Clan, because as long as they do not cause any great evils then the Moon God Clan will not disturb them. But at the same time, they are extremely afraid of the Golden Crow, and have not come out for all these years because they tremble at the possibility that the Golden Crow might still be alive somewhere on the Forgotten Continent."

"Young one, you must remember to avoid traveling to the extreme lands of the Forgotten Continent, because those places may be where the Demon Beast rest."

"I will be careful and avoid those." nodded Noah.

[User has received new quests]

'…Or not.' thought Noah.

"Lastly, as the first hero from another world that will leave one of the islands, I have the honor of giving you this insignia." finished the Chief

[Proof of Courage]: Type: Badge, Grade: None, Equipment Requirements: The first to leave Novice Village, cannot be traded, and will disappear if thrown away. Gifted to the first player to leave the Novice Village as a marker of honor, Attributes: Luck+1, Comprehension+1.

"Thank you, Chief. I am very grateful." grinned Noah. Adding 1 to those rare attributes made him happier than receiving 5 or 10 to his normal ones.

"Well then, just stand still now. I wish you good luck." said the Village Chief, and white light started coming from the ground around Noah.

"Farewell." nodded Noah.

Seconds later, he was standing in the plaza of a huge stone city, a notification appearing in front of him.

"*DING*… Worldwide announcement. The first player of "Mystic Moon" to leave the novice villages has already emerged, the player "Noah". This event has been recorded in the World Hall of Fame, Noah has received +200 fame, +200 SP and a badge as rewards. We hope for the players to keep working hard and go outside of the novice village, into the New World."

Noah opened his status to check his new quests, already guessing that facing some of the ten Mysterious God-grade beasts would be included. And he wasn't wrong.

"Quest 4: Kill or subjugate, directly or indirectly, some of the ten Demons Beasts. Reward: First Beast, Sagittarius God Orb. Fourth Beast, Capricorn God Orb. Seventh Beast, Moon God Saint Orb. All ten Beasts, +200 to Strength, Constitution, Agility and Spirit."

"Quest 5: Adventure in the Beast Clans' Territory and find the two God Orbs hidden there."

"Quest 6: Adventure in the Ocean Clan's Territory and find the God Orb hidden there."

Noah smiled in anticipation. As expected, Lilith wouldn't let him fumble around for too long without any clue on where to find the missing Orbs.

The quests were also a clear indication that, whatever Qi Yue was scheming, Lilith didn't disapprove of her goal to reassemble the Lunar Scourge. Noah was not making a mistake by cooperating with her right now.

The quests were…

Noah's thoughts crashed into a halt as he realized something.

[Lilith-sama? When you first told me about this world, you said that playing Mystic Moon would allow me to become stronger as well. I expected to earn Exp or Yin points by killing monsters, but that isn't the case?]

[Ah! Now you realize? I expected that question within the first hour. There is more than one way to become stronger, my Champion, as you know well. You did not have an opportunity to notice yet, but every passive skill you get in the game, aside from those granted by the Lunar Scourge's Orbs, will also be permanently granted to you. Or in some cases, a downgraded version of it. You already are a little faster, and your strikes with weapons will hit a little harder. As for the active skills, you will be able to replicate most of them if you want, using your Arcana and Demonic magic.]

[That is beyond my expectations. I am very grateful, Lilith-sama.] grinned Noah, almost drooling at the thought.

He considered searching for the trainers who would let him evolve his class, but it was getting really late in the real world, and after everything that has happened since he started fighting that damned frog, he really needed a break. Besides, Shuiruo and Origami must be worried.

He logged off, choosing to check the city and distribute his SP to his new skills next time.

…

"Welcome back, Noah."

Shuiruo was still awake, waiting for him with a book and a cup of tea on a nearby table.

"Thanks, Ruo Ruo." smiled Noah.

"I saw the announcements." smiled Shuiruo as she stood and hugged him. "Congratulations on being the best player, and killing a fairy-grade boss. I'll want to hear every detail."

"After I take a long nap. I'm really tired right now. It was an intense, five-hours long fight, where I could barely afford the tiniest mistake. That's draining, you know?"

Shuiruo nodded.

"We have that dinner in Beijing in a few hours. Shouldn't we leave very soon? You told me you can't teleport to places you haven't been yet."

"That's right." nodded Noah. "I'll teleport to Tengu city, fly to China, find that restaurant, and then I'll teleport here to take you and Origami. That leaves me… three hours of sleep."

"I see."

"And after that dinner is over, Ruo Ruo." whispered Noah into her ear "We'll take our relationship to the next level. I am quite riled up for some reason."

A reason named Qi Yue.

Noah had considered taking Shuiruo to his Sanctuary to vent his frustrations right now and have more time to sleep in, but that would be doing a disservice to Shuiruo. Her first time was important, and he didn't want to do it with his head filled with images of a teasing succubus.

Shuiruo blushed and nodded with a smile.

"I look forward to it."