The Rise of the Lost

From the shadows, both a black raven and a demonic wolf emerged and stood silently behind Kalm.

Their mere presence was enough to make him realize—they were truly powerful… and deeply terrifying.

As if sensing his emotions, the Queen spoke calmly,

"Don't stray from them. They'll protect you… while I deal with our guests."

Kalm nodded to her, then glanced at the wolf, forcing a strained smile.

"Hello… big guy."

The shadow beast didn't even acknowledge him, instead focusing intently on the noise rising ahead, baring its razor-sharp fangs.

'He's one of those who only care about their mission… Great, I'm stuck with a team of lunatics…'

The noise intensified, and the ground began to tremble—

as if thousands of feet were charging toward them, heralding an incoming catastrophe.

And sure enough, it took only a moment before Kalm laid eyes on the grotesque monsters.

Black scales—dull and as hard as iron.

Eyes glowing red with murderous insanity and a vile thirst for blood and slaughter.

So many legs.

Each creature was at least forty feet long…

And further behind were titans, towering hundreds of feet tall.

The scaled abominations roared as they surged forward, a living flood, a river of nightmares sweeping down to devour everything in its path.

Standing in the face of that monstrous tide was a delicate figure, wearing a gentle, calm smile—

as if she were on nothing more than a leisurely stroll.

One of the vile beasts roared and leapt forward, mouth wide open, drool pouring as it aimed to devour the tiny human in front of it.

The Queen's eyes flared with a black, abyssal light—

as if she had opened a bottomless pit within her gaze.

With a slight lean on one foot, her sword flashed from its sheath—

the motion so swift it seemed to tear through reality itself, bending the world to her will.

A small whirlwind of wind stirred around her.

And in the next second—

the creature crashed to the ground, its ugly head cleanly severed from its massive body.

Foul green blood spilled onto the earth.

Just like that…

It died—like a broken toy cast aside.

Kalm couldn't comprehend what had happened.

In fact, his mind simply couldn't process it.

'She leaned slightly… then the insect was dead…?

W-What did she just do…?!'

He blinked several times, completely lost.

As if responding to his thoughts, the Queen casually flicked her sword with her right hand, flinging off the filthy blood.

Then, with elegant confidence, she strode forward toward the monsters.

Her sword flashed white—like the edge of a guillotine—

and with a single blow, it sliced through the black armor, flesh, and bone of another beast, severing its head like a piece of cheese.

Her slender body moved with an elegance and deadly grace between the crazed monsters.

Her blade shimmered as if it were the key unlocking death itself among them.

She never struck a single beast twice.

One strike—

That was all it took for the monsters to fall in their own blood.

Her terrifying power and surgical precision were in stark contrast to her delicate frame and soft appearance—

making the scene not only surreal… but horrifying to behold.

On the other side, the hideous monsters howled with madness and fury, baring their long fangs and dozens of sharp limbs.

Yet despite their overwhelming numbers and massive size—

not a single one could touch her.

Not even their vile blood dared stain her beautiful black cloak.

It was as if they were facing death itself—

a force so absolute even the world bowed before her will.

Kalm's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Is… is she even human…?"

Even surrounded by monsters, Kalm could still feel her—

her will… her dominion over this world outmatched them all.

And as if answering him, he heard her voice.

"Kalm… earlier, you asked about the power of my aspect—

its strengths… and weaknesses.

But hearing the answer, and *seeing* it for yourself—

those are two completely different things, wouldn't you agree?"

Kalm swallowed hard, disoriented.

How was he even hearing her?

She was surrounded by a sea of roaring monsters—

the sound of their bodies being torn apart by her blade was deafening…

Did she command the world itself to carry her voice to him?

Or was it her Aspect?

Whatever the case, it unsettled him.

As he struggled to understand the situation—

a thunderous crash shook the cave, forcing Kalm to stumble a step back instinctively.

Near him, the Queen had thrown one of the grotesque creatures with such force that it shattered a massive section of the cavern wall.

The stone cracked. Dust and debris exploded through the air.

The beast's body was torn apart, its guts spilling from its mouth, turning into nothing but a hideous lump of rotting meat.

Kalm stepped back involuntarily, dazed and horrified.

'Was I… really speaking so casually with a monster like her…?

Did I actually tease her earlier… and survive?!'

It had been easy to overlook her power and danger, thanks to her composed demeanor and regal elegance…

Not to mention the slightly childish side of her personality she'd shown him.

But now he realized the terrifying truth—

The woman before him…

Was the strongest being in her world.

She had walked countless battlefields, killed more than he could imagine… and survived through it all.

At that moment, her voice returned once more.

It was calm.

Steady.

Even her breathing was so controlled, it was as if she weren't exerting any effort at all.

"Kalm…

There are only two weaknesses to my Aspect.

The first is imagination… and the second is knowledge.

Shadows have no form or shape of their own—

But they can *become* anything.

Anything with a shadow—whether it's simple… or insanely complex.

And with my authority as the Queen of Shadows…

I can mold those shadows into any form I wish—

So long as I have a vivid imagination… and basic knowledge of the thing."

She paused briefly, then added softly—

"Like this, for example…"

Kalm turned his gaze. The shadows around him had begun to move rapidly in response to their queen's will.

They twisted and formed into massive steel-like wires—black, solid, and incredibly strong—crafted with unnerving precision.

They easily ensnared and restrained a large number of the grotesque insectoid creatures, slamming them down and pinning them in place.

Before the monsters could even react—

The Queen's sword flashed.

A single sweeping motion.

Their heads were severed, and their foul blood sprayed across the ground, forming a revolting pool.

From behind her, another wave of beasts charged, jaws open and drooling with disgusting saliva, ready to rip her delicate frame to shreds.

But just before they reached her, black shadow claws erupted from the ground—grabbing and slamming the creatures down, completely immobilizing them.

The grotesque monsters roared in rage and madness, struggling desperately to break free…

But it was futile.

The claws did not budge an inch.

And with the same calm smile and deadly elegance—

The Queen ended them effortlessly.

She moved among them with deadly grace, like a dancer amid death, blood, and steel—her shadows following her rhythm with eerie beauty.

More and more souls were harvested.

The swarm—once seemingly endless, terrifying, and revolting—was now thinning.

And from the rear, the giants appeared…

The masters of the horde.

While the Queen slaughtered the swarm, a semi-circular ridge of earth rose up around Kalm.

A serpent hissed near his ear.

The shadow wolf growled, baring its fangs and claws—claws sharp enough to slice through iron.

Above, the raven soared, its crimson eyes glowing, locked onto the ridge.

Before Kalm could process what was happening—

A horrible hiss rose from beneath the ground.

A scaled monstrosity burst out, jaws wide open, aiming to tear him apart with terrifying black fangs.

He had no time to dodge.

No chance to block.

And cruelly enough—he didn't even know *how* to try.

Just an ordinary person, barely trained, with no real combat experience…

His body froze, mind blank.

'Ah… I'm going to die.'

That single thought struck him with cold clarity.

But before it became reality—

The terrifying wolf stepped forward.

Its legs alone were taller than Kalm's entire body.

And with dagger-like claws, it slashed the creature's throat—

Foul blood exploded, splattering across Kalm's face.

He felt the warmth on his cheek.

He raised a hand, wiped away the revolting blood, and instinctively retreated, hiding behind the massive beast.

In his current state, any attempt to fight or help would only get in the way—

and get him killed.

So, he did the only thing he could:

He tried to make himself invisible.

The wolf's claws sliced through the air with a whisper, tearing through the scaled monsters' tough armor—

cutting through flesh and bone.

With his fangs, the wolf bit off their heads as if it were nothing.

Kalm watched, awestruck, failing to calm his nerves.

'That thing really is a monster...

I wonder… will the Queen let me keep him?'

She wanted death, after all…

Maybe she wouldn't mind parting with one of her shadows—

If he lived through this twisted test, that is.

Kalm looked up at the raven.

Its eyes glowed with a deep crimson hue—

there was something strange, almost intoxicating, emanating from them.

Wherever the raven's gaze landed, the monsters slowed down—just slightly.

Their crazed bloodlust seemed to dim.

The weaker ones staggered, as if sedated by some powerful force…

'Is this… some kind of mass sedation…?

Or a trick on their senses…?'

He tilted his head, trying to piece it together amid the chaos.

But he quickly snapped back to awareness.

Even under their protection, danger was still everywhere.

One mistake—just one—was all it would take to die.

With his lack of strength, a single misstep meant his body would be torn apart.

So he didn't allow himself the comfort of false safety—

A decision that saved him.

A low hiss came from near his neck.

The black serpent.

Kalm felt the danger.

He quickly stepped back just in time—

As a scaled beast emerged where he had just stood.

Its drool dripped with revulsion.

Its eyes glowed with bloodlust.

It was smaller than the others—no larger than a man—

But still lethal to a defenseless human like Kalm.

Now face to face with the abomination,

His body remained still on the outside…

But inside, he was terrified.

His heart pounded rapidly in his chest.

'Now what…?'

The demonic wolf, the raven, even the Queen—

They were all busy handling their share of the enemy.

No help would reach him in time.

He would have to act—

*on his own*.