🌑 Shadow World
Shadow World— a realm where light had died long ago.
Darkness stretches endlessly. Broken fortresses rise from the earth like shattered teeth. Dead trees scratch the sky like claws. A silent, starless sky. Ruins filled with the memory of lost wars.
The air itself feels like poison—heavy, suffocating, every breath pulling fire into the lungs.
In one forgotten corner of this cursed land— something strange happened.
Shadow energy began to gather in one place— like invisible threads pulling metal. A sphere was born. First small. Then swelling. Flickering with dark flames. A raw, violent ball of power.
The sphere trembled.
CRACK!
It exploded.
Black smoke spread everywhere. When the smoke cleared—
An entity made of shadow.
Slowly it stood up. Its body half-solid—half-smoke— shadows wrapping around it. Its eyes glowed bright purple—like two embers in endless darkness. Slowly, it took on a human-like form.
It looked at its hands. They were trembling.
Then it looked around.
Destruction. Silence. Emptiness.
Unknown Entity (whispers): "Who… am I?"
His voice shook with confusion.
"What is this place? Why… why can't I remember anything?"
He clutched his head.
"Ahh—my head… it hurts…"
No answer.
Only the ash-filled wind.
He began to walk. Directionless. Desperate.
Each step echoed among broken stones. Around him—shattered statues, torn flags, weapons stuck in the ground. Scars of war still bleeding.
Time passed—hours? Days? It felt like time had no meaning.
At last he arrived at a dead forest. Crooked trees, burned branches, silence so thick it pressed against the ears. He walked forward.
Suddenly—
A figure stood far ahead.
Waiting.
The shadow entity stopped. Something inside him screamed—danger.
But he had no choice. He needed answers.
He moved forward. Dry leaves crunching underfoot.
The figure lifted its head. Its eyes were faintly glowing.
⚔️ The First Trial
Dremal: "Finally."
His voice calm. Almost bored.
"I've been waiting for you. How do you like the new world?"
The shadow entity froze.
Unknown Entity: "Who are you?"
Dremal (smirks): "I am Dremal. A Shadow Warrior. I work under Soryth."
He stared at the confused being for a moment.
"And you… you're one of us. Your name is Valnor. Do you like it?"
Valnor (shocked): "Valnor…?"
The name felt right to the ears, but wrong to the heart.
Dremal: "We're both born from shadow. But I follow Soryth's orders— I'm here to test you."
Valnor: "Test? For what purpose?"
Dremal (serious): "To see if you're worthy of surviving… and joining Soryth's ranks."
Valnor: "Surviving? Joining? What are you talking ab—"
Dremal cut him off.
Dremal: "Enough talking."
Before Valnor could react—
Dremal lunged.
Two shadow batons formed in his hands, spinning like death.
WHOOSH!
Valnor's body reacted on its own. His hands transformed into two shadow kunai.
CLANG!
Steel and shadow clashed. Sparks of darkness burst.
Valnor was thrown back, rolling on the ground.
Dremal (calm): "Stand."
Valnor spat black blood and rose.
He dashed again.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Every strike from Dremal was calculated, every block perfect. His movements cold. Almost friendly.
But Valnor fought with primal instinct— rage, confusion, the desperate hunger to survive.
Dremal: "You are chaotic."
He swept Valnor's legs. Valnor fell again.
Dremal: "Weak."
Valnor gritted his teeth and stood.
Valnor (roaring): "Fight me seriously!"
Dremal (laughs): "You amuse me."
Valnor's kunai burst with shadow energy.
He charged—
This time—
Dodged left. Dodged right—
CRACK!
One of Dremal's batons shattered.
For a moment, Dremal's eyes widened.
Valnor pressed on, forcing Dremal to his knee.
Valnor: "Now tell me—where is Soryth?"
Dremal looked up. Not afraid— pleased.
Dremal: "East. Corvax is waiting for you."
Valnor left.
Dremal stared at his broken weapon.
Dremal (whispers): "Arrogant fool… breaking a weapon doesn't make you strong. You have no idea what lies ahead."
He faded into the shadows.
🔥 The Mocking Warrior
Valnor walked east. Endless destruction. Endless ash.
Questions filled his mind—
Why these tests? Who is Soryth? If I defeat him… will I become leader? Will I finally have purpose?
Walking further, he saw—
Someone sitting on a broken pillar. Surrounded by faint shadow flames.
Corvax.
He didn't look up.
Corvax (smirking): "So, the child has arrived."
Valnor: "Where is Soryth?"
Corvax: "So impatient. No greeting? No manners?"
He slowly stood. A dangerous shadow sai spinning in his hand.
Corvax: "Soryth doesn't like disorder."
Valnor: "I don't care. Tell me where he is—or fight."
Corvax (devilish grin): "Oh, I like you. Let's play."
Valnor lunged.
Corvax didn't move.
Valnor struck— WHOOSH—empty air.
Corvax stepped aside— effortlessly.
Valnor again— CLANG!—blocked with one hand.
Corvax (yawns): "That all?"
Valnor (shouts): "Stop mocking me!"
A rain of strikes— ten, twenty, thirty—
Corvax blocked them all.
Then—
He moved only once.
THUD!
His sai slammed into Valnor's chest. Valnor flew back, smashing a tree.
Valnor stood, covered in shadow blood.
Valnor: "Fight like a warrior!"
Corvax (laughs): "For you, this is a battle. For me…"
He twirled the sai.
"This is a game. And honestly? You're boring me."
Something broke inside Valnor.
His eyes flared. His body trembled with rage.
Valnor: "Then let me make it fun."
This time his attacks— Fast. Sharp. Controlled.
Corvax's face finally showed seriousness.
But in the end—
CRACK!
Corvax knocked Valnor's kunai away with his sai.
The kunai spiraled away and stuck in the ground.
The sai touched Valnor's throat.
Silence.
Then—
Corvax: "You pass. Go north."
Valnor understood nothing. But he didn't ask. He walked north.
Walking, he muttered,
Valnor: "Why is everyone fighting me playfully? Why aren't they finishing me? I can feel the strength they're not using…"
As he walked, he heard voices—two people speaking in the distance. They hadn't seen him. Valnor hid behind a low tree and listened.
Ryvek: "Another annoying shadow has been born. I'm tired of killing these things."
Althar: "Fun or not, we must fight. That's our job. And this one will be even weaker. The last shadow warrior. He'll lose quickly."
Ryvek (laughs): "True. But Soryth should give us something more interesting. Training and testing— that's all we do. Even though he's so strong, he just hides. And keeps us sitting around too."
Althar: "So what? You want to fight Soryth?"
Ryvek: "Are you insane?! I value my life. Just standing in front of him is terrifying. (pauses) Can't complain, can't endure. It's like…"
Althar (suddenly alert): "Stop… someone's coming. Hide!"
They hid behind trees. Moments later, Valnor walked past.
Valnor (calling out): "If you want to fight, then come forward! Hiding is not the work of a real warrior!"
Suddenly—
THUD!
Ryvek leapt from behind. His twin swords sliced the air. One blade pierced Valnor's shoulder and came out the front, the other grazed his back. The attack was so fast and sudden Valnor couldn't react— he rolled across the ground.
Ryvek's eyes burned with mockery.
Ryvek: "Oh really? Is that so, you donkey?"
Althar stepped forward and unsheathed his katana. The moment it came out— the air itself hissed from the sharpness.
Althar (stern): "Remember, we fight respectfully."
Ryvek (shouting): "Don't teach me rules!"
Ignoring him, Valnor slowly placed his hand on the ground…
The ground trembled. His wounds began healing on their own. Shadow energy roared around him.
Thud—thud—thud— black flames erupted around Valnor. His eyes glowed red.
Valnor: "No more mercy."
Suddenly—
🔥 Prime Mode Activated
Black fire wrapped around him—shadow twisting like a storm. Each step cracked the ground. Sparks burst. The air pressure rose so much that leaves spun through the air.
Valnor drew his kunai and rushed at Ryvek. In one second he created five shadow clones, attacking from all directions.
Ryvek was shocked, but countered with lightning reflexes. His twin swords spun in circular motions—metal ringing violently.
Althar leaped, slashing from above— Valnor rolled aside, though the strike carved a deep line in the ground.
Ryvek came from the front with three rapid slashes— Valnor retreated, blocking with kunai. Sparks flew everywhere.
But the combined power of two warriors slowly overwhelmed him. Ryvek kicked Valnor sideways. Althar's katana wrapped him in a chain.
Their combined assault slowed Valnor down.
Finally— the chain bound him fully. Valnor fell to his knees… his Prime Mode aura started fading. Valnor grew weak.
The two dragged him to their master—
Soryth.
Soryth was training. Every strike shattered trees, cracked stones, shook the ground.
His presence alone was suffocating—like a living storm of destruction.
Althar and Ryvek dragged Valnor forward.
Ryvek: "Where is Soryth now?"
Althar: "Look up there."
They all looked. Soryth was lying on a tree branch, eating fruit.
Ryvek (trembling): "Sir…"
Soryth: "What is it? You brought Valnor."
Ryvek: "We brought him. He… is surprisingly violent."
Soryth lowered his claw and looked at Valnor— His gaze felt like it pierced through flesh into the soul.
Soryth: "Good. Teach him our rules."
Althar: "Yes, sir."
Valnor couldn't speak at first. Then he shouted—
Valnor: "Come down, coward. Fight me—"
Before he could finish, Soryth's ranged weapons flew toward Valnor. They exploded in front of him. Valnor panicked. Smoke covered everything. Althar and Ryvek stepped back.
Soryth walked out of the smoke. He grabbed Valnor by the hair and put his claw at his throat.
Soryth: "Courage is good. But too much courage is not. Or the result will be bad. If any other boss were here, they would never take a weak warrior like you into the team. You're lucky. Remember that."
With that, Soryth walked away.
Valnor trembled in fear.
Althar and Ryvek carried him deep into the forest.