The Death Shadow's Origins
As I closed the distance at full speed, a fierce battle was already raging. I had expected the subjugation team—or perhaps Jentas, the one supposedly devouring them—but the foe clashing with the Death Shadow was a completely unexpected beast.
[A troll?]
It was my first time seeing one in person, but trolls were fairly well-known beasts. Not as common as goblins or orcs, but they appeared across the continent in various places. Trolls were powerful creatures, typically standing three to four meters tall with immense strength and remarkable regenerative abilities that healed even sword wounds in moments, making them notoriously tricky opponents.
Yet the troll battling before my eyes was nothing like the ones described. For starters, it seemed at least seven meters tall, its glossy, pitch-black hide a far cry from the green skin of ordinary trolls. It was a variant unique to the Great Forest, akin to a black goblin.
Compared to the troll's colossal bulk, the Death Shadow looked relatively small. Though roughly two meters tall—larger than an average human—it appeared no bigger than a child next to the black troll.
Surprisingly, the black troll moved with agility belying its size. But the Death Shadow was even faster, a blur beyond the eye's ability to track.
Boom! Boom!
The troll's fists swung relentlessly, smashing the ground and nearby trees to splinters. The Death Shadow dodged with ease, circling like a predator biding its time.
"Grraaaarrrgh!!"
After a string of misses, the black troll halted in fury and unleashed a roar that made the surrounding leaves tremble. It had little effect on me, but this was a form of fear inducement. Some spells instilled terror in foes; higher beasts achieved a similar result through roars like this, without true magic.
"Kyaaaah!"
The Death Shadow stood its ground and countered with its own cry. The troll staggered back. Whether it was stunned that its roar failed or overwhelmed by the Death Shadow's, I couldn't tell. Either way, the Death Shadow seized the opening.
It charged forward, only for the troll to lash out with a kick. But mid-stride, the Death Shadow vanished into the ground like melting shadow.
[Shadow Hide!]
As expected, it erupted from the shadow behind the troll, claws digging into its leg like a tree-climbing beast. It scaled the limb, reached the back, and gripped a fistful of the troll's unkempt neck hair.
The troll thrashed wildly, shaking its head and body, but the Death Shadow held firm, talons embedded deep in its shoulder. Then it raised its free hand. Its claws extended sharply—whether retracted like a cat's or genuinely elongating, I had no time to observe closely before a bluish aura gathered at the tips.
[Aura?]
I was stunned again. Beasts wielding aura? Unheard of. Until now. And this wasn't basic aura—it was aura blade level, comparable to a high knight.
A beast using elite knight aura? Scholars in the capital would scoff, dismissing it as zombie piety rather than hunt down a "death beast."
Shing!
The aura-clad claws sliced clean through the troll's neck. The fight ended.
It felt drawn out, but from Shadow Hide to the fatal slash, mere seconds passed.
Thud!
The headless troll corpse crashed to the earth with a thunderous boom. I swiftly swooped in to absorb its soul, not forgetting that.
"Woooargh!"
Standing atop the troll's body, the Death Shadow let out a triumphant cry more human than beastly. It extended one finger, infused it with aura, slashed open the troll's chest, extracted the heart, and devoured it with ravenous crunches.
Beast through and through, I thought. But its next words upended that.
"Tastes like shit. I want beef stew."
It knew human cuisine? Was it truly a chimera from human modification? But that notion crumbled soon after.
As it finished the massive heart, cracking sounds emanated, and the Death Shadow's body began to change. It grew slightly larger overall, and the various gashes in its chitinous armor healed away.
[It absorbed the troll's regeneration.]
By now, I was past surprise, settling into calm analysis. And I reached a conclusion.
Didn't I know someone remarkably similar? Me.
Self-reflection had been my great task these past years, devouring vast knowledge. Conclusion: nothing exactly like me exists. But similars appear in history occasionally.
Entities or events defying worldly logic and reason—we call them gods. Divine punishment, pranks, fragments, interference, blessings, mistakes. So many terms for god-wrought phenomena.
I was born of some divine influence. That was my verdict. And this Death Shadow beast was the same—a being beyond common sense and natural order.
Could a black mage, even a high mage turned lich after centuries, create such a thing? No. Impossible.
I forgot the expedition. I trailed the Death Shadow onward.
The more strong foes it slew and devoured, the stronger it grew, swelling its minions' ranks. What began as an outer fringe boss delved deeper into the Great Forest's heart.
The core teemed with mightier beasts claiming territories. I absorbed souls from the countless powerful ones it and its pack vanquished. I grew stronger too.
How many years passed shadowing it? The forest's mild seasons blurred time, but roughly three when I revealed myself.
-I soul, like you, been following. Grow strong.
Using sustained physical force, I etched words into the ground before the resting Death Shadow.
It stared blankly for a while. Even without expression, I sensed its shock.
"Like me? What do you mean?"
-You eat flesh grow strong, I eat souls grow strong.
Thus began our talks—long and frequent, as far as my physical reach allowed.
When I explained our existence stemmed from some unknowable divine whim, the Death Shadow wept crimson tears from its seven pairs of eyes, sobbing long and hard.
It had been a renowned mercenary, it said. Betrayed and abandoned by orphanage-raised comrades during a Great Forest hunt against a strong beast, just as fame dawned in Regisline. Gravely wounded, it fled, only to mutual-kill a shadow tiger. It should have died—fatal wounds—but awoke healed, with demon-red eyes. Unable to return, it hunted to survive in the forest, gradually mutating into a full beast.
I shared my tale too. For a time, we passed hours in stories.
But not forever.
"I'll return to the human world someday."
The Death Shadow resumed hunting. The depths hosted every manner of beast—variants, odd ability-users. It slew and absorbed, wielding their powers.
Its plan: somewhere lurked a polymorph-like shapeshifter; steal that to reenter humanity. Not wholly fanciful, so I quietly cheered.
Yet deeper in, overlords reigned unchallenged. Even the Death Shadow avoided hopeless odds—human-minded, more cautious than beasts.
It had grown mighty, but rivals were monstrosities.
Two locals: a Titan Snake over 100 meters long, hide impervious to its aura. Breached with special tricks, it spewed acidic miasma that melted flesh on contact. Without regen, the Death Shadow would've perished from its wounds.
The other: Twin-Headed Ogre. Legendary in outer histories—one razed a castle, massacred thousands solo. This variant dwarfed that, as expected of Great Forest breed. Fifteen meters tall, wickedly swift for its size—matching the Death Shadow's speed. Monstrous strength, clever minds. Horrific.
If this escaped, even Regisline's walls would crumble. Who could stop it? I'd never seen a Master Knight, but records suggested at least ten to match.
Thus, a year-plus stalemate of wary circling.
I bid the Death Shadow farewell. Time to visit the capital.
It urged me to return laden with outer news. Before leaving, my final message:
-Conquer Great Forest, become Beast King. You will.
"Beast King... I like it! Haha!"
The expressionless beast-man who would become Beast King laughed heartily.
Amid its escort, I ended my multi-year Great Forest sojourn, heading home to the capital.
Disoriented, it took over four months to emerge. Only outside did I realize five years had passed since departing.
I rushed to the palace for Isabel and Ether. But no matter where I searched, they were gone.
Unable to speak, I gleaned info by haunting crowds—and heard unexpected tidings.