On a ledge jutting from a mountainside and overlooking a massive forest-its trees stretching so high they seemed to scrape the sky-a giant beast lay curled in shadow. His fur was jet black, drinking in the early morning light rather than reflecting it.
Nox awoke to the first rays of the sun, as he always did. Instinctively, he brought up his status page-an old habit from days long past.
[Status Page]
Name: Nox
Species: Canine
Sub-species: Umbral Nocht
Level: 170
Class: Shadow Puppeteer (Class Lv. 50)
HP: 61,200 / 61,200
MP: 59,500 / 59,500
ST: 54,400 / 54,400
Attributes:
• Vitality: 1224 (720)
• Strength: 986 (580)
• Agility: 1190 (700)
• Endurance: 1088 (640)
• Arcana: 1190 (700)
• Will: 884 (520)
Titles:
King of Beasts
King of Shadows
Conqueror
Thousand-Fold Victor
Dragon Slayer
…
Elemental Mastery's:
Shadow | Master Lv.10
Satisfied with his routine, he lowered his gaze to the world below. Endless trees spread in all directions, from every shade of green and brown to streaks of gray and purple on the stranger flora. A standard morning in the great forest of Elderhart.
Hmm. What should I do first? A hunt? Or perhaps I should sweep the territory, make sure no riff-raff wandered in while I slept.
His train of thought cut off abruptly as a massive magical pressure washed over him. Instantly he was on his feet, muscles taut, red eyes sharp.
Who dares disturb me? he growled.
But as he focused on the sensation, he realized it wasn't a creature. The mana itself was buzzing with wild, uncontrolled energy-colliding and lashing out at random.
He felt the cracks before he saw them.
The very air fractured like a spiderweb, long rippling tears appearing across the horizon.
Spatial magic? Nox stiffened. He knew little about it-few beasts were privileged with such knowledge. It was one of the rarest magical arts in existence.
The tears grew, widening, spreading. Whole patches of forest warped and distorted as the fractures expanded.
With an annoyed huff, Nox threw his head back and released a massive howl. His mana surged outward, followed by the activation of his skill:
Advanced Mana Manipulation Lv. 10
Mana erupted from his form, rippling outward in a vast wave. It spread until it reached the borders of his self-proclaimed territory-then stopped. Nox exerted his will, forcing the mana inside the bubble to stabilize while snuffing out the rogue spatial energy fueling the tears.
The effect was immediate.The forest inside the bubble went eerily still. Even the wind fell silent.
Good. That should hold things together… though the mana cost is nothing to scoff at.
He checked his resource bars-his mana was draining at about 100 per minute. Not ideal, but manageable. His regeneration was five times that.
With the area stabilized, Nox stretched his senses beyond the bubble. More rifts tore through the world outside, devouring chunks of land before collapsing into nothingness. Some opened only to vanish seconds later; others widened to consume swathes of terrain.
This scale… no single creature could cause this. And I can't feel anything strong enough to be responsible.
He pawed the stone beneath him, carving deep grooves with his talons. Questions piled in his mind with no answers in sight.
His muscles gradually relaxed as his certainty grew: this wasn't an attack aimed at him. Anger faded, replaced with curiosity.
How far does this phenomenon stretch…? His mana sense had limits, after all.
Choosing to see for himself, Nox pulled back his awareness and leapt from the cliff. The stone cracked under the force. In the next instant, he was hovering above the towering treetops. Mana condensed beneath his feet at his command, forming footholds that let him sprint through the air.
He galloped at breakneck speeds, his enormous form reduced to a streak of shadow. Anyone watching would see nothing but a blur-if they saw anything at all.
After a minute he stopped, hovering high above the forest. This should be far enough.
The moment he thought it, a rupture in space formed inches from his snout.
It felt like a challenge.
His eyes narrowed. He unleashed a guttural roar infused with both will and mana. The sound cracked the air-and shattered the forming rupture.
Silence returned.Confusion flickered across his lupine features.
A strange feeling… being angered by a natural phenomenon rather than a challenger. At least, I think it's natural.
His senses picked up more rifts—appearing at random distances, none close to the original ones. This time he watched carefully. Each rift fractured the land, expanded, then suddenly collapsed, devouring everything it touched.
But where is everything going…? he murmured.
This was no isolated event.
Nox closed his eyes and pondered, but spatial magic eluded him. Arcane phenomena like this were beyond beasts—even kings among them.
He was a predator, a ruler, not some frail scholar tinkering with theories and runes.
But for once, he understood the value of such knowledge.
His eyes snapped open as an idea struck.
Humanoids love meddling with nonsense like this…Perhaps it is finally time I paid her a visit.
Reaching the peak of the mountain he called home, Nox surveyed the forest and tried to recall where the Gloom Dominion lay—the vast territory of the Dark Elves. He narrowed his eyes and activated another skill:
Far Sight Lv. Max
He felt a small trickle of stamina leave him as the world dimmed at the edges. His vision honed in on distant flora and fauna, sharpening details until they appeared as if they were directly in front of him.
That's when he saw it.
Trees in various stages of decay. Dark brown trunks veined with green and purple. Mushrooms clustered thickly along roots and bark. Leaves shaded a deep green, their edges tinged with violet.
Nox's lips parted, revealing massive, serrated fangs. Found it.
In the next instant, he was sprinting through the air, heading toward the darker stretch of forest choked with fungal growth. As he ran, he watched more rifts continue to form and consume the world in small bites.
This is most vexing, he grumbled to himself.
He landed with a soft thud-front paws first-near the entrance of a colossal tunnel carved half into stone and half into the trunk of an enormous tree. As he approached, he immediately sensed a bubble of mana surrounding the area, similar to the one he'd created to halt the rifts within his own territory.
Must be her handiwork, he thought, a faint grin tugging at his muzzle.
He peered inside but saw only pitch-black darkness. Extending his senses, he let his awareness flow through the tunnel, following it all the way to the exit on the far side. In his mind's eye, small orbs of light-appeared. Several clustered near the tunnel's exit, others moved throughout the nearby space.
Good. This is the entrance.
With that, he leapt into the tunnel, bounding from wall to wall and building momentum. In mere seconds, he burst out the far end.
Darkness gave way to a soft purple and blue glow as he stepped into a massive cavern.
The first thing he noticed were the enormous bioluminescent fungi and glowing plants sprouting from the cavern's ceiling and distant walls, casting the entire space in an ethereal light. Stone buildings of white, gray, and black dotted the cavern floor, their windows glowing a warm reddish orange—a sharp contrast to the cool blues around them. The blend of colors made the whole region look as if it were bathed in the light of an eternal sunset.
Before he could reflect further, screams erupted.
Only then did he truly look at the Dark Elves scattered around him. Some sprinted away in panic, others froze where they stood, rooted in terror.
Nox let out an annoyed sigh that came out more like a low growl. I forgot. Humanoids usually take their time advancing their levels.
A male Dark Elf wearing light black plate and leather armor stepped forward, spear in hand. He moved toward Nox without hesitation, though the elves behind him betrayed their fear through subtle tremors.
Seems only one of them is truly confident in facing me.
The spear-wielding elf stared up at him, forced to tilt his head back since he barely reached Nox's knees. Normally, this would have been a pointless encounter-canines like Nox only spoke Canus. But long ago, he had learned Elvish from her, and while it always felt strange to use it, he had little choice now.
"I have come in search of Elanora. Bring her to me at once," Nox said in accented Elvish, meeting the elf's gaze with that of a true predator eyeing its next prey.
Not that these weaklings could ever be considered prey.
The elf's eyes widened. He seemed lost for words, likely stunned that a King of Beasts was speaking his language.
He recovered quickly, tightening his grip on the spear. "You dare request that the Matriarch come all the way out here just to meet a mere beast?" he sneered.
Nox had come with the simple intention of asking Elanora or any of her associates-about the spatial ruptures and picking their minds on the subject.
That intention vanished.
A mere beast?
Rage flared. Mana surged through his body. His will pressed outward. His eyes blazed a murderous red. The pressure rolling off him slammed into those gathered, knocking the elves behind the spear-bearer flat to the ground and driving the leader himself to his knees.
Now… which ability should I use to erase him?
He was mentally flipping through the options when a sharp, commanding voice-laced with powerful will—cut through the cavern.
"Please stop."
Nox narrowed his eyes and looked past the collapsed elves.
A young Dark Elf woman floated in the air, gracefully descending toward him.
She was striking-ashen skin, long flowing silver-white hair, and glowing amethyst eyes that gave her an intense, almost otherworldly aura. Tall and elegant, she moved with quiet confidence and lethal grace. Her outfit blended ceremonial and practical: a fitted charcoal-and-violet bodice, a silver-trimmed capelet, black leather bracers etched with faint runes. Belts and gemstone clasps secured multiple daggers at her waist.
The moment he saw her, he recognized her.
Elanora.
She drifted closer until her eyes were nearly level with his. "What brings you here, old friend?" she asked.
For a moment, Nox was caught off guard by the sheer weight of her presence. The last time he had seen her, she had been a young girl barely at level 50, with a class level close to 20.
Now… she was something else entirely.
He refocused, remembering his purpose. "Greetings, Elanora. I've sought you out for advice on a certain matter."
The subtle smile in her composed expression vanished. A knowing frown replaced it as her gaze swept the cavern around them.
"Will you please follow me?" she asked.
Nox saw no real reason to change locations, but she was one of his only acquaintances. He inclined his head in agreement.
Her faint smile returned as she turned and floated ahead. Nox followed her through the city toward a massive building of white stone, its walls decorated with colored patterns and inlaid windows.
At the grand double doors-towering slabs of polished obsidian-veined stone-two guards clad in full black armor snapped to attention and saluted. Embedded along the archway were thin inlays of violet crystal and shimmering silver ore, forming intricate patterns that pulsed faintly with mana. The doors swung inward with a low, resonant hum.
Inside, the castle revealed its unique aesthetic.
They walked in silence through long hallways carved from alternating layers of silver-gray stone and dark volcanic rock, each stratum naturally marbled with glossy black streaks. The walls were adorned with reliefs made from precious ore: ribbons of amethyst, veins of deep-blue azurite, and clusters of purple mushrooms carefully preserved and set into crystal frames. Soft witch light glowed from crystalline sconces-faceted gemstones of green, amber, and violet-casting shifting colors across the carved surfaces.
Thick support pillars rose like trees of shadowed stone, their surfaces etched with elegant spiraling runes that shimmered in metallic blues and purples whenever mana pulsed through them. Above, the ceiling was vaulted with rib-like arcs of hematite and obsidian, giving the impression of walking beneath the ribs of some ancient titan.
Staircases twisted gracefully upward, their steps formed from dark slate trimmed with silver, each landing decorated with mosaics of crushed gemstone that depicted scenes of Dark Elven history-queens, battles, assassins, and enchanted forests rendered in glittering fragments.
Eventually, they reached a doorway clearly not made for anyone of Nox's stature. The arch was elegant, framed with polished moonstone and carved hematite, but even without the door, the passage beyond was far too small. The ceiling lowered significantly, clearly intended only for elves.
It seems the upper floors weren't designed with someone like me in mind, he noted with mild annoyance.
For comfort's sake, Nox activated another skill:
Shadow Form Lv. 14
His entire body melted into inky blackness as his form shrank to a quarter of its original size. The transformation drew a surprised chuckle from Elanora. Her cold composure softened into something warmer-a genuine smile-as she opened the door to a large bedroom and stepped inside.