Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: The Throne of Shadows Chapter 66 – The Throne of Shadows While chaos brewed in the Forest of Darkness, elsewhere—another path unfolded.

Our chosen one had accepted a mission.

Alongside Leona.

"We’ll finally have time together," she said, her voice soft with false excitement. "Just us."

Elijah didn’t respond at first. Ever since the incident with Elizabeth, he’d been... off. His brows remained furrowed, his gaze distant and hard.

But Leona’s persistent affection was slowly melting the ice around him.

He offered a faint smile. "Yeah. Let’s go. Let’s forget all of that and enjoy this mission together."

It was a simple task on paper.

A rampaging A-rank beast had been terrorizing the border villages of the human domain. A kill mission.

Both of them were more than capable. There was no real danger.

To Elijah, it was the perfect excuse to spend time with Leona.

But Leona?

Her smile hid a question.

’Why this mission?’

Something didn’t sit right.

But she said nothing.

"Let’s go, Leona!" Elijah called out, newfound energy in his voice.

"Yes!" she replied.

And so, they departed.

...

Meanwhile—

Ester’s group moved with speed and purpose, not slowing for a second since Elizabeth’s warning.

They raced toward the eastern edge of the inner zone. Shadows flickered around them, but none dared halt their advance.

Only a few mindless shadow beasts attempted attacks—each one silenced in a single slash from Yuki’s merciless blade.

Hours passed.

And finally, they arrived.

Before them stood a massive cave—its entrance wide and gaping like the mouth of a slumbering beast. Shadows coiled within. The darkness inside was unnaturally thick.

Ominous.

Still, they had no choice.

"It shouldn’t be a problem," Eric said with cautious confidence.

Everyone nodded. Four A-rank beings versus one beast—the odds favored them.

They stepped inside.

Instantly, the pressure shifted. The shadows deepened. The air grew heavy.

A predator’s den.

Ester stopped cold.

The others halted with her.

She could sense it. As someone attuned to concealment, she recognized the presence immediately.

"The beast is here. Be alert."

It was cloaked—just like her.

Elizabeth’s frown deepened. She extended her hand, conjuring a sphere of Light—one of her many affinities. It shimmered, pulsing against the suffocating dark, casting illumination through the cave.

And then—they saw it.

A massive Wyvern. Scales black as void, eyes just as dark. Its body absorbed the light around it, drinking it in like a void.

Even now, standing mere meters away—they couldn’t feel its presence.

If not for their eyes, they would’ve thought it an illusion.

And then...

The beast smirked.

A disturbingly human expression.

But it was the voice that followed that sent chills down their spines.

A deep, smooth voice echoed through the cave.

"It seems I have guests. It has been... quite some time."

They instinctively stepped back. Eyes wide. Skin prickling.

A beast that spoke with such clarity?

There was only one explanation.

S-rank.

The Wyvern rose slowly.

"Yes. It seems I did well hiding my true rank from those treacherous shadows."

He smiled again. Sharp. Knowing.

"Shall we begin?"

"Fuck!" Eric cursed, drawing his weapon.

...

Far from there, Noah strode calmly toward the core zone—flanked by the three shadows: Lalie, Zuhur, and Boris.

But there was something different about him now.

Something even they noticed.

Lalie kept glancing at him. Not just her—even Boris and Zuhur looked... curious. Unsettled.

"What happened to you while you were gone?" Lalie finally asked.

What they sensed in him now was strange. It felt like Shadow—but also... not.

As if he had absorbed the concept, twisted it into something new.

But it wasn’t pure.

It wasn’t normal.

"Nothing much," Noah replied casually, "Just... a couple of upgrades."

There were things he’d never tell anyone. Not even those closest to him.

His system.

His reincarnation.

Secrets he’d take to the grave. Because death? He could cheat that.

But betrayal?

That would destroy him.

The shadows respected his silence and didn’t push further. They moved in silence.

Until Noah broke it again.

"How can a human... become like you?" he asked.

He’d been thinking of Eric—the man clearly obsessed with shadow.

"Like us?" Lalie raised an eyebrow.

"You mean... to become a Shadow? Change race?"

He nodded.

"There are ways," she answered, her tone more serious. "But the most common one is through the blood... of a royal."

Noah blinked. "Royalty?"

Lalie smiled faintly. "Yes. The Shadow Realm has its own nobles. We call them Originals."

"They were the first—born in the Realm and by the realm itself.Each one possesses unique powers. One of them... is the ability to turn others into Shadows using their blood."

"They are the rulers. The true Ancients."

Noah paused. The implications settled like lead in his stomach.

Originals...?

How old were they?

How powerful?

A chill ran through him. For the first time, he felt that even Elijah’s so-called goddess might pale before these entities.

His thoughts sharpened.

’I need power.’

Because he is becoming more and more aware of the danger of his new life.

He would complete his Physique.

Earn more Titles.

Ascend to S-rank rapidly.

Whatever it took.

"We’ve arrived," Zuhur said.

They stood before a castle.

No—a castle of Shadow.

Crafted entirely from darkness. Its presence pulsed with mastery. Every inch of it resonated with ancient energy.

Noah could feel it in his bones.

They stepped inside, walking down vast, empty halls. At the end, a massive set of black double doors loomed.

Zuhur knocked politely.

Silence.

Then—

"Enter."

The doors opened on their own.

They walked in.

The chamber was vast. Empty. Nothing but shadow.

Except—

A single throne. Raised high above. Crafted from abyssal dark.

Upon it sat a man.

His skin obsidian black, marked with glowing white tattoos. His eyes were inverted—white pupils in black sclera. His hair was long, flowing like silk to his lower back.

He lounged lazily. One arm resting on the side of his face. Legs crossed. Regal. Relaxed.

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But the moment Noah stepped in—his eyes locked onto him.

And he smiled.

"Indeed... you are the one."

—End of Chapter 66—