"How dare you?!"
Several voices rang out at once as a group of men in black burst out from the shadows.
Despite their restrained presence, each one radiated the unmistakable intensity of a Rank 2 creature.
These were the shadow guards of the royal family.
The sudden appearance of the men in black sent another ripple of tension through the hall.
Everyone knew who they were.
The Shadow Guards.
According to rumours, they were children taken young and trained in isolation, raised without a family name, without affection, without identity beyond service.
Their bodies were tempered through brutal methods, their emotions were carved away and their loyalty was shaped into something absolute.
They were not naturally strong.
Their strength came from forbidden methods that forcibly boosted their power at the cost of their lifespan.
The kingdom called it a noble sacrifice.
The Shadow Guards called it their purpose.
