The night was thick with a creeping mist that clung to the ground, weaving between the trees like spirits lost to time. Zero stood at the edge of a dense forest, the faint glow of a distant village casting its eerie light on the horizon. The shadowy figure who had spoken of his fate, the one who promised to guide him, was nowhere to be seen. Yet, the pull to continue forward was undeniable. Something beyond his own understanding called to him.
Before he could take another step, the figure emerged from the shadows, its presence as unnerving as it was commanding. The figure's voice echoed in Zero's mind once again, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
"You are ready to learn of the world you now belong to, Zero."
Zero's eyes snapped to the figure, his heart racing. He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread—a knowledge too vast, too dangerous for him to understand. Still, a force beyond his will urged him to move forward.
"Ready?" Zero's voice trembled. "I barely know where I am. What am I supposed to be ready for?"
The figure's glowing eyes pierced through the darkness, unblinking. "For the truth of the world you now inhabit."
The air around Zero seemed to thicken, and the figure stepped closer, causing the shadows to writhe in its wake. "The creatures that walk these lands are not all as they seem. They are divided into ranks, each one more powerful than the last. The system that governs them is the monster system."
Zero's eyes narrowed, struggling to make sense of the words. "Monsters? Like the ones that attacked me in the ruins?"
The figure's silhouette shifted in the darkness, and a low chuckle filled the air, reverberating within Zero's mind. "Those were nothing compared to what lies ahead. But yes, the monsters you encountered were weak, barely able to defend themselves, let alone pose a threat to someone like you. You will come to understand the true meaning of power soon enough."
Zero clenched his fists. "I've faced monsters before. But this—this sounds different. What do you mean, 'ranks'? How can there be something worse than what I saw?"
The figure's eyes gleamed with a chilling intensity, as if the question amused it. "Oh, you have only seen a fragment of the power that exists in this world. Let me show you more."
A wave of energy surged through the air, and suddenly, Zero was surrounded by visions. Gigantic creatures emerged from the shadows: colossal, nightmarish beings of flesh and fury. The figure's voice grew darker as it explained.
"The Tyrants," it began, its tone reverberating with awe, "are the highest of their kind. These creatures are born from the deepest, most forbidden parts of the world. They are living catastrophes, beings of such power that they can reduce cities to rubble with a single swing of their claws. You may have heard the tales—legends of their strength."
Zero took a shaky breath as the vision continued. He saw an enormous beast, its scales as dark as the night sky, roaring at the heavens, a storm swirling around it. He could almost feel the tremors beneath his feet as if the very earth was shaking under the Tyrant's presence.
"What... what do you want me to do with this knowledge?" Zero muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The sight of such terrifying creatures made him question everything he knew.
The figure stepped closer, its voice low and knowing. "You must prepare yourself, Zero. You are not a mere mortal anymore. You are part of something far greater, far darker. The Tyrants are only the beginning."
Before Zero could respond, another vision unfolded. This time, the figure spoke of the Calamites.
"Next are the Calamites," the figure said, and Zero felt a dark weight settle over him. "They are not as immense as the Tyrants, but they are no less deadly. These beasts are born of chaos—natural disasters in physical form. The oceans churn with serpents as large as mountains. The skies darken with the wings of massive birds, their shrieks heralding storms."
Zero flinched as the vision continued. He saw gargantuan spiders weaving webs that stretched across entire valleys, and great worms that tore through the earth, consuming all in their path. His heart pounded as the images became more vivid, almost real.
"These Calamites feed on the land, on everything they encounter. The world trembles beneath their weight."
"Are there no limits to this madness?" Zero asked, his voice trembling with disbelief. "How can anyone stand against such creatures?"
The figure's laughter echoed, cold and distant. "That is the question, isn't it? The answer, however, is in your hands, Zero."
The ground beneath them seemed to hum with power as the figure leaned in, its presence almost suffocating. "Above them, there are those whose power defies even the natural order. The Gods."
Zero felt the air grow thin, as though the very atmosphere had been altered. He saw visions of divine beings, radiant and terrifying, their eyes burning like suns. They wielded weapons of unimaginable power, their forms shifting and rippling as if they were not bound by mortal limitations.
"Gods?" Zero gasped, his mind reeling from the images. "But they're... they're gods. How can anyone face them?"
The figure's voice took on an even darker, more ominous tone. "That, Zero, is the challenge of your destiny. You will face the Gods, or you will perish in their wake. There are no other choices."
Zero swallowed hard, his body tense with fear, but also a strange sense of resolve. "And the Demigods?"
"Ah, yes, the Demigods." The figure's voice softened, almost with reverence. "They are the children of the Gods—mortal, yet divine. Their power rivals that of the Gods, but they are bound by more... limitations. They serve as the champions of the divine, but even they have their own agendas."
The figure's gaze turned darker. "Some may stand by you, others against you. It will not be easy to discern who is friend and who is foe."
Zero took a step back, his thoughts spinning. "So... I'm supposed to face these creatures? These... gods and monsters? How am I supposed to do that?"
The figure stepped forward, its eyes glowing with an unsettling calm. "You will learn, Zero. You will learn to control the power that stirs within you. You will rise through the ranks, and in time, you will become what you are meant to be."
Zero gritted his teeth, the weight of the figure's words pressing down on him like an unrelenting force. "What if I can't? What if I fail?"
The shadow leaned in, its voice now a low murmur in Zero's mind. "Then you will fall, and the world will fall with you."