Kalm blinked twice, then tilted his head slightly, stunned by the golden letters that had carved themselves into the air before his eyes—glowing with a soft, beautiful light.
He read them once. Then again.
He understood them easily… yet their meaning remained shrouded in mystery.
**Name:** Kalm
It was the name his mother had given him—nothing strange about it.
But then, below it… **World Title.**
What was that supposed to be?
Was it the name the world would know him by once he completed the trial?
Or perhaps something akin to Kalystra's title—**Queen of Shadows**?
*"I guess I haven't earned one yet… or maybe I haven't done anything remarkable enough for the world to take notice…"*
Whatever the case, he wouldn't know until later. Everything was still too unfamiliar.
Kalm scratched his chin and sighed.
His gaze drifted to the next entry.
**Stage:**
This one, at least, made some sense.
Kalystra had explained it earlier—stages ranged from one to eight.
Since he was still undergoing the trial, he wouldn't awaken until it was complete.
The word *Dormant* likely referred to his core—still asleep.
Or perhaps it spoke of some part of him he had yet to unlock.
These were the only assumptions he could form… and even they might be wrong.
He'd need proper guidance to make sense of all this nonsense when he returned.
*"Ugh… what a miserable headache."*
He continued reading.
**Alignment.**
The word alone was unsettling.
It seemed to imply some kind of binding contract—a cost for accessing the power of the awakened.
Of course, nothing in this world came for free.
You paid for every gift you received, one way or another.
Even the World's Voice, it seemed, demanded commitment in exchange for its immense privileges.
Kalm sighed again, quietly hoping that his alignment would be something simple.
Something that wouldn't hinder him down the road.
After all, your alignment could determine whether power became a gift—or a curse.
He skipped over **Attributes** for now—he didn't know what that meant, and it was blank anyway, just like the title and alignment.
Instead, he focused on the next entry: **Marks.**
One was listed—**\[Mark of Shadow].**
He concentrated on it, isolating the line in his mind.
The letters flared gently, responding to his intent, and a description appeared before his eyes.
Kalm read in silence:
> **\[Mark of Shadow]**
> *Description: You have received the recognition of the great Queen of Shadows. By her authority, the shadows now acknowledge you as one of their own…*
*"Oh… just like Kalystra said,"* he thought.
And it seemed the World's Voice, too, considered her a figure of great power.
Of course it did.
Only a handful of beings in all the realms could possibly rival her in might and stature.
Without making a sound, Kalystra appeared beside him. Her voice was soft and smooth.
"From the look on your face," she said, "I'd say you got something."
Kalm looked up at her with a faint smile and replied,
"Yeah… a few things."
The woman with those deep, gemstone eyes smiled gently.
"Congratulations. Now come, Kalm—we can check everything in detail later. We still have monsters to slay… and a dungeon boss to reach."
Kalm felt a slight tension in her tone—
As if she'd discovered something in the past few minutes that unsettled her.
But he kept his questions to himself.
Time was not on their side.
As she had warned before, there was always a chance a portal might open—bringing with it chaos, danger, and death.
Or perhaps a city from above would collapse, spilling hordes of abominations into the caverns below…
There were threats in every direction.
The only comforting thought Kalm had… was that Kalystra was still with him.
He looked up at her and asked,
"Kalystra, since you have that… shadow-step thing, why not just use it to take us near the boss?"
Kalystra scratched the back of her head and let out a sigh.
"It's not that simple. That wretched thing is the king of this place…
And, ironically, this cave is filled with hundreds—if not *thousands*—of monsters."
Kalm blinked, confused.
"Wouldn't it be better to just kill him and get out? Avoid all the other dangers?"
The queen raised her hand. The giant bird of shadows dispersed into tendrils of black mist, and she began walking forward.
Kalm followed.
"Kalm… even though monsters are driven by madness, they still follow a hierarchy.
Those at the bottom obey those at the top—whether by will or by force."
She paused briefly, hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
"Let me make it simple for you.
Let's say I used shadow-step to take us straight into the boss room.
He's a Stage Five creature.
Even for me, taking him down would take time… and during that fight, he would summon his servants—those scattered throughout the cave—to aid him."
Kalm's eyes widened.
Fear crept into his chest.
He nearly stumbled.
Kalystra, ever composed, continued in her calm tone:
"Under normal circumstances, I could handle it.
I command an army of shadows.
But in a purge of that scale, the clash between my forces and his would tear you apart.
And that would mean the end… for both of us."
Kalm's eyes sparkled.
Not just from fear—but from awe.
She'd already thought it all through.
She had weighed every possibility, every risk and advantage, and had chosen the path that gave *him* the greatest chance of survival.
She wasn't just powerful…
She was wise.
"We've got something ahead of us," she said suddenly.
Kalystra didn't stop. Her eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead.
Kalm asked,
"Is it another swarm of those insect things?"
Kalystra exhaled softly.
"A different kind of insect… They're massive, armored beasts. Looks like there are around fifty of them. Thankfully, they're only at Stage Three."
Kalm frowned slightly.
He recalled how his life had nearly ended at the hands of a Stage One creature not long ago…
And here she was, speaking casually about dozens of Stage Three monsters.
*"Does strength really change the way a person views danger…?"*
Kalm let out a slow breath and looked toward the woman beside him.
Her eyes shimmered with deep darkness, and from her shadow, several beings rose like smoke—taking shape behind her.
Their eyes burned with unwavering respect… and the kind of resolve that could slice through mountains.
There were nearly thirty of them.
Some stood unnaturally tall, with multiple arms—anywhere from two to eight—each ending in long, vicious claws.
Their mouths were lined with terrifying rows of fangs.
Further back, towering monsters loomed over seven meters tall, with massive bodies and thick, armored limbs.
Kalystra raised her hand and pointed toward where the armored insects lay in wait.
"Kill them all," she said coldly. "Every last one."
The shadow creatures let out a low, deafening roar,
and the sound of their footsteps echoed like war drums across the cavern floor.
Faster than Kalm had expected, a cacophony of snarls and shattering rock filled the cave.
It was as if the gates of ruin had been thrown open.
A thick cloud of dust rose in the distance, and from within it came grotesque fragments of creatures—torn, crushed, and scattered.
Stone-red exoskeletons, twisted limbs, and shattered, alien feet flew through the air.
The sheer brutality of it was impossible to describe—pure, raw force had reduced them to gore.
Only a hundred meters from where Kalm stood, the severed head of a monstrous insect slammed to the ground.
Half of it was so mangled it looked like a rotten lump of flesh and bone—
the other half still somewhat intact, pocked with multiple holes.
Kalm inhaled sharply, shaken by the grotesque violence.
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the delicate woman standing beside him—
Kalystra showed no reaction. Not a single shift in her expression.
*"She really does look like a delicate, beautiful flower… but her power—and danger—are the exact opposite."*
"You don't seem too fazed by scenes like this, Kalm," she said, her voice calm.
"Are you… used to the sight of blood?"
Kalm looked up at her, surprised by the question.
"Not really," he admitted.
"It's just… I don't know how to explain it.
No matter how bad the news is, or how intense the moment, I tend to regain my composure quickly.
It only takes a moment for me to center myself again. Something like that..."
Kalystra gave him a long, thoughtful look… then smiled.
"That's a rare and wonderful ability.
Plenty of people would envy you for it."
She let out a short, amused laugh and gently ruffled his hair with one hand.
"Come on. The path's clear. Stay close and stay sharp—
we're about to reach the maze.
Oh, and try not to listen to any strange voices again."
Kalm chuckled awkwardly.
"R-right… sorry about that, Kalystra. I'll do my best to stay focused."
The soft woman beside him gave him a radiant smile.
"That's my heir. Let's go."