The shadow creatures Kalystra had summoned faded like smoke into the darkness.
Kalm advanced through the aftermath—past the mutilated remains of the insectoid monsters, their bodies ravaged in grotesque fashion. It was truly a horrifying sight…
But what unsettled Kalm wasn't just the carnage.
It was the color of the walls ahead—
slowly shifting from pitch black to a deep, bloody crimson,
as though fresh blood was being painted across the stone, drop by drop.
Something massive was happening…
But it was unfolding slowly.
His thoughts scattered, Kalm followed Kalystra swiftly through the unsettling corridor, both of them on high alert for any sudden threats.
It didn't take long before Kalystra raised her hand sharply, halting him in place.
Kalm narrowed his eyes, trying to identify what had made her stop.
But all he saw were dark red and black rocks…
and faint green moss crawling along the cavern walls, which sent a subtle chill down his spine.
He asked hesitantly,
"Is there… another monster ahead?"
Kalystra's eyes narrowed. After a brief pause, she responded,
"Something strange is happening in the maze ahead."
Kalm looked at her, unsettled by the grim tone in her voice.
"Did the cavern's king sense your presence? Or is it heading our way?"
She shook her head.
"No. The monsters… they're avoiding the center of the cavern.
They're pulling back toward the outer edges—
it's like they're all gathering in specific areas."
There was a complex expression on her face,
as if even she found this unusual.
"Is that… rare behavior for monsters?" he asked.
Kalystra began walking again.
Kalm followed close behind, waiting for her to continue.
It didn't take long.
"Not entirely rare," she said.
"This happens when a monster is attempting to evolve to the next stage.
It begins devouring everything in its path—overwhelming everything—
until it has what it needs.
Then it enters a weakened state as it completes the transformation."
A shiver ran through Kalm's limbs. A coldness swept over his body.
Kalystra confirmed his fear.
"My dear Kalm," she said softly,
"It seems the cavern's king… is in the middle of an evolution."
She sighed, a trace of concern in her breath, before giving him a small, reassuring smile.
"Trouble really does love you, doesn't it?"
Before Kalm could reply, the ground beneath them trembled violently,
and the deep, echoing roar of a distant creature shook the cave.
Kalm gave a dry, sarcastic laugh.
"You're absolutely right, Kalystra.
Seems like the only thing that truly loves me in this world… is trouble."
The gentle woman laughed playfully and ruffled his hair again—
a habit that was quickly becoming her signature gesture.
"Don't worry too much," she said.
"Right now, trouble has to get through *me* first. And I'm Kalystra."
Her beautiful eyes glowed with a deep black light—
and from her shadow, more beings rose—
different from the ones before.
Fierce.
Majestic.
Terrifying.
There were over a hundred of them now.
Each let out a fearsome roar that sent ice through Kalm's veins.
At a silent gesture from Kalystra, they surged forward—
their steps pounding the ground like war drums.
Within moments, the two armies collided a few hundred meters ahead.
The sounds of tearing, smashing, and shrieking filled the air.
The cavern walls cracked. The ground split open.
The entire cave trembled in protest at the violence erupting within it.
Instinctively, Kalm took a step back.
This battle…
It was even more chaotic, bloody, and terrifying than the one moments earlier.
He felt small.
Insignificant.
Like an insect before a towering mountain.
As he stood in silent awe, Kalystra's voice cut through the chaos beside him.
"Let's go, Kalm.
We have a window of opportunity—
we might be able to kill the king while it's still vulnerable.
But we have to move quickly and eliminate a few nuisances first."
She stepped closer, gently took his hand in hers, and said calmly,
"We'll travel through the shadows."
Before he could say a word,
she pulled him into that space again—
a realm without shape or direction,
a void without form, floating endlessly in darkness.
Even though he had experienced it once before,
it still felt alien.
Frightening.
Yet this time, Kalm kept his composure,
as Kalystra guided them to where they needed to go.
After only a second, the two of them emerged from the shadows.
The roar of battle echoed far behind them, growing fainter by the moment.
Kalystra released his hand, then placed her own on the hilt of her sword.
"Let's move.
There's still a long distance between us and the maze's center.
Even with the king's current state, we can't teleport directly to him."
Kalm raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
Kalystra gestured forward as they began walking at a brisk pace.
"First of all," she began,
"the number of monsters in this cavern is… a bit higher than I initially thought.
Roughly ten thousand are scattered throughout the maze."
She sighed, clearly annoyed, and continued,
"Most of them are peak Stage Three.
But there are over four hundred Stage Four monsters as well.
Even for this place, that's a massive number—
and it's a serious problem."
Kalystra went silent again, her focus narrowing.
It was clear she was tracking or sensing something far beyond Kalm's understanding.
After a minute of walking in silence, their footsteps the only sound, she finally spoke again.
"To get the best possible outcome,
we need to eliminate the Stage Four monsters first.
They're the real threat right now."
Kalm scratched his chin, thinking.
Then a thought occurred to him.
"Kalystra, you can summon shadow beasts—
and they're incredibly powerful.
What if you send some of them to take care of the monsters
while we advance toward the center of the maze?"
The elegant woman gave a low, amused laugh.
"That's a clever idea, Kalm," she said, smiling,
"but it's not quite enough—
in fact, it's not very effective."
Kalm blinked, surprised by her response.
He waited for her explanation.
Her lips parted, and she said gently,
"You see… not all shadows are intelligent.
Even if they're strong,
sending them without precise direction would make them fight anything in their path.
They might take hours—or even days—to reach the actual targets.
And there's a risk they could run into creatures that counter them."
He listened carefully, processing every word.
Then his eyes lit up with inspiration.
He turned to her, a spark in his gaze.
"Kalystra—what if…
you teleport through the shadows directly to each of the targets,
and send one powerful shadow at each one?
Even if the shadows aren't smart,
they could distract those monsters long enough for you to kill the king.
We'd secure the throne—and gain two powerful weapons in the process."
Kalystra's eyes glowed with strange delight and playful joy as she listened, her lips curling into a breathtaking smile.
"Oh? It seems my heir has some wit as well… haha… I believe we have a good plan. Now, let's put it into motion."
The queen stepped forward and closed her eyes in deep concentration.
Kalm felt as though she was searching for something unseen.
He wondered, *Does her nature allow her to sense what's happening near the shadows?*
That would make sense, considering what she had just said…
She hadn't merely sensed their number, but their stages as well—and more importantly, she had somehow perceived what was happening with the vile boss creature…
*What a magnificently filthy woman...*
After a brief moment, Kalystra opened her eyes and exhaled audibly.
"Let's go, Kalm. We'll handle them quickly."
The queen turned and extended her left hand to him. Kalm took it, and with a single step through shadow, they emerged in a completely different place.
Kalm's gaze swept over their new surroundings, awestruck by the beauty before him.
Across the walls and ground spread lush green grass, masking the crimson hue of the stone beneath. Violet flowers bloomed in radiant clusters, filling the space with color.
A sweet and refreshing scent drifted through the air—so enticing it made one want to gather the blossoms and keep them forever.
Kalm shook his head gently, trying to clear his thoughts.
When he looked up at the ceiling, his skin went pale and sweat formed on his brow.
There, on the ceiling, hung a massive green plant wrapped tightly in its own leaves. Its roots spread like rivers, winding across the stone overhead.
Kalystra still held his hand and spoke in her usual calm tone.
"This is the first—Graveflower. It doesn't manipulate minds, no... It lures beasts and fools alike with the sweet scent of its flowers. And once they draw near, it drives its roots into their bodies and drains their fluids dry."
Kalm swallowed hard, visibly unnerved, and stared at her for a long moment.
With a voice lined in thinly-veiled fear, he said dryly,
"Kalystra... let's please leave quickly... things like this really creep me out."
The elegant woman chuckled softly, and from her shadow, a grotesque beast emerged.
It had an enormous mouth filled with rows of jagged fangs, a long flat body like a lizard, and six powerful legs ending in sharp claws. From its back rose black spikes, like giant iron nails.
Kalystra lifted her hand and pointed to the ceiling.
"Take care of it. And once you're done—eat it."
The giant shadow creature's eyes lit with a dark, sinister glow. Its tongue lolled out as it lumbered forward with thundering steps, heading straight for the repulsive plant above.
Kalystra cast one last look around the place and said,
"Let's move on to the next abomination."
Just before she stepped, Kalm asked hesitantly,
"Will one shadow be enough? These are stage-four creatures..."
Her lips curved into a confident smile.
"My shadows are stage five... some even stage six. So there's no need to worry.
This is the beginning of a grand cleansing war..."
Kalm smirked wryly.
"Seems I was worried for nothing..."
With those words, Kalystra stepped into the shadow once more, Kalm in tow—heading toward the next vile monstrosity awaiting them.