On the snowy top of the Apecolo mountain was a harsh blizzard running wild.
Inside the storm was a shadowy figure trying to desperately find something
Yes, It was Kiri looking for the shadow queen's lair
Kiri thinks as he walks with great difficulty inside the ravaging blizzard.
Kiri continues to fight through the blizzard and then he suddenly sees a light from a distant direction
Kiri couldn't bear the blizzard in his current state anymore since he didn't get any sleep throughout the night as he was using the night to increase his mobility in finding the shadow queen's lair.
Kiri starts heading towards the light that he had seen.
After much struggle and effort Kiri found the source of light!
Kiri was so shocked all his movements stopped he had a face that had lost all hope and was just waiting for things to end on its on
(Domain quest:Shadow queen's lair has started)
Kiri recollects himself as he tries to hide himself from the lair behind a rock that was just in front of him
Kiri desperately tries to think as he hides himself behind a rock.
The shadow queen's lair was built on the very too of the Apecolo mountain where the temperature was very extreme...!!
The lair was like a fortress with a very huge wall covering the entire lair.
It was about 100 meters tall and had a gate nearly 30 meters high in the middle of the huge walls lighten up with lamps which were not even moving under the harsh blizzard... like the lair was covered in a layer of protection that separated the entire lair from the surroundings.
Kiri thinks very hard while biting his thumb.
Kiri was in a very tight spot right now, even if he retreated now, he had no idea if he would find the lair again since it was just by chance that he found the lair.
Kiri slightly turns his body and stealthily tries to get a look at the huge gate that was lit with lanterns
Kiri was shocked as he sees the high wall and the lanterns that was not moving an inch and no snow covered them
Kiri was slightly covered in snow and was feeling very cold since he didn't have any heating type spell that he had learnt but because of his shadow attribute he could bear the cold a little.
"Hey mister.... What are you doing here? You know its dangerous here!"
A small voice came as Kiri was looking at the lair. Just as Kiri turns around to see who it was Kiri was very shocked to see what he saw.
"You..."
Kiri points at the person he just saw..
"Hmmmm?"
The person slightly moves her head towards the right while closing her eyes and smiling
It was a little girl with black hair and a very cute face. She had a very fancy robe on her and a staff on her back which was also black in colour and also a black crystal on the top of the staff.
"Shizu...."
Kiri whispers
"Shizu?"
The Little girl asks back in confusion
"What are you doing her? Its dangerous and how did you even get here!!??"
Kiri starts panicking as though he had just saw someone he knew.
He grabbed the shoulders of the little girl and asks her what she was doing there.
"Mister!??? I guess you got the wrong person.... I am not Shizu"
The little girl hesitantly replies to Kiri
Kiri realises and then slowly steps back from her
"I'm sorry about that..... your face just reminded me of someone close to me"
Kiri apologises as he steps back but he was still in shock after seeing her
Kiri thinks
"Mister I asked you a question you know!"
the little girl adds in a bossy tone
"Ah! sorry about that, I was just looking for my quest"
says Kiri with a doubtful look on his face. He was not very sure as to why he answered so honestly to a stranger he just met but somehow his instincts told him that he should have told the truth rather then hide it.
"Oh! you mean you got my challenge?"
The small girl replies in an excited tone. She looked at Kiri with a curious look in her eyes.
"Ummmm... I didn't get what you meant by that"
Kiri replies hesitantly
"Your quest is related to the shadow empress right?"
The small girl replies while looking at Kiri with a boring look
"Eh? How did you know?"
Kiri gets surprised and asks the little girl
"The only quest in this mountain is the domain quest that the system had alloted upon me. So ofcourse if you have a quest on top of this mountain then it should be the Domain quest to conquer me"
The small girl explains boastfully
"You! You mean! you're the Shadow Empress!!?"
Kiri somewhat shocked and lets his voice out a bit louder then normal
"You got that right, now follow me lets start your quest"
The Shadow Empress starts walking towards the huge gate that Kiri had just seen but as she was walking away she noticed that Kiri was not walking behind her so she turns back to see the still shocked Kiri standing there motionless.
"What happened? Aren't you here to complete your quest?"
The small girl asks as she turns back looking at Kiri
"Wait a minute!! I need time to process this....YOU AREN'T GOING TO STOP ME? Rather.... Why are you leading me?"
Kiri had mixed emotions by that time. He came to the moutain expecting a life or death battle as soon as he met the Shadow Empress who he imagined to be an onee-san(big sister) type but she turned out to be just a small girl. And now that same person who he thought he would be fighting as soon as they met was leading him to his quest without any hostility.
Kiri thinks to himself
"Are you really the Shadow Empress?"
Kiri asks after his statement
"pppppftttt hahahahaha"
The girl bursts into laughter
"Eh? What?"
Kiri was very confused at why the Shadow Empress started laughing at his question. He was panicked inside and for the first time in a while his expression was also somewhat different. He was in high alert and his panicked look could be seen in his expression. A cold sweat ran down his face.
"Did you think that I would attack you? hahahahah"
The Small girl starts laughing again while holding her stomach. She was laughing like a 12 year old who had just heard and understood an adult joke for the first time.
"Why are you taking me inside when you can just attack me here?"
Kiri asks again but this time with a serious look on his face. He was resolved for this fight from the moment he stepped foot on the mountain.
"Don't worry about it.. I won't attack you unless you do"
The small girl replies while stopping her burst of laughter. She had tears in her eyes because of all the laughing she did while saying those words. She rubs her eyes to wipe of the tears.
"What do you mean?"
Kiri with the same expression.
"As I said don't worry about getting attack. The Domain quest for our class should have descriptions sheesh it's such a pain to explain things."
The Shadow empress says as she reframes herself
"You see, this quest is about forming a contract with me and for that you need to complete the trials that are in the fortress"
The Shadow Empress explains while pointing her index finger from her right hand upwards and her left hand on her waist.
"Trials? You mean we won't be fighting?"
Kiri asks as he was astonished. He had seriously thought that it would have been a battle.
"Yes! There are three trials you must pass to make a contract with me. And also there are certain rules to these trials. Follow me to my castle and I will explain about the trials. The rest is upto you."
The shadow empress explains in a calm tone
"How do I know it's not a trap?"
Kiri asks hesitantly
"You seriously are a pain you know that! learn to atleast trust others. If I wanted you killed then I would have just attacked you right from the bat. I have enough power to level a city just so you know"
The Shadow Empress with an irritated expression.
Kiri thinks to himself
"Alright then, I'll follow you but before that can you tell me about the trials?"
Kiri asks without letting his guard down. He was ready to use "Shadow steps" as soon as he sensed any danger
Kiri was very uncomfortable with the current situation he was in.
"Alright then follow me I'll explain it to you as we walk"
The Shadow Empress turns back and starts walking towards the huge gate that was behind her.
Kiri starts to walk slowly, following the Shadow Empress all the while keeping his guard up.
"First, let me ask you a question. Why do you want to complete this quest?"
The Shadow Empress suddenly asks without turning back as she walks towards the huge gate
"None of your business"
Kiri replies in a cold tone
"Eeehhh? don't be so harsh now, you can tell me that atleast right?"
The Shadow Empress turns her head and looks at Kiri with a pitiful expression. Since her face was very similar to someone Kiri knew from his world he reluctantly gave up and
"I want to get stronger!That's it"
Kiri replies again with a cold tone. It wasn't that Kiri did not want to answer but he was not sure what to answer as he still didn't have a goal set in mind.
"Eh? Why do you want to get stronger?"
Shadow Empress asks
"It's your turn now, tell me about the trials or I won't answer any more of your questions"
Kiri glares at shadow empress
"Oh how scary, alright then"
They both arrive at the base of the huge gate. The gate was much more larger than it seemed from far away. It was as though a giant was living in the fortress. The gate suddenly starts to screech and open.
SFX:Screeeecch crank
The gate opened by its own when they both went near the gate... this took Kiri by surprise as he was listening to the shadow empress. He looks inside and sees something he had never imagined.