Twilight Initiator, Zed, Son of Shadows, Shadow
Imperial Calendar: Year 1596, Month 3, Day 26
Forest of Enchantments, to the north of the Imperial Territory
The noble lord remained silent... I, on the other hand, picked up the stick on which I had impaled the meat. Blowing on it a bit so it wouldn't be too hot, I took the first bite. Sweet and very tender, it was delicious. It was the first time I was eating real food and not scraps thrown in the trash—a big change, though it lacked a bit of salt...
The noble lord stayed silent... after finishing my piece of meat, I felt alive, it was definitely incredible to be alive... right? Looking at the night sky, the stars shone faintly. I always wondered if this was the same Milky Way or something else... no point thinking about that right now.
-I have a daughter... she is the same age as you. I don't know what happened, but one day she just fell unconscious in bed. She groaned in pain, sometimes screamed, begged for someone to kill her—the pain was unbearable. Black spots started appearing all over her body, an ancient disease... 'Stain.
He put his hands behind his head and lay back, looking at the night sky...
-I had 5 wives. I killed them all. They tried to take advantage of this opportunity to remove my daughter from her position as heir. They even tried to kill her without me knowing. No one can touch my daughter.
-With each passing day, my daughter's condition worsened. Her screams became even more terrifying; it seemed like her body was going to fall apart... the priests shook their heads, their healing magic couldn't save my daughter. The only thing that could was a plant found in the Riberland mountains, 'The Plant of Rebirth.
-Inside the mountains is an infernal zone, a death zone, shrouded in complete darkness, as if night were eternal in that place. It's so cold it can freeze your soul... many have tried and many have failed; no one can come out alive from that place, only death awaits.
-The creature is known as 'Faceless.' It's a strange name for a mutant-ranked being. It was given that name because no one has ever seen it... it is inside the mountain. To enter, one must follow a path downwards. A huge hole is in the middle of the two mountains, it seems bottomless but it's actually only 5 meters deep. You have to descend, as if it were a path to hell itself—everything is black.
-There is no map of the interior, but some have tried to make one.
The noble lord took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. After that, he simply left with his guards hidden behind the trees.
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Twilight Initiator, Zed, Son of Shadows, Shadow
Imperial Calendar: Year 1596, Month 3, Day 27
Forest of Enchantments, to the north of the Imperial Territory
The Forest of Enchantments is a place people call magical due to the variety of animals and even plants that inhabit it. It stretches for several kilometers; no one knows its exact size. After all, there is a division, that division separates the forest into two parts, so to speak, the Riberland mountains, two pieces of rock that reach high into the sky. People only know one entrance. Yes, that's correct, if you want to go to the other part of the Forest of Enchantments, you have to cross the domain of the Mutant, it's the only known entrance to date.
And that's where we are heading. No one knows why the Mutant settled in that place, there are some theories but no one knows the truth. But most likely there is a Dragon Stone inside.
Dragon Stone.
Stones with such a high mana concentration... they can even have the same capacity as an atomic bomb on Earth... of course, it all depends on the quality and size of the stone itself, but still, there are many types of Dragon Stones, or rather, they represent all the elements a person can have, or the most well-known types of magic like water, fire, etc.
But I have a hunch based on the memories of this world's Zed that no one has ever seen anyone with the quality of controlling shadows, or as people call it, dark magic. So… that this place is in complete endless darkness... is strange, right? A Dragon Stone with the dark element... a precious gem, to put it simply, it will be of great help to me, that's more than clear.
But as I said, it's just my guess, which I hope is not wrong. There are many factors to consider, dark magic hasn't been seen for millennia, nor has there been a monster possessing this type of magic. Ordinary people forget and die, but what about beings that have lived for countless years... they might remember, and without a doubt, they will come after me. How do I know? It's quite obvious; no one has the ability to control shadows, a dead god, and someone possessing the same abilities as that god… wouldn't that be a great danger to world balance? Of course, it would. It's like having someone who shouldn't exist, an error, an anomaly, a great threat... How do you think those great beings would act? The gods? Practically the world is my enemy right now.
That's why I pose as an assassin... besides, the only weapon I have is a dagger, I have the skill that seems to be stealth, just like an assassin. I can cover my presence and deliver precise and vital blows. Being an assassin for now is the best cover I have.
I need to be strong; I don't want to die. I have much to feel, express, and... enjoy. I don't want to be running like a damn rat all the time. I need a face, an identity, something to cover my back.
I looked at the back of the noble lord... I need to stop being a commoner...
The pieces are starting to move on the board... there are many paths I can take, though some are full of dangers, but if I walk carefully... I will be able to survive.
-....