The monstrous creatures surrounding the throne began to roar deafening, inhuman sounds that shook the very ground of the shadow realm. Their forms twisted in unnatural ways, each one a force of destruction capable of leveling a city… and yet they knelt obediently behind the man on the throne.
Kael's mind raced.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Why is he here? Why… of all people?
Then the Shadow Lord raised one hand.
A simple gesture.
Silence.
Every beast behind him went utterly still. Not a whisper, not a shuffle, not even breath. The weight of that command was suffocating. It wasn't power it was dominion.
Kael's heart pounded against his ribs as he took a shaky breath. Sweat poured down his brow. I know he was terrifying from the stories… but up close.
Words don't do it justice.
This wasn't just power. It was something ancient, something absolute. The aura rolling off the man was darker than the abyss, sharper than blades, and more suffocating than the deepest oceans.
Even the Headmaster… the SSS-ranked hunter whose aura shook mountains… this guy's presence makes that feel like a gentle breeze.
Then, the Shadow Lord spoke.
A voice low and impossibly smooth.
Like velvet wrapped around a dagger.
"Welcome, vessel."
Kael froze.
His throat dried instantly. Vessel?
Then the Shadow Lord stood.
He reached up, pulling back the obsidian hood and removing his horned mask.
Kael's eyes widened in disbelief.
The man wasn't some ancient corpse or monstrous beast. He was…
Beautiful.
Black hair fell to his shoulders, silky and wild. His skin was pale and flawless, and his eyes those unnatural, glowing purple eyes felt like they stared straight through Kael's soul.
Not a trace of age touched him, yet he looked as if he had lived for eons.
Then his gaze hardened.
Kael's body tensed involuntarily.
"How long… do you intend to keep being weak?"
With those words, the air tightened, pressing down on Kael's shoulders like a celestial weight. His breath caught as a wave of killing intent washed over him colder than ice, sharper than steel.
It was like having a blade placed gently lovingly against his throat.
The monsters behind the throne didn't move.
They didn't need to.
The true predator had already made his claim.
Kael clenched his fists.
The words "I'm not weak" tried to rise in his throat… but died under that pressure.
He wasn't ready to say them yet.