The snow crunched under my feet, as if complaining.
Kallen walked forward, step by step, followed by the shadow knight. Ward was silent, but sensitive to magic. Each step they took was accompanied by a pulse of darkness, and the tattoo on Kallen's back grew thicker, with a black line extending towards his shoulders.
"Beste is somewhere in the middle. But we'll be met before that."
As if on cue, the ground shook.
Paws burst out of the snow, thick as a giant's bones, covered in frost. Behind them, eyes. Many. Countless. Each one reflected Kallen.
Ice spiders.
Not like animals, but like ritual creatures. Their bodies were like carved ice, but there was blue magic bubbling inside. They made sounds—clicks, wheezes, and prayers. It was as if something ancient was praying for death.
"They're coming," Kalen muttered, gripping the handle of his shadow sword.
The first one jumped. Fast. Too fast.
Kalen dodged and thrust his sword into the center of the spider's chest shield. The shadow melted the ice magic, causing the spider to explode into a cloud of frost and steam. The second spider attacked from behind. Kalen managed to dodge, roll, and strike. The sword cut through the spider's joint, causing blood-ice to splatter on his face.
"There are a lot of creatures. We need to keep our distance. These creatures are not stupid; they hunt in packs."
— Ward! Intercept on the left!
The shadow-knight silently rushed into the thick of it. His blade cut through ice and flesh, but there were more of them. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. They crawled up trees, across ceilings, and out of snowdrifts.
Kallen spun around and slashed the ground with his sword. A whirlwind of Shadow erupted from beneath his feet, knocking back the nearest enemies.
"Enough!" His voice echoed through the forest. "You are beasts. But beasts have a leader."
If you have chosen me as your king...
Then join me.
For a moment, there was silence.
One of the spiders, the largest, with nine legs and a broken mouth, lowered its head.
Then the second one. Third.
All.
They froze like statues. Then, at the same time, they knelt down, their paws curled up.
"What the… Ha. Well, fuck me."
***
The cold wind whipped at his face. The spiders moved nearby—dozens, maybe more than a hundred. They didn't speak. They didn't make any sounds. They just crawled. Behind him. Next to him. Under his shadow.
Kalen walked forward. His sword was partly real, partly part of the Ward. He felt the pulse of magic in every cell. His breath turned to steam. Every step in this cursed forest required will.
The tattoo changed again. Now, black lines crossed the shoulders, descending to the shoulder blades like wings of smoke.
"Ward, can you feel it?"
The Shadow Knight nodded.
A new predator was waiting for them.
Failure.
The ground gave way beneath his feet. Kallen, along with several spiders, plummeted into a cave. The rocks were wet and smooth. The air reeked of iron and rot.
And in the depths — it.
The Ant King.
It was as tall as a three-story building. Its chitin was blacker than coal, and its eyes were green like emeralds. Magical crystals protruded from its back, and their light pulsed like a heart. It exuded an aura of intelligence. It knew who it was facing.
And he was hungry.
"Here we go," Kalen whispered.
The ant moved. There was a screech. A mixture of magic and rotten gas erupted from its mouth.
The spiders leaped forward.
Kalen is with them.
He used a shadow dash, jumped on the creature's back, and stabbed the sword into the joint. Flash. Stench. Magic hissed.
But the King was no ordinary monster.
He threw him against the wall with such force that the air was knocked out of his lungs. The spiders died, but they did not retreat. One of them crawled back, wounded, and shielded Kalen with its body, taking the blow from the fang.
"Hah... did you die for me?" Kalen croaked, standing up. "Fine. Then you'll have a monument, bitch."
He injected all his magic into the sword.
"WARD!
A knight appeared next to him. His eyes flashed blood red. He leaped forward, and together they delivered the final blow, piercing the monster's breastplate.
The magic crystal exploded, filling the cave with light.
The spider King is dead.
Kalen stood panting.