Lord Of The Lost

For more than an hour, the chase had stretched on like a relentless storm. William ran with everything he had, while the Black Crow King swooped down, pecking at him with vicious precision. His head felt like it was on the verge of exploding from the creature's mental attacks, and every muscle in his body screamed in pain.

Desperation clawed at him as he struggled to keep up his pace, knowing that stopping would mean death.

Whenever he was close to breaking, he pulled out the lantern to light his way, its divine glow offering a brief reprieve from the oppressive darkness the crow brought with it. But he had no intention of turning back to fight. Not against this beast. The Black Crow King was an extraordinary creature, but compared to other enemies, like the werewolf demons, it lacked the same path for advancement.

Its strength was wild and raw, and its level was high, but it was a creature stuck in its form, unable to evolve beyond its nature.

The chase dragged them into a vast, eerily quiet forest, where the only sounds were their heavy breathing and the Black Crow's harsh cawing. Just when William thought he couldn't keep going, the creature let out a sharp, frustrated screech that echoed across the wilderness. The sound was laced with anger, but also defeat.

Without another attack, the Black Crow King turned and soared away into the darkening sky.

William collapsed to his knees, watching the crow's retreat. It was intelligent, that much was clear. The creature knew it could have killed him, but it also knew that doing so would cost it dearly. It had never been after a life-or-death battle; instead, it had hoped to wear William down through sheer harassment. The crow hadn't expected him to endure, to survive this long.

As the Black Crow King's figure faded into the distance, its mournful cry echoed over the wilderness. Above, the sky blazed with the vibrant hues of sunset; gold and crimson streaked across the clouds, painting the heavens in a spectacular display of color. Against that backdrop, the black crow flew at an angle, its silhouette stark against the brilliance, its lonely cries fading with the wind.

There was a haunting poetry in the scene, a momentary calm after the storm.

William panted heavily, his chest heaving with exhaustion. His entire body was wracked with pain, and he could feel the warm stickiness of blood soaking through his clothes from the many wounds he'd sustained. But despite it all, a wave of relief washed over him. He had escaped. He was alive.

A sudden burst of laughter escaped his lips. It was wild, uncontrollable, and filled with the kind of joy that only comes from surviving a brush with death. His voice echoed across the quiet hills as he laughed, and then, when the euphoria passed, he began to bandage his wounds with shaking hands, feeling the sting of every cut and bruise.

Once his injuries were tended to, William lay back on the gentle slope of the hill, arms and legs sprawled out, staring up at the vibrant sky. The dead grass beneath him cushioned his aching body, and he let himself breathe deeply, feeling his strength slowly return. The exhaustion, both mental and physical, was overwhelming, but for now, he could rest.

But just as he was beginning to settle into the quiet, he heard footsteps approaching from behind the hill.

"Hey! What's going on? Why are you shouting so loudly?" a voice called out, getting closer.

William quickly sat up, instantly on guard. A figure came into view; a young man with short blond hair, looking startled as he laid eyes on William.

"Oh my god!" the man exclaimed, taking a step back.

William narrowed his eyes, sizing him up. The stranger looked like he could be a player, someone not entirely unfamiliar with the strange occurrences in these lands. The blond-haired man's eyes widened as he took in the sight of William sitting there, wrapped in bloodied bandages, his body covered in hideous wounds.

The silver-white spear next to him gleamed ominously in the fading light, its sharp blade still shining with a cold, dangerous glint.

"Dude... did you just see a bird with a terrifying cry?" the man asked, waving his hands dramatically to illustrate the size of the creature.

"That's a black crow," William replied flatly, his voice raspy with exhaustion.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, that's it!" the man said, excitement filling his voice. "I've been looking for it for two days!"

William gave him a tired look, his mind still buzzing from the recent battle. If only the man knew just how close he had come to the Black Crow King. But for now, all William could do was shake his head in disbelief at the unexpected encounter, while the sunset painted the world in a dazzling array of colors behind them.

William raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled. "Why are you looking for it?" he asked, genuinely curious.

The blond young man grinned. "To kill it and level up, of course!" he said enthusiastically, but then hesitated, noticing William's expression. "Oh... maybe you don't get it. I mean—"

"I understand perfectly," William interrupted, a strange look crossing his face. He knew exactly what the guy meant, though he doubted the man had any idea what he was really chasing.

The blond youth sighed in relief. "Great! I'm glad you understand. So, the black crow... it sounds terrifying, but it's probably one of those monsters that's more bark than bite, right?"

William scratched his cheek, trying not to laugh. "Oh, definitely. Very easy to kill," he said with a straight face, thinking back to the relentless, monstrous Black Crow King that had nearly torn him apart.

"Thank God," the blond youth said, visibly relaxing. "That screech it made was terrifying! I thought I was about to face one of those crazy difficult soul-system monsters. You know, the ones that are a nightmare to fight."

William nodded, now fully understanding the situation. The guy had been drawn here by the Black Crow King's cry; completely unaware of what he was getting into. That bird's scream wasn't just noise; it was a mental attack meant to strike fear into anyone who heard it. A deterrent skill designed to keep threats at bay.

"Little Red Riding Hood also has that kind of ability," William thought to himself, "but the Black Crow King's version... it's on a whole different level of oppressive."

The blond youth interrupted his thoughts, still animated. "Hey, brother, did you see where that black crow flew off to? If we could just find Crow Ridge, I'm sure I could take it down."

William studied the young man. His clothes; rough linen, fraying at the edges, marked him as a beginner. Everything about his outfit screamed "new player." He looked like someone who had barely scratched the surface of the game's dangers.

"Crow Ridge is a hundred miles from here," William said, wondering how someone so unprepared had ended up in the same place as the Black Crow King. "If you were aiming for Crow Ridge to level up, what are you doing all the way out here?"

He pulled up the game's map interface, confirming his suspicions. [Map Tip: You have arrived at the edge of the Black Forest.] William blinked. 'How did he end up here by mistake?'

The blond man scratched his head, embarrassed. "I just followed what that scarecrow in Moonlight Village told me! He said to walk east, so I did... and now I'm here. I think I got turned around."

William mentally mapped out the surrounding areas. Moonlight Village, Crow Ridge, and the Black Forest formed a rough triangle. Somehow, this guy had wandered completely off course and ended up on the opposite side of the map.

He couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. "How do you get that lost?" William thought, shaking his head.

It was finally clear; this guy had to be the second beta player from Moonlight Village. And judging by his confused demeanor, he was about as reliable as a broken compass.

"Damn it!" the blond youth muttered, stomping his foot in frustration. "I knew I was lost! This game's environment is so unfriendly! No markers, no clues. How are we supposed to find anything?"

William sighed, sympathetic. The game didn't mark players' locations on the map, and if you got lost, there wasn't much you could do but wander until you figured it out. "Yeah, this game is brutal," William agreed, remembering his own struggle. "No balance at all. I killed a few monsters, and suddenly the big boss that no player should be facing at this stage comes crashing down on me."

The blond man nodded absentmindedly, but then his eyes widened in shock, as if a realization had just hit him. His mouth dropped open. "Wait... are you a player too?!"

William rolled his eyes. "What do you think?" he replied dryly. How could this guy have been in the game for over a week and still not understand what was going on? The idea of this being a solo experience had clearly gotten stuck in his head.

William had no patience left for a conversation that was going nowhere. As his body began to feel a little stronger, he stood up, stretching his sore limbs. Without another word, he started walking away, leaving the blond man standing there, still looking stunned.

"Good luck finding Crow Ridge," William muttered under his breath, knowing full well the guy had no idea what he was truly asking for.

The blond young man, still recovering from his confusion about the game's world, finally caught up to William, his face lighting up with a mix of awe and excitement. He could tell from William's fierce aura that he wasn't someone to be trifled with. Everything about him screamed "veteran player," the kind of person with experience carved from countless battles.

"Hey! My name's Cat Car," the young man introduced himself, struggling to keep pace with William's determined stride.

William barely glanced over his shoulder, replying flatly, "The breeze blows over the hills."

Cat Car hurried alongside him, not willing to let this chance encounter slip away. "So, uh… how do I get to Crow Ridge? I want to go back and kill that black crow from earlier."

William shot him a sidelong glance, his expression unreadable. "That 'black crow' is called the Black Crow King."

"The Black Crow King?" Cat Car blinked, clearly intrigued. "So it's like the boss of the Black Crows, right? What level is it? Easy to kill?"

William stopped in his tracks for a moment, turning to look at Cat Car. The ignorance radiating from him was almost painful. 'Easy to kill?' Did this guy have any idea what he was talking about? William had barely escaped with his life, and here was this newcomer, completely oblivious.

A wry smile crept across William's face. "When that thing appears in front of you, trust me, you won't even have the chance to blink before it wipes you out."

Cat Car frowned. "It's 'that' strong? I guess I'd die a bunch of times before I could even think about killing it…"

"It wouldn't help," William said flatly. "Even if you throw in a bunch of low-level players, they'd get shredded. You need better gear and levels first. No way around it."

Cat Car sighed dramatically. "Man, the monsters here are brutal. Especially the main quest ones! I thought I was on my way to Crow Ridge, but the game said I was in the Black Forest. So I just went with it, thinking it was part of the main quest."

William halted mid-step, suddenly paying more attention. He turned to face Cat Car, one eyebrow raised. "Wait. You went into the Black Forest?"

"Yeah." Cat Car pointed toward the vast, dark woods that loomed in the distance. "That place looks dead. Creepy as hell. I walked in, and after a while, the game notified me I'd encountered something called the 'Earth's Wound.' Then, I just... died. Like, instantly."

William couldn't help but chuckle. "So, you're one of those players who doesn't care about dying, huh?"

Cat Car grinned, completely missing the underlying meaning in William's tone. "Isn't everyone like that? We respawn, no big deal."

William nodded, though something about this player was starting to itch at the back of his mind. "Sure, that's true. But aren't you worried about the death penalty?"

Cat Car's grin faltered, and confusion clouded his features. "Wait… there's a death penalty?"

William stopped walking altogether, narrowing his eyes. He turned fully to face Cat Car, studying him carefully. Most players, after dying, would show signs of it. The death penalty was harsh; cutting a third of the player's spirit value and draining their physical and energy reserves. For low-level players, it was bad enough, but for higher-level ones, it was downright crippling.

Yet, Cat Car didn't show any sign of weakness. No sluggishness, no hint of reduced stats. Nothing.

What was going on?

William's mind raced. 'Was he contaminated?' He suddenly remembered Little Bob's diary, the way his memories had been distorted by some unseen force. Could Cat Car be experiencing something similar? Or worse… could he no longer be fully human?

William's grip tightened around his spear. The unease was unmistakable now, gnawing at the edge of his instincts. Was this player even a player anymore? Or had something more sinister taken hold?

The change in William's posture didn't go unnoticed. His face, though still youthful, had taken on a fierceness that sent an unmistakable signal. The air around him grew tense, and Cat Car felt it; an invisible pressure that seemed to crush the very breath from his lungs.

Cat Car's eyes widened in alarm. 'Did I say something wrong?' he wondered, swallowing nervously. Why did it suddenly feel like they were about to fight? The tension between them was thick enough to cut through with a blade.

"Isn't the whole point of being a player to resurrect?" Cat Car asked, his voice wavering slightly. "We respawn with all our attributes restored to full, right?"

William's voice was cold, his eyes narrowing. "Only once a day."

The unspoken threat hung in the air, and Cat Car realized just how close he was to stepping into something far more dangerous than he'd expected.