Lord Of The Lost

The Forum Master's fingers flew across the keyboard as he shared more of the notebook's contents.

"According to these notes, if the Count successfully adapts to the 'Shadow' path, he'll slowly gain the potential to approach the true path of 'Darkness' over time."

He paused, then added grimly, "But the Count… he went mad."

"Did the ritual fail?" William typed, watching the conversation unfold.

"No," Forum Master replied, "the ritual itself succeeded. But tampering with a path that isn't your own is like drinking poison. Even gods can't digest extraordinary properties from unrelated paths. Losing control and falling into madness is almost inevitable."

The Forum Master continued, explaining further. "The 'Vampire Clan' and 'Shadow' paths aren't naturally connected. The idea that 'the Vampire Clan is part of the dark world' is more of a myth spread by common folk. In reality, there's no real link between them."

The Gambler chimed in, "So, it's like trying to combine 'Priest' and 'Warrior' paths? Practically impossible?"

"Exactly," Forum Master responded. "Though, to be fair, shifting from 'Vampire Clan' to 'Shadow' is slightly more feasible than combining Priest and Warrior. But it still requires a gradual transformation, one that takes time, and is riddled with the risk of permanent loss of control."

As a result of the Count's attempt to merge with Shadow, a dense, dark cloud hung permanently over Shadow Castle, casting its eerie shadow across the entire area. The black magicians stationed there were tasked with helping the Count adapt, working tirelessly to prevent his mind from unraveling completely.

Meanwhile, the Black Forest was stirring. According to the notes, on the last full moon, the forbidden power buried deep within the forest began to pulse, sending ripples outward. It was as if something ancient and terrible was trying to break free.

The Forum Master continued, "The notebook mentions a crucial decision made by the leader of Skull Valley in response to this fluctuation. Something risky."

He paused before sharing a line from the notebook, written in a feverish script: "Then, the legendary knight rose from his grave."

The group was silent, sensing the gravity of this moment in the notebook.

"It seems the forbidden power in the Black Forest is reviving. And with it, the Count is on the verge of transforming into a true shadow being."

The Forum Master's next message had a strange, almost defiant energy to it. "The black magicians believe that this proves their path is correct. That the research they've conducted, the risks they've taken, weren't in vain."

Lines from the notebook appeared on the screen:

"Magic is meant to be the supreme force, above all gods!"

"The gods fear those who would ascend through magic, and so they've conspired to stifle magic's potential!"

"The path to godhood through magic has been hidden, even from the Magic Queen herself, the Scourge. Even she couldn't reach divinity!"

"But we will show the gods that their era is ending!"

"I declare a new age is upon us!"

The Forum Master's typing halted, and then he added, "The last line trails off. It reads, 'Wait, I hear thunder… it sounds strange… I'll step outside and return to write more…'"

He paused. "And that's where the notes end. Until now, when it fell into my hands."

The Gambler whistled. "So that's it. This book was full of secrets and madness."

"There's more," Forum Master typed, "It also mentions dealings with werewolves and thieves, but only briefly. The black magicians agreed to let the werewolves pass through the border town in exchange for their help in clearing out the Black Forest's gatekeepers."

"Gatekeepers?" William asked.

"Yes. Apparently, the Black Forest had guardians in place, likely to protect whatever lay dormant within. The werewolves were hired to remove these obstacles. Meanwhile, the thieves caught wind of the rumors surrounding the Black Forest and came seeking their own share of the power."

Metatron chimed in, "So the thieves struck a deal with the black magicians as well?"

Forum Master confirmed, "Yes. The leader of the thieves actually traveled to Skull Valley to negotiate. And, to no one's surprise, the black magicians agreed. They wanted any resource they could muster to further their agenda."

The Gambler scratched his head. "Why would the black magicians go through all this in secret? With werewolves and thieves on their side, they could've stormed the border town by now."

Metatron responded thoughtfully, "I think it's not the Black Forest's forbidden power they fear… it's the kingdom itself."

Forum Master agreed. "Exactly. The notebook has a cryptic paragraph at the end. It reads, 'There are signs the blizzard is moving. The biting cold wind hasn't reached Shadow Castle yet, but we must remain vigilant. We'll stay hidden until our plans are complete.'"

William's eyes narrowed as he processed the implications. "They're hiding from something bigger."

Forum Master nodded. "It seems so. They're not just afraid of the forest's forbidden power; they fear retaliation from the kingdom itself. Perhaps they know that if the kingdom discovers the nature of their research, it won't end well for them."

The group sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the revelations settling in. Shadow Castle wasn't merely a place haunted by dark forces; it was the epicenter of a grand, dangerous experiment, a breeding ground for forbidden ambitions and reckless power struggles. And now they knew the truth.

They had ventured into a place steeped in darkness, where ancient powers collided, and where even the gods seemed to have something to fear. And beyond the shadowed walls of the castle, the Black Forest pulsed with life, whispering promises of godhood and echoing with the ambitions of those willing to defy both man and deity alike.

"Looks like we've stepped into something bigger than we ever imagined," William finally said, breaking the silence.

Gambler gave a low chuckle. "Well, no turning back now. We're in this… let's see where it takes us."

The Forum Master continued his explanation, shedding light on what the term "blizzard" really meant in this context.

"The 'blizzard' refers to Snowstorm City," he explained. "It's the kingdom's fortress city, stationed at the border to guard against any unusual threats. The black magicians understand that if they stir up too much trouble, they'll draw the attention of the knights stationed there, the Blizzard Knights."

William and the others considered this new information carefully. Snowstorm City was a mystery to them; they hadn't ventured that far, nor did they know the full extent of its defenses.

"Metatron," William asked, "didn't you try observing Snowstorm City with your [God's Perspective] ability?"

Metatron nodded. "I did, many times. But each time, it was as if I was peering through a broken lens. When I use my ability, I usually get glimpses of a future, an idea of what lies ahead. But with Snowstorm City, all I could see was myself heading there, and then somehow returning to Border Town. No events in between; just a void, like the entire journey was erased from view."

William frowned, absorbing this. "[God's Perspective] even worked in Shadow Castle, right? You found ways to dodge fights and sneak around. But with Snowstorm City…nothing?"

"Exactly," Metatron replied. "It's as if the future there is locked. No visions of fights, no encounters, not even a warning. Just blank. All I know is that Blizzard Fortress is constantly shrouded in snow. But no one seems to question that, maybe because the extraordinary presence there is so powerful it distorts any attempt to predict or observe it."

The Forum Master spoke up, "I'll discuss this with the mayor of Border Town. Perhaps he can provide some insight into what we're dealing with."

William nodded, then asked, "By the way, Forum Master, have you managed to identify anything specific about the shadow creatures we've encountered?"

The Forum Master replied, "When I first encountered that forbidden entity, I tried to analyze it. I learned that its origins were tied to the castle. The creature used to be the maid or servant of the Count; contaminated in life, she was transformed into something similar to a vampire. But at some point, another force corrupted her further. I couldn't identify what this second force was; I didn't have the time or resources back then."

He leaned forward, his tone serious. "One thing is clear: these creatures have no rational mind left. They're driven purely by instinct, a mindless madness."

William took this in, a new understanding forming. "So it's the mix of two opposing forces that drives them insane. It's like they were biologically reprogrammed twice. First, turned into something close to a vampire, and then tainted by shadow. Combining those traits must've twisted them into monstrous forms."

The Forum Master nodded. "Exactly. Imagine taking a normal human and injecting them with vampire genes, and then, before that transformation is complete, you inject them again, this time with shadow genes. The result would be something unstable, a body and mind pushed past their limits. They'd become a monster."

William thought of a more familiar example. "It's like Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man because he was bitten by a spider… but imagine if he had another set of extraordinary traits before that bite. He wouldn't be Spider-Man; he'd be something else entirely, something uncontrollable."

The Forum Master agreed, "Yes, and that's the key. When two extraordinary paths collide in a single person, madness is inevitable. No one can walk two paths at once without losing themselves."

The Forum Master's words resonated with William. He realized there was an essential rule to these supernatural paths; each person could only truly follow one path in their lifetime. Each path had unique extraordinary characteristics that defined it.

The Forum Master elaborated, "Every path has its own unique traits. For example, take the thief's path. The three core abilities for a thief are: exploiting others' weaknesses, evading capture, and killing with precision. These characteristics define the essence of the thief. They make it unique, something that requires total dedication."

He paused, letting the group absorb this. "Each path is designed to function independently. Trying to incorporate traits from two separate paths disrupts that purity. It's a delicate balance, and even a single deviation can destabilize the user."

"So if someone wanted to change paths," William said slowly, "they'd have to choose carefully, a path with real potential and a clear advantage."

The Forum Master nodded, "Yes, and even then, changing paths is incredibly dangerous. It takes time, patience, and a complete transformation. It's not something to be attempted lightly."

In the quiet that followed, they all grasped the gravity of the situation. The Count's descent into madness wasn't a simple case of greed or ambition gone wrong; it was the result of meddling with forces beyond his control, attempting to merge two incompatible paths. The creatures of Shadow Castle, once ordinary beings, had become horrifying examples of what happens when extraordinary powers clash in one soul.