one man army

Velisara stood firm against the 50 shadow elves, their violet hair flowing like liquid night, their purple skin blending into the eerie crimson sky. They were called shadow elves for a reason—masters of darkness, their bodies fading into mist upon death. These creatures weren't ordinary foes; they hailed from high-class labyrinths, their strength categorized into low, intermediate, and high tiers. And here, every single one of them was high-tier.

Velisara had battled shadow elves before, but never this many at once. Worse, she wasn't just fighting for herself—Olivia was behind her, small and vulnerable. Retreat was not an option.

With a slow breath, she reached down and picked up a fallen tree branch. It was ordinary—weathered, almost weightless in her grip—but that changed the moment her golden eyes flared to life. A radiant aura enveloped the wood, its surface turning a brilliant yellow, pulsing with divine energy. In an instant, the branch was no longer a branch—it was a sword of pure holy light.

The lead shadow elf chuckled, his voice a mix of amusement and disdain.

"So, you wield the power of holy light? How quaint."

Velisara's grip tightened.

"I have faced beings far beyond your kind," she said, her voice steady, unwavering. "Compared to them, you're nothing."

With a swift swing, her light-clad weapon hummed through the air, its glow illuminating the darkened forest. The elves tensed, their shadows rippling in response. The battle was moments away from erupting—a mother standing alone, ready to protect her child against overwhelming odds.

At the same time, away from Velisara…

In front of Baldwin stretched an endless sea of monstrous creatures—an army so vast that he couldn't even begin to count their numbers. More poured in by the second, emerging from swirling teleportation circles like an unrelenting tide. Goblins, elves, werewolves, shadow knights, minotaurs, ogres, oni—beasts of all kinds stood assembled, their collective presence darkening the very air. Some bore an eerie resemblance to legendary beings, like Muxus, Goblin Grandee, and other powerful entities of their kind.

Yet, despite their overwhelming numbers, not a single one charged. They hesitated, watching him with wary, calculating eyes. Their instincts screamed that the boy before them was no ordinary child. The weight of an unspoken danger pressed down upon them, an oppressive force that made even the boldest creatures uneasy.

Baldwin stood at the center of it all, hands in his pockets, a smug grin playing on his lips. His gaze swept over the gathered horde, eyes gleaming with something between amusement and challenge.

"So… are you all just going to stand there? Or should I wait for the rest of your army to arrive?" he asked, his voice light, teasing—mocking. "I don't mind waiting. After all, I want to make something clear…"

Darkness coiled around him like living smoke, tendrils of shadow seeping from his body, thick and suffocating. His own shadow pulsed and writhed unnaturally, stretching as if it had a will of its own.

"…Even in my sealed state, I'm more than enough for all of you."

A heavy silence followed, the weight of his words sinking into the horde. Then, with a slow exhale, Baldwin tilted his head, cracking his neck.

"Let's make this fair," he continued, his grin widening. "No manak. No Demon King powers. No shadow magic."

The creatures stirred. Some sneered, others eased ever so slightly, mistaking his words for arrogance.

"But…" Baldwin's red eyes burned with an eerie glow.

"I will use one thing—my shadow ability."

Without a single word, Baldwin suddenly charged forward, his body vanishing in a blur of movement. He had already assessed the battlefield—among the countless creatures, the shadow elves were the most intelligent. So, he went for them first.

The shadow elf leader barely had time to react. His keen eyes struggled to track Baldwin's speed, his instincts screaming at the unnatural presence closing in on him. Desperate, he loosed an arrow, but it was too late. Baldwin had already moved behind him.

"Who… are you? You're—"

Before the leader could finish, Baldwin's blade of shadow sliced through him, severing his body cleanly in half. The other shadow elves immediately sprang into action, but before they could strike, they found themselves frozen in place, their own powers betraying them.

"You fools actually thought you could defeat *me* with shadow?" Baldwin scoffed.

With a flick of his fingers, the entire battalion of shadow elves dissolved into nothingness. He teleported instantly, appearing before the shadow werewolf leader, catching him off guard. With a single punch, Baldwin's fist sunk into the werewolf's body—not because of raw strength, but because the werewolf had already begun merging with Baldwin's shadow.

"Listen up." Baldwin's voice rang out, carrying an undeniable authority. "I wield *absolute* shadow control. No amount of shadow magic or abilities will ever work against me." His red eyes glowed menacingly. "I can absorb every attack you throw at me without so much as a scratch."

To prove his point, Baldwin raised his right hand. A massive ball of crackling lightning formed within his palm, illuminating the battlefield with blinding brilliance. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it toward the teleportation circle.

The explosion was catastrophic. The entire summoning circle shattered, its intricate runes disintegrating into the wind. The sheer force of the blast sent shockwaves across the battlefield, obliterating several monsters in its wake.

Baldwin casually returned his hands to his pockets.

At that moment, something strange happened. A thick, liquid-like shadow began dripping from him, pooling onto the ground beneath his feet. Within a blink, it spread—stretching outward like an endless tide of darkness. The battlefield trembled as the living shadows surged to life, rising from the earth like writhing tendrils, sharp as blades.

Baldwin took a step forward.

The army never had a chance.

One by one, the monstrous creatures were skewered, devoured, erased from existence. The shadow moved with terrifying precision, carving through everything in its path. No screams, no struggle—just complete annihilation.

Baldwin exhaled, glancing toward the distant eastern side of the forest. A smirk tugged at his lips.

"Sorry, Paul… looks like I need to head home first."

His eyes narrowed, locking onto something—or *someone*—far away.

"Found you," he murmured, his grin widening. "Enough playing hide and seek."