My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 310 - 311: Lilith Gets, No Free Time

The sunlight was gentle, casting a golden hue over the courtyard as the breeze rustled the trees, sending a few leaves drifting through the air like forgotten memories. It wouldʼve been serene—peaceful, even—if not for the occasional blasts of magic cutting through the stillness and the rhythmic sound of deep, exhausted breaths echoing from the training ground.

Lilith stood nearby, arms folded, her expression unreadably calm. This had become a part of her daily routine—watching the pink-haired girl train with single-minded focus.

Iris was relentless, devotedly following the rigorous regimen Damon had left behind for her before he disappeared for his end-of-semester evaluation.

Which, as it turned out, had gone disastrously wrong.

Damon and his party were now missing, vanished without a trace.

Normally, the academy wouldʼve feared the worst. But the enchanted bracelets they were all issued were still active, and stranger still, their partyʼs point tally continued to climb at an absurd rate with each passing day.

Proof they were alive.

Frustratingly, however, the academy had been unable to trace their location. After exhausting their own efforts, theyʼd petitioned the Temple for a diviner—only to be met with failure once more.

Lilith sighed just as a raven swooped down beside her, landing gracefully on the outstretched arm of the third girl present. She was pale, with soft white hair and sharp grey eyes. Her expression lit up at the ravenʼs arrival as she downed the contents of a small potion bottle in her other hand.

”Welcome back, Croft,” she said softly, smiling at the bird. ”Did you happen to find news of my brother?”

The raven gave a shake of its head—timidly, almost apologetically.

Luna chuckled lightly. ”Itʼs fine. Damon will come back. He always does.”

Iris, her chest rising and falling as she paused from her training, wiped sweat from her brow and turned toward her.

”You say that with so much certainty.”

Luna tilted her head, brushing strands of hair behind her ear. ”Of course I do. Heʼs not that easy to kill. Although... sometimes the trouble he finds himself in is completely his own fault.”

”How so?” Iris asked, frowning.

Lilith smirked. ”Because heʼs an egotistical maniac who doesnʼt know when to bow his damn head, even when heʼs completely outmatched.”

Luna nodded, almost cheerfully. ”Exactly what I wanted to say—but, you know, less cruel. Also, hey! How dare you say mean things about my brother before I did.”

Iris let out a small, tired sigh. ”So what? Thereʼs nothing wrong with having dignity. Self-respect shouldnʼt only exist when youʼre strong.”

She looked at them both, her tone growing firm. ”If you only have an ego when you have the strength to back it, isnʼt that just cowardice? But having pride when youʼre weak? Thatʼs something I can actually respect.”

Lilith and Luna glanced at each other… and then burst out laughing.

”Sheʼs just like my brother,” Luna said through her giggles. ”Birds of a feather really do flock together.”

Lilith grinned. ”I suppose youʼre not his apprentice for nothing. But—” she paused, her tone softening, ”sometimes, knowing when to lower your head is the wiser path. I just hope Damon learns that someday.”

Luna nodded slowly. ”Heʼs not a very likable person… but I like him.”

Iris scoffed playfully. ”Isnʼt that just because youʼre his sister?”

Luna gave a light smile. ”Fair enough.”

Lilith smiled at the sight before her—Luna, finally free from the Healing Institute. Not because she was cured, but because her condition had stabilized. The cost of that stability? Everything Damon had left behind. All twelve million zeni.

An average family in a prosperous empire like Valtheron could survive on about seventy-two thousand zeni a year, covering all their expenses. Lunaʼs medical bills were enough to bankrupt a noble household, yet her brother never once wavered.

ʼMagic circuit cancer is a chronic illness…ʼ

Lilith had contributed as well. Sheʼd spent a few million on experimental potions, cutting-edge drugs, and had even commissioned a custom-made elixir specifically tailored to Lunaʼs unique physiology. One vial cost several hundred thousand zeni, and Luna had to take them regularly, like clockwork. As for the formula? Lilith had invested close to fifty million just to secure it.

All the funds she had saved to prepare for potential war with the Temple were now gone.

ʼWith that much money, I couldʼve raised an army… Guess Iʼll have to make Damon pay me back… assuming heʼs still alive.ʼ

Her plans against the Temple were already in motion. Slowly but surely, she was closing in on the identity of the dark spirit summoner—she could feel the web tightening. Soon, they would be within her grasp.

And then there was her political strategy—seizing control of a small kingdom bordering the empire. A bold move, but calculated. She wanted Damonʼs input. His twisted perspective, his unpredictable genius… they were partners in crime, after all.

Her thoughts drifted as the two girls continued chatting nearby. There was so much on her plate now…

Thanks to Damon and his missing party, the academy had been thrown into political disarray. Damon mightʼve been a no-name commoner, but the rest of his group? High nobles, each with influence and power.

Their sudden disappearance—with no official explanation—had sparked outrage.

The academy had prepared for this, of course. Every student had signed a waiver acknowledging the possibility of death before the semester exams. But Damonʼs group had vanished before the exams began.

A legal grey area that the noble families were quick to exploit.

ʼThis is so troublesome.ʼ

She stood up.

Luna and Iris paused their conversation to look her way.

”Where are you going?” Luna asked.

Lilith turned with a small smile, her long red hair catching the wind as it fluttered behind her.

”Maybe you two forgot,” she said lightly, ”but Iʼm the student council president. Which means I have meetings to attend.”

Luna narrowed her eyes slightly. ”Is it about my brother?”

Lilith nodded. ”Who else would cause me this much trouble?”

Iris opened her mouth to speak, but Lilith cut her off before she could even try.

”Yes, yes, Iʼll tell you what itʼs about—so long as you promise to keep it a secret.”

And before either of them could respond, she vanished in a flicker of light, teleporting away and leaving the two younger girls behind.