My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 465: Chapter 467: A Stride To The Abyss

The oppressive darkness didn’t seem like much to Damon—one of the perks of being able to see in the dark.

That said, in the world of Aetherus, being able to see in the dark might as well be a curse. Especially in places like the death zones... where you weren’t meant to see certain things at all.

When his party had traveled through the Duhu Mountains, Damon had seen many horrible things in that darkness.

He acted like he didn’t. He had to. But he still saw them.

But every time he noticed something... they would turn to look in his direction. As if sensing that he had seen them. So, like the old rule stated—

If you see something? No, you didn’t.

He wasn’t sure what kind of entities lurked in this darkness, but with his luck, something had to be here.

Something definitely would be... he could feel it in his gut.

Still, Damon decided to take a look at his new skill before diving deeper. He wanted to be sure it was what he thought it was.

By now, he could already tell what most skills did just by feeling them out... but still.

”Let’s stop before we cross that door,” he said.

Lilith had been about to move forward but paused, watching him bring up his stat window.

Right... he got a new skill for killing Chrome. She had almost forgotten with all the fires they had been putting out.

She stood beside him, peering at the system panel he so generously let her see.

[Shadow Stride]

Each stride took him further from home. Each flap of his wings reminded him of their betrayal. He could stay no longer. He could not forgive them for what he had done. He could not forgive himself.

When he finally found the abyss, the Weeping Star stared into its darkness... broken and betrayed.

He spoke these words to comfort a heart torn by agony.

”We are not asked to be born; we are forced to exist.

Today was a horrible day; tomorrow will be worse.

In the end, it will all come to pass.

All things fade.

Memories perish with time—the greatest destroyer.”

On that vile day, he took a single stride into the abyss...

And when he emerged, he had become the one true Unknown God.

[Effect]

A single stride allows you to teleport through shadows, as vast as the distance you can sense, as far as your energy can carry you.

[Type]

Active

[Cooldown]

0 seconds

Damon was quiet for a moment. Not even the oppressive darkness ahead could stir him. The mystery of the Unknown God remained unsolved.

One thing was clear—he had once been the Weeping Star. That’s why the poem said the Weeping Star came first...

And then there was the abyss.

”More importantly... the Unknown God left his home, the Crystal Palace, because he had done something,” Damon muttered.

Lilith held her chin thoughtfully.

”He couldn’t forgive them for what he did... but if he was the one who did something, why did it say they betrayed him?”

Damon shrugged. ”I don’t have a clue. But I do know this—he yearns for his home. And his home... it still waits for him. But he can’t return.”

He saw that in the description for the armor of shattered ice.

None of it made sense. The Unknown God was supposedly the one who gave all things their names. And yet, there were creatures that predated him. Entities far older than even his existence.

He was the progeny of the Vile Thief. Timeline-wise, the Vile Thief stole from the True Beings... then built the Crystal Palace... where the Weeping Star was born.

”Ahhh...” Damon shook his head. ”I’m not dealing with this shit. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this.”

Lilith gave him a look. ”This is in the domain of gods. Expect a perfectly unreasonable explanation instead.”

Damon sighed. ”The Unknown God was called the Origin of Origins... and the End of Ends. It’s possible he existed before he was even born. How’s that for an unreasonable explanation? You hear how that sounds? Why don’t you tell me how that sounds?”

Lilith wore an exasperated expression. ”Ridiculous. Is that the answer you wanted?”

”Exactly,” Damon groaned.

She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she frowned.

”That actually makes sense... I mean, if the abyss existed before him—and the abyss is an extension of him—wouldn’t that mean he predated himself?”

Damon glanced at her, pursing his lips.

”I think you might need the mental health quartermaster. But seeing as I’m the one insane enough to try explaining gods with mortal rules... I apologize. That does make sense.”

Lilith wasn’t even sure if she was making sense anymore. She glanced back at the darkness—there was no movement.

Which was good.

Movement was a bad sign.

Damon’s new skill was indeed handy. Unlike Shadow Movement, which let him move within connecting shadows, this allowed him to link non-physical shadows—a teleportation ability.

”Which means with a single step... I can cross vast distances.”

Of course, he didn’t forget the cost. Shadow energy.

But his pool was deeper now. Richer. He could go longer without feeling the hunger gnawing at him.

He took a step into his shadow—and vanished.

When he appeared again, he was in another corner of the lab. The movement was instantaneous. His body drifted through the shadow-space and emerged through another.

He tried it again, grinning as the sensation of teleportation hit him. Smooth. Cold. Fluid.

The greater the distance, the more energy it took. But it didn’t matter.

With this skill... who could ever catch him?

He smiled to himself.

Lilith, however, seemed less amused.

She stood with one hand on her hip, a deadpan expression painted across her face.

”If you’re done playing around with your new power, can we go? We don’t have all day, you know.”

He smirked. ”Is that jealousy I hear, Miss Priestess?”

She scoffed, turning toward the yawning void of darkness ahead. ”It’s all in your head.”