My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 881: Chapter 882: A Full Time Job

The chains fell silent.

For a moment the chamber did not react, as if the tower itself refused to accept what had just happened. Then the glow in the hanging chains flickered, crimson dimming to a sickly rust, before shattering entirely. Metal clattered to the floor like dead serpents.

The High Prophet’s body twitched once.

Then it began to come apart.

Cracks of pale light spread from the point where Broken Bonds had pierced him, crawling across his chest, his throat, his face. His mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound came.

The disintegration did not consume him violently. Instead, a maw rose from the shadows and devoured him.

A fourth class powerhouse.

Erased.

The sword drank deep.

Damon stood there for several seconds, swaying slightly, blood still pouring from the ruin carved across his torso. His shadow peeled itself off the pillar and slid back beneath his feet, merging seamlessly, as if it had never left.

His shadow hunger dropped abruptly from the brink of ravenous back into something manageable.

Damon gasped as he took out a healing potion and slowly poured its contents over his wounds.

The pain gradually subsided as he healed, his flesh knitting together. He took a deep breath.

Well, that was a relief. If he had not been so careful and so lucky, he would have died right now.

He stood up and slowly began to walk toward the door leading to where he would find the elixir, his breathing heavy.

“Fourth class advancements are still so annoying to deal with.”

He walked through several doors until he reached a glowing door at the end. He stepped through it and found himself in a white room.

The floor consisted of massive pillars, spaced apart. To reach the other side, one would have to walk on top of them.

Damon did not hesitate. As soon as he placed his foot on a pillar, a wide path appeared over them.

“Illusion magic.”

He glanced forward and stepped onto the hidden path. Slowly, he began to walk toward the end of the room.

When he reached the elixir, he frowned.

There was blood on it.

The spinning contraption that held the fluid, which looked like sparkling gold, had been slightly stained.

Damon scoffed softly.

“Lilith, I know you’re here. I can smell gardenia in the air. And Sylvia too, I imagine.”

He turned around and found both of them standing in front of him.

Sylvia pouted slightly.

“So you knew Lilith was here, but not me.”

Damon smiled at the elf girl’s obvious jealousy.

“Of course not. I figured you’d be here.”

Sylvia glanced at Lilith.

“Why? Because of her god awful smell.”

Lilith clenched her fist.

“This is hardly the time to throw shade at me. Don’t let him manipulate you.”

Sylvia sighed and looked at Damon.

“Sorry Damon. Normally I’d let you have your way with me, but today isn’t a good day for me, okay.”

Damon grimaced slightly at how she put it.

“Can you not make it sound like I do terrible things to you. I may be dying, but I want to keep my reputation. I’d hate to be that guy everyone pisses on his grave.”

Sylvia narrowed her eyes. The gray irises turned cold in a way he had never seen before, at least not directed at him.

“So you’re breaking your promise then. The one you made to me at the academy.”

She bit her lip, lowering her head.

“You promised me the world.”

Damon felt a sting in his heart when he saw her expression, the sadness in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Sylvia. For not being able to keep my promise. I’m sorry for making light of your feelings. I’m sorry for using you too.”

“Besides, if I gave you the world, where is everyone else going to live?”

He lowered his head as a deep darkness settled in his heart. His seed of depravity stirred, growing slightly in his chest. A horn slowly pushed from his head, followed by another forming along his back. Burning pain surged as something tried to emerge.

Outside, the fighting continued. His shadow drones slaughtered the enemy, and with every death, resentment and souls were fed into his seed of depravity, nourishing it with despair and ruin.

“I don’t want your apology.”

Sylvia spoke without caring that she was witnessing the first case of true demonization in centuries, the birth of another great demon lord in the making.

All she saw was Damon, looking as depressed as he had been the first time she bumped into him in that library.

“I just want you to live. That’s all I’m asking. It’s fine, okay. It’s fine if you like other women. I can learn to stand them. So please.”

Damon wore a warm, almost gentle smile as Sylvia pleaded with him not to end his life.

He glanced at Lilith, who had not spoken. She wore the expression she always had when mentally preparing for something big.

“What about you? Not going to say anything to me. This might be your last chance.”

Lilith chuckled.

“Loving you is a full time job with very little benefits. Poor girl. She just hasn’t realized that yet. She tries to act cold, but she’s naive.”

Her aura flared slowly.

“I’ve been here before. In all previous timelines, I thought I could make a madman see reason.”

She paused.

“I was so wrong.”

Damon sat down beside the elixir, a thin smile on his face.

“Oh. I see.”

He reached up and removed his crown. The artifact that kept him sane, or at least partially sane. Beneath it, he was still a madman.

But today, the voices in his head were quieter. They only watched.

Damon took a deep breath.

“I wanted to be my truest self when I said this. I was going to write a letter, but you both have good memories.”

He cleared his throat dramatically, madness burning in his eyes.

“To everyone I love. You’d be better off.”

He looked at them.

“That’s all you need to tell them. Take the elixir and give it to my sick sister. Tell her to remember me occasionally, and tell her to move in with my grandfather.”

He glanced at Lilith.

“Stay a virgin forever, okay. If you marry someone, I’ll haunt you.”

She scoffed, then laughed to match his madness.

“Fine. After this, I’ll give my chastity to you. Think of it as an apology for what’s coming next.”

Damon raised his eyebrows as he unfurled the Spear of Death Mutuwa from his back.

Before he could stab himself, Sylvia fired arrows. Lilith teleported and kicked the spear away. It clattered onto a distant pillar.

Damon raised his head, madness burning openly now.

He was calm.

Cold.

“I hope you know the two of you can’t take me in a fight anymore.”

Lilith’s green eyes flashed.

“Try me.”