My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 952: Chapter 953: Only Rats Flee

Damon scratched at the faint fog drifting across the distant sea, his expression calm and detached.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had been sufficiently traumatized by the ocean.

These dark waters hid far too many things.

Though, for the moment, the sea was no longer dark. The cursed depths had given way to clear blue water stretching endlessly beneath the sky.

They were now close to the shores of the Demon Continent.

The ship itself had been damaged in several places. The battle scars were obvious in the cracked planks and patched sails. Because of that, they had changed their original plan.

Instead of continuing deeper into dangerous waters, they had drifted slightly past where the Graveyard of Gods should have been.

It was risky.

The demons of the continent could potentially discover them at any time.

But it was still far better than sinking into those cursed waters.

Damon rubbed his forehead.

They had encountered the Bloody Mary not long after destroying the Eye of Morticai. The fight itself had not been particularly troublesome.

Unfortunately, Damon had been sprayed with its blood.

He still shuddered when he remembered that.

At least something good had come from it.

He had gained a new mastery.

A faint screen appeared before him.

—

HP: 24995/24995]

[Mana: 55,567/55,567]

[Strength: 31124]

[Agility: 23157]

[Speed: 33985]

[Endurance: 34210]

[Class: Black Death]

[Shadow: 1900]

[Shadow Hunger Levels: 0%]

[Shadow Level: 19]

[Condition: Shadow Is Full]

[Attributes: Umbral, Domination Fragment]

[Skills:]

[5x] [Remorseless] [Shadow Perception] [Water Celebration] [Sacrifice] [Shadow Control] [Parkour] [Shadow Armor] [Beholder’s Gaze] [Dead Eye] [Spirit Affinity] [Ashborn] [Omen Of Dread] [Dealer’s Hand] [Bloodletting] [Shadow Movement] [Shadow] [Faceless] [Danger Sense] [Shadow Storage] [Wave Walk] [Shadow Clone] [Blitz] [Flash Step] [Air Walk] [Appraisal] [Iron Bones] [Astral Projection] [Accel] [Terror Engine] [Vengeance] [Soul Tongue] [Eyes of Veracity] [Shadow Stride] [Soul Conduit] [Heart of Shadow] [Demon Dominate] [Shadow Seizer]

[Mastery:]

[Etiquette Lv3] [Swordsmanship Lv7] [Survival Lv10] [Persuasion Lv2] [Deception Lv3] [Bartering Lv2] [Theft Lv3] [Archery Lv5] [Trap Lv5] [Alchemy Lv1] [Dagger Arts Lv5] [Cooking Lv4] [Basic Magic Lv5] [Mana Control Lv7] [Magic Gatling Lv5] [Pain Resistance Lv6] [Mental Contamination Resistance Lv5] [Disintegration Resistance Lv3] [Sniper Lv5] [Rune Magic Lv3] [Insanity Lv4] [Fate Manipulation Resistance Lv2] [Ravenous LvMax] [Poison Resistance Lv6] [Elemental Resistance Lv3] [Petrification Resistance Lv5] [Magic Resistance Lv5] [Curse Resistance Lv2] [Pressure Resistance Lv2] [Corruption Resistance Lv5] [Aura Farming Lv4] [Charisma Lv9] [Tyranny Lv3] [Ragebaiting Lv9] [Shadow Manipulation Lv2] [pheromone resistance lv3] [Sailing lv3]

[Items:]

[Pale Crown Armor] [Broken Bonds] [Deep Quiver] [Silver Blades] [Staff of Carnage] [Sword of Nicolas] [Furnace of Frost] [Helm of Balero] [womb of healing] [Book Of Shadows] [Charms] [Potions] [Miscellaneous Items]

[Quest:]

[Path to Conflict]

—

Pheromone Resistance had been added to Damon’s ever growing list of resistances.

He honestly wasn’t sure if he should be proud of that.

The journey after that had been far from peaceful.

First the ship passed through the Narrow Sea.

Then they entered the Fog Sea.

That was when the real nightmare began.

The fog itself was alive.

It crept across the deck like something that could think. Creatures made entirely of mist lurked inside it, dragging away anyone careless or unlucky enough to wander too far from the others.

Several sailors had vanished that way.

And that wasn’t even the worst part.

When they finally escaped the Fog Sea, they encountered a Cloud Dragon.

The battle nearly destroyed the ship.

The dragon had only been at the Fifth Class of advancement, yet it had nearly wiped them out completely before retreating back into the clouds.

That fight reminded Damon of something important.

Dragons were terrifying.

At this point he honestly wondered why Deathless seemed so obsessed with throwing dragons at him.

Damon leaned against the ship’s railing and let out a tired laugh.

“I’m still alive. Hahaha…”

That alone was worth celebrating.

Above him, sea birds circled lazily in the sky.

That meant only one thing.

Land was close.

During this long voyage Damon had learned quite a lot.

One of his newest masteries was Sailing. He had learned how to navigate a ship, command a crew, and make difficult decisions while at sea.

If things went badly in the future, he could probably work in a navy.

Damon closed his eyes for a moment, letting the sea breeze wash over him.

The wind carried a distant sound.

A soft melody.

A song.

It drifted across the ocean like a whisper.

Damon’s eyes snapped open instantly.

A song?

His gaze swept across the empty sea.

Where did that come from?

Damon wasn’t imagining it.

The song drifting across the sea was real.

It was beautiful.

The melody floated through the air like a gentle tide, warm and inviting. It wrapped around the mind like a comforting memory of home. For a moment Damon felt his body relax, his thoughts growing slow and hazy as the sound pulled at something deep within him.

Then a rough voice cut through the spell.

“Aye. If that ain’t the voice of sirens.”

Damon glanced back.

The captain stood behind him at the wheel, arms crossed as he squinted toward the distant coastline.

“Beautiful voices,” the old sailor continued with a dry chuckle. “They drag a man into the depths all the same.”

He spat into the sea.

“Looks like we’ve truly made it to the shores of the Demon Continent.”

Damon turned his gaze forward again.

The massive landmass loomed ahead of them, dark mountains rising sharply from the coastline.

And there, scattered along the jagged rocks where the waves crashed against the cliffs, figures sat among the stone.

Women in flowing white garments.

They sat upon the rocks with their legs dangling above the water, their voices weaving together in haunting harmony.

Damon could see them moving, but even with his enhanced sight he couldn’t clearly make out their faces from this distance.

The expedition force was approaching one of the harshest sections of the coast.

Jagged cliffs.

Treacherous rocks.

Waters too dangerous for most ships to approach.

Which was exactly why they had chosen this route.

Any invading force would normally be forced to land on the beaches. Only there could armies maintain supply lines. Ships and airships were necessary to transport weapons, soldiers, and artillery for sustained assaults on the Demon Continent.

The demons knew this.

That was why their navy guarded those beaches fiercely.

This route avoided all of that.

Here the cliffs were steep and unforgiving.

No army would attempt to land here.

But that was exactly what made it perfect.

All they had to do was abandon the ship, climb the mountain, and step onto the continent from an angle no one expected.

And as if that wasn’t dangerous enough, the damn sirens were already welcoming them.

Seras walked up beside the captain, her cloak shifting in the sea wind.

“Your job here is done,” she said calmly. “You can either come with us and sink the ship… or turn around and risk being captured by the demon navy.”

The captain closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he smiled.

Around them the members of the expedition force were already preparing. Armor was tightened, weapons were checked, and packs were secured as they prepared for landfall.

The old sailor rested a hand against the ship’s railing.

“This ship belonged to my grandfather,” he said quietly. “Then it passed to my father. And now it’s mine.”

He looked out over the deck with fond eyes.

“She’s old… but she always gets the job done.”

He gave a small chuckle.

“When a ship sinks, the rats flee. But the captain sinks with her.”

The captain turned and bowed respectfully to Seras.

Then to Damon.

“It was my honor to contribute to the Goddess Race like this.”

Seras simply nodded.

Her gaze briefly shifted to Damon.

This was a secret mission.

The temple could never risk their involvement being exposed.

Which meant that once the expedition departed…

Everyone remaining on this ship would die.

The ship itself would be sunk.

That was why Seras had offered the captain a way out.

Damon closed his eyes for a moment as sailors began lowering the small boats that would carry the expedition toward the rocky shoreline.

Before stepping away, he paused beside the captain.

“You know what will happen, don’t you?” Damon asked quietly.

The captain smiled without hesitation.

“Then I’ll be a martyr of war.”

He straightened his coat and looked toward the distant cliffs.

“When you tell my story, tell the world we were killed by demons.”

His grin widened.

“But make sure you tell them we gave those bastards one hell of a fight.”

Damon raised his hand in a salute.

The captain returned it proudly.

This man had earned Damon’s respect.

He knew exactly what awaited him.

He would die here, killed not by the enemy but by his own allies.

And yet he accepted it without complaint.

Damon had never understood religious devotion.

It was obvious the goddess didn’t care.

Once upon a time that realization would have filled him with anger.

Now he simply smiled.

That was the problem.

People kept waiting for gods to fix the world for them.

But that was never how it worked.

This was the world of man.

If it became hell, it was because of humanity.

And if it ever became paradise…

It would only be because humanity chose to make it so.

Damon stepped onto the rope ladder and dropped down into the waiting boat below.