My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

The world was engulfed in flames.

Damon could not breathe. He could not see the sun. All he saw were the vast wings of Ashergon stretching across the entire sky. Those wings brought fire with them. His voice rolled like thunder, and every movement smothered the hearts of men as though they were nothing more than mice beneath his shadow.

They were indeed mice before the might of Ashergon.

None could resist the fear of seeing a great dragon.

Then his maw opened.

Flames poured downward, illuminating the world and banishing the shadows Damon had called upon. His domain was forcefully canceled, and the white glare from the sheer volume of dragon fire made it seem as though the sun itself had fallen from the sky.

But it was not the sun.

It was dragon flames.

Runes lit up across the battlefield. Anti dragon ballistas fired in unison. Projectiles filled the sky. Damon was sent flying by a violent gust of wind from a single flap of Ashergon’s wings. From the headquarters, several powerful figures launched themselves into the air to face the dragon head on.

Vast astral winds tossed Damon through the air. He twisted mid flight, forcing his body to stabilize before he crashed. The earth below was being torn up by winds and spatial currents. Weaker troops were ripped apart instantly, turning into clouds of blood mist.

The lucky ones died quickly.

Those in the seventh class rose to meet the dragon, tearing through the sky as they tried to repel him.

Damon did not care about them.

He was worried about one thing.

“Evangeline!” he shouted over the ashen world.

He stumbled forward through smoke and falling debris.

“Leona! Where are you!”

He was not sure if the runes protecting them from the Whispering Forest were still active after that wave of flames, but he was too worried to think about it.

He ran through the ash, eyes scanning desperately, knowing his plan would be far harder to pull off in this haze.

Then he saw a bright flash of light from where the earth had been overturned.

“I’m over here!” Evangeline’s voice cut through the chaos.

Damon turned sharply and ran toward it.

Evangeline stood beside a beast kin girl with streaks of lightning dancing across her armor.

They were both alive.

Worse for wear, but alive.

Evangeline had a head injury that was slowly knitting itself back together under her healing ability. The fact that it had not healed instantly told Damon how severe it had been.

He stopped in front of them, bent slightly forward with his hands on his knees for a brief moment, catching his breath before looking up at the sky.

“Ashergon is here. I have a plan to capture him alive. No, I have a way to seal him.”

Evangeline nodded, her expression serious.

“How can we help?”

He glanced at Leona.

She sighed.

“The fact that you need to ask hurts my feelings. I’m only bummed we won’t get to eat the dragon after.”

Damon chuckled despite the destruction around them and clenched his fist.

“Alright. Let’s do this. The plan is…”

…

The haze from Ashergon’s flames mixed with the forest smoke and created a rain of falling ash. Visibility dropped further. Ashergon’s shadow on the ground was almost impossible to track through the haze.

And Damon needed that shadow.

He needed to lure Ashergon away from the ash filled sky and into a region where the forest was still intact and bright.

But how was he going to do that without dying?

He had not figured that out.

He glanced up at the sky being ripped apart like paper as those in the seventh class were forced to retreat again and again.

“How do I lure him out,” he muttered.

He was not about to rush head first into certain death. The battle in the sky was happening at such speed that even with Ashergon’s massive size, the dragon moved at hypersonic speeds.

“I know a way you can lure him out,” Ashcroft’s voice echoed with suspicious confidence.

“Why are you talking like that,” Damon snapped in his mind.

“Calm down, fool. Don’t you know there is a way to lure the dragon toward you.”

There was a pause.

“A long time ago I once tried to make Ashergon my mount. Clearly he must still hold a grudge.”

Damon blinked slowly as ash fell around him.

“Wait. Are you saying I should do something that would anger the dragon and make him hyper focused on me and me alone.”

“Yes,” Ashcroft replied flatly.

Damon exhaled.

“Hmm. I see. How do I survive then.”

“You don’t. Or maybe you might.”

Damon sighed.

Then he stepped forward and teleported several kilometers away.

He reappeared overlooking the battlefield, where the dragon could be seen for miles.

Damon stood at the top of a giant tree, hundreds of meters above the ground, the wind howling around him.

“This better work,” he muttered.

He raised his hand toward Ashergon.

[Mind Dominate]

Damon’s tyrannical will spread through the air like an invisible blade as he reached toward the dragon’s mind.

The moment his will brushed against Ashergon’s consciousness, furious flames erupted and burned the connection apart.

But Ashergon sensed him.

The dragon stopped mid battle and slowly turned his head toward Damon’s direction.

Damon felt as though a mountain had been placed on his chest. His spirit trembled on the edge of being crushed completely, but his face remained calm and indifferent.

Ashergon had once faced Ashcroft when the demon lord was still alive. He had been defeated and forced to flee.

Damon was certain the dragon still carried the poison of that shame.

If he used Demon Dominate now, Ashergon would ignore everyone and focus solely on him.

The dragon’s gaze was terrifying.

The smell of fear filled the air.

Then Ashergon’s maw slowly opened.

His entire body trembled. His scales bristled.

Damon could tell.

He was angry.

Damon pulled out a black book.

The Book of Shadows.

He steadied himself, ready to proceed with his plan.

Then something unexpected happened.

Ashergon suddenly turned around with all his might.

And fled.

He did not flee in rage.

He fled in fear.

When his dragon eyes had locked onto Damon, all he had seen was the memory of the demon who once stood on top of his head.

That ancient fear overpowered everything else.

The great dragon did not even attempt to fight.

Damon’s mouth fell open slightly as Ashergon roared while retreating.

“Be far from me, you evil fiend!”

There was a long moment of silence.

Then confusion.

Damon slowly asked in his mind.

“Ehrm… what did you do to him, Ashcroft.”