My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Damon wasn’t crazy, it wasn’t like this was the first time.

When he had gone to the snake temple in the Demon Continent he had also found fragments of Ashcroft. Some had been stolen from the temple while others had been accumulated by the demon races over countless years.

However when he devoured those fragments Ashcroft’s voice had suddenly appeared inside his head and obviously he had wanted to take over Damon’s body.

Again.

In fact realistically speaking Damon had never truly been a match for Ashcroft when they first met. Even when Ashcroft was trapped inside the body of a goblin Damon had only survived because Ashcroft had not been trying to kill him.

If he had been serious Damon would have died.

And that was when Ashcroft was trapped inside a weak body.

What about if he had a perfect vessel.

Damon would stand no chance.

Or worse.

What if Ashcroft simply took Damon’s own body for himself.

Damon wanted to devour the fragments but it was genuinely insane to do so.

Even so he weighed the risks.

Then he glanced at the fragments, biting his lips before suddenly smiling.

”There’s no rule that says I have to devour them all at once.”

Then he turned toward his shadow.

”Ghost.”

He called out softly.

”Take that blood-filled horn back to the tomb.”

A shadow in the shape of an elf slowly rose from behind him, carrying with it the scent of frost and winter.

It stepped forward silently, picked up Ashcroft’s horn and then turned around before vanishing once more into the darkness.

Ashcroft scoffed inside Damon’s head.

”I feel heartbroken. You really can’t trust me... but you’re also greedy for power. Don’t you think it’s a little arrogant of you to assume you can devour six weaker fragments while leaving the final one untouched.”

”You do realize you are putting the cart before the horse. If you devour these fragments first then the last one will only develop an even stronger will.”

It sounded like genuine concern.

The words almost sounded like they came from someone who cared.

But Damon wasn’t stupid.

Although Ashcroft was technically correct Damon had no intention of devouring the final fragment immediately.

First he would spend the coming years absorbing its energy slowly, refining it, making it his own.

Then eventually he would devour it and reach the Seventh Class.

But for now his goal was simple.

Reach the peak of the Sixth Class.

He took a deep breath.

Then he spread his shadow outward.

It moved like a river of ink flowing across the ground until it reached the fragments.

The darkness slowly engulfed them.

One by one they began sinking into the shadows.

And then...

Nothing happened.

Damon didn’t even hear a system notification.

”Huh false ala—”

His veins suddenly bulged violently.

His entire body locked.

He dropped to his knees.

He couldn’t move.

His muscles convulsed uncontrollably as pain erupted throughout his entire body.

He heard a system chime.

But before he could register what it said the world around him changed.

Suddenly Damon found himself standing in a world of endless shadows.

He turned slowly.

Darkness stretched farther than his eyes could see in every direction.

This was his domain.

Yet somehow he instinctively knew this was his mental landscape.

Then he turned around.

And saw someone sitting high above him upon a lofty throne.

The throne itself had been built from the bones of countless defeated foes and seemed to be the only true object existing within this endless sea of darkness.

”Well well well.”

Ashcroft spoke.

This was his true form.

Or perhaps simply the way he perceived himself.

He slowly cracked his neck while staring down at Damon.

Far away somewhere inside the Holy City Damon’s real body had also stopped moving completely.

He stood frozen in place with a hollow vacant expression.

Evangeline noticed immediately.

Since she had remained close to him she quickly raised her hand and formed a barrier around his body.

”Damon... Damon!!”

She called out urgently but he did not respond.

Instead his body began convulsing violently.

Back within the mental landscape Damon stared at Ashcroft and sneered.

”Alright let’s get this over with.”

He rolled his shoulders.

”This is the part where we fight for dominion over my body.”

Ashcroft smiled.

Then slowly stood from his throne.

He walked toward Damon with measured steps.

Then casually raised his hand.

”Get out.”

That was all he said.

Suddenly Damon found himself staring upward.

He was back.

Evangeline was crouched beside him, cradling his head against her chest while trying to listen for his heartbeat, her expression filled with worry.

”What are you doing to me.”

He asked in confusion.

Her eyes widened immediately.

Then she suddenly realized the awkward position they were in.

”Son of a—”

She immediately shoved him away.

”Don’t scare me like that. I thought you got hit by some unknown curse.”

Damon scoffed while rubbing his head.

”Don’t worry. I have resistance.”

But more than anything he was confused.

Ashcroft’s behavior made no sense.

”What was that about.”

He had fully prepared himself for a battle of wills.

A clash for dominance.

A struggle over ownership of his body.

And then...

Nothing.

Damon slowly stood up.

But immediately he sensed something had changed.

Something about his body felt fundamentally different.

He was stronger.

Far stronger.

He could feel himself standing near something abstract.

A law.

A concept woven into the structure of the world itself.

He could feel it.

Almost touch it.

It felt as though if he reached out hard enough he could tear reality apart like paper.

Acting purely on instinct he reached his hand forward.

Then pinched.

When he pulled his fingers back he saw the space directly in front of him distort.

Reality bent inward as though the world itself were fabric being tugged by invisible hands.

But after only a second it slipped free and returned to normal.

The peak of the Sixth Class.

But that wasn’t all.

His system panel appeared before him.

His stats had risen dramatically.

And...

His class had not changed.

Yet somehow it had advanced.

His class God Fiend now had three stars floating before its name.

Then the notifications began appearing.

One after another.

[You have gained Time Dominate]

[You have gained Soul Dominate]

[You have gained Flame Dominate]

[You have gained Dream Dominate]

[You have gained Entropy Dominate]

[You have gained Undead Dominate]

Damon stared at the screen.

Then slowly...

He smiled.

And finally his eyes moved toward his updated stats.