My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Everyone was dead.

The world had ended.

Or so Damon assumed.

But when he raised his head again, he found himself standing between the Unknown God, who was possessing Ranar, and Doom, who was possessing Luna.

Damon was sure of it.

He had experienced the end of the world. He had felt everything being destroyed, felt the world itself collapse into darkness, and yet now he was standing here as though none of it had happened.

”Clearly, this isn’t going to go anywhere the way things are, so why don’t we establish some rules?” the Unknown God said to Doom.

She glanced at the God who was using the body of a child as his vessel. His expression remained calm, while Ranar’s adorable face stared back at her. Doom wore her cold expression on Luna’s tear-streaked face.

”This is the outcome you wanted. You knew that if you destroyed the world, I would recreate it. You’ve made your point. A battle between us, even with limited vessels, will never end as long as we don’t agree on rules to abide by. You destroy the world, I recreate it. You kill my vessels, I resurrect them, and the circle continues without any meaning.”

”In that case, we are in agreement.”

The Unknown God seemed amused.

”I can see why someone would want you as their bride. You seem quite reasonable. And here I thought you held a serious grudge against me.”

”You aren’t worth the trouble,” Doom replied.

”I see. I see. Very well, then. The rules we should abide by are simple. I will state one rule, and you state another until we reach an agreement.”

Damon watched as the bodies of his daughter and sister were taken over by two absolute and incomprehensibly powerful gods.

And there was nothing he could do.

His hand still clutched Sylvia’s severed head.

Despair welled up within his heart.

The gap in power was beyond reason. How could he compete with that?

It was so hopeless that he could not even imagine winning.

Or even losing.

”The rules are simple. We each can only use one authority. I will choose which of your authorities you use, and you pick which one of mine I use,” the Unknown God stated.

Doom was quiet for a moment.

Then her sharp gaze flickered toward him.

”I accept this rule. For my rule, no power beyond the limit of this world shall be used. That includes spells. And should your vessel die, it will be considered your death, regardless of who kills the vessel, including your main body.”

The Unknown God smiled as he pushed aside Ranar’s golden hair.

”Isn’t that unreasonable? If this vessel dies, then I’m supposed to force my actual body into a death-like state, pretending to be dead. That is a difficult endeavor, but I will try. Should I fail...”

He smiled.

”My next rule.”

The Unknown God held up one finger as his aura swirled around him.

”The condition for winning is simple. Whoever obtains the Pillar of Conflict first wins. Should my followers, or those unaffiliated with you, obtain it, then I will be considered the victor, and you must concede the battle to me, removing your authority and domain from this world and universe forever.”

Then he glanced at Damon with a sweet smile that almost looked exactly like Ranar’s.

Doom turned her gaze toward Damon.

For the first time, there was something resembling pity in her eyes.

”Most of those who associate with the Unknown God become demons.”

Damon squeezed his grip around Sylvia’s severed head.

”I’m going to kill you.”

The Unknown God looked at him.

”You will not. Death is a mortal concept. A true God cannot die. If it were that simple, I would have done it already.”

”It’s a paradox,” Doom continued for him, her voice vastly different from Luna’s.

”If we are absolutely powerful, then why can’t we end our own existence?”

”For my second rule...”

Doom raised her hand.

”You shall adhere to the laws I have set in this world and bind yourself to the attribute owned by your vessel. You shall use no skills, no demonic energy, and no divine energy.”

”Reasonable.”

The Unknown God smiled.

”Then shall we begin?”

As soon as those rules were established, both the Unknown God and Doom lost the overwhelming aura of divinity that had made them seem absolute.

Their power was forcibly capped at exactly the peak of the Seventh Class.

The Unknown God’s vessel was Ranar, and she had been created specifically to fit his attribute, meaning there was no conflict between his power and her body.

As for Doom, Luna was a suitable vessel, but she was not the ideal one.

However, Luna’s body was practically immortal and could regenerate from almost anything.

As soon as their auras dropped, Damon raised his head.

Now was as good a time as any to kill the Unknown God.

He took out the last Ashcroft fragments.

Then he devoured them.

His eyes glowed with a dark light.

Then he heard the system chime.

[You have devoured Ashcroft fragments.]

[You have completed the Domination Attribute.]

[You have gained Dual Attributes.]

Damon felt a rush of power.

His wings grew larger and larger.

His horns stretched longer.

His hair continued growing until it reached the ground.

His aura surged toward the Seventh Class Advancement.

Then, with a sound like shattering glass, he reached the Seventh Class.

When he opened his eyes, Doom was gone.

So was the Unknown God.

He was still holding Sylvia’s severed head.

Damon looked around.

Blood and tears mixed together on his face.

Then he saw a memory.

One he had wanted buried forever.

”Damon, look after your sister. I promise we’ll return soon.”

There was a little boy standing there with dark hair and deep blue eyes.

By his side was his little sister.

Their mother and father were leaving, and they had promised they would return.

So he had to look after his sister.

Damon felt every hair on his body stand on end.

A choking sensation filled his throat.

”I’m sorry.”

His voice trembled.

”I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

His apologies fell on deaf ears.

There was no one here.

It was just him.

He closed his eyes because it was too painful to look.

When he opened them again, he found himself standing on the path leading outside the village.

The world outside the village was filled with blood and carnage.

At the center, he saw the dying corpses of giants.

There were countless corpses scattered across the land.

All he needed to do was step outside the village, pick up one of the swords, and fall onto a path of slaughter.

He could have his revenge.

Damon gritted his teeth.

He prepared to take the step forward.

As he came closer to the village exit, a voice sounded in front of him.

”Don’t go.”

Damon looked around.

There was no sign of the speaker.

But he knew that voice.

Sylvia.

His gaze slowly dropped toward the severed head in his hands.

”Don’t go...”

The voice became softer.

”Do not despair. Do not suffer. Do not despair.”

Damon’s hands could not stop shaking.

He understood.

His Seventh Class Advancement was simple.

He needed to make a choice.

And the choice he made would either elevate him...

Or destroy him.

”Sylvia,” he whispered.

Then he finally opened his eyes.

When he did, he was still standing where he had been.

His aura had now fully reached the Seventh Class.

[Godfiend, choose your path.]

The ancient voice of the world echoed in his ears like a gentle whisper.

But Damon did not make any choice.

[Class undetermined.]

The system chimed again.

[Your fable continues. Forge your legend. You must choose.]