My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 1130: Chapter 1131: Lonely Ranar And Fearless Ric

Children were a bundle of joy, but what happened when that bundle of joy possessed the power to level a city to the ground? At that point, they became a natural disaster.

Ranar was an extraordinary child born of extraordinary circumstances.

With each passing day, she grew stronger, far beyond anyone her age.

When she had been younger, Damon’s greatest fear was that she would grow into someone capricious and cruel because of the power she possessed. So he had always tried his best to teach her sympathy for those weaker than herself.

Children, at their core, could be cruel.

They burned birds’ nests. They hunted rodents. They captured lizards and toyed with them. They drowned ant hills.

It was not because cruelty was their nature. It was simply capricious amusement. They did not see such creatures as living things that could feel pain. To them, they were little more than objects that moved.

They were ignorant.

Damon wanted his daughter to do what was right, even if he himself did not always do the right thing.

He had tried his best to teach her the difference between right and wrong.

Especially with her power.

In the end, there was no denying that Ranar was a very special girl.

He stepped out of the shadows gathered in the corner of the room.

The chamber was spacious. A large bed covered in soft pillows sat against the far wall, while framed pictures of Ranar at different ages decorated the room.

He found her lying face down on the bed, her head buried beneath a pillow.

”Ranar...”

He called her name softly.

She did not respond.

Damon let out a sigh.

”Are you crying?”

She turned her head just enough to glare at him.

”No, I’m not. Just leave me alone, Daddy.”

Damon walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. After a moment, he leaned back beside her, staring up at the ceiling.

”So tell me about it. The children you met recently.”

Ranar slowly sat up and crossed her legs atop the mattress.

This was her father, and he had always been easy to talk to. Besides, she knew he would figure something out.

He always did.

”The new batch was braver than the last one, so I tried scaring them away. It’s not like they actually like me or want to be my friends...”

”Ah, so that’s it.” Damon nodded thoughtfully. ”I mean, you are pretty scary. It would take someone incredibly brave, maybe even foolish, to want to be your friend.”

”Yeah, I know...” she muttered, hugging her knees. ”Still, why is making friends my age so hard? I just want to play with them. I’m not actually going to hurt them.”

”Hmm...” Damon rubbed his chin. ”I seem to remember that when you were six, some children were competing to see who could unleash the strongest spell, and you accidentally incinerated an entire section of the playground.”

He paused.

”And one maid’s hair.”

Ranar grimaced and lowered her head.

”I thought they were holding back. I didn’t mean to scare them away.”

”There was a lot of crying and peeing.” Damon smiled as he pinched her cheek. ”You remember that blue-haired boy who wet himself? He kind of looked like a chipmunk.”

Ranar covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

She had not found it funny back then, but looking back now...

”He was too scared to even scream. At least the others ran away.”

A giggle escaped her lips.

Damon suddenly reached forward and started tickling her stomach.

”You were terrifying, weren’t you? That’s my girl.”

”Ahaha! Daddy, stop!”

She burst into laughter, twisting around as she tried to push his hands away.

Eventually, Damon lifted her up and sat her beside him.

”Listen to me.” His voice softened. ”Don’t feel bad because some rich brats are too scared to befriend you. I’m sure there’s at least one person out there who would love to be your friend.”

Her eyes immediately lit up.

”Really?” she asked excitedly. ”You know someone around my age who wants to be friends?”

Damon saw the hope shining in her eyes.

And he could not bring himself to disappoint her.

”Yes...” he said after a long pause. ”I do.”

”Ah, Daddy, you’re the best! I love you!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. ”When are you going to introduce us?”

Damon stiffened.

’I love you.’

Those words were his greatest weakness.

He let out a long sigh.

”Fine, fine. I’ll introduce you.”

Ranar squealed happily before planting a kiss on his cheek and jumping across the bed, unable to contain her excitement.

Damon could not help but smile.

After all, she would be devastated if such a person did not exist.

Fortunately for him...

Someone like that already did.

---

Inside a vast hall with towering ceilings, Damon sat slumped upon a throne, his expression exhausted.

”Alright, Ric. Tell me, how much trouble have you caused this time?”

The young boy standing before him placed a hand over his chest, looking deeply offended.

”How could you say such a thing? I can’t believe a man of character like me, a noble hero, would be accused of something so shameful...”

Damon stared at him blankly.

The boy held his dramatic pose for all of three seconds before his shoulders sagged.

”Alright, fine. It was me.” He shrugged. ”I was just a little bored, you know? Nothing ever happens here.”

Damon pressed a hand against his forehead.

”How is walking into the mouth of a lesser dragon ’nothing’? Why exactly were you trying to brush its teeth?”

”Because they smelled terrible.” The boy answered as though it were obvious. ”Seriously, you should’ve smelled its breath before I brushed them.”

Naturally, the culprit was an eight-year-old boy.

He was taller than most children his age and dressed entirely in black in a blatant attempt to imitate Damon. A sword nearly as large as himself rested against his back, and even his expressions and mannerisms resembled Damon’s.

This was Godric Ravenscroft.

Or, as everyone called him...

Ric.

For the past seven years, Damon, Renata, and Lilith had raised him together.

Damon sank deeper into his throne.

”Where did I go wrong with you? Why are you so unbelievably bold?”

Godric crossed his arms over his chest, his confidence utterly unshaken.

”A man must be bold, and a man must stand for what is right.” He puffed out his chest proudly. ”I will not allow evil to prosper.”

His small voice was full of conviction.

Damon felt a headache coming on.

He had wanted Godric to grow into an honorable and righteous person.

Perhaps he had overdone it.

Because the boy was far too fearless.

Then an idea suddenly occurred to him.

Maybe Godric simply needed to spend time with children his own age.

”Ric...” Damon called.

The boy stopped halfway to the door.

”Do you, by any chance, want to see the outside world?”

”Not interested.”

He answered immediately before continuing toward the exit, no doubt searching for his next adventure.

Or misadventure.

Damon stared at his retreating back.

Then he slowly lowered his head into his hands.

”Oh, where did I go wrong?”