My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 1281: Chapter 1282: Insanity Of The Pillar

The bitter taste in her mouth meant nothing compared to the deep pain in her heart. She couldn’t do anything when Ranar was taken by the Unknown God. Evangeline could only despair.

A knot so heavy weighed on her chest, but even with the pain she felt, she was determined to save her daughter, even if it meant her death.

True, the Unknown God could very possibly be the most powerful entity in existence, unimaginably powerful beyond what anyone could describe or even imagine, but so what? How could that compare to her love for Ranar?

So what if it was a god? With that determination, she forced her body to move despite the pain she felt. She didn’t care. Her eyes snapped open and looked at the bleak sky swirling with strange lights.

When she turned her head, she saw Damon sitting by her side. He had dark circles under his eyes, a strange sight for someone at the Seventh Class Advancement. His hair was disheveled, and blood had dried on his armor. There was a broken sword by his side and a small boy sleeping on his lap. He absentmindedly stroked the back of the sleeping boy as if to reassure him that he was safe.

Not far from Damon was a woman with a large belly. She was clearly pregnant, and her hair was tied into a bun with a few loose strands hanging around her face. She wore a blood-soaked dress with some tears at the bottom. She didn’t look anything like the woman Evangeline remembered.

”You don’t look so good,” Evangeline whispered, making Damon raise his head slightly.

”Yeah, I’ve seen better days,” he whispered softly without looking at her. He must have realized she had woken up earlier.

”We all have. We lost... so soundly, everything...” He looked at the bleak sky as the world seemed to move around them. It was then that she realized they seemed to be on the back of a moving beast.

Damon didn’t raise his head or say anything else. He was quiet, too.

”Damon...” she called out.

”Why won’t you look at me?” she asked softly.

”I... I can’t,” he replied truthfully in a hushed tone.

Abellona pressed her lips together when he said that and thought it wiser to let them speak. This was between them.

”Why not?” Evangeline asked, leaning her head in his direction. Her soft golden hair spread across the ground, making her seem like a gentle goddess of light.

”Because it’s all my fault. I was the one who caused all of this.”

Evangeline was quiet, her gaze turning back to the sky.

”I wanted to get angry. I wanted to be so mad at you that I could hurt you. I really wanted to.” She gasped, a single tear falling from her eyes. ”I just couldn’t be angry. Why should you be blamed for all this? How much of this is your fault? One look at you, and I knew you didn’t want this either. More than that, I was glad.”

Damon grimaced but kept his head low.

”You know, Damon... our grandfather is dead. We were fighting two Outsiders, and he gave his life to kill them.”

When he heard that, Damon felt as though his heart had stopped for a moment. The image of his grandfather’s face filled his head, the way he laughed, the expressions on his face, the weight of his hands on Damon’s shoulders, and his booming laughter. More than that, he remembered his arrogant nature, which reminded Damon of himself.

There was no doubt that the old man loved his only grandson. Damon knew it more than anyone. The old man was stubborn and did whatever he pleased without compromise. The one person he would make a compromise for was Damon.

When he was around, Damon could get away with anything. He had truly spoiled his grandson.

A shiver passed through Damon’s body, and a single, shameful tear fell from his face.

Evangeline didn’t know how to tell him any more, but she continued nonetheless.

”My mother is dead too. We found her remains drifting in the wreckage. It seems the capital has fallen as well, along with the rest of the world. There were bodies as far as the eye could see. A few people survived, and they have gathered to face the Outsiders in a final battle.”

”The Demon Lord of Domination, Ashcroft, is leading the charge along with every demon, lesser god, goddess races. It’s the last stand.”

When she said that, Damon raised his head.

”Then the battle...”

”Was a failure,” she said, cutting him off, her hands shaking as she looked at them. ”It was madness. The moment we approached the battlefield, every one of us was consumed by madness and rage. Small grievances that could only be called insignificant suddenly felt more unforgivable than a life-or-death grudge. I only vaguely remember what happened.”

She pressed her hand against her head while Abellona listened in terror.

”I was with Leona and my father, and then... and then...” She paused, struggling to recall what had happened.

”I suddenly remembered something from a few years ago, when we were in the academy and Leona stole a sausage from my plate. It was a small, insignificant event, one I could barely remember, but at that moment, it felt like an unforgivable and insurmountable reason to hate her. And I... I raised my sword against Leona.”

Damon was stunned into silence.

Evangeline bit her lip, and blood trickled down it.

”Leona was fast, so she blocked my attack, but everything descended into insanity after that. Everyone turned on each other. Even the Outsiders began killing each other, and so did the lesser gods. Only two people seemed unaffected by this strange madness.”

Evangeline took a deep breath, sitting up before glancing at Damon.

”Leona was completely fine, even though the great dragon she was with turned against her. Matia also seemed unaffected. Other than them, everyone was consumed by frenzy. It was like a slaughterhouse. Like... like...” She struggled to find the words to describe what she had witnessed.