My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 1019 - 1021: The City That Would Rot

The rules Damon knew were nonexistent then.

Not in this place. Not in this era.

But as dusk descended, a primal instinct resurfaced, much like an old injury thrumming before a storm.

Mugu sat within his tent, caught in indecision, debating whether to illuminate the space or retreat into utter blackness. He held his breath, a silent plea that the day’s terrors would not seek him out in the night.

Above, shadowy figures flitted between the trees.

Branches swayed. Foliage shivered.

Damon had no desire to gaze upward.

He was already aware of their identity.

Devil monkeys.

Esteeming them would prove detrimental.

However, Damon was presently detached from Mugu’s physical form.

Thus, he observed.

They were as grotesque as his memory served: elongated limbs, contorted torsos, and visages eerily human when the firelight flashed upon them amidst the foliage.

After considerable contemplation, Mugu resolved to kindle a fire.

He retreated into his tent, arranging sufficient wood for an overnight blaze. A narrow aperture was left in the tent's fabric, just wide enough to permit him sight of the flames, allowing him to replenish the fire without venturing outside.

Beyond the fire's warm embrace, indistinct shapes lingered at the forest's edge.

They observed him.

Kept him company.

They did not venture closer.

Not yet.

Because he had not openly acknowledged their presence.

Mugu sealed his eyes.

A sharp, childlike, taunting laughter reverberated through the dense woods.

He remained motionless.

Perspiration streamed down his countenance. His digits pressed into the tent’s material.

Damon’s former companions, once overcome by fatigue and paying a steep price for it, were unlike Mugu, who abstained from sleep entirely.

He dared not take that gamble.

Yet, he understood this state was unsustainable.

Consequently, as dawn broke, Mugu did not emerge.

He slept.

He slumbered through the morning hours, awakening at midday.

Damon emitted a soft chuckle.

How astute.

The most perilous entities were active during the night; thus, he rested amid the daylight and journeyed when the sun was at its zenith.

Even so, the day provided scant respite.

Mugu encountered numerous harrowing situations.

On one occasion, devil monkeys almost apprehended him.

At another juncture, a pallid, spectral being ensnared him within a pulsating, living cocoon.

He spent three days in a stupor, fixated on a tree, due to an entity residing within that craved acknowledgment.

At one point, diminutive eyes began to proliferate across his skin as a nearby creature implored his attention.

It took him a full month to finally navigate his escape from the Duhu Mountains.

Upon his exit, he stood before a bridge.

After enduring such trials, Mugu had ascended to First Class.

He had attained a classification previously unknown to Damon.

Wanderer.

Damon cast a backward glance toward the formidable mountains, exhaling slowly.

“This place is considerably more hostile than I recall.”

Mugu set foot upon the bridge.

His innermost instincts shrieked a warning: do not look down, irrespective of any sounds.

This bridge differed from the one Damon remembered. There was no ethereal mist. No spectral wanderers.

No unforeseen surprises.

The occurrences that would give rise to them had yet to transpire.

But as Mugu traversed it, an alternative event unfolded.

A mental ordeal.

Visions forcibly penetrated his consciousness, compelling him to re-experience deeply buried traumas.

He proceeded without pause.

His expression remained unchanged.

His pace did not falter.

And upon finally reaching the opposite side, three knights awaited his arrival.

“Halt.”

The knights raised their hands in unison, their armor shifting with a soft metallic whisper as they stepped into Mugu’s path. An edge of surprise colored their voices.

Mugu ceased his advance.

He studied them in silence, his posture erect, his stance firm. A part of him anticipated a swift drawing of blades or an immediate demand. Instead, the three men simply gazed at him, as if confronted by something impossible.

“You… you emerged from that direction?”

Mugu gave a solitary nod.

The youthful softness had vanished from his features. Stern lines had etched themselves around his eyes and mouth. A peculiar tranquility enveloped him, an aura that unsettled even the armored knights. His gaze was unwavering. It did not falter. It felt as though nothing in this world could sway him any longer.

He was a man who had navigated the Duhu Mountains without a discernible path.

An unwitting pioneer.

This marked the genesis of Mugu’s legend.

“Yes,” he stated calmly. “Is there an issue?”

“You traversed the Duhu Mountains and crossed the bridge… alone?” one knight inquired, his voice dropping in disbelief.

“Yes.”

The three knights exchanged glances before returning their gaze to him, a blend of awe and unease evident. “What a peculiar man,” one murmured beneath his breath. “You truly came from there. And you are journeying towards Lysithara. No… you have already passed the forest and marsh. The city lies not far ahead.”

He attempted a smile, but it emerged strained.

“By the twin goddesses, we must document this,” another knight interjected swiftly. He gestured to the youngest among them. “Thren, you are new. Take the griffin and this young man. See to his registration. I shall inform the captain.”

The junior knight executed a crisp salute and gestured for Mugu to proceed.

Damon’s eyes narrowed.

‘So this is Thren.’

When Damon had encountered and eliminated him, Thren had already succumbed to corruption. Observing him now, young and sincere, felt remarkably unsettling.

The knight on duty retrieved a compact communication device and spoke into it. A voice responded from within.

Mugu’s eyes widened. He had journeyed extensively, yet never had he witnessed magic wielded in such a manner.

"They do not possess communication devices in this era," Ashcroft stated with composure. "Lysithara is the exception. They construct that which others cannot conceive."

Damon let out a scoff, yet anticipation began to stir within him.

Lysithara.

He would encounter Valerie once more.

Even if she existed solely as a memory, formed by destiny and the Black Box.

Thren guided Mugu towards the trees. Mugu followed with caution, his hand never far from his weapon. Upon reaching a clearing, several griffins awaited them behind the dense foliage.

Thren’s demeanor immediately brightened. He gestured proudly towards a large griffin resting in the shade.

"This is Strider. He is mine."

Mugu stiffened and instinctively retreated a step.

"A monster… you keep a monster?" he inquired, his voice steady despite the shock evident in his eyes.

Thren chuckled.

"These are the common sort. I am not yet a full knight, thus I do not receive a wyvern or a grand griffin. Merely an average one. But one day, I shall be a knight recognized by Lady Valerie."

Damon’s heart pounded at the mention of the name.

Right. Thren was low-ranked. How did Valerie come to know him so intimately later on? There had to be a reason.

"Who is that?" Mugu asked.

Thren’s mouth gaped open in feigned astonishment, before he amusedly chuckled.

"You will discover. She is one of this city’s sages. A mentor. A combatant. Someone held in high regard by all."

He extended his hand, offering Mugu assistance to mount the griffin.

For the first time in a considerable duration, Mugu hesitated, not from apprehension, but because a certain feeling about this moment seemed… correct. As if he had finally reached the place he was destined for.

As they prepared to ride, Mugu voiced the question that had been occupying his thoughts.

"Can I become stronger here?"

Thren laughed as Strider flapped his wings, elevating them above the canopy.

"This is Lysithara. You can achieve anything here."

The wind whipped past Mugu’s face as they ascended. The forest receded below, unveiling a vast city in the distance. Its imposing gates loomed over the landscape, with countless arcane seals shimmering upon its walls like celestial formations.

Mugu’s eyes widened.

"Wow," he whispered.

Thren grinned.

"Indeed. Wow is the apt description. I have resided here my entire life, and it continues to captivate me. This is our city."

He gestured forward with pride.

"The city of Lysithara. The path of kings."

Then, he cast a glance back at Mugu.

"Here, any individual with sufficient resolve can author their own epic and alter the course of the world. How far will your determination carry you?"

Mugu slowly clenched his fist, his gaze fixed upon the magnificent city.

"To the very end."

Thren erupted in loud laughter.

"Hahaha, you are amusingly audacious. Such are precisely the individuals drawn to this city. I, for the record, am quite ordinary."

Damon drifted to the periphery, observing Thren with mild interest, yet his focus remained primarily on Mugu.

Thren raised a hand, pointing ahead as Strider navigated the sky.

"Observe that colossal metal control tower? It teems with peculiar magical apparatuses. Vulcan constructed it. Do not address him as 'lord', however. He disdains such titles. We still refer to him as such behind his back out of profound respect."

He pointed once more towards another structure emerging on the horizon.

"That edifice was erected by Lady Valcara. She is a paragon of foresight. Legends claim she possesses the ability to perceive the future."

As the griffin descended towards the city's formidable walls, Thren enthusiastically continued to identify landmarks, allowing Mugu minimal time to absorb any of the information.

They finally landed within a spacious training plaza, its ground paved with sturdy stone. Thren dismounted first, his boundless enthusiasm palpable. He raised his hand, signaling towards a tall marble tower situated nearby.

"Captain. I have discovered someone new. He hails from the Duhu Mountains and traversed the bridge to arrive here."

The instant his words concluded, the sounds of training ceased abruptly.

Blades were lowered. Conversations died out. Numerous gazes swiveled towards Mugu simultaneously.

He remained stationary, unaccustomed to such intense scrutiny.

Then, a powerful voice boomed from above, its resonance echoing across the plaza.

"What did you just utter? Someone possessed the sheer audacity to venture through the Duhu Mountains?"