My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 1045 - 1047: The Nest

Before long, Ashergon arrived at his mountain lair and plunged within. The wyverns tasked with guarding his domain became visibly agitated the instant he entered. To them, Ashergon was akin to a deity, so what could possibly send such a god into such a state of bewilderment and haste?

Ashergon paid them no heed. He hurtled directly towards the core of his cavernous abode where he usually rested. A colossal underground volcanic current flowed deeper into the earth, suffusing the cavern with a crimson luminescence. The ground was strewn with discarded dragon scales, and mana crystals densely populated the entire chamber, likely precipitated from the abundant mana that ceaselessly emanated from Ashergon's being and solidified over extended periods. Any individual capable of excavating these crystals alone would achieve immense wealth.

However, what transpired next was sufficient to ignite the avarice of even the most affluent person, driving them to extreme envy.

As far as the eye could comprehend, a trove of treasures lay before them. Gold, diamonds, mithril, oricalcum, gemstones, magic crystals, ores imbued with divinity, rare arcane artifacts, shimmering trinkets, exotic flora, and so much more. This accumulation surpassed the combined wealth of the Valtheron Empire and the ensuing major kingdoms.

Then again, a portion of these had indeed been pilfered from them across several generations.

He descended with a resounding impact that reverberated through the cavern and immediately commenced amassing his treasures, his head incessantly swiveling behind him. He parted his jaws and began to draw them in using a spatial enchantment, engulfing mountains of riches in mere moments.

Ashergon operated with swiftness and precision.

Yet, regardless of his haste, he felt an overwhelming sense of inadequacy in his speed.

His gaze continually flickered around as he packed his plunder. He gave no thought to the direction of his escape, only that he would take flight and evade.

Meanwhile, Damon finally closed the distance.

After several additional minutes of unabated flight, he reached the fractured crossing and alighted at the precipice of the chasm. He peered down into the abyss, a frown creasing his brow. A bridge had once spanned the Duhu Mountains here, but Damon himself had annihilated it. Now, he was uncertain if he could traverse it by flight without alerting the murmur worms lurking below.

He exhaled deliberately and elevated his hand.

Shadowy tendrils coalesced beneath his feet and extended outward, intricately weaving themselves into a tangible bridge stretching from one edge of the chasm to the other. Just as he prepared to set foot upon it, two brilliant streaks erupted from the shadowed forest behind him.

One was a golden luminescence.

Evangeline emerged from it, her expression one of displeasure directed at him.

The other was a swift flash of lightning. As it dissipated, Leona stood there, her armor still emanating faint electrical discharges.

'Damn, these two are swift,' Damon mused internally. Light and lightning were inherently rapid attributes from the outset. Combined with their formidable strength, it was hardly surprising they had managed to catch up.

Evangeline cast a brief glance behind her before returning her gaze to Damon.

"I believe we've outdistanced Lysithara considerably, wouldn't you agree?"

Damon concurred. Their uninterrupted progress to this point was largely attributable to Ashergon. His formidable presence had dissuaded any potential aggressors along the route they followed, thereby enabling Damon, Evangeline, and Leona to pursue him without incident.

However, Ashergon had deliberately skirted a wide berth around the chasm. Damon remained uncertain if this precaution would suffice to deter the murmur worms inhabiting the depths. They were known to attack only when something traversed overhead.

Damon nodded slowly.

"Ashergon is in that direction. Let us circumvent the Duhu Mountains. Simply maintain pursuit behind me and do not falter, irrespective of what you encounter. And should you perceive anything untoward, incinerate the entire infernal mountain."

Evangeline harbored doubts regarding the efficacy of this strategy, yet their capabilities had dramatically amplified since their initial passage through these mountainous regions. Each of them possessed the capacity to level these very peaks with sheer force if the situation demanded it.

Nevertheless, an instinctual tremor warned them that such an action would prove exceedingly unwise.

Damon set foot upon the bridge of shadows and sprinted across. The instant he reached the opposite bank, he launched himself towards Ashergon’s distant nest. Leona and Evangeline followed in his wake, appearing as swift streaks of light.

After traversing many kilometers of relentless pursuit, they arrived at the mountain's base. Wyverns patrolled the skies above, maintaining a state of heightened vigilance.

Damon decelerated and surveyed the entrance. A formidable magical barrier shimmered into view, effectively barring any unauthorized entry.

Evangeline narrowed her eyes and directed her gaze towards him.

"What actions did you undertake to provoke such a defensive measure? And more pressingly, why did you pursue a great dragon?"

Damon sidestepped her query by posing one of his own.

"I contend the pertinent question is why you followed me without due consideration."

Evangeline clenched her jaw. Indeed. She had been the first to follow him.

"Because you asserted my involvement was indispensable to your scheme."

"Well, that scheme has been compromised, necessitating improvisation on our part."

Damon stepped forward and meticulously examined the barrier for several prolonged seconds. Subsequently, he placed his palm against its surface and calmly commenced inscribing runes upon it. The runes permeated the barrier akin to ink dispersing in water, and a small aperture materialized.

Leona's eyes widened slightly.

She did not recall any such runes being part of their tutelage.

"What category of runes did you employ?"

Damon waved his hand dismissively.

"It’s nothing much. Just a little trick I picked up. They’re called tampering runes."

He gestured for them to follow.

"Come on. Let’s go."

He cast concealment runes with a flick of his fingers as they entered.

The interior of the mountain resembled a cathedral, not built for worshipping a deity, but designed to exalt a dragon. Murals depicting Ashergon adorned the walls, yet what truly captured Damon’s attention was an immense carving of a dragon clenching a spiral of stars within the grasp of its smallest claw.

"What is this?" Leona inquired, her gaze fixed upon the murals.

Damon let out a soft sigh, aware that the question was directed at him.

"It's a mural that narrates the tales of the dragons. The colossal ones, seemingly toying with the cosmos. These are most likely the original dragons. Vast and infinite, much like true gods. All dragons originate from them. Ashergon is no different."

Then, he indicated a mural colored crimson. The likeness of this dragon appeared more frequently than any other and was clearly depicted with greater reverence than the rest.

"The original dragon that resides within the abyss," Ashcroft stated within Damon’s mind.

That was most likely the very dragon from whose scale fragments Ashergon had been birthed.

"Another designation for original dragons is dragon gods, for they are the deities of all dragons," Ashcroft elaborated.

"All dragons are obligated to glorify their gods. Ashergon is no exception."

Damon became silent.

He cast a glance at Evangeline.

Alright.

Time for action.