My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 1290 - 1291: Who Is Open To Deals

When she said that, Damon’s expression hardened. His fingers stopped moving against the table, and his eyes narrowed as he studied Lilith’s face.

"What deal did you make with him? What did he demand of you?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing. He didn’t ask for anything or make any deals. He just healed her because I prayed for it."

Damon narrowed his eyes. Unknown was a cruel entity who wanted the Pillar. He was a god of the end, and Damon was sure they had reached their end. But after giving it some thought, he knew Unknown was a contradiction.

A paradoxical god who was both extremely evil and extremely benevolent. He was the beginning and the end.

"That brings me to my theory. Unknown is cruel, but he isn’t unfair. Actually, he is unfair, but not in his own eyes. In his eyes, he thinks he’s giving you a way out. He’s almost capricious in his cruelty, but since he also has the nature of a benevolent god..."

Damon held his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully before biting his lip as he considered the implications.

"Do you mean his fondness for riddles? I’ve seen him do it. He did the same thing in Lysithara and set the city lord up with a riddle, tormenting him for thousands of years."

Then he glanced at Paimon, searching her face for any indication that she knew more than she was saying.

"You wouldn’t be suggesting he’s going to do the same thing again, are you?"

"No, I don’t think so," Seras said calmly, though her hands were shaking slightly. She held her arms close to herself, trying to keep the tremor from becoming too obvious. "It’s not that simple. You assume the riddle is going to be a play on words, but it isn’t. The question would be based on our actions, and the winning condition would be arbitrarily decided by Unknown himself."

"For all we know, there is no winning condition," Renata muttered, her expression turning grim.

Lilith fell silent as she thought about Unknown for a moment, her gaze dropping to the table. Eventually, she raised her head and spoke.

"There are two Unknowns, even though he insists there’s only one of him and that he is himself. Let’s assume these are just different aspects of him. There is one that is kinder and one that is crueler. We don’t need to win a fight."

"But the conditions for victory are still vague. All we know is that Unknown wants this Pillar," Renata added calmly, her eyes moving between the others.

Seras crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.

"Why do you all keep forgetting a major factor? You all assume Unknown will win. Did you forget this is the domain of the Goddess of Doom? He is the one who intruded."

Damon paused for a moment. He compared Doom and Unknown, weighing their positions against each other before whispering softly, his voice shaky.

"I can’t imagine Unknown losing."

That was just it. Damon couldn’t imagine Unknown losing. Even if he were to see Unknown lose, he wouldn’t believe it. He would be convinced it was all part of the plan.

"So what now? Are you going to deliver the Pillar of Conflict to him?" Paimon asked softly, watching him closely.

Damon was quiet for a short while before shaking his head.

"I don’t know. I don’t even know how we can take the Pillar. Anyone who goes near it will just get consumed by a desire for violence and conflict. The only people I know who are unaffected by it are Leona and Matia, and they’re still on the battlefield."

"Ashcroft had a plan involving the Shadow Drones. I’m not even sure that would work."

Seras sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly as she considered their situation.

"Depending on who gets the Pillar first, it will be the deciding factor. If someone affiliated with Doom gets it, she wins by default. If someone affiliated with Unknown gets it first, Unknown wins, and we’re left at his mercy."

She looked at Damon coldly, holding his gaze as she asked, "Who do you think should win?"

"If I had a choice, neither," he replied.

"We don’t have a choice. If we choose not to fight, we still get wiped out. If we fight, we still lose. But you know what? That outcome is fine by me. At least I get to choose how I lose. I’ll make my choice when I see the Pillar of Conflict."

Seras chuckled as Xander’s silhouette entered the room, followed by Emilia and, finally, Abellona. The newcomers carried the weight of their own exhaustion, but none of them interrupted the conversation as they approached the table.

They sat down wordlessly. Abellona folded her hands in front of her before speaking.

"I think you should take the deal."

The tent was torn open, making it possible to hear what was going on inside. A faint draft stirred the loose fabric around the entrance as she continued.

"If the Unknown God is offering a deal, why not take it? I think we should focus not on what we can destroy, but on what we can still salvage."

She looked around the table, searching the faces of those gathered for some sign that they understood what she meant.

"It can’t be that hopeless, can it?" she added.

Damon was quiet for a moment, then crossed his arms, his gaze lowering as he considered her words.

If Doom won, she would wipe out all of them, especially him. She would act with absolute power, and their pleas would fall on deaf ears. She might recreate the world and let life continue, or she might simply move the Pillar elsewhere. Meanwhile, Unknown was more dangerous, but he found amusement in pretending that one’s choices could determine one’s fate. What he didn’t say was that other people’s choices also affected the outcome, including his own.

The only real answer here was obvious. Who was more open to negotiations? That was the so-called illusion of choice.

Damon slowly raised his head, his expression settling as he finally reached a decision.

"I’ve made up my mind."