My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 858 - 859: Closure
Previously on My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger...
The days that followed were quite remarkable. The cult Damon established expanded with such startling velocity that he began to wonder if Seraph Null had failed to notice he was losing his grip on the situation.
However, after reflecting on the matter, Damon caught onto a specific detail.
Friction between the Chained and the Outsiders was intensifying. Though it was subtle—particularly within the affluent districts of the inner city—the signs were visible to him.
An invisible rift was forming, fueled by hushed rumors and venomous whispers. It began with small grievances.
"These outsiders are filthy..."
"They are the reason our resources are being depleted..."
"They are coming here to take our jobs..."
They were minor complaints, yet they provided more than enough fuel for a fire.
Damon came to a realization.
The precarious equilibrium maintained in the inner city, where only the most elite outsiders were permitted to reside, was finally beginning to unravel.
He could see the animosity simmering naturally. As for the outsiders, they were already a marginalized class in a world that despised them. They fought desperately for every scrap they possessed.
Consequently, witnessing one of their own being mistreated by the Chained planted seeds of bitterness in their souls.
It was effortless.
Sowing the seeds of hatred was far too easy.
Shared loathing is the most efficient way to bind a people together.
All that is required is a target for their anger. A scapegoat to carry the blame.
"Every creature possessed of reason and complex sentiment is, more often than not, merely an emotional beast. We descend back into our primal nature so easily."
This display of pettiness, like so many others, would inevitably result in slaughter. Blood would be spilled as the world split into "us versus them."
But that was acceptable.
This outcome was precisely what Damon intended.
If Seraph Null wished to hasten the process, Damon was more than happy to let him.
"You’ve gotten confident, Seraph Null," Damon whispered, his gaze drifting toward the obsidian tower looming at the city's heart.
"You must think that because you are in the seventh class, no one can harm you..."
Technically, that was true. He was beyond reach because no one—not even other seventh-class entities—could unleash their full power within this realm.
However, there was a single exception.
Lazarak.
"You think you have me trapped... no. It’s the opposite."
Despite his confidence, Damon cautioned himself to remain vigilant. While Seraph Null was ignorant of his true nature, Damon still knew far too little about the lesser god.
He let out a sigh, resting his weight against the balcony's edge.
Damon had developed a tendency to frequent this spot, largely because he appreciated the panoramic view of the sprawling city.
He looked at the tower once more. The remedy for his sister’s condition was housed within those walls. Perhaps that was the true draw.
Once he secured it, he could finally shut his eyes and leave this twisted world behind.
In doing so, all the potential tragedies of the future would cease to matter.
Yet, a dark intuition nagged at him.
He would likely fail to find death.
His Deathless skill was simply too efficient at preserving his life against his own desires.
He could attempt to use Dethrone, his third-class skill, to suppress it, but that would likely be nothing more than a temporary fix.
He had observed the mechanics of Deathless.
Initially, he thought it was merely a form of probability manipulation, but its roots reached much deeper than that.
This seemingly minor passive ability was actually exerting influence over fate itself.
Specifically, his fate.
He pondered if the Unknown God had bestowed this skill upon him as a safety measure—insurance against being executed once more by the Goddess of Doom.
Still, Damon suspected that if she truly committed to his demise, even Deathless would prove insufficient.
"I still have the Fate Manipulation Resistance mastery..."
Damon summoned his system interface.
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[HP: 24995/24995] [Mana: 55,567/55,567] [Strength: 31,124] [Agility: 23,157] [Speed: 33,985] [Endurance: 34,210] [Class: Usurper] [Shadow: 1900] [Shadow Hunger Levels: 15%] [Shadow Level: 19] [Condition: Shadow Is Fed] [Attributes: Umbral, Domination Fragment] [Skills:] [5x] [Remorseless] [Shadow Perception] [Water Celebration] [Sacrifice] [Shadow Control] [Parkour] [Shadow Armor] [Beholder’s Gaze] [Dead Eye] [Spirit Affinity] [Ashborn] [Omen of Dread] [Dealer’s Hand] [Bloodletting] [Shadow Movement] [Shadow] [Faceless] [Danger Sense] [Shadow Storage] [Wave Walk] [Shadow Clone] [Blitz] [Flash Step] [Air Walk] [Appraisal] [Iron Bones] [Astral Projection] [Accel] [Terror Engine] [Vengeance] [Soul Tongue] [Eyes of Veracity] [Shadow Stride] [Soul Conduit] [Heart of Shadow] [Demon Dominate] [Shadow Seizer] [Mastery:] [Etiquette Lv3] [Swordsmanship Lv7] [Survival Lv10] [Persuasion Lv2] [Deception Lv3] [Bartering Lv2] [Theft Lv3] [Archery Lv5] [Trap Lv5] [Alchemy Lv1] [Dagger Arts Lv5] [Cooking Lv2] [Basic Magic Lv5] [Mana Control Lv7] [Magic Gatling Lv5] [Pain Resistance Lv6] [Mental Contamination Resistance Lv5] [Disintegration Resistance Lv3] [Sniper Lv5] [Rune Magic Lv3] [Insanity Lv4] [Fate Manipulation Resistance Lv2] [Ravenous LvMax] [Poison Resistance Lv6] [Elemental Resistance Lv3] [Petrification Resistance Lv5] [Magic Resistance Lv5] [Curse Resistance Lv2] [Pressure Resistance Lv2] [Corruption Resistance Lv5] [Aura Farming Lv4] [Charisma Lv9] [Tyranny Lv3] [Ragebaiting Lv5] [Shadow Manipulation Lv1] [Items:] [Pale Crown Armor] [Broken Bonds] [Deep Quiver] [Silver Blades] [Staff of Carnage] [Sword of Nicolas] [Furnace of Frost] [Helm of Balero] [Womb of Healing] [Charms] [Potions] [Miscellaneous Items] [Quest:] [Path to Conflict] [Nightmare of Lazarak]
"The quest 'Nightmare of Lazarak' remains, and I still haven't determined how to fulfill it..."
He shifted his focus to the first objective.
"Right... and then there is the Path to Conflict," he murmured.
He let out another tired breath.
"Now that the end seems so attainable... do I truly wish for everything to cease?"
"Heheheh..."
A low chuckle escaped him.
"Yes. I certainly do. And there is nothing left to stop me."
A fleeting thought crossed Damon's mind.
If he were to perish, it would be... unsettling for his sister.
He needed to provide her with some sense of closure.
After a moment of deliberation, he retrieved a pen and stationery, manifesting a table and chair from his shadow storage.
He needed to compose a final message for his sister. It was, after all, the standard procedure for those intending to end their own lives.
"Hm. Where should I begin... what have I left unsaid? What does she need to hear..."
"Hmmm."
He rested his chin in his hand, thinking deeply.
Of course.
He had been regretting that he never explicitly told his sister that he loved her. While it was always understood, the words had never been spoken aloud.
"Right... that's the one."
He pressed the pen to the paper and began to write.
The opening words were simple.
"I love you."
He sensed a presence standing behind him.
A familiar fragrance. A familiar shadow.
He had been so preoccupied that he had tuned her out, dismissing her presence as background noise.
"Which woman are you writing a love letter to?"
She rested a hand upon his shoulder.
"Is it for me?"
Damon's eye gave a slight twitch.
"Ah... Princess," he replied slowly. "It has been quite some time."