My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 869 - 870: Products

With a smile, she raised her hand and gestured toward the skull floating in the air.

“I didn’t—he... ehm. It did.”

Damon’s eyes followed the direction of her finger.

The object hovering before him was undeniably a human skull, its surface bleached white and fractured by time. A pale radiance flickered within the hollow eye sockets, the light shifting with a subtle intent, as if the relic were observing him in return.

Damon studied it for a long moment before finally speaking.

“And what is that thing supposed to be?”

Footsteps resonated from around the corner before she could offer an explanation.

“Oh, you’ve returned.”

Lyn emerged into the light, wearing a broad, uninhibited grin.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

He approached rapidly, his every movement brimming with excitement.

“Come, there is so much to show you. You won’t believe the progress we’ve made—oh, and you must see Maw.”

Grabbing Damon by the arm, Lyn began to pull him forward, while Sithara applied gentle pressure to his back to keep him moving. Damon offered no resistance, allowing the two of them to usher him deeper into the subterranean vault.

As they transitioned further inside, a piercing screech tore through the air above.

Damon’s pace faltered, and he tilted his head back.

Peculiar cocoons were suspended from the ceiling in dense clusters. A thick, gooey fluid leaked from their shells, dripping steadily onto the stone floor. There were fewer than ten in this area.

His expression soured.

“What the hell happened while I was gone.”

Lyn glanced up at the cocoons and smiled, as if the sight were a comforting one.

“Yeah, the newborns aren’t ready yet. We only have a few hundred so far. They aren’t particularly powerful—just simple drone sentinels at best.”

The explanation was barely acknowledged by Damon. Instead, he felt it: a faint, creeping sensation of connection, like invisible threads plucking at the periphery of his consciousness.

They led him further until the corridor expanded into a massive hall.

The first thing to catch Damon’s eye was movement.

A familiar silhouette was circling Matia, who stood composed in the center of the room.

It was Maw.

Without warning, the creature lunged at her.

Matia shifted her position and effortlessly swatted it away with a barrier, the sound of the impact reverberating through the chamber.

Damon recognized the entity immediately, despite its transformation.

Maw had grown. It remained an amorphous blob, but several new maws were opening and closing across its flesh, flexing as if testing their function. The creature appeared unstable, incessantly shifting its own shape.

Damon looked toward the ceiling.

Dozens of spectral shades and floating skulls drifted throughout the hall.

However, it was the knights that truly commanded his attention.

Figures clad in armor stood in a rigid, perfect formation, as motionless as statues carved from cold steel.

Damon felt it then—life.

A subtle connection tugged at him, both familiar and haunting. Yet, within these figures, there was no sense of self.

There was only instinct.

“Hm.”

The grunt escaped him involuntarily.

“Those represent the second drone type,” Sithara explained softly. “Humanoid models. We specifically instructed Maw to give them a human appearance, but only on the surface. Beneath those helmets, they are anything but human.”

Lyn crossed his arms, looking visibly satisfied.

“We’ve been conducting experiments. A major breakthrough was achieved. Maw is a magnificent specimen. These drones are identical to the ones you saw in the cocoons. They are the weakest combat variants Maw can generate, but they are produced quickly; low-quality corpses are sufficient for their birth.”

Damon watched Lyn as he spoke. His tone was measured and his confidence was that of a veteran researcher from a prestigious magical academy.

Then again, Lyn was destined to be one of the founders of Lysithara.

Sithara moved closer, offering a neatly penned report with both hands. Her eyes searched Damon’s face, expectant.

He paused, momentarily confused by her behavior.

Then, the realization hit him.

Iris used to have that same look.

It was the expression of someone who craved praise but was too proud to ask for it.

While that girl had been made of fire and sharp edges, Sithara was her complete opposite.

Damon reached out, gently resting his hand on her head.

“Good job, Sithara. I’m proud of you.”

Her face lit up instantly.

Regardless of her status as a prodigy, she was still just a child.

“As you can see,” Lyn continued, “their combat potential has been tested. They are roughly equivalent to a first-class advancement, though slightly weaker on an individual basis. However, their hive mind enables perfect coordination, making them significantly more lethal.”

Damon approached the knights. They seemed to be outfitted in silver plate armor and armed with swords.

He reached out and rapped his knuckles against one.

The sound was off.

The armor was not a separate piece of equipment.

“They are like insects,” Lyn noted, his quill moving across parchment, “but instead of a standard exoskeleton, they possess a biological carapace that mimics magical metal.”

“Try striking one,” Lyn suggested.

Damon didn't hesitate.

He raised his hand and delivered a casual blow.

The drone was launched backward, crashing into the wall with enough momentum to crack the masonry. A splatter of red fluid stained the stone.

Slowly and unnaturally, the creature forced itself back onto its feet.

Damon knit his brows.

That strike had significant weight behind it—enough to kill a first-class combatant instantly.

Lyn’s smile grew wider.

“They possess the ability to adapt to damage. The early models had blue blood and lacked durability. After Matia pulverized them repeatedly, the hive mind learned. Maw produced these superior versions. The blood color was even altered so they could pass for real humans.”

Damon began flipping through the pages of the report.

The initial designs were monstrous and barely humanoid. These newer iterations were refined, efficient, and unsettlingly lifelike.

Matia walked over and gave him a brief nod, remaining silent.

Damon acknowledged her with a small smile.

“There is a ceiling, however,” Lyn added, his voice turning grave. “High-end models are expensive to produce. The quality of the result depends on the quality of the 'food' Maw consumes. That requires powerful corpses and vast quantities of organic matter.”

Damon closed the report and surveyed the chamber.

“Then it should be feasible to develop specialized units. Winged models for aerial dominance. Mining variants. Perhaps dragons or wyverns. Ground-based tanks in the shape of drakes. Even sea serpents. An entire army that requires neither rest nor food.”

Sithara nodded slowly in agreement.

“Yes. It is possible. But the cost is extreme. We had to feed Maw millions of corpses during the testing phase.”

Damon nodded.

“I understand. I assume these drones aren’t the pinnacle of your work.”

Lyn’s grin became almost boyish.

“I’m glad you asked. Lazarak is currently in the inner chamber, refining our greatest creations. I am eager for you to witness them. Based on my data, even you will be impressed.”

Damon glanced toward Matia.

She gave a single, firm nod.

If Matia was impressed, then Damon was certainly interested.