My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 920 - 921: Look up

Blood started trickling from the corners of his eyes, sliding down his face.

He remained rooted in place, gaze fixed skyward, like he'd witnessed something beyond his understanding.

The loose dirt beneath their boots was the initial thing to retreat.

A section of the Evil Forest itself trembled at the presence voicing from the branches, causing the ground to pull back sharply with the dark roots plunging deep into the earth.

The shift appeared in the feel of the dark soil.

It had turned solid and firm, just like the regular terrain Damon recalled.

Dread finally gripped him.

Damon watched as Seras pivoted slowly and started weaving hand seals. She pointed toward the expedition team and then at Damon beside her. The gesture she formed would make anyone balk at the command.

Yet everyone understood this was their sole option.

Her hand rose to her lips.

Without a pause, she drew out her tongue and sliced it free.

The cut tongue dropped onto the soil.

Right then, her words rang out from the treetops.

"Everyone, ready your weapons and attack the entities in the trees."

It sent chills through them.

All eyes were locked on Seras.

Not a syllable had escaped her lips.

Blood pooled in her mouth.

But her voice emanated from the branches.

The trees, and the creatures lurking inside, had mimicked her tone.

Had she delayed, they all would have fallen like the initial victim.

Damon clenched his jaw tightly.

Somehow, they'd arrived at the Listening Canopy ahead of schedule.

Or perhaps the canopy had drawn near to them.

This zone of the Evil Forest lay ahead in their path, but entry wasn't planned for another three days of journeying at least.

Seras' tongue poured blood as she shot him a look.

Damon let out a silent sigh.

He needed to follow suit.

The Listening Canopy had captured his voice too.

With a flick of his wrist, the shadow cloaking him shaped into a slender blade. He yanked out his tongue and severed it without delay.

Blood surged into his mouth, spilling down his throat, chin, and neck.

The flavor was salty and metallic.

Damon stayed composed.

His face showed no turmoil, as though self-harm hadn't just occurred.

Amadeus' notes outlined the straightforward laws of this area.

Should the canopy learn your name, your tongue becomes your worst foe.

Fail to remove it, and it turns verdant, rotting further each time the woods mimic your speech.

Avoid gazing into the branches.

A monstrous entity lurked there.

Spotting it would fracture your sanity, splintering your soul.

In certain instances, it would claim a piece of you.

Fellow travelers catch false commands or screams. Some obey, vanishing into the underbrush forever.

Crucially, this mirrored the Whispering Forest most closely.

It must remain ignorant of your name.

Otherwise, it summons you to glance upward, eroding your resolve with every plea until you comply.

Renata stayed silent, so the Listening Canopy lacked her voice. She skipped severing her tongue, opting instead for a rope to seal her mouth securely. She bound Wendy's similarly, while the girl kept her sight glued to the ground.

Certain expedition members played it safe and removed their tongues promptly.

Such caution proved wiser.

The metallic scent of blood hung dense in the atmosphere.

Damon caught a subtle glow filtering from above as a voice coaxed him to raise his eyes.

It sounded like Seras pleading for aid.

He wasn't fooled.

She stood right there beside him.

He gave her a light elbow nudge.

Seras peeked at him sidelong and nodded faintly, signaling to hold firm.

Damon peered back along their trail and spotted oddly twisted trees in their wake.

He dropped his gaze and observed peculiar blooms sprouting near the roots.

Those petals emitted a weak spatial aura.

His eyes sharpened.

That path marked their recent passage.

Could those be displacement flowers?

He examined them closely.

Indeed they were.

These blooms from the Evil Forest shifted folks across distances via their space-warping traits.

'I get it... we bypassed several days of travel unintentionally.'

"Damon, quick, look up!" Seras cried out in desperation.

His neck stiffened.

He nearly tilted his head back.

Then he caught himself.

"Damn, that was persuasive—nearly tricked me."

Damon drew in a sharp, cool breath and resumed his steps away from the trees. Seras' tender whisper attempted to lure his gaze upward.

"Don’t you want to learn about your mother? Just look up, and I’ll reveal it. I’ll let you see." The treetop voice murmured softly, a stark contrast to any words Seras had ever uttered.

Seras was never that kind to anyone, Damon knew for certain. She embodied icy resolve and lethal precision like inevitable doom. As if that fierce warrior could ever soften...

"She wouldn’t, would she?" Damon mused, feeling the blood crust on his chin.

He eyed her advancing beside him, her stare laced with fury. Absolutely, she’d never speak so mildly. That was the mark of one forged in endless battles.

She shot him a look, then waved insistently for him to press on. Her fierce expression conveyed it clearly.

If you get caught, I’ll thrash you senseless...

Damon pressed his lips together. He’d have retorted if his tongue remained.

Plop.

One person crumpled to the ground, pale as death. The Listening Canopy had ensnared them.

A shiver raced up his spine.