My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 935 - 936: Bone Ridge

The core mission to locate the Pillar of Conflict stayed exactly the same. Damon felt even more urgency to track it down now, but he remained clueless about its appearance or how to find it, knowing only that he absolutely needed to.

Because of this, Damon felt certain that not even the unknown god knew the Pillar of Conflict's precise location in this realm, just that it existed somewhere here.

Nine continents made up the world. If Damon were in the shoes of the goddess of doom, which landmass would he choose to conceal it on?

Among them, just one earned the name of war continent, yet Damon suspected the goddess of doom wouldn't pick such an obvious spot, so he dismissed Soltheon, his own home. The following option was the doom continent, known otherwise as the demon continent, Centros, right at the world's heart.

Demons called this place home and it served as the origin of all things. Still, with demons dwelling there for ages, Damon figured the unknown god had likely searched every inch already.

Next in his thoughts came the wild continent, Leona's origin land filled mostly with beastkin amid thick jungles. Lothria lay to the south, dotted with old ruins and jungles barely explored. It seemed like a prime spot to stash something away.

Yet Damon dismissed it anyway.

The Verdant Continent, inhabited by elves, seemed like the choice, but considering the elves' arrogant demeanor, he crossed off Iorvas too.

He clicked his tongue as Lilith reclined in her seat. In a silky tone, she said,

"Iorvas boasts mystical forests and ancient elven cities, even if other races dwell in its thick woods and open fields. Elves hold the reins in leadership, yet the land hosts various nature-loving peoples united in respect for the natural realm and the Goddess. They hardly seem war-hungry, making it even less probable than the wild continent."

Damon nodded deliberately, erasing it from consideration.

"Guessing blindly like this won't help. We have reasons to question each spot, but if forced to choose, I'd wager it's in Soltheon or perhaps Vuldren." His tone carried doubt.

Lilith rapped the stone table softly. Towering statues of odd humanoid figures loomed in the room. The vast space featured a soaring ceiling, evoking the chill of a tomb for the departed. That might well be its purpose. This spot was, after all, the Tomb of Lesser Gods.

It sat near the hidden tomb's core.

"What if she actually did hide it obviously? We know so little about the goddess beyond sketchy ancient writings from dead scribes who slipped in their biases to sway the gullible crowds who treat their words as gospel."

"Hmm, meaning we ought to leave all possibilities on the table," Damon replied casually.

Lilith grinned. His quick agreement pleased her.

"Fine, that leads us to tackling the unknown god." Damon settled into a stone seat across from her.

"And what of the unknown..." Lilith inquired, her eyebrows knitting.

"How shall we handle him?" Damon posed deliberately.

"That comes off more as your idea than a query. You've got a plan brewing, haven't you..." Lilith replied. She felt confident about that.

Damon offered a steady smile, gesturing with his hand.

"Oh yes, indeed I do..."

"So spill it..." Lilith pressed.

He held her gaze briefly, his face composed.

She blinked, recalling the stigmata of the unknown god marked on her back.

"Hmm, that's a fair worry. No need to share if you prefer not to."

Damon gave a faint shake of his head.

"It's okay. I operate assuming the unknown god anticipates my moves, and that's alright. It changes nothing if he does. Still, for the moment, I prefer to act as if he remains in the dark."

Lilith cocked her head a bit.

"So you're saying even if he knows, no big deal, but you'd rather he stays clueless, correct?"

"Correct." Damon responded measuredly.

"The goddess once dominated here, only to get outmaneuvered by the unknown god. If that happened to her, why not turn the tables on him... consider it, what drew the unknown god to this place..."

Lilith pondered briefly before responding steadily,

"Lazarak wielded his Lake of Tears."

Damon grinned gradually.

"Spot on. That Lake of Tears shifted the entire game by evading the goddess to reach outside forces. Its mechanics escape me. Lazarak never deployed it in my time with him, or at least not that I'm aware. But beyond the nightmare, he did, sparking all this chaos."

Lilith followed his reasoning, though one key doubt lingered.

"Sure, that makes sense, but what's your move with the Lake of Tears, and where even is it? You haven't a clue."

Damon let out a low chuckle.

"It's stashed right here in this tomb. I sense it because I understood Lazarak. Of anywhere to conceal the Lake of Tears, he'd pick this very place."

Damon paused, his mind drifting to the hopeful god who shunned killing.

"I know it's here. He'd safeguard it in the burial chamber."

Lilith exhaled deeply, sighing.

"Oh, what a hassle. The burial chamber's blocked by that monster at the entrance. We can't just summon help to take it out either."

In recent months, they'd pushed forward a great deal in claiming the Tomb of Lazarak. After venturing and battling through it, Lilith had to note its dungeon-like essence.

The fiercest pushes came from orcs pledging fealty to Damon, plus human knights they'd bested.

But true breakthroughs waited until Maw arrived with his swarm of shadow drones, seizing room after room. Now only the last area remained—the burial chamber.

The gate's protector stood at sixth class advancement, barring their path and proving too tough to fell.

Damon suspected the chamber's contents posed an even graver threat.

"Who do you plan to summon once you reach the Lake of Tears?"

Damon shook his head faintly.

"No notion yet. I'll handle that when the time comes, though it'd likely be the goddess. You know, counter force with force..."

Lilith stayed silent. She shot him a look.

"How's your primary form faring in the Bone Hallows?"

Damon scowled, clutching his forehead.

"Not well."

---

He slipped into a gap amid two bones. A slimy, damp ooze coated his features, yet Damon ignored the foul muck reeking of decay.

His eyes locked on the gray sky overhead as he lay still. A massive shadow glided through the clouds, the ground trembling with every wingbeat.

Damon longed to swear, but whispers warned even his oaths could alert this beast.

Naturally, it was a dragon—Rexagon himself.

Rexagon still pursued Damon relentlessly. The shame burned vividly in its mind.

Yet Rexagon avoided touching down in this forsaken terrain. He hovered aloft. It wasn't unwillingness; he simply couldn't. Attempts to descend always roused the ancient bones to clash with him.

Damon bided his time until the danger passed. Once Rexagon's silhouette faded beyond the horizon, he breathed easy.

Then he crept out gradually, his visage smeared with corpse-like odor. He wasn't alone. From bone cracks and dark corners, expedition members surfaced one after another.

Seras tumbled from beneath a stack of human-scale bones.

"That dragon's awfully tenacious," she grumbled, casting a mild glare at Damon.

Damon felt too drained to mind. Certain zones in the Bone Hallows forbade rest. Dozing there meant eternal slumber.

They'd discovered this painfully, and with no way to spot such areas, they chose sleepless vigilance.

"How much farther to the sea?"

Seras raised her hand to her eyes, as if measuring the span.

"Hmm, we're not too distant now. Just crest that bone ridge, but to dodge Rexagon, we'll need to tunnel through it."

Her words sapped Damon's energy.

"Let me guess, something lurks within those bones."

Seras smirked faintly.

"Your hunch matches mine."