My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 942 - 943: Blood Of What

With his arms folded across his chest, Damon gazed up at the sky where the sun seemed to melt into the ocean.

"If I were to have a daughter, I'd compliment her cuteness every single day. You realize that newborns come out incredibly unattractive. It's true for humans and animals alike."

Seras blinked in a slow, deliberate manner.

Damon lifted his hand and began tallying with his fingers.

"There are developmental phases before they hit peak adorableness. The initial one is the birth ugliness, when they're all red and lack any hair or endearing features. That's the phase only a parent can truly adore, though everyone acts like they're the loveliest creation ever. We deceive ourselves completely."

Seras's lips curved into an uneasy twitch.

"Uh... alright..."

"Next comes the genuine adorable period when they're tiny and start uttering sweet noises. They've got a bit of plumpness and perhaps some fuzz for animals."

A faint smile played on his lips, as though he were imagining the scene.

"After that, they enter the speaking stage, full of learning and maximum charm. This marks the pinnacle of cuteness. Beyond this, it tends to decline for many. You either turn out stunning or remain plain."

"Well, my life took a sharp turn downward quickly," she remarked, then hesitated, gesturing toward her own face. "Hold on. Where exactly do I fit into this scale?"

Damon pulled a dramatic face, narrowing his eyes like he was appraising a priceless relic, before breaking into a smirk.

"You belong to the fortunate group. You're extraordinarily gorgeous, which means you were surely adorable as a child."

Seras gently traced her face once more, this time more deliberately, as if etching its contours into her mind.

"I'm extraordinarily gorgeous..."

It seemed she doubted his words.

Damon felt a touch surprised. Had no one ever praised her appearance before, or was this one of those situations where women dismissed compliments from undesirable men but welcomed them from attractive ones?

Definitely the second option.

He quietly appreciated his mother for his appealing features.

Although that wasn't entirely accurate.

In reality, nobody had ever described Seras as extraordinarily gorgeous, despite her beauty being capable of bringing down empires with a mere glance.

To be frank, it was tough to appreciate a woman's allure when she was in the midst of tearing out your insides, drenched in gore.

When facing death, looks were the last thing on anyone's mind. Even a siren's beauty couldn't stop sailors from steering clear.

Damon looked out at the sea, drawing in a deep breath.

"You appear quite fond of the ocean," Seras observed, her face showing an odd look as the final rays of the far-off sun flickered, just skimming the waves.

He cocked his head, eyeing the foreboding dark waves.

"I've heard the sea can be utterly frightening. Seeing it now, I find myself strangely captivated."

Seras moved nearer and rested a hand on his shoulder, her hold steady and strong.

"I regret all that you're going to go through. I truly hope you hold onto that mindset."

Damon's brow furrowed, and he arched an eyebrow. What was going on with her? When had she become so overly cautious? He'd already braved the evil forest and the whispering woods. He'd traversed Lysithara.

Those places were notorious peril spots. Yet the ocean wasn't discussed in such ominous terms. Why was she exaggerating it so much?

It was merely some water, nothing more.

Seras noticed his skepticism. She could only hope he wouldn't develop a fear of water. That kind of shock would be disastrous.

Well, that's the attitude.

The sun dipped below the horizon in silence, plunging the world into sudden night. The ocean's real essence emerged.

Endless blackness stretched out.

That didn't bother Damon at all. Darkness held no secrets from him.

He grinned mockingly into the void.

And with his grin echoed a terrified shriek from aboard the ship.

The hairs on his neck rose sharply.

************

Somewhere aboard the vessel, a man drenched in blood let out a piercing wail.

The cry ripped through the ship's structure, jagged and desperate.

Seras and Damon sprang into action simultaneously. Damon's face shifted from annoyance to intense concentration. They dashed down to the lower deck, their boots pounding on the creaking steps while the ship rocked wildly underfoot.

The screams intensified.

Without a second thought, Damon slammed his foot into the door.

The timber shattered inward with a thunderous snap.

As they entered, the odor assaulted them immediately.

Coppery.

Intense and overpowering.

A man lay sprawled on the ground, coated in blood from head to foot. His hair was matted, his face streaked with crimson, his garments soaked through. His gaze held stunned disbelief as he stared up at them, like a kid trapped in a horrifying dream.

The whole wooden chamber was splattered in red.

The walls.

The planks of the floor.

Every bunk was stained.

Blood trickled from the upper bunks in sluggish, viscous strands.

Damon advanced, his boots sloshing through the gathered red pools. He bent down a bit, fixing his eyes on the man huddled in the gore.

"You okay? What went down here?" he bellowed, his voice booming through the space.

The man remained silent.

His mouth quivered. Tears streamed from his eyes, carving pale streaks across the blood-smeared cheeks.

Seras knit her brows, moving with caution, her boots marking deep prints in the slippery surface. She knelt a little and touched two fingers into the dense blood, smearing it between them.

"This blood isn't yours."

The man shook his head gradually, his body shuddering.

Damon surveyed the area.

No corpses.

No severed parts.

No evidence of a fight aside from the blood everywhere.

"What made you scream like that?" Damon pressed, clutching the man's collar and yanking him to his feet.

The man just sobbed.

An adult male in tears.

Damon couldn't quite label the unease it stirred. The room felt off. Far too still. Far too vacant for such a volume of blood.

"What?" Damon barked. "Who does this blood belong to? It's not yours. You don't seem hurt."

The man swallowed hard, his throat working furiously. His teeth clicked together as he struggled to speak.

At last, words came out.

He murmured something faintly.

Damon and Seras failed to catch it.

Damon's tolerance broke.

He gripped the man's jaw with one hand, thumbs pressing into his face, and pulled him near until their brows almost met.

"Say it plainly."

The man uttered it again.

This time, Damon made it out.

A chill surged through his veins.

Seras whipped her head toward him.

"What? What exactly did he say?"

Damon's mouth trembled.

His eyes gradually expanded.

"He said..." Damon gulped.

"It's... period blood."