My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 943 - 944: Blood Mary

Sob. Sob.

Soft whimpers echoed across the deck where a knight huddled, clutching his sword tightly, his knuckles pale from the grip, a towel draped over his back like a cape of defeat. The crew formed a circle around him, their boots creating an uneven ring on the wooden surface.

The ocean breeze whispered gently outside their gathering.

Damon perched on a barrel in front of the knight, bending forward with elbows resting on his knees. The glow from illumination runes etched into the mast and railings bathed the deck in a ghostly blue light, turning every face ethereal.

He rested his hand solidly on the man's shoulder.

"It's okay. You're safe here. Share what occurred."

Slowly, the man raised his head to gaze at the vast, starless night sky above, an endless void mirroring the emptiness in his soul.

"The goddess has forsaken me..." he sniffled, tears streaming down his cheeks in unrelenting, shattered sobs.

"I recall it as if it happened just thirty minutes back."

Seras folded her arms securely across her chest.

"Because it did happen thirty minutes ago."

Damon shot her a piercing look and grumbled quietly.

"Can't you tell he's in agony?"

She let out a sigh, sweeping hair away from her face. Why the fuss over this? It wasn't such a grave matter.

Damon drew a handkerchief from his pocket and softly placed it into the trembling hands of the man.

The man murmured a sorrowful, "Thank you."

"I was by myself, polishing and wiping down my equipment. Then came the noise. A sound from the door. I figured it was my roommate returning from the upper deck."

He halted, gulping deeply as the surrounding men leaned closer.

"It drifted in... resembling a peach with tentacles. It spoke with a woman's voice, and before I could move, it burst apart, drenching me in... blood."

"Ahh!" a voice gasped in shock.

"By the goddess..." another crew member lamented.

"That's awful," someone murmured softly.

"Such torment, what ordeal he faced," a different man intoned seriously.

"That's not a big issue... it's not acid or anything," Lana remarked bluntly, her arms dangling casually, obviously puzzled by their panic.

"Hold on. How did you determine it was... you know... menstrual blood?" Renata inquired cautiously, bending down a bit to match his gaze.

The man shuddered fiercely.

"It declared it... it informed me," he breathed out.

A few men quivered in response.

Seras exhaled quietly.

’I understand. That verifies one detail.’

"That means a dreadful beast is on board," Damon exclaimed theatrically, standing up abruptly.

"No. It means you're all fools," Seras retorted sharply. She unfolded her arms and advanced. "I can't fathom your panic over such a minor thing. A bit of blood won't end you. You won't get pregnant from period blood, so why not set aside your fragile male pride and hunt down that creature."

Damon coughed uncomfortably, rubbing his cheek.

"You... haven't experienced the flip side of a period. The torment from a partner's mood swings. You turn into the bad guy just by being there. I could list more."

A sailor with a lengthy beard and rugged features hesitantly lifted his hand. He was among the elder crew, with wide shoulders and battle marks.

"My... my spouse strikes me each time it's her monthly cycle... I once attempted to resist... but I never triumphed..." Tears flowed down his cheeks, vanishing into his facial hair.

Damon quickly moved in and gripped both his shoulders firmly.

"Stay resilient, brother. She can't harm you out here."

"I'm sorry," the sailor sobbed. "She'd insist nothing's amiss, yet I sense otherwise. I only wish she'd confide in me. When she claims all's well, I believe her and end up battered..."

He broke down in open tears, collapsing to his knees.

"I strive to shield the children. To be a worthy dad... it's always challenging."

The men shared their experiences sequentially.

Damon inclined his head gravely. Even Lilith Astranova terrified him during her time.

"She craves solitude.

You grant solitude.

’Why are you avoiding me?’"

He waved his hands expressively.

"She seeks focus.

You offer focus.

’Why are you smothering me?’"

The ring of men nodded, united in their past pains.

"The phrase ’It’s fine.’

It’s anything but fine."

One crew member gazed into nothingness, as though peering into an infinite chasm.

"You'll hear a tale from a decade past.

You'll bear the blame for it."

A wave of collective groans rippled through.

"She may declare, ’I despise everyone.’

You agree.

You count as everyone too."

The bearded sailor hid his face.

"You'll be questioned, ’If I became a worm, would you love me still?’

No choice there."

"No right response exists for that," Damon stated somberly. "I simply surrender and perish."

Seras and Lana observed the group with furrowed brows.

"Hmm. We're facing a seductive variety of monster. The ocean teems with such beings," Seras mused, eyeing the shadowy waves.

Lana quietly enumerated potential threats. Seras dismissed them with a shake of her head.

"Whatever it is, it's got Damon hooked as well..."

"It's not mental assaults," Renata interjected, indicating the crown atop Damon's head.

"He's protected against those," she affirmed assuredly.

"We're up against a beast that captivates without touching mind or spirit. That limits our suspects. From the blood, I... oooh."

Lana stopped abruptly, startled by Seras's quiet utterance.

That wasn't promising.

"What? What's wrong, commander?"

"It's a being that manipulates pheromones. It ejects blood from its form. I've caught whispers of grim tales, and matching his account... it's precisely what I suspect."

Renata's eyes narrowed faintly.

"Well, Damon lacks defense against pheromone shifts. I'm certain he'd develop tolerance over time with repeated exposure. Could be slow."

"So what? They'll all behave like fools?" Wendy drawled indifferently, slouching against the rail and eyeing Damon with faint worry.

"Something along those lines. But I'd scarcely deem that the gravest aspect."

Wendy stood a touch straighter.

"What surpasses this in horror?"

Seras nibbled her lip, pausing briefly.

"The blood fuels its power. Contact brings odd bodily reactions. Some claim it instills true reverence for one's mother. Inhaling the blood introduces the pheromone, triggering this response."

Lana's eyes widened.

"Wow. Never realized women were so intense. Hmm. Seems I've much to discover."

"What creature is this?" Wendy urged.

Seras dropped her tone.

"It's the Bloody Mary."

Renata's jaw dropped.

"Wait. Isn't that the one which can..."

"Yes. Indeed it is," Seras interrupted swiftly.

"They won't take that well," Renata murmured.

Then she looked toward Seras.

"Should we... inform them?"

Seras denied with a resolute shake.

"No point in weighing them down further. Bliss lies in ignorance. What they ignore won't harm them."

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

The entire vessel was scoured through the night. Lanterns and rune lights danced along corridors, storage areas, rope bundles. Footsteps thumped on decks. Doors slammed wide. Goods were rearranged.

No beast emerged.

No additional assaults occurred.

Seras remained silent. She and the women merely watched, keen gazes following each motion, each uneasy flinch. They anticipated further clues, more victims, reinforcements.

Damon called forth Matia from his shadow, her hiding spot throughout.

Shadows deepened near Damon's boots, icy tendrils spreading in intricate designs before Matia emerged without a sound. Her light blue locks gleamed subtly in the rune glow, her face impassive as ever.

They briefed her on events, beyond her shadow observations.

Renata seldom witnessed emotion on the frost fairy's features.

This marked such an instance.

The prior occasion was her clash with her father.

Matia's eyes gradually turned to Damon.

She demanded to remain near him from then on.

All for his safety.

The group assembled on deck to discuss matters. The salty wind filled the sails, enchanted runes on the masts shimmering to hold the ship firm amid the inky sea.

"Nothing discovered yet. Has it departed?" the captain inquired, tone strained.

The victim from the previous night hawked a spit over the side.

This was his tenth in mere minutes.

Damon eyed him shortly before lifting his shoulders.

"I doubt it. Likely lurking in the waters. We might dive after it, but I advise against."

Seras's gaze flicked to the bloodied man from yesterday.

He spat once more.

His complexion was ashen.

Perspiration beaded on his forehead.

Damon shook his head, ready to remark, when the man dashed to the ship's brink.

He knelt and heaved his morning meal over the edge.

The vomiting was intense.

His fingers clenched the railing until knuckles blanched.

Damon grimaced.

"Poor fellow. He must remain revolted from last night's ordeal."

Seras sighed, inclining her head gradually.

"No. That's not the reason."

Damon arched an eyebrow.

"It's due to his pregnancy."

Damon looked her way and grinned faintly.

"Ahh. Good one. Didn't realize you joked."

Her face stayed unchanged.

Not a flicker.

The breeze swept through in quiet.

Damon's grin gradually vanished.

His color drained.

"...What?"