My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 955 - 956: Volunteer

Standing from his position, Damon sensed the ground quaking under his soles.

In the remote distance, soft reverberations of havoc swept over the terrain akin to far-off thunder.

The conflict had truly ignited.

On this occasion, the Goddess Races hadn't initiated the hostilities. Nevertheless, venturing into the Demon Continent was a feat they possessed ample familiarity with.

Naturally, the majority of such incursions concluded identically.

They got repelled.

Followed by the demons striking back with their own assault.

The previous conflict commenced with a breathtaking arrival. Armadas traversed the seas, forces swarmed the coastlines in a spectacle designed to rattle the globe.

It endured under a month.

Unable to maintain their foothold, they underwent a shameful withdrawal.

Yet the disgrace didn't conclude at that point.

In reality, it marked merely the start.

The Demon Race initiated a retaliatory incursion.

They arrived at Harlem Pass within Soltheon.

Despite their loss, the Goddess Races' hubris persisted. Believing in their territorial superiority, they overlooked their provisions and support networks.

A tactical error.

One that exacted a heavy toll.

However, circumstances differed this round.

They'd been brought low.

They'd readied themselves.

More thoroughly than in prior times.

After all, the reason behind the demons' declaration of war eluded them still.

They grasped just one detail.

Ashcroft had come back.

Due to that lone truth, the Goddess Races were set to unleash all their might against the demons.

To them, this battle was a matter of survival.

It could prove their final holy war... Or herald the dawn of a transformed era.

Still, the reality stayed straightforward.

No cause ever truly warranted war.

And no conflict ever held true justice.

Damon gathered a fistful of soil from the Demon Continent.

The earth felt gentle and heated in his grasp.

"So this is the Demon Continent."

He surveyed the surroundings leisurely.

It appeared scarcely altered from his homeland.

The foliage matched. The ground emitted a comparable aroma. The breeze bore the known fragrance of dirt and greenery. The sole notable variance lay in the climate. The atmosphere seemed a touch denser, the gusts bearing a subtle strange coolness.

"Yes," Seras murmured next to him.

"This is it."

Damon furrowed his brow lightly.

"Hm."

He scanned the woodland once more.

"Kinda underwhelming. It’s... well... lacking a whole lot of evil."

He shrugged.

"You know, this isn’t what I had in mind."

Seras gradually shook her head.

"Yeah. I had the same thought."

She gazed toward the faraway ridges.

"Across the ocean, from a young age, we’re taught the Demon Continent is some kind of hell. A barren land filled with death and doom."

Her lips curved faintly.

"But it isn’t."

"The Demon Continent actually has the highest quality of life index for most civilians."

Damon arched a brow.

"You literally just said it was dangerous."

Seras nodded.

"Yes."

She crouched and lifted a tiny rock, twirling it in her fingers.

"Not because the continent itself is safe."

"It’s because of its rulers."

She flung the rock away.

"The Demon Lords protect every social enclave. Cities, towns, settlements. As long as civilians stay inside those protected areas, they’re safe."

Damon folded his arms.

"And outside those places?"

Seras breathed out gradually.

"It depends."

"The Demon Lords have spent thousands of years eliminating danger zones across the continent."

Her voice held a subtle trace of envy.

"One territory at a time."

"Cursed forests. monster nests. ancient ruins. corrupted lands."

"They’ve destroyed or purified countless places."

She directed her view to the remote peaks.

"The areas that remain are the worst of the worst."

"And even now... they’re still trying."

Damon hesitated.

For an instant, he caught himself silently respecting that.

Demon Lords endangering themselves to purge the deadliest regions in their realm.

That wasn't an anticipation he held.

"Of course," Seras murmured softly, "they profit from it too."

She started tallying with her fingers.

"Relics."

"Treasure."

"Ancient knowledge."

"And warriors who gain terrifying levels of battle experience."

She offered a slight shrug.

"It’s not all glamorous though. The demons still maintain a strict hierarchy."

Then she turned back to Damon.

"The difference is that if you’re strong enough... anyone can rise."

Damon inclined his head gradually.

"And that’s why the demons are strong."

Seras cocked her head a bit.

"Yes... and no."

She averted her eyes once more, her stare remote.

"It’s because even if they die, their power is inherited."

"And if someone manages to ascend, their power is added to the system."

"Even after their death."

A chilly grin formed on her mouth.

"It’s the Ouroboros Coil."

"And we have to steal it, right?" Damon asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. "Makes me wonder... why didn’t they just ask us to destroy it?"

Seras shook her head gradually.

"Who knows. They probably expect us to destroy it if we can’t take it." She paused. "Although I doubt we can."

Damon rose and wiped the soil from his palms.

"We’ve got two options."

He indicated the far peaks.

"We go into the death zones, hide in the Graveyard of Gods while we move around."

Then he motioned toward the interior woodlands.

"Or we blend into demon society and see things for ourselves."

He introduced yet another choice.

"There’s also the wilderness. We could break into smaller squads and scatter."

Seras remained silent briefly before denying with a shake of her head.

"The Graveyard of Gods is a no-go. We’re more likely to run into demons there than anywhere else. If we go too deep, we’ll just be walking into a trap."

Damon crossed his arms.

"So you want us to blend into demon society."

Seras nodded.

"Yes."

Her face grew somber.

"The plan from the high command is stupid. Too many of us have already died for it."

She looked at the surviving troops.

They had begun with almost a thousand.

Now scarcely eight hundred endured.

"So we’re setting up a hidden camp," she went on. "Then an elite squad will move into demon towns and gather information."

Damon lifted his hand.

"I’ll volunteer."